Move to Denver?? Advice PLEASE!!! (Sheridan: renter, mortgage, house)

[Ohiofam37]

Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum and I thought it would be best to post my situation and see if I can get advice from anyone on here. I read some of the threads and it really sounds like everyone knows what they are talking about!

My husband and I currently live in Columbus, OH and are in our mid to late 20's. We own a home, but have no kids (only pets!) I was recently laid off from my company with a now exhausted severance. My husband is working full-time, but isn't very happy with his work situation. Having said that we have a lot of friends who have moved to the Denver area and love it. Also we have visited a couple of times and are hooked! My husband and I are both huge outdoors people and love all things having to do with mountains- hiking, camping, skiing, etc... Our families and friends still live in OH, but that's about all OH has going for it in our opinion. We hate the weather, flatness and general unhealthy lifestyle.

Having said all of this we are contemplating finding a renter for our house (should be pretty doable as our mortgage is reasonable), the husband quitting his job and moving to Denver. It's a scary thought, but one we are both very very interested in. We both have our degrees and the husband has a strong interest in starting a small business....so with that what are people's opinions? Is the job market in Denver decent right now (well relative to the rest of the country) and does it have a fairly low cost of living? Right now we have at least one income, but enough savings to last at least 6 months if need be with no money coming in.....so please weigh in with your thoughts!! As I said we are sick of OH....is Denver as fantastic as we think???

Any advice or recommendations would be amazing! Let me know if you have any questions and thank you in advance for your advice!!!

[FunkyMonk]

If you are used to Ohio, then Denver will be like paradise. The further west you go, the more awesome it is

[Sheridan1962]

As someone who has recently moved to the Denver metro area (last month), I think the cost of living is higher than where I came from (Texas). I have no idea what the cost of living is like in Ohio though.

We were very fortunate that my DH found a very well-paying job here...we moved here AFTER he got the job. With the current state of the economy, I would be very hesitant to make a move before finding a job. But that's just my opinion. Good luck with your decision.

[Jerry Bckr]

The unemployment rate here is about 7.2%. That's better than a lot of states and there are some states are better. About six months ago, it was in the hight 4's low 5's. The cost of living here is higher than Ohio. I'm from the Illinois and Wisconsin and have been out here for over 34 years. There's no comparison with the climate plus the people are more out going, here. Good luck.

[goozer]

Originally Posted by Sheridan1962

With the current state of the economy, I would be very hesitant to make a move before finding a job. But that's just my opinion. Good luck with your decision.

I agree. Colorado is a beautiful state, and I for one much prefer it to Ohio (based on my many visits to Cleveland). And you should pursue your dream to live there given how unhappy you seem in Ohio. But go slowly in this economy. Denver may not be faring as badly as some other parts of the country, but I hear employers out there aren't exactly hiring en masse.

It is terrific that you have a chunk of cash saved up to allow you both to live for six months without working. But there are two things to consider: First, moving to a new place, you will invariably spend more money getting set up (and seeing the local sights which will all be new to you) than you would spend if you stayed in Ohio. In other words, what might last you six months in Ohio may only last you three following a move to CO. Second, think about what a shame it would be if you actually burned through that cash before you were able to find jobs. If you found jobs first, you would be moving out to Denver with a nice nest egg that you could use as a down payment on a house (and banks are DEFINITELY requiring healthy down payments nowadays).

[RedSoxFanGoingWest]

My wife and I moved from Ohio (metro-Cleveland) in '07. We only lived there about 2 years and neither of us liked it very much. IMO, there is no comparison to the lifestyle of living in Denver-metro vs. Ohio - especially if you truly enjoy all outdoor activitities.

The cost of living is higher here - especially the cost of homes in comparison to the metro-Cleveland area. I can't say that I know much about the Columbus area.

In this economic crisis, I don't think I'd move without some sort of job opportunity. Well, I probably would but my wife wouldn't allow it!!

Some additional things to consider, my wife and I are in our early/mid 30s without children - only 3 dogs. We moved to a very kid-friendly neighborhood as we weren't sure (still aren't) if we were going to have children. Let's just say that some of our neighbors are not very friendly towards us due to the no-kid factor. Others, are very nice but it is kind of hit or miss.

Please let me know if I can help with anything else! Good Luck!

[Checkered24]

I'd be a little nervous about the both of you heading out there without work. Even with great qualifications, there are currently tons of people competing for jobs. That goes for everywhere. So even qualified people are taking longer to find employment, and taking positions at lower pay than they would ordinarily. You could find yourself in a real hardship if neither of you find work before your reserves exhaust, or one or both of you land a job but the pay is inadequate.

Have you considered heading to Denver, maybe staying with some friends for a while, and seeing if you can land a job while your husband stays in Columbus keeping his current job? I am sure being split up for aa length of time isn't your first choice, but it would allow one of you (you) to get established in Denver, while your husband retains his job as a sort of safety net in Ohio, in case things don't work out well for you in Denver.

If you two would be willing to do this, and you could stay with some friends for an extended period, you would be able to give it a shot without the full moving or living expenses on your shoulders while being out of work, and still have the safety net of your husband being employed.

Good luck on whatever you decide!