Northern Idaho vs. Southern Idaho

[his_little_one]

What are the 'safest' communities currently? we are searching for a retirement home in the Treasure Valley

[volosong]

Originally Posted by his_little_one

What are the 'safest' communities currently? we are searching for a retirement home in the Treasure Valley

Not in the Treasure Valley, but I'll relate part of what was presented last night at the mayor's "State of the City" address to the community. He said that according to the stats, (which we all know can lie or be manipulated), that Rathdrum was the second safest city in North Idaho. Sandpoint was the safest. (He did not venture stats for the whole state, that I remember anyway.)

[RVFullTimer]

I just want to know how to find the best affordable parcel in northern Idaho? Northern Idaho is the place for mountains, rivers and lakes right? Does Idaho allow full time RV's? How cold is it in the winter?

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by RVFullTimer

I just want to know how to find the best affordable parcel in northern Idaho? Northern Idaho is the place for mountains, rivers and lakes right? Does Idaho allow full time RV's? How cold is it in the winter?

I can't help with the most affordable parcel, but can with the other quesitons.

Idaho is full of mountains, rivers and lakes from one end to the other. Throw a dart at a map of the state and you hit at least one of the 3.

I can't say for sure, but I think you can live here full time if you keep moving the RV around.

It gets colder than blistering hell sometimes, but most times the cold hovers around zero. The winter snow season is often close to 6 months long. it can, and has, snowed here every month of the year except for August. (and has probably snowed in August, too.)
The snow never lasts during the summer, but it can fall.

[Cnynrat]

Originally Posted by RVFullTimer

I just want to know how to find the best affordable parcel in northern Idaho? Northern Idaho is the place for mountains, rivers and lakes right? Does Idaho allow full time RV's? How cold is it in the winter?

You can find weather stats in many places, including here on C-D. Generally speaking, I think of our winter temps as being mid-teens at night, mid-twenties during the day. The winter weather is quite variable though, and it's not unusual to get a period at some point during the winter with temps below zero at night and single digit highs. We can also see periods with temps well above freezing. We aren't quite far enough from the west coast to escape all the coastal influence on our weather.

If you plan to live in an RV I'd also be concerned about snow. Average annual snow fall is 60-70", but it's not unusual to get closer to 100". You will either need a way to clear snow off your RV roof from time to time, or park it under a shelter that keeps the snow off it in the first place. I know the people who built our place parked a large trailer in the shop and lived there while they built the house.

I don't know of any specific regulations that would prevent you from living in your RV. I know some folks do that in the rural parts of Bonner and Boundary counties. Generally speaking, Boundary county is the least restrictive county up this way, and Kootenai is probably the most restrictive. Land values vary all over the place, but I suspect it's generally less expensive to buy land in Boundary county compared to Bonner and Kootenai.

Dave

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by RVFullTimer

I just want to know how to find the best affordable parcel in northern Idaho? Northern Idaho is the place for mountains, rivers and lakes right? Does Idaho allow full time RV's? How cold is it in the winter?

I was being a bit snarky in my first reply. Sorry about that. I thought Idaho's cold weather was well known.

But I'm seriously doubtful you would want to live in an RV on some of the most affordable land here.

The most affordable land usually tends to be cheap because it's not a very good spot to live on for many and varied reasons.

Those reasons could include inaccessability, lack of good water, no access to power, questionable titles, hazards, and all kinds of bad stuff.

The most affordable land may not be hard to find at all. Just be aware there are always reasons why any land's price is what it is.

A foolish guy I know over in Montana once bought a mountain top real cheap. It was a beautiful spot to build a retreat cabin on, except for all the arsenic in the water table. He's been trying to sell it for 20 years now, real cheap. It's uninhabitable, but he still has to pay the taxes on it every year.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by his_little_one

What are the 'safest' communities currently? we are searching for a retirement home in the Treasure Valley

I think your best answers would be found in the Boise sub-forum.

[Sandpointian]

Originally Posted by sdaly

Most gang bangers are from Idaho? I would agree that most Aryan gang bangers were born and breed in Idaho but now the new hispanic gangs that are coming around are not from Idaho. Most of these hispanics that are in gangs are from california or Mexico or their parents moved up here from California or Mexico. I mean look at the Boise area 20 years ago there were not Mexican gangs down there or if there were they were not as large and a problem as they are now. I am from Northern Idaho and there are hardly any hispanics up here must be to cold not sure or to many rednecks. But I am seeing that crimes are starting to become more and more violent and frequent down in Boise just look at the idaho statesman they have a whole section of the paper dedicated to crime. What does everyone think of this and do you see the athorities doing anything to stop it down there.

Gang bangers, Aryan or otherwise, are usually transplants. The soldiers are misfits. Many are first or second generation. Unlike their grandparents, they are too lazy to work on farms or in manufacturing jobs requiring 60+ hours a week or focus. Not book smart enough to enjoy the academic life. The weaknesses and inferiority complex are ripe for the picking by self-proclaimed "leaders". These folks are also imports as in the case of the Aryan Nations, started and funded by two Southern Californians.

There are few Aryan gang bangers with deep Idaho roots. Many from CA, OR, WA, etc.

Gangs are de facto families for misfits. They exist because they offer what families offer: unity, identity and community. They are also effective to protect against outside forces. They go wrong when they get violent or they get involved in criminal activities

I am not worried about larger percentages of Mexicans. They work hard and are not lay like many of the local kids. Most are almost more family and religiously oriented vs. US populations. Most cities with large Hispanic populations and economic growth, tend to have low violent crime rates.

The worry should be focused on organized crime which accompanies growing cities with higher population densities and whose opportunities are drying up. In the Western US, much of this organized crime has Hispanic origins from various countries. In other places, the ethnic origin of crime will be found wherever there are poor, disenfranchised, misfit populations. US history is filled with them: Irish, Italian, German, Albanian, Russian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Somali, etc.