[LuluWhite]

I'm slowly preparing to relocate but it'll take another year or possibly two...currently looking at around Asheville, NC, Blacksburg, VA and around Charlottesville, VA...possibly Tri-Counties area of TN. The reasons to move, for me, are:
- Property taxes
- 6 months of winter
- Mosquitoes, deer flies & no-see-ums (according to reports on the Asheville NC forum, bugs are not as much an issue as they are here).

I've lived in VT for 7 years. It is very pretty, but the cost of living is incredibly high as mentioned by others.

[Chadd1014]

Originally Posted by LuluWhite

I've lived in VT for 7 years. It is very pretty, but the cost of living is incredibly high as mentioned by others.

Where did you live before Vermont

[friar1610]

In my case, it's where DID I go? My wife and I, both retirees, just moved earlier this month.

Here was the story I told people when they heard we were leaving and they asked where and why: "Well, the politics here in VT are a bit too liberal for my taste, the taxes are high and the winters are long. So we thought we'd move a bit further south when the politics are more conservative, the taxes lower and the winters milder."

The typical response: "So, where are you going? South Carolina?"

My straight faced answer: "No, Massachusetts."

So the move was not radical in terms of politics (although MA is slightly more conservative than VT). Taxes are high in MA but not as high as in VT. And the two major sources of our income, a Federal (military) pension and Social Security, are exempt from state income tax in MA, so the taxes are actually more favorable. And the weather? Depends on the year. Last winter MA got more snow than VT; other years it's the opposite. But the winters are a little bit shorter in MA.

But none of those were the major reasons. They were, in no particular order,:
- getting a bit burned out on VT after 8 years of retirement there;
- a desire to live somewhere with a bit more buzz;
- a desire to be closer to family;
- a desire to downsize our living situation and if you're going to pack up and move to a new house, it's really no harder to move to another state than it is to another town.

We really enjoyed our 8 years in VT and took advantage of a lot of what it had to offer. God willing, we will have some more years to do the same in MA. But we concluded that MA is probably an easier place to grow old in than VT and our new over-55 condo community is definitely going to be easier than 11+ acres in VT.

[WaxPhantom]

Wife and I are planning on moving out of VT soon. Likely to the Austin TX area next year.

Why TX?
Better job opportunities and higher paying jobs at that.
Lower cost of living.
Warm weather, almost never any snow (we're not into winter that much and don't even ski or snowboard anymore).
Better music scene
Hopefully nicer people.
Far away from nutty family

Primary reasons for wanting to leave VT:
High taxes
Cost cost of living in general
Long commutes to work
Nothing to do on the weekends if you're not in the Burlington area and love 1.5 hour long waits at restaurants or getting caught in groups of college bros on Church St. In the country, nothing to do but get drunk and hunt. Don't do either of those, soo..
Work doesn't pay nearly as much as it should
Takes too damn long to find a job in your field
People who have nothing better to do than stab you in the back
Need a change of scenery after living here for 28 years

[atlaw]

Just what we did in moving to Arizona! and no regrets-now when I visit Vt. I choose my time of year, do a little fishing and go away happy!

[AmILost]

Originally Posted by WaxPhantom

Wife and I are planning on moving out of VT soon. Likely to the Austin TX area next year.

Why TX?
Better job opportunities and higher paying jobs at that.
Lower cost of living.
Warm weather, almost never any snow (we're not into winter that much and don't even ski or snowboard anymore).
Better music scene
Hopefully nicer people.
Far away from nutty family

Primary reasons for wanting to leave VT:
High taxes
Cost cost of living in general
Long commutes to work
Nothing to do on the weekends if you're not in the Burlington area and love 1.5 hour long waits at restaurants or getting caught in groups of college bros on Church St. In the country, nothing to do but get drunk and hunt. Don't do either of those, soo..
Work doesn't pay nearly as much as it should
Takes too damn long to find a job in your field
People who have nothing better to do than stab you in the back
Need a change of scenery after living here for 28 years

Well, Vermont has been an experience, but we're moving to Texas too. For a lot of the same reasons.

[Starryskye80]

Maine would be my first choice. New Hampshire or Mass would be my second.

[leadingedge04]

Born and raised in Vermont. Now living in Dallas.

[Targo]

Originally Posted by leadingedge04

Born and raised in Vermont. Now living in Dallas.

Beautiful mountain views from there I understand…….

[looking4home]

Yeah, I don't get the Texas thing. People seem to move there in droves, but I've also heard from others, whose opinions I trust, that it's absolutely horrific.