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.
We live in Southern CA. We are getting ready to buy our first home and have been searching, but we aren't in love with any of the neighborhoods near us and we are definitely NOT in love with the pricing. We have been researching Boise for months now and would love to be there with our two kids. But my family lives in Southern California and my husband's family lives on the Central Coast, so everyone is within 4 hours of us while we are here. We are really hesitant to move the kids away from all of their relatives.
Has anyone else made this kind of move and have any experiences to offer? I'm worried we'll end up buying a tiny house here for $400k and always wish we moved there. Or we will buy there and wish we were closer to family...
You have some tough questions to answer. It can be difficult to move away from a tight family, even if getting out of California is otherwise a good idea.
The one big question is employment...having work lined up BEFORE you make the move to Boise. You'll hear over and over how tough it is to find a well paying job in Boise after moving up here without first securing employment. Certainly a better place to raise your kids than SoCal, but it's hard to say that an out-of-state city is necessarily better to raise your kids than near family close by, you know?
Hi Mamamea33
I also live in SO Cal, menifee ca. I bought my home for 239 thousand. and it brand new.
I also move away from my family, in 1994 to 2007.I live in oregon, northern Idaho. and northern.calif. and I lasted 10years.
I make my way back to california cus I miss my family, and my grandson, I been back for 6 years now
and I now I am thinking of moving back to Idaho. cus I miss the 4 season. and I am tired of the crowds and traffic. but we dont have to worry about jobs. my husband it retired. so all I can say it try it. you can always come back. but I think you will love it. it a better life to raise kids. my grandson live there until he was five. I wish we would of stay in Idaho. well wish you luck.
I could handle only seeing our extended family 1-2 times a year, but my wife had a very hard time adjusting. That issue along with the lack of decent jobs forced us to move back to Arizona. Still love Idaho and have it on my short list of states for retiring to in 20 years.
Moving here just because it's cheaper would be a big mistake in my opinion. It isn't for everybody and pulling your family apart just to save money on a house doesn't exactly sound right.
Is any of your family open to a move to Idaho, too? I have met many, many families where one part of the family moved and then the rest of the family followed, especially once they visited our area. But, I'd agree, unless frequent travel is feasible, a long move away from family is hard. Life isn't about where you live, it's about the relationships you have and nothing is more important than the love and support of a family.
Thank you for your input, everyone! I'm beginning to realize this may not be the best choice for us. I do have wanderlust but it might be better served with more family vacations to new places as opposed to uprooting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by benchfan
Is any of your family open to a move to Idaho, too? I have met many, many families where one part of the family moved and then the rest of the family followed, especially once they visited our area. But, I'd agree, unless frequent travel is feasible, a long move away from family is hard. Life isn't about where you live, it's about the relationships you have and nothing is more important than the love and support of a family.
I can't foresee them wanting to move. My father is disabled and lives in an assisted-living facility. He cannot travel. My sisters would not want to. My ILs love where they live and it is within driving distance of their parents as well.
Both my wife and I are here in Boise by ourselves. Almost 4 years now. We enjoy living here MORE than being in California or Hawaii where we came from. Family visits here every year or so and it all works out. We decided we wanted to live in a place that was best for us overall and not wait until we are older to make the move as no one is guaranteed tomorrow. We have moved 15 times in 12 years (New York, Texas, California, Hawaii, Idaho) due to military and us seeking the right place to call home. Boise has everything you could possibly need to have a comfortable life without the high cost of living. You will not regret moving here plus for $200K you can have a house similar to million dollar homes in California!
I have been thinking about this all morning and want to add another thought to my post. I grew up here and all my family lives here so I know how great it is to live around family. We see each other frequently for birthdays and holidays and family dinners. My husband's family lives in Santa Barbara and we see them less frequently but when they visit, they come for a week or two at a time. In a lot of ways, my children are closer to my husband's parents because they spend so much time together when they visit--it's not just a quick visit with tons of family around, they really experience living together day-to-day. So, if moving here meant that you could afford a house that would allow for a comfortable guest space, and your family would be willing to come up a few times a year for extended visits, you might find that you have the best of both worlds.
I'm single and moved out to Boise by myself. My family lives near Seattle.
There's nothing that says you have to buy a house and stay here if you don't like it. Why not move up and try renting a home for a year? That way if you decide Idaho is not for you, you won't have the hassle and possible financial hit of selling a house.
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.
But, I'd agree, unless frequent travel is feasible, a long move away from family is hard. Life isn't about where you live, it's about the relationships you have and nothing is more important than the love and support of a family.
