I currently live in California, but it’s literally impossible to afford to buy a house.
Where are some good places to move to? I was thinking about Washington State, but I’m not sure I could handle the snow.
I say move to Philadelphia, buy a bar with a couple friends and reconnect with your rich dad.
The rest will happen organically…
Just live where other people don’t want to live. Living in desirable places drives the prices up.
Upstate New York or maybe Michigan. Just not Buffalo. That is some snow hell at times. As for driving in snow in general? It really isn’t that bad and I moved up here from the South. Just buy good quality tires, or if you are really paranoid, snow tires. I have always regretted my life decisions when I got shitty whatever the crooked mechanics had on sale tires. I have never needed chains in the areas I live in. You cannot be any worse than every other idiot in snow. Promise. You will be fine.
“No snow” and “Affordable housing” are going to be a tricky combo.
Western Washington doesnt tend to get much snow, but it does happen, and housing is averaging around 600k for a 2bd/2ba even out in more suburban areas, so not exactly affordable.
Im also assuming your looking for West coast vibes given the Cali to Washington idea. New Mexico/Arizona/Nevada might match what youre looking for.
Where I live it’s lot of snow and also unaffordable housing.
Tennessee still has some affordable housing in rural areas. Very little snow as well.
Are you prepared for no-flouride water, septic tanks, an awful education system, a sub-tropic climate that seems to get less “sub” every year, more types of pollen than you’ve ever dreamed of, more guns than people, and rampant meth/opioid abuse?
Or consider Rural PA, all the same problems, but with the climate of early 2000s Tennessee!
Don’t forget the discrimination and frequent unreported assaults on queer folks and people of color!
Tennessee: The volunteer (to give up any reasonable expectation at a decent quality of life) state!
Western Washington doesn’t get a lot of snow unless you’re in the mountains.
A friend of mine just moved to California. San Diego. Couldn’t afford a house so he bought a boat and he now lives on the boat. He said the boat is much better than any house. It’s much larger than any house he could maybe afford there and if he doesn’t like San Diego, he could just float away to somewhere else.
Dock slip fees gonna get ya
Just anchor off shore and row in like a pirate. Good exercise too.
This honestly sounds really appealing
How does electricity and sewage work for this? Does their slip have hookups?
I think New Mexico is where it’s at for low/no snow and affordable housing. Not coastal vibes at all, but neither is it anywhere close to Texas feeling. They just kind of have their own thing. Almost anywhere on the I-25 between Albuquerque and Las Cruces might suit your desire.
What’s your issue with snow?
I’ve never lived in it, so I wouldn’t want to be a menace on the icy roads
Don’t worry, loads of people that live in a snowy climate also are a menace on the road.
Can’t be any worse than most of the people who have lived in it their whole lives.
Seriously, I’d take someone new to driving in snowy/icy conditions over someone who has a bunch of misplaced confidence in their driving skills because they’ve “been driving in worse than this for decades!” in a heartbeat.
The newbie is much more likely to actually adapt to the conditions and drive more cautiously.
I have lived in a snow area for decades after moving from California.
Nobody knows how to drive in the snow here. They forget every year, so you will fit right in. Get a car with AWD, leave room to stop, accelerate slowly, no throttle when sliding to regain traction(don’t put your foot to the floor), and keep your tires where others have driven. Snow tires are amazing, but not necessary and are a hassle. Keep a small snow shovel in the trunk and non-folding traction mats if you can. You should also keep a charged jumper pack in your car because the cold don’t give a shit about you needing to start your car.
Get a car with AWD
Be prepared to pay 4x as much when you need a replacement tire (you have to replace all 4)
I’ve never heard of replacing 1 tire. it’s usually in pairs. never been told to replace all 4 with my awd either.
Icy roads are generally ok if you have a front or 4 wheel drive and you know they’re icy so are on high alert and ready to deal with other motorists doing reckless shit which is 99% of the issues you’ll face (like driving their rear wheel drive car round a corner up a hill, then spinning out as they accelerated too hard and ending up sliding back down the road towards you, which happened to me but as I was driving reasonably I just pulled over to the side)
What you’ve gotta watch out for is wet leaves though… Sounds innocent enough but in the wrong conditions they’re as slippy as if not more than ice and because usually they’re fine your brain just dismisses them until the day you slide/spin on them
I’ve lived in Washington State (western) for 4 years total and have seen exactly 10 days of snow the entire time I’ve been here. Houses are still 3-400k. I want to move either closer to SeaTac or down to Vancouver because I bought a house in an area with a lot of flags on trucks if you catch my drift. We have more cloudy days than anything. We get lots of rain but it’s mostly just clouds and drizzles.
That’s my ideal weather. But, yeah, I need to be near a metro area to be happy
I’d personally recommend Vancouver then. Lived there in an apartment for a year and it was a nice mix of urban, suburban and rural. Basically drive 15 minutes in any direction and you’re in a new biome. Personally looking to move back there once I get a new job and sell the house.
I’ve just assumed I’d be priced out of, well anything, there. But I’ve certainly considered it. Haven’t been there in quite a long time though. I should visit there again
You want less snow than Seattle??
Nowhere can you buy an affordable house, unless you move out to middle of nowhere. I’ve heard they’re still affordable in Appalachia
I live in appalachia, come on in! Cheap real estate and beautiful scenery. Seen houses in my small town for 40,000$. Jobs that pay well can be hard to find, but if you don’t mind traveling, or can work from home I’d recommend it.
Fuck off! We don’t want more people here! And the affordable houses have been abandoned for a decade and are just foundations without any copper wiring or pipes.
“here” as if I didn’t name a third of the nation with “Appalachia”
Find a purple voting district, move there and vote blue - the republicans need more social services to use regularly while they complain about people expecting “handouts”
Arizona. I plan on evacuating California too and Arizona is the most decent close place I have looked into. Vegas has already become too expensive unfortunately.
The thing that everyone complains and deters it for is the heat. We have had heat in California thats in the upper 90s before and I survived so I will take my chances. Good luck escaping California.
I did this. I’m currently in Phoenix. Yes, it gets hot, but it’s really not a deterrent. There’s certainly still affordable housing here too, especially if you’re okay with manufactured housing.
Split the difference. Go somewhere in northern CA or southern OR (Portland is pricy too).
People in Washington strongly dislike Californians
We actually bitch about everyone, just not to their face.
I’ve seen bumper stickers that literally say California go home when I visit Port Angeles
I don’t know, Seattle and Tacoma will openly bitch about each other to their faces.
Haha, oh well. I’m staying anyway, to admire your beautiful scenery, pay people properly for good work and to enjoy a good coffee occasionally.
A lot of people are staying anyway hence the housing market lol
Yeah it’s kinda bad. I’m saving up for a year or two to add to the down payment, the mortgage rates kinda suck.
Regarding that last sentence, teenage me would just gawk at the rEsPoNsIbLe adult I’ve become 😂