Suggest a state/town to move to

[Monkeyleg]

My wife has wanted for years to move to the South. I've been trying to make that possible by concentrating on earning my living 100% from the internet.

It's looking like that goal is getting closer, perhaps a year away or less.

So...where to move?

My niece bought a condo in northwestern AR for $90,000 and pays $600 a year in property taxes. An old range buddy of mine moved to northern AR a few years ago, bought a small ranch for about $75,000 and pays $500 a year in property taxes.

Oleg and the Rabbi have suggested that I take a good look at TN. No state income tax, and much lower property taxes than here in tax-hell Wisconsin.

I've been looking at real estate online in a number of areas: northern AR, Nashville, Savannah, Natchez MS, etc. The homes I find in AR are very affordable but lack the character my wife would like: quintessential southern style with a large porch with columns, high windows, etc. All I'm seeing are ranches.

Home prices around Nashville seem to be on a par with Milwaukee, or even higher. Maybe there's some areas that are less expensive.

I found some homes in the Natchez area, but the crime and poverty rate there is very high.

So, any suggestions on where to start looking?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

virginia might not be far enough south for ya. but i like it  not too warm not too cold in my old age

[Perd Hapley]

Moving South?  Are you nuts?  It's hot down there.     Stay in God's country. 

[Gewehr98]

Wife's pimping me to move to Arizona - maybe near Scottsdale or so...

This was her first "real" Wisconsin winter, and it about drove her nuts.  Serves me right, she was a SoCal girl. 

[johnster999]

I'm living in NW Arkansas. I like it. The local economy is growing nicely. You can still find decent homes for decent prices out in the hills if that's what you want. I work entirely via the internet and use a Cox cable connection. Of course, some of the smaller communities don't have broadband yet. Property taxes aren't all that high but there is a state income tax.

[Fly320s]

my wife would like: quintessential southern style with a large porch with columns, high windows, etc.

So, any suggestions on where to start looking?

I think you'll need to look more south and east.  Try Georgia, SC, and Alabama.

Is this what you mean:

[Jamisjockey]

Carey, NC

New Bern, NC

Charlottesville, VA

[lupinus]

Upstate SC is beautiful.  It's a nice mix.  You have Greenville (and to lessor extents, Anderson) areas if you want more big town/city type life.  And you have some really nice rural places as well, it's a damn fine mix IMO.  And Atlanta is round about two hours depending where you go exactly if you really need something from a big city.

Property values are very good as are taxes and people are pretty darned friendly.  Also our gun laws are pretty good, CCW laws are good but could be better, and are getting there..  From the looks of things we will have campus carry soon.  Training for a CWP consists of a day long class, a few bucks, and a three month tops wait.

All in all it's a very nice place to live, I sure like it, and won my bet when I moved south.

[mtnbkr]

Knoxville, TN (maybe Nashville area, but I like the mtns): No clue on home prices
Raleigh/Cary/outlying burbs, NC: gonna be pricey
Boone/Asheville, NC: No clue on prices
SW Va (Roanoke area): cheap compared to the others, $200k still buys a decent sized home, upwards of 2500sq/ft

Chris

[lupinus]

Down here you can buy a decent house for 100K give or take, and depending where exactly.  If you go to one of the more rural areas it's much cheaper.  Nice manufactured/double wides you can get very cheaply and them suckers are nice and new, not trailer trash crap.

[wooderson]

If I were going to move to somewhere in the traditional South, it would be Memphis, maybe Asheville (even with the hippies). But I couldn't deal with living in the sticks, so my choices are limited.

Lots of relatively cheap living in Texas.

[El Tejon]

I liked Knoxville when I was there but I needed time to acclimate myself to the pollen.  It was so think I thought that people were too lazy to wash their cars.  The pollen was so thick that hso wrote his name in the pollen on his hottub cover.

In Texas, I came to like Kerrville, and Austin was nice.  I may find myself there someday for good.

[The Rabbi]

If I were going to move to somewhere in the traditional South, it would be Memphis, maybe Asheville (even with the hippies). But I couldn't deal with living in the sticks, so my choices are limited.

Lots of relatively cheap living in Texas.

