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My husband and I are considering relocating from inland San Diego County (Santee, CA) to Western North Carolina. We have both lived in the same area our entire lives (He's 58, I'm 56).
We're tired of the traffic, crowds, and the increasingly hot weather, drought, water shortages, and brown surroundings.
Having lived here our entire lives we've watched SD get more and more expensive, crowded, and hot! The weather is becoming unbearable, with hot summer weather (high 80s, 90s, and 100s) often starting around March or April and lasting through September/October.
My husband would like to retire early (next summer) but he can't if we stay here--we can't afford it. However, if we relocate to WNC we can easily pay cash for a home and lower our cost of living (yes we have done our research, we have a realtor, and we've already been out there and looked at homes).
I have an online business I can run from anywhere.
I'm also a writer and find WNC very inspiring. My husband is a photographer and artist and WNC seems like a great place for creatives who love the outdoors, hiking, and a beautiful, peaceful, quiet life - which is us!
We don't go out much so we really don't utilize most of the big city amenities San Diego offers.
We're health conscious and active, dog people who eat organic, go to a naturopathic doctor, and prefer spending time outdoors and exercising to going to the movies or out to dinner or a show.
We enjoy art, visiting galleries and meeting artists. In many ways we feel like we may find our tribe there. We don't feel like we have a tribe here. We have very little in common with our neighbors, now that all of our kids are grown.
We want to be someplace dog friendly (which WNC seemed to be when we were there) as we like to take our dogs out hiking etc with us, and because I do volunteer pet therapy and want to continue doing it there.
Bottom-line is we're tired of SoCal and ready for a new adventure. We prefer the mountains to the beach and the idea of living somewhere surrounded by woods instead of in a suburban concrete jungle is right up our alley.
We visited the area and looked at homes from Asheville to Brevard last month. We are planning a trip back in January to experience WNC in the winter.
If we decide to relocate, we would probably rent for awhile in WNC before buying a home there, so we could be sure we end up in the right area. But we would be selling our home here in order to relocate, so it's a big decision.
I've read nearly every post on WNC on this forum. I've done tons of online research. But I find when I look up weather and stats for my own city online they do not necessarily reflect what it's really like living here. So I'd prefer to hear from people who actually live there.
Below are my questions/concerns. I would love to hear thoughts from people who live there, or who have relocated there. Pros. Cons. Does it seem like we'd fit in? What you love most. What you don't like. Any and all comments welcome!
1) RELIGION: With a church seemingly on every corner, I'm concerned we won't fit in. We are spiritual people, but we are not church-goers.
2) POLITICS: We lean more liberal than conservative, although we are not overly political. We pretty much keep our beliefs and our politics to ourselves. Asheville seems liberal. Hendersonville seems conservative. Where will we feel most at home? BTW, the political and religious stats for our community of Santee are very similar to WNC, and we've been fine living here for 26 years.
3) WEATHER: How hot and humid does it really get there? And how long (months) does it last? FYI, we look forward to having 4 seasons and don't mind some cold and snow as long as it's mild (which WNC seems to be).
4) BUGS: Are the bugs really that bad in the summer? FYI, we live near a river and have been unable to enjoy our backyard after sunset for at least the past 10 years, due to mosquitos. Combine that with not being able to enjoy it during the day for 6-8 months out of the year due to the heat, and I'm wondering if the WNC humidity and bugs will really seem that bad to us.
5) CITY TO SMALL TOWN: We will be moving from a city of 59K (Santee) to potentially a city of 13K (Hendersonville). Or is Asheville a better fit? But what about the traffic there?
6) LEAVING FAMILY: Most of our family lives in San Diego, so we will be leaving them. But we've been here our entire lives and honesty it doesn't feel like enough of a reason to put our lives on hold and not pursue our dream. FYI, our daughter lives in Ohio so we'd be much closer to her. Our son is moving to Washington state next summer, so even if we stayed in SD we wouldn't be that close to either of our kids.
Thank you for taking the time to read my long post and to share your thoughts.
If we decide to relocate, we would probably rent for awhile...
Entirely prudent, reasonable and understandable.
Be prepared to, expect even, to make a subsequent move as well.
For that reason don't feel bound to wrap every desire and concern into one bundle.
Quote:
6) LEAVING FAMILY: Most of our family lives in San Diego, so we will be leaving them.
Seriously consider the distance. I'd suggest limiting the looking to a ratio of one tank of gas; maybe two.
Quote:
My husband and I are considering relocating from inland San Diego to Western North Carolina.
We visited the area and looked at homes from Asheville to Brevard last month.
We are planning a trip back in January to experience WNC in the winter.
Rent something furnished.
Store anything large that you would otherwise feel obliged to move.
Quote:
But we would be selling our home here in order to relocate...
Don't sell until you KNOW where you want to be for the next 30+ years.
