Potential cross country move...looking for input!!

[timothyaw]

I always say people should at least live somewhere outside of their hometown/state for a period of time, just to get a different point of view, experience, culture etc. If you want to move back to your hometown at some point, then that is fine.

[kytoaz]

Moving is good for the soul. If you wan't it, do it. So many people are afraid of all of life's "what if's" that they spend their entire lives playing it safe and before they know it they're looking back on a lifetime of regrets. Everyone told my wife and I that we were crazy. Moving across country without knowing a soul, no jobs lined up, no exact place to live set up when we got here, blah blah blah. I took my time. I researched Phoenix for a couple years. This forum was such a great tool for that that I felt like I had a good idea of this place before I arrived, and I was correct. I researched the job and housing markets, saved enough to comfortably move without having to stress on finances, sold our house and most everything in it and headed west. It was, hands down, the best decision we made. I still can't believe how much our lives have improved since leaving Louisville. Phoenix isn't paradise for everyone, but I can't express how perfect it is for us. And guess what? North Carolina isn't going anywhere. If things don't work out chalk it up to a life adventure. We all need more of them these days.

[MGS4EVER]

We moved away from all our family. It was really hard on them. We've missed A LOT. That being said, it was a great move and I'm glad we did it. I'm glad we lived someplace else.

Now we're going to move again. N. Carolina was at the top of our list until we went out there and literally drove the state. Don't get me wrong, Love NC and loved the visit, but I don't think we'd be happy there. It's all the way across the country and we didn't get a good "feel" about it. East coast is different.

We're going to move to the PNW. It's a closer drive to our family and it will be a very different environment than AZ. We. Can't. Wait. AZ was good while it lasted (19years), but with all the things you mentioned about moving here, I don't feel the same. When summer hits, I don't hike or bike or do any outdoor activities other than yardwork. If I want to get outdoors I head to Sedona which is 2 hours away. I'm just so tired of the super hot summers. It seems as though "winter" for us just started and next week it's already going to be 97 and it's only April.

NC and AZ are very comparable in COL so that won't really be a factor for you. Moving away from family that you're close to? That's a tough one. But, you can always move back. I am trying to get my daughter to move to our new state so she won't be out here all by herself. We're still moving though. And we can always move back. AZ is a huge retirement state!

[westcoastbabe]

Totally can resonate with your post. I moved from Charlotte to Phoenix about 5 years ago. Although a little older than you, I too had spent my whole life in Charlotte. I had a brought a home and everything. But I knew that I was not happy. Its just like you said, I felt the need for new experiences and scenery and just wasn't happy anymore. Phoenix had been on my radar for a minute because it has a comparable COL, it was close to Vegas and California(weekend trips), and just way plain more to do than NC. So I ended up making 3trips out here to see how everyday life was before I was committed to moving. I ended up selling the house and I put in a transfer with my job. All I can say, I really wished I had moved sooner to Phoenix. Great weather, scenic hiking, Lots of festivals. I don't miss Charlotte at all....My move was good for me mentally and physically. I too was told that I would be back after a year of living in Phoenix by hometown naysayers....(The ones who have lived in NC their whole life.) I just knew that wasn't for me. Its just like a previous poster stated, "Moving is good for the soul". I know for me, it was physically and mentally beneficial for me moving to Phoenix. No regrets at all...…Step Out on Faith and remember "Life favors the Bold" Good luck with your decision.

[Sno0909]

Originally Posted by CivilNiner

Thanks for all the candid responses. We're in the RDU area so very comparable cost of living.

Also we aren't necessarily in a rut...more like we aren't super interested in living where we grew up and are looking for something new. I know this comes off immature but living in the same state for 20+ years has us both anxious for something new! We've said for years we wish we grew up somewhere else so we'd have more of a reason to move but we're reaching a point where if we don't move soon we won't for another 20 years and then we'll be still in the same place experiencing the same things we grew up with...just not super appealing to us. That along with the other points listed above.

I moved to Arizona from Michigan nine years ago. Now that I have three kids, I'm feeling the same way you are; but I want to go back to my home state. Arizona has been great to us, but nothing compares to being close to family when you have kids. We are out here with no one, except our newly adopted church family. It's tough.

Mod cut.

[KurtAZ]

Originally Posted by Sno0909

I'll be glad to help your family out (I'm an agent). Good luck.

Please read the bylaws on this forum. If you are going to try and drum up business as a Real Estate Agent you need to be registered as one.