Relocating from CA to NY (New York, Niagara Falls: apartment complexes, houses, neighborhood)

[looking4home]

But think about it - if everyone starts thinking like you, or like many posters on this forum, then the country will become the suburbs in no time flat. It's already happening in some areas. Formerly bucolic, rural places are being overrun by newcomers who are looking for cheap land/houses, or to get away from rat race. In doing so, they are driving up home prices so that the locals can't afford to buy them, and their presence soon makes demands on the once-small towns in terms of the need for more/better infrastructure, schools - and more shopping. Don't think those big box retailers don't do their demographic homework. As soon as they sniff a population shift, they are right there, bringing in the Wal-Marts, Targets, Home Depots, Starbucks, etc. Next come the strip malls. Pretty soon, those transplants will be moaning and complaining (probably on this forum!) that their town has lost the qualities that once brought them there, and they are ready to pull up stakes and move again. And so the cycle continues...

[desiserver0708]

Go for Either Arlington schools near pougheepsie, or Monroe Woodbury School. AVOID NEWBURGH CITY LIKE IT IS A DEATH TRAP... Monroe Woodbury is also a nice area consisting of Monroe, Harriman, Central Valley, and Highland Mills. The schools are great, the taxes are high, the number of japanese tourists at the commons outnumbers our own population (lol), but it is really worth it.

[cherianne]

I see what you mean, Looking4home. Do you think there is a population shift to Western New York? Most people are looking for better weather. I can't imagine too many from the Southwest wanting to put up with the snow in Orleans County. I'm sure the country's population isn't following me around! It's very nice to keep bucolic areas pristine but then again this is a free (sort of) country and people are allowed to move where they desire, retailers have the right to make money. (by the way, I dislike WalMart and Starbucks....) You certainly wouldn't want to live in a country where these things are impossible. You wouldn't like the fallout. I was pushed out of my home in Orange County, Ca by the huge influx of people from all over the country. I married a New Yorker! I understand what you are concerned about. Why are you looking4home?

[looking4home]

Thanks, cherianne, for your thoughtful reply. I grew up in OC, so I've also been there, done that. But I was born and spent my childhood in upstate NY. I am just sad to see so many people moving around, changing nice places, and then leaving again because now the "new place" has become too much like the old place they left behind! People don't seem to get the connection. Ideally, I'd like to live in a semi-rural area that was far enough away from a city or job area so you wouldn't get a lot of commuters relocating there. That's what happened in OC, what is currently happening where I live now (Northern CA) and what is happening to small towns and counties in NY, especially where land/homes are cheap. It already happened in the 60's - 80's to Connecticut and NJ, and look how many people are dissatisfied there now because it is so overcrowded and expensive.

And you'd be surprised at how many people actually want heavy snowfall! If you read threads on other states, you will see there are a lot of people, many who have never even experienced snow before, longing to recreate some sort of idyllic, New England past/lifestyle. Maybe to go back to where their parents or grandparents once lived - or, like me, where they grew up. Or maybe they are just nostalgic, overly-sentimental fools who own too many Thomas Kincade paintings!

[Wisteria]

I understand the concern about big box stores moving in and stuff like that, but I don't know of anyone who moved to a place and was in the midst of seeing that place change to what they left behind. I never did that and I've lived a lot of places. I actually liked all the places I lived in -- each for their own thing.

I don't know where the blame lies -- maybe with real estate developers, etc.?? I have no idea other than that the country is expanding (population-wise), jobs are taking people to different places, families are scattered.

I think from what I've been reading on the boards is that people want a higher quality of life, but one they can afford. That seems to be the downfall -- affordability AND quality of life.

I'm in California, too (Santa Cruz County -- what part are you in?), and the prices are astounding. However, when you take into consideration the salaries, most places throughout the nation are on par. Where I'm from in western New York, salaries are very low, and property taxes are very high, and although the house prices are lower, the salaries usually don't off-set the higher housing costs now.

I compare on realtor.com a lot, and see the same thing all over the country. Then you go to the classifieds of those towns, or government sites, and compare salaries, and you see that it's a similar boat.

It seems to me that many people I know who relocate do so either for jobs, family, weather, or quality of life. Unfortunately, with housing prices so out of whack, it's made it difficult to find a really nice place with lots of cool things.

From my observation, daily life has become very fast, overwhelming, too much to do in too little time, too many demands, too many costs, very stressful -- the people I know who are seeking something "better," are trying to cut down on the stressors, and still maintain a quality of life.

What places have you found in your searching that might come close to what you want? The "solution" may be in the people of the community. Unfortunately, where I am it is very expensive, and I cannot stay here once I retire, however, the people in Santa Cruz are very involved in setting policies, making change, etc. -- same with Boulder, Colorado. The "bad" thing I see is the high cost of housing. And that, unfortunately, seems to be all over the country. That's the only reason I'm looking.

Any places you know of that fit more what you describe? (I'm not looking to be outside a city, myself, but wonder what places fit into that category.)

Thanks.

[looking4home]

Wisteria, I live in a suburb of Sacramento. We have seen tremendous growth in the past ten years, not so much from urban Sacramento resdients moving out to the 'burbs, but from the Bay Area, where home prices have gotten to the insane level.

Have you ever looked into the Central Coast area? It's kind of a well-kept secret. Home prices are still reasonable, and it is a beautiful area. I'm talking about towns near Santa Barbara/San Luis Obisipo like Orcutt, Santa Maria, Nipomo, Arroyo Grande. Home prices vary, but there is a lot available between 300,000 - 600,000. That's considered median nowadays in Cali!

