I am thinking about moving to Coeur d'Alene (Post Falls, Kootenai: sales, insurance)

[AJ2009]

Hello, I am thinking of moving somewhere around the Idaho/Washington area and Couer d'Alene came to me through my search. So, can anyone tell me what Coeur d'Alene is like and can I have some information on the schools there? I might have some more questions later on, but can someone please answer these two questions in the meantime?

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

All I can tell you is from my visit to the area a couple weeks ago. It is pretty, and seems to be well laid out and not to crowded. Couldn't tell you about schools or jobs, but it is commutable to Spokane. Hopefully locals can chime in. Try doing a search function as well . Type in CDA, or CDA schools in the search box.

Just another FYI... I actually read through almost every page of the ID forum about 6 months ago. Read the titles that peaked my interest. You can gather a lot of info from these pages

[AJ2009]

thank you.

[C_ferreira]

Well I live in Kootenai county, so I might be able to help you. THe job market is very good, although a lot the jobs are low paying. The healthcare and service industries are the fastest growing. The schools are better, on average than the rest of the state of Idaho. There are 3 main school districts in the KC , Cd'a Distr., Post Falls Distr., and Lakeland School District. Lakeland is the best of the three, being mostly in the northern part of the County. PF district has growing pains (and Lakeland will too) because of the city growing so fast. Cd'A school district is pretty stable in population, and it's high schools, Lake City and Cd'A offer, by far more than any other in the county and maybe even the state. THe summers are really nice, although you might think you were in Washington for all the WA license plates you'll see. Cd'A itself has decent shopping and with the addtion Riverstone it'll only get better. Even so, the drive to Spokane is not bad at all, and Spokane has everthing (except an IKEA). Hope this helps...if you have any more questions, let me know.

[Maxxsgirl]

We are definitely interested in the CDA area. However, driving in the snow is new to us. I looked up the average snowfall amount and saw that is runs about 11 in. per year. Is this amount close to being true?? What type of car or truck would you advise I need? We are retired, so getting to a job won't be an issue. I just think it would be delightful not to go flying off the road due to ignorance!! O
I understand that the county scrapes the main rds. Do you shovel or use a snow blower for driveways, sidewalks etc?? How about chains?? Are snow tires better?? Gosh I sound dumb!!
I think I need your help!

Can't Eat The Scenery--We have been up to Norco. We are in Ramona. When are you moving??
Maxxsgirl

[brokencrayola]

Originally Posted by Maxxsgirl

We are definitely interested in the CDA area. However, driving in the snow is new to us. I looked up the average snowfall amount and saw that is runs about 11 in. per year. Is this amount close to being true?? What type of car or truck would you advise I need? We are retired, so getting to a job won't be an issue. I just think it would be delightful not to go flying off the road due to ignorance!! O
I understand that the county scrapes the main rds. Do you shovel or use a snow blower for driveways, sidewalks etc?? How about chains?? Are snow tires better?? Gosh I sound dumb!!
I think I need your help!

Can't Eat The Scenery--We have been up to Norco. We are in Ramona. When are you moving??
Maxxsgirl

To answer some of your questions. The amount of snow varies so much from year to year. You may have years where it snow, then rains and melts and snow again etc. You may have high snow years where there is a lot more than 11 inches, you just never know. A 4-wheel drive is always the best, but if you are not living in the boonies or do not plan on doing a lot of driving it is not necessary. Get good snow tires. You only really need chains if, once again, you live in the boonies or to go over some of the passes if traveling. The county plows the highways and main roads. It is your job to dig out of your own front porch and driveway and sidewalk in front of your home. You can use a snow shovel or buy a snowblower of your own or pay someone to do it for you. Hope this helps!

[YOU-CANT-EAT-SCENERY]

Originally Posted by Maxxsgirl

Can't Eat The Scenery--We have been up to Norco. We are in Ramona. When are you moving??
Maxxsgirl

Probably 6 years. That is the minumum. Might take longer, but I hope not. I have to wait for my youngest to graduate HS. He is only 12 now, just starting 7th grade.

[Cardinal Flyer]

