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Updated almost 3 years ago, 01/11/2022
Of all the places you lived, where would you move to right now
I have only ever lived in Wisconsin so I do not have a good idea as to how it compares to other places. I know it always seems that the grass is greener in another state but I want to get some sort of consensus.
The south is only getting hotter. Austin TX has seen the average number of 100+ days go from 14 to 24 in the last 30 years. The north is getting warmer ... I have seen winters here get milder and milder. I could go south, but Illinois has high taxes like California and there is an outflux of people from both states.
To me, the states in the middle seem appealing. Like NC, SC, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Colorado, Utah, Nevada.
But I want to hear what you think. Tell me a place that you have lived before and would be the one place you would live if you had nothing binding you to where you are now.
Well, let's see. I've spent a lot of years in west Michigan but don't really plan to ever move back. Dallas was too hot for my taste. Skagway Alaska was great but lacks family ties, Southern Louisiana was fun while I was there but no desire to move back, Timbuktu was way too hot and there's no job that would pay enough for me to go back there, New Guinea was beautiful and it would be a consideration if it was more politically stable, spent plenty of time in the Amazon and nothing pulling me in that direction. So I guess I'll just keep plopped down here in middle Georgia. It's hot much of the year but everything is air conditioned and properties are affordable. Overall, not bad. I do love mountains but as I get older, they lose some of their appeal as a place to live.
I've lived in Maryland, Texas (central, west, and panhandle), New Mexico, Arkansas, Florida (East coast and gulf coast), and I've probably got enough time to earn a green card in Afghanistan. I'll stay in St Petersburg, FL. Really, anywhere in FL, as long as I'm near salt water.
@Kevin Rea well since you’re concerned about the warming, I’d be looking as far north as possible, maybe even Canada or upper Russia. Last I heard it was global cooling when the cold records were shattered in the North East a couple years ago. If you’re making your decision based largely on climate, I would guess to look at the actual temperatures of the last 10 years and base on that. Trying to predict the weather is a tough business.
The western portion of Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains is about as great as it gets
Fun question:
I would look for a state with no income tax and if you are on bigger pockets you are probably interested in rental real estate so look at the landlord tenant laws too.
Then look at property tax rates and sales tax rates. If they do not have income tax these rates are usually higher to make up the difference and provide for needed infrastructure.
I think you have to consider your socio-political beliefs too when moving to a new area.
I would go to Texas. Not to the big cities- Houston-Dallas/Fort Worth/San Antonio or Austin. Instead I would look at the climates of North, South, East and West Texas and pick what you like best then look for cities in the Suburbs with a varied employment base.
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Amen! Colorado Springs is pretty nice. You're never more than a block from an amazing mountain view and you're no more than 15 minutes from an amazing hike. The food scene needs to step it up. (I spent the previous ten years in Denver which has a great bar and restaurant scene.) But the downtown area is getting built up with the New South End bars and restaurants going in, the new ice rink, the new lacrosse stadium and higher end apartments and hotels. I think that south end and even across I-25 into the Ivy Wild area are great places to be buying right now. (At least that's what I keep telling our clients.)
Cheers!
I've lived in Austin Tx for the better part of the last 16 years. The city has absolutely exploded in the short amount of time I've lived here. Traffic sucks but I can't imagine it being worst that other major cities. Live music and bbq for the win. The job market is off the charts with Amazon and Tesla still on the way. If I had to complain,it would have to be about the heat. It can get hot than a serano pepper.
I'm currently living in San Jose, CA but have lived in SC and MD. I would go back to Laurel, MD. It has a small-town feel and you could be in DC or Baltimore in 30 minutes to an hour most days for some big city living.
I lived in Klagenfurt, Austria for 16 years. The surrounding nature is gorgeous, the access to bike trails, hiking trails, etc. is great (no need for a car for most trips), it's close to Italy and Slovenia (a hidden gem in Europe most people don't know about), and the social system in Austria is great. Klagenfurt is a small town with a bit of an inferiority complex and the people can be somewhat provincial, but it's just big enough for my taste (a bit of nightlife, enough a cultural events, art, live music, good food, etc). However, I'm not a big fan of winter (Unless I'm not snowboarding). The weather is the main reason I moved back to California.
I also lived in Tapachula, Mexico for a year. That was an amazing experience, but that city is not where I would live. I would consider Belize or somewhere else in Mexico though. The Mexican people are so friendly, the food is amazing, and the sub-tropical climate down there was amazing! (climbing volcanoes, white water rafting, hiking to fresh water sources, beaches next to mangroves, etc.) Also, it was great to be able to travel to Guatemala so easily. Now that I have kids, I don't think I'd live in Guatemala because of safety concerns, lack of infrastructure (I know Mexico isn't so great either but it's much better than Guatemala), and general political instability.
