Where the Heck Should I Move To? Please Help!

Where the Heck Should I Move To? Please Help!

Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes

Hi, Bigger Pockets,

I wanted to get some leads to some cities that could be ideal for me to move to and invest in. I currently live in Los Angeles and would really like to live somewhere different.

I grew up in northwestern Pennsylvania, which was a good place to grow up. We had Lake Erie to enjoy and woods to play around in as well. It’s a great place during the spring, summer and fall months.

The reason why I moved away from Erie is because I don’t like snow and dreary days (they typically run from November to March/April).

I would like to move somewhere that has the following attributes listed below. If any of y’all know of any areas or cities that has the traits, please let me know. I would be super grateful.

A place where:

-There are lots of woods—I really enjoy hiking and being outside

-I like water that has waves—so it’s near a decent-sized lake or an ocean

-Land is relatively cheap—I would like to live on a decent-sized plot of land

-It either doesn’t snow or it very rarely snows

-People are friendly

Those are the main needs. I truly hope I can find a place that suits my likes. The U.S.A. is so large it’s tough to know where to search and so I wanted to ask y’all, since Bigger Pockets users are all over America (and beyond).

Again, thank you, fellow BPers. I appreciate it very much.

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Craig CurelopBusiness Member
Real Estate Agent · Post Falls, ID · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
9y

@Karl B. - When reading this, Florida was the first place that jumps out at me. However, if "lots of woods" is what you value the most then maybe Florida isn't for you.

Colorado meets a lot of these criteria. Though there is not much water with waves, there is TONS of wonderful hikes and people are super friendly and active. 

Sure it snows, but it does not stick. At least in the Denver area it doesn't. If you want snow, you go to the mountains. 

I have similar criteria as you and I live in Denver and am very happy. 

You also might want to consider northern CA. A few hours north of San Francisco, like Sacramento area? There are a lot of hikes, it's pretty warm, people are nice, and it's not far away from the ocean. 

See this reply in the discussion

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  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Lesley Resnick:

    I am clearly bias, but NE Florida (Jacksonville Metro area).  In my option it offers the best balance of anywhere I have lived.  Geographically we have the ocean, intercostal, Saint John's river, Timucuan Preserve, Ocala National Forest, Beatha State Forest.  

      Average temp 70 degrees, lower in winter and hotter in the summer.  Unlike a lot of other places in Florida, we have some degree of seasons and no traffic to speak of.  We have around 300 sunny days a year. Land is cheap and plentiful by California standards.

    That's a lot of sunshine! I will definitely research Jacksonville some more. My oldest brother lived when he did a residency in medical school so I'm somewhat familiar. Thank you for the suggestion. I appreciate it.       

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Jamie O'Brien:

    Karl B. - As someone who has lived in both N.E. Florida and Alabama, I would say you can't really go wrong with either. Really depends on what kind of water and what kind of woods you want. Jacksonville, Birmingham and Mobile all offer better than average investment markets with a very reasonable cost of living.

    Jacksonville is a great city that is continuing to grow quickly. There is a strong young professional presence, so meeting new people will be easy. You have easy access to the beach, as well as lakes, and rivers fed by springs. The woods will be more of a pine heavy mix of woods and during the summer hiking will be like walking though hell. But hotter. Topography is flat.

    Mobile offers a lot of similarities to Jacksonville. Beautiful beaches are not far away, however not right in Mobile. There is plenty of water for water sports, fishing, etc. the woods again will be more of a pine forest.
    Mobile is smaller than Jacksonville by a long shot but the people a great(in my experience). Again. It's flat.

    Birmingham is where I currently live. It's the largest city in Alabama and definitely the most diverse. It's growing quickly and again meeting new people is easy if you want that. Birmingham is only 4-5 hrs from Destin (some of the most beautiful beaches in America) and less than an hour from several large lakes that offer plenty of room for water sports. Alabama has one of the largest ratios of public land to people and there are enough trails in Oak Mountain State Park (20 min outside Bhm) to keep you hiking for months. Birmingham offers a hilly terrain as it's technically the foothills of the Appalachians.

    Best of luck in your search for the perfect location!

     Hi, Jamie. Thank you so much! I appreciate the great information. I've been researching the southern states. There are so many options! You have given me a few good places to look into. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Jon Deavers:

    Hi @Karl B.

    I'm going to echo @Account Closed here and recommend Richmond VA. https://www.outsideonline.com/1929066/best-river-t...

    There's a link to an article Outside magazine wrote a few years ago about Richmond and it's only getting better. The Richmond Sportsbackers organization runs a large marathon and 10k races each year that draw folks from all over the region and beyond. The food, art, music, craft beverage scenes are all flourishing as well. Come out and visit some time!

