Questions about Rochester (Minneapolis, St. Paul, Winona: real estate, to rent, how much)

[mrote]

I am looking at a possible job opportunity in Rochester and had a few questions about the area. We would be coming from the Oklahoma City area.

Are there specific areas, suburbs neighborhoods that are recommended? We will probably rent, at least short term just to make sure things work out as planned. But would still like to rent in or close to the area where we would eventually buy as my daughter is in 4th grade so we want to get good schools and would prefer to not have to switch schools when/if we buy a house. Schools, therefore, are very important in our decisions.

Can you get a nice house in the 150-200,000 range with good schools and safe neighborhoods? We live in a new(er) house now but we wouldn't mind at all living in an older home that has been maintained. In fact I prefer the older style homes, it's just in our present location all the older homes are in areas that have poorer schools so in typical fashion, everybody heads to the burbs as housing is cheap here. Salaries are cheap to so I guess it evens out.

My wife is a nurse so I'm thinking that she probably won't have much problem with employment.

I know the weather is colder but we are really into outdoor activities such as canoeing and hiking and would love to get to an area where that is available. Pretty slim pickings for that in central OK! We both grew up in northern Missouri so have been in colder winters, not as cold as MN but we don't think that will be a problem.

I'm mainly interested in possible housing at this time. We will be making a 4 day trip to Rochester in Oct. so would like to make the most of our time by having a fairly limited area to look in. My employment would be on the norther part of the city so I'm not sure how traffic and commute times are. I would prefer to limit commute time if possible but it's not a deal breaker.

Thanks for any tips and advice.

[golfgal]

Finding a nicer home in Rochester for that price is going to be difficult. Is your wife going to work full time? Nurses in Minnesota make pretty good money. I don't know if she has looked at all but you can count on at LEAST $40,000 for a full time RN hospital nurse. The Mayo Clinic system has great benefits too. To find a house in that price range you may have to look outside the Rochester city proper. One nice thing about Minnesota is that for the most part the schools are good no matter where you are, with the exception of the inner city Minneapolis/St. Paul schools.

The winters in MN for the most part won't be much or any colder then Northern Missouri. You will have a few days that will be MUCH colder but overall the winter will be fairly similar.

[ihatefonddulac]

I agree with the last post. We live in Winona, MN which is an hour east of Rochester, and houses are double that of Winona. It is a very nice city. I would love to live there. I grew up going to Rochester frequently. There's a lot to do there, and for the most part, the schools are good, however, they do have budget problems just like Winona. You could check www.realtor.com (broken link) to check out how much houses are going for in Rochester.

[mrote]

Thanks! I looked at realtor.com but like anyplace, there's a huge range of prices but a lot depends on location I think so it's hard to tell what houses were in a decent location. All I've basically heard was to not live in the SE part of town. Having childred always makes these decisions harder.

The job I am considering will allow me to do some work from home and I'd be travelling some to client sites so really, a commute wouldn't be that big of a deal the more I think about it.

Just going to have to do my research and spend my 4 days time wisely checking out the area. In the end though, we are looking at what we think will be a much better quality of life for us as far as the things we enjoy doing and the weather. MN has always appealed to us so I guess I shouldn't be locked into the Rochester area specifically but that's where the potential job is.
The heat here the last few years has been bothering us a lot plus there is nothing available close that we enjoy like clear rivers and good camping. MO wasn't exactly an oasis but at least there were trees and water that's not muddy! Not to mention, the only reason we moved here in the first place was my job which I got laid off from when they sold the place after 7 years.

[golfgal]

How far would you be willing to drive? You can get to the outer ring suburbs of the Twin Cities from Rochester in less then an hour (probably about 50 minutes or better depending on where exactly). Owatonna is about an hour away and is a growing town with good schools. Albert Lea, Waseca and Austin are also considerations.

[Red]

I'd agree with everything said except for the idea that Southern Minnesota winters are almost the same as northern Missouri's. Having lived in both areas, I can tell you there is definitely a noticable difference. Good luck with your move!

--Red

[mrote]

Yes, I'm sure they are colder than MO but at least it's not like I'm coming from Phoenix. Just wanted people to know that I can handle a little bit of cold! I lived on a farm for 19 years and spent many winter days outside when I would have preferred to be inside by the wood stove.

I am getting in touch with a few people who would be coworkers to see where they live at. Like I said, if it was just me and my wife, we'd pick a place that looked decent and rent for a few months, if it didn't pan out we'd move. But with children it's a whole different ballgame, at least for me.

I know I've gotten spoiled by OK as housing is very cheap here. Salaries are lower too but it's still cheap as a percentage of income. But, when we aren't able to easily do the things we enjoy it's not always worth it. Don't get me wrong though, this is a great place to live, it just depends on your needs and wants. I've talked to people who have come from states I'd love to live in (big Air Force base here) and they love it and plan on staying. I need to make sure I do my research so I don't fall into the "grass is always greener" mindset.

I am definitely open to commuting but at this time I would prefer to be in close proximity to Rochester so if anybody has any general recommendations about areas I'd appreciated. We've been living the suburb lifestyle for 9 years now so that's probably our preference at this time. As far as the 150-200,000 range that's somewhat open. Obviously i'd prefer to stay in the range but we can go higher. Like I said, we just haven't been exposed to higher housing costs like so many of you so it takes a bit to wrap your head around what is considered "normal" to people in other areas.

[golfgal]

Ok, I looked at some of the houses listed in Rochester in your price range and there seems to be a fair amount of new construction, split-level homes in that range. I lived in Rochester when I was in Jr. High and at that time the NW side of town was the place to live. From my few trips through the area that seems to still be the case because that is where the land was to develop. I think you will know when you look at homes if it is a good area or not. There isn't going to be a significant difference between the schools in Rochester. Century High School is the newest high school I think but it is just a new building the education isn't going to be "better" there because of that.

As far as schools go, Minnesota has statewide open enrollment which means any child can attend any school in the state as long as they apply and there is room. Now, individual districts have some limitations on this but chances are if you rent for a year and find a house outside of the boundaries of your daughter's current elementary school there is a good chance she will still be able to attend that school after you move. You may have to drive her to and from school but that usually isn't an issue.

[suecats]

Let me pop in with a suggestion to look at the small towns surrounding Rochester. These were all farm towns not so long ago but with the demise of the farms, there are many nice old houses available in these towns and some real sense of community. There are excellent 4-lane roads for commuting in to Rochester and lots of folks do it. (although Minnesota winters can make driving hazardous on any surface!) Some towns even run a run into the Mayo Clinic, the hospitals, IBM, downtown, etc.

It's classic small town. The high school athletic contests are the highlights of the week and a trip to the Dairy Queen is a treat. BUT....
the Twin Cities are about a hour away and Rochester itself is an incredibly sophisticated town for its size - about 100,000 now.

Check out Stewartville, Byron, Kasson, Mantorville (my recommendation!), Pine Island, Eyota, Dodge Center....

I'm not a real estate agent - just an old farm girl who grew up in the area!

[kayjoc@myclearwave.net]

Ihave to agree with Sue about little towns around Rochester. Commuting is a breeze on the bus lines direct to the hospitals and clinics in Rochester. Many live here in Eyota for the better schools and small town living.