Want to Move to NH or VT. (Concord, Laconia: rental, insurance)

[CoyeMuse]

Hey, I currently live in Seattle Washington. But I am looking at moving east in about 6 months or less. I'm trying to do my research and make sure I know what I'm really doing But I have a few main questions.

What is the housing market like in the smaller towns? I want to live somewhere that has between 7k and 25k people. But I want it to be affordable.

I work as a Certified Nursing Aide here in Seattle and I make about $9.00 and hour starting wage. What is the average starting wage for my field?

I have a dog, is it easy to find places to live that accept dogs?

I have a cat who likes to go outside. Is it safe to let her out as long as she has tags?

Would I be better off finding a room-mate or could I afford something on my own?


Anything else you can offer in the way of advice would be really appreciated...

[DreamworksSKG]

I'd say look into the towns of Alton, Meredith, Wolfeboro, Laconia, Moultonborough, Gilford , Barnstead, Bristol, Gilmanton, Pittsfield, Loudon, and Franklin.--closer to Lake Winnipesaukee---

you could commute to Concord---maybe get a job in Concord --

if you choose Vermont you might like the Lebanon NH // White River junction , Queechee Gorge area---and/or the Middlebury, --or Burlington/Lake Champlain area.

You might also enjoy the White mountain area-----Lincoln--Woodstock/North Woodstock area are especially nice.

Plymouth is pretty nice too, home to Plymouth State University-

The Littleton, Bethlehem , Franconia , area is quite nice, and you might find some work in St J (St Johnsbury) about 20 miles away -
you'd also be close to the White mountains for recreation and/or franconia notch state park

North conway area --maybe a town outside of North Conway might work --and you could work in the North Conway area too.
though it is quite touristy in the summer---fall seasons

[WannaComeHome]

from reading posts by others, finding a rental that accepts dogs is not as easy as finding one that doesn't - and it sometimes depends on the (size of the) dog. there is a leash-law in the state, I suspect some towns enforce it more than others.

As to cats... all depends. I know my parents let their cat out all the time and last month it never came back. My father was heartbroken (ok, now he's got a kitten that is much more affectionate, but still). No idea if it was ill and went off to die, got hit by a car, or caught by a fisher or something. There's been a thread lately about fishers and whether they do or don't catch cats. Personally, i'd rather not take the chance and keep all my cats indoors; they're healthier that way.

[CoyeMuse]

My cat doesn't know she's a cat. Once, I let my dog out to go to the bathroom and I said "Go Potty Toby" and along with my dog, My cat went right out, did her business and came back in... It was weird.


So does anyone know the average price of a house with only 1-2 bedrooms? I don't want anything fancy or decked out. Just something that is fairly stable.

I thought about renting, but unless i can find a roommate or two, I dont think its worth my money to rent.


Im going to be in Job corps in Massachusetts and I think on weekends, I'll drive out to see different areas of the region. You know, to decide where I like best....

Any more advice for a west coast girl moving east?

[RJARRRPCGP]

Originally Posted by CoyeMuse

Hey, I currently live in Seattle Washington. But I am looking at moving east in about 6 months or less. I'm trying to do my research and make sure I know what I'm really doing But I have a few main questions.

What is the housing market like in the smaller towns? I want to live somewhere that has between 7k and 25k people. But I want it to be affordable.

I work as a Certified Nursing Aide here in Seattle and I make about $9.00 and hour starting wage. What is the average starting wage for my field?

I have a dog, is it easy to find places to live that accept dogs?

I have a cat who likes to go outside. Is it safe to let her out as long as she has tags?

Would I be better off finding a room-mate or could I afford something on my own?


Anything else you can offer in the way of advice would be really appreciated...

In Vermont, the minimum wage is already close to that, at least $8.00, IIRC.

[Jennymcb]

Concord area is nice with some affordable homes to the north and west. Not sure of the wages here, but what you are making now sounds comparable.

Our cats stay indoors, we live near a pond and I worry about fisher cats and coyotes, along with a busy road.

[buck naked]

nurses aides are in demand no matter which town you choose - everyone has nursing homes and aides are always needed - hospitals may pay a little more

$10. is starting pay on the average and there is also benefits such as vacations, holidays and insurance - average CNA wage in Lincoln, NH is $23K (as with any occupation, some positions are higher -$29K, some are lower - $16K) - in a location like Rollinsford (coast) the average CNA wage is $27K

purchasing a home gets less expensive the further north you go, but the average is over $200K. It's much more expensive in the southern portion of the state.

it's very difficult to find a place to rent when you have a dog

it's very dangerous to let a cat out - we have a lot of predators and traffic

[CoyeMuse]

I want to thank the few people who have responded in my absence. Being at Job Corps I cannot often check the thoughts on here. I keep coming back to wanting to move... and all I want to do is just DO it and get it over with so I can see for myself Anyone else have their two cents?

[maxxoccupancy]

The pay for these kinds of services is usually higher in Mass, but taxes eat up all of that increase. Houses in northern and rural New Hampshire can run as low as $120k for a two bedroom. Near the seacoast (or the border with Mass or Maine) expect to pay over $200k.

I am also in Seattle, at the moment, and will be returning to New Hampsha in a week or so. It's impossible to prepare you for the anti-gov, Live Free or Die attitude of folks in the state. If you are looking for something more Seattle-progressive, you might look into Vermont or something in the Boston area. The best thing to do is to find a month to month rental and just starting road tripping around New England looking for the right town for you.

[SanfordR]

I am living in Santa Fe right now, but have lived in both NH and VT. Personally I prefer NH, finding the mountains more impressive and the people a little bit friendlier too. And proximity to Maine and the ocean. One of the things I really miss about New England are all the little beautiful towns and the general "toughness" of the people there. I envy you, I'd move back in a minute if I could.