     Hi, Jon. Very cool! I will definitely research Richmond. Thank you for the suggestion - it sounds like a place where there's always something going on!

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Susan Maneck:

    I'm a native of California who has been living in Mississippi for the last 17 years.  As far as a place to invest Mississippi can't be beat, but I don't really want to retire here. I bought a condo in South Lake Tahoe, CA for that purpose which is currently rented because I can't retire until these politicians decide what they are doing with Obama Care. On a whim this summer I visited Lake Almanor near Mt. Lassen in California. I was amazed at how beautiful and affordable that area is. The only thing you won't have are the waves. 

     That is a beautiful area! I just did a Google Image Search. It definitely doesn't look like California but it's not too far from Oregon, so that makes sense. Thank you for the suggestion, I appreciate it. It's definitely a place that would be very nice to visit.

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Luka Milicevic:

    @Karl B.

    I'm going to plug Nashville TN in here. Job opportunities here are insane. There isn't a store front that does not have "We're hiring" out front.

    Plenty of HIGH paying career jobs as well. 

    Property prices compared to LA are dirt cheap.

    Taxes in TN compared to CA are not even comparable!

    Southern hospitality, Sweet tea, Land, Lakes, what America is all about. 

    I can set you up with a recruiter to find a job here in no time. I also have 5 brand new houses being built that I'm going to be selling. You can have first dibs on any of them :-)

    I definitely need to visit Nashville. My cousin and his wife live there and they LOVE it. Tennessee has a lot of really nice towns and I need to research the state further because it does have a lot of nice people there. 

    Thank you for the Nashville suggestion and the recruiter offer. I'm self-employed (affiliate marketing as well a wholesaling business which fuels the real estate). Again, thank you, Luka. I appreciate it very much. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 55 posts · 23 votes
    9y

    I love Oregon and can't speak highly enough about it. However, if you are looking for a place that is mostly warm, has mountains, lakes, rivers, wonderful flora/fauna and a low cost of living you might check out East Tennessee (Chattanooga, Knoxville and surrounding). I moved to Oak Ridge from the DC area for a simpler life and so that I could better afford real estate. There are definitely some cultural issues that took getting used to, but the recreational and real estate opportunities seem endless.

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Lee L.:

    Perhaps the Raleigh-Durham Triangle area in North Carolina. I went to college at Duke. You've got mostly mild climate but a bit on the humid side. It has a tech industry within the area bounded by three schools - Duke, UNC Chapel Hill and NC State. Forests as far as the eyes can see. Very affordable compared to L.A. Snows maybe 1 week out of the year. Doesn't get crazy rain, though it does rain sometimes. Friendly people. Best fried chicken. Many lakes, and you're a few hours from the ocean, though I don't recall big waves ... just beached jellyfish. 

    I've been thinking about investing there if I ever decide to invest out of state. 

     Hi, Lee. That sounds pretty awesome. I like NC. My sister lives in Charlotte, which is nice, but I do like the woods and water. I will definitely look int Raleigh-Durham. Thank you. 

    How have you been faring in L.A. investing? I've been looking on Redfin and 15+ offers on most properties seems pretty standard. A guy was here earlier giving me a quote on a vinyl fence and he told me much of the same - realtors won't even show him and his wife a property half the time because they already have so many offers. 

  • Investor · Richmond, VA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y

    @Karl B.,

    Richmond, VA is great! You get all the seasons (it normally snows 1-2x, but doesn't stick for more than a day), it's 2 hours from DC, 2 hours from the beach, 1 hour from the mountains, huge booming brewery/winery trend, low cost of living, amazing schools, and also... LOTS of investment opportunities around it! Check out prices in Hampton Roads/Norfolk/Hopewell/Petersburg/etc... lots of opportunities!

  • Rental Property Investor · Rochester, NY · Member since 2015 · 2 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    Hi Karl, I'm from Rochester NY. Close enough to Erie to know what you are talking about. I feel the same way. Summer, fall and even the beginning of winter are really nice up here but mid winter through early spring can be quite dreary. I have been researching different areas to relocate to for several months now and have very similar criteria that you have listed. In the east its hard to find it all, hiking, water, mild weather, etc. Right now my top locations are Raleigh NC, Charlottesville VA, Nashville TN and the DC area which is quite a bit more expensive. I would put the Denver area and Austin in there too but eastern US is more convenient for my wife's job. People seem to really love Raleigh though. I haven't spent much time there but from what I hear, there is an abundance of opportunity, the ocean is 2-3 hours east and some of the nicest mountain scenery is 3-4 hours west, plus a lot of green space within minutes. BTW, I have lived in Clearwater FL and visit often as I have some close friends there. There are some really nice pockets such as Dunedin or downtown St. Pete and the close proximity to the ocean is great, but that peninsula is jam packed gulf to bay and top to bottom. Its all strip malls and track houses. There might be some small parks peppered in. I could not live there unless I was within a block from the water and that land is likely comparable with LA. If woods are important, as they are for me too, Clearwater is not the place.

