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Hello, I hope that nobody minds a couple of cross-posts. I would like to try to find information about a few states that I had in mind. Washington is high on the list.
I have been out of work for many years due to some mild partial disabilities. I would like to remedy that this year by starting up self-employment in the new state that I choose. In the meantime, though, I have no income and very little savings.
I would like to settle in a rural location, or, as rural as possible. I have enough saved to get through a month or two on the very-cheap, until I can secure some kind of income. If possible, I would like to avoid seeking public assistance.
I can no longer wait to move, due to my relatives, neighborhood and home state all getting absolutely unlivable, to the point where I must get out of here ASAP. To be honest, I'd prefer not to get into any debates about the reasons. I am at the final-straw point where I can't sit around trying in vain to save away, to find a bad and unstable underpaid temp job here, or to try to cope with Connecticut or my living situation in this house for any longer. It's been year after year of this, and I'm done. I must get out, and Western states are looking like the best for me.
I have basic bushcraft skills, and would be okay with a small rural town at most. Cities and suburbs are not for me. I don't have much money; but I'm willing to do what I can do for work, and am not very dependent on store-bought new stuff. I'm old-fashioned and can make do with a very bare-bones set-up.
Can anybody point me to some places where someone like me can get set up and get onto my feet? Low crime and low population are must-haves; everything else is flexible.
Thank you for your replies.
Last edited by GoodbyeCT; 03-27-2016 at 04:48 PM..
Don't jump from the frying pan into the fire. Where there are jobs here, the cost of living is high. Because the rental market in the Seattle area is so tight, nobody is likely to rent to you, without income, savings, or recent work history. Where the rents are cheap, jobs are few.
Washington is pretty high COL in all but the most isolated places. I agree with the previous poster that Oregon is still a bit more affordable, and a bit more accepting of non-standard lifestyles.
Another factor to keep in mind is that the west side of the Cascades will generally be more expensive than the east side.
Sounds like you might need to live in your car or something for a while. If that's the case, you don't want to come here much earlier than May. Any sooner, and the wet weather would make you miserable.
Do you have disability income? Would you be comfortable in a semi-communal situation?
Okay, I will keep it in mind about Oregon being a better bet in general. I was looking into Utah also, but am seeing a lot of people in that forum being advised to beware the Mormon thing. Colorado still looks like a possibility, too, although Oregon seems like way better weather.
I have skills in gardening and light landscaping, and am outdoorsy in the extreme. I was just about to set up this year's garden (big, nearly small commercial-sized) before the events that left me firmly resolved to get out of here ASAP. I would absolutely love to do anything related to farming or landscaping work, in small side-business for myself.
Primarily, I was working as a semi-pro musician before a couple of big injuries set me back for all these years. I rehabbed the injuries, for the most part; but the work is absolutely dead in that field over here. I taught lessons for 4 years, and would be willing to put up with doing so again for a while.
A bad back from an old car accident rules out construction, factory work, restaurants or retail.
I am also thinking of picking up another side-skill like leatherwork, shoe-making or stone-work. College or trade-school for these things is out of the question- I am looking into these skills as a self-taught side thing. Also wouldn't have too much trouble dealing with blowing out gutters, or leaf removal, and enjoy those kinds of tasks as well.
No, I don't use the Social Security system, and would prefer not to end up having to go through that, if I can possibly avoid it.
Would prefer to be alone and fairly remote, but could deal with a commune for a temporary thing.
Last edited by GoodbyeCT; 03-27-2016 at 09:21 PM..
Reason: forgot to add one more thing
"Out west" is a big place.
Any natural environment that you are drawn to?
Do you care about the social scene? Conservative, liberal, arts, music, things to do, etc.?
And how much money will you have for rent?
Answers to those questions will make it a bit easier for people to give you advice.
Re; Utah and Mormons. Well, i don't have a problem with Mormons but if you are liberal and anything less than fairly conventional, most of Utah probably won't suit you. Salt Lake City would not be a problem but you don't want to live in a city.
Why is anyone suggesting Oregon from a cost standpoint? Western Oregon costs and Western Washington costs are about the same. Eastern Oregon can be cheaper than Eastern Washington, in places.
Once you get out of the big city corridors, job opportunities are about the same, which is to say: not great.
Unlike the east coast, there are big stretches of relatively sparsely populated land out here. Outside of the cities, making a living as a musicians is not likely (and it isn't all that likely IN the cities, either).
Oregon has very strong land use planning requirements and things like septic and water require serious permits - you can't just build a tiny shack and use the great outdoors as your bathroom.
If you’re interested, there are places in the Midwest where the cost of living is lower and real estate is much cheaper, with as much opportunity for those with the self-employment mind set. These places have the lower population you’re looking for too. They also have much less stringent rules about what a person can do with their own land.
There are places where a person can get a small piece of land, sometimes with a small house on owner financing, some of which don’t require a credit check. There are ways to end up with your own small (in some cases, really small) house on your own lot with only 2-3K up front and payments of $300-$700/month, at a final total cost of 10-20K.
