[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by colleeng47

When we decided to leave NJ this last time, we first checked out Reno, but it had become VERY spread out and expensive since we had lived there. We definitely want to go back for a visit though, and visit all our old haunts. We used to run up to Lake Tahoe all the time.

The last time I was there was in '89. I'd love to go back for a visit as well. It has changed a LOT from what I hear, mostly due to a huge influx of people from all over. It is definitely more expensive than when I was there.

I once lived right outside downtown in an apartment where you shared a common area (kitchen). I lived "low maintenance" because I traveled internationally quite a bit.

There was a housing addition that I lived in South of Reno-Cannon airport that I'm sure has since been razed. I had some great times in Reno and none of it was associated with gambling!

I loved skiing on Mt. Rose and the Tahoe area is one of the most gorgeous places on this planet.

Remember Bonanza? It all took place in the Reno, Carson City, Virginia City area. I loved that show...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjdRgBAY278

[Rick182]

Just to clear up a few errors. The homeowners insurance on my $133,000 house is $800 a year. My car insurance is a little less than half of what it was in NJ. To a Nevadan it would seem there is a lot of humidity, but this east coast girl found it less humid than NJ -- hotter yes, but more humid, no.

We've been here almost a year, and no one has referred to any of my family members as "yankees" or "carpet baggers". And -- I have found all the people both husband and I work with, and my daughter goes to school with, very accepting of out of staters -- that is, as long as you don't negatively compare their state to yours.

I'm sorry your experience was different, but not everything you've said is correct, either.

BTW, I love Nevada, too. We lived in Reno for 7 years.[/quote

I am willing to agree that you only pay 800.00 for your ins. In a suburb of OKC with a professional fire dept that sounds right. In rural OK most of the Fire dept. are volunteer. Loss rates are much higher. Your policy would be 250.00 TO 300.00 with a low deductible here. Also living in a major city like OKC I would imagine that attitudes are more open.

[Mitch567]

Thank you all again so very much for the input. I was certainly looking for negative as well as positive. I was lucky enough to have gone to school (7th and 10th grade) in Del City, Oklahoma. I clearly remember that most of the students were from some other state and I was never made to feel like an outsider. Being born at Fort Hood and raised in Choctaw until age six along with four generations of my family being from Choctaw I don't think I'll have to worry about anyone calling me or my family "outsiders."

After living in New Hampshire for the past 20 years, there is no doubt that NH ranks in the highest position for making newcomers feel like outsiders. I am very sensitive to this issue and I think those that take the "let's be mean to outsiders" position are the type of people that have NO CLASS. I have never ever ever had this perception of Okies. Come to New Hampshire and you'll be called a "Flatlander" (oooo that one hurts) over and over again.

New England has the highest cost of living in the United States. Our electric rates are the third highest only to be trumped by Hawaii and Alaska. In a prior post I said that I would save as much as $2000 per month moving to Oklahoma. Even if I have to give up 8K of that for taxes I'm still ahead of the game by $16,000!!!!!

I am self-employed and our health insurance is KILLING us at $1800 per month. For the very same policy in Oklahoma the cost is $750 per month, wow what a difference!

I just put 100 gallons of oil in our tank to last the next three weeks at $275. Now I can multiply that by the winter months and just for oil alone the price is $2200. When we were paying $4.00 per gallon the cost was $3200 for the heating season.

I can go on and on but bottom line is, a move to Oklahoma for our family means a better way of life, most of which will be attributed to a lot of extra $$$$$ in the family budget, this in addition to the weather, friendly people and numerous other positives makes Oklahoma the place for us!!!!

[Rick182]

Hope you end up happy in Oklahoma, I wish I would have had the fore sight in stead of the hind sight I now have. I an reminded of an old saying, A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.

[Mitch567]

Rick,

Thank you much for your input. You got me thinking and that's what this is all about! I will be moving my wife, me and four children so I want to be sure things will be a lot better than worse!

