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Please read and answer these questions in your inquiry so we can assist you on your move to the Cincinnati Area. Please start a new thread with your copied/pasted responses.
. Have you searched this forum for answers to your questions before posting a new inquiry? Yes, but nothing was specific enough to our situation.
. What specific topic have you not found answers to?We have never lived in a city. We don't really know what to expect.
. Where is you current location and environment?We currently live in a rural area next to a city of around 74k. The area we live in is relatively quiet and fairly safe, but the city that is 15 minutes way made the top 100 most dangerous places at around the 50th place, which is fairly sad for a city of 74k.
. Are you looking for similar in Cincinnati or a change?We definitely are ready for a change, but we don't want to move into a crime infested area.
. Where will your work location be?One of us will work in Hebron. The other is in the creative industry and has no clue where to work.
. Maximum commute time desired?I currently drive 45 minutes to work and would much prefer a short commute. I've never driven in a city, but my spouse has a lot of driving experience and would prefer to stay a short distance away (the time isn't as important as the miles).
. What is you budget for housing? $200k, but we prefer less and can do more.
. Rent or buy?We might have to rent at first, but very much would like to buy a home.
. Type (Apt., Condo, Single Family)If we rent, whatever is safe and suitable for a family with teens and a dog.
. Size (Approx. Sq. Ft., # Bedrooms & Baths)We need 3 bedrooms and preferably at least 1.5 baths. Our home is currently 1600 square feet and we would prefer something a little larger, but we could go down in size slightly.
. Other specifics?If we bring our outside dogs, we need to be allowed to have a fence and not get in trouble if they bark (they've only ever been in the country). We realize that we may not be able to bring them with us if we intend on renting. Ideally, we buy and keep them, especially since one of them is 11. We definitely need parking for 2-3 vehicles as my daughter will be driving soon.
. Neighborhood environment?We are in our 30s with a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old. We would like a neighborhood that is safe to walk/run/jog in, since my daughter is a runner and I enjoy going for walks and would need to take my pug for a walk.
. Urban, young professional, nightlifeHonestly, we've never lived in a city. We don't really know what to expect or even what to wish for.
. Mid-urban, close in neighborhood or suburb, stable investment We would plan on living in the house we buy for a minimum of 5 years and if we love the area, we'd likely retire there. If we move in 5 years, we'd like to at least make our money back.
. Suburban, low maintenance, quiet streets, soccer mom atmosphere We are a pretty private family. I'm an introvert. We enjoy having friends over, planned... so we wouldn't want to live in one of those neighborhoods where the people are so friendly they just show up to say hello, but we would like them friendly enough to at least wave when you walk by.
. Family oriented Teenagers. We don't need a neighborhood that is oriented around little children, but we also don't want to be in an area where there are no kids at all.
. Lots of same age kids, activities By the time we move, my daughter will be a junior in high school and my son will be in 8th grade, so activities for teenagers is great.
. Great schoolsOur kids school rates a 3 on Great Schools website. It is a safe school with a great gifted program (my kids are in honors, AP, and gifted courses). However, the regular classes are mediocre at best and there aren't a lot of great programs. It is a AAA school, so my daughter won the region in cross country but needs better competition and would like a school with a great cross country program. Otherwise, we are just looking for good schools, better than what they currently attend. Safety is the number one priority, followed by programs for honors students, followed by the cross country program.
. Older, distinctive architecture, individual characterI absolutely adore older homes, especially Tudors and Victorian homes.
. Modern, 15 yrs old or less, move-in readyWe need a move in ready home or one that the seller is willing to make repairs on because we will be using a VA loan.
. Diversity of income, race, housing?We are the minority were we live, so we don't really care about race.
We are middle class and prefer an area that is well kept and somewhere in our income range.
. Yard - none, small, large (1/2 acre or more) We want a small yard that is large enough for our dogs to go outside, but with minimal upkeep. We currently live on 6 acres and are ready not to have to do a lot of yard work. We probably don't want more than an acre.
. Very safe, low crime area?I don't want to have to worry about my car being stollen or our home being broken into or feel unsafe when walking alone. Otherwise, we are okay.
. Can tolerate some degree of crime potential? How Much? see above
. Private neighborhood association, swimming & fitness facilities We don't want to have to deal with a homeowners association, but at the same time, certain amenities are nice.
. Schools?
. Not applicable
. High Ranked Public schools The higher the better, but we are coming from mediocre schools, so we don't need the best schools, just good schools.
. Small or large district?I'm not sure what is considered big or small. I graduated with only 74 people, but my children have more like 300 students in their grades, so I don't know. Is 300 small? We don't mind a larger school, because even 300 per grade doesn't feel like a lot.
. Diverse student body?This doesn't matter. We are okay with any group as long as they are good people.
. Strong athletics? Yes. A strong cross country program.
. Consider Private schools? Yes, but it depends on the costs.