I also know of a few low-cost housing options out west too.
If you want to know more, lets take this to direct messaging. I don’t want to post the results of my research to the general forum.
Definitely! I would be happy to chat, and appreciate all the time that you're taking to advise me.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PNW-type-gal
Why is anyone suggesting Oregon from a cost standpoint? Western Oregon costs and Western Washington costs are about the same. Eastern Oregon can be cheaper than Eastern Washington, in places.
Once you get out of the big city corridors, job opportunities are about the same, which is to say: not great.
Unlike the east coast, there are big stretches of relatively sparsely populated land out here. Outside of the cities, making a living as a musicians is not likely (and it isn't all that likely IN the cities, either).
Oregon has very strong land use planning requirements and things like septic and water require serious permits - you can't just build a tiny shack and use the great outdoors as your bathroom.
Sparse land is what I want, or, as close to it as possible. Think outskirts of a small and quiet town just under the size of a suburb, basically.
I don't plan on making my full living at music- was only playing semi-pro before for this same reason. Teaching lessons and taking side-jobs totally outside the profession is something that I've done before, and am prepared to do again. That's just reality these days.
No, I don't intend to break environmental laws- in fact, escaping rampant pollution is yet another big thing drawing me away from my home state.
Sparse land is what I want, or, as close to it as possible. Think outskirts of a small and quiet town just under the size of a suburb, basically.
No, I don't intend to break environmental laws- in fact, escaping rampant pollution is yet another big thing drawing me away from my home state.
In Oregon, at any rate, you have the "population belt" from our largest city, Portland, south to Eugene (collectively all are in the Willamette Valley). Something like 85+% of the people in the state live in that relatively small I-5 corridor.
anything over about 80,000 is in the Portland area or is one of the other Willamette Valley cities. After that, cities start getting small in a hurry, with large distances between cities.
In general, the Oregon climates are:
Coastal: rainy, damp windy, between 70-95" of rain, more on the headlands. A 300+ mile long narrow chain of tiny cities, far apart, cut off from the interior valleys by a mountain range. Two main industries, tourism and retirees.
Willamette Valley: Portland to Eugene: also rainy and cool, around 45" of rain yearly, long cool winters and short but sunny and warm summers. A long wide valley, excellent for agriculture, surrounded by two large mountain chains. Expensive by Oregon standards. The job hub of Oregon where the major cities are located.
Southern Oregon: Shorter cool wet winters, long hot summers. A small long thin valley between the Coast Range, Cascades, Sisikiyous/Klamath mountains. Also expensive by Oregon standards.
Central Oregon: dry high desert, long cold winters, short warm summers. In the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, although not a lot sunnier than the Willamette Valley. Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville are expensive by Oregon standards.
Eastern Oregon: very dry, very dusty scrub, cold winters, short warm-to-hot summers. Sunnier than Western Oregon but not exactly "sunny" by most standards.
In Oregon, at any rate, you have the "population belt" from our largest city, Portland, south to Eugene (collectively all are in the Willamette Valley). Something like 85+% of the people in the state live in that relatively small I-5 corridor.
anything over about 80,000 is in the Portland area or is one of the other Willamette Valley cities. After that, cities start getting small in a hurry, with large distances between cities.
In general, the Oregon climates are:
Coastal: rainy, damp windy, between 70-95" of rain, more on the headlands. A 300+ mile long narrow chain of tiny cities, far apart, cut off from the interior valleys by a mountain range. Two main industries, tourism and retirees.
Willamette Valley: Portland to Eugene: also rainy and cool, around 45" of rain yearly, long cool winters and short but sunny and warm summers. A long wide valley, excellent for agriculture, surrounded by two large mountain chains. Expensive by Oregon standards. The job hub of Oregon where the major cities are located.
Southern Oregon: Shorter cool wet winters, long hot summers. A small long thin valley between the Coast Range, Cascades, Sisikiyous/Klamath mountains. Also expensive by Oregon standards.
Central Oregon: dry high desert, long cold winters, short warm summers. In the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, although not a lot sunnier than the Willamette Valley. Bend, Redmond, Sisters, Prineville are expensive by Oregon standards.
Eastern Oregon: very dry, very dusty scrub, cold winters, short warm-to-hot summers. Sunnier than Western Oregon but not exactly "sunny" by most standards.
Excellent advice- Thanks!
Edit: Do you have any info on Astoria that I might want to consider? I'm looking into it on my own, but thought that maybe you knew some specifics that I wouldn't find elsewhere.
Last edited by GoodbyeCT; 03-28-2016 at 06:16 PM..
Reason: forgot a question
May I ask what your moving plan is? If you have no income now, and very little savings, I don't know what you can do other than live in your car. Do you have a vehicle? One you can sleep in?
Starting a business takes time. Do you have enough savings to buy gas to get you to wherever? To survive on until you have income? Are you willing to be homeless? Go to foodbanks? Figure out where to camp or park? If so, you better consider the weather.
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