California: Time to hit the road?

[Semi Civil Servant]

I used to work in job placement and I've seen lots of dead broke people who sold out and literally loaded up the station wagon with the kids for the promised land. They were usually in a very bad way by the time they saw me.

But if you have the legitimate resources to do this without ending up dead broke in "alien territory", go for it.

[SantaLuz]

Isn't that the movie where they lose their "Nest Egg" in Vegas?

[knittnmom]

If your job is so stressful that a year of travelling in an RV with 5 children sounds like a relief - it's probably high time to leave!

[Wolfstar]

To sell all, quit my job, buy an RV, leave California and go fulltiming across the USA for a year or so, and find a new home city.

Wish I could afford that. Can I come along? Sigh.

If you can afford to do it, and it's something you think is best for your family, I'd say go for it. [Not that what I say matters in a family decision. :) ]

[Argus]

That's the one. Hilarious.

[Wolfstar]

I'm with Nissan in L.A. too, but am not an FTE. So I don't get the moving assistance and can't afford to move with the company. I'll be out of a job soon. :(

[OKIEDOC]

My niece sold her home in San Francisco and moved to Dallas and says she made a mistake.

The mistake was not moving to Dallas sooner.

Lots of Easterners moving to Las Cruces, New Mexico but the old times are complaining.

Saying the new folks have made the politics way to liberal for the West.

Good Luck in whatever you do.

[Will_Zurmacht]

This has really got me to thinking...

A few more thoughts on midwest/great plains:
Housing costs-If I told you what people can buy a nice family home here for you would be shocked.

Schools-you won't have nearly the hassle you have had with Cali schools. Small town schools are much more likely to work with parents and ignore nonsense from the educrat establishment.

Economics-Everyone out here has a job. But few have really high paying jobs. Out here one has to make an effort to remain unemployed. On the downside there are few "California wage" type jobs. Still, a working guy can support a family. I have several friends and relatives in this situation. Wives take care of kids while Dad works. They don't starve, they watch their budget, but they don't "suffer" with only one wage.
A lot of the folks I know live outside the urban areas in Kansas. (like we have any real "urban" areas..hehe) They commute into KC or Wichita or Topeka. Generally within 15-30 minutes.

If I were seriously considering such a move I guess I might take a few short family trips. Take the kids to Texas or Raleigh, for example. While they are playing you can survey the situation. Talk to locals to get a feel for the community, jobs, hassles, bad neighborhoods, etc. Look for houses and jobs while you are there. What seems good on paper can blow up in your face, and it's much better to waste a week figuring this out than a spending a few years extracting yourself from a nightmare.

[SantaLuz]

If your job is so stressful that a year of travelling in an RV with 5 children sounds like a relief - it's probably high time to leave!

I just repeated that to my wife and she laughed loudly. :-) Actually we have 3 kids, and we seem to get along pretty well most of the time. But we've never traveled for more than 2 weeks together. Who knows after months? We'll get to know each other pretty well for better or worse I'm sure. I did't know my Dad very well when I was younger because he was gone at work a lot of the time. I hope my kids get a chance to know their non-stressed Dad a little better.

[RockinRight]

Dallas and Houston are interesting in that they have the high-paying CA-type jobs you refer to...but the housing costs of Kansas.

[Mrs. Darla Ruth Schwerin]

Very wise choice. Insanity reigns there. My mother was glad we left there, as she saw the craziness a comin...

[fullchroma]

I moved to Nashville 8 years ago having lived in southern California, northern Arizona and, most recently, DC. No regrets, in fact, Hubby and I are extremely happy here.

We've had no unpleasantness with the North/South cultural differences. I like the, sadly diminishing, Southerness of the area. There's a sweetness here. The city is vibrant and rich with culture, color and beautiful parks. Minutes from town we have beautful forests, farmland and lakes.

Come visit!

(I'll try to find a link to the recent study ranking Nashville as #1 place to live.)

[Will_Zurmacht]

True, but I'm just reminded of horror stories from friends that moved to Houston. Houston apparently has a bit of a crime issue and they felt it wasn't a great town for their young children. They're back in Kansas now. He went a lil crazy at 30, decided to go back to law school. Now he's a small town lawyer and the wife takes care of kids.

As for the Big D a cousin of mine moved to Dallas, and it's basically California now, according to him. He rants about traffic from hell, millions of idiots moving in, buffoons running things.

He's still there, so it can't be all that bad..hehe.

[knittnmom]

Oops! I skimmed too quickly and turned your "family of five" into five children. I think my statement still applies, though! We do an annual trip of nine days with our son and his family (he has one little boy), and our adult daughter. By the end of the trip, we're all glad to be home!

[SantaLuz]

RE: www.findyourspot.com

My wife used that site. It's Interesting that it mostly recommended southern cities for her. (A lot in North Carolina, Georgia, and Texas). She is an Arizona girl, so I'm not sure how she'd do in the humidity and with the bugs. She's a big bug ninny. I used to live near Charlston, SC when I was a kid so I have no problems there.

[ladyjane]

Check out a website called www.homefair.com

In it you can get the relative cost-of-living differential. You put in what you make in one city and check out how much you would need to make to live in another city with the same lifestyle. The difference can be huge.

I see you are looking at North Carolina. Good choice. Cost of living is low and the economy is booming. Raleigh might not be the best choice right now. It's right next to Durham - the Somalia of the South with the runaway DA. Other than proximity to Durham Raleigh would be great. Charlotte is another alternative. Economy is booming. Great family town. Greensboro is good too.

[fullchroma]

Kiplinger's names Nashville nation's top 'smart place'

[TheOracleAtLilac]

My 2 cents..

 

I often (daily ?) wonder where I'll move when it becomes intolerable to live in Cal

 

Your timing's all wrong to be buying/driving a motorhome > 3 miles/gallon @ $ 3.30/gallon...

Plus,  if you buy a new motorhome, the depreciation is a killer.

 

Alternate plan:

 

Pick area of country to live.

Sell Cal house

Relo there.

 

Periodically, load up the family sedan/van & take a trip

to a desired destination.

All of America is not worth seeing...but most is.

Plan carefully & don't bother w/ the rust belt, etc.

[SantaLuz]

However, we do think wistfully about how our 79k house in Anaheim is now worth about 400k. Sigh. If we would have waited until now to sell and move to the midwest, we would be able to buy a mansion!

400k? I would guess it's worth at least 600k now. I'd be interested in the midwest, but my wife is really afraid of tornados and hurricanes. She has no problems with earthquakes, since you don't know they're coming. Go figure... But how often do you hear a tornado warning where you live?

[quantfive]

I am partial to New Hampshire since I live here but I also have seen a lot of the country. New Hamphire is the "Live Free or Die" state. No state employee income or sales tax, good people and no traffic snarls. Close enough to Boston to get the city if you want it but has all the hiking, skiing, lakes etc and the air is clean. Colorado is similar and I like that state also but you have the state income and sales tax...