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Don't rule out Ohio! If you visit here, I'd be happy to take you around!
Ohio is a little more attractive that the less expensive parts of Indiana. We have a beautiful Lake Shore and amazing state parks.
PS - John Mellancamp fan here too. The Midwest is underrated and it's a great place to raise your kids!
No, I would not rule out Ohio. It's just really hard since I don't know the areas. The South is much easier for me since they are states that I am familiar with, have spent time in and know the good areas from the bad.
But it just requires more research, that's all.
I am kid-less, so don't care about that. I love state parks and spend lots of time in them.
Middle TN is a good area. We are in Van Buren County, but it's harder to find homes here, at least in my community. I like Spencer as a little town, but I wouldn't want to live there. Same with Sparta. Just a preference thing. But here are some listings in the middle TN area.
Pros: VERY low taxes and vehicle registration, low population density so you don't have to worry about horrible traffic, crime is pretty low with the exception of some communities here and there, state parks around here are absolutely breathtaking! Mountains, beaches, rivers, waterfalls. It's really a great place to live.
The idea of living in a small town is very appealing to me except for the fact that I have to work. I don't have a fancy job, I am just a bookkeeper, but I can't retire for a few more years.
Since I am not willing to commute more than about 45 minutes each way, that rules out a lot of smaller areas.
The idea of living in a small town is very appealing to me except for the fact that I have to work. I don't have a fancy job, I am just a bookkeeper, but I can't retire for a few more years.
Since I am not willing to commute more than about 45 minutes each way, that rules out a lot of smaller areas.
That's what's nice about NE Ohio; there are lots of small towns/villages that aren't far away from larger cities.
I just checked via Google maps, and my earlier example of Navarre is only a 9 minute drive to Massillon, a city of about 30k, a 15 minute drive to Canton, a city of about 70k, a 20 minute drive to the Belden Village area, which is a large shopping and employment center, and a 40 minute drive to Akron, a city of about 119k people.
Because you're not seeking a specialty job, it would probably be easier for you to find work, too.
Maybe we get too much snow for you, but try looking outside of the larger cities in NE Ohio. (Akron, Canton, Cleveland, Warren, Youngstown, etc. have nice neighborhoods, too, but if you're unfamiliar with the region, it's easier to skip them to start)
Navarre is a small town, but isn't far from just about everything you're looking for. But, Navarre is only an example; there are lots of little towns and suburbs in this area that have as much to offer.
Wow! As a Southern California guy, those home prices are amazing. I am single, no kids (age 41), and am seriously thinking of moving out of state for a new start. I don't desire anything fancy or trendy, and I could care less about living in a big, cosmopolitan city, so living in a rural area interests me greatly. I will have to pay closer attention to Ohio. Work would probably be an issue, but I think I can manage to earn enough to live comfortably in an area like that. I am tired of the Southern California rat race!
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The Midwest is underrated and it's a great place to raise your kids!
