***Best place for single male to retire to..Idaho Falls or Post Falls? (Star: low crime, loan)

[folkguitarist555]

Trying to narrow down the search, I am looking to buy a very decent home with a VA loan, around 185k range. I am looking for:

1) Low crime rates

2) Low property taxes

3) Nice, friendly people who are easy to socialize with

4) Nice nature

5) Bearable winters

6) Some dating options for singles

7) Low utility bills

8) Proximity to VA clinic or Medical Center

This is one tough decision for me. Which area or place would you choose for peaceful retirement and why in a nutshell? Thanks

[Mtn. States Resident]

Originally Posted by starrider434

Trying to narrow down the search, I am looking to buy a very decent home with a VA loan, around 185k range. I am looking for:

1) Low crime rates

2) Low property taxes

3) Nice, friendly people who are easy to socialize with

4) Nice nature

5) Bearable winters

6) Some dating options for singles

7) Low utility bills

8) Proximity to VA clinic or Medical Center

This is one tough decision for me. Which area or place would you choose for peaceful retirement and why in a nutshell? Thanks

Starrider,

What do you mean by "VA clinic or Medical Center?" Are you seeking regular office visits a generalist can handle, or do you mean services provided at a hospital for a higher level care? Also, what would be the anticipated frequency of the care?

Thanks in advance for your answers. With the clinics the VA built, it's hard to know how to answer your question about VA services.

MSR

[folkguitarist555]

I mean va outpatient clinics there is an outpatient clinic in Idaho Falls..... from what I understand. But if I had emergency medical issue I would have to go to Salt Lake City.... and Idaho Falls does have a shuttle that runs many times a day down to Salt Lake City and back. if I were in Post Falls I can easily drive over to the VA Medical Center in Spokane which would meet all my needs and some. va outpatient clinics have limited service is like mental health laboratory testing physicals eye exams things like that. so they are very limited if you have an emergency or need to see a specialist. I basically have the VA stuff figured out, it is the other things on my list, I am curious about really....

[banjomike]

Wow… both places are very similar in regards to your list.

The terrain is the biggest difference. I.F. is higher, and somewhat drier, and we're on the edge of the Snake River plain, which stretches westward all the way across the bottom half of Idaho. We are close to both headwaters of the Snake; one begins about 70 miles north, in Idaho, and the other begins at the outlet of Yellowstone Lake.

Post Falls is more alpine, and is a smaller community. While the landscape surrounding I.F. is mostly farmland, our close proximity to Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, the Tetons, W. Montana, Utah, and most of W. Wyoming is what attracts outdoor lovers here.

Really, the only way you can decide which is best for you would be to visit both. It's too long a drive to make comfortably in one day, so I recommend at least 2 weeks. This is plenty of time to get acquainted with both towns, and to see most of the state in the drive. All of us regulars here could write a million words trying to answer your questions, but the thing is: Idaho is different than any of the other states. It has to be experienced to really understand that simple statement.

[Shaner]

Like banjo said, you need to visit. Personally, I am not a fan of IF, but thats all preference. Post Falls will give you access to Spokane and CDA, and nothing beats CDA Lake imo. If you need help with housing or anything in the Post Falls area let me know, I do alot of VA around here. Good Luck!

[folkguitarist555]

I thought that due to the high crime and run down-ness of Spokane...that the crime might be spilling over more and more into N Idaho, so I was concerned about that, and it had been making me hesitant about N Idaho now....whereas IF seems to have much less crime and/or proximity to heavy crime areas. Just my opinion based on my research. Although there is the airport and the VA med center in Spokane which are pluses imo.

[notoriouskelly]

Spokane is a world away from CDA and the crime is not spilling over (save for occasional police chase either direction).

I continue to wonder how there can be such a difference in crime.

Also, I don't need to go to Washington for anything; everything I need is in CDA.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by notoriouskelly

Spokane is a world away from CDA and the crime is not spilling over (save for occasional police chase either direction).

I continue to wonder how there can be such a difference in crime.

Also, I don't need to go to Washington for anything; everything I need is in CDA.

^^^ Pay no attention to the comments on the Spokane forum about high urban crime in NID!

[fleeNY]

I live in Post Falls a few miles from the border and we love it. Like Notoriouskelly said we rarely go to WA for anything except home depot since it's closer to us than the one in CDA. We haven't noticed any crime. It's pretty clean here no trash laying around or graffiti.. anything like that

[notoriouskelly]

Originally Posted by Clark Fork Fantast

^^^ Pay no attention to the comments on the Spokane forum about high urban crime in NID!

HA!

In Spokane's favor I was impressed with the cleanliness and abundance of local businesses on Sprague.

I ran over to get my WA CCW cuz I'm looking at exploring western Washington next.