moving to Elkhart area (South Bend, Mishawaka: real estate, insurance, movers)

[lina4]

My husband and I are considering moving to elkhart IN area. Would be relocating from the east coast for work. So far from my search I have narrowed down either looking along the river for a home on the water, Simonton Lake or in the west Granger area. Want to invest in a property that would hold its value incase we don't stay more than a couple years. Looking up to $600,000ish.
Does anyone have any information on the homes along the river, do they flood often, how much flood insurance costs in IN and if most homes along the river require Fld insurance, is there an area you would suggest or stay clear of, is Elkhart on the up or on the down, are there any golf clubs that anyone would recommend, is Granger too rural, is simonton lake too crowded in summer to quite in winter ? Any information or comments would be appreciated! Thanks, having a hard time finding any forums that are recent on area!

[ischyros]

Elkhart is up and down with the RV and manufactured housing market. During the recession, Elkhart was hit very hard but it has had a great bounce back since then. I believe at that point unemployment in the whole county topped 20-25%. Right now Elkhart is pretty steady after being on the up for a few years.

Along the St. Joseph River in Elkhart has some of the nicest houses in the city, especially on the west side. I would say look west of SR 19 or east of Goshen Ave. On the east side, north of the river is probably better. The south side tends to be much closer to factories and warehouses. Along the Elkhart River, not so much. I can't really help you much with flood insurance information. I also can't you tell much about Simonton Lake. I don't think I've ever been north of CR 4 in Elkhart.

Granger isn't really rural. It's suburban, especially the west side, which is just filled with subdivisions. Traffic can sometimes be a pain, along SR 23. But it also provides great access to the Grape Rd/Main St area of Mishawaka that is the largest shopping and dining destination in the whole Michiana area.

A couple golf clubs I can think of off the top of my head are Elcona Country Club on US 20 east of Elkhart and Knollwood Country Club almost on the Michigan state line in Granger. There are more but I can't think of them off the top of my head. There's also the Warren Golf Course at Notre Dame that is open to the public.

[cdr18]

Elkhart has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Indiana. Like the PP just mentioned, that is directly tied to the RV industry here.

Really, any homes on the river are gorgeous. It really is the place to be in Elkhart with a large budget. Many doctors and lawyers live in the area. It is not just west of SR 19. East of Johnson Street and West of County Road 17 there are beautiful mansions and homes. 600,000 will probably get you a VERY nice home. The metro area for the area is South Bend-Mishawaka, which is also on the up. Tons of new development happening over there, thanks to the University of Notre Dame.

Granger is definitely not rural, and the subdivisions in Granger are slowly creeping closer and closer to the city of Elkhart.

If you're looking to visit a smaller city as well, one might consider Goshen. It has the nicest Main Street in the Metro area, with unique shops and a quaint downtown atmosphere.

Populations:

1. South Bend (largest city) - 101,000
2. Elkhart (medium city) - 52,000
3. Mishawaka (medium city, shopping mecca) - 48,000
4. Goshen (small/medium city, quaint downtown) - 33,000
5. Granger (suburban, upscale) - 30,000
6. Middlebury/Nappanee (small town, Amish craftsmanship) - 3,000 - 6,000

[ColdAilment]

Have you made a decision yet?

I've lived in South Bend and Mishawaka most of my life, so I know this area very well, but I'm only loosely familiar with Elkhart. I do know that in the past 5 years Elkhart has seen a number of substantial improvements, and I do know the city has some pretty nice historic districts, especially along the river.

I live along the river in Mishawaka, but I'm on the north bank, so the river sits almost 30 feet below the roadway that passes by it, I was told when buying my house that flood insurance is not required nor even recommended where I am. I would check with a local real estate agent or flood insurance agent, although I can tell you that flooding here is VERY rare, haven't had one in the South Bend area for quite some time, and nothing that would make national headlines anyway.

Elkhart is a little offputting to me though, it's a heavily conservative and evangelical area. Largely due to the RV manufacturing base and the county's overwhelmingly white population, it's far more conservative than neighboring St. Joseph County with South Bend/Mishawaka, coming from the east coast I imagine you'd likely be more progressive, especially than most Hoosiers.

[Ivory Lee Spurlock]

Obama's been to Elkhart 3 or 4 times since 2008. I think Elkhart was one of his pet projects, bringing the city from about 25% unemployment in 2008, to what it is today, which is what, about 4 or 5% or so unemployment?

Despite that, Obama still lost Elkhart County. In 2012, Elkhart County thanked Obama by voting for Romney in a landslide proportion, 62% to 36%. Shameful. I thought sure Obama would have won Elkhart County.

[cdr18]

Here's the issue with Elkhart County's economy and Obama visiting. Did Obama highlight Elkhart County? Yes. Did it have an impact in the unemployment rate? No. Because the RV industry will always have its cycles. It is one of the most cyclical industries I've ever witnessed. EVER. The first to signal a recession and the first to recover. Did Obama help the economy in Elkhart County? Possibly. One thing I do think that helped the entire state (and country for that matter) was his stimulus package. Remember all of those rebuilt bridges over little creeks and ditches on State Routes? That was stimulus-funded. Did it provide a few construction jobs? Yes. But to say he contributed to the recovery is somewhat misleading.

With all that said, I do appreciate him coming to Elkhart and giving us some recognition. I don't think Obama is all bad, even though I disagree with some of his viewpoints. I would like to think I'm reasonable-minded and bipartisan.

[PiaPetunia]

Elkhart is a great place to live and to relax. I can't think of a better place to retire. If you need help moving to or within the Elkhart area, you can find lots of information on our site michianamovers.com.

[ischyros]

Most of the Midwest outside Chicago has a very low cost of living. There are certainly rural parts of Elkhart County but on the right roads, you can drive from the west side of South Bend to the southeast side of Goshen, a distance of about 25 miles, without leaving a city. South Bend bleeds into Mishawaka which bleeds into Osceola, which bleeds into Elkhart, which bleeds into Goshen. Most areas of both South Bend and Elkhart are perfectly safe. But if you're that concerned, you could also look into Mishawaka. Or Goshen.

[spoutloud]

I have lived all over the country; NYC, Central NJ, Cleveland, Ohio; Springfield, MO; St. Louis, MO; Austin, TX; Seattle, WA; and Elkhart, IN.

Never have I seen so much white trash located in one area as Elkhart, IN. Let me define white trash as I see it. No respect for others, completely selfish, no class. Yes, I'm white.

I'm amazed to see 20 somethings out with their parents or grand parents who are embarrassed by their actions so much that they apologize to me for their behavior, but don't correct their kids. Special snowflakes abound!

[LongLeggedOne]

Originally Posted by PiaPetunia

Elkhart is a great place to live and to relax. I can't think of a better place to retire. If you need help moving to or within the Elkhart area, you can find lots of information on our site michianamovers.com.

I might want to get in touch. I am looking for somewhere quiet but with enough stuff, places to eat, taking walks and stuff. And all the better if people arent coming in droves like thei could be to Texas.