[lisa99]

Been here 2 1/2 years and am moving back to Texas next month because of my job promotion. I was asked if we'd move back when we retired in a few years and the answer was no. I terribly miss rain, thunderstorms and green grass. We'll be checking out Florida next for a 2nd home.

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by lisa99

Been here 2 1/2 years and am moving back to Texas next month because of my job promotion. I was asked if we'd move back when we retired in a few years and the answer was no. I terribly miss rain, thunderstorms and green grass. We'll be checking out Florida next for a 2nd home.

That's interesting, Lisa. I remember that we both moved here almost at the exact same time. I also believe I remember that Florida was one of the states you eliminated from your search when you were looking to relocate from Texas. What's changed? And where in Florida are you considering? (As a native Floridian, I'm just curious.)

That's also interesting about you missing rain. The lack of rain is the main aspect of Vegas weather that I enjoy the most. (Well, that and the lack of snow, lol.) Coincidentally, it rained while I was driving through Texas a couple of weeks ago on my cross-country trip to Miami Beach and it occurred to me at the time that after four months of ownership, that was the very first time that my car had gotten wet.

[Bideshi]

Originally Posted by aggrofish

Them there be fighting words! Las Vegas is the best place on earth end of story!

It's a craps table in the middle of the desert. What's not to love?

[hannaranch]

Why are you still here? If you are unhappy, leave!

[eventusstultorummagister]

Originally Posted by hannaranch

Why are you still here? If you are unhappy, leave!

I lived in the Bay Area, it was full of evil, mean-spirited people. What part are you from?

[vtvette]

Originally Posted by topaz420

I'm currently 500 ft from the beach in one of the safest countries in the world, but I've bought a house in LV - because I just can't afford a house here (400k minimum).

I've lived in Vegas before - for about a year - long enough to know I like it "enough" - I like that even with 2 million+ people, it still feels like a "town" everywhere but the strip. I've also picked a neighborhood about 2 blocks from the edge of the desert in the northwest, so at least I have some elbow room.

My plan is to work my butt off to pay off this 60k mortgage and leave in about 5 years, to somewhere where grass grows because the earth says grass should be there, where dogs can run and play freely, where guns aren't more necessary than clothes dryers, where there is a local sustainable food supply, and where shootings aren't something you skim past in the newspaper.

My short list: semi-rural Vermont (within 1hr of Burlington) or semi-rural Ontario/Quebec (within 1hr of Toronto/Montreal)

Wife and I moved here from Vermont last fall. We still have family, many friends and real estate there. We both grew up in Chittenden County. I feel very fortunate to have grown up there. Great schools (especially when we were in school in the 80's/early 90's). Excellent healthcare, charming little towns dot the countryside. Chittenden County boast wonderful Arts, theater and grassroots musicians. Vermonters are good down to earth people with traditional values.

There are of course downsides. It's very expensive as good paying jobs are hard to come by (yeah, it has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation but most jobs don't pay nearly enough in relation to the high cost of living). Housing stock is generally older homes in need of constant maintenance. We recently sold a 1400 sq ft 1960's track house at $230/sq ft and this was a smoking deal. Found a buyer word of mouth within weeks no need to list it at that price. Property taxes were outrageous at $4500/year. As you move further from Chittenden County/Burlington area houses do get less expensive but forget about work there is none. The government is Chittenden County is the wackiest bunch of liberal dopes you will ever find. The rest of the state tends to lean more conservative. Most people are also shocked to learn that VT has one of the worse drug problems in the country among it's youths. It's not readily apparent on the surface but it most certainly exists. Petty theft is a resulting issue and can be a problem especially in rural areas where neighbors cannot see your house. There is no violent crime to speak of. The bitter cold of the winters and the gloomy skies are what really put us over the edge. We left mainly due to the gloomy weather (this is after 36 years of it mind you). We have no interest in any winter activities at all and despise the cold with a passion. Wife suffered terrible cabin fever in the winter months. This is a very real condition that effects many people when the sun does not shine through the clouds for weeks at a time.

It's a wonderful place for people who are looking for the lifestyle Vermont has to offer. Most people are happy to live there. If a quiet, predominantly rural state with 4 true seasons and down to earth, traditional people are what you are seeking you will find it in VT.

Just be sure buy the requisite Subaru and fill it with cash before you go

[BBMW]

Scoop,

This is interesting. I'm glad you posted it because I can now understand some of your other posts better.

I currently live in Manhattan. It's urban, and non-resort-y, but in other ways, it shares the characteristic of having people who want the best, are willing to pay whatever it takes, and is therefore very expensive. Thanks to a good career choice, some good moves early on (buying an apartment before the RE market ran away), and some good luck, I can live here fairly comfortably. But I have to work full time to do it. I've been doing the corporate grind for over 25 years, and walking away from it has significant allure.