. Special considerations? AP, honors, and a gifted program would be nice.
. Community amenities?
. Daily needs within walking distance, shopping, restaurants, parks, etc. We'd like to have thinks within a few minutes of driving, but walking distance is a plus to restaurants and other things that we may enjoy.
. Town/city community center for adults & kids I don't really know what this is...
. Swimming, fitness center, running track, adult activities A fitness center if we don't have room for it at home, and definitely walking trails.
. Nearby fitness centers & clubs
. Close proximity to public transportation? What is driving in the city like? If it is difficult for someone that has only driven in rural areas, then yes, as long as it isn't scary or unsafe. I've heard horror stories about public transportation.
. Lots of parks & youth athletic leagues A park would be nice.
. Jogging & biking trailsWalking trails.
. Other? A community art center would be really cool if it is welcoming to all.
. Specific wants/desires? If we get the job and move there, our daughter would be soon going off to college. We are hoping she decides to live with us (at least when college is out for the semester) until she finishes her degree. With that said, we hope that we are close to some good colleges, especially four year colleges.
Also, are there a lot of remote and telework jobs there? I know they are big in some cities and not in others. What is it like to start a freelance business? Is it difficult? Are there a lot of rules regarding freelancing from home?
Are there animal ordinances we should worry about? We would like to bring our two outside dogs, and we have an inside dog.
We don't get a winter here, what is winter like there? Will we need heating? If so, what should we look for?
Why is housing so cheap in the area? It seems like there are a particularly high amount of foreclosures and cheaper homes. When using COL calculators, housing is supposedly way higher than our current location, yet when we look at homes, they appear to be much cheaper, making us wonder if something has happened to the housing market there recently.
Anything else we should consider before moving from a rural, humid, hot, flat, small town feel to a larger city up north?
. Please identify any specific wants/desires not mentioned above.
Yeah, piggy backing on what SWOH said you're clearly looking for a suburb. I will admit it's a little harder to pick a palce since one job is in Hebron and the other is unknown at this point.
Based on employment in Hebron and wanting good schools I'd look to live in NKY. Most of the suburban good school districts in Ohio will just be too far of a commute to Hebron. I'm not sure on exact home prices but I'd look in Fort Thomas and Fort Mitchell first and most. You might find cheaper homes in Fort Thomas that Fort Mitchell. Fort Thomas schools are always ranked one the best school districts in Kentucky (Fort Thomas Independent Schools). Fort Mitchell is home to Beechwood schools which are also always being highly ranked (Beechwood Independent School District). Both of these towns are older suburbs but are well established, strong sense of community, walkable and very little to no crime. Each is probably a 15 minute drive to downtown. If these are too expensive I'd like to some of the newer suburbs like Hebron, Florence and Burlington. These are all in Boone County. Again good schools and very low crime.
As far a some of the other questions....I think some suburban communities still ban Pit Bulls, that's the only real pet ordinance I know of that have to do with dogs. You absolutely need heating but I can't imagine there's a house in the entire region that does not have heating. It can get very cold with lows in the teens in the winter. We can get snow, but the past 2 winters have been pretty mild. I think it only snowed once last year. A big time snow storm here would be 4 or more inches. But typically a snow storm will be .5 to 2 inches. Houses can be cheap but it also depends on where you're looking. Type in Hyde Park, Terrace Park, Mariemont, Indian Hill, Mt Adams or any other higher end communities you're going to get some sticker shock. My understanding is that real estate market here is doing quite well compared to other Midwestern areas.
The whole purpose of a city is based on the notion that a group of people can establish things that are beneficial to human life which things no one of the group can individually establish alone.
By it's nature, a city is hundreds of people all around you (not one or two) each rushing to accomplish his/her individual goals. Those are most likely different from yours although there are brief moments or spots where they seem to be the same.
Some of the people are socially minded. That is, they will instinctively stop to help someone they see having a difficult time. Most are a mind-your-own business type. Those won't harm anyone, but they keep doing their own thing regardless of others. Lastly, there are a number who have the idea life amounts to getting what you can out of others, sometimes with a gun, etc. And, there's no way to identify beforehand which kind you are with.
In the wilds you take a chance on nature while trying to make space for yourself. In a city you take a chance on those around you while trying to fit into the established structure.
Northern KY would make sense and fit the needs and interests you describe.
This website is very jumpy about putting forth certain websites so rather than the link, let me mention - go to: r e a l t o r dot c o m, install Ft Mitchell, KY, select 180,000 to 220,000, single family homes, and under More Filters choose to expand the search area to 1 mile.
I think you'll be pleased with what you find. Best wishes.
Good advice so far. Worth noting, the highly-rated Beechwood SD is also unusually small. I'm thinking that might be one alternative where you can avoid some of the culture shock that's probably going to come with your move. Travel Crazy's advice is good, but I would also locate a realtor who works in the Northern Kentucky area to help with your search and possibly fine tune it more to the kinds of environments that are more familiar to you. Don't worry--if you buy in the right area, you're going to like Cincinnati just fine.
