Relocating in the USA pros and cons

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DJRR

New Member
Hi folks! I am brand new here, just registered in hope of finding new friends and become part of the community.
First of all, wish a very special and happy new year to all members and family!
I decided to start in general discussions, once I am not sure if there is a better place for my subject, which is, where to relocate within the USA when still planning on doing business and not really into spending way too much for housing and related expenses.
Of couse it all depends on many factors, personal and professional, so i will elaborate a bit.
I am 57 and not retired, own a small family business abroad, lived in the USA for about 6 years and loved it, now planning on relocating back to the US to live near a large city but if possible in a house away from the crowds, where I could still try to work from.
What I'd like to hear from people is how they like where they live, past experiences, pros and cons and perhaps suggestions.
Real estate pros could be of great help I guess. I lived mostlh in CA and NV and like the western USA, don't know much of other places...
Well, thanks for looking and for any input.
Cheers.
 

Hi, DJRR, and welcome to our forum and to the U..S. Obviously, no one can really predict how you would like this place or that, as it's a very personal decision. I would suggest traveling around the U.S. as much as possible - which is not too easy now - and write down your impressions of each place you visit.

Some places might be very beautiful and interesting, but are not affordable to many people. (California is one example). Other places might be affordable, but not a politically compatible environment for you. Climate comes into the decision; do you like cold or warm locations? Is it important that you live near a large body of water? Do you like mountains?

Not knowing what kind of work you do (and I'm not asking), that very important aspect can't really be answered by a stranger. You sound pretty vague about how you intend to make a living. For most people who have not reached retirement age yet, that has to be the #1 factor in where you live. If you can really make a living working from home, it is irrelevant where you live; you can live anywhere. otherwise, investigate job opportunities first.

And a happy new year to you as well!
 
Welcome, @DJRR to the SF forum! Because it's New Year's Eve, I don't know if you'll get as many people answering your request, so just be patient. Good luck in your search for a place to relocate. It's sort of complicated, isn't it, and like Sunny said, there are a lot of factors to consider. Whenever I moved, I would make a list of what I wanted, with #1 being the most important, and then going down the list and checking things off to see which place gave me the most points. The Internet is a very good place to check things out. Good luck and Happy New Year!
 

Really difficult to suggest where to relocate. Housing it's a sellers market with homes being sold practically overnight & sometimes with thousands offered over the selling price. You might want to pick major city in the area you want to move to, the Google a map of that part of the state then Google homes for sale in the smaller surrounding towns.

Working from home might work out, only by testing what you have to offer will you know.

And welcome, wishing you a good year ahead & hope you have success in your search to relocate.
 
Welcome DJRR!

I can only speak to the last two places I have lived. Either might fit what you are looking for:

North Florida, near Tallahassee. I really liked this area, decent services in Tallahassee and a lot of low population density rural areas not far away. The Gulf of Mexico is only about an hour's drive. Housing and land costs are below the national average, and Florida is a relatively low tax state. No state income tax. Of course it has hot humid summers and a bit of a red neck culture, but there's air conditioning and winter; and the town is at least somewhat cosmopolitan and diverse. If my wife would go I'd move back in a minute.

Northern Utah, where I currently live. I'm about an hour's drive north of Salt Lake City in a semi-rural area. It is nice here, beautiful mountains very very close and lots of great outdoor things to do. Right now we have lots of snow. Costs here are higher than Florida, but lower than California. One thing to consider is that the local population is about 90% Mormon, even higher in the little town I am in. For me that is no problem, I am not Mormon but get along fine, Mormons are good people. However I know it is hard for some newcomers. Services are better here than in Florida, but taxes are higher.

You probably know that most anywhere in the US is in what appears to be a real estate bubble, prices have risen a lot recently. They may collapse and drop, or may not, who knows.

Best of luck to you, let us know where you end up.
 
Consider moving to the Midwest. Californians and Northeasterners consider us fly over cities.
Do some Googling of different states to find out which ones offer what fits with your interests.
Good luck in finding a place you like. I recommend Minnesota. I've lived here for over 40 years and love it.
 
DJRR said:
Hi folks! I am brand new here, just registered in hope of finding new friends and become part of the community.
First of all, wish a very special and happy new year to all members and family!
I decided to start in general discussions, once I am not sure if there is a better place for my subject, which is, where to relocate within the USA when still planning on doing business and not really into spending way too much for housing and related expenses.
Of couse it all depends on many factors, personal and professional, so i will elaborate a bit.
I am 57 and not retired, own a small family business abroad, lived in the USA for about 6 years and loved it, now planning on relocating back to the US to live near a large city but if possible in a house away from the crowds, where I could still try to work from.
What I'd like to hear from people is how they like where they live, past experiences, pros and cons and perhaps suggestions.
Real estate pros could be of great help I guess. I lived mostlh in CA and NV and like the western USA, don't know much of other places...
Well, thanks for looking and for any input.
Cheers.
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As we age, medical care becomes an important issue, so make sure that wherever you move its close to doctors and emergency medical care. BTW some fire departments can use a hidden lock box to gain entrance in a medical emergency -- you can talk to them about that. You can purchase groceries over the internet, but local shopping would be important. And, to communicate with your overseas business (and Amazon, etc) you would also want to insure that your new dwelling has, or could have, a high speed internet connection.

