Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've been thinking about this move for several years, since I became injured, and I've posted here and there and researched the answers, but still haven't really found the right place....hopefully, there is one. I knew I might have to leave the So Cal housing market, and it is time. I will end up with very little cash out of the house sale, and I'm three years into trying to get disability with no relief in sight; so, I'll have to buy with very little money, as I won't have income to count on for rent, and will have to reinvest the proceeds, anyway. Say I can spend between 20-50k.
Unfortunately, I'm losing my house only months before I can probably have the surgery I need (bone density issue has to get fixed, first), and I might not be able to buy within treatment distance of the surgeons here who do the still new surgery. Maybe I can rent temporarily until recovered, but that takes 6 months, so my thinking is that the new area should have a decent medical center where I can at least get good follow-up care.
I'm not yet 50, but close; so, age-qualified mobile home parks, while they might make an exception, if they are over their 80% quota of residents over the stated age, are iffy. And, I won't have space rent, so I'd have to get a place where you buy the land. Or, some small house or shack in an inexpensive housing market, or land where I can park an rv or put a mobile home....I know, it sounds very down-market, and it is. I'm asking for help because, before I was disabled, I was doing well, financially, and was a city person. Being weak and tired has given me a taste for totally boring environs, luckily, but I'm still not really sure how to navigate the world with so few resources. I know there are a lot of very practically minded, even rough and ready types out there who could impart some much needed wisdom.
What I need is a place without too horribly inclement weather, as, being sick from a bad back injury, I can't deal with tornado hassles or shovel snow. I need to avoid really damp places that could get moldy. I think seasonal summer damp is ok, but not year-round damp, like in Oregon. I also can't beat up intruders, so I need fairly low crime. And, here's the clincher: I am a curious, open-minded person who studied, not only in college, but in life, for decades, comparative religion and culture. Even though I, personally, fit the wasp stereotype, I don't feel safe or comfortable around haters of any type. I know, avoiding biases altogether is impossible: Some of my best friends are biased people. :-/) But, I'd like to be able to stand in an airport without being sickened by watching all of the nearby whites mad dogging an Indian family, like happened once in Oklahoma.
That's a tall order, Oot. I'm not much help, since I live near Chicago, where winters are harsh and tornados are not scarce in spring and summer. I wish you the best of luck in finding the sort of small town you seek, where you can be happy and enjoy good neighbors and good weather!
Good luck with your health issues, too.
.
__________________
My posts as a Moderator will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS And check this out: FAQ
Moderator of Canada (and sub-fora), Illinois (and sub-fora), Indiana (and sub-fora), Caregiving, Community Chat, Fashion & Beauty, Hair Care, Games/Trivia, History, Nature, Non-romantic Relationships, Psychology, Travel, Work & Employment, Writing.
___________________________
~ Life's a gift. Don't waste it. ~
What I need is a place without too horribly inclement weather, as, being sick from a bad back injury, I can't deal with tornado hassles or shovel snow. I need to avoid really damp places that could get moldy.
Those requirements can only be met at or west of the front range of the Rocky Mountains. Get east of there, you'll have tornadoes. North of the Mason-Dixon, you'll get snow. So basically you're talking about California, Nevada, Arizona and possibly southern Utah and parts of New Mexico. With that identified you can find a town that suits you.
Expanding on what Movingrightalong said, and given your severe financial restraints, I would think Arizona, New Mexico, and some parts of Texas might be your best options. If there's any way you can rent before committing to a purchase, it would help immensely. You wouldn't want to buy a property in a small town and find out later that the place is not for you.
I've been thinking about this move for several years, since I became injured, and I've posted here and there and researched the answers, but still haven't really found the right place....hopefully, there is one. I knew I might have to leave the So Cal housing market, and it is time. I will end up with very little cash out of the house sale, and I'm three years into trying to get disability with no relief in sight; so, I'll have to buy with very little money, as I won't have income to count on for rent, and will have to reinvest the proceeds, anyway. Say I can spend between 20-50k.
Right there, you have eliminated 95% of all areas in the United States of America. Thus, you must not be too picky with your other stuff.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ootandaboot
Unfortunately, I'm losing my house only months before I can probably have the surgery I need (bone density issue has to get fixed, first), and I might not be able to buy within treatment distance of the surgeons here who do the still new surgery. Maybe I can rent temporarily until recovered, but that takes 6 months, so my thinking is that the new area should have a decent medical center where I can at least get good follow-up care.
