Where to live suggestions

[internut33]

Anyone have any advice for a warm weathered location with things to do for a 26-28 year old to live w/ affordable housing?

Thinking of picking up and moving in the next two years and trying to figure out where to head. Currently near Baltimore, MD. Too cold here and housing is nuts.

[Taza Tikha]

Phoenix? Santa Fe? You can be like the characters in Rent..."We'll open up a restaurant in Santa Fe...."

[Saranoh]

I don't know if this is warm enough for you, but have you looked into the Raleigh area of North Carolina? There are tons of jobs, very very affordable housing, great schools, and a nice climate. My husband and I just bought an 1890 square foot house with a fabulous yard in a fabulous neighborhood in a very very desirable area of town for 188k. Talk about cheap!!! It is ridiculously affordable here, and jobs pay really well too. Check it out!

[internut33]

Good call & thanks guys. I just started researching Phoenix / AZ earlier today. And have checked out South Carolina.

Congrats on the home purchase to you! Sounds like what I want.

[Larry David]

Santa Fe really isn't that warm. People think it is because it is in the southwest, but it is very high elevation and in the mountains, a lot like Denver. Even in the summer it doesn't get very warm there and they get quite a bit of snow in the winter.

If cheapness and warmth is all that matters, I would recommend anywhere along the Gulf Coast between FL and TX, South Carolina (as somebody else recommended), Georgia, or Florida north of Orlando, including the panhandle (most of South FL is becoming very overpriced, except maybe for the southwest coast around Ft. Myers), and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona.

[internut33]

Yeah I was considering Florida, but I'm hearing stay away & prices are getting "pricey".

NC looks good, something like:

http://www.homeseekers.com/Scripts/detail.asp?_org_id=hpwr&_uid=DF026F44-51E1-4F43-A3E5-AED93238D953&_current=72&mls_property_id=787896

[Saranoh]

Ok that house you just posted a link to is crazy cheap even for here. I couldn't tell what area it is in but I am guessing in a not-so-nice one. The nicer areas here will run you in the neighborhood of $90-120/square foot. That will get you a nice house in a safe neighborhood on around a .25 acre lot. You can find alot of variations in price but that is a good ballpark. In my opinion the most desirable areas around Raleigh are what we call "North Raleigh" and Cary. Wake Forest is also a great smaller town, located about 20 miles north of Raleigh, but it's booming. Lots of new retail and restaurants going in there, and it's very affordable with good schools as well. Happy hunting.

[Saranoh]

Oh, ok now I see where that house is - duh! There was a map. Anyways, that area is actually not too bad, but the better areas are going to be in the northwest sections. I personally wouldn't live on the east side of 401- horrible traffic!!!! I would stay on the west side of 401 and the east side of I-40.

[internut33]

I'll keep hunting. Guess I'm thinkin of the future but buying a home that large for just me (unless something changes in the next 2 years big time).

[Larry David]

I have spent a decent amount of time in the Raleigh-Durham area of NC, and it seems like it could be a decent area to live. If you are moving away from Baltimore mainly because of the climate though, you might be disappointed about how the weather isn't very different. It snows regularly in the winter, at least around Greensboro/Raleigh. This graph shows how similar the high temps are throughout the year.

http://www.weather.com/activities/other/other/weather/climo-compare.html?locid=USMD0018&sfld1=Baltimore,%20MD&sfld2=Raleigh/Durham%20International%20Arpt,%20NC,%20US&clocid1=USMD0018&clocid2=USNC0559

Coastal SC or GA or northern FL would be much warmer in the winter. Climatologically, Baltimore is practically identical high temp wise in the summer to most of the east coast, even Florida. Most of Texas is still pretty cheap also, and warm most of the year with mild winters.

[internut33]

Yeah was thinkin this about the NC area vs Florida / Coast of SC / Texas.

Weather is a factor, affordable housing / area is more on my mind. Thx for the link!