Retiring woman from Minnesota wants to move to if in a year (renter)

[meo92953]

I've been checking places and my only concern is rental prices. I will be on a fixed income, which I think will be plenty if rent is reasonable. Is there senior housing? Would owners accept a cat? The winters Don't scare me as I will merely stay inside when it's cold.

[banjomike]

Hi, meo…
idaho is a mighty big and mighty diverse state in just about everything.
While rents are in general are more reasonable than in some other states, I think you will find problems finding rentals that allow pets. But in my experience, a landlord may be amenable when a renter agrees to pay a security deposit intended for possible pet damage.

We have several senior housing outfits here. Some concentrate on assisted living more than independent living and vice versa, and some have both types available. I know one does accept small dogs, as a person I knew lived there with her little poodle, but I don't know any specifics. It may be possible to find a duplex as a senior rental as well.

The cold winters won't take you much adjustment, I think, after living in Minnesota. The biggest difference is probably how dry it becomes here in the winters, inside and outside. The dryness is appreciated when a person is outside, but inside spaces can become very dry; I use a small humidifier in my bedroom during the wintertime whenever I start noticing I'm getting stuffy from the dryness. Going from the outside into most commercial buildings here is often a case of extremes, as I'm sure it is in Minnesota. Lots of businesses tend to feel too warm for a while when a person first enters them.

I think that using a local bank instead of one of the huge ones would probably be helpful in managing your income. We have quite a few local and regional banks here; I use one, and I've found it to be more helpful than any big interstate bank I have ever used, and I have experience with the big ones. The locals really know what's going on here, and they all work harder for their money than the big ones, I've found.