Where to buy a house in the US?

[eljefino]

See if your NC friend will take you in as a roommate, it's a great way to get your toes wet and get the feel for the area for a year.

You can, and should, do web development around your working hours. In this world, you've gotta hustle, regardless of if you're in a "low" cost of living area or not. As said, Autozone pays what the local market will bear-- but, luckily, web development is a worldwide market.

 

[Passport1]

Wilmington, NC. Conservative in a conservative state. Great beaches, relatively low cost of living. Wx is pleasant but summers are long and hot. Taxes are very reasonable. Gasoline is always below the US average. Has has a net influx of home buyers. Nothing negative to say about it at all.

And if you are single, listen to some beach music describe the beauty of the Carolina coast.

 

[Al]

Never been there but Wyoming looks great

 

[alarmguy]

....

I’m more conservative so I’d like to move to North Carolina because I have a long time friend there who has a good quality of life there. And I would love to get away from the way CA is going with the way crime is handled (as in, it’s not). But my mother is the opposite… and she’s putting down the down payment so ultimately it’s her choice.
...

Moving to NC is a decision you most likely will never regret. NC and SC are truly mostly the land of the free with SC being a little more free, I love SC but just 2 weeks ago moved into a new home in NC coastal area and enjoying everything about our decision immensely.

You do not mention if you want to be near your long time friend or the area he/she is in.
Also do not know what lifestyle you are looking for but both states offer something to everyone, with one exception, they do not offer high outrageous taxes on your property.

The coastal areas offer everything from solitude to hustle and bustle of on and off season vacation areas.
We chose one in the middle, we are on the outskirts of the built up tourist areas and a stones throw to peaceful beaches, yet I am one to also love the hustle and bustle of the vibrant crowded areas and places to eat, so they are within miles of us. I also love to shop and buy stuff... *LOL*
We are also this year looking forward to boating on the intracoastal waterway and surrounding areas. For the last 15 years we were in the Lake Murray SC area, amazing fresh water lake, 41 miles long and up to 200 feet deep, so clean, it is the drinking water for the state capital. Prevously I have, my entire life before moving south boated the oceans and bays of Long Island NY. Fresh water boating is awesome and boat still looks new, salt water is going to chew it up but Im looking forward to the past that I grew up with and the diversity of sea life.

Moving south was the best decision of my life and that of my family. My kids, now adults, self sufficient, own homes, good jobs have had these opportunities because of the robust growth and employment here. There is a reason the southeast and south is growing by leaps and bounds. NO politics in here.

(Im sure Passport1 above could answer more questions than me)
Oh... and I am looking forward to riding my motorcycle up to and around the coast from the SC borderline to Cape Fear.
Wilmington we are excited to visit, I think about 45 minutes from us, where we are is about 6 miles from N Myrtle Beach.

 

[SeanE]

Idaho or rural Tennessee would be my picks if I were to move

 

[Danh]

Moving to NC is a decision you most likely will never regret. NC and SC are truly mostly the land of the free with SC being a little more free, I love SC but just 2 weeks ago moved into a new home in NC coastal area and enjoying everything about our decision immensely.

You do not mention if you want to be near your long time friend or the area he/she is in.
Also do not know what lifestyle you are looking for but both states offer something to everyone, with one exception, they do not offer high outrageous taxes on your property.

The coastal areas offer everything from solitude to hustle and bustle of on and off season vacation areas.
We chose one in the middle, we are on the outskirts of the built up tourist areas and a stones throw to peaceful beaches, yet I am one to also love the hustle and bustle of the vibrant crowded areas and places to eat, so they are within miles of us. I also love to shop and buy stuff... *LOL*
We are also this year looking forward to boating on the intracoastal waterway and surrounding areas. For the last 15 years we were in the Lake Murray SC area, amazing fresh water lake, 41 miles long and up to 200 feet deep, so clean, it is the drinking water for the state capital. Prevously I have, my entire life before moving south boated the oceans and bays of Long Island NY. Fresh water boating is awesome and boat still looks new, salt water is going to chew it up but Im looking forward to the past that I grew up with and the diversity of sea life.

Moving south was the best decision of my life and that of my family. My kids, now adults, self sufficient, own homes, good jobs have had these opportunities because of the robust growth and employment here. There is a reason the southeast and south is growing by leaps and bounds. NO politics in here.

(Im sure Passport1 above could answer more questions than me)
Oh... and I am looking forward to riding my motorcycle up to and around the coast from the SC borderline to Cape Fear.
Wilmington we are excited to visit, I think about 45 minutes from us, where we are is about 6 miles from N Myrtle Beach.

And as an added benefit you can talk to the locals about the “War of Northern Aggression”.

