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Where to move?

This was my thought, if you are otherwise happy with the area. I visited Sisters, Ore, with my xdh and it was dry as hell - I went thru so much chapstick and lotion :rofl:

If you have other reasons for moving, then they wont suit as well. I am also tired of rain and mud, and I am in the rain shadow! But I also lived in Alabama and not only is there tornadoes and hurricanes, but lots of rain and mud there too (in parts with clay “gumbo” soil).

Shoot, prices in Central OR are pretty similar to the valley these days, which are out of control. Climate wise I’d enjoy it more than here, but that’s about the only draw for me. We’d like to try a different state.

@Ponycatraz I kind of assume anywhere with very cheap land is probably not going to be within commuting distance of decent paying jobs. Unfortunately, DH can’t work remotely, so… it might be a challenge to find the trifecta. :roll_eyes:

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Eastern WA is pretty dry compared to the rest of the state. It seems like everything considered mid- west and beyond( going east) is just saturated with rain for years now . I know we are. It didn’t used to be this way.

that pretty much limits to where you can move. Where can he be or where does he have to be? Start with those areas then shorten the list (if there is a list)

When I was in outside sales, at first I was required to be within the territory, which was altered to just being near a major airport (and near was never defined)

He is in a trade, so technically could go anywhere and find work, but the decent paying jobs exist mostly near midsized or bigger cities.

I grew up in Seattle.
I live in Virginia now, absolutely love it. There’s actually a large group of ex-PNW horse people living here. I see Seattle Seahawks stickers on the daily :joy: My trainer from when I was a child now lives about an hour away. Small world!

The winters are comparable to the PNW in temperature but way less rain. Not in overall accumulation, but in the fact that it rains and it’s done. I had SAD growing up and really struggled with it, and here I have zero issues. The summers are humid and hot, but really only last June-mid august so it’s tolerable. Spring and fall are lovely, and it’s not uncommon that I don’t even need to feed hay until mid November because the grass is still growing. Last winter was a brutal one; we had snow on the ground for a month straight where I live. But that was very weird and not common. It usually snows, looks nice for a day or two, and melts.

Anyone from the PNW will understand that Halloween is always cold and raining. Not here. I was shocked when I saw children trick or treating outside in perfect 55 degree weather on a beautiful sunny day, with lovely fall foliage above. It looked like a movie. That’s what sold me. I realized that place that I always had dreamed of living was here.

Horse scene is probably the strongest in the country following Florida.

Maryland is excellent too and actually a little cheaper than VA now. If you don’t need to be by a big city, southern PA is comparable and even cheaper.

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The thing about southern PA is taxes. I never had to pay anything but income tax when I lived in VA, so I don’t have the best bearing on that. But my parents in PA pay a lot more in taxes on properties of lesser values than we do in MD.

PA’s cost of living has always seemed a bit out of whack to me.

that is directly connected to the area’s cost of living …lower cost of living requires less income to remain at same level

By that map, we should all move to SoCal!

Taxes are funny. With some places, it feels like the taxes aren’t really improving things. With others, you get what you pay for. If the taxes are actually used to improve roads, houses, keep people off the street, get addicts help, than that means less robbery, theft, and more safety (plus less guilt, if you’re like me). I’ll pay for that! But, if it’s just going to line pockets, I’ll stay right here in Florida where the tourists and sales tax pay for most things.

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I agree. And I’m not the most financially minded person; I’m not really “in to” money stuff in the way some people are (like my father). My best gauge is how much disposable income I have to waste on my horses. :joy:

I can only speak from my own experience. But I felt like in PA you got heavily taxed in several areas without a lot to show for it.

PA has plenty of great aspects. Not bashing it at all. The southeastern part is horse heaven. But I think the Pennsyltucky nature of the state makes it appear artificially affordable. The rural parts are dirt cheap because there is little to no infrastructure. The cities are very large yet not as desirable to live in as other comparably sized cities, keeping housing prices in check. So the people in the suburbs absorb the bulk of the cost. Then you have a gazllion townships, boroughs, school districts, etc. with their own taxes and own regulations that just make things extra confusing.

When I moved from PA to TN in 2006, I felt my cost of living improve significantly. When I moved from TN to MD in 2017, I didn’t feel like my cost of living changed much despite MD receiving a reputation as one of the most expensive states in he country to live in.

I’ve never lived in PA so had no idea about the property tax. Maybe that’s why a 800k property in Maryland suddenly is like 400k over the PA border.
I know several people who moved up there to escape the crazy housing costs of NOVA. I’ll have to ask them what their taxes are like…

I love California and as soon as I become a billionaire who can buy out all the neighbors around me so I can pretend there’s less people in that state I will be living there :joy:

Sisters is a really nice area. I have friends who relocated there as well. I’m looking to get out of here too, sick of the rain and mud and most of all, the Traffic! Where I am, an Amazon warehouse is going in, a Costco (with gas station), and a lot of “industrial parks” on what used to be hay fields. Plus, these are all on two lane roads! The traffic is already bad in those areas, what do they think is going to happen once the Amazon is up and running? I’m sick of it.

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:joy: VA sounds like the place to be for PNW’ers.

@Spudsmyguy I hope this thread gives you some ideas if you’re considering out of state. I’m dreaming of the desert today, it was high 30’s out when I fed this AM and I haven’t broken out the winter clothes yet.

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I just need someplace where my DH can find work. He’s a drywall contractor and specializes in home remodels. I can do my job from anywhere as long as I have high speed internet. My family are all in the New England area and I’d love to move there and have done some casual home shopping in Vermont and upstate MA/NY. Not much in the way of horse property available.

Adding this site, much more user-friendly than poring thru wunderground!

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Yikes, where are you??

As someone who used to do the IT admin work for the Wunderground many years ago, and still has a major soft spot for it, I fully agree!

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