Anyway, the towns are quite rural and many homes, especially the older ones, have some land with them. The towns also have an older feel - the way California used to be maybe 30-40 years ago. Check it out on line - I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[Wisteria]

Thanks, looking4home, however, I'm already in the Central Coast (northern portion -- Santa Cruz) area, and my home is cheaper than that (my mortgage). In fact, I have a 1/3 acre of land with a house and another building on the property, trails, a yard area where I built two stepping stone patios, and an upper level patio -- problem is, it's too much for me to take care of on my own, and, like many others, I don't want a mortgage.

I like San Luis Obispo, a charming town (my daughter will probably apply to Cal Poly there), and I've been in those areas. But I just don't want to have to continue working full-time to pay the mortgage, and it is only me, so only one income. Therefore, my search (probably back to Colorado, which I loved), to, hopefully, find a place that I can buy outright (even if it's only a condo) and not have all the yard work that a big yard requires.

I appreciate the input, though, and if I had two incomes, then I'd probably just move into Santa Cruz. In the meantime, I'm in Felton, outside Santa Cruz, in the mountains (which is why it's cheaper and there is more land) -- I'm in the Lompico area of Santa Cruz -- lompico.org -- and you can see it's pretty much what you are describing farther down the coast.

In a way I'd like to stay here, but on the other hand, I just know I can't keep up with this much property on my own, and my daughter will be in college in a couple of years, and I want to retire around then, so I am looking for something that I can afford without a mortgage. I'm willing to downsize a lot, but just want to be in a walkable area with the typical amenities.

Actually, I probably know some of the people who have migrated from Santa Cruz to the Roseville area (sorry). And it is a shame that San Francisco is basically ruined by high prices now. I lived there years ago when it was affordable, but I can barely even set foot there now.

Thanks for the info -- check out my area, too, if you know of people wanting what you described. Ours is also a well-hidden secret. You'd never know we were here unless someone showed you where it was -- very secluded. My friends back east call it "the redwood jungle."

[looking4home]

Wisteria, I didn't realize you were that close to this area! I hear good things about it, but what I find attractive is that you can get a home with some land. But I hear a lot of good things about Colorado, too. A friend of mine loves Colorado Springs, and I know of another person who really likes Boulder. I haven't heard that many good things about Denver, however.

Wherever you decide to live, I hope it will be a good fit for you. For some people, a roof over their head is all they require, and they can live just about anywhere, but I'm not like that at all. I really "drink in" a place - the atmosphere, the people, the natural surroundings. It's important to me that the place I live is also a place I love.

[Wisteria]

Hi looking4home! Yes, I'm right here! Actually, in this area of Felton, there's a lot of land. And if you go a little farther out, there is Ben Lomond and Boulder Creek. Boulder Creek is inexpensive (for Calif.) and has a lot of land, too. I actually work in Felton, so I'm close to home, and many of the people I work with here live in Boulder Creek because Felton is closer to work in than Santa Cruz. (Although I worked in Santa Cruz for years.)

I DID live in Boulder, and would consider a condo there (I don't think I'd spend the money they want on a house there); and I have been checking out Colorado Springs -- I spent some time there when I lived in Colorado and a friend of mine lived in the Springs. Although I don't like the fundamentalists in the Springs, the price is right, and I'll be older, so I won't be as much a target, I would imagine. The weather is good, it's fairly safe, and very walkable. I lived in Denver for 6 months and did not like it -- very polluted. In fact, it was so polluted that I had to put (literally) towels against the door to keep the smog from coming in at night!! It was awful.

I'm like you, I can't live just anywhere, which is why I'm careful about my search. I like this area, but realistically, it seems stupid for me to stay here and pay a high mortgage and still work full-time just to have to do yard work and errands on weekends and not get to enjoy it much. I'd like some more free time.

I have lived in some pretty nice places. When I was younger and many of us moved from place to place, we used to consider it "the circuit." Certain cities are just known to be "cool." (By the way, have you checked out CoolTownStudios.com? They have a lot of information about "cool" places all over the world. It is a really interesting site.)

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York, and then I moved to Phoenix for a job in holistic health, and then the heat was too much for me, so I moved to Boulder, Colorado, where I stayed for about 5 years, and then I moved to San Francisco for awhile, and then up to Seattle, Washington, where my daughter was born, and then back east for awhile, finished my my Master's, and then came back west, and ended up here in Santa Cruz because I had a friend to stay with. All very nice places. In fact, we call Santa Cruz, "Boulder by the Sea!" Very similar places.

So, yes, for me the surroundings and environment, culture, and amenities, and all of that are very important to me. Thus, I am trying to narrow this down logically for my future needs. I really understand what you're saying! But, yes, if anyone is looking for "cheap" (and that is a relative term nowadays) in California near the beach, this is one of those areas!

Thanks, neighbor!

[spiralsands]

Hi all, what an interesting thread. You reeled me in. I spent the last two years doing a search of all the states for the home I want to retire to and I chose upstate New York, Fulton County. I just bought (this summer) 23 1/2 acres of beautiful farm and forest land. The reason I picked this state and this area was first and foremost the beauty, the friendliness, plentiful water, the proximity to the Adirondack Mountains. I'm only 3 miles away. When you pick a home you can chase low taxes and high salaries, but if you settle in a place you hate to wake up in everyday, just so you could live cheap? Why bother. I would rather pay the higher taxes of New York State than the low taxes of Florida because I hate Florida and all it's fake boob culture, cheapskate old people and wasting summers. And something else about rural New York. There is not the big migration out like some people say.. In fact alot of ship-jumpers are coming back. I'm one of those and I can't wait. I love New York State for every one of its seasons, running rivers, freshwater springs, rocky hills. I've lived all over this country but my heart is there.