In search of Nirvana
Posted 01-11-2013 at 09:27 AM by cmschwartz
We're close to retirement - another 17 months - and we live on a 5500' mountain pass in Republic, Washington where the winter snow levels range from 18" to 36" each year. We're tired of plowing, shoveling, sanding, sliding, and falling, so we're looking to move to an area that doesn't drop below 35° in the winter (NO snow, of course) and 80° in the summer (cooler would be nicer!). We have a 5th wheel RV unit in which we intend to cruise the US to find a new place to live, as well as visit the tourist attractions that my husband has never seen. We would welcome any information about your area if it meets our climate restrictions year-round and provides scenic views of rolling hills (mountains are great if we're not snowed in every winter), glittering night lights, or coastal/lake shores. We plan to build our dream home, an earth-berm semicircle of concrete & glass, and would greatly appreciate any information about architects who have experience in planning earth-bermed & earth-sheltered house designs. We'd like to find a piece of land at least 2 acres in size, preferably near a community that has good healthcare facilities & personnel, and modest amenities like restaurants, entertainment and/or art-related organizations. If your area doesn't have these, then we're hoping to find a town that's near a larger metropolis that provides these features. Your input could decide our travel plans in 2014! Thank you for your help, and we look forward to visiting your area if it meets our wishes!
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Fast forward to December 2014, and we're stymied. We left Washington state in June and traveled around the perimeter of the US through the hottest and most humid weather periods while frantically trying to avoid major weather issues. Funny how people think you should hit every state's theme parks, national monuments and tourist attractions as a full-time RVer. We, on the other hand, travel to find the perfect spot to build our last dream home...and we've come up short. I recognize that perfect places are inundated with retirees, which invariably bumps up land and home prices to astronomical levels. Sedona, AZ is a good example of that status. I know because my husband & I have temporarily parked in Casa Grande to wait out the winter snows on highways we have to travel in April. CG is nice - but flat, dusty and noisy. We saw some spectacular views while driving through New Mexico and Arizona, so decided to investigate AZ (it's cheaper to live in compared to NM) for possible home locations. Benson had beautiful 360° mountain views, but the town was small, somewhat messy, and noisy from a train that ran right through the middle. The only available parcels we found were in nearby developments, with acreage running about $30,000+ per acre. Ouch! So we headed north through Phoenix to investigate Cottonwood & Sedona, two highly rated areas with reduced summer temperatures and no-snow winters. Hmmm. Sedona was...phenomenal - but impossibly expensive (now I know why Californians move there; they have lots of bucks from CA home sales). Although the red rock formations were truly breathtaking, I prefer panoramic views. So, we drove back south to Cottonwood. Nice little town with lots of amenities, interesting art galleries, a decent hospital, cool stores that cater to our art-related needs, and on the perimeter, NICE acreage with impressive broad views.
And then...a scary conundrum surfaced. We've read lots of online information about water availability in Arizona, and no one we've talked to has refuted the claims that AZ is water-poor. Thus, we're reconsidering the possibility of building & living here. I'm hoping that people who read this post can offer information that eases this concern. Otherwise, we'll head north to Oregon in April of next year, and check out the coastal areas - and yes, we know they get tons of rain during the winter. But at least that ensures adequate water availability and cooler summer temps. We like AZ more for tax purposes (OR collects inheritance & estate taxes, which AZ waives), views, and amazing sunshine almost year-round. But water is vital. If none of this works out, we'll switch back to our original plan to visit the coastal/Sound cities in Washington state. Darn. We really want a major change, and WA doesn't provide that. BTW, please don't suggest any cities east of the Rocky Mountains. Been there, didn't like them. Loners have a hard time living in massively populated areas!Posted 12-06-2014 at 06:49 AM by cmschwartz
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Hello, Seeking SNOW and SEA (or lake) I am looking for an area on or near the East coast where it snows at least a few times a year. I live in Virginia Beach, VA. I love it despite cost of living, but my favorite weather is snow. I dont want to have to choose between coastal living and snow living. I know of course there are lake area with snow, but I hoped to get snow and coast. A real jackpot would be in a state where medical marijuana is legal. Have been chronic pain patient for 10+ years. Does anyone have any ideas ? I:m new to the site,so hopefully I have not made a posting error. Good luck with your search. What finally happened?Posted 07-30-2018 at 09:58 PM by swirleysocks
