Thinking of relocating to Cleveland/Akron.. advice? :)

LifesPeachy · June 2010

Hello

MH has been looking for work for some time. He is a freelance market researcher, looking to move into the social research field. He finished his masters in social research methods but hasnt had much luck. He really hates the idea of working in a company doing market research. I think he'd rather continue to work for himself. I am an RN and we are expecting next February!

I used to live in Kent, OH and loved it! I took DH there a few summers ago, he was not impressed. He's from London so yeah I can see why Kent, OH sucks in comparison to London. He has been here in the states longer and I think has gotten out of his city boy ways.

Anyway, to my question- I have been doing research on Cleveland and Columbus. Mostly Columbus. I went to realtor.com and we could buy a cute house outright in Cleveland for between 20-50K. But are these houses in really bad areas?? Some of them were in Shaker Heights, Garfield Heights, or just Cleveland. Is this a bad idea? Why are these houses so cheap? Is it crime or just that Cleveland has been hit hard by the recession?

If we could buy a house outright, DH could continue to work for himself and I could work just enough hours to get us health benefits. We don't have any debts, we each own a house we'd sell.

Could someone please tell me bad areas to avoid in Cleveland or in Akron? I think DH would be more happy in Cleveland than in Kent, it's more Metro and has an airport.

Thank you to all the lovely Ohio ladies Smile

annibes · June 2010

I grew up in Kent, so I'm on your side, lol. I'm not familiar with the different areas of Cleveland and Akron, really. 30-50k does seem very low, though- I would be wary, too. Are you in any position to go check out the houses you might want to buy? A good look at the neighborhood might be a good clue, or check the local newspapers online for news articles about the schools and crime in those communities. Congrats on your new addition!

spfclr · June 2010

I rent, but the prices you're quoting do sound low. Online Cleveland magazine has the rankings of Cleveland and surrounding towns that compare education, crime, etc. I'm fairly new to the area so can't give too much advice, but that may give you some good objective information. We have been very happy in Cleveland Heights.

JKohio · June 2010

I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland (Parma, on the west side) and now live near Kent. IMO, 30-50k sound either like forclosures in potentially poor areas or small condos in possibly decent areas. Honestly, it's going to depend on the address. I'd definitely enlist the help of a local realtor who can steer you toward the neighborhoods that would best suit you. Certain parts of Shaker Hts, Garfield Hts. and Cleveland are ok, but some are not.

Urban, but safer communities include the western portion of Lakewood (avoid streets with bird names there) and West Park, but I don't know offfhand what schools are like there. In the Akron area, Cuyahoga Falls might offer enough mix of urban and suburban for both of you. It has some more 'downtown' areas, but the outlying properties have larger lots and are further apart. It's also close to Akron, though downtown's art scene is better in Cleveland, IMO (maybe closer to what he's come to expect in London).

If your background is Kent and his is downtown London, there will have to be some compromise involved here, I think. If I were you, I'd start by driving through some areas WITH a realtor to get a feeling for the community.

Good luck!

LifesPeachy · June 2010

Thank you ladies, that was great! I'll continue to do my homework and hopefully this summer we can drive up for a mini-vacation just to check things out. Thanks again

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Thinking of relocating to Cleveland/Akron.. advice? :)

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