 

[Passport1]

+1 on alarmguy's comments I live mostly in Wilmington year 'round but have a beach place on North Topsail Island. Spend most of the summers there. Some of the NC coastal towns are touristy in the summer months, lots are not. I get down to South Port once in a while. Like the atmosphere there. BTW, there are some really great car shows in coastal towns during the summer and fall. Sometimes the hot rods just come out of everywhere around here. Seems like the good 'old boys' really like old American iron. Motorcycle riding is excellent here.
Surfers everywhere.

Summertime in NC reminds me of the California beach culture in the '60s.

 

[skyactiv]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Indiana?

 

[BISCUT]

I'm going through this right now only with my wife. My wife wants Florida, the outskirts of Tampa, I'm having second thoughts. My son is there and hates it. I have to find the right house, and I haven't. Crowded, congested, and taxes are rising, three strikes. My wife hates cold weather, I'm not a fan of blistering heat. LOL Good luck OP. Subscribed.

I feel your conundrum on this deeply. Since my late teens/early 20's I've wanted a place in Lincoln, NY or Sugar Hill area of NH. But age gives a different lens. Hard winters at later ages in life isn't promising. I considered Fort Meyers but soo built up and summer heat? Ah, June-August is what I consider brutal and the whole state is sooooo flat IDK if I could handle that. Good luck!

 

[Chris142]

There is a 5 ac lot for sale directly north of me. Crime and noise isn't a problem here. It takes the police at least 45 minutes to get here so any problems we handle and don't need the police

 

[WeyounDS9]

Avoid states that look like they will tip left or are already left.
Thats a quality of life and a Tax and a property rights issue.

 

[JavierH19]

But the real question is work. What about your job, Is it online? if it is then you've struck gold. You can move into a small but not too small rural town in texas or Tennessee. And by that they have like a walmart and a target and few more stores but not one of those dying towns where everyone is moving out since stores are closing and having to get groceries is like an hour long drive or more.

 

[PimTac]

it seems that https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_quality_of_life_indices lack of reality!

well according to forbes.com
View attachment 148100
2 of your initial choices ,portland an north carolina are in there! so, there you go!

Wrong Portland.


Portland Oregon is a dread zone. I would not recommend going there to anyone. Neighborhood Scout rates cities on crime with a scale of 1 to 100. 100 is the safest.

Portland Oregon rating is 1.

https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/or/portland/crime

 

[tyman]

it seems that https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_quality_of_life_indices lack of reality!

well according to forbes.com
View attachment 148100
2 of your initial choices ,portland an north carolina are in there! so, there you go!

Not Portland ME, Portland Oregon.

 

[Dave Hess]

There is a 5 ac lot for sale directly north of me. Crime and noise isn't a problem here. It takes the police at least 45 minutes to get here so any problems we handle and don't need the police

Just like Clint Eastwood in his Wild West movies.

 

[totegoat]

Take a look at property on realtor.com.

 

[demarpaint]

I feel your conundrum on this deeply. Since my late teens/early 20's I've wanted a place in Lincoln, NY or Sugar Hill area of NH. But age gives a different lens. Hard winters at later ages in life isn't promising. I considered Fort Meyers but soo built up and summer heat? Ah, June-August is what I consider brutal and the whole state is sooooo flat IDK if I could handle that. Good luck!

Thanks! Flat, hot, palm trees, which BTW I'm not a fan of, no mountains, and houses in the area my wife likes stacked on top of one another, worse than where I am now. Then I realize with all the construction going on, and the damage from the storm taxes and insurance is going to go up even more. It makes it a tough call, big time. If my son was certain of staying there, and people who said they're moving would go, it would make it easier. LOL but you know how that goes.......I don't want my son to stay in a place he hates because we're there, that isn't fair to him either.

 

[MSCH]

Avoid states that look like they will tip left or are already left.
Thats a quality of life and a Tax and a property rights issue.

Mississippi fits nicely into your worldview...

 

[brianl703]

And as an added benefit you can talk to the locals about the “War of Northern Aggression”.

If it's anything like Virginia, you can also talk to them about all the "come heres" that they think are ruining the state.

 

[BISCUT]

Thanks! Flat, hot, palm trees, which BTW I'm not a fan of, no mountains, and houses in the area my wife likes stacked on top of one another, worse than where I am now. Then I realize with all the construction going on, and the damage from the storm taxes and insurance is going to go up even more. It makes it a tough call, big time. If my son was certain of staying there, and people who said they're moving would go, it would make it easier. LOL but you know how that goes.......I don't want my son to stay in a place he hates because we're there, that isn't fair to him either.

I have a 6th grader, 9th grader, and 11th grader. I'm in a holding pattern to see where we all end up! The area of Fort Meyers/Sanibel Island had me seriously thinking on it but the fall 2022 hurricane crushed that dream. Winter can SUX but at 50 I don't want to deal with that kinda storm. I can't imagine it at an advanced age.