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Thanks for all your replies. I can see your point, I guess every state has good neighbourhoods, schools, etc, but we dont want to be priced out to be able to achieve this. So to narrow it down.... We are looking for nice sunny weather, the majority of the year, reasonably close to either the beach or lakes as my daughter is keen to get involved in water sports. Somewhere within driving distance from days out for the kids etc.. Property wise, we are looking at 3 to 4 bedrooms and would be able to either buy outright with $240,000 or rent for 6 months then get an extra $150,000 mortgage. Hope you can help me narrow it down from 50 states. Thanks.
I'd definitely still steer you to check out Arkansas. We have LOTS of beautiful and clean lakes. Most of the state has 4 distinct seasons with just enough winter weather that you can enjoy it but not so long that you get sick of the cold and snow. Spring usually begins in earnest in March with some great weather days in February as well. Fall comes in late September but we usually don't get a real frost until sometime in November. Northern Arkansas has possibly the most stunning Fall color display outside of New England. In most places in the state you can buy outright a 4 bdr home for that 240k number. There aren't too many places in the US you can still do that even in our current economy! The heat and humidity here can be a bit stifling if you aren't used to it though.
What place you pick should be based on things like what kind of climate you want and how much you can afford + the quality of schools and crime rate.
Though crime rate in cities can vary in different neighborhoods.
Honestly, a 4-bedroom for $240k will be harder to find near the ocean. As far as lakes there are the Great Lakes, but it gets very cold there in winter.
I live in Missouri and like it well enough. How about Lake of the Ozarks? The scenery is beautiful and affordable. I'll be honest, I don't know much about schools. But it does get cold in winter and you will get some snow. But it's not like Chicago or Detroit.
You could also try Bull Shoals Lake, which straddles Missouri and Arkansas, southeast of Branson, MO (about 50 minutes) and Springfield, MO (about an hour-and-a-half away). Branson is also about 15 minutes (according to Google Maps) From Table Rock Lake. Kimberling City, MO (Missouri) appears to be right on the lake. Other cities around Table Rock Lake are Eagle Rocks, Cape Fair, Lampe. You could also try the town of Hollister, which is about 20 minutes from the lake and 10 minutes from Branson. Branson has an amusement park and a water park, as well Broadway shows.
Missouri Lakes include: Harry S. Truman Reservoir (West of Lake of the Ozarks)
Nearby towns: Warsaw, Racket, Tightwad, Valley View, Finney, Baker, Cold Springs, Blue Branch, Brownington, Osceola Stockton Lake (South of Truman)
Nearby towns: Stockton, Umber View Heights, Aldrich, Bearcreek Mark Twain Lake
towns: Stoutsville, Monroe City, Hannibal Lake of the Ozarks
nearby cities: Lake Ozark, Osage Beach, Laguna Beach, Damsel, Green Bay Terrace, Hurricane Deck, Sunrise Beach, Camdenton, Kaiser, Lakeview, Lakeland, Lakeside, Gravois Mills
towns (not on a major highway): Riverview, Lively, Old Linn Creek
Oklahoma Lakes Grand Lake O the Cherokees
Nearby towns: Bernice, Grove, Disney, Grand Lake Towne, Langley, Wyandotte
Arkansas/Missouri Bull Shoals Lake (mostly in Arkansas)
Nearby Missouri towns: Rockaway Beach, Powersite, Branson (Lake Taneycomo, a branch of Bull Shoals, which seems to empty into Table Rock Lake), Forsyth, Merriam Woods, Kissee Mills, Theodosia, Pontiac, Sundown
Arkansas towns: Diamond City, Lead Hill, Peel, Oakland, Bull Shoals, Lakeview Table Rock Lake (mostly in Missouri)
Missouri towns: Indian Point, Kimberling City, Cape Fair, Viola, Eagle Rock, Chain-o-Lakes, Emerald Beach
Arkansas towns: Beaver, Holliday Island Norfork Lake (Mostly in Arkansas)
Arkansas towns: Henderson, Hand, Salesville
Missouri towns: Tecumseh, Udall
Arkansas Lakes: Beaver Lake (southwest of Table Rock)
Towns: Glade, Pine Top, Beaver Shores, LaRue, Hickory Creek, Pleasure Heights, Rogers
Tennessee/Kentucky Lakes Reelfoot Lake, Tennesse
towns: Tiptonville, Samburg, Kentucky Lake (but it's in Tennessee and Kentucky)
Tennesee towns: Springville, Big Sandy, Camden,
Kentucky towns: Calvert City, New Concord Lake Barkley, Kentucky (and some in Tennessee)
Kentucky towns: Cadiz, Kuttawa,
Tennesee: Bumpus Mills
The nearest lake to me is Wappapello Lake in Missouri
nearby towns: Poplar Bluff, Wappapello, Puxico
It's a nice lake, but may be too small for your needs.