Oh my goodness, where to start! I could have written much of your post before and even since we moved (in fact I did!) and as I read it to my husband he kept laughing at the similarities. But then.... there really are many of us who reach that no-man's-land stage of life, kids are grown, life is good, but there's an unscratched itch, retirement is on the horizon but not imminent.... I've done this before for other posters and really should save a generic version of it to make it easier on myself! Heading out the door but I'll get back to you.
Thanks for your reply MrRational. I appreciate your input. Re: distance from family... we have seriously considered the distance and have researched many other places. So far we haven't found any place else that's affordable, with the kind of beauty and weather, or that we are drawn to the way we are WNC. Tend to agree with you on selling and renting. Working on my husband on those two points! He's more impulsive and decisive. :-)
My husband and I are considering relocating from inland San Diego County (Santee, CA) to Western North Carolina. We have both lived in the same area our entire lives (He's 58, I'm 56).
We're tired of the traffic, crowds, and the increasingly hot weather, drought, water shortages, and brown surroundings.
Having lived here our entire lives we've watched SD get more and more expensive, crowded, and hot! The weather is becoming unbearable, with hot summer weather (high 80s, 90s, and 100s) often starting around March or April and lasting through September/October.
My husband would like to retire early (next summer) but he can't if we stay here--we can't afford it. However, if we relocate to WNC we can easily pay cash for a home and lower our cost of living (yes we have done our research, we have a realtor, and we've already been out there and looked at homes).
I have an online business I can run from anywhere.
I'm also a writer and find WNC very inspiring. My husband is a photographer and artist and WNC seems like a great place for creatives who love the outdoors, hiking, and a beautiful, peaceful, quiet life - which is us!
We don't go out much so we really don't utilize most of the big city amenities San Diego offers.
We're health conscious and active, dog people who eat organic, go to a naturopathic doctor, and prefer spending time outdoors and exercising to going to the movies or out to dinner or a show.
We enjoy art, visiting galleries and meeting artists. In many ways we feel like we may find our tribe there. We don't feel like we have a tribe here. We have very little in common with our neighbors, now that all of our kids are grown.
We want to be someplace dog friendly (which WNC seemed to be when we were there) as we like to take our dogs out hiking etc with us, and because I do volunteer pet therapy and want to continue doing it there.
Bottom-line is we're tired of SoCal and ready for a new adventure. We prefer the mountains to the beach and the idea of living somewhere surrounded by woods instead of in a suburban concrete jungle is right up our alley.
We visited the area and looked at homes from Asheville to Brevard last month. We are planning a trip back in January to experience WNC in the winter.
If we decide to relocate, we would probably rent for awhile in WNC before buying a home there, so we could be sure we end up in the right area. But we would be selling our home here in order to relocate, so it's a big decision.
I've read nearly every post on WNC on this forum. I've done tons of online research. But I find when I look up weather and stats for my own city online they do not necessarily reflect what it's really like living here. So I'd prefer to hear from people who actually live there.
Below are my questions/concerns. I would love to hear thoughts from people who live there, or who have relocated there. Pros. Cons. Does it seem like we'd fit in? What you love most. What you don't like. Any and all comments welcome!
1) RELIGION: With a church seemingly on every corner, I'm concerned we won't fit in. We are spiritual people, but we are not church-goers.
2) POLITICS: We lean more liberal than conservative, although we are not overly political. We pretty much keep our beliefs and our politics to ourselves. Asheville seems liberal. Hendersonville seems conservative. Where will we feel most at home? BTW, the political and religious stats for our community of Santee are very similar to WNC, and we've been fine living here for 26 years.
3) WEATHER: How hot and humid does it really get there? And how long (months) does it last? FYI, we look forward to having 4 seasons and don't mind some cold and snow as long as it's mild (which WNC seems to be).
4) BUGS: Are the bugs really that bad in the summer? FYI, we live near a river and have been unable to enjoy our backyard after sunset for at least the past 10 years, due to mosquitos. Combine that with not being able to enjoy it during the day for 6-8 months out of the year due to the heat, and I'm wondering if the WNC humidity and bugs will really seem that bad to us.
5) CITY TO SMALL TOWN: We will be moving from a city of 59K (Santee) to potentially a city of 13K (Hendersonville). Or is Asheville a better fit? But what about the traffic there?
6) LEAVING FAMILY: Most of our family lives in San Diego, so we will be leaving them. But we've been here our entire lives and honesty it doesn't feel like enough of a reason to put our lives on hold and not pursue our dream. FYI, our daughter lives in Ohio so we'd be much closer to her. Our son is moving to Washington state next summer, so even if we stayed in SD we wouldn't be that close to either of our kids.
Thank you for taking the time to read my long post and to share your thoughts.
Thanks for your reply MrRational. I appreciate your input.
Re: distance from family... we have seriously considered the distance
and have researched many other places. So far we haven't found any place else that's affordable...
With San Diego county prices as par nearly anywhere else is 'affordable'.
As to distance ... I'm thinking the Sierras.
