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First post here, long-time lurker (original right?). I'm looking for some thoughts on places in the U.S. that might be a good fit for my wife and me. We have a couple places in mind and I'm just looking for general reactions or thoughts on these places or other places we're missing that could work. Since we could in theory literally go anywhere it's a bit overwhelming.
We currently live in Iowa and are looking to get out sometime next year. Bad part about living in Iowa? There's next to nothing to do. Good thing about Iowa? We'll have around $100k for a down payment.
My wife and I both work remote; we each make approximately $70,000.
My wife is Brazilian and so anywhere with at least a small Brazilian community would be a plus, but it's not essential. There are like four Brazilians in Iowa.
We wouldn't want to live in a dense urban area (e.g. downtown Chicago, LA) but would be fine with the suburbs of a heavily populated city, or a small town/rural location within driving of civilization (e.g. Rockport, MA in relation to Boston).
I (used to) pretty much live outdoors as a nature/wildlife photographer but that died ever since moving to Iowa a few years ago. So anywhere we move would absolutely need to be located close to stunning nature--it doesn't really matter what kind; I like forests, mountains, beaches, desert, etc.
We also have a Bernese Mountain Dog, and she would do much better in a colder climate. My wife and I also generally prefer cold to warm, though I don't need extreme cold or lots of snow in winter.
Since we both work remote, the idea of limiting tax liability also sounds nice. Simply by moving out of Iowa to a tax haven we would essentially be giving ourselves an 8% raise. I'm admittedly a novice when it comes to tax implications and I'm sure you pay for it in other ways. But it sounds nice.
All of that has thus far narrowed our choice down to (1) Vancouver, Washington and (2) Fort Myers/Cape Coral, Florida.
The draw of Vancouver is namely the lack of state income tax, Oregon's lack of sales tax right across the border, the proximity to Portland (awesome airport) and Seattle, the proximity to tons of gorgeous nature (Columbia River Gorge, Oregon Coast, Mount Rainier, Cascade Range), and a more temperate climate for the dog (and us). There seems to be a moderately active South American community in Portland. The downside is of course the price of real estate and higher COL but Vancouver actually seems somewhat reasonable compared to other PNW cities. What's the catch?
The draw of Fort Myers/Cape Coral is the lack of state income tax, the comparatively reasonable cost of living and real estate, the South American community (south Florida is seemingly a hub for Brazilians/South Americans), the proximity to nature (beaches, Sanibel Island, the Everglades, the Keys, Clearwater, etc), a great airport, and lots of things to do in Florida (Disney, Miami, boating). The downside would be the heat and humidity. The dog would do fine ultimately but we all like it to be colder. I'm also concerned about how threatened Florida is by climate change--there's always the reports that it will be "underwater" in a few decades and hurricanes seem to get worse every year.
Any thoughts? Anything or anywhere I might be missing?
Carson City/Minden area, very photogenic and dog-friendly.
You will be out hiking or exploring every day here like us. Yes, we can have hot, but just get out of bed early and explore in the mornings or up in the Sierra on hot days. Everyone has a dog here and we all chat and the dogs play out on the many trails all over.
Nobody keeps their dogs leashed on many of the trails, so if your big on leashes and rules, we will drive you crazy.
I think Vancouver is a good fit for you. The only thing that worries me about WA are the taxes. There’s no income tax, but they recently voted to add in a limited capital gains tax. I have some concerns the state is on a slippery slope with respect to that.
As far as Florida goes, I wouldn’t worry too much about climate change or hurricanes. Hurricanes aren’t really a big deal to Floridians. People have different opinions on climate change, but it’s factual the sea level is rising. It wasn’t that long ago the Florida peninsula extended 200 miles further west so it’s pretty obvious Florida is vulnerable to the sea level rise. However, we are still talking about a very long term phenomena. If you bought a house that’s 10’ above sea level I really don’t think it’s going to be a problem during your lifetime.
I don’t know if there’s a Brazilian population in Tennessee, but it’s a pretty good tax haven too so it might also be worth looking at.
