I have been casually considered a change. The Wife and I are often disgusted with the way that California politicians are taking us further and further to the LEFT. People on the right can vote all we want but we seem to be getting outnumbered more and more each election cycle. Add to that the increasing tax burdens we face, higher gas prices, increased traffic, etc...
The weather here is fantastic though. The scenery is great. We are close to mountains, close to lakes and rivers, close to the coast and San Francisco even though we rarely go.
For years, I have wondered why people in cold climates continue to stay there when there are so many places they could live where it is so much more comfortable. I have come to realize that FAMILY often tethers people to their home state. I understand that sometimes younger people will leave one state to take a job in another with the intention of maybe moving back "home someday".
That is not the case here. I have a couple of years before I can retire with a full pension. The Wife makes good money and can work from home anywhere with a good internet connection. Wherever we might move isn't something I'd see as temporary. I am not certain that we would leave. Right now we are just looking at options.
We are in agreement about what we want. We like green grass, rolling hills, lots of trees and maybe even water on the land either in the form of small streams or a pond.
The weather needs to be reasonably similar to Sacramento CA. No heavy snow, no high humidity and no 120 degree Summers. We would prefer property with at least 10 acres. The Wife looked at Zillow listings and found all sorts of properties in Tennessee that seem to meet the criteria. The state sales tax is actually higher there than in CA! What??? a 7% state tax with an average 2.45 local tax for a 9.45 % average! Here where I am it is 7.75%. The property taxes are lower though. I'd imagine gas prices are too.
I do recall members here that were once California residents that moved away. I have heard of several people that relocated to Idaho. What do you know about that state? I love the spirit of Texas but if it looks as flat and barren as most of Nevada or Arizona, I'll politely decline.
To those that did move, was it difficult to adjust? Did you have any regrets? I've lived here since I was 2 years old so this is not an easy thing to decide. The Wife left family in Arizona to move here. Moving again would not be as difficult for her.