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho sorry I ever moved hear, 15 years ago. This is a buyer beware state. Coming from a real urban area being, supplied with all necessary amminities, like water, and electricity, sewers, sidewalks and roads, phones, internet providers, and a soild form of local government. You will have your mind blown coming to Northern Idaho especially Coeur d'Alene. Realestate agents are not required to inform you of anything negitive with a proposed property, regardless of what they will tell you. You pick a realestate agent here by going to the County Building and review the civil law suites against the agent or firm you think about using to get screwed by. The agent with the least amount of suites wins... I guess. There are no local people that upgrade their living situation here, for several reasons, Very low wages, and the housing market. Homes that were affordable a few years ago to locals have jumped 300 and 400 percent due to the influx of people from other states willing to pay $250.000.00 for a home that the locals could have paid $40,000.00 a few years ago. Our property taxes are based on what an out of state person will pay for a home, not it's real worth and certainly not this areas low economics. Hundreds of elderly people have been forced out of their homes because of the property taxes. There are many areas out side of town, in the more wooded parts, you can't get fire insurance, no hydrants. Many areas around the lake you can't even flush the toilets because of the septic systems, toilet paper goes in the waste paper can. LOCAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT is a phrase you never heard of coming from an established city like L.A., Boston, Fresno. And that phrase will never be told to you by a realestate agent here. It will rune you, put you in debt, and have a lien put on your property. This county is the crack capital of the inland NW, check the police and sheriff records. Also check online how many sex perverts call Kootenai County there home. This is a tourist town, and Boss Hogg owns it all, the resort, golf course, many restaurants, shops, all of the local newspapers, and people on the city council (I think). So the local inforational guide will paint a great picture not wanting to anger Boss Hogg.
Let me tell you how stupid the government is here. The only source of drinking water here come from the aquifer (underground), forget the lake to poisoned from industry.
Well the local government gave permission to the railroad to build a million gallon fuel storage facility on top of this areas water supply, you guessed it, it leaks.
NO MATTER WHAT ANY BODY SAYS, THIS AREA IS GEARED UP FOR INDUSTRY NOT FAMILIES, I call the place Little Taiwan. So if your an idiot, like I was, and can't see the forest for the trees, move here. Another reason why people move here, No black families and no jewish families,
not one jewish synogogue in the whole county. Jewish families have to leave the state to pray in a synogogue. Go online, see if I not telling the truth.

[Katera]

Originally Posted by Cardinal Flyer

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho sorry I ever moved hear, 15 years ago. This is a buyer beware state. Coming from a real urban area being, supplied with all necessary amminities, like water, and electricity, sewers, sidewalks and roads, phones, internet providers, and a soild form of local government. You will have your mind blown coming to Northern Idaho especially Coeur d'Alene. Realestate agents are not required to inform you of anything negitive with a proposed property, regardless of what they will tell you. You pick a realestate agent here by going to the County Building and review the civil law suites against the agent or firm you think about using to get screwed by. The agent with the least amount of suites wins... I guess. There are no local people that upgrade their living situation here, for several reasons, Very low wages, and the housing market. Homes that were affordable a few years ago to locals have jumped 300 and 400 percent due to the influx of people from other states willing to pay $250.000.00 for a home that the locals could have paid $40,000.00 a few years ago. Our property taxes are based on what an out of state person will pay for a home, not it's real worth and certainly not this areas low economics. Hundreds of elderly people have been forced out of their homes because of the property taxes. There are many areas out side of town, in the more wooded parts, you can't get fire insurance, no hydrants. Many areas around the lake you can't even flush the toilets because of the septic systems, toilet paper goes in the waste paper can. LOCAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT is a phrase you never heard of coming from an established city like L.A., Boston, Fresno. And that phrase will never be told to you by a realestate agent here. It will rune you, put you in debt, and have a lien put on your property. This county is the crack capital of the inland NW, check the police and sheriff records. Also check online how many sex perverts call Kootenai County there home. This is a tourist town, and Boss Hogg owns it all, the resort, golf course, many restaurants, shops, all of the local newspapers, and people on the city council (I think). So the local inforational guide will paint a great picture not wanting to anger Boss Hogg.
Let me tell you how stupid the government is here. The only source of drinking water here come from the aquifer (underground), forget the lake to poisoned from industry.
Well the local government gave permission to the railroad to build a million gallon fuel storage facility on top of this areas water supply, you guessed it, it leaks.
NO MATTER WHAT ANY BODY SAYS, THIS AREA IS GEARED UP FOR INDUSTRY NOT FAMILIES, I call the place Little Taiwan. So if your an idiot, like I was, and can't see the forest for the trees, move here. Another reason why people move here, No black families and no jewish families,
not one jewish synogogue in the whole county. Jewish families have to leave the state to pray in a synogogue. Go online, see if I not telling the truth.

Are you Jewish?

I'm sure a lot of religions are not represented there. /shrug

[wurd4wurd]

three years ago and absolutely love the area! It is positively beautiful - winters are fairly mild (compared to Vermont which is where we're originally from) and summers are outstanding! We live outside the city limits on five acres where my DH has his very own shop so he can tinker 'til his heart's content. Wildlife abounds - much more so than anywhere we lived in Vermont.

There are two public high schools in Coeur d'Alene - Lake City High School and Coeur d'Alene High School. Personally, I prefer Coeur d'Alene over Lake City even though our two teenagers graduated from the latter. I don't have any first hand experience with either the grade schools or middle schools, so I can't really help you there.

Having moved here from New Hampshire - we feel that property taxes are very reasonable. Our property tax bill in New Hampshire was in excess of $8000 a year and our tax bill in Idaho is nowhere near that amount. New Hampshire doesn't have state income tax or sales tax and Idaho does, so that involved a little adjustment on our part.

Lake Coeur d'Alene is absolutely lovely. The outdoor recreational possibilities are endless - water sports, bird watching, fishing, camping, skiiing, hiking - you name it!

My vote is to give Coeur d'Alene a serious look-see to determine whether it will fit the bill for you and your family! Good luck!