[rodger craig]

i know that soon enough there will be smart people leaving ct. look around, taxes are at an all time high, electricity is the highest in the union, god forbid that you have to travel the highways. the reason ct is ranked so high in truck safety is due to the fact that traffic traveles so slow. have you been to realty trac and seen all the foreclosures? it will blow you away. i came back here 20 years ago and soonit will be time to sell and go to ......mabe arkansas where you can actually buy a house for less than $200,000 and the taxes would be all of $1500 a year if that. i think that ct is going to come upon some real hard times

[skytrekker]

I would seriously consider quality of life issues when comparing Arkansas with Connecticut. Arkansas might be cheaper-however when comparing quality of life between the two states it is like two different worlds. Another words in life you get for what you pay. That axiom seldom varies by much.

As for foreclosures- Connecticut actually ranks lower then Arkansas- states in the south and Midwest have a much higher rate of foreclosures. States with lower incomes tend to have higher number of foreclosures. For instance last year 1 in every 435 homeowners went into foreclosure in Arkansas , for Connecticut it was 1 in every 525.

New England in general also is considered one of the best areas of the country for traffic safety and lower mortality rates.

Carnegie Mellon University researcher who co-authored a major new U.S. road risk analysis. _New England is the safest region for drivers — despite all those stories about crazy Boston drivers. New England's No. 1 ranking for lowest death risk on the road.

[mels]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

I would seriously consider quality of life issues when comparing Arkansas with Connecticut.

I agree. I moved with my job to open an office down south and lived there for a while. It seemed like a paradise on paper with their cheap cost of living, but the quality of life didn't compare to what we have in CT. Granted I know people who have moved away to cheaper areas and are perfectly happy. I guess my point is don't just look at prices, do your homework and extensive research, including long stretches of time in a potential new location. Things aren't always so peachy once you get your feet on the ground.

[KirbyJRT]

I agree there are more reasons to locate then just housing costs and taxes. Job outlook, way of life, weather, etc....

[kd83]

Originally Posted by mels

I agree. I moved with my job to open an office down south and lived there for a while. It seemed like a paradise on paper with their cheap cost of living, but the quality of life didn't compare to what we have in CT. Granted I know people who have moved away to cheaper areas and are perfectly happy. I guess my point is don't just look at prices, do your homework and extensive research, including long stretches of time in a potential new location. Things aren't always so peachy once you get your feet on the ground.

ORRRRR stop looking at paper, stop taking other peoples advice, and experience something for yourself THEN make a decision. If people havent noticed, one thing that will NEVER change is that this forum is full of all different types of people, and a good representation of the world as a whole. EVERYONE..even similar people can have different opinions on things from small things such as movie and food tastes, to large things such as their own definition of "quality of living", whats hot or cold, who's rude and who's not etc. While this forum serves a good purpose to find out facts about potential places of residence, one thing I have definitely noticed is that the wide variance of opinions from people on these boards can be down right destructive to someones decision to try something for themselves. While not everybody takes change as easily as some other people, there is only really one way to find out what you like better, try it. From ice cream flavors, to movies, to bungee jumping, to moving to a whole new place 900 miles away..we are all individuals and all have different opinions. Just move for a little while and see if you like it. Like mels said, she knows people that went and didnt like it and she knows people who love it. I myself and one who tries things, some people take the safe route and go on the words of others. In the words of fight club, "How much can you know about yourself if you've never been in a fight. I dont want to die without any scars."

[melkat]

Originally Posted by KirbyJRT

I agree there are more reasons to locate then just housing costs and taxes. Job outlook, way of life, weather, etc....

so true People keep flocking down to Charlotte for this reason and find out that it isn't worth it (and we are so over crowded here as it is!)

So last sunday my daughter wanted to get some ice cream. I had to wrack my brain for over 10 minutes to think of a non chain ice cream place anywhere near me (I finally thought of 1 place, that is it... 1 and they have terrible ice cream!) I kept wishing I was back in CT and our biggest decision would have been do we go to Wentworths or Claudes?! ( I know this has nothing to do with the post..just humor me ;-)

The problem with moving from CT elsewhere is that once you realize how great you had it in CT you coudn't afford the house you sold anymore to move back LOL!

[JViello]

Originally Posted by skytrekker

I would seriously consider quality of life issues when comparing Arkansas with Connecticut. Arkansas might be cheaper-however when comparing quality of life between the two states it is like two different worlds. Another words in life you get for what you pay. That axiom seldom varies by much.

As for foreclosures- Connecticut actually ranks lower then Arkansas- states in the south and Midwest have a much higher rate of foreclosures. States with lower incomes tend to have higher number of foreclosures. For instance last year 1 in every 435 homeowners went into foreclosure in Arkansas , for Connecticut it was 1 in every 525.

New England in general also is considered one of the best areas of the country for traffic safety and lower mortality rates.

Carnegie Mellon University researcher who co-authored a major new U.S. road risk analysis. _New England is the safest region for drivers — despite all those stories about crazy Boston drivers. New England's No. 1 ranking for lowest death risk on the road.

Everything you just wrote was going through my head as I was reading the post and I'm glad you posted all that because I'm just getting tired of having too. lol

Bad traffic? Wow. Move away and be prepared for the biggest shock of your life. Lots O' things changed in the last 20 years.

This may not be paradise (If you find it tell only me so I can move there and build a fence around it) but it's not bad either by a long shot.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by melkat

So last sunday my daughter wanted to get some ice cream. I had to wrack my brain for over 10 minutes to think of a non chain ice cream place anywhere near me (I finally thought of 1 place, that is it... 1 and they have terrible ice cream!) I kept wishing I was back in CT and our biggest decision would have been do we go to Wentworths or Claudes?! ( I know this has nothing to do with the post..just humor me ;-)

LOL I'm glad to see I was not the only one who had those days. For me it was Sunday or Sat mornings trying to find a mom and pop breakfast joint that served a New England style eggs, toast, homefries, bacon and coffee type thing. "Hi yall, welcome to waffle house...would you like prepackaged, preportioned meal #1 or #2?" Ugh...

Go find a local stand out in a small 250 year old town that serves home made ice cream around benignboxberry NC like we have around here. Good luck. Nevermind all the great hidden out of the way yet quaint "food stands" (Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret for example) I alway seem to find while buming around the countryside on the motorcycle on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Things like that are priceless to me.

[njohnson]

When I lived in Savannah there were plenty of local restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, ice cream shops that were non chain and had been around for many years. In fact all the chains were on the outskirts of town. NC and SC is also known for its BBQ stops which have been around for generations, they'd probably say "where can you find those in CT?". Don't forget some of the oldest towns in the United States are in the South.

In reply to roger, good luck in Arkansas. If it fits your needs then that is perfect, we all have different desires.

[JViello]

Originally Posted by njohnson

When I lived in Savannah there were plenty of local restaurants, bars, coffeehouses, ice cream shops that were non chain and had been around for many years. In fact all the chains were on the outskirts of town. NC and SC is also known for its BBQ stops which have been around for generations, they'd probably say "where can you find those in CT?". Don't forget some of the oldest towns in the United States are in the South.

In reply to roger, good luck in Arkansas. If it fits your needs then that is perfect, we all have different desires.

Good points. A place like Savannah is definetly in another time and place than the boom cities like Charlotte and Raleigh. I was speaking more of them.

BBQ? We got those. Cookhouse Cafe, Little Marks, Black Eyed Sally's, The Rev's Ribs, Carl's BBQ, - that's just Hartford area..even Uncle Willie's in wtby is really good. I understand your point though.