i ask the vintage members this question because there is a good chance many of you have moved a couple times in your lives. what has made a place a good home? ive always lived in a big city and while that seems glamous, there is so much neg energy in the air that it makes me wonder if the opposite wouldn't be better.

 

Liz and I spent most of our lives in New York City, now we're out in the suburbs. The suburbs are just too quiet. We miss the energy of the city.

The only problem with living in a big city today is that in order to do it well you need to have an awful lot of money.

 

I like a place that is within 50 miles of a city. Close enough to have the shopping and entertainment advantages, but far enough out to avoid some of the hassles and be affordable.

A mild climate is good. Wife wants to go to Kentucky and Iowa to visit relations and I keep hollering "Nothing north of Chattanooga between Thanksgiving and Easter!" Central Plains are miserable in both summer and winter and how do you guess which day spring or fall will be?

Next move will probably be to a place with no state income tax.

 

It's an old saying but it's true...home is where the heart is. My heart is in the South. A year ago I was spending the night in the hospital where I work because of Katrina. We live a good 30-60 minute (depending on traffic) out from Jackson, MS where I work. We enjoy space....country roads...but it's quite a commute to shop. MS isn't the best place (I like Northern Georgia), but like I said it's where your heart is...we have family here.

 

Plus, it'll cost more to park your car than to own it!

I'm in the mortgage business and new developers in the City are trying to charge between $100K and $200K for one parking spot. Ridiculous!

 

TN has no state income tax, but sales tax is 8%. Florida has no state income tax, but residence seem to go north for the summer and then there are the hurricans. NC seems like a good state. They don't tax retirement checks... (oh yeah and we could move between where our daughters live as well)....

my $.02

 

I like calling North Carolina home.

 

To a large extent it's where your heart is. Mine is split between here in the DC area (where my parents are also) and eastern NC, two very different places! I spent much of my time growing up down there and plan to retire there someday - I hope it's not too slow a pace for me. I don't find DC negative at all, but I suppose it depends on the city and your own experience.

I was in the suburbs (Falls Church) for a long time when I was married and enjoyed that to some extent, but much prefer living close in. I'm right across from Georgetown now. Love the convenience and the energy (as ralper said). Can walk to stores, some of my fave restaurants, events. For instance, there will be a free music festival on the grounds of the Iwo Jima Memorial/Netherlands Carillon this Sat. It is very expensive living, though (as ralper also said), so you need the bucks. Fortunately, I have a good income and made alot on real estate over the years, so can afford to live where I do. BTW - garage spaces in my building sell for $30K (cheap! ), if you can get one. Parking is at a premium at/near a city, but public transportation (like the DC Metro) can make a big difference. Hope this answer helps...

 

Have lived in a number of states / cities

New York (north of the city)
Illinois twice (Chicago land area)
Missouri (St. Louis area)
Pennsylvania (Philly area)
Minnesota (Minneapolis area)
Texas twice and current (DFW area)

Of all the areas love Texas the best. No state income tax and usually an 8% sales tax. Homes are about the least expensive in the US. You can live in a very nice area for about $90 / sqft. You have a lot of options. Can live in the panhandle and ski or live in the Rio Grand valley and watch the citrus crops grow or live on the Gulf coast.

 

This is a case of being careful about what you ask for. Considerable research is in order.

Florida looked attractive for that reason, but (and I expect this true everywhere) what the state and local governments don't get in income tax they figure out other ways to get somehow. For example, Florida has property tax laws structured to grandfather in long-timers and smack newcomers upside the wallet -- compared to last year, our property tax is up by more than 150% (a factor of 2 1/2). And I discovered that, because I'd bought my S in New Mexico, I had the honor of paying the local version of excise tax to register it here. The list goes on and on. (And on top of this stuff is the fact that the legislature, quite cozy with the various lobbies, has structured the insurance rules to make homeowners policies absurdly expensive.)

So be sure to weigh the alternatives carefully. HPH