Michigan to Southeast Iowa? Info, plz... (Cedar Rapids, Marion: sales, to rent, house)

[eandcdavis]

Hello, We are looking to relocate possibly to Iowa, looking for areas near a prison as my husband works in corrections and were specifically looking at the southeast Iowa area.

We are trying to get a feel for what your state is like. What we want to know is how things compare to Michigan price-wise and tax-wise in Iowa. I've done my research to be sure, but it's always a different story hearing it from the horses mouth, so to speak.

We are probably going to rent for the first couple of years and then seek more permanent housing when we are most familiar with the area. Also, we have a son who has Asperger's autism, (but is high functioning) so good schools are of the utmost importance to us.

I've also done some research on jobs, and am kind of concerned about the apparent lack of listings in the newspapers. I am sales, have been for a decade. How is the job market in these areas?

Also (and finally!) what is the winter/summer like in this area? I am assuming we will be dealing with weather similar to that here in West Michigan, but am not sure.

I respect and appreciate your opinions, and thank you so much for your responses!

[Persimmony]

We only have one state prison - so I'm going to assume you are talking about Ft. Madison. I've told other people and I'll tell you - I would avoid this area. It had the worst economy in the state - it's not going to be easy to find jobs there for you.

People are going to get offended after this, but I'll be honest.

[Mercruiserdr]

Please dont pay much heed to the snob , it has a horribly ugly opinion towards anyone or any region that does not meet its cookie cutter idea of perfection or has a lifestyle it is incapable of comprehending.

The area of Iowa you are talking about is actually very pretty , and friendly as well.
As for things to see and do, that is as I have stated before up to the person seeking such.
If you desire the fast paced hectic lifestyle of a large metropolis then you will be dissapointed in the area.
If a steady quiet lifestyle where you can leave your house doors unlocked while you take an evening stroll is what you seek, you will be quite content.

Tax wise the area is about average, and from my observations a lot lower than some.
If you are from a larger city you will find the everyday prices of life are a bit lower.
In some cases a lot lower !

If you take the time to look around a bit ( and keep an open mind unlike some people ) you will find there are a lot of very interesting sights and places of interest to enjoy and explore.

[Mercruiserdr]

Forgot You asked about The Summers and Winters.

Summers are humid,, no matter waht the temp,, Period !
Winters are not nearly as bad as some may project, again it depends on ones outlook and how prepared a person is.

Having lived in Texas for some time I missed the winter snows , it seemed like something was always missing around the holidays.

Job wise I cannot speak for the Fort Madison area precisely , however I do know the area enough to know you are just a short drive from several other towns and small cities in three different states.

[zz4guy]

I had a roomate from NW Michigan by Cadillac. We get a lot less snow than that area of Michigan, but it is always much colder. Probably about the same type of summers.

[iowegian]

Could your husband work at a state penitentiary? I don't know much about the corrections system so sorry if this is not helpful, but there is a state penitentiary in Anamosa in east central Iowa, and I would personally prefer this area if that would work for you.

You would be close enough to Cedar Rapids to commute there, which would make finding a job in sales much easier, I am sure. The economy in eastern Iowa isn't as bad as the economy in southern Iowa, which is a fairly depressed area. Anamosa is in a beautiful hilly area, and is just a nice small town in my opinion. For schools, I'm not sure about Anamosa schools in particular, but I do know that Cedar Rapids and Marion have good schools and they could definitely accomodate a child with Asperger's. If schools are a very important factor and you don't mind living in a larger metro, you could even live in Marion and your husband could commute to Anamosa. It's only a half-hour away.

The climate won't be a shock coming from Michigan. Humid summers and cold, snowy winters.

Hope this helps

[eandcdavis]

Actually, we have applications out for a few prisons in that area. One of them is in Mt. Pleasant. It's not a job for him we are concerned about so much as the area itself and, of course, a job for me. There are several prisons aside from that one in the southeast Iowa area (we checked the d.o.c. website).

We are not looking for an extremely urban area, my husband is a hunter and we are both into fishing and we spend a lot of time hiking in the woods and doing "outdoorsy" stuff. The area we currently live in is extremely rural and we have the no locked doors, friendly neighbors lifestyle and want to keep it if at all possible.

[South_Born]

Originally Posted by eandcdavis

Hello, We are looking to relocate possibly to Iowa, looking for areas near a prison as my husband works in corrections and were specifically looking at the southeast Iowa area.

We are trying to get a feel for what your state is like. What we want to know is how things compare to Michigan price-wise and tax-wise in Iowa. I've done my research to be sure, but it's always a different story hearing it from the horses mouth, so to speak.

We are probably going to rent for the first couple of years and then seek more permanent housing when we are most familiar with the area. Also, we have a son who has Asperger's autism, (but is high functioning) so good schools are of the utmost importance to us.

I've also done some research on jobs, and am kind of concerned about the apparent lack of listings in the newspapers. I am sales, have been for a decade. How is the job market in these areas?

Also (and finally!) what is the winter/summer like in this area? I am assuming we will be dealing with weather similar to that here in West Michigan, but am not sure.

I respect and appreciate your opinions, and thank you so much for your responses!

I used to maintain the phone system for all of the State Prisons in Iowa. Mt. Pleasant and Ft. Madison are the only two facilities in that area. About an hour and some change north is Oakdale. The area is very nice for scenery and is river town. I personally like the area for I ride a Harley and love riding on scenic routes. I don't know about the economy in the area, I only traveled to the region. As for weather we have some of the best summers "I think" in the nation. Humidity wasn't an issue this year and really their is only one month and that is Aug. Winters can be cold at times and if you don't mind snow then you will enjoy it. I personally couldn't imagine a Xmas without snow....I have lived in a lot big cities and traveled the country. I can always say I can not wait to get home to Iowa! Been a Midwest Boy my whole life and wouldn't ever change that, something about the quality of life in the Midwest and Iowa for that matter!

[Persimmony]

Originally Posted by Mercruiserdr

Please dont pay much heed to the snob , it has a horribly ugly opinion towards anyone or any region that does not meet its cookie cutter idea of perfection or has a lifestyle it is incapable of comprehending.

I actually have a right to my own opinion on this forum. If you can't respect this maybe you should find a different website.. Are there even moderators on this anymore?

[Mercruiserdr]

Originally Posted by Persimmony

I actually have a right to my own opinion on this forum. If you can't respect this maybe you should find a different website.. Are there even moderators on this anymore?

And I take it I am not allowed to have my own opinion ?

I was not aware that this forum was a monarchy and you its tyrant.