Could you possibly share on this thread or via PM, information about why finding in person groups is difficult?
Politics. Think middle school drama. I've basically been banned from a few mom groups because one of my good friends had some family issues - nothing whatsoever to do with me, other than I have their phone number written down in my address book. So you may need to tread lightly until you feel things out so to speak. I have had to warn folks not to mention my name at those groups, lest they get banned, too. Sigh. Oh, and a fair amount of groups have a religious bent to them - MOP's groups, homeschooling groups, etc. It's been hard for me to find secular-type things, even if you are religious (and just don't want someone else shoving their doctrine down your throat). But if you don't homeschool or have your own church, that probably wouldn't even be a problem.
Is the area not accepting of outsiders/out of state people?
Depends. IMO, the majority of the more native folks here are independent. They don't want gun/people control, want minimal taxes and intervention in their lives/property, etc. So, when the ubiquitous Californians (there's folks from other states with this attitude though), they may come in with their want/need of HOA's, wanting more entitlement programs (broader Medicaid, mandatory HeadStart or reimbursed preschool, whathaveyou), more interference in their lives by having someone else take care of them/things. And that's where a big clash can happen.
Is it an LDS thing?
Don't think so. There's more LDS down south I believe.
Is there a large number of LDS in Northern Idaho?
I'm sure a fair amount. I don't belong to that church though, so no idea. I think there's what, maybe 4-5 LDS churches in the area? Maybe a few more? I just know there's a cannery over in Spokane Valley.
Regarding the information you posted in your previous post, regarding housing, does that still hold true now in 2011?
Prices are still falling. Give it another year or two, and it'll be closer to 2004 levels.
And when you mentioned that organic food would cost about $1000 per month (which seems super expensive) how many people is that supposed to feed? Have prices stabilized, gone up or stayed the same in your area?
Could be a family of 4 or 6, depending on what you eat. The growing season is from June to early September, with maybe a few weeks of cool season stuff on the ends. So, the rest of the year, everything's trucked in, organic or not. So, $1.50 for a single bell pepper is normal for 49 weeks of the year, raspberries will be overpriced at the grocery store (maybe $4-$6 for the little pint? I only use my yard or u-pick),
Also, are they going to build a Trader Joes & or Whole Foods in the near future close to Northern Idaho?
There's a TJ's under construction on Spokane's South Hill. To be opened this fall or winter is the rumor.
Local people blame it on "the Californians." You'll want to get your license plates changed over asap. Have a job lined up because the job market is definitely not the best these days.
Yup. And don't drive like an idiot. When you see someone speeding down the highway, weaving in and out of traffic like a crazy person, odds are it's either a teenager or someone from out of state. Sad, but true. Oh, and here? You pull over for emergency vehicles, and don't run red lights. I lived in Spokane for a short while, and I even saw fire department vehicles be the 5th vehicle to run a red light. Over here? Everybody (everybody!) stops and pulls over for ambulances, fire trucks, cops. In part because I do believe it's law, but it's also just nice. In Spokane, people would slow down, but then there's be a race to get back into traffic behind the emergency vehicles to get where you're going the fastest. Drove me nuts. Here it just seems a smidge more civilized.
I've never thought there was a huge LDS population. Some people do have a dislike for California and people who have moved from there. They think that people from CA want to turn Idaho into California. I never thought it was that bad, but I've heard comments about it.
HOA's up here weren't very common before the bigger influx of Californians. It's been a fairly recent thing, like in the last decade or two. And yes, when you have a few Californian's complaining about the lack of higher unemployment wages and "free" medical services and "free" paid maternity leave up here and so on... Well, there's a reason CA is pretty much bankrupt and Idaho isn't. Responsibility and independence are kinda what made this area, and it still runs fairly strong here.
Does the area have high speed internet service?
Yes, but it depends on the location. We have Time Warner Cable's cable internet. Verizon (Frontier?) FIOS isn't available to our neighborhood, and DSL isn't as fast as cable. I've heard satellite internet can be spotty with weather sometimes, but if you don't need the internet for work (like we do - hubby *has* to have it since he works from home rather than commute to Houston) it may not be a big deal. Just 5-8 miles north of me you'd have a different set of who provides internet, so it all depends.
When there is a bad snowstorm, does it affect your internet connection?
Not me. Cables are underground. Now, when the power goes out or they're doing line maintenance or someone else digs/knocks out a cable line, then yeah, internet goes out. TWC customer service is freakin' awful though, but they get to legally rob us because of the monopoly allowed to them.
Are people able to grow a lot of fruits & veggies? If so, when do they start planting, and when do they harvest?
Depends on the season. If you know what you're doing and have enough land, you can do fairly well. If you have one 4'x4' bed and think you can plant tomatoes in April, well, it may not work out so well. I just started harvesting asparagus about three weeks ago, have gotten a handful of ripe strawberries this week (haven't hit full-on strawberry season yet), my tomato plants have maybe half a dozen tiny little green tomatoes so far, my garlic is barely starting to bulb right now, etc. Oh, and my rhubarb is insane. You aren't going to find fig or banana or orange or lemon trees in any yards though, and I have no idea if you can even grow sweet potatoes up here. Peanuts also haven't fared well in my yard. So you do need to work with the climate. :)
What is the growing season?
Usually June to September. You can sometimes stretch the harvest at the end or if we have a warm summer/fall, but counting on it wouldn't be smart. If it snows in June, you hopefully watched the weather forecast and covered things up or did what you could. Most folks farther north from the lake or river don't put tomatoes in the ground until Memorial Day weekend, if before that, the plants likely are in a greenhouse or in Kozy Koats or in makeshift hoophouses. There are going to be microclimates as well - a friend of mine who lives a block from the river was harvesting lettuce a good month or more before I was.
What are your gas prices right now?
$3.55 at the Exxon down the highway today.
I thought since real estate prices have gone down all over the country, that would have also taken place in ID....I guess not, huh?
Yes, but remember, it's all about location, location, location. It's a nice place to live. :) Good weather if you can handle cold snowy winters, lots of outdoor pursuits available, lakes/rivers everywhere, a major highway and freeway a stone's throw away, fertile, arable land, low population density (especially compared to giant cities like San Francisco/Seattle/New York).
Prices *are* coming down though, so if you rent for a year or two, you might find a great deal later on. Plus that'd give you a better idea of where you'd want to live anyway.
Edited by lmonter - 7/4/11 at 4:09pm
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