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Post by LetsGo on Jan 26, 2020 7:04:13 GMT -8
Good Morning,
I thought it would be an interesting discussion to ask how folks on this forum have decided where to live. Was your decision based on outdoor activities?
For instance, we live in VT now but I really like the beauty of the Wyoming, Utah area. It's hard to move away from friends and family. Many people who make a move like that end up moving back home a few years later.
Anyway, if you've struggled with this sort of decision, how did you decide?
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Jan 26, 2020 7:09:19 GMT -8
Moved several times. Decision was based upon several things - primarily for my kids' future, but things like being close to nature in an environment that has "four seasons" was important. It was "awkward", moving to a new community for about two months, and then it became "home" and we haven't looked back. I'm always interested in moving to a new location, but with kids...I think less moving is better, unless stress dictates that it's time to move on.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jan 26, 2020 7:14:03 GMT -8
I'm retired now, but during my working life I lived many places: Tennessee, Wyoming, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Oregon. I grew up in Ky, and had grandparents in Kansas where we vacationed frequently. During all of my work travels, I made it a point to visit as many things as possible in the region. Several areas made the "This would be OK to live in after Retirement" list. In the end, I now live in Florida, where I never imagined I would be. The decision was made for me, because of things beyond my control. If they ever change, I will be back in the West somewhere.
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Post by bradmacmt on Jan 26, 2020 7:40:22 GMT -8
If they ever change, I will be back in the West somewhere. Zeke, where would you live in the West were you to move back?
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Post by bradmacmt on Jan 26, 2020 7:40:54 GMT -8
Anyway, if you've struggled with this sort of decision, how did you decide? How old are you? Married? Children?
Where in VT are you currently located?
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Post by LetsGo on Jan 26, 2020 7:54:29 GMT -8
I'm about to turn 49, no matter how hard I fight it.
Married with two children, 21 and 16. Currently living in central VT.
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Post by Lamebeaver on Jan 26, 2020 8:07:39 GMT -8
I would have happily lived anywhere in the Rockies, but Denver had the most job opportunities. I've been here 30 years now.
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Hungry Jack
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Post by Hungry Jack on Jan 26, 2020 8:10:59 GMT -8
I have spent most of my life in Chicago, which I think is a great city, as far as cities go. I attended college here (Northwestern). My wife is from here. Our jobs are here (getting close to be able to retire), and I think my son likely will attend high school here (he's 9). Then I think we will move, or perhaps split time between Chicago (summer) and Santa Barbara (winter).
I love Chicago's vibrant urban life and the Midwestern ethos, but I have significant concerns about Illinois' long term fiscal outlook. I think we will probably exit.
Most of my wanderings have been employment-driven. I have lived in Budapest (one year), Boston (one year), Paris (3 mos as a grad student), and worked extensively in Singapore, Barcelona, Cleveland, and Decatur, IL. One of those (or two) is not like the other.
In retirement, I would like to live in a smaller city, ideally with a university nearby, and an educated populace, and a decent airport. More importantly, I would like a place where I could ride my road and gravel bikes year-round (or at least 8 months), camp, hike and backpack (without having to travel 5 hours or more), and generally spend a lot of time outdoors.
Santa Barbara is near the top of the list. We have visited family there often. Rapid City, SD is intriguing, though I don't think Mrs. Jack would go for it. I loved the Black Hills when I visited a few years ago. Bend, OR might be another. I'd consider Marfa/Alpine TX, though Mrs. Jack would not. Tucson, Santa Fe, CO Springs, Prescott would all probably qualify.
In the end, Mrs. Jack will have a lot to say about this, which is fine. Will probably be Santa Barbara.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Jan 26, 2020 8:25:11 GMT -8
bradmacmt, I have given this some thought. Cost of Living would be a factor, as I am not so flush that housing wouldn't need to be considered. That said, it would need to be in Washington, Oregon, or possibly rural Colorado. Bend is one town I am familiar with. A major airport within 2-3 hours would be required. Port Angeles, or Anacortes, are also under consideration. I once thought I wanted to live in Flagstaff to be close to the Canyon, but not any longer. I have family in Tucson, but don't need move there, or to be that close.
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balzaccom
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Waiting for spring...
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Post by balzaccom on Jan 26, 2020 8:29:44 GMT -8
Lots to unpack here. We're looking at some of the same issues...
We moved to wine country in California forty years ago for my wife's work--she was working as a chef.
Forty years later she hasn't worked as a chef for about thirty years, but I started working in the wine business and have recently retired.
Our teo kids are grown and gone far away, and our house was large then and is enormous now. And we bought it twenty-five years ago, so it is fully paid for and worth five times what we paid for it. And our property taxes are tiny--based on the original purchase price.
We'd like to downsize, but buying a smaller house in this same community would mean a massive increase in property taxes. Selling the house and moving to somewhere far less expensive would mean paying a huge chunk of capital gains taxes...neither is that appealing.
Upon the advice of a good friend and local realtor, we've started tidying up the house for sale...and falling in love with it all over again.
But all that said, we do like the Southwest and have spent hours on line looking at houses in and around Cortez, CO; Farmington and Santa Fe, NM; Flagstaff and Cottonwood, AZ; and Southwest Utah...
But we worry about cold winter weather and hot summer weather. We worry about joining a small community dominated by local churches. And we worry about a community where the best food and wine might be the truck stop in the interstate...
So we sit in our too big house and spend hours on the internet...
