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My wife, baby and I currently live in Los Angeles county California. We do not want to raise our son here for many reasons. I have visited ABQ in the past and loved it. I have been applying to many areas where I thought might be better to raise our son. I have been offered a stable job in ABQ making $75k per year. Just have a few questions for all the residents of ABQ:
1. Are there really safe areas in the ABQ? If so would we be able to afford it on my salary given we have no other debts? Reading through this board many replies make it seem like crime is 3rd world country like and we will not be safe anywhere.
2. Are there good schools? Again the board has left me frightened.
3. Does anyone think it is a good area to raise a child. I just read a post that claimed families are moving out of towns in droves for "better and safer" family cities.
4. What is the real estate market like in the area right now? Where I am at now it is a huge sellers market.
5. Can anyone offer any encouraging info for a young family looking to move to ABQ? We were very ready to make the decision and this board has scared us quite a bit.
I am sure I will have more questions but thank you all in advance!
My wife, baby and I currently live in Los Angeles county California. We do not want to raise our son here for many reasons. I have visited ABQ in the past and loved it. I have been applying to many areas where I thought might be better to raise our son. I have been offered a stable job in ABQ making $75k per year. Just have a few questions for all the residents of ABQ:
75k is a very good salary for Albuquerque. If your wife works to help provide also you will live a very comfortable life here. Even with just your salary and no debt you will be set. I know many many that are in that salary range also and live a good, happy and productive life. All own homes, kids go to decent to good schools and don't live in fear.
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1. Are there really safe areas in the ABQ? If so would we be able to afford it on my salary given we have no other debts? Reading through this board many replies make it seem like crime is 3rd world country like and we will not be safe anywhere.
Yes there is. As with any message board on the internet a lot of posting is filled with exaggeration. Being that you are from LA County you have probably seen worst places then Abq. I was raised in Montebello, lived in Long Beach, Hunington Beach and a few other SoCal places and don't feel as where I live are any worst than some areas of LA County. Though it is missing the glitz of places like Bel Air, Westwood, Santa Monica...etc. There is all sorts of living arrangements in Albuquerque. You want to live in a gated community? You have that choice. Want to live in an urban environment, suburbs? Again you can. More rural feeling area in the heart of the city. Again another choice.
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2. Are there good schools? Again the board has left me frightened.
Again. Lots of exaggeration. As a whole, APS is not that great. Do your due diligence and you will find a good school for your kids to attend.
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3. Does anyone think it is a good area to raise a child. I just read a post that claimed families are moving out of towns in droves for "better and safer" family cities.
Don't know what your read but losing a lot of jobs in the last few years probably had more to do with families moving out of the area. I know several professional people that have moved back 'home' recently to raise their families.
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4. What is the real estate market like in the area right now? Where I am at now it is a huge sellers market.
Home values are starting to recover a little though they never lost the way Las Vegas, LA and Phoenix did.
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5. Can anyone offer any encouraging info for a young family looking to move to ABQ? We were very ready to make the decision and this board has scared us quite a bit.
I don't know what to say to you to encourage you. I moved here at 25 years of old. Single, just starting my career. Full of school debt. In those past 15 years my life has blossomed. Married the woman of my dreams. My career is going great. Live in a great neighborhood with a great mix of both professional and ethnic people. My son does all the things we want for our kids. Soccer, Pianos lessons, Good School, Plays at the park with other neighborhood kids, take camping trips, weekend trips, Explora programs, Zoo Programs, Library programs...etc...etc. We are never at a loss for things to do with our nearly 5 year old. If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
1. Are there really safe areas in the ABQ? If so would we be able to afford it on my salary given we have no other debts? Reading through this board many replies make it seem like crime is 3rd world country like and we will not be safe anywhere.
I only have time to answer question #1 right now....
There really are safe areas in ABQ.
My Daughter and Son In Law lived in Rio Rancho for 14 years with 3 kids and were able to buy a house. They were making less money.
Read the board about the area you live in... Look at the comments, are they realistic? Are they drive-by's who just drop a few nasty comments. What were your impressions on the crime when you visited ABQ?
