Post by: Monkeyleg on March 15, 2008, 06:22:21 PM
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?
Post by: cassandra and sara's daddy on March 15, 2008, 06:25:12 PM
Post by: Perd Hapley on March 15, 2008, 07:41:38 PM
Stay in God's country.
Post by: Gewehr98 on March 15, 2008, 07:58:37 PM
This was her first "real" Wisconsin winter, and it about drove her nuts. Serves me right, she was a SoCal girl.
Post by: johnster999 on March 15, 2008, 08:07:09 PM
Post by: Fly320s on March 16, 2008, 03:12:09 AM
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.So, any suggestions on where to start looking?
Is this what you mean:
Post by: Jamisjockey on March 16, 2008, 03:12:45 AM
New Bern, NC
Charlottesville, VA
Post by: lupinus on March 16, 2008, 03:33:24 AM
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.
Post by: mtnbkr on March 16, 2008, 04:21:31 AM
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
Post by: lupinus on March 16, 2008, 10:57:22 AM
Post by: wooderson on March 16, 2008, 11:01:47 AM
Lots of relatively cheap living in Texas.
Post by: El Tejon on March 16, 2008, 11:03:43 AM
In Texas, I came to like Kerrville, and Austin was nice. I may find myself there someday for good.
Post by: The Rabbi on March 16, 2008, 11:05:19 AM
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.
Lots of relatively cheap living in Texas.
Post by: wooderson on March 16, 2008, 11:07:23 AM
Post by: The Rabbi on March 16, 2008, 11:09:16 AM
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.
Post by: El Tejon on March 16, 2008, 11:09:59 AM
Got to be good areas in Memphis though.
Post by: mtnbkr on March 16, 2008, 12:10:26 PM
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
Post by: Scout26 on March 16, 2008, 12:15:28 PM
Post by: Manedwolf on March 16, 2008, 12:17:24 PM
SW Va (Roanoke area): cheap compared to the others, $200k still buys a decent sized home, upwards of 2500sq/ft
Chris
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.
Post by: Monkeyleg on March 16, 2008, 01:08:10 PM
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.
Post by: Fly320s on March 16, 2008, 01:14:37 PM
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.
Post by: Fly320s on March 16, 2008, 01:16:50 PM
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.
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.
Post by: Balog on March 16, 2008, 02:18:40 PM
Post by: mtnbkr on March 16, 2008, 02:47:00 PM
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
Post by: lupinus on March 16, 2008, 04:02:41 PM
Quote
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.
Post by: Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas on March 16, 2008, 04:29:10 PM
Arkansas is chock-full of low-priced property (with trees). If memory serves, southern AR would have more plantation-ish houses.
Post by: Monkeyleg on March 16, 2008, 06:22:03 PM
It had just been renovated with new AC, electric, heat and plumbing. Price was $165,000. My wife wanted to make an offer right away, but the timing obviously wasn't right.
I've been in Knoxville a few times when I've ridden my cycle down to Deal's Gap. The outlying areas of Knoxville can get pretty ugly, but it seems like a nice town.
As for AR, I've still yet to find something other than ranch homes or doublewides.
Post by: Jamisjockey on March 17, 2008, 02:45:50 AM
Fly320s, a mini-plantation house is the ideal. Last year I found one on the internet in Natchez MS. It had the porch with columns that went all the way around the house, high ceilings, tall windows, etc.
.
.
But then you'd have to live in Mississippi.
Post by: El Tejon on March 17, 2008, 04:34:36 AM
Post by: Manedwolf on March 17, 2008, 04:35:11 AM
And wear white suits and those goofy string ties, I say, I say.
And drink mint juleps?
Post by: El Tejon on March 17, 2008, 04:38:15 AM
Post by: Monkeyleg on March 17, 2008, 01:28:12 PM
My wife wants to buy it now.
Looks like there are homes that she'd like in our price range in the South.
