Ottakee Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I am seriously considering relocating. Right now I am.about 10-12 miles from our town of 10,800. The county though has 237,000 people in it so while I am more rural, there are several city/town options. The area I am seriously considering has a similar population of about 10,500 but is in a county of only 32,000......so the city of 10,500 is the biggest thing around. Bug reasons I am considering it are that housing prices and taxes are lower, they have great access to medical and dental services and even mental health, great recreation opportunities, and best of all is that there is a county wide door to door on demand bus that would take my special needs kids pretty much anywhere they wanted to go for $1.50/ride school year and $18/month unlimited in the summer. That means my kids could get to/from a part time job, get to special Olympics practices, recreation center, Walmart, downtown, movies, etc all on their own. It would give them a lot more freedom as right now they need me to drive them.anywhere and everywhere. If you have moved to a new area, how did you research it to see if it was a good fit? Thinking special needs services, crime rate, general atmosphere, churches, neighborhoods, possible housing for them, etc. This move would take me 2 hours away from my current area but I think I could easily find a job (another thing to research) as I substitute teach, esp special Ed and those are almost always on high demand. Any cautions? Things you wish you had checked out first? Taxes, zoning, utility rates, etc. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeLovePassion Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Are there any community Facebook groups you can find? I'm in a suburban area and several suburbs have a group to join titled something like "city, state community group". Residents ask questions, post lost pets and discuss local issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz CA Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 We had fewer criteria than you as our ds was not living with us any longer when we needed to move for a job relocation. Renting first can be beneficial as you get to know the area unless the area is small or familiar enough OR better yet you know someone who can point you to neighborhoods that are more desirable than others. The PD of many cities around here will be helpful with stats as well - also available online nowadays. We checked out websites of churches and read the mission statements, visited a few and then tentatively decided. If you decide on a church and it turns out not to be the right one for you, you can change. Since it sounds like you will be buying, I would check things like city water or well? Incorporated area or not? (I don't necessarily care either way on the incorp. area but it's good to know which services are available to you). Zoning is definitely important if you don't want a sewage treatment plant or an airport going in in striking distance. In our area there are also concerns about flood planes, etc. Don't know if this is an issue where you are. I found my fave grocery store when a welcome new neighbor flyer came to my mailbox ... Oh, and depending how rural things are, checking on what internet connections are available may still be an issue in some areas. We lived rather rural one time and were years behind - on dial up while the rest of the world was enjoying DSL and Broadband. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 Truthfully? We just jumped. If you have income and you know you can afford housing, the rest generally works out. We've done several big relocations over the years and there's only so much you can find out via research. I think the biggest thing I would want to be certain of is your employment. It sounds wonderful! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 Thanks. I did locate one FB group for the area. It is more informational than discussion but will give me an idea. I have looked at several church websites and found one that looks to be a good fit.....Baptist that is a mix of traditional and contemporary with a huge community service focus. Positives is that a friend of mine attended there when she was up visiting her in-laws cottage and she said it was good. I need to make some phone calls to police, some social services agencies, etc. As well as the director of special Olympics. I have stayed at a cottage in the area a few times so am getting a feel for the area. I hope to go visit the church in a few weeks when my kids go to camp up near there. If I can work it out I will even try out the bus system. Everything sounds great.....except isnis 2 hours from our current location. My kids haven't moved areas their entire lives for the youngest 2 and since yesterday was 7 for the oldest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 You might also listen to a local radio station in that city, if there is one and if they are Streaming. If they have a local newspaper, follow their web site. Basically, you listed a lot of positives about that small city and I think you should check it out. Look at the web sites of that city and that county to see what's going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted June 21, 2018 Share Posted June 21, 2018 I would talk to someone about the bus situation since it sounds like that would be important to you. Make sure it's something that your kids will actually be able to utilize with relative ease (and not be stuck waiting somewhere to the point that it becomes more trouble than it's worth). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ottakee Posted June 21, 2018 Author Share Posted June 21, 2018 2 hours ago, AngieC said: I would talk to someone about the bus situation since it sounds like that would be important to you. Make sure it's something that your kids will actually be able to utilize with relative ease (and not be stuck waiting somewhere to the point that it becomes more trouble than it's worth). That is a very good point. It needs to be realistically useable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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