Hi, I'd like some help and advice please.

[borlis]

We live in the Chicago area and my hubby has been looking to change jobs. He just survived a phone interview with a company in Salt Lake City. He was told that the next time they talk they will talk about "cost of living" in Utah. So my questions are: How are property taxes? Which areas have good schools? How much is health insurance? Car insurance? My gut tells me that if they are going to talk about "cost of living", they won't be willing to pay him what he makes here and they will try to convince him that the cost of living is so much less than here. Thanks in advance for your help. :hi:

[SteppingRazor]

1. One of the only consistent career-advice points I can give is this:

Never, ever take lower, no matter what the argument is, cost of living or otherwise. Unless you're moving from a job you loathe to one you absolutely love, this is a very bad idea. You'll spend years of valuable career time trying to get back up to the level you were already at years ago.
It's always a bad idea. Salt Lake City may not be Chicago, but it's still a decently sized town. If they can't offer your man what he makes in Illinois, don't take it.

[borlis]

2. Well he does loathe his job.

Plus he is trying to switch his line of work because he feels that what he is doing now is a dying industry. He lost the position he had for 17 years 2 1/2 years ago due to downsizing. He was the engineering manager. There was no severence. Thankfully he found another job in just 5 weeks. It was for about $10k less than he was making. I hate to keep going backwards but if he would be able to totally switch fields it might be worth it. He sends out so many resumes and it is rare that he even gets a reply. Thanks for the advice.

[politicaholic]

3. My borther has been living in SLC for about 5 years now...

I visit him about 3 times a year and talk to him all of the time about stuff like that. He's said that the property taxes are reasonable. The car insurance is really not much different than the rest of the country.

He did say that the schools are good. It seems like a great place to raise kids IF you stay in the city. His equity growth has gone up considerably since the Olympics.

Housing is much cheaper, going out to dinner is much much cheaper (but the quality is pretty substandard and choices are fairly limited), and daily items are about the same (groceries, etc).

But we both agree that the city is boring. Very boring compared to Chicago, Seattle (where I live) or San Francisco where he lived. Unless you LOVE hiking, biking, skiing, extreme hot and extreme cold then you're going to HATE it. He happens to love that stuff and so do I. We are skiing and biking fanatics (the slick rock biking in Moab, Utah is THE best biking in the world) and the snow is like powdered sugar (it makes me excited just thinking about it).

The city proper is only about 50-60% Mormon (as compared to Provo which is 98%), but if you have kids they are going to be constantly bombarded at public school and other functions with subtle and some not so subtle recruitment tactics. No matter where you move (with the exception of Sugarhouse and near 9th & 9th where the only art-house theater in town is) you're going to have nosey Mormon neighbors who are nice and bring you stuff to eat, but are really just trying to butt into your business.

If you move there, DO NOT take more than a 10K a year pay cut. Make sure you buy a snow car like a Subaru. Send your kids to a private school. Buy a nice big television because things are gonna get boring. Find your favorite drinking establishment and buy a year membership (it's required for all bars to have a membership or be sponsored). DO NOT buy a house when you move there for the first year, figure out whether you like it and find your favorite section of town. Learn how to ski. The city proper lies at around 4000 feet above sea level so be prepared to spend the first summer gasping for air when it goes above 100.

Hope this helps.

[borlis]

4. Thanks for all the good advice.

The city proper is only about 50-60% Mormon (as compared to Provo which is 98%), but if you have kids they are going to be constantly bombarded at public school and other functions with subtle and some not so subtle recruitment tactics. No matter where you move (with the exception of Sugarhouse and near 9th & 9th where the only art-house theater in town is) you're going to have nosey Mormon neighbors who are nice and bring you stuff to eat, but are really just trying to butt into your business.

"Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?" ;-)

No really, thanks. I could really care less about what religions people practice. Just don't shove it down my throat please!
:hi:

[politicaholic]

5. You'll be fine, it's your kids they want...

They don't really bother adults too much in SLC. I know this sounds wierd, but the SLC mormon gene pool plops out some of the best looking women I have seen in the US. This is their biggest recruitment tool. Believe me, send your kids to Catholic school, Prodistant school, Hindu school if you can, but once you move there you'll realize how much of a cult Mormonism is.

Why are they a cult? How about this: they are promised their own planet in space if they are a good Mormon. They have so many children because they believe that they are plucking lost souls out of purgetory and making them Mormon so that they can be saved. They wear special underwear that covers their body and only take it off to shower. The wackiness goes on and on...

[borlis]

6. I've looked on line at some houses......

and was wondering who on earth needs a 6 or 7 bedroom house? Now I know. I did work with a Mormon woman a few years ago and was informed about the underwear thing. She was really nice though. Didn't talk at all about her religion. She could never work on Sundays though come to think of it.

[Amused67]

7. What a narrow minded...

... hateful and intolerant post.

Most of the Mormons I know are really decent people who want nothing more than to live a good life and raise their families in peace.

The person that posted the above undoubtedly either an x-Mormon with an ax to grind, or a simple-minded bigot without the capacity or will to understand and appreciate the particular culture you find in Utah.

Either way, don't be discouraged. If immigration from other states is any indication, Utah is a great place to live.

[borlis]

8. This post was started by me with an open mind looking for

information. It was not intended to be hateful, intolerant or bigoted. I have visited Utah one time in my life. I was 8 years old. Obviously, I don't remember much. Now, as an adult, I find myself in a situation where I may have to uproot my 3 kids for my hubby's job. I am not an x-Mormon, nor do I have an ax to grind. Generally I could care less what religion people are. You jumped all over me instead of answering the questions I originally asked! I have lived in the Chicago area my entire life. The thought of uprooting my family to somewhere I know very little about is quite frightening. Put yourself in my situation. For example, my home is about 2600 square feet (basement is not included in square footage here) on .25/acre. It is worth about $450,000. My property taxes are just over $7400/year. My gas bill is about $100/month. Elec. the same. This is the kind of information I am looking for. The person my husband is in contact with in Utah told him to start looking into the cost of living differences. I figured this would be a good place to start. I would hate to make this decision without gathering as much information as I possibly could.

Oh and welcome to DU! :hi:

[helderheid]

9. here are some good tools

http://www.homefair.com/homefair/calc/salcalc.html

and

http://content.salary.monster.com/

which should give you a better idea as far as salary comparisons and cost of living comparisons.

We could use more Democrats in Utah! Move here! :)

[borlis]

10. Thanks for the links! n/t

[helderheid]

11. You bet!

I moved here in 2001 (right before 9/11) though I am actually a Utah native so I can give you my experience as both a child growing up here for the first 9 years of my life as well as life as an "outsider" moving to the State. There's good and bad wherever you go. :)

[Amused67]

12. Borlis, it wasn't your post, it was Politicaholic's

I was responding to post #5, not yours.

Your questions were perfectly fine. One thing you'll notice is that there are an awful lot of idiots in Utah that HATE Mormons. They even picket outside their churches, for no other reason than to try and heckle the faithful. It's idiotic.

Certain small minded people find it much easier to blame their problems on some group or another... Sickening.

Anyway, welcome to Utah (if you make it!).

[borlis]

13. Thanks to everyone who answered.

Looks like this move won't be happening. My hubby was supposed to call the man he interviewed back this past Monday. He got the guy's voicemail and left a message. Then my hubby called again yesterday (thurs) and left another message. Still no return call. You'd think if they weren't interested anymore they would call and let him know this. Just our rotten luck....again. :mad: