Where to Move?

[tw422]

Just now, jordan_mccomb said:

As someone who lives in one of the few places with equal/higher housing costs (Vancouver) it can certainly be deflating when looking at buying a house. However, in some sectors, the wages are significantly higher in California and as long as your not in one of the ultra-expensive cities (San Fran, LA, San Diego) net income can actually be similar to many other states. I'd be interested even to hear from some Californians.

Good point however (and I'm based in LA) wages and housing costs are not in line here i.e. increases in housing costs are much higher than increases in wages.  $2M barely gets you something decent in my area unless you want live 2 hrs East of the city.  Even if you are making $400-500K/yr and net after taxes buying a house at that level is tough.  

[jordan_mccomb]

3 minutes ago, tw422 said:

Good point however (and I'm based in LA) wages and housing costs are not in line here i.e. increases in housing costs are much higher than increases in wages.  $2M barely gets you something decent in my area unless you want live 2 hrs East of the city.  Even if you are making $400-500K/yr and net after taxes buying a house at that level is tough.  

Same thing here in Vancouver area. Housing is cheaper then in LA (roughly 1.2-1.5 million for an actual house), but wages are lagging way behind. I always find it funny to hear people complaining about expensive ~500k housing when you can't even get a 1 bed condo near the city for that price here.

[tw422]

6 minutes ago, jordan_mccomb said:

Same thing here in Vancouver area. Housing is cheaper then in LA (roughly 1.2-1.5 million for an actual house), but wages are lagging way behind. I always find it funny to hear people complaining about expensive ~500k housing when you can't even get a 1 bed condo near the city for that price here.

Haha - completely agree.  I've also heard that Vancouver is not cheap (with Toronto/GTA as a close second).  The thing is that while weather here is great but public golf literally is the worst and private golf is exorbitantly expensive.  Add ridiculous housing costs to mix and it's just not a great golf city.  

[Tim_Gavrich]

What about Charlottesville or Richmond? Wilmington (NC) may also be worth considering.

[Rory4Pres]

Have you considered Tulsa, Oklahoma?

 

Being that you are 34 right now...If you move to Tulsa, you can be unhappily married with 4 kids before you hit 40.  For fun, you can go shoot guns at Church retreats.  Speaking of Churches, you shouldn't have a problem finding a Church, there's at least 1 on every city block.  The golf is decent, expect to drive through 2 tole roads and pass 25 churches to whichever course you decide to play that day.

[smashdn]

3 hours ago, Rory4Pres said:

Have you considered Tulsa, Oklahoma?

 

Being that you are 34 right now...If you move to Tulsa, you can be unhappily married with 4 kids before you hit 40.  For fun, you can go shoot guns at Church retreats.  Speaking of Churches, you shouldn't have a problem finding a Church, there's at least 1 on every city block.  The golf is decent, expect to drive through 2 tole roads and pass 25 churches to whichever course you decide to play that day.

 

I was seriously looking at a job in Tulsa.  It didn't seem terrible.  I think I even asked about golf in the oklahoma-kansas et al sub-forum.

 

Didn't seem like much for duck hunting though.

[Rory4Pres]

14 minutes ago, smashdn said:

 

I was seriously looking at a job in Tulsa.  It didn't seem terrible.  I think I even asked about golf in the oklahoma-kansas et al sub-forum.

 

Didn't seem like much for duck hunting though.

where are you living currently?

[smashdn]

14 minutes ago, Rory4Pres said:

where are you living currently?

Southern Ky

[Rory4Pres]

1 minute ago, smashdn said:

Southern Ky

Should be a good option then.  The mexican food is great.

[smashdn]

11 minutes ago, Rory4Pres said:

Should be a good option then.  The mexican food is great.

 

That particular ship has sailed.  It didn't look like a bad place.

[Mike975J]

Look up the bigger cities and see where the breweries and independent coffee shops are. Usually in a couple neighborhoods outside the central biz district. Exurbs are hot right now.

 

Then prioritize climate, population (potential dating pool), golf access and try it for 6 months since you're remote. Can always go back to DC or Ohio

 

I'd check out Decatur / Inman Park in ATL, Scottdale AZ, Plano TX

Edited April 30, 2021 by Mike975J

[Schley]

In viewing where to live, which is a big decision, approach it like making a big decision and identify your priorities and rank them. Create a simple rubric and start awarding points based on your research. Then your decision goes from cloudy and grab bag to have some data to increase your confidence.  Obvious ones:

• Weather
• Job Market
• Proximity to family
• Cost of living / Taxes
• Crime
• School (if you have kids)
• Recreation (golf, etc.)
• Politics
• Healthcare (for those who need specialized care)
• Proximity / distance to urban environment

Most have to start with cost of living as there aren't money trees in the backyard and go from there. Others need proximity to family first or are tired of crime and want to escape that stress. My list will differ from yours and others, which is why you need your list and then do your research. You are going to be the only one affected, so make sure it is the right one.

[1t2golf]

Topic cleaned up. A reminder that political discussions are prohibited.

[dankil13]

On 4/28/2021 at 12:14 PM, jordan_mccomb said:

As someone who lives in one of the few places with equal/higher housing costs (Vancouver) it can certainly be deflating when looking at buying a house. However, in some sectors, the wages are significantly higher in California and as long as your not in one of the ultra-expensive cities (San Fran, LA, San Diego) net income can actually be similar to many other states. I'd be interested even to hear from some Californians.

 

On 4/28/2021 at 12:18 PM, tw422 said:

Good point however (and I'm based in LA) wages and housing costs are not in line here i.e. increases in housing costs are much higher than increases in wages.  $2M barely gets you something decent in my area unless you want live 2 hrs East of the city.  Even if you are making $400-500K/yr and net after taxes buying a house at that level is tough.  

 

Generally in a remote environment you would not get the bump in pay associated with living in a high cost area.  I have a remote employee and their baseline for pay is based on the national average, not the Bay Area, since they choose to live there.  

[BirdieRoll]

I think St Johns county, southeast of Jacksonville, is worth a look. Should check most or all of your boxes.

[caniac6]

I am very biased towards Raleigh. I went to NC State, and lived in Raleigh on another occasion. I worked at Raleigh CC when I was in school, and it was a lot of fun to play. The last course Ross built. It is part of McConnell Golf, and recently underwent a big renovation, and it looks great. Being a member at a McConnell course gives you access to a bunch of courses. Sedgefield, in Greensboro, is one of his courses, and is really good. Raleigh is only an hour from Pinehurst, and the university( State, UNC,& Duke) all have very good courses. 

[Poser]

I live in raleigh some decent courses around the area and you can road trip down to pinehurst to play as well.  Although If you want year round golf your best bet is jacksonville , fl or Orlando.  I travel to jacksonville alot and some great courses as well as some good fishing.

[Pmookie]

On 4/21/2021 at 5:36 PM, JLaws_2929 said:

I would recommend looking into the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill Area, I feel like it checks all your boxes.

 

1.  Warmer than DC

2. I would call mid size, you're going to have a lot of the perks of bigger cities/things to do without as much hassel

3. It is the South but I think you're going to find a lot of people from mid-late twenties to your age who are well educated and who have focused on a career before starting a family

4. I know there are a lot of threads about the private clubs in this area, and sounds like you could pick your ideal club then decide exactly where you'd want to live

 

Side note you'd be an hour and change from Pinehurst/Southern Pines which has amazing golf, could mix in rounds there every weekend if you wanted to.

This was the first spot I thought of too.

[eric61]

I lived in DC for five or six years and am about the same age as OP ... totally get the desire to try somewhere new. 

 

One question I haven't seen answered: Is time zone a big concern? DC already gets up early; not sure if your job requires you to stay on basically the same hours as others you work with who will remain based there. If you moved to the West Coast, would you be looking at having to be answering emails by 4 a.m. and starting your work day by 5 or 6 a.m. every day? If so, I don't think that's a good option, but if not ... I'd be looking hard at some of the places others have recommended in Nevada, Utah, Colorado, etc.

[Beenerpro]

I’m from Texas, love visiting San Antonio, used to live in Austin. I would choose one of the NC suggestions. Austin is not the small town city it used to be. Music is still great but the traffic has gotten very bad, housing prices are gettin way up there, and they have a large homeless population that needs a better solution.

[Pmookie]

You’re a lucky man to get to choose like this! So awesome. I lived in Charlotte for four years after college in the early 90s and LOVED it for golf, singles scene, etc, but I can’t recommend it anymore due to traffic. I’d say somewhere like San Antonio for golf and things to do, but not sure of the singles activities... I hear a TON of people talk about Nashville for young singles, but not sure of golf in that area... If I’m you, I’m probably picking Texas, Florida, or Tennessee JUST because they don’t have state income taxes. I wish you the best of luck, and I’m quite envious!!!

[me05501]

FWIW don’t get too hung up on the state income tax issue. If the state your job is considered to be located in has a state tax you’ll still owe it. I have a a lot of neighbors who live in TN but work in GA and they must pay GA state income tax.  