These days big cities can be dangerous places. I lived in San Francisco at one time, but not now. There are places there where I would not park a car or set foot om the street after dark. Other cities can be equally problematic, so investigate local crime rates. Here is a web site that rates every city and small town in the US on crime and a variety of other useful factors. Since it is run by a real estate company you can also check out the local listings.

https://www.areavibes.com/

My personal preference is coastal central California -- good weather, not too hot, and no snow. On the other hand, prices can be through the roof. Good luck! (-8
 
fuzzybuddy said:
DJJR, welcome. Your problems are solved. I just happen to have this beautiful, er, ah, "waterside" property in Florida. I'm sure we can work something out.
Even if you foolishly turn down this fantastic deal, I'm quite sure anywhere in the USA you choose, it will become home.
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Uhh, not to be critical of Florida, but in my admittedly limited experience it does have a couple of feature that a California boy might not be accustomed to -- humidity and hurricanes. Of course California does have those, uhh, earth tremors. (-8
 
ElCastor said:
Uhh, not to be critical of Florida, but in my admittedly limited experience it does have a couple of feature that a California boy might not be accustomed to -- humidity and hurricanes. Of course California does have those, uhh, earth tremors. (-8
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I lived in Florida briefly. I found it unbelievably hot — it felt way hotter than southern California. Too much for me.

There are also the giant carnivorous lizards (crocodiles? alligators?). Yow.
 
I would choose the southern half of the U.S. unless you like cold, dreary and sometimes snowy weather in the winter up north. Farthest south it can get uncomfortably hot as mentioned, so the middle latitudes would be a place to start.
 
So many factors are personal choice. I could never live in a large city. I like being near the coast. I can not stand cold weather. I have been retired for 24 years, I can not envision having to go to work ever again.
 
Thank you people for so much diverse info, in fact, I was almost positive about relocating to DFW area just before covid, which ruined my plans big time and made me put all on hold...
Big negative about DFW, TX area is high property tax, my savings got pretty much depreciated once USD got almost twice higher in the past year... and paying 2.5 to 3.5% a year on property tax is way to much for me. I was planning on buying a home near a lake in DFW, love to be near the water, swimming and stuff like that.
My current business is related to paving metal bridges, it is a very specialized work. I manufacture and install a special polymer compound which lasts 20 to 30 years of heavy traffic on flat steel plate deck bridges. My family came from Europe, I currently live in Brazil.
I can't retire right now but plan on doing so in the USA, where I believe I could franshise or even sell this technology to a larger group. Anyway, that apart, I would be interested in finding a place where I could afford a home near a lake or so and not too far from a major large city.
Maybe someone could suggest some areas... I like warm places but love snow in the winter too, kinda not too far north neither south...
Zillow is a good starting tool but if I had some good references from people who have lived some place like that, it'd be a great hint. Low crime rates, not too high living cost, etc...
Thank you again for all your attention.
 
Idaho sounds like the perfect place for you! We just moved here about 7 months ago,from Northern California. I am really missing the grandkids but they are only a ten hour drive away.

We are in SW Idaho,about 20 minutes from Boise. Having lived in a very small resort town in California for the past 30 years,it is nice having better access to medical care and not having to leave town to do any kind of shopping.

Lots of lakes here and we get about 15 inches total of snow per year-so enough to be pretty but not enough to keep us housebound.
 
Omaha, Nebraska has a bunch of lake communities, and has a lower cost of living and low crime rate, but the two cities in Nebraska are quite small. I live in Nebraska now but am really wanting to move someplace more lively and sophisticated after I retire.

The states of Maryland and Virginia probably have lake communities, but if near Washington DC then would be very expensive, probably more affordable farther from the city. But the city is awesome. I miss living there, but probably can't afford to live there now.

If you don't mind winter, I'd think Wisconsin might fill some of your qualifications. I never lived there but I know they have lakes because my brother lived there and I remember visiting in winter and finding out they DRIVE on their lakes in wintertime.
 
Mrs. Robinson said:
Idaho sounds like the perfect place for you! We just moved here about 7 months ago,from Northern California. I am really missing the grandkids but they are only a ten hour drive away.

We are in SW Idaho,about 20 minutes from Boise. Having lived in a very small resort town in California for the past 30 years,it is nice having better access to medical care and not having to leave town to do any kind of shopping.

Lots of lakes here and we get about 15 inches total of snow per year-so enough to be pretty but not enough to keep us housebound.
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Thanks for the hint, that is exactly what I'd like to hear, once you are happy living there, even happier than you were when in CA. I am not familiar with that area, must do some research, not sure if Boise is that big of a city but some I need to look into.
Wish you a great 2022 folks!
 
HoneyNut said:
Omaha, Nebraska has a bunch of lake communities, and has a lower cost of living and low crime rate, but the two cities in Nebraska are quite small. I live in Nebraska now but am really wanting to move someplace more lively and sophisticated after I retire.

The states of Maryland and Virginia probably have lake communities, but if near Washington DC then would be very expensive, probably more affordable farther from the city. But the city is awesome. I miss living there, but probably can't afford to live there now.

If you don't mind winter, I'd think Wisconsin might fill some of your qualifications. I never lived there but I know they have lakes because my brother lived there and I remember visiting in winter and finding out they DRIVE on their lakes in wintertime.
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You mean expensive near Washington DC, well my idea would be maybe a bit warmer place in a lake community like you mentioned. Colorado is famous for having 4 distinct seasons but may be too slow and expensive too.
A large and developed city nearby maybe within an hour drive would be good...
 
DJRR said:
Colorado is famous for having 4 distinct seasons but may be too slow and expensive too.
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I'm not sure there are any lakes in Colorado, it is very dry there. When I lived near Denver I had a neighbor who had the water rights of 4 wells on his property and he had a very small lake created for himself. Personally I thought it was a terrible waste of very precious water.
 
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