[68vette]

Originally Posted by beavis98

We do like our real ale over here, over here though, pubs are (were) hubs of the community (not just places to get drunk).

I understand people saying to rent for a year, but to me, thats dead money and the cost of living in the UK and job market is just as bad(if not worse) check out the UK forum.
That link you sent looked cool, sherylcatmom, but its still a bar/restaraunt not a pub.

Probably out of our price range too. Even if we spend $300k on a house, it still leaves at least $200k in savings. if we can both get minimum wage jobs, we should be ok, its just the health insurance thats a worry, with two small children.

WE are in a lucky position, maybe its time to follow our dream.

I would aim for a higher paying job than minimum wage. A few things to take into consideration. Not only do you have the premium to pay for the insurance each month, but the cost of health care is not covered 100% just because you are insured. There are co-pays and there are also portions of health care that are not fully covered. I have one of the best health plans in the state due to the job I have. My son was hurt playing lacrosse and I was left with close to $500 in bills. The total bill was close to $7000. It's not horrible, but they can add up over time. If you go with a plan that is cheaper, they may also cover less or have higher co-pays.
You mentioned you did not want to live off your savings. With a minimum wage job you will most likely have to use some of your savings. There are property taxes which are not cheap in Vermont and then there is heating costs for at least half the year, which can be very expensive depending on the age, condition and size of the home, Utility costs, etc. You have a great opportunity to have a great life for your family. If only one parent had to work and a home paid off you could live the way most people here would wish they could live.

[cascader]

Excellent points, 68vette, thanks. I always had great insurance in the US (my last job was with Esquire Magazine, and we were fairly spoilt that way), but I was also single then and very rarely had to use it. Getting my family insured at a decent cost is my biggest concern about moving from the UK. I've been googling for the major employers in the state to see who's hiring, operating on the assumption that bigger companies are more likely to offer a decent health plan. Heating costs are a concern as well. I'm trying to get a grip on what all the costs are going to be, and from there work out what sort of salary I'll need in order to have a comfortable life. What's encouraging us is that life in the US in general and VT in particular really is more affordable than it is in the UK, and it's only going to get worse here over the next few years. We can see our chance for a much better lifestyle, and we want to grab it with both hands.

[mustmove]

Originally Posted by cascader

We can see our chance for a much better lifestyle, and we want to grab it with both hands.

Same reason folks are moving out of economically challenged VT.

[beavis98]

Originally Posted by mustmove

Same reason folks are moving out of economically challenged VT.

But where too Mustmove?

Beleive me, the whole of the UK is in the same position economy wise, cost of living and employment.

Plus the property prices are ridiculous, for a 3 bed semi detached house, just two rooms on the first floor and under 1000ft of living space in the place we live, in a village area just outside Nottingham, you're looking at an average price of $180k

We can only afford to move as my last remaining parent has died and i've paid off the mortgage on my house.

The village is cheap for the area as the houses were built for the workers of the local coal mine in 1963 and its not seen as a desirable place to live (high juvenile crime rate)

A similar property in a villlage 3 miles away would go for a minimum of £200k

we're doing our homework and if (and I know its a big if) at least 1 of us can get a job with decent health cover our lives and our kids lives could be so much better, sometimes you have to take risks!

A lot of the houses we've looked at have apartments attached, which would be a big help.

However, we are appreciating all input.

[mustmove]

Migration Study 2009 - Released Jan. 5, 2010 from United Van Lines

That's where everyone is going. VT's size and the marketing job the state did over the last ten years have keep it from showing up yellow. There are outright VT bashers here like myself, and there are happy VTers here, all of us are telling you basically the same thing. VT is expensive and job opportunities are scarce and low paying. Listen closely. Lots of wealth is spent in VT, very little wealth is created there.

[GypsySoul22]

You may like Vermont because a lot of the people are like the British...standoffish and or keep to themselves. (My husband is British and I lived there a year). Socially you might find yourself with friends simply if you are lucky and people take to you. (Like anywhere else).

It's not to say they're not friendly. You'll be told hi, hello as they walk by. But like the British, that's it till you know someone well.

I have found it hard in a lot of places to 'meet people' so it's not just in Vermont.

However, the long months of winter lead to a lot of people to hide out. A lot of people take off for warmer places. You also get an influx of out of staters all the time. Many jobs here are based on tourism.

If you like walking, you will find fields and so forth but again, in winter you are pretty much stuck inside unless you like skiing and winter sports.

Heed what some people told me (who have left the state). You can come here with $$ but you better get jobs soon because you will find yourself nickeled and dimed by the cost of living, the underemployment (meaning getting a full time 40 hour a week job is a novelty), and the low pay. That's not saying some people aren't doing well, making decent cash.

However, a lot are NOT.
Your money can easily get sucked up. We came to this state with a good amount of savings.

It's nearly gone.

I've been unemployed since August 2008. I am not someone who is ignorant, lazy, stupid, unemployable or uneducated. I just can't cut a break here. My husband has a decent job for this area (he works in NH) but we cannot live forever on one salary. Every month the savings gets depleted a little more.

Life is gritty here. Time goes by and you wonder if it's worth it.

One person's quote, "You can't eat the scenery."

How true.

Another thing I don't like is the enormous amount of elderly (not older, but elderly) people who seem to HAVE to work in this area. Not only does it seem quite sad they are stuck in low level jobs when they should be enjoying their golden years, it also clogs up the job market for the rest of us.

[beavis98]

It's starting to look like NH Manchester area might be the better option for us.

[momnh]

I moved from Manchester 10 months ago. It's conveniently located to Boston and the job market is decent because of the desnity of industry and proximity to Massachusetts. Culture is quite different from VT though. The good news for you is that there are so many foreclosures there that property values have dropped much more than in VT. I had three right on my street right before I sold to come here and that really hurt my selling price. The cost of housing used to be comparable but the last 18 months have been very different in each area. Chittenden County, VT has been relatively stable while values in Manchester have dropped as much as 25%. You should be able to get a lot of house for the money. Just be careful about neighborhoods and schools. The Manchester school system has hit hard times financially.

[68vette]

Originally Posted by momnh

I moved from Manchester 10 months ago. It's conveniently located to Boston and the job market is decent because of the desnity of industry and proximity to Massachusetts. Culture is quite different from VT though. The good news for you is that there are so many foreclosures there that property values have dropped much more than in VT. I had three right on my street right before I sold to come here and that really hurt my selling price. The cost of housing used to be comparable but the last 18 months have been very different in each area. Chittenden County, VT has been relatively stable while values in Manchester have dropped as much as 25%. You should be able to get a lot of house for the money. Just be careful about neighborhoods and schools. The Manchester school system has hit hard times financially.

That is a good point about the school systems in NH. Right now the state of Vermont is in financial hardship as well and even though the schools are good in Vermont, we are heading for some drastic changes in the school system. Many school programs like language, arts, etc have been eliminated in past years, so there is little room to eliminate further. The legislature in the past week has also talked about shutting some schools down and consolidating schools as an option. Part of the homework is to not only look at how schools rate now, but also try and get information on the direction the schools are headed.

[beavis98]

Thanks all, this is all good info.