My husband and I are considering relocating from inland San Diego County (Santee, CA) to Western North Carolina. We have both lived in the same area our entire lives (He's 58, I'm 56).
We're tired of the traffic, crowds, and the increasingly hot weather, drought, water shortages, and brown surroundings.
Having lived here our entire lives we've watched SD get more and more expensive, crowded, and hot! The weather is becoming unbearable, with hot summer weather (high 80s, 90s, and 100s) often starting around March or April and lasting through September/October.
My husband would like to retire early (next summer) but he can't if we stay here--we can't afford it. However, if we relocate to WNC we can easily pay cash for a home and lower our cost of living (yes we have done our research, we have a realtor, and we've already been out there and looked at homes).
I have an online business I can run from anywhere.
I'm also a writer and find WNC very inspiring. My husband is a photographer and artist and WNC seems like a great place for creatives who love the outdoors, hiking, and a beautiful, peaceful, quiet life - which is us!
We don't go out much so we really don't utilize most of the big city amenities San Diego offers.
We're health conscious and active, dog people who eat organic, go to a naturopathic doctor, and prefer spending time outdoors and exercising to going to the movies or out to dinner or a show.
We enjoy art, visiting galleries and meeting artists. In many ways we feel like we may find our tribe there. We don't feel like we have a tribe here. We have very little in common with our neighbors, now that all of our kids are grown.
We want to be someplace dog friendly (which WNC seemed to be when we were there) as we like to take our dogs out hiking etc with us, and because I do volunteer pet therapy and want to continue doing it there.
Bottom-line is we're tired of SoCal and ready for a new adventure. We prefer the mountains to the beach and the idea of living somewhere surrounded by woods instead of in a suburban concrete jungle is right up our alley.
We visited the area and looked at homes from Asheville to Brevard last month. We are planning a trip back in January to experience WNC in the winter.
If we decide to relocate, we would probably rent for awhile in WNC before buying a home there, so we could be sure we end up in the right area. But we would be selling our home here in order to relocate, so it's a big decision.
I've read nearly every post on WNC on this forum. I've done tons of online research. But I find when I look up weather and stats for my own city online they do not necessarily reflect what it's really like living here. So I'd prefer to hear from people who actually live there.
Below are my questions/concerns. I would love to hear thoughts from people who live there, or who have relocated there. Pros. Cons. Does it seem like we'd fit in? What you love most. What you don't like. Any and all comments welcome!
1) RELIGION: With a church seemingly on every corner, I'm concerned we won't fit in. We are spiritual people, but we are not church-goers.
You will fit right in.
2) POLITICS: We lean more liberal than conservative, although we are not overly political. We pretty much keep our beliefs and our politics to ourselves. Asheville seems liberal. Hendersonville seems conservative. Where will we feel most at home? BTW, the political and religious stats for our community of Santee are very similar to WNC, and we've been fine living here for 26 years.
Asheville for liberals. Hendersonville for conservatives.
3) WEATHER: How hot and humid does it really get there? And how long (months) does it last? FYI, we look forward to having 4 seasons and don't mind some cold and snow as long as it's mild (which WNC seems to be).
Asheville does not experience many humid summers. I came from NYC where the summer was almost a Florida humid in summer.
4) BUGS: Are the bugs really that bad in the summer? FYI, we live near a river and have been unable to enjoy our backyard after sunset for at least the past 10 years, due to mosquitos. Combine that with not being able to enjoy it during the day for 6-8 months out of the year due to the heat, and I'm wondering if the WNC humidity and bugs will really seem that bad to us.
Not many bugs at all in summer.
5) CITY TO SMALL TOWN: We will be moving from a city of 59K (Santee) to potentially a city of 13K (Hendersonville). Or is Asheville a better fit? But what about the traffic there?
Traffic is getting worse in Asheville but agian coming from NYC I'm ok with it.
6) LEAVING FAMILY: Most of our family lives in San Diego, so we will be leaving them. But we've been here our entire lives and honesty it doesn't feel like enough of a reason to put our lives on hold and not pursue our dream. FYI, our daughter lives in Ohio so we'd be much closer to her. Our son is moving to Washington state next summer, so even if we stayed in SD we wouldn't be that close to either of our kids.
Thank you for taking the time to read my long post and to share your thoughts.
With San Diego county prices as par nearly anywhere else is 'affordable'.
As to distance ... I'm thinking the Sierras.
Agree the Sierras are beautiful and certainly closer to family. We love Colorado, Utah and Montana... to visit, and have spent time in all three. But the winters are too long and cold for us to want to live there.
Our sense as well, so it's nice to hear that from someone who lives there!
Should we be concerned about traffic?
When we were there last month we got stuck in horrible traffic leaving Asheville, albeit it was at 5pm on a Thursday evening. I suppose if we're retired we could easily avoid peak traffic times. Just don't want to feel like we don't want to go do things to avoid traffic. It drives too many of our decisions where we live now.
Thoughts?
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