I've been offered a job in the Lehi area, and we're looking at making a move pretty quick.  I've been through SLC a few times, and I'm sure I've stayed in the Provo/Orem area as a kid, but it's been a while.

Is it pretty much desert?  I tried looking up some are photos, and it seems pretty deserty, but then they have pictures on Wikipedia of green rolling hills and I'm not sure I stumbled on the right area.

How is the job market there?  My wife works for the county here in medicare/medicaid.  I'll be taking a pay cut if I accept the position, and we're probably really going to need her for find a job pretty quick.  We'd like her to find another government job.  The benefits are amazing, and my new job is so-so on the medical benefits.

It looks like state income taxes are slightly higher than CO, but everything else looks cheaper for the most part... like license plates, housing, etc.  The Colorado front range is pretty pricey right now.

My wife is going to stay behind for a couple months in CO to finish up the house and sell it, are there any issues keeping my residency and my carry permit and stuff in CO for now?  I *JUST* got my CO CCW, literally a couple days ago LOL.  That was expensive.  I have my class/paperwork for UT, but I figure I'll hold off sending it until we make the transition.

Utah and Colorado have reciprocity,( which can change at the drop of the wrong politicians hat.)

Another thing to consider is the LDS factor. (If you're not LDS) Some people move here and feel excluded. My feeling is the real reason behind exclusion is that church going people here are typically involved with church activities 2 or 3 times a week and also hang out with extended family frequently. They just don't devote a lot of time devoted to hanging out with people in the neighborhood vs the church and family activities.

I have a friend who isn't LDS but still wanted to be part of the community he lived in (going to bbq's, shooting and playing sports with the guys etc). He respectfully let them know he had no interest in the religious events and that he wasn't to be seen as a project to get baptized. He has had a great time and everyone is cool with that.

Thanks for the info, Zedhead, that's helpful!



This is good to know, thanks!  We are not LDS, nor have any plans to convert.  

How are the shooting spots?  Where we are now within an hour's drive there are dozens of spots.  Several are indoor ranges and kind of expensive, but that's nice in the winter.  We have some really awesome places like the Cheyenne Mountain Shooting Complex off of Ft. Carson, and it's one of the better ones (and cheap).  I tried to Google for some of it, but didn't find a whole lot other than BLM shutting down some of the shooting because people were hitting houses.  

Shooting is still not hard to come by. Saratoga has plenty of places within 20 minutes or less. There are soem phenomenal places for long range. Being here also makes for easy day trips to places like North Springs in Price and Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range.

There's a very active group that gets together on the 1st Saturday of each month at the PMAA Range in Parley's Canyon.

Are you looking to buy or rent?  There's a ton of new construction going on in Saratoga Springs right now.

The unemployment rate is incredibly low right now.  Shouldn't be too hard for the wife to find a job.  Unfortunately, pay in this state is usually a lot less than other states.

Lehi and Saratoga Springs are very close to each other.

Saratoga Springs is on the West side of I-15, lots of newer developments, very large homes, easy to commute into the Salt lake Valley via I-15 or Mountain View Corridor, depending on what side of I-15 you want to go to.

Shooting locations in Utah are world-class, especially North Springs.

There are indoor ranges with full auto rentals everywhere, and even indoor simulators now in several.

I have lived in CO and UT.  This is my 3rd time in Utah at least.  I like both States a lot, but Utah gun laws are simply some of the most liberal I have ever seen, as in relaxed and freedom-minded.

You can carry on school campuses here, as long as they are public.

There's a Cabella's in Lehi, 2 Sportsman's Warehouses in Salt Lake Valley, and Scheel's.

Saratoga Springs is right next to Camp Williams, which is an Army National Guard base.  19th Special Forces Group Headquarters is there, as is the NSA Data Center.

Thanks for the info everyone!  I Googled a couple of the ranges, and they look pretty good.  Nice to know there's a Cabela's and Sportsman's Warehouse around.

I guess all these places look pretty close together on the map, but without being there it's hard to gauge distances and potential commutes.



Both... maybe rent for a while, and then buy.  We're not entirely decided yet.  We've seen some pretty decent houses for what seems like a good deal to us, but probably mostly because of the high prices on the front range right now.  If we can find a suitable rental for a good price, we'll probably be happy with that.  The problem is, ideally we have a decent yard for the dogs, two car garage and maybe some place for my project truck.  Probably hard to find renting.

I guess if the cost of living is lower, the lower wages aren't as big of an issue.  It seems cheaper than what we are used to anyway for much of the living expenses.  Ideally we can live off of my wages and my wife's are mostly for savings, but I'm not sure how that will pan out with the lower wage.  I think we can manage, once we get our current house sold (which it should sell pretty fast).

Cheaper to buy than rent. Apartments are stupid expensive for what they are in Utah county. I'm going from a $1259 mortgage to a $1400 apartment that's half the size of the house.

If you guy in Saratoga or Eagle Mountain, you can do a rural housing loan, too. No money down.

That's what we are starting to find out as well.  We are kind of leaning towards a buy, if we can work out logistics and temporary housing for me.  I think we can find a house we'll be happy with for less than we paid for the current house.

Didn't know about the rural housing loan, that's good to know and have in the back pocket.  We should have enough for a proper down payment on the next one, but you never know.

Yep. I am in the process of selling mine. The market is really good. Few houses last longer than a week when listed. Only the ugly/trashed ones aren't selling.

This story is from my old area.

Another example of poor design + population explosion.

http://www.ksl.com/?sid=39361383&nid=148

Ours sold in 3 days.

Yep. Right now it's a game of hot potato.

It took me two weeks to get an offer and accept it - but I am selling privately which can be a bit of a disadvantage.

Saving one realtor fee though