Question for Minnesota People

[twinsmom]

Hey, all of you in the Minnesota area, specifically in Rochester -

We are moving there next spring and I have no idea even where to begin looking for houses. Are there areas that are good to look for - or any that we should avoid? (we lived right outside of Detroit for Med school, so I know that the whole feel of life can change within one street!).

We will have three kids by then (and one big dog). We will be there for at least 4-5 years, probably more if dh falls in love with it even more then he did on his rotations there last year.

Are there any suggestions or things that you found to help you out in your moves there? Thank you so much for your help - sorry this is so ahead of time - when the baby comes in Feb, I don't think I will be much up to running around the country trying to figure out a living situation.

Thank you in advance for all of your help! Have a great day!

Jen B.

[houseelf]

Greetings from Saint Paul. I have never been to Rochester, but my impression is that there are no "gritty" neighborhoods like Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati, etc. Actually there are fewer "sketchy" neighborhoods here in the Twin Cities than in our home town of Dayton, Ohio.

Sure there are more affluent neighborhoods and more rundown neighborhoods, but I don't believe that there are entire blocks that absolutely should be avoided at all costs.

There is a local realty agency that has pretty detailed listings with pictures:

http://www.edinarealty.com

Let me know if there is anything I can help you out with.

Kelly

I can't be of any help on specifics of MN...but if your kids are going to be in the local schools during residency, you could narrow your search that way. Many school districts now post information about schools and test scores on their websites so maybe check there. I think that Cheri (username: Cheri) recently moved to Rochester and bought a home there.

[SuzySunshine]

Jen,

My DH and I live in Rochester! We've only been here for two months but I can lend my advice. The growing parts of town are NW and NE. The SW area is okay as long as your're within a few (~4) blocks of the clinic or St. Marys, much past that is very sketchy. The SE area is all pretty sketchy.

We LOVED our realtor - she showed us 30+ houses in three days, all were in our price range and we ended up with a great house. If you want her information PM me and I'll give it to you. She's a ReMax agent, which is the largest selling group here so she has a lot of contacts.

What else can I tell you? Its a great place to be. My DH has been in the clinic for 6 weeks and loves it. The consultants (what they call attendings here) are all great and they want to teach, not treat you like scut monkeys. The spouse group here is AMAZING! Lots of clubs, groups, activities, for everything from scrapbooking to toddlers, to bookclubs. I'm working so I'm not as involved with them as the spouses who aren't but they're a great support system.

Feel free to PM me, I don't check the boards all that often b/c I'm so busy with work and our new puppy but I'm happy to help in anyway I can with the house hunt and/or move. Rochester is a great place and we'll be here a lot longer than you as my husband's residency runs until 2011!

Good luck!

[SuzySunshine]

Jen,

I thought of one other thing and I know this is terrible timing - but come out and look at houses (i.e. buy if you're going to) BEFORE the March match!

[PrincessFiona]

Jen...you're moving to MN!! We should have a mini-get-together once everyone is here. I think that the other Kristen is probably here already too.

Cheri, that is awesome about the spouse group! It is so nice to have a supportive group around to lean on/share this time with. It sounds like you and your hubby have really settled in and are enjoying it.

Is he doing neurosurgery? I can't remember

It's great to hear that your move/transition went so smoothly!!! Hopefully you and Jen will be able to connect and you can help her to get settled when she moves there.


kris

[twinsmom]

Thank you so much for all of the help! I am ALL for the mini get together next summer - I'm sure I will be needing a little get-together after the big move!

Cheri - why is it better to look before the match? Does it become a shopping nightmare when everyone realizes they will be moving there?

Thankx again! Now it's just getting through the internship year... (dh just left for yet ANOTHER round of nights!! AAUGGHH!!)

Here's to a quickened time for the next 10 months!

Jen B.

[SuzySunshine]

Jen,

The best time to buy/sell a house in Rochester is February - April. Rochester's biggest shift of people happen in that time frame. After the match the sales really spike so you have A LOT more choice if you come out earlier. We came out the last week of February (my DH was an early match) and we still lost several houses because they sold so fast. One house we looked at went on the market Saturday morning and was sold Sunday night. Waiting to close until May or June usually isn't a problem either - especially if you happen to buy from another resident family.

Let me know if you need anything else!

moving to Rochester

I'm in Rochester, too!

Mayo maintains a list of homes for sale from outgoing residents/fellows. I don't know who you would contact, but perhaps the Mayo Fellows Association. The outgoing trainees are just as anxious to sell their home as you are to buy one. We went through a realtor, though. As soon as match day hits, I would come to Rochester to look. Homes sell quickly in the spring. Unfortunately for us, we were involved in a price war over our house and had to overbid. Lucky for the seller! Hope that happens to us when we sell in a couple of years.

-Melanie