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Ok, so my wife and I are having trouble deciding where to live. We decided we'd let the folks here at city data help us! Our criteria is a bit constricting, so we're hoping there's SOMETHING out there that fits what we're looking for:
- We have 4 horses.
- We want to spend up to $400k.
- We'd like 5-10 "park-like" acres that you can be proud to call home with a 1990 or newer home on it. Trees/lush grass/wood fencing, nice drives into/out of the area would be perfect.
- No (or a little) snow (oh no, there goes half the US).
- We don't want to drive by trailers, hillbillies, industrial complexes, etc. on our way to/from home.
- I work in the tech sector, so I need to be within 45 minutes or so of a major city that has an ample amount of tech jobs. I currently have a job where I telecommute, so I don't have to worry about finding a job in order to move, but I want to know that they're nearby should I need to get one in the future.
- We want things to do in the area (within 20 miles or so). We're in our 30's with a 2 year old daughter and while we don't necessarily want "nightlife", we enjoy going out to nice restaurants and frequenting areas that you might consider "upscale" (i.e. newer and aesthetically pleasing, not old/historic/run down).
- It would be nice to be somewhere where our daughter can get involved in sports, etc. Somewhere that has a lot of organized things for kids to do to get involved in would be great.
Basically, we're looking for a newer house on a nice property with trees/grass that's not THAT far from an area with newer amenities and things for us and our daughter to do/get involved with. We have horses, but we don't want to live in the middle of nowhere or in older/run down areas because of it.
We've looked at the following areas already, but are open to discussions on any of them:
- Phoenix, AZ: We live here now. No grass/trees/too freaking hot! Plus, you can't get more than an acre or two without a lot of money or living in a far flung area.
- Sacramento, CA: Looked at the Sacramento area (Grass Valley, Auburn, etc) and while we can get houses/acreage here, our concerns are: the houses in the $400k range are almost all quite old (30+ years), the taxes/business climate in CA is all out of whack and the cost of living is much higher relative to other places. It has most of what we're looking for (Roseville closeby for amenities, Napa/SF/beaches, etc. for things fto do), but it costs a lot and we don't want to live just to make our mortgage and tax payments.
- Austin, TX: Just started looking here. Seems good, but we've heard the summers are a lot like Phoenix (looong and hot). Also, with the drought, lots of dry, cracked land, rocky, not the best for horses.
- Raleigh, NC: We LOVE the properties for sale in Raleigh. They're EXACTLY what we're looking for. Lots of grass, tree lined driveways...we haven't visited yet but the concerns we've seen from folks on city data are: absolutely nothing to do (lots of "boring" comments), cold winters (this is relative), hot/humid summers, lots of bible thumpers, etc. Would like more input on this area as it would be perfect if there are things to do, newer, upscale areas of town and the weather is moderate.
So, as you can tell, we're not picky at ALL. ;-) I'm sure there are lots of other horse owners out there who live in beautiful places with things to do and activities for kids who don't want to live out in the sticks. We'd love to hear more about those places!
"- We don't want to drive by trailers, hillbillies, industrial complexes, etc. on our way to/from home."
You sound a yuppie or snob (I may have a different definition of "yuppie" than you). If that's the case, the only place I think of right now that suits your requirements is Woodside, California, but I doubt you'll get a house for $400,000 there.
Ever think about Tenessee or Kentucky? In a dry climate you will have to irrigate pasture, or have a really big spread, and/or feed hay. Which, if you want a dry climate, may be worth it to you. We live in Eastern WA, it does get some snow but does not really get a snow season, you could get a big enough acreage here for horses at your price point, but it would be out in the country.
Tennessee or Kentucky would offer an even softer winter, but they get muggy in summer, at least parts of each state do. But you get enough rain to grow pasture without irrigating it.
North Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and/or parts of the Carolinas might work too.
Cleveland area, Ohio - Specifically Medina or Cuyahoga Falls. If you are a horse enthusiast, look it up.
A couple comments ...
1. avoiding rural / hillbilly / industrial / etc on your commute - get over yourself. Seriously.
