need a list of safe areas to look at around Spokane (South Hill: apartment, rentals)

[fleeNY]

My wife, son and I are flying out to Spokane / CDA in 3 weeks to check it out since we plan on moving there at the end of the year. I've done a bit of research on CDA but we just recently became interested in the Spokane area since there's no income tax.

Can you guys recommend some areas or neighborhoods to check out?

We want to rent a place for a year before we buy. We home school our son so schools aren't an issue but good schools never hurt. We'd rather a place on the outskirts of town with outdoor activities close by. Maybe an acre or two.

Also is the weather pretty similar to CDA?

Thanks!

[Rustysurf83]

Weather is fairly similar. I am a bit biased to my own neighborhood, but would recommend Colbert. What sort of budget are you looking at for renting and possibly buying?

[fleeNY]

Thanks, for rent maybe $1500 a month.. and to buy later on maybe $300k. it all depends on our income then

[Rustysurf83]

In that range you can look anywhere in Spokane. Check Colbert, Country Homes, Indian Trails, 5 Mile, and the South Hill. With that budget you could also check outlying areas like Liberty Lake.

[fleeNY]

Originally Posted by Rustysurf83

In that range you can look anywhere in Spokane. Check Colbert, Country Homes, Indian Trails, 5 Mile, and the South Hill. With that budget you could also check outlying areas like Liberty Lake.

Thanks for all the info!

[buyandsell509]

I second the Colbert area. Also the Mt. Spokane area and Peone prarie close by there. Rentals are hard to come by if you're looking to rent a house, but there are some very nice apartment homes too that would be within your budget. The schools are truly top notch, and have a very good home school program so the kiddos can participate in sports and other events in the school district. Liberty Lake is booming, but a lot more expensive. Plus it's hard to find any acreage there. Greenacres or south Spokane Valley may be more your style. It's real close to Liberty Lake but larger lots and more properties with acreage. Schools are very good there too. I'm not a huge fan of the south hill because of prices and the hit and miss schools, plus the roads are kind of confusing and just a mess in the winter. I'd still recommend checking out all the areas as each have a lot to offer. Best of luck with your search and I hope you enjoy the Spokane area.

[fleeNY]

Originally Posted by buyandsell509

I second the Colbert area. Also the Mt. Spokane area and Peone prarie close by there. Rentals are hard to come by if you're looking to rent a house, but there are some very nice apartment homes too that would be within your budget. The schools are truly top notch, and have a very good home school program so the kiddos can participate in sports and other events in the school district. Liberty Lake is booming, but a lot more expensive. Plus it's hard to find any acreage there. Greenacres or south Spokane Valley may be more your style. It's real close to Liberty Lake but larger lots and more properties with acreage. Schools are very good there too. I'm not a huge fan of the south hill because of prices and the hit and miss schools, plus the roads are kind of confusing and just a mess in the winter. I'd still recommend checking out all the areas as each have a lot to offer. Best of luck with your search and I hope you enjoy the Spokane area.

Thanks I'll let you guys know what we find

[Cdarocks]

When we last relocated, I use google earth to preview all kinds of areas. It was really helpful. I was able to knock off entire towns from my list doing that, and my opinion of these areas didn't change when I arrived in person. We were able to maximize our time when touring the area and have a very profitable visit looking only at areas we knew were interested in. I would certainly recommend doing something like this before you come because IMVHO the Cda area is quite different from the Spokane area. The Valley looks like a lot of sprawl to me and not very attractive sprawl at that. We used to come over the line from Idaho to Washington to shop, but several years ago this became unnecessary. My DH worked in Spokane, but we lived in Hayden. We just liked it so much better. The income tax conversation comes up once in a while, but it all evens out between the two and in 13 years I never knew one person who moved from Idaho to WA because of taxes.

I am sure you are very excited about your visit! How long will you be staying?

[fleeNY]

Originally Posted by Cdarocks

When we last relocated, I use google earth to preview all kinds of areas. It was really helpful. I was able to knock off entire towns from my list doing that, and my opinion of these areas didn't change when I arrived in person. We were able to maximize our time when touring the area and have a very profitable visit looking only at areas we knew were interested in. I would certainly recommend doing something like this before you come because IMVHO the Cda area is quite different from the Spokane area. The Valley looks like a lot of sprawl to me and not very attractive sprawl at that. We used to come over the line from Idaho to Washington to shop, but several years ago this became unnecessary. My DH worked in Spokane, but we lived in Hayden. We just liked it so much better. The income tax conversation comes up once in a while, but it all evens out between the two and in 13 years I never knew one person who moved from Idaho to WA because of taxes.

I am sure you are very excited about your visit! How long will you be staying?

Thanks! yeah we're pretty pumped. We'll be there from 9/12-9/17. I've been doing a lot of looking with google street view and I think I see what you're talking about. I think we'll be able to get a good feel for the area in 4-5 days of driving around and checking out some rentals.

[AK76]

fleeNY, I hope you can find the time to post about your visit to Spokane, my wife and I are going to be visiting this Oct. for the same reason. Any insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!