Illinois Lakes Kinkaid Lake
nearby towns: Murphysboro Crab Orchard Lake
nearby towns: Carbondale, Carterville, Marion (has an independent league baseball team) Cedar Lake
towns: Etherton, Alto Pass Little Grassy Lake Devils Kitchen Lake Lake of Egypt
towns: Eagle Point Bay, Clifty Heights, Lake Estates, Egyptian Shores Rend Lake
towns: Whittington, Nason, Rend City, Ina Horseshoe Lake
Granite City, Madison, Collinsville Carlyle Lake
towns: Keyesport, Boulder, Carlyle Lake Shelbyville
towns: Findlay, Shelbyville
I would recommend Lake of the Ozarks myself, since I've spent the most time there. Bull Shoals Lake is nice also. And Table Rock Lake has Branson and Springfield nearby, which have a lot of fun stuff to do. That's why they're Blue
A suggestion I have is to get some ideas for general areas that sound promising, then go to the forums for those states and get information about specific towns from people familiar with those areas.
One question I have is how well you tolerate hot weather. Most areas of the U.S. that are warm and sunny much of the year are quite a bit hotter than the U.K. during the summer. You might get more heat than you're used to as a tradeoff for warmth and sunshine during much of the year.
Also, what political leanings are you comfortable with? A number of people have suggested places in the South, which fits your needs in terms of lower costs, but does have hot summers in most areas (the exceptions being some places in the mountains at higher altitudes), and is a lot more conservative politically than you're probably used to. The politics are something I personally would be comfortable with, but you definitely might have to make a significant adjustment in the attitudes that are typically found around you if you moved from the U.K. to many areas in the South. This does not mean that you should rule out the South, just that there are a lot of questions to consider in finding the right local community for you in whatever region.
If weather that is too hot might be a concern, one general area I would suggest would be southeastern Virginia in the area of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Newport News. The summers are hot, but less so than they would be farther south, and it's on the coast. You might also find some nice towns with somewhat cooler summers (again, if hot weather is something you want to avoid as much as possible) in the mountains of Virginia and the Carolinas. Areas at moderately high altitude in the Southwest might be possibilities as well, though you'd be well away from the coast, and would have to do some searching to find an area with any lakes nearby.
A couple of suggestions that have been made in earlier posts most likely would not fit your desire for warm and sunny climates. Wisconsin certainly would not. There are probably many towns there that would fit your other criteria, but winters in WI are long and cold. The same is true of New England for the most part, though coastal areas in southern New England have milder winters than the rest of the region, still not really warm and sunny most of the year, though. You haven't said how close you'd like to be to a city. If you would want close proximity to a large city, another difficulty in New England, or anywhere in the Northeast would be the scarcity of relatively inexpensive housing anywhere except in more rural areas.
If you really need a warm climate, as a number of people have suggested you should most likely look first at the South. Be aware, though, of politics and hot weather. The more flexible you can be on weather, the more regions that might be possibilities. You can find nice, clean, safe, and wholesome towns in any part of the country. The more that people here know about your preferences regarding weather, politics, and proximity to cities, to name a few variables, the better they will be able to narrow down possibilities to the best regions or states. Then people on those states' forums should be able to help narrow the possibilities further to some individual towns that would suit you.
In Scranton, you can still buy houses for less than $100,000 in good neighborhoods, the schools are good (Scranton has been rated the best urban school district in PA), the crime rate is low, we're surrounded by mountains, including the Poconos with tons of outdoor recreational opportunities, all of the city amenities and shopping you would need, we have the top minor league affiliate of the NY Yankees, and the top farm team for the Pittsburgh Penguins, a 3 hour or less drive to the NJ beaches, NYC and Philly are both 2 hours away. We have 4 seasons, so we get a good amount of snow and winter weather (but nothing as extreme as upstate NY near the Great Lakes), nice spring, warm summers, and the fall scenery is great with the surrounding mountains. Seriously, the Scranton area is probably a location to consider.
All of these suggestions are good. West coast is too expensive, and deep south too hot. Too many sharks in the ocean. There are lots of lake areas throughout the Ozarks, Kentucky, Tenn., WV, NC, Va. Climates are warm but reasonable, crime can be very low, unless there's a big drug problem (watch out). Also, since you are from the UK, you might like the oregon coastal area, not always warm and sunny but very nice. i suggest you rent before buying in a new area. Otherwise, you might get stuck with a house you can't sell, in a neighborhood from hell.
Any state can be a good state for kids. It's how you raise them and how you choose to spend time with them that matters.
It all just comes down to finding good neighborhoods that offer what you're looking for.
Do you have any other criteria? I mean, there are 50 states...it'll be hard to narrow down without more to go on...
i am a single mother i am looking for 1.good high school mix race.2.low or less crime.3.friendly people4.jobs5.low pricing of gas.6.no mountains,no tornados,hurricane npr earthquekes sorry if i misspell anything.lots of postive things kids could do when their not in school or for the summer.lees snow if not at all is good but warm all year around. thankyou
Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts (any New England state really)
I'm going by what states have some of the bet school systems in the nation.
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