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 05-09-2015 at 11:36 AM..
I think ABQ is a decent place to raise children, I would rank it ahead of the LA area on any day.
On the schools part, if you are involved with your children they will be fine irrespective of school rankings. It's not all roses and honey over here so don't expect that , the job market will be tougher than the LA area but sounds like you are set on that. That's a pretty good income for the ABQ area so you will be fine on that front, if it's a job with the government or government contractor then you are even more set.
ABQ beats the LA area overall any day of the week for a family.
3. Does anyone think it is a good area to raise a child. I just read a post that claimed families are moving out of towns in droves for "better and safer" family cities.
You read a post? Lets be sensible. The families I have seen leaving have been for better jobs. I know several families who worked at Intel and moved moved or will move because of a job transfer. The local J.C. Penny's call center in my area closed after 20+ years, it put about 450 people out of work. I know a few machinists who moved to Arizona for better paying jobs after getting laid off and Sandia National Jobs.
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Originally Posted by Mr_Geek
4. What is the real estate market like in the area right now? Where I am at now it is a huge sellers market.
I see some homes in my area that are good deals. I am not an expert. I was a licensed Real Estate agent in the 70's and we have bought homes over the years in a few states. We have moved. We came here because we wanted to after have been in the area over the years.
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Originally Posted by Mr_Geek
5. Can anyone offer any encouraging info for a young family looking to move to ABQ? We were very ready to make the decision and this board has scared us quite a bit.
Your claims of being "scared" disturb me a bit. Have you compared ABQ area to where you live? This area is not for everyone. We have a grandson in California. He has a good paying job, but he doesn't like California...
Last edited by Poncho_NM; 08-04-2016 at 07:37 PM..
Your claims of being "scared" disturb me a bit. Have you compared ABQ area to where you live? This area is not for everyone. We have a grandson in California. He has a good paying job, but he doesn't like California...
encouraging info? We love it here still after 15 years. We are both now married and can afford to move. We don't want to move. It seems people who come here with a good paying job seem to enjoy it than those who come here hoping to find something....
Ok, so scared was a bit dramatic. I apologize. I was more just questioning some of the sky is falling posts on this board. I just wanted to get some insight into those that actually live in abq and enjoy it. When I was in abq I really enjoyed it and didnt see anything that alarmed me. I can't say the same for where I live now.
Thank you all for the posts so far. I think we will really enjoy Albuquerque.
I have a young son , a wife and make a simular salary as you (just a bit more). Overall I think its a great place to rase a kid but the schools aren't great. Your salary should suffice to live a confortable life style. I live in Los Lunas (30 minutes south) which i prefer cause home prices are lower and it slower pace (small town)
I recently moved here from Western NY (In Feb of this year). 75k is a very good salary here. You'll be able to live reasonably comfortably. If the wife pitches in with a job down the road, it'll only get better. I live in a VERY safe area of the city (Ventana Ranch). A little further out, but the biggest disturbances around here are listening to the coyotes howl in the desert all night I'm in a bit of a different tax bracket as you (we make about 120K combined), but there are some places in your range not all that far from us.
Taxes are CHEAP. Gas is CHEAPER (we're paying under $3 here) and in general the cost of living is reasonable (probably downright cheap compared to LA). Housing is decent. We choose to rent, with an option to buy, for the first few years as we did not know the area well and didn't want to "Commit" without a "test drive" so to speak.
As a whole, I find ABQ much safer then back east. Drivers are a little nuts, but from LA, it'll feel like a picnic to you. Our kids are grown, so school isn't much of an issue, but I've heard that several of the school (on the west side) such as Volcano Vista and Cibola are fairly well rated (even on a national scale). As others have said, do your due diligence to make sure you get into a good performing district.
Overall, we're very happy with our decision to move here.
p.s. I work in DT and live in the far NW corner of the city. My max commute is about 25-30 minutes at peak rush-hour.
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I'm in a bit of a different tax bracket as you (we make about 120K combined), but there are some places in your range not all that far from us.