Post by: Boomhauer on March 17, 2008, 01:46:22 PM
NC has bad handgun policies, from what I hear.
GA is OK, but running out of water...
Quote
And drink mint juleps?
Mint Juleps have nothing to do with the South, except in the imagination of Yankees.
Post by: MillCreek on March 17, 2008, 02:29:35 PM
I just found this house in Arkansas, about 75 miles northwest of Little Rock.
My wife wants to buy it now.
Looks like there are homes that she'd like in our price range in the South.
My wife wants to buy it now.
Looks like there are homes that she'd like in our price range in the South.
I just looked at this house. This house, if it was within 20 miles of downtown Seattle, would sell for around $ 450,, and possibly more depending on the specific location. Wow, I could sell my existing house, move down there and pay cash and still have a tidy sum left over. Interestingly enough, my parents were born and raised in a college town in NE Arkansas, and only moved up here for the Korean War.
Post by: lupinus on March 17, 2008, 04:20:04 PM
Post by: johnster999 on March 17, 2008, 04:54:18 PM
I just found this house in Arkansas, about 75 miles northwest of Little Rock.
My wife wants to buy it now.
Looks like there are homes that she'd like in our price range in the South.
My wife wants to buy it now.
Looks like there are homes that she'd like in our price range in the South.
Real nice area, that. Does it have some acreage? I couldn't tell from the ad. Note that it is not far from the Nuclear One plant if that matters to you.
Post by: Monkeyleg on March 17, 2008, 06:07:21 PM
Millcreek, if that house was in my neighborhood in Milwaukee, it would sell for $300,000+. If it was in the suburbs, it would be closer to $500,000 or maybe more.
Property taxes on that house are under $500 a year. I pay nearly eight times that for a very small and plain house here.
I'm crossing all my digits that this move can happen in the next 1 to 2 years. No ban on concealed carry, no high taxes, no liberal politicians (I hope), no 19" of snow in a single day. I'm going to miss all that.
Not.
Post by: Boomhauer on March 18, 2008, 04:26:45 AM
Post by: Manedwolf on March 18, 2008, 04:29:43 AM
I just found this house in Arkansas, about 75 miles northwest of Little Rock.
My wife wants to buy it now.
Looks like there are homes that she'd like in our price range in the South.
My wife wants to buy it now.
Looks like there are homes that she'd like in our price range in the South.
Those interior shots were taken with a wide-angle lens. You'd want to visit first.
(Real estate shot standard procedure: Use wide-angle lens just short of a fisheye that widens perspective to make the room look huge. Put camera dead against furthest wall.)
Post by: Monkeyleg on March 18, 2008, 12:28:41 PM
At 2,000 sq. feet, that house is 50% larger than ours. There's no basement, of course, but that seems to be standard no matter where we look.
Post by: Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas on March 18, 2008, 12:37:37 PM
Quote
There's no basement, of course, but that seems to be standard no matter where we look.
Basements are pretty rare in the South as I know it... the consensus is 'all basements flood'. You might bring prices down a tad by fears of 'black mold' and termites, BTW.
Post by: J.J. on March 18, 2008, 08:34:13 PM
That house is beautful on the outside though... *drool*
Post by: mtnbkr on March 19, 2008, 09:10:40 AM
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Roanoke%2C_Virginia_at_night.jpg
I forget sometimes how pretty the Valley is, even when looking at the town itself at night.
Chris
Post by: El Tejon on March 19, 2008, 09:15:23 AM
Where do you Southerners stack the ammo if not in the basement?
Post by: Zardozimo Oprah Bannedalas on March 19, 2008, 09:21:11 AM
Post by: Boomhauer on March 19, 2008, 09:29:43 AM
Quote
No basement?
Where do you Southerners stack the ammo if not in the basement?
Where do you Southerners stack the ammo if not in the basement?
Hey, I've got a basement, so not all Southerners are without one.
It's a cool, dry place after all.
Post by: tokugawa on March 19, 2008, 04:01:23 PM