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Location: Live:Downtown Phoenix, AZ/Work:Greater Los Angeles, CA
27,606 posts, read 14,601,062 times
Reputation: 9169
Quote:
Originally Posted by vette0009
Flaggstaff Arizona, The People you cant beat , polite even in traffic
You aren't getting a house for $300k or less in Flagstaff, and the job market there is terrible, the only three employers there who pay enough to actually live there are NAU, the city/county government, and W.L. Gore. If you don't work for one of those three, you are going to have a bad time in Flagstaff.
And winters are cold and snowy in Flagstaff (even though the summers are great)
I don't think there's any place where you can get everything you want.
The first place that comes to mind which might be a good fit is the Washington coast (outside of Seattle, where prices are more reasonable).
You don't like heat, so this area might be perfect. And WA doesn't have a state income tax. The only downside is it's one of the least religious areas in the country, but even then, I'm sure you can find a good church if you look hard enough.
If you're looking for a place where people are more religious and has good opportunities for hiking but don't mind the heat, try Austin, TX. And Texas also has no income tax.
Cool climate, good hiking, fairly religious people, low cost of living: try Wyoming.
You can also look to move further north in the state just to get away from the cost of living, heat and the heathens.. try Red Bluff or Redding.
Ive traveled and explored quite a bit. Did not care for AZ. Mostly a hot state, very dry bland as far as any scenery (no I dont consider rocks as scenery). Plus lots of crack heads wandering about. Drove through and visited the state 3 times... its not for me.
I did live in WA before. Most of the year I liked the climate. Rained a lot but it did keep everything green and pretty looking. Snowed a little, which was pretty. But I did have a hard time in winter. There were days with zero light. No moon, no stars, no sun, no sunset. I found this depressing. But this was a non issue most of the year. Fall was beautiful! Cheaper than CA by far, I had a 2 bedroom on a lovely street for $1400. As opposed to the $1700 you pay for a 1 bedroom here. I still think OR may be a better fit. Not a fan of Portland but I like some of the more rural and suburban cities. Its also a closer drive to visit CA. I love san fran but its not in the budget.
I did live in dallas for a short time. I found it clean and nice for a city that size. Pretty sunsets. Affordable big houses. Decent jobs. But... very hot. I dont like hot weather. Horrible huge red fire ant problem. Not a fan of bugs that bite. And the tornado warnings waking you up were mildly annoying. If I were to go back that direction I would explore Austin. I know its more expensive but have heard great things. Still the heat would be my main issue. My body doesnt handle heat well.
Im also open to CO (denver suburbs) and Asheville NC if the humidty is as low as Ive read... I would have to see for myself. The fact that every room has fans is usually a sigh of hot weather and fans on every porch. Thats what Im seeing in the homes Im looking at. Although it gets less snow than CO by far which means easier to drive around. If either place has a big biting bug population that will settle that. I love to be outdoors and getting bitten just ruins that. I plan to visit before writing anything off my list.
Colorado is gorgeous but be mindful of the weather there. It could be 70 or 80 in January, but snowing in May. Denver just got hit with some snow. I have some friends in Estes Park and they just got dumped on with several feet. I personally wouldn't want to deal with snow that late in the season. It can start again as early as September.
Thanks to those who mentioned OR and CO. Those are 2 out of the 3 places on my list that Im seriously considering and researching currently. For those saying stay in CA.... trust me I love CA. Staying is NOT an option. All my friends and family have moved away due to how overpriced it is. And I cant buy a home let alone afford a nice apartment here. San Fran has the weather I love so if I could afford that life I would be considering it. And yes I have moved out of state before, twice, (to Texas and Washington) so I do know what life outside of CA is like. No place is perfect. Its either too hot, too cold, too many bugs, too many days with dark skies.... and so on. But Im not going to spend $800K to have a house. Its not happening. Im not spending more than $300K for a home. Denver CO and Asheville NC can fit within the budget, along with certain cities in OR. Im not a fan of Portland (yes Ive been there) but the rural and suburb areas are nice. Keep the suggestions coming though. Unless your planning on paying my bills though, no need to suggest staying in Cali!
There are a lot of parts of California where you can get a decent home for 300k or less. Most of these are inland and not close to the four major California cities, but there are also options on the coast once you go north of the Bay Area metro. It pretty much boils down to if you can stand living in a much smaller city.
I dont mind living in a smaller city. Im actually not a big city girl. I dont like traffic and smog and tons of homeless on all my street corners. But all the parts of CA that I know either are above my price range or are in the ghetto (not willing to compromise on safety!) or there are just zero jobs. But if you believe this place exists with affordable homes, available jobs, and in a safe rural or suburban area... do tell.
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