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I'm a 27 year old construction manager living in Queens, NY. It's become too expensive to live in and around NYC and I have recently come to grips with the fact that it would be best for me to relocate. I am currently in a relationship and my GF is flexible with wherever we would relocate. I am the one who is being a bit picky. Here are my list of concerns/requirements:
1) I need to move somewhere that has a demand for construction managers. I am not flexible in changing my career at this point because this is all I've ever wanted to do and I've come a long way in a short time in my career.
2) We'd like to move south because we are tired of the cold, brutal winters of the northeast.
3) We don't necessarily need nightlife. We are more interested in places that have enough activities and sight seeing type things that will keep us entertained. Also, we love food lol. We are the type of couple that has a ratio of 70/30 when it comes to staying in/going out.
4) Preferably a state with a lower cost of living and less taxes. NY taxes and cost of living are ridiculously high.
5) Preferably a place within an hour of a beach or large body of water.
6) We are saving up to buy a house within the next 2-3 years and with our salaries, are hoping to buy a 3 bed, 2 bath house for around or under 200K. I've seen some amazing houses outside of Houston for this price. You couldn't even get a decent condo for that price around NYC lol.
7) I don't mind commuting up to an hour (in traffic) from our home to my place of work. In NYC, a 20 min drive at 6am in the morning to my jobsite turns into a 1.5 hour trip at 4pm in the afternoon after work! I can't deal with it anymore.
These are pretty much the guidelines so any information would help a lot.
Not sure if it would interest you, but I'd offer Fayettteville NC, my current home, for comparison:
1. Construction through the roof with government projects and road projects.
2. Nice mild weather (mid December and it is in the 60s-70s, although that isn't normal).
3. Due to the proximity of the military base, plenty of food options ranging from small ethnic eateries to the bigger chain restaurants.
4. NC taxes are so-so. Better than NY but not as good as some places out west. Lower COL does help make up for some of this. My car insurance went down when I moved from CO.
5. Probably about 2 hours from the Atlantic Ocean, but numerous lakes, rivers and other bodies of water within an hour or so.
6. 3 bd/2 ba houses can be had for under 80,000, It is a buyers market and has been for some time.
7. Traffic is ugly during the rush hours that correspond with workers and Soldiers on base going to and from work, but otherwise not too bad. I-95 is about 20 minutes outside of town.
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