Moving to Dayton in 2 weeks!!!

[hensleya1]

Originally Posted by Big new adventure

Thanks TomJones123 for the info on where UD faculty may live. You're right in assuming I'll be working there. Thanks as well to Dayton Sux, not a very inspiring name, but lots of good info. I was wondering about public transportation since my wife won't be able to drive right away.

I'm still not sure what my budget is as I am still researching good reliable used cars to buy, the cost of furniture and reasonable housing.

I suppose I'll be going cheap with furniture from a big box store to start.

What do you all think a 3-bedroom would go for in the area that TomJones123 mentioned?

For cars, we're a family of four, so I was thinking MiniVan or small SUV. Again, I'm not sure of costs.

Part of my problem is that I just moved back to North America from a lengthy stay overseas. I just don't know what things cost over here anymore. I don't know what could be a good value and what may be a rip off. As a result, I'd like to stay cheap and work up from there. Hard to do when planning on longevity without a major financial outlay.

Thanks for the posts and sorry for the late reply. Busy days, these are.

Hi Big new adventure--

The address for Highland Motors is 3650 Madison Pike, Fort Mitchell KY 41017. Tom can be reached at (859) 331-6659. You can't go wrong with a car from his place, although it may be a fair distance to get there from Dayton.

A decent vehicle, about 5-7 years old, will run you between $4,000 and $6,000. I don't know about the availability of financing for used cars of that age; I've always paid for my cars in cash. Given that costs of fuel are most certainly going to rise, I'd go with the van or with a midsize four-door car (a Toyota Camry comes to mind, but pretty much anything in that vein would work).

I suggest using Kelley's Blue Book (kbb.com) to research new and used car values.

Here's the website for Dayton's RTA: Greater Dayton RTA

Generally, it serves just about any location in Montgomery County, including the Dayton Mall. Also serves Wright State, even though it's in Fairborn (in Greene County).

As far as furniture goes, if you want cheap (and new), then I'd go with IKEA. About half of my furniture came from there, and it's held up just fine. There's one in West Chester, roughly halfway between Cincinnati and Dayton on I-75. Or Wal-Mart if you're not picky. On the other hand, if time isn't a pressing matter after you've settled in, then you could always check Trader's World or any curbside yard sale.

A 3 bedroom apartment will run you in the $700-$1,000 range. Here's a link to some local listings: http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Ohio/Oakwood/. If you can hang on until Sunday, I can scan and upload a copy of the classifieds from next Sunday's paper. There's always a whole page or three advertising available apartments.

[CarpathianPeasant]

Have you talked much with people at the university, not so much faculty and students but staff and administration?

[lived here forever]

Try looking into the South Park or Fairground neighborhoods. They are in the Dayton corp., but both very close to UD. Fairgrounds/Rubicon neighborhood is where UD is located anyway. If you are worried about public schools, there is a parochial school located by UD. Dayton has a pretty good transportation system. The buses run regularly through all the neighborhoods.

[Big new adventure]

Hello Everyone,

Thank you for your comments and advice. I've been away from this site for awhile.
Actually, I was checking it, but didn't notice that the posts carried on to page 2. Newbie error, oops!

The staff and admin have been great at the school. They sorted out the school districts and have offered advice on rentals too. Looks like we'll stick to the Oakwood/Kettering area for the school districts and proximity to the school, but thanks for the suggestions, 'lived here forever'. We can always move in the future. I have been checking online and had a good look through the website 'hensleya1' listed. After we sort out a place, then it'll be wheels.

I think we're gonna drive in with a Uhaul trailer on a friends truck, which we can use to check out properties. We'll be able to use the truck for awhile, so we can go to dealers around the area. Kelley's Blue Book is great; we have the Canadian Black Book over here but it's not as good.

Our move has been delayed just a bit, so we have a little more time to organize before making the move.

Thanks again!

[Rynldsbr]

Just want to weigh in on automobile information. As a career "car guy" I have sold them and have managed a fleet of 500+ so can tell you that Kelley Blue Book is inflated. Research using current selling prices and weigh them against www.edmunds.com for comparison.

The best source for vehicle information/location/availability is www.autotrader.com where you can search by model, style, location, and price. I have saved thousands of dollars on vehicles at times by flying somewhere to pick one up. If you are looking for minivans or smaller SUV's, they are readily available almost anywhere.

Don't fear a rebuilt title, as mentioned, they can be a great deal. Do not - ever - buy a vehicle that has been flooded. Also, get a carfax or auto report to see the vehicle history.

I am also interviewing for a position in Dayton and may rely on some of the info here for my own move at some point if things go well. I hope your move is a success.