I lived 3.5 years in Latvia (that's where my wife and my grandparents are from) and I love it there, especially in summer (or only in summer?). The people can be a bit reserved at times but once you get to know them, they're very hospitable. I miss the summer solstice traditions and the appreciation of nature. You get that in other countries too, but I feel like it's more universal in Latvia and northern countries. Maybe it's the cold winter that makes everyone enjoy the outdoors so much more. During summer solstice, almost the whole country goes to the countryside.
I lived in NYC for a year and it's a great place for a lot of reasons (the people are very friendly, there's always something to do, etc.) but the cost of living is a real downer unless you're very successful in your career. I missed the vicinity to nature as well. We lived 2 blocks from Central Park but any proper hiking or rock climbing was at least an hour away by car and it doesn't really make sense to own a car in NYC unless you work in sales or something similar.
Back to Prague, maybe Budapest. The day-to-day quality of life is fantastic if you bring your own income with you.
Honestly, I'd return to the beach area in Los Angeles. Looks like the opportunity may be on the horizon :)
Originally posted by @Steph Thomas:
Honestly, I'd return to the beach area in Los Angeles. Looks like the opportunity may be on the horizon :)
Are you going to scope out that houseboat? Just kidding. House hack, multifamily?
If California wasn't insane politically, I would move back in a heart beat. I lived all over that state, and loved every part of it. However, the politics and taxes ensure that I'll probably not be moving back any time soon. I have to go with Tucson or Colorado Springs.
Originally posted by @Rachel S.:
Originally posted by @Steph Thomas:
Honestly, I'd return to the beach area in Los Angeles. Looks like the opportunity may be on the horizon :)
Are you going to scope out that houseboat? Just kidding. House hack, multifamily?
Hey, gotta start somewhere lol
Originally posted by @Steph Thomas:
Originally posted by @Rachel S.:
Originally posted by @Steph Thomas:
Honestly, I'd return to the beach area in Los Angeles. Looks like the opportunity may be on the horizon :)
Are you going to scope out that houseboat? Just kidding. House hack, multifamily?
Hey, gotta start somewhere lol
The first part was a joke. However, I was actually genuinely interested in your plans in terms of area and strategy. :-)
Oregon.I love the landscape and the weather there. Beautiful.
Loved all the responses. Everyone had a reason. They loved the weather, too cold, closer to family etc. I like being close to my investments so ill stay local most of the year but finally at a place where i can be a snow bird. Property manager is taking care of the rentals. Live within my means. I do dislike the Chicago winters so snow birding each year somewhere different is something I am considering.
@Kevin Rea I’ll tell you one thing, recently my girlfriend moved from San Jose, CA, to Northern Kentucky (where I was born and raised) and she can NOT get mad at paying less than $780 a month for a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment with me as opposed to $1,000 a month sharing 1 bathroom with 3 other female roommates in a townhome. ($1,000 was for her room rent ALONE I couldn’t imagine how rich the home owner was) I’ll tell you one thing though, as great as basements are for storage they are a ticking time-bomb for foundation issues.
Living in Spain from 2003-2004 was one of the best periods of my life other than now. The food was amazing and there was so much to see. I made several friends there that are still great friends today.
Italy! It’s been one of my favorite places thus far. It’s almost magical to me.
I lived in Bremerton, WA for a couple of years, and fell in love with the state of Washington.
I've lived all over: upstate NY, Vegas, San Diego, Portland Maine, Burlington Vermont, and St Petersburg Florida. My heart is in San Diego. You can't beat the amazing weather. Vermont is a close second :P
I love it in New Jersey where I live now and would not consider moving but if I had to move someplace where I'd lived already, it would be in the East Bay area of Concord California. It's beautiful and has a fantastic climate. It sits in the shadow of Mount Diablo and has everything that you need. Since I was only riding motorcycle at the time I remember that I could ride in any direction and have terrific scenery. I've lived in Fort Lauderdale FL, Redondo Beach CA, Torrance CA, Ontario CA, Las Vegas and other cities like Boston and in Rhode Island when I was younger so I didn't compare them. After 17 years of being in California and Las Vegas I moved back to where I belong and feel most comfortable here in Jersey. Fortunately, New Jersey is a great place to buy rental property and I really wouldn't leave unless I had to.
We currently live in North Bay Ontario Canada. I would love to live near Orlando Florida. We have three kids, we love that there is no snow and that there is always something to do! That being said, we would come back all the time to visit family and to make sure all of our assets and businesses are running smoothly.
I love winter but also beaches and parks so western New York has been a great move and a place I’ll be calling home hopefully forever.