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My father-in-law lives in Asheville, and my wife and I are planning a move as soon as we find work. We currently live in Gilroy, California (in the greater San Jose area).
I've lived in California all my life, and quite frankly I'm sick of it. The politics and extremely high cost of living just seem to complicate everything. I'm definitely looking forward to a cheaper lifestyle, although I understand that the wages balance everything out to a degree...
I have a lot of administrative/marketing/graphic design experience, and my wife has years of experience in providing care to the mentally disabled. We're hoping that one or both of us will find a job before we move....
I guess one question I have would be if it's possible to live comfortably in Asheville on around $45k a year (what I anticipate our combined wages will add up to). Also, how likely is it for an Asheville area employer to hire someone remotely?
Another thing I was wondering about is how folks from Asheville feel about Californians in general.
I visited the area earlier this year (in February) and found it beautiful. The people were friendly, and there was this quality about everything that one just doesn't find in California. I can't wait to make the move...
My father-in-law lives in Asheville, and my wife and I are planning a move as soon as we find work. We currently live in Gilroy, California (in the greater San Jose area).
I've lived in California all my life, and quite frankly I'm sick of it. The politics and extremely high cost of living just seem to complicate everything. I'm definitely looking forward to a cheaper lifestyle, although I understand that the wages balance everything out to a degree...
I have a lot of administrative/marketing/graphic design experience, and my wife has years of experience in providing care to the mentally disabled. We're hoping that one or both of us will find a job before we move....
I guess one question I have would be if it's possible to live comfortably in Asheville on around $45k a year (what I anticipate our combined wages will add up to). Also, how likely is it for an Asheville area employer to hire someone remotely?
Another thing I was wondering about is how folks from Asheville feel about Californians in general.
I visited the area earlier this year (in February) and found it beautiful. The people were friendly, and there was this quality about everything that one just doesn't find in California. I can't wait to make the move...
My first question is how do you live comfortably in California with that combined income? The job market here can be tricky, what are your skills, what kind of jobs are you looking for? You may not be able to buy a home here without a job, unless you pay cash and do not need a mortgage.
Maybe when you say "Asheville", you are referring to the general Asheville area? including small towns within a 20 mile radius? there are several "villages" and areas with specific names to them which are not easily delineated unless you have a Realtor to help you. We categorize the areas by wide County areas . Asheville for example is in Buncombe County which can be expensive tax wise etc. Hendersonville, 20 miles so. of Asheville is in Henderson County, a large well managed lower cost of living area. you may want to look at this website: www.carolinaliving.com and click on "Mountains" on the upper left.
Let me know if I can be of further help to you here.
I'm a native Californian who currently lives in east Asheville with my family. Grew up in the Bay Area and lived in San Jose (Los Gatos, Blossom Hill area) for most of my life up until I met my Husband in Oregon.
We moved here in 2004 from southern Oregon. We have three children in public school, I work from home, and my Husband is a self-employed contractor. He grosses approx 80k a year, but with his maintenance, taxes, et cetera he has to pay out yearly, we are living semi-comfortable in the area - though I know everyone's idea of 'comfortable' can vary greatly.
I will state that it's more expensive here compared to southern Oregon, where a lot of Californians seem to be migrating, but cheaper than living in California.
@QuilterChick - We actually live on around $60k out here - I'm just anticipating that we won't make nearly that much in a lower cost-of-living area. I appreciate the info, especially about the whole "Asheville area". We've actually also been looking for jobs in Hendersonville and Fletcher. As long as we're nearby the City of Asheville, I think it'll be what we want...
@angrycandy - Glad to know we won't be the only San Jose transplants! We're really looking forward to the move. My wife and I don't have any kids (although we've been thinking about it), so we're even willing to rent a studio apartment or something for the time being, (we're actually living in a studio right now here in Gilroy) which will hopefully keep expenses down. We can also live with my wife's father, although that would be a temporary thing... I'm just really hopeful that everything will work out for us.
Last edited by diatonicform; 06-08-2011 at 09:23 AM..
Reason: I can't spell.
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We're really looking forward to the move. My wife and I don't have any kids (although we've been thinking about it), so we're even willing to rent a studio apartment or something for the time being, (we're actually living in a studio right now here in Gilroy) which will hopefully keep expenses down. We can also live with my wife's father, although that would be a temporary thing... I'm just really hopeful that everything will work out for us. 
