relocating from Seattle

My husband has been going to Coeur d%26#39;Alene for years on business and is finally winning the battle to move there and simplify our lifestyle. We have a 3 year old son and I am interested in schools, activities for kids, etc. Any thoughts on this? Anyone else relocate from Seattle and have thoughts on their new lifestyle? Is the weather more manageable than all the rain/grey here? Thanks for your thoughts!

relocating from Seattle

Hi ';weighingtheoptions';,

First of all, the weather isn%26#39;t nearly as grey as Seattle or Portland. We do get rain, but not nearly as much as you do, and the snow isn%26#39;t a problem -- it%26#39;s actually pretty mild in the winter and when there is snow the streets are kept very clear.

We moved here from Southern California years ago and it%26#39;s the best thing we%26#39;ve done. Although Coeur d%26#39;Alene is really growing and becoming popular with transplanted Californians, there%26#39;s still a ';small town'; feel to much of the city and you%26#39;ll definitely feel less stressed compared to L.A. or Seattle. The area is really made up of about 4 cities all close together -- Coeur d%26#39;Alene, Post Falls, Hayden and Dalton Gardens. You can literally drive from Post Falls, through Coeur d%26#39;Alene and Dalton and into Hayden in about 15 minutes. We have all the big restaurant chains and supermarket chains, as well as a Wal-Mart, so you won%26#39;t miss any shopping. The big city of Spokane is only 25 minutes away, so if you do want to see high rise buildings and be in a ';big city';, you can go there (not that there%26#39;s much to see....).

The schools are great -- very highly rated academically, and there%26#39;s a real family atmosphere. Lots of emphasis on team sports for the kids.

Home prices are up a lot from a year ago. They rose almost 50% in some areas, but took a dip last July, and are now only up about 20%. The average home price is back to around $180,000.

One thing to keep in mind -- it can be tough to find a job, and if you do it will pay a lot less than what you may be used to (unless you%26#39;re in the nursing field). If you made $20 an hour in Seattle, you%26#39;ll probably start at half that and it may take a few months to find work.

Once you do, you%26#39;ll find that living is cheaper so it evens out.

Good luck on your move if you decide to move.