My First 30 days in Fort Wayne, IN (Elkhart, Hope: apartment, houses)

[BanyanTree]

Mbuszu and krock1dk,

Don't take this the wrong way. The main thing is ugetit said he is a person of color.
I don't know your backgrounds, but experiences of caucasians would not be a counter argument to
ugetit's point of view.

I am of Indian origin and in about 2 months, things haven't stuck out as racist to me in Fort Wayne.

[alaska315]

Maybe you folks from out of state that are moving to Fort Wayne should have been asking these questions prior to moving to the "Fort".
And without bashing here,Isn't it true that the overpriced Californian housing market makes that 1+ M house there in reality more like Fort Wayne's 200K homes?.That has been my view from touring/working in the Cali area anyway.
I personally think anywhere is better than California and their socialist attitudes,but having grown up in Fort Wayne,I certainly don't think you bettered yourself by moving to the "Fort",but that's why we are Americans and have the freedom to choose.

[BanyanTree]

Originally Posted by alaska315

Maybe you folks from out of state that are moving to Fort Wayne should have been asking these questions prior to moving to the "Fort".
And without bashing here,Isn't it true that the overpriced Californian housing market makes that 1+ M house there in reality more like Fort Wayne's 200K homes?.That has been my view from touring/working in the Cali area anyway.
I personally think anywhere is better than California and their socialist attitudes,but having grown up in Fort Wayne,I certainly don't think you bettered yourself by moving to the "Fort",but that's why we are Americans and have the freedom to choose.

> Maybe you folks from out of state that are moving to Fort Wayne should have been asking these questions prior to moving to the "Fort".

Life is rarely that cut and dry, alaska315 ...

Sure the housing here is big plus compared to california. But I am not sure what your point is. The "socialist" transplants should shut up and take their lumps?

but having grown up in Fort Wayne,I certainly don't think you bettered yourself by moving to the "Fort",

Rather presumptious, aren't we? How would you know? I have a job here while I lost my job in California. So, obviously, in financial terms, it has been a major improvement.

[alwayspositive]

Here's my take on the issue of socialism. I am registered independent and no fan of Republican Party but I also do not like the "socialist' attitude of Democrats. I speak from experience. I grew up in India and I have seen how bureaucrats tend to rule your lives. They behave like princes or kings due to unabashed power they are bestowed by the Govt. Endemic corruption, rule of gun/money/political power, and total disorder is the ultimate consequence of bureaucracy. Such circumstances always give birth to revolutionary movements like the current Maoist revolution going on in Nepal and many parts of India. We have seen what happened in Burma, Vietnam, Cambodia etc. All revolutions are ultimately created out of frustrations of people against the State machinery run by incompetent bureaucrats.

When I moved to US more than 10 years back I had to go thru a lot of pain dealing with immigration issues, financial issues, cultural issues etc which are common to all first generation immigrants. But I was still mightily happy all along to be here because I was able to overcome all of them only because Americans had created a fairly common sense based society where I could find my way around myself. The only time I had to actually visit a govt official was usually in DMV offices and a few times at SSA office. But they all went shockingly smooth. It is amazing that in America even the govt offices have a set defined process and things move fast and efficiently. Of course some natives might disagree with this but I have seen the hell that Indian bureaucracy is. I believe that Government intervention must be only as a last resort just like war ought to be.

[ShadowCaver]

Lets get back on track - subject matter is Fort Wayne.
Politics pertaining to Fort Wayne, Allen County, even Indiana - ok...
Politics pertaining to left vs right, arses vs. big noses - NOT ok.

[alwayspositive]

Are there any Mosquitoes' related issues in Fort Wayne since there are many ponds and lakes in the area?

[jc76]

I'll chime in just to say that Fort Wayne seems to have pretty much the same feel as the rest of Indiana/Midwest as far as conservatism. That will never change IMO. Sure each city is different, but we will probably never be an open minded liberal state. We may progress with some things but if a guy has a green mohawk he's gonna get dirty looks, period. There will always be that tension religiously, politically, and personally between opposing forces because much of the mindset here is fuzed into minds at a young age as to what is and what is not "acceptable."
So if your Hindu, you may get the cold shoulder from many people. Just remember your an American and freedom of religion is your right even if the mainstream believers oppose you. Good luck to you and your family. Peace.

[BanyanTree]

Thanks JC76.

I am in the process of searching for a house. This is partly driven by high house rental here as I mentioned earlier (apt. rentals are ok), lower interest and of course lower house prices compared to CA. I like older houses with bigger trees and some space between the houses. They have a charm and an identity. But what concerns me about older houses among other things, is the utility bills I am going to get, come winter. One house owner showed me bills in winter of upto 300 - 400$ per month?!! And that is just gas. Electricity is another 100 - 150$/month. Is this typical for a 2000+ sqft house with 2 people in it? It was 30 year old house. I presume the newer houses would be more energy efficient. Any tips in house search would be very welcomed.

On a related note, the mortgage interest rate jump had me worried till I saw Nobel prize winner Economist, Krugman's op-ed piece in New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/op...rugman.html?em
(May require registration, but it is free. )

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by BanyanTree

Thanks JC76.

I am in the process of searching for a house. This is partly driven by high house rental here as I mentioned earlier (apt. rentals are ok), lower interest and of course lower house prices compared to CA. I like older houses with bigger trees and some space between the houses. They have a charm and an identity. But what concerns me about older houses among other things, is the utility bills I am going to get, come winter. One house owner showed me bills in winter of upto 300 - 400$ per month?!! And that is just gas. Electricity is another 100 - 150$/month. Is this typical for a 2000+ sqft house with 2 people in it? It was 30 year old house. I presume the newer houses would be more energy efficient. Any tips in house search would be very welcomed.

On a related note, the mortgage interest rate jump had me worried till I saw Nobel prize winner Economist, Krugman's op-ed piece in New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/29/op...rugman.html?em
(May require registration, but it is free. )

Agree - also love the look and charm and warmth and feel of the older houses, but, the warmth would be quite costly, as you have found out too. I would highly recommend either (a) get a newer more efficient home, or (b) if do get older one, definitely remodel, to try to reduce amount of heat/air loss - but from what I've found, that can be quite a money pit too. Mine is over 2k sq ft, all electric, using ground-source open-loop [well-fed] heat pump [plus two gas flueless fireplaces, that only are used when extremely cold] - and bills are ~100-150 per month.

[alwayspositive]

Many homes to choose from:

http://homes.fortwayne.com/Splash/Splash.asp (broken link)