If you don't live "in the boonies", you're never too far from a hospital. Of course, every hospital is different... or so they say. Never having had need of one, I have no way of knowing for sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ootandaboot
Or, some small house or shack in an inexpensive housing market, or land where I can park an rv or put a mobile home....I know, it sounds very down-market, and it is. I'm asking for help because, before I was disabled, I was doing well, financially, and was a city person. Being weak and tired has given me a taste for totally boring environs, luckily, but I'm still not really sure how to navigate the world with so few resources. I know there are a lot of very practically minded, even rough and ready types out there who could impart some much needed wisdom.
I'm a kindred spirit with you, to an extent at least. I've always bought in, and preferred, cheap "down" markets. However, there is always a reason why they are cheap and "down". You have to be able to accept those reasons. They are, without fail, one or more of the following:
1) Crime
2) Proximity to employment opportunities
3) Weather
You are not, I repeat, NOT going to find an area where you can buy a livable house for $50,000 or under ("livable" meaning "needs no major work for you to move right in"), which does not suffer from at least one of those problems.
It seems to me that your best bet would be a place which has a decent crime and weather profile, and no employment opportunities. Only trouble is, I know of no such place. I can think of many places that might fit that bill but you're not going to find livable houses THAT cheap in those areas. Trust me, I've looked. I looked all over the country for 2 1/2 years before settling on the house I have now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ootandaboot
What I need is a place without too horribly inclement weather, as, being sick from a bad back injury, I can't deal with tornado hassles or shovel snow.
If you want to avoid tornadoes and snow, you're not going to find much that you can afford. EVERYONE wants to avoid tornadoes and snow. The Pacific coast has little to no trouble with that stuff, but any Pacific coastal area that doesn't get tornadoes or much snow, AND doesn't have the risk of wildfires, is going to be very expensive or crime-ridden. (Trust me, I lived there.) Dry areas are also not all they're cracked up to be. (Again, trust me, I lived in a dry area for a while too.) First of all, they're usually unbearably hot in the summertime. This is one reason why they're dry. Secondly, you'll spend a fortune on water, to keep your lawn green if you so desire, should you find yourself in a dry area. Thirdly, wildfires are always a huge risk in a dry area... because dry areas are usually windy as well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ootandaboot
I need to avoid really damp places that could get moldy.
Mold is EVERYWHERE.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ootandaboot
I think seasonal summer damp is ok, but not year-round damp, like in Oregon. I also can't beat up intruders, so I need fairly low crime. And, here's the clincher: I am a curious, open-minded person who studied, not only in college, but in life, for decades, comparative religion and culture. Even though I, personally, fit the wasp stereotype, I don't feel safe or comfortable around haters of any type. I know, avoiding biases altogether is impossible: Some of my best friends are biased people. :-/) But, I'd like to be able to stand in an airport without being sickened by watching all of the nearby whites mad dogging an Indian family, like happened once in Oklahoma.
Thanks for reading.
I think that your best bet is to move somewhere in the Northeast that gets some snow. You can find plenty of livable houses for your budget. If I were you, I would buy a row house in the "coal region" of Pennsylvania. You can find beautiful, move-in ready row houses in very low crime neighborhoods up there for $20-30K. $50,000 will get you an unusually nice house in such a town. (Once again, trust me, I lived there! I've lived all over.)
Coal region towns are kind of dumpy but that's part of their charm. People will help each other as much as they can. When I lived in the coal region, I had some elderly / disabled neighbors who couldn't shovel snow. So I shoveled snow for them. When you live in a house that's only 16 feet wide and has no front yard at all (only a sidewalk), shoveling snow on the sidewalk and steps is quick and easy. (And heck, if you can't do it and none of your neighbors will, post to Craigslist or on the front of your house that you'll pay some kid five bucks to do it for you every time it snows more than two inches. You'll have plenty of takers.)
The nifty thing about the coal region, for a person of your age, is that there are many people around that age up there. It doesn't have much by way of employment opportunity, so lots of young folks leave... and the ones left behind are their parents and grandparents. My wife and I almost moved back there... it was our second choice under northeast Ohio where we eventually moved. The only deciding factor was that we really wanted a good amount of property. You don't get much of a yard with a row house. (But at the same time, you don't have much of a yard to maintain! Heck, if you want no yard at all, such houses exist out there! I know! I lived in one!! )
Crime? When I lived there (in Shenandoah, considered the worst coal region town for reasons I still don't understand), I never worried about a thing. I kept thousands of dollars' worth of musical equipment in my station wagon, parked on the street, with no car alarm system, overnight every night and never worried about it. Nothing ever happened. I think the worst thing that ever happened to me or my stuff was that someone (obviously a bored kid) dumped a half empty water jug I had out on my porch, then squashed it and stuffed it down my coal chute (which wasn't in use as I had an oil furnace). Wow, big whoop.
