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What would be the pluses of ERing to Iowa (Eastern).
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These are my observations regarding small towns in eastern Iowa:
-- Housing is relatively cheap. My three bedroom one bath house would probably sell for $75-$80,000.
-- Neighborhoods are no issue in small towns like the one I live in. Wealthy homes are next door to modest homes (not the case in Des Moines, Waterloo, etc.).
-- Crime isn't an issue for most people.
-- Traffic is a non-issue. If you live 5 miles from work, you will be able to get there in about 5 minutes, regardless of the time of day.
-- The people here are generally trusting, helpful, and friendly.
-- Schools are good in my town (can't speak for others).
-- Services are relatively inexpensive. Someone posted here recently about a relative paying to dig up the sewer and paying thousands. I dug up a section of the street, replaced the sewer, and also replaced the street for $900 a few years ago.
-- You'd be within 2-3 hours of a University hospital with some of the world's best, and if you're in northeast Iowa, you'd be withing 2-3 hours of the Mayo Clinic (the very best, IMO).
But there are downsides, besides the winters:
-- Many would consider it boring. No major league teams, not much in the way of museums, night-life, concerts, etc. There is some of that, but not much.
-- The landscape is pretty flat and most is in crops.
-- No mountains, ocean, or spectacular natural beauty.
-- Health care plans are limited. You probably won't want to sign on to an HMO here and limit yourself to your local docs.
-- There's no anonymity here - people know who you are, who your family is, etc. You can't go out to a restaurant without running in to someone you know. My wife doesn't mind that. I do.
-- Almost nothing is open 24/7. If you don't have what you need by 9 or 10, it will have to wait until tomorrow.
I live here because my life circumstances landed me here. It wouldn't be my first choice. On the other hand, I don't have any burning desire to live someplace else.