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Old 10-31-2012, 07:02 PM
 
17 posts, read 41,361 times
Reputation: 20

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Hey all.

My boyfriend just got notice that the Cargill plant he works at is closing. Big Lake and Monticello is huge on Cargill, and are offering transfer options up there. He's not a fan of the cold, but all the amenities including Super Target, Starbucks and a light rail to Minneapolis are very appealing.

We are currently in the absorbtion stage, meaning that we're just talking it out, seeing if moving up there is our best option. Of course, there are lots of jobs available here in Iowa, but he has been with the company for 12 years, and is sort of thinking he wants to stay with the company due to it's great benefits.

We are looking for an apartment in the area, preferably in Monticello or Big Lake, so we don't have to drive. I don't mind the drive, but he does. I can easily take the commuter train into the city to work, but he would rather be close to his work. We don't need anything fancy like a $2,000 rent condo, just something that's one bedroom or studio that could hopefully be around $500. We don't want to live in the "rough" part of town, if there is one.

Can anyone help us out on leads? It's not like we can go up there spontaneously and look for apartments. We live 250 miles South.

Thanks for all your help!
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Old 11-01-2012, 12:22 AM
 
Location: Moved to Gladstone, MO in June 2022 and back to Minnesota in September 2022
2,072 posts, read 5,036,333 times
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There are no rough areas in Big Lake or Monticello
They're basically the same city, there's only like 3 miles that seperates them.
I don't know about finding something for 500 dollars. My sister lives in Buffalo about 10 miles south of Monticello and pays well over 600 for a basic bare 1 bedroom. If you go to St. Cloud you can definitely get something for 500. Monticello and Big Lake are kind of considered part of the Twin Cities, and because of that they cost more. And will probably cost more than what you will find in Iowa.

Apartment sites and craigslist are kind of useless for smaller cities like Monticello and Big Lake. I found this one on google, well above your 500 dollar budget.
http://www.iretapartments.com/Minnes...&action2=&src=
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Old 11-01-2012, 05:06 AM
 
20,793 posts, read 61,066,170 times
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There is very little difference in the cold between MN and Iowa so I wouldn't worry too much about that. Depending on where in Iowa you are, the Big Lake/Monticello area is going to be very similar to most rural parts of Iowa. Not sure about rent or specific apartments there though. Typically in the smaller towns apartments are advertised in local newspapers or by a sign in the yard. It's quite possible, though, that you can buy a house and have a house payment close to $500 in that area, short sale or foreclosure most likely. It's a nice area of the state. I agree, after 12 years with a company with good benefits, it would be hard to leave.
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Old 11-01-2012, 03:58 PM
 
1,816 posts, read 3,012,963 times
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I did a quick look on PadMapper (a great tool for renters looking for a place!) and there were only two listings for that area. One was a 1BR/1BA house for $600/month and another was an apartment for $655. Of course, I'm guessing golfgal is right that you'll need to drive around the area or check out the local newspaper (or Star Tribune classifieds) to see if there's anything else. Still, I'd say $500 is pushing well below a typical place in the Twin Cities. I'd say set your sights at a place closer to at least $600.
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Old 11-10-2012, 11:41 PM
 
23 posts, read 38,923 times
Reputation: 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by 4starcashier View Post
Hey all.

We are looking for an apartment in the area, preferably in Monticello or Big Lake, so we don't have to drive. I don't mind the drive, but he does. I can easily take the commuter train into the city to work, but he would rather be close to his work. We don't need anything fancy like a $2,000 rent condo, just something that's one bedroom or studio that could hopefully be around $500. We don't want to live in the "rough" part of town, if there is one.

Thanks for all your help!

We moved to Monticello a few months ago, and I have to say, the apartment market here is pretty tight at the moment.

We eventually found our place through craigslist. It seems odd, but I went to the Minneapolis craigslist, and under housing, there's a tab for carv/sher/wright (meaning Carver, Sherburne, and Wright counties). Monticello is in Wright County, and Big Lake is in Sherburne County, so you might want to consider the slightly wider area. You might also want to search in Buffalo and Albertville, and possibly even Becker.

Hope this helps ...
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Old 02-28-2013, 11:22 AM
 
1 posts, read 2,186 times
Reputation: 10
i am a single mother looking for low income safe house, in rural northen minnesota. hoping to find something by april
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