Since you said you are remote workers, then see if any of the more undesirable cities to live in are okay with you. Because some of them will pay you to move there as a remote worker. For instance, Tulsa will pay you $10,000 to move there as a remote worker for one year. For an awesome natural area, Talimena National Scenic Drive is 2 1/2 hours from Tulsa. No way does Iowa have anything like it. Tulsa, itself, has Turkey Mountain for hiking, but it's just a small hill. https://tulsaremote.com
If Tulsa is too big, then Stillwater will give you $5000 to move there plus up to $2000 worth of free coffee, if agreeing to become a remote worker as well as buy a house. Stillwater is an hour's drive away from both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Tulsa, though, is likely the better deal: https://www.makemymove.com/get-paid/stillwater-oklahoma
That is just for starters. There are dozens of other cities willing to bribe you to move there, if you will agree to be a remote worker. Maybe some of them are in states without a state income tax and/or have awesome mountain scenery: https://www.makemymove.com/
Oklahoma state income tax for most people is 4.75%. It may be cut slightly again in 2022. From being one of the most highly undesirable states to live in the union, Oklahoma's cost of living is among the lowest.
Last edited by StillwaterTownie; 02-01-2022 at 12:18 AM..
Since you said you are remote workers, then see if any of the more undesirable cities to live in are okay with you. Because some of them will pay you to move there as a remote worker. For instance, Tulsa will pay you $10,000 to move there as a remote worker for one year. For an awesome natural area, Talimena National Scenic Drive is 2 1/2 hours from Tulsa. No way does Iowa have anything like it. Tulsa, itself, has Turkey Mountain for hiking, but it's just a small hill. https://tulsaremote.com
If Tulsa is too big, then Stillwater will give you $5000 to move there plus up to $2000 worth of free coffee, if agreeing to become a remote worker as well as buy a house. Stillwater is an hour's drive away from both Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Tulsa, though, is likely the better deal: https://www.makemymove.com/get-paid/stillwater-oklahoma
That is just for starters. There are dozens of other cities willing to bribe you to move there, if you will agree to be a remote worker. Maybe some of them are in states without a state income tax and/or have awesome mountain scenery: https://www.makemymove.com/
Oklahoma state income tax for most people is 4.75%. It may be cut slightly again in 2022. From being one of the most highly undesirable states to live in the union, Oklahoma's cost of living is among the lowest.
Sounds like OP isn't exactly hurting for money, and Tulsa wouldn't be much of an improvement over Iowa in terms of having things to do.
The catch to Vancouver is that it's a mostly nondescript suburb of Portland with run-of-the-mill suburban amenities. This is not a bad thing, though! It seems like it fits what you're looking for. You get easy access to Portland and its amenities without having to live in the city. The lack of income tax is a huge bonus as well as the close proximity to PDX airport.
If you need stunning nature, then you really can't beat the PNW. There's so many nature/landscape photographers out here because it's such a photogenic place
Vancouver, and surrounding towns are a very nice choice. Another option is around Rapid City, SD. Some of the smaller towns in the Black Hills (Spearfish, Hill City, Deadwood, for example). The area is growing, the Black Hills are interesting, and the airport is easy to get out of town from.
I'm surprised that places in southern New England(MA, CT and RI) haven't been mentioned already.
I do like New England but am not as impressed with the nature there as, say, the Pacific Northwest or Southwest. But I'm also not as familiar with the region. I went to Acadia a few years ago and loved it; I also love the Maine vibe. I've never been to the Adirondacks. And there is actually quite a large Brazilian contingent in Massachusetts.
Carson City/Minden area, very photogenic and dog-friendly.
You will be out hiking or exploring every day here like us. Yes, we can have hot, but just get out of bed early and explore in the mornings or up in the Sierra on hot days. Everyone has a dog here and we all chat and the dogs play out on the many trails all over.
Nobody keeps their dogs leashed on many of the trails, so if your big on leashes and rules, we will drive you crazy.
I was actually thinking about Lake Tahoe the other day and searched up some real estate near there. I lacked the brains to search for things on the Nevada side, though. So I did some brief searching last night and it looks doable from a cost perspective, although the real estate in Carson City/Minden does seem more expensive than I thought it would be. Nonetheless, thanks for the suggestion, it's given me another place to think about!
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