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Since we are expecting, we need to buy a home in September. It's the soonest we'll be able to, also the latest we should. Mid October would be pushing it big time.
We can live pretty much anywhere, but need to be within an hour of our type of church, which can be hard to come by, and have the states we prefer: Coastal Virginia-Georgia, Wisconsin, Missouri, Tennessee, and Colorado. We need to find a very inexpensive home in a safe area of somewhere.
Wisconsin is just awesome and beautiful. In the summer. The Great Lakes are wonderful. We have beautiful churches we love, friends we adore, places we love to frequent. Great place to raise a family. 2 downsides- the weather leaves you locked up for at least half the year, and isn't too kind on the joints. Also, the medical care isn't the greatest you can find.. It really isn't ideal in our case. We always regret being in Wisconsin during the winter, and it's very depressing to feel stuck in a frozen tundra and in pain for 6-7 months of the year. Among the major draws is that we make a ton more money living in Wisconsin than anywhere else, in DH's business.
Missouri. Maybe the winters are a bit better. We'd have to be within an hour of St Louis though, as that's where we have a church. St Louis, I'm not sure if it's somewhere I'd want to frequent. I haven't heard or seen a whole lot of good there. Plus not fond of the frakking in S Illinois, if that's where we'd find a place. Don't really want to live in the city proper. The only things I like about it is it's proximity to so many other places, being so centralized, and the fact that winters aren't as bad as WI, and we have a church.
Colorado is very nice, I've lived and visited there many times. A little drier than I'd like, and I can't go to high in elevation without feeling ill, but it's a place that's easy on the joints, has great doctors, there's a couple churches we could attend, and of course the beauty. It's just sooooo sooooooo expensive. I don't think we could buy a place there. We are hoping to find a fixer for under 40k and somewhere within an hour of a church (I know one is in Littleton and one more somewhere near CO Springs) seems very laughable.
In Georgia, we'd have to be within an hour of Savannah or Atlanta to be near a church. Both seem pretty expensive if we want a safe place to live. Outside of Savannah may have something. Really the only downfall here is that we do enjoy a little snow occasionally, and it's a relatively isolated area to live. It's a real contender.
Virginia is our favorite place in the US, but all of our churches are nearby DC, which is our least favorite place in the US. It's also too expensive for us on that side of the state. Love the climate, coast, history, natural beauty, food, and everything else about it though.
The Carolina's- only been through, don't know much about them. We'd have churches near Raleigh and Charlotte, otherwise, not sure.
Tennessee, we'd need to be near Nashville, which seems expensive, Knoxville, which I've researched air quality and it may not bode well with asthmatic kids, or Memphis, which seems St Louis-y (for church). Not sure about medical care, but the climate is a step better than Missouri. I enjoy the historical element of Tennessee and the Smokey Mtns are great too.
I need to find a fixer for under 40k by mid October at the very latest. With health considerations and registering for homeschooling and expecting a baby, it's pretty urgent. DH gets paid in lump sums, and we can't afford to buy until early September. Renting is not an option with our kids and pets.
I guess I'm wondering which you guys would choose and why. I am leaning towards WI because of the money, but it's so miserable for half the year. We could always take a little vacation in the winter, but with hockey and different stuff the kids get into, I'm not sure if that's actually realistic. Colorado has the best amenities and health care for us, but the south's climate and charm is incomparable. Or we have the income we love up north...
I think Georgia is going to be your best/easiest bet by far in terms of finding suitable housing in a fairly safe area. Check out the Vidalia/Claxton/Hinesville area which is 40 minutes or less from the Savannah city line.
That's kind of how it's looking Kyle... Although WI has cheap housing too.
Nanny, Every winter that I spend here, I kick myself, hard. Then every July I fool myself into believing it wasn't so bad. :-/ but it's really, really bad!!
The advantages of Wisconsin are that the state has a well-educated population generally, fewer extremes in income, tolerance to differences in religion and politics although not racially diverse (88% white, last census), good school systems (yes you homeschool, but what if), really good public assistance programs (yes, husband has business, but what if). Some of the other states under consideration are woefully lacking in these areas.
Yes, winters in the Midwest are hard. But summers in the South are equally hard. The bugs alone (and I don't just mean mosquitos) are horrible, not to mention the sticky heat. It sucks all your energy. So you would just be switching seasons of stay-at-home misery.
Wasn't kidding about the sunroom addition. The full-spectrum light elevates the mood, and you can put in some heaters and crank them up. Or vacation in Florida every year. Maybe your kids would love the contrast. Used to live in Madison. BTW the medical care there is great. You could also ask your doc about Rx Meloxicam for joint pain.
Winter is not THAT big of a deal as people make it out to be. Life goes on.
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