Family of 4 looking to relocate (Seattle, Spokane: for sale, real estate, rent)

[Daystuss]

Hi!

My husband and I are looking at relocating to the area. My husband is a freelancer, so finding jobs in not an issue. I also homeschool my two boys, so elementary schools are not an issue either. We are from San Diego but I'm actually quite tired of the lack of green and trees. We have been vacationing in the Seattle area for a month but we are NOT impressed with the city. There's too much traffic and the people here are not the friendliest. I also cannot envision raising my kids in a huge city. Coming from San Diego though, I was looking for a place that's the best of both (has city amenities and small town feel). I've been looking into Spokane and Coeur D'alene and so far I'm very impressed. We love the outdoors and don't mind the snow (my husband is from Wyoming, so he's very used to cold winters). My question is, would the area be a good place for a Christian homeschool family? Are there a lot of things to do here with kids? Are the summers unbearably hot?

I want to add that I've read that some areas of Spokane are bad, but every city has bad areas, so that's not a problem for us.

Thank you in advance!

[rumi79]

would the area be a good place for a Christian homeschool family? - yes, there are many homeschooling families. I am not a Christian but there are so many active churches here with activities for the kids that I am sure you will find your people.

Are there a lot of things to do here with kids? - it depends what you are looking for, but in general - yes. There are outdoors activities like hiking, swimming, kayaking, water parks, parks, biking...and in the winter great places to go skiing/snowboarding or tubing. I hear snow shoes are fun too but we have not tried that yet. There is also the children's museum, the symphony which has special shows for children, art fests, and tons of classes from sports to arts and science.


Are the summers unbearably hot? - I have been here only one summer and it was lovely. Low humidity and wonderful sunny days. I did not find it too hot maybe because of the low humidity. We were able to hike even during peak hours and we were not terribly hot and there are many lakes/river around where you can cool off.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

I don't know about home schooling in either area. Real estate prices are noticeably lower in Spokane than they are in Coeur D'Alene. Rent is substantially less expensive and a house purchase is substantially less expensive. If you don't have to be in town, which apparently you don't, there are several lakes in Washington, right around Spokane, where there are wonderful houses for sale for a price that seems very reasonable for waterfront property.

I've only been on the freeway in Spokane, not any surface streets. Traffic is heavy during rush hour, but it keeps moving and drivers are more considerate than they are in Seattle. In Coeur D'Alene, traffic is heavy on the freeway and quite heavy on the surface streets that go through, but again, it keeps moving.

Coming from Seattle, you aren't going to be alarmed at the amount of traffic.

In either town, there is lots to do for kids if your kids like outdoor activities like camping, hiking, fishing.

[ShadoAngel]

My question is, would the area be a good place for a Christian homeschool family?

Short answer: Yes.

Longer: But you'll need to check up on the laws and decide for yourself. I was homeschooled (in Texas) and back then Idaho had the *least* regulations on homeschooling children. According to the HSLDA, they still rank very highly (or low? depends on how you look at it) in that department. Washington, on the other hand, does require you to test your children a few times throughout their education to prove they are learning the basics.

Depending on your personal political beliefs and your targeted type of education (satellite schools, co-ops, unschooling, etc.) you may find Idaho easier to deal with than Washington. There are plenty of homeschooling resources in the area on both sides of the border so you will be fine in that regard. Personally, I don't find Washington's requirements to be that onerous and I could have aced the tests provided, when they were required at the few grade levels they test at. IMO, the only reason that would be an issue is if a child wasn't being properly educated. Some other states on the east coast are much more demanding.

Are the summers unbearably hot?

Depends on where you're from and what you consider to be 'unbearable'. I was born and raised in Texas and visiting my relatives in E. Washington/N. Idaho in the summer was literally paradise for me. Dry and warm instead of hot and humid. Even hot days were quite bearable in comparison and cooled off quickly at night.

If you were born and bread along the coast in California, you may find it more unpleasant. Weather is a completely subjective experience.

[mistyriver]

I've lived and homeschooled my daughter in Idaho and am fairly familiar with homeschooling in WA. Idaho has pretty much no oversight by the state or local districts at all. Washington is a very homeschool friendly state with a program called Homelink for backup support and extra classes if your child likes and socializing.

The winters can be mild or they can be very cold and snowy. Summers can be mild or hot and dry. I'd look for AC or the option to be able to add it if you want to live in the city. Otherwise, there are lots of nice suburban areas and small towns around the city as well where leaving windows open 24/7 might be more feasible than in the city. Even in far north Idaho we had enough days in the high 90's to low 100's that it can get miserable without it.