A person would have to be a masochist to want to move to Memphis.  That's like wanting to move to Detroit.

[wooderson]

I've also considered that, actually. And Cleveland.

[The Rabbi]

I've also considered that, actually. And Cleveland.

I'd strongly recommend Detroit.  Great weather, wonderful economy, and you can get lots of practice with your carry gun.  Cheap housing too, especially around the down town area.

[El Tejon]

Ahhh, Memphis, where my martial arts club was routinely awakened by the sound of gunfire in downtown Memphis.

Got to be good areas in Memphis though.

[mtnbkr]

I liked Knoxville when I was there but I needed time to acclimate myself to the pollen.  It was so think I thought that people were too lazy to wash their cars.  The pollen was so thick that hso wrote his name in the pollen on his hottub cover.

It's that bad all over the South during pollen season.  I've washed my car and could write my name on it the next day.  Pine pollen is the worst though.  I went walking in the woods of piedmont NC one spring when the pines were releasing pollen and I was kicking up yellow clouds as I walked along...

One day, I want to get back to Nashville and see what it's like.  I lived in Columbia from '81 to '87.  Friend of mine lived on an old plantation outside of Spring Hill.  Neat place...

I put Roanoke, Va on the bottom of my list, but it's actually the place I'd go to first if given the chance.  It has all of what I want out of a town. 

Chris

[Scout26]

Errr, Chicago.....

[Manedwolf]

SW Va (Roanoke area): cheap compared to the others, $200k still buys a decent sized home, upwards of 2500sq/ft
Chris

In New England, $200k gets you a 1000sq/ft condo in a bad area. And an old one dating back to the 80's condo boom, at that.

Wow.

Training for a CWP consists of a day long class, a few bucks, and a three month tops wait.

Three months is unacceptable to me. Here, it's $10, no class needed, and less than a week. That's not "good" gun laws at all in SC, if that's the case.

[Monkeyleg]

Fly320s, I think that house is a bit out of our price range.

I checked the Knoxville area, and found some homes my wife likes that are in our price range (which is to say, cheap).

Here's one http://www.knoxhouses.com/kh_ppup.php?mls_id=568764. The exterior isn't classic southern, but the interior is beautiful.

Everything I've found in AR is ranch style homes. I wonder if there are any older homes with character.

[Fly320s]

Monkeyleg,

If you like hills and mountains, take a look at east TN.  I lived in Knoxville (Maryville) for several years.  It is a nice, small city just southwest of Knoxville and about 30 minutes from Smokey Mountain National Park.

Housing runs from cheap to  - who around here can afford that?

Lots of little towns and open areas is you want more elbow room.

[Fly320s]

Fly320s, I think that house is a bit out of our price range.

I checked the Knoxville area, and found some homes my wife likes that are in our price range (which is to say, cheap).

Here's one http://www.knoxhouses.com/kh_ppup.php?mls_id=568764. The exterior isn't classic southern, but the interior is beautiful.

Everything I've found in AR is ranch style homes. I wonder if there are any older homes with character.

Oh.  Yeah, there are lots of those style houses in TN.

When I read "large porch with columns," I thought about the plantation-style of house.

[Balog]

Any of these places that aren't super humid and hot in the summer?

[mtnbkr]

Any of these places that aren't super humid and hot in the summer?

It has been a while since I was there, but I recall Western NC (Asheville, Boone, etc) being fairly mild in the summer, at least compared to the other places I listed.

If heat and humidity are a problem, stay away from the Raleigh area and SW Va if Roanoke is the destination.  Roanoke is in a valley that absolutely traps humid air.  The surrounding mountains aren't bad, but down in the valley conditions can be hell July and August.  One summer, a friend and I decided to do a time trial/hill climb up Roanoke Mountain.  It was the first time I nearly puked from exertion while cycling.

Chris

[lupinus]

Three months is unacceptable to me. Here, it's $10, no class needed, and less than a week. That's not "good" gun laws at all in SC, if that's the case.

Never said there wasn't better lol.  But it's a hell of a lot better then most places.  Three months is the tops processing time allowed by law, normally doesn't take that long to my understanding.