That said, I would vote for northeast Ohio as well. Yeah, we get snow. But this past winter, I only ever shoveled out my steps. How'd I manage that? I have a neighbor who keeps himself occupied in his retirement years by doing work outdoors. He uses his tractor to plow all of the driveways in the area. Okay, I'm fortunate in that regard. But still, if you couldn't get that setup, get a neighborhood teenager to do it for you. They're always happy to get the money.
When it comes to weather, I encourage you to check out the following site:
This is a climatographic representation of a fictitious definition of "good weather". The higher the number, the better the weather. You will notice, I'm sure, that all of the areas with high numbers are also outrageously expensive. The Southeast does well, but they're hot and humid all the time. Mold? You couldn't ask for a worse place to be for mold than the Southeast. Plus, they get tornadoes, floods and hurricanes.
There may be one other place that would work for you - the Appalachian region of Kentucky / West Virginia - but that has its issues too. I've driven through there and it is SCARY... because the roads twist and turn all over the place, and you don't always have a guard rail to prevent you from sliding off if you lose traction. They may not get as much snow as we do in northeast Ohio but that's about the last place in the USA where I'd want to live during a snowstorm. Any place mountainous is going to have that problem. At least up here, it's relatively flat.
I REALLY think you should loosen up on your weather restriction. Again, trust me... I have a mountain of research that I've put together since 2011 on all regions of the country. If you need a really cheap house, go with the Northeast. Heck, come out here to northeast Ohio. In my home town, there are plenty of houses for sale and I imagine they're not that expensive. Why would there be so many people leaving? I don't know, but the general consensus of opinion around here is that there isn't much employment opportunity. Maybe that's true... my wife and I travel a lot as performing musicians, so I have no idea what the job market is like in this area. All I know is that it's been a fine place to live... no semblance of crime around my area yet, and nobody saying that there is any worth speaking of. (My neighbor leaves her house unlocked while she's away at work - nobody else is there - and she TOLD ME THIS after she'd only known me for a few short months!! THAT will show you how little crime there is, and how much people in the area tend to trust each other!) Just get a snowblower, or make friends with some local teenagers.
Mobile home in East Texas would be your best bet, say around Tyler, Longview, Kilgore, Nacogdoches. Good hospitals and doctors in the area.
It's hot and humid down there, not to mention relatively expensive. She doesn't want a mobile home because that would bring with it, at the very least, lot rent (which she already said she doesn't want to pay) and all of the issues associated with living in a trailer park. She's not old enough for a 55+ park, and even if she was, trust me (from having been a trailer park landlord for two years), 55+ trailer trash is almost as bad as younger trailer trash. People who truly meet the definition of the "trailer trash" stereotype never emerge from it. They just grow older, smoking and drinking all the time, living in squalor, eating Ramen and Chef Boyardee, until their lifestyles eventually put them into a relatively early grave. I cleaned out enough trailers from older people to know what they did therein.
What I need is a place without too horribly inclement weather, as, being sick from a bad back injury, I can't deal with tornado hassles or shovel snow. I need to avoid really damp places that could get moldy. I think seasonal summer damp is ok, but not year-round damp, like in Oregon. I also can't beat up intruders, so I need fairly low crime..
You're going to get some bad weather no matter where you live. Texas is a good choice that fits most of your criteria. I would suggest some of the smaller suburbs outside of Houston, such as Spring, Sugar Land, Crosby, Highlands, or Conroe. You'll avoid snow and tornadoes, but you have lots of heat and humidity to contend with. However, medical care is readily at hand and the cost of living is low. There is also much ethnic diversity here.
Another area in Texas worth examining would be the Amarillo area. It is quite arid, so you don't get the humidity, however, there is the occasional tornado and Amarillo gets some snow. But the cost of living is even lower than in Houston and the medical care is excellent there as well. In Amarillo, it is easy to get around if you don't own a car, and in the Houston suburbs, you really have to have one. It gets both very hot and very cold in Amarillo but the desert climate moderates this. Amarillo gets virtually no rain. No matter where you choose, I suggest you rent before buying to avoid buyer's remorse by choosing the wrong location for your needs. Good luck!
You're going to get some bad weather no matter where you live. Texas is a good choice that fits most of your criteria. I would suggest some of the smaller suburbs outside of Houston, such as Spring, Sugar Land, Crosby, Highlands, or Conroe.
Any small town around Houston will be astronomical in price compared to the $50K requirement. Sugar Land? Seriously?
OP, resolve your health issues first - that is always a priority. Ask yourself what is realistic. A person needs time and stability after a surgery.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