Agree with Sarah about using a good realtor. In fact, I just used one that I liked (pretty rare, given prior experiences) and he's licensed in both KY and OH. If you'd like his name send me a private message.
Having just been through the home search and buying process I wholeheartedly urge you to do your own online house-hunting. You know best what your needs, interests, limitations, range of acceptance on features, etc. are and, because of that, will have better success locating a house that works. Bookmark the pages of houses you like or copy the URL links of them and paste into a draft email for referencing back to, or forwarding to your agent. It is an excellent way to learn about the market. You can also find out what SALE prices have been on: z i l l o w dot c o m. Install a town or zip code, select Buy, then under the Listing Type dropdown, choose: Recently Sold.
Also, Google Maps - install an address and choose: street view to scan the street and neighborhood. Satellite view gives you an overhead image of the property or neighborhood.
Heads-up: the total annual real estate taxes you will see listed on any of these realty websites will be accurately stated for metro Cincinnati (Hamilton county) but they are NOT on the KY listings. Counties and cities on that side of the river bill separately and the numbers are not consolidated to show full tax liability. That's why they look so low in KY, it's only a partial picture.
Agree with Sarah about using a good realtor. In fact, I just used one that I liked (pretty rare, given prior experiences) and he's licensed in both KY and OH. If you'd like his name send me a private message.
Having just been through the home search and buying process I wholeheartedly urge you to do your own online house-hunting. You know best what your needs, interests, limitations, range of acceptance on features, etc. are and, because of that, will have better success locating a house that works. Bookmark the pages of houses you like or copy the URL links of them and paste into a draft email for referencing back to, or forwarding to your agent. It is an excellent way to learn about the market. You can also find out what SALE prices have been on: z i l l o w dot c o m. Install a town or zip code, select Buy, then under the Listing Type dropdown, choose: Recently Sold.
Also, Google Maps - install an address and choose: street view to scan the street and neighborhood. Satellite view gives you an overhead image of the property or neighborhood.
Heads-up: the total annual real estate taxes you will see listed on any of these realty websites will be accurately stated for metro Cincinnati (Hamilton county) but they are NOT on the KY listings. Counties and cities on that side of the river bill separately and the numbers are not consolidated to show full tax liability. That's why they look so low in KY, it's only a partial picture.
I had grown up in this area, so I still had some useful knowledge when my husband and I returned 17 years ago. We had a very experienced and well-regarded realtor, and she showed us a LOT of houses, but in the end one day I drove into the secluded little pocket neighborhood where we live and spotted the for-sale sign on our house. Not sure if how much of this was just dumb luck, though. Online looking is good. Things like Google Street View weren't available when we were looking, either.
As others have already suggested, I think that it's in your family's best interest to focus on Northern Kentucky (NKY) rather than subject yourselves to any arduous back-and-forth workaday struggles across the river bridges to/from Ohio.
NKY is not anything like the stereotypical impression many outsiders have of the state. It certainly isn't moonshine territory with screen doors falling off porches, pickup trucks jacked up in front yards and Rebel flags draped across windows, etc.. Instead, NKY's a thriving commercial and residential region solidly connected to and proudly accepted as part of Cincinnati's metro. This is especially true of the three communities already mentioned: Ft. Wright, Ft. Mitchell and Ft. Thomas. My recommendation is to begin your search with these three, then work towards the airport and Hebron itself. Erlanger, Edgewood and Florence should definitely appear on your radar.
As others have already suggested, I think that it's in your family's best interest to focus on Northern Kentucky (NKY) rather than subject yourselves to any arduous back-and-forth workaday struggles across the river bridges to/from Ohio.
NKY is not anything like the stereotypical impression many outsiders have of the state. It certainly isn't moonshine territory with screen doors falling off porches, pickup trucks jacked up in front yards and Rebel flags draped across windows, etc.. Instead, NKY's a thriving commercial and residential region solidly connected to and proudly accepted as part of Cincinnati's metro. This is especially true of the three communities already mentioned: Ft. Wright, Ft. Mitchell and Ft. Thomas. My recommendation is to begin your search with these three, then work towards the airport and Hebron itself. Erlanger, Edgewood and Florence should definitely appear on your radar.
Solid advice, and those three are lovely communities. I think many of us are so accustomed to the knowledge that northern Kentucky does not fit the hillbilly stereotypes that we often forget to mention it to people from outside the region.
The only consideration worth noting is that there ARE some substantial differences related to that area of the metro being in a different state from Cincinnati proper. Having lived a long time in Kentucky (albeit a different part), I think this is worth noting WRT things like tax rates and state laws that may affect you as an individual. On balance, I think overall I preferred Kentucky to Ohio, although the current political situation there would have me wanting to move if I hadn't already. But that's just my personal preference.
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