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Scott Matthew C.:

    Karl B. Ann Arbor, MI.....

     I do like Ann Arbor but my undergrad is from Penn State and so I would be disowned living in the town of Wolverines. :-)

  • Engineer · Portland, OR · Member since 2014 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    9y
    around Tillamook forest or clatsop state forest areas
  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Ethan Atkinson:

    So here are your places - - Easy choices -- In no particular order, or in exact order from Best to Great.  Athens, Georgia,  Atlanta GA, Savannah GA, Charleston, South Carolina, Nashville, Tennessee, St. Augustine, Florida, Birmingham, Alabama, Mobile AL, Asheville North Carolina, Charlotte, NC, Chapel Hill or Raleigh-Durham, NC.   Life will be great in all these places.   These areas are all close to or already near the mountains, and couple hours to the beach.  Couple hours to international airports.  Thousands of jobs created in the past and continuing.  Low prices for almost everything. Big houses on big lots.  Great universities, great pro sports(DANG FALCONSSSSS!)  Even better food, beautiful women, children that don't cry, and supreme weather.  Investing in whatever kind of real estate will work in all these areas.  

     I like your glass-half-full approach.  :-)

    I will definitely be researching a lot of places. Thank you, Ethan.

    PS. The Falcons signing Poe in the offseason was a great move. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Nichole Ovens:

    I love Oregon and can't speak highly enough about it. However, if you are looking for a place that is mostly warm, has mountains, lakes, rivers, wonderful flora/fauna and a low cost of living you might check out East Tennessee (Chattanooga, Knoxville and surrounding). I moved to Oak Ridge from the DC area for a simpler life and so that I could better afford real estate. There are definitely some cultural issues that took getting used to, but the recreational and real estate opportunities seem endless.

     Thank you, Nichole. I appreciate it. I will look into Chattanooga and Knoxville. I'm not too familiar with either. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Linda S.:

    @Karl B.,

    Richmond, VA is great! You get all the seasons (it normally snows 1-2x, but doesn't stick for more than a day), it's 2 hours from DC, 2 hours from the beach, 1 hour from the mountains, huge booming brewery/winery trend, low cost of living, amazing schools, and also... LOTS of investment opportunities around it! Check out prices in Hampton Roads/Norfolk/Hopewell/Petersburg/etc... lots of opportunities!

     Thank you, Linda. I definitely will. It seems like Richmond is in a good location. I will definitely look into the other areas you mentioned. I appreciate it very much!

  • Rental Property Investor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 55 posts · 23 votes
    9y

    I live near Knoxville, but love Chattanooga. I am happy to help show you around...and if you like whitewater, I would love to get you out on one of the many local rivers. I am friends with some of the top guides in the area.

    Asheville, NC is hip and beyond cool (but getting more expensive). Greenville, SC is (like Chattanooga) a working town that has seriously revitalized. Hit me up if you want to learn more about any of this.

  • Rental Property Investor · Boulder, CO · Member since 2016 · 55 posts · 23 votes
    9y

    Being on the TN side of the equation means no state income tax!!! If you are outside of any incorporated areas property taxes are super low too.

  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Jeff Smith:

    Hi Karl, I'm from Rochester NY. Close enough to Erie to know what you are talking about. I feel the same way. Summer, fall and even the beginning of winter are really nice up here but mid winter through early spring can be quite dreary. I have been researching different areas to relocate to for several months now and have very similar criteria that you have listed. In the east its hard to find it all, hiking, water, mild weather, etc. Right now my top locations are Raleigh NC, Charlottesville VA, Nashville TN and the DC area which is quite a bit more expensive. I would put the Denver area and Austin in there too but eastern US is more convenient for my wife's job. People seem to really love Raleigh though. I haven't spent much time there but from what I hear, there is an abundance of opportunity, the ocean is 2-3 hours east and some of the nicest mountain scenery is 3-4 hours west, plus a lot of green space within minutes. BTW, I have lived in Clearwater FL and visit often as I have some close friends there. There are some really nice pockets such as Dunedin or downtown St. Pete and the close proximity to the ocean is great, but that peninsula is jam packed gulf to bay and top to bottom. Its all strip malls and track houses. There might be some small parks peppered in. I could not live there unless I was within a block from the water and that land is likely comparable with LA. If woods are important, as they are for me too, Clearwater is not the place.