We're hoping to spend some time in some if these towns this spring...
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Post by bluefish on Jan 26, 2020 8:39:10 GMT -8
I've lived in or within a few miles of Vt. for 34 years. Before that I lived in the Sierra, on a pass in Nevada, and up a canyon in Az. I chose Vt. for outdoor activities and the people. Though I own land in NM, and almost bought a place back in the Sierra, We've chosen to stick it out. Though I've visited every state, it's hard for me to compare summer in Vt. to anywhere else, especially where it's a mix of pasture and mountains like where I live outside of Arlington. I have hundreds of miles of trails a short drive away, and plenty of great trout fishing right out my door. What may hold me the most is the coast, which ain't all that far. 3 1/2 hrs. puts me anywhere from Cape Ann, Ma to Portland. I'm an avid, avid, avid Saltwater fly fisherman, so the incredible striped bass fishery makes it hard for me to leave proximity to it. What sealed the deal was building a house exactly the way I wanted it, extremely efficient, and every facet done by myself. It'd be hard to leave this house and the incredible people that have become like family and call my gorgeous area home. One of my favorite mountains of all time is Camel's Hump. I get along with real Vermonters and transplants. It may be the friendliest place I've ever been. Southern hospitality is all smiles to me, they don't get under your vehicle in 6 inches of slush to help you wire up a broken exhaust pipe. Life in Vt. isn't always easy, but it has rewards. Where else could you get drag started by a skidder, drink coffee by the woodstove in the general store, and have the roadside ditches all look like they were painted from Monet's gardens?
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Hungry Jack
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Living and dying in 3/4 time...
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Post by Hungry Jack on Jan 26, 2020 8:40:38 GMT -8
Lots to unpack here. We're looking at some of the same issues... We moved to wine country in California forty years ago for my wife's work--she was working as a chef. Forty years later she hasn't worked as a chef for about thirty years, but I started working in the wine business and have recently retired. Our teo kids are grown and gone far away, and our house was large then and is enormous now. And we bought it twenty-five years ago, so it is fully paid for and worth five times what we paid for it. And our property taxes are tiny--based on the original purchase price. We'd like to downsize, but buying a smaller house in this same community would mean a massive increase in property taxes. Selling the house and moving to somewhere far less expensive would mean paying a huge chunk of capital gains taxes...neither is that appealing. Upon the advice of a good friend and local realtor, we've started tidying up the house for sale...and falling in love with it all over again. But all that said, we do like the Southwest and have spent hours on line looking at houses in and around Cortez, CO; Farmington and Santa Fe, NM; Flagstaff and Cottonwood, AZ; and Southwest Utah... But we worry about cold winter weather and hot summer weather. We worry about joining a small community dominated by local churches. And we worry about a community where the best food and wine might be the truck stop in the interstate... So we sit in our too big house and spend hours on the internet... We're hoping to spend some time in some if these towns this spring... You should check out Prescott, AZ. You should be able to exclude $500,000 in capital gains on your home if you file jointly.
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Post by LetsGo on Jan 26, 2020 8:46:56 GMT -8
But all that said, we do like the Southwest and have spent hours on line looking at houses in and around Cortez, CO; Farmington and Santa Fe, NM; Flagstaff and Cottonwood, AZ; and Southwest Utah... But we worry about cold winter weather and hot summer weather. We worry about joining a small community dominated by local churches. And we worry about a community where the best food and wine might be the truck stop in the interstate... Ha ha. No matter what we choose there will always seem to be something missing. Maybe not for everyone, but most of us will continually be chasing greener pastures. So we sit in our too big house and spend hours on the internet... You nailed it... I do the same. Good luck with it.
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Jan 26, 2020 9:31:59 GMT -8
We have been through this, and will eventually again. Like Zeke, whenever we travel, we look at towns to think about whether we could live there. We made a start last year at experimenting with living somewhere for a few months, though Hallowell, ME, wasn’t actually on our list (it was where our friends lived, and we rented space from them, so...). As it happened, when we moved away from SF, our decision about where to go for now was made for us—we moved to where my husbands parents are, to offer support in their final years. But eventually we may look at moving on. Unlike Tigger, I’ve not done a good job of integrating myself into the community (my husband is doing a little better, and has made a small start while I have stayed at home with my writing), and don’t really expect to find it easy anywhere. balzaccom, we dealt with the capital gains in a very satisfying way: we made a donation to my husband’s department at the university in an amount that offset the gains. I was horrified at first at giving away that much money, but the reality is that even a few years before we had anticipated getting about 200K less for the house than we sold it for. So the money we gave away was... unreal. Still left plenty to buy in another, more reasonable place.
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driftwoody
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Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Jan 26, 2020 9:34:08 GMT -8
Currently living in central VT. My wife and I vacationed in Vermont last September, in the "Duck & Dog" rental house near Goshen (southwestern part of Moosalamoo). This was a 16+ hour drive from our home west of Chicago. You're a lot closer to great hiking than I am. Lived in Chicagoland all my life, except for college days in Southern Illinois. Family and work here. Never seriously considered moving elsewhere. Grew up near Midway Airport, now live in unincorporated Downers Grove just off I-355. After retirement (~4 years from now) considering moving to North Carolina, preferably close to the western mountains where we love to hike. A lot depends on my wife's daughter and 4 grandkids. Can't imagine being 10 hours away, especially while the kids are little and Grammy is often needed.
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