Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So come next year I will have finished school and be ready to move. I currently live in Southern California and although I love it, it is way too expensive to me. I would love to move somewhere a little bit more affordable, say somewhere I can get a 4 or 5 bedroom house under $700,000 (I mean not right away, but eventually for a family). The problem is, my boyfriend and I can't seem to come to a conclusion on where to go so I need some suggestions or help.
I am set on going to Colorado and he is set on going to Arizona (however, we will be open to other places, but the following is what we are each looking for):
- I want somewhere with defined seasons (I don't care if I have snow, rain, whatever)
- He wants somewhere without snow and where it doesn't get below freezing too often, if at all (important to him)
- I want somewhere that has green trees, green grass, tree lined streets, (Think East Coast towns with trees, greenery, etc) *important to me*
- He wants somewhere affordable
- He doesn't want to go to the East Coast
- I am very anti desert looking houses and yards and cities (just not my thing, I grew up by the beach)
- I want to teach eventually so I want to make sure it is somewhere with a good schooling system and opportunities (I know California is my best bet)
- I don't want to go to the midwest.
- He wants to get into Finance or Graphic Design
- I want to be near a lake, river, or beach
- I'm not dead set on Oregon or Washington (but it is a possibility)
- We would both like to stay near California (I am even open to going to Northern California)
Sorry for all the requests, but as you can tell we want very different things. We are willing to compromise, I think the two things we won't compromise or change our minds on are the no snow and the desert living. Everything else we are flexible on.
I really don't know what to suggest. If you want to live near CA, you will have a very hard time finding an affordable area. Of the few that are still "affordable", they won't be for long given current trends. Many who leave CA for high cost of living reasons go to their new state only to vote for the same people and policies that made CA so excruciatingly expensive, ruining the new state's COL in the process. It makes no sense whatsoever. Just make sure you're not going to do that. With you two having such drastically different things you're wanting, that could be an issue too. As kyle19125 said, you're not considering an huge chunk of the U.S. I can definitely understand not wanting to be far from family. But if you guys are bent on staying out West, you can find places more affordable than CA, but not nearly as affordable if you were more open to the Midwest and South.
The most affordable, high quality area in the West right now that I could recommend is Albuquerque, NM. No matter that happens, good luck!
The no desert, the no snow, the green aspect and the low cost are all difficult preferences to navigate.
Also, neither of you want east coast or midwest, so that eliminates pretty much 2/3 of the US, LOL.
I think the Denver or Boulder Colorado areas are your best option, but that is not necessarily "near California." But you said your BF does not want Colorado.
Definitely some compromises will have to be in store.
Maybe look at Salt Lake City? It's kinda arid there though.
Northern Arizona is not super hot or super arid desert due to higher elevation. Check out Sedona or Flagstaff areas.
**IF** either of you were to consider the southeast, you'd be pleasantly surprised. Cost of real estate would be a huge pleasant surprise and some of the booming cities would surprise you big time for their amenities and cosmopolitan vibes.
Stay in California.
I'm assuming your folks are here - you don't want to leave them once kids come along.
Unless you move to a major metro (which also won't be cheap), you are unlikely to have "Plan B" jobs. Here in SoCal there are Plan B, Plan C...Plan Z jobs.
If you were born and raised here EVERYTHING will be a let down: either too hot, too cold, too rainy,too cloudy, too many bugs.
You can get plenty of 4+2 homes in SoCal for $700K: they won't be in Thousand Oaks or South OC but maybe Costa Mesa or Buena Park or Oxnard or Ventura, Saugus, Lancaster, or something like that.
They seem to make a lot of assumptions and determined to back themselves into a corner.
By all means, leave California. I encourage anyone to do so.
I like it, but for livability, California is very easy to improve upon. There are so many places with less traffic, less crime, less crowded, vastly more affordable with more well-run governments... not to mention many of them have just as much stuff to do. Even when they don’t, you’ll be spending so much less time fighting traffic and crowds you’ll feel like there’s more to do because you’re able to free up more time to actually enjoy things.
Jobs can easily be found anywhere.
Snow is no big deal. Seriously. Give the midwest a try if you’re serious about improving you’re plight in California.
While it’s not my cup of tea, the southeast doesn’t fit neatly into the box of stereotypes they’ve been given.
I'd suggest step 1 is you and the hubby agreeing to stack ranking the criteria. You are all over the place, exciting, but limiting yourselves.
Agree...Priortize. You will have to endure some compromises. You probably can find a place with about 75-80% but not everything. A school teacher with a $700k house will take a while so start saving. It looks like you want a mild, four-season, green and wet (non-desert), affluent yet affordable community with water access relatively close to California. I hope you like crowds because that is what most people seem to be looking for.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