If I rendered my life down to cash, and invested it properly, I could live in Vegas, fairly nicely without having to work. Vegas also offers a lot of what I like to do, and would like to try doing, which NYC really doesn't. Also, if I get bored, I suspect, even given the bad job situation out there, I could rustle up something of a job to keep me busy, give me some extra cash and, maybe, benefits (the whole health insurance thing is one of the factors that keeps me from bailing now.)

I can see why you gravitate to the high end resort communities. Besides the quality of life factors that matter to you, as a chef, you can likely find employment pretty easily. But living in those places on a chef's salary might be tough. I know you're saving feverishly, but I don't know if you could generate extra income out of your assets to make a comfortable living.

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

I have been to all of the above, and then some. And I still don't like it here. I'm sure my mood will improve once the weather ceases to resemble a sand-filled convection oven.

The main dealbreaker for me is lack of an ocean. A five-hour drive is not good enough. If I can't see and smell the ocean; If weekends don't mean the occasional fishing trip; If there isn't a world-class fish market in town; then I'm not going to enjoy living in such a town.

Second, I don't like city living. When I leave here, I'm going to find someplace that has 4,000 to 8,000 people and everybody knows everybody else. I want access to a city, naturally, for the entertainment and amenities. But I don't want to live in a high-population density area.

Finally, I can't get over the "I don't care if it's good, I just want it to be cheap" mentality here. I realize this doesn't apply to everyone. But it applies to enough people that the whole city suffers. There are plenty of places where the prevailing mentality is, "I don't care if it's expensive. Is it the best?" These places -- Aspen, Key West, East Hampton, Martha's Vineyard, St. Helena, Carmel -- are invariably expensive. That doesn't matter to me, though. I'd rather have a nice place in a great area than a great place in a mediocre area.

So my lack of enthusiasm for Las Vegas isn't because I haven't taken the time to get to know the area. It's because I've taken the time, and decided I'm not at all interested in what I've found.

[ScoopLV]

Originally Posted by BBMW

I can see why you gravitate to the high end resort communities. Besides the quality of life factors that matter to you, as a chef, you can likely find employment pretty easily. But living in those places on a chef's salary might be tough. I know you're saving feverishly, but I don't know if you could generate extra income out of your assets to make a comfortable living.

It's mostly the quality of life issue. When I was living in Key West, I was just like everyone else. People worked. But people also woke up on their days off and did stuff. One of my neighbors became so good at restoring old guitars that he eventually opened a shop. One friend built a trebuchet and used it to sling coconuts into the ocean. Everyone had a craft or hobby that he or she pursued -- from music to brewing beer to glass blowing.

Here, people see me building things in the shop (when the weather is cooler) and they look at me as if there's something wrong with me.

[costaricageorge]

Scoop I'm curious to why you left Key West. It sounds like you loved your life there. Many people ask me why I left Costa Rica. I loved it there for about 10 years then slowly started becoming resentful about the things I used to love about it. I remember when I first moved there the oldtimers would ***** about everything and I used to wonder why didn't they just leave. I made a promise to myself if I ever got that way I would leave. 15 yrs later I was that oldtimer bitching to all the new people moving there so I knew it was time to move. I started making my get away plan and was living back in the states in a year. I would say the same thing about here except I have a nine year old son who I would like to have in the same place until he finishes high school even if it is the Clark County school district. So basically in 2020 I will re-evalute my thoughts on living in LV and decide whether to stay or go.
Crazy for how many people the health insurance issue is such a big issue. As I am getting older I totally understand this now. You basically need a few hundred thousand set aside just to pay for insurance. That could drive me back to living outside of the US again when the time comes.

[BBMW]

Interesting, but doesn't so much coorelate to the places you're talking about. I've been to the Hamptons. It's not about weekend craftsmen working on their hobbies, it's either the megarich lounging around their summer houses and dropping money in the local shops/restaurans, or the Manhattan yuppies partying in their share houses and local clubs.

What you're talking about makes me think of the rural areas east and north of NYC (the Catskills and Easther PA (not including Philly.) Think Woodstock (the town, not the concert).

Originally Posted by ScoopLV

It's mostly the quality of life issue. When I was living in Key West, I was just like everyone else. People worked. But people also woke up on their days off and did stuff. One of my neighbors became so good at restoring old guitars that he eventually opened a shop. One friend built a trebuchet and used it to sling coconuts into the ocean. Everyone had a craft or hobby that he or she pursued -- from music to brewing beer to glass blowing.

Here, people see me building things in the shop (when the weather is cooler) and they look at me as if there's something wrong with me.