2. Don't discount *gasp* "older houses" --- anything built 30+ years ago is most likely built stronger, sturdier and better than anything built in the last 20 years. I would rather have to do upgrades than complete rebuilds. Just sayin'.
As for horses / grass / lawn maintenance requirements ... If you go anywhere that gets HOT, it will be a lot more work. The beauty of the Midwest is that grass grows really, REALLY well. As someone who wants a nice pasture and/or yard, this is very important.
Many areas of the Carolinas or GA are a thick red clay soil. This plus the climate limits what type of grass can be grown, and it is a lot of work to get it to grow. Fertilizing, liming, seeding, aerating, etc. My area of NC requires a lot of work to keep the grass alive and thriving. This also means, as a horse person, your choices for hay are limited. You can have the local grown hay that is very low in nutrients or you can pay bigger dollars to ship in hay from the Midwest.
Some notable Cleveland items:
1. very large horse community and very horse friendly
2. Ohio has great schools
3. Cleveland is ranking high in IT jobs at this time
4. Tons to do in the area
SNOW - like it or not, taking snow out of the equation really impacts everything else, especially what I noted above with lawn or pasture maintenance. The only place you're going to find that really hits your criteria are going to be the expensive parts of CA. So, something has got to give on the list, or expect to pay more for the real estate.
I didn't say on my "commute". I actually specifically said I work from home. I don't want to drive past any of that in the immediate area. There's nothing to get over. If you think I'm the only person that wants to live in a more upscale area and doesn't enjoy living next to a bunch of welfare recipients in trailers, think again. And I am discounting older houses. I specifically want one less than 20 years old. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm happy you have your opinions, but they're quite different from mine and that's okay.
I appreciate your opinions, but there's no reason for you to act like a child and lob insults at someone because they wants something different than you do.
Have a nice day.
[quote=chance2jump;20620004]Cleveland area, Ohio - Specifically Medina or Cuyahoga Falls. If you are a horse enthusiast, look it up.
A couple comments ...
1. avoiding rural / hillbilly / industrial / etc on your commute - get over yourself. Seriously.
2. Don't discount *gasp* "older houses" --- anything built 30+ years ago is most likely built stronger, sturdier and better than anything built in the last 20 years. I would rather have to do upgrades than complete rebuilds. Just sayin'.
Ever think about Tenessee or Kentucky? In a dry climate you will have to irrigate pasture, or have a really big spread, and/or feed hay. Which, if you want a dry climate, may be worth it to you. We live in Eastern WA, it does get some snow but does not really get a snow season, you could get a big enough acreage here for horses at your price point, but it would be out in the country.
Tennessee or Kentucky would offer an even softer winter, but they get muggy in summer, at least parts of each state do. But you get enough rain to grow pasture without irrigating it.
North Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and/or parts of the Carolinas might work too.
Actually we did consider Tennessee, but there aren't enough tech jobs nearby unfortunately. We're strongly considering Raleigh and Austin right now...we had CA on the list, but with taxes/cost of living, it's not worth it. We can afford it but why throw your money away?
"- We don't want to drive by trailers, hillbillies, industrial complexes, etc. on our way to/from home."
You sound a yuppie or snob (I may have a different definition of "yuppie" than you). If that's the case, the only place I think of right now that suits your requirements is Woodside, California, but I doubt you'll get a house for $400,000 there.
If not wanting to drive by a bunch of run-down trailers and industrial complexes makes me a snob, then I guess that's what I am. I enjoy living in nice areas, just trying to get opinions from others who live in those areas as to where they might be.
Perry, Georgia. I believe this place has everything you are looking for and within the vicinity of both Macon and Warner Robbins, I feel you should look into this place.
"Cleveland area, Ohio - Specifically Medina or Cuyahoga Falls. If you are a horse enthusiast, look it up."
Seriously? I used to live in Cleveland, and besides little Chagrin Falls Hunt Club, Cleveland is hardly a mecca for horse enthusiasts.
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Plus, you can't get more than an acre or two without a lot of money or living in a far flung area.
