Where to we go? (Madison, Appleton: apartment, rent, new home)

[ladihawkae]

Hi All,
It is becoming so difficult to decide where we want to retire/settle. The cost of living is just going higher and higher. We have kids who are grown who live in southeast wi, and others who live in texas. Being truck drivers, it is worse because we want to move EVERYWHERE. we actually came close to buying homes in texas a few times but every time we come back to wisconsin to visit, we can't imagine living anywhere else, until, that is, we leave and head to the northwest. Would love to live in oregon, idaho areas but ridiculously expensive. loved north dakota but nothing there. kansas was gorgeous until we got chased by a tornado that literally destroyed a town last year. we love the black river falls area, the dells area, and the areas around johnson creek. we really don't like milwaukee except that it is a nice place to visit. madison is nice to visit too but not sure we want to go there either, though we are considering it. we eventually want to get out of the truck and do other things. anyone have any suggestions? a lot of trucking companies are going down by the head due to fuel prices so we're not sure where there are even jobs for us at our ages. we're too young to retire. We would like a nice town with a nice downtown atmosphere with a "main street" and library, and not just a suburb with no sense of community. reasonable housing and a close community atmosphere but not a long commute to jobs. Anybody hiring?

[everwinter]

I'll narrow it down for you. Move close to family, it's your best bet & you can see your grandchildren more often. Sure the northwest if beautiful, but the cost of living is high & travel is expensive. So that narrows it to Texas vs Wisconsin. Tx, depending on the town probably has cheaper housing, but the weather stinks. West Texas would be pretty decent, but you'd have to pay lots of money for gas to get anywhere. So, pick Wisconsin & use the money you save to travel.

[radraja]

I see a few problems with your requests, when it comes to WI.

1. Although WI housing prices themselves aren't expensive, we have some of the highest property taxes in the country. WI isn't it's quite as affordable as some people seem to think. Madison in particular borders on being down-right expensive.

2. The job market in WI isn't great, especially in the areas you're looking at. It will likely be very difficult to find a job if you don't already have one lined up. Especially as hiring practices tend to favor locals.

3. Read back through some of the other posts on here. There's been a ton of conversation on this. In most parts of WI, social circles tend to be a bit...provincial. There may be a close community feel in a lot of WI towns, but unless you grew up in the area, don't expect to be a part of it. People will be polite to you, but you'll still probably feel like an outsider.


In Wisconsin, you'd be best off with La Crosse, if you don't mind the fact that it's a bar town. Maybe Appleton, if you don't mind a "Leave It To Beaver" kind of feel. They're probably the best balance between affordability and job availability (but like I said, don't expect too much of the latter).

Honestly, you may be better off looking in Tennessee or someplace like that. Just as affordable, lower taxes, and a stronger job market.

I don't know. It's hard to give suggestions when you don't seem to know what you want yet. There's a big difference between artsy Portland, booming Texas, and small-town Wisconsin.

[radraja]

Originally Posted by everwinter

I'll narrow it down for you. Move close to family, it's your best bet & you can see your grandchildren more often. Sure the northwest if beautiful, but the cost of living is high & travel is expensive. So that narrows it to Texas vs Wisconsin. Tx, depending on the town probably has cheaper housing, but the weather stinks. West Texas would be pretty decent, but you'd have to pay lots of money for gas to get anywhere. So, pick Wisconsin & use the money you save to travel.

I'd actually say that costs of living would be about equal. But that Texas is overall the better choice, if they need jobs.

Housing costs in WI are a bit lower, but property taxes are much higher. Texas might require more gas, but you have to pay insane amounts of money for parking in many Wisconsin cities. It's a draw.

But Texas is where the jobs are....

[dreamhunter65]

What about Mondovi small town and has Marten Transport there?

[golfgal]

Ok, I know this is the Wisconsin board but have you ever been to Marshall, MN? It is a GREAT town in Southwestern MN. There are several larger employers in town, at least 3 of whom use truckers and one 'trucking' company so jobs are available. The economy is very stable, cost of living is low, great downtown, great community feel. Shopping is limited but they do have all of your day to day needs and it isn't far to regional shopping areas with nice malls, etc.

There is a state college in town and that brings in a lot of cultural activities, sporting events, etc. It really sounds like a good fit, except it is in MN not WI.

[ladihawkae]

my husband actually lived in elkhorn wi for about 9 years. I for 3. we've lived in whitewater and milwaukee. the trucking company closed in november. we left so i could get a cdl and see what drivers went through so i could do my job better. planned to stay out for two years and then go back to the office. its been almost 3 years now. while we love it out here, we do miss the kids. but rent is more than what we paid. saving for a house but a lot of companies aren't hiring. tx is exploding right now. would have jobs, but soooo hot. but yes, tx is an option. we just miss wi values, the festivals and the people. we know retirees are struggling. we almost bought a new home outside fort worth. 3 br 2 bath for under $150,000.
I just thought some wi towns would be nicer. we've been in mn. we have a terminal outside minneapolis, but expensive i think

[golfgal]

Originally Posted by ladihawkae

my husband actually lived in elkhorn wi for about 9 years. I for 3. we've lived in whitewater and milwaukee. the trucking company closed in november. we left so i could get a cdl and see what drivers went through so i could do my job better. planned to stay out for two years and then go back to the office. its been almost 3 years now. while we love it out here, we do miss the kids. but rent is more than what we paid. saving for a house but a lot of companies aren't hiring. tx is exploding right now. would have jobs, but soooo hot. but yes, tx is an option. we just miss wi values, the festivals and the people. we know retirees are struggling. we almost bought a new home outside fort worth. 3 br 2 bath for under $150,000.
I just thought some wi towns would be nicer. we've been in mn. we have a terminal outside minneapolis, but expensive i think

Yes, the immediate metro area is pretty expensive but the outlying towns, not so much. The town I mentioned, Marshall, is about 3 hours from Minneapolis and you can EASILY find a house for under $150,000. There are some REALLY small towns around Marshall even where you can find a house for under $10,000, yes ten thousand. They might need some updating but the really nice houses in those smaller towns go for about $50,000.

[ladihawkae]

we picked texas. rented an apartment for a year and now just purchased an acre or so and hopefully we can start building in a year

[ccjarider]

good luck to you