I quit California and Join Idaho (Boise, Emmett: high crime, homes, look for a job)
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WE made the move 29 years ago come July. Always so happy we did so. We were 35 and 45 and semi retired. Willing to work for lower wages just to have a little more income and some thing to do. We moved to Eastern Idaho not Boise. I have missed NOTHING about California.
It's all perspective, and newcomers to any area don't have a lick of perspective for where they're moving. Sometimes, if their perspective and expectations are reasonable, it all works out. Often, the perspectives and expectations are out of whack and it doesn't work out.
If I had a dollar for every person who moved to Idaho with some fantasy in mind about what Idaho is, and then who subsequently moved because that fantasy was so rudely burst, I'd be well retired by now.
Idaho is not some big kept secret; we have a low population for a reason. Same with Wyoming. Good luck.
What is the reason?
Quote:
Originally Posted by mickdoo Everyday as I wait to sell, I listen to , The Animals - We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place
I'm a native Californian. I grew up on the CA coast and spent my first 24 years there. I graduated college and left CA when I started my military career in the Air Force. My very first base of assignment was Mountain Home, ID. I thought to myself, "I'm being sent to hell. The middle of nowhere culturally and geographically". After my tour there, I was sad to leave. I loved everything Boise and nearby mountains and plains had to offer. I missed the outdoors, people and wholesome American lifestyle.
Since, I have lived in many other States to include Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Nevada and visited almost all of the rest, including Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico. I have lived overseas in several foreign countries in both Asia and Europe. I feel my experiences have given me a full perspective on what environments and lifestyles are available to me. Now that I am looking at the twilight years of my military career and my approaching retirement, I considered where I would like to finally plant my family roots. You know where that is? Idaho. We bought our retirement home in Boise last year and will be moving into it as soon as I reach my retirement date. I owe it all to an unexpected, unwanted first assignment that send me to Idaho and gave me the opportunity to experience and appreciate all it had to offer.
Last edited by dajebriza; 05-27-2015 at 07:15 AM..
Lower than low wages (50th in the nation). Hard to get ahead in life. No jobs. Can't eat the scenery. Climate is too hot/cold for some people. Too remote. Too boring. Too white. Too Republican. Too many bugs. Not enough "convenience." No ocean. Lack of entertainment.
I dunno. It seems that Idaho never attracted many but the hearty, and now it only seems to be attracting the far right in search of some conservative paradise and fleeing their old states like rats from a sinking ship.
I'm a native Californian. I grew up on the CA coast and spent my first 24 years there. I graduated college and left CA when I started my military career in the Air Force. My very first base of assignment was Mountain Home, ID. I thought to myself, "I'm being sent to hell. The middle of nowhere culturally and geographically". After my tour there, I was sad to leave. I loved everything Boise and nearby mountains and plains had to offer. I missed the outdoors, people and wholesome American lifestyle.
Since, I have lived in many other States to include Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, Nevada and visited almost all of the rest, including Alaska, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico. I have lived overseas in several foreign countries in both Asia and Europe. I feel my experiences have given me a full perspective on what environments and lifestyles are available to me. Now that I am looking at the twilight years of my military career and my approaching retirement, I considered where I would like to finally plant my family roots. You know where that is? Idaho. We bought our retirement home in Boise last year and will be moving into it as soon as I reach my retirement date. I owe it all to an unexpected, unwanted first assignment that send me to Idaho and gave me the opportunity to experience and appreciate all it had to offer.
Your story sounds a bit like mine. Over the years since I first lived in Idaho, I have moved my mother and my brother up and all I have to do is retire from the Air Force and come home.
We lived in so many different places and nowhere else really ever felt like home. When the time came to look back at all the places there were to choose to settle down and call home, there was really only one choice, Idaho!
We have purchased a lot and we are building a house and once it's finished we should just about have orders to retire. Good luck to you and enjoy the transition!
In my experience, so far, a *large* portion of those relocating from CA (higher wages, and with that, higher cost of living) are retirees.
For most of those retirees, income stays the same, regardless of where they chose to live, but the CoL is MUCH lower here vs. there.
Many Californians are retiring to ID, and will contribute to the economy, but will not take any of the "jobs".
The Idea that the Californians are driving up the housing costs is probably over stated. The $400,000 home we will be purchasing is not being built for the typical Boise area family making $40,000-$50,000 a year.
As for why the wife and I, are retiring to the Boise area, she is from Boise and still has family in Boise, I am a native Californian, but after visiting the Boise area a number of times during the past 4 years, I am converted, (orig. wanted to retire to Austin TX for the low tax load, and the life style). Currently in Bakersfield CA with a business that does reasonably well. As soon as we sell the company(end of the year), we will start building in Meridian. We have the home and builder picked out. To buy the same home, in an area of CA that we would want to retire to, would cost an additional $600,000, that is $600,000 that will earn additional retirement income, or be available to spend down when inflation hits.
We are not worried about the Winters, we have been there for several weeks of winter over the past four years, and don't find the WX a problem(She does find that she notices the cold more now, LOL). If we were to get tired of the cold or Inversion, we can easily take a 30 day vacation to some where where it's warm, and enjoy the beach life, on the money we would save every four to six months by living in ID, as opposed to living in what we consider "desirable" areas of CA..
As I love to hunt and fish, and enjoy the "outdoors" in general, and also have had a number of my good friends retire to the Boise area over the past 5 years(All of them love the Boise area), I'm looking forward to the move.
It is very much NOT overstated. We already saw it happen between 2003-2008. Californians (and other incoming folks) are not only buying in the $400,000+ range, but in every and all price ranges.
I also disagree with you re: your other points about whether or not retirees contribute to the economy, or harm it if/when they dominate an area (as they tend to create more service related jobs than professional jobs). There is literature that goes both ways on the topic, and is not really germane here. If you were to actually bring your business here, that would be quite a different story.
Keep in mind, the more people that "enjoy" the outdoors here, the more people you have hunting, fishing, and camping... and pretty soon those areas become overused and overcrowded (like any California beach). Food for thought.
Sure is a lot of folks wanting to "get away from people", but it's those people that are working, and having taxes cut so you get a pension or SS check.
America is for the people, by the people. Even if you don't like their skin color.
I'm quitting Cali and moving to Idaho. Only 1 obstacle remains, sale of the domicile. If you don't like cali people thats ok, I don't either. I love winters and look forward to the cold weather. I only need an internet connection to work. I am a staunch conservative and look forward to the red state of Idaho.
Quitting California and moving to Idaho is like trading in your BMW for a Dodge Neon.
Quitting California and moving to Idaho is like trading in your BMW for a Dodge Neon.
Good one LOL What sucks for Cali is that there's no water to wash those BMW's when they have a layer of dust on them.
Tweaking your remark a bit, it is more like trading in for a Volvo or Subaru, Lexus SUV or a Chevy Suburban and I saw a Neon today with Cali plates on it. Granted there are plenty of Beemers in Idaho too especially in Boise, but we have green lawns and water at the car wash to cleanse our cars.
Last edited by TohobitPeak; 05-29-2015 at 06:21 PM..
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What sucks for Cali is that there's no water to wash those BMW's when they have a layer of dust on them. 