[willywads]

I lived in Raleigh (and still visit a few times a year) and now live about 40 mins outside Charlotte with pretty good knowledge of the city and closer suburbs.  Let me know if you have any specific questions about either area and if I dont know the answers I have plenty of friends in your our age range that will.

[Kyle M]

On 5/2/2021 at 4:03 PM, me05501 said:

FWIW don’t get too hung up on the state income tax issue. If the state your job is considered to be located in has a state tax you’ll still owe it. I have a a lot of neighbors who live in TN but work in GA and they must pay GA state income tax.  

that is not entirely accurate - if he moves to a no state income tax state and performs his work functions in that state, then he does not have to pay state income tax in whatever state his boss might be located in.  Speaking from experience here.  

[glg1601]

What areas in Tennessee would anyone recommend?

[caeye0710]

On 4/21/2021 at 6:51 PM, golfingnomad199 said:

Thanks JLaws. That was actually one of the areas I was eyeing. Any idea how the Durham/Chapel Hill side is different from the Raleigh side? I have been down to the area, but I was only there for a day and most of it was at night, so I really did not get a good idea. Ideally, somewhere with a good amount of young professionals (not looking to be close to the college or hippie crowd, that is not my style at this point in life). 

Being in RDU, I can help you out here. Raleigh is beautiful. Chapel Hill is beautiful. Durham, while it has it's areas that are decent, definitely not on par with the other areas. 

 

As far as golf, the area of Raleigh, Cary, Holly Springs are going to be top notch for social life and golf life. Plenty of private clubs to join of all levels. 

 

Raleigh

- Raleigh CC

- North Ridge CC

 

Cary

- Prestonwood CC

   - 54 hole design that holds the senior tour SAS Championship. Great tracks but crowded due to high membership.

 

Holly Springs

- Devils Ridge CC 

   - Former member here and loved it. Great practice facility, weekend groups to get into, and awesome track. Very private (and well below your budget) and people understand that a 5 hour       round of golf should never happen

- 12 Oaks

  - Awesome place, very upscale but still below your budget. Much harder track than any other mentioned on here

  - Also a crowded club, but a younger club age wise for the most part

 

Fuquay Varina

- Bentwinds

   - Great place and diverse as far as age goes

   - Always in good condition and fair on dues

   - Unless they've updated in the past few years, I don't remember the driving range being all that good

 

[smashdn]

On 6/9/2021 at 2:43 PM, glg1601 said:

What areas in Tennessee would anyone recommend?

 

Chattanooga or Knoxville appear to have better public options and more accessible private options.  Public golf in Nashville is, imo, not the best given the size of the city, and there are several threads here speaking to waiting lists at the private options.

 

Cookeville area has some courses though I know nothing about them.  The reason I even bring it up is you would be in the middle between Crossville, Knoxville and Nashville if you are inclined to travel for golf or want the fun of a bigger city (not crossville) but not live in one (Cookeville).  Plus Tennessee Tech is in Cookeville so there should be some bars and restaurants where if you get into the much smaller towns that stuff is limited or even non-existent in a dry county. 

 

I hear nothing in the way of good golf from West Tn.

[bcski]

How about Vegas?  Really only 1.5 months where you need to tee off prior to 10 a.m.  Mild winters, can get a lot of house in the outer residential areas for 1700 month.  Golf is very reasonable with tons of choices, CA golf is very close for a weekend or 4 day outing.

 

Even staying clear of the strip, great singles scene in your age bracket...

[golfingnomad199]

On 6/17/2021 at 9:28 AM, bcski said:

How about Vegas?  Really only 1.5 months where you need to tee off prior to 10 a.m.  Mild winters, can get a lot of house in the outer residential areas for 1700 month.  Golf is very reasonable with tons of choices, CA golf is very close for a weekend or 4 day outing.

 

Even staying clear of the strip, great singles scene in your age bracket...

A little late on this, but just revisiting this topic. Would you suggest joining a club in Vegas or just hopping around to public tracks using GolfNow or something along those lines? What part of Vegas (outside the strip) do you think would be good for a single 35 year old? 

[Schley]

So have people done any moves yet? Interesting topic. Several things to consider:

 

1. Water and future access to it, desert makes it unpredictable. This for golf yes, but for habitation long term.

2. Energy costs and specifically electricity. California has had to cut power to deal with widefire threats. That doesn't seem to be going away, until they can bury all their power lines which is probably a decade away or more.

3. Housing costs. Where hasn't it gone up significantly? Inflation is here so once interest rates bump up in 2022 or 2023 we will be in an hyperinflation environment. This is terrible for the older generation who has savings to live off of.