Happy Holidays!
Mitch

[karibear]

Just to add my .02 regarding insurance. My homeowner's insurance here runs around 500.00+, I don't know exactly since it's paid through an escrow account in my mortgage. It is, however, full replacement in case of fire or tornado. The same kind of insurance I had in WA - supposedly full replacement on a mobile home - cost around 55.00/mo, and I was told later by a real estate agent that no matter what the policy said, they wouldn't pay more than the MH Blue Book value. That would have been a true disaster, because even though out place had been completely rebuilt and was up to current code, the only original thing left on it was the date of manufacture, which might have gotten us 3,000.00 instead of the 65,000.00 the policy was for. I can't speak to the health insurance thing, since I'm retired and have Medicare, but even the medical costs are a lot lower here than they were in WA.

[Annemieke Roell]

Originally Posted by Rick182

Just to clear up a few errors. The homeowners insurance on my $133,000 house is $800 a year. My car insurance is a little less than half of what it was in NJ. To a Nevadan it would seem there is a lot of humidity, but this east coast girl found it less humid than NJ -- hotter yes, but more humid, no.

We've been here almost a year, and no one has referred to any of my family members as "yankees" or "carpet baggers". And -- I have found all the people both husband and I work with, and my daughter goes to school with, very accepting of out of staters -- that is, as long as you don't negatively compare their state to yours.

I'm sorry your experience was different, but not everything you've said is correct, either.

BTW, I love Nevada, too. We lived in Reno for 7 years.[/quote

I am willing to agree that you only pay 800.00 for your ins. In a suburb of OKC with a professional fire dept that sounds right. In rural OK most of the Fire dept. are volunteer. Loss rates are much higher. Your policy would be 250.00 TO 300.00 with a low deductible here. Also living in a major city like OKC I would imagine that attitudes are more open.

I live in the country and my home insurance is quite a bit higher due to the distance of the (volunteer) fire department.

But the people here in the boonies have never "dissed" me for being a Yankee. Of course, I treat them with the same respect they treat me. And one of the reasons for me to move to the country is the lack of interaction with people .....

[nightbird47]

Originally Posted by Schousse

I live in the country and my home insurance is quite a bit higher due to the distance of the (volunteer) fire department.

But the people here in the boonies have never "dissed" me for being a Yankee. Of course, I treat them with the same respect they treat me. And one of the reasons for me to move to the country is the lack of interaction with people .....

Here no one has been unfriendly, and I've noticed a lot of California accents. But I moved here because I like it and if you come with that attitude in mind people respect that. I don't blame anyone for having a bad attitude about newcomers who want to change everything.

[karibear]

Originally Posted by Schousse

I live in the country and my home insurance is quite a bit higher due to the distance of the (volunteer) fire department.

But the people here in the boonies have never "dissed" me for being a Yankee. Of course, I treat them with the same respect they treat me. And one of the reasons for me to move to the country is the lack of interaction with people .....

Pretty much the same here. I'm not anti-social, but I need space around me - especially after 7 years in an unfriendly trailer park! No one I've met so far has treated me as an unwanted outsider, on the contrary, they've been more than helpful. If I could, I'd be further out in the country, but this suits me fine, too. Plenty of people have asked me how or why I picked OK to move to, and depending on how interested they are, they get either a short or longer answer, and all of them have wilcomed me to their 'home' and certainly seemed to mean it.

[Mattie Jo]

Originally Posted by Mitch567

Thank you for the reply. The last time I lived in Oklahoma, Barry Switzer was the coach and J.C. Watts was the quarterback. I do believe that was some time ago.

We just received an ice storm here in NH that rivals the one Oklahoma got last year. We have over 400K out of power for the second day now.

So I guess I should sell my snow blower huh???

You never know when you may need that snow blower. We could get a lot of snow sometime in the future. I am thinking how Portland, OR just got a foot and hadn't had that in 40 years. Does your blower melt ice? I want an ice melter, and I don't mean a hair dryer, although it could work.