     Hi, Jeff. You definitely feel my pain then. Erie had the most snowfall in the country a few years ago and I believe one year Rochester took the crown as well. Both cities are always in the mix for the title. 

    Thank you for the suggestions. A few cities keep popping up suggesting-wise and although I'll research every city that's mentioned I definitely take note of the cities mentioned multiple times. 

    Again, thank you for the suggestions. I appreciate it. And I hope we both end up in our ideal city!

  • Raleigh, NC · Member since 2016 · 14 posts · 11 votes
    9y

    @Jeff Smith - I moved from Rochester, NY to Raleigh, NC over 15 years ago and do not regret the decision.  July & August in Raleigh are hot and humid but you do not have to shovel sunshine.  Sure, I miss Genesee Beer, the Distillery, Sticky Lips, Amerks games and all the people walking in Brighton on the Sabbath, but juice is worth the squeeze regarding moving from Roch to Raleigh.

    A few pros:  (1)  Lower State Income taxes, (2)  Healthier and more diverse job opportunities (higher pay and opportunities for advancement as a whole), (3)  BBQ - I won't step foot in my favorite BBQ joint the Dinosaur in Rochester since that Commie George Soros purchased a stake.  In aggregate - the BBQ in Raleigh and surrounding towns/cities is hands down better than Rochester. (4) There's just something about a Southern Girl - the girls kill their diets and cover up in sweaters & sweatshirts for 4 -6 months a year like they do in Rochester (5) NC never had Hillary Clinton as a State Senator.


    Reach out if you have any specific questions.  My response is truthful and also cheeky.  Lib's - relax, I just stated my reply is cheeky.  A guy from Rochester (which I am) should be able to appreciate the sarcasm / sense of humor.

  • Sherman Oaks, CA · Member since 2013 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Karl B.:
    Originally posted by @Scott Matthew C.:

    Karl B. Ann Arbor, MI.....

     I do like Ann Arbor but my undergrad is from Penn State and so I would be disowned living in the town of Wolverines. :-)

     I have a couple friends move to Oregon from LA. One to the Portland area the other to Brookings. Brookings has the waves and rest but a little slow for some maybe. They both were from LA orginally and seem to be happy with the move and especially the prices. "We Are" Good luck! 

  • Investor · Homewood, IL · Member since 2017 · 2 posts · 1 vote
    9y

    I'm from Chicago, but I hate the winters...spent some time in North Carolina...I love it! It is going to be my winter home. Good Luck to you!

  • Lender · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2017 · 83 posts · 33 votes
    9y

    Manta, Ecuador. Or Puerto Cayó, Ecuador if you prefer private beaches.

    Allow me to explain.

    Uses USD

    Cost of living is 1/3 of the US

    70 Degrees all day and night, year round, with little to no rain

    Stunning blue and green ocean views

    Live in a beachfront residence for $600 a month

    Large expat community if you don't speak Spanish

    Community-driven culture, people are very friendly

    Amazingly beautiful country; most ecologically diverse country on earth

    Voted #1 place to retire 4 years in a row

    Inexpensive, beautiful, and the investment opportunities are endless. For example, I'm building a home for 70k total, including all materials, labor, land, etc. I am expecting to sell it for at least 120k. It will be a Duplex.

  • Investor · Athens, GA · Member since 2016 · 31 posts · 12 votes
    9y

    I would suggest Charleston or Annapolis on the east coast. Olympia, Washington is also beautiful and the town has its own network of walking/biking trails through protected forest area, lots of things to do outdoors. 

  • Roshan K.Pro Member
    Oklahoma City, OK · Member since 2017 · 258 posts · 215 votes
    9y

    Bradenton and Sarasota hit every single one of your targets.... however, they are relatively boring as far as cities go (at least to a mid twenties guy like me). You get EVERYTHING you asked for in your initial post though!

  • Real Estate Agent · Los Angeles · Member since 2017 · 107 posts · 33 votes
    9y

    --all of Austin

  • Investor · Wellington, CO · Member since 2017 · 79 posts · 30 votes
    9y
    @Karl B. I grew up in Ventura, California and I've ended up in Wellington, Colorado. What a great change! I originally moved from California to Casper, Wyoming (don't move to Casper) thinking that I would miss the beach but I grew up surfing in the Pacific and, once I moved away from the coast, I realized that I just didn't miss it like I thought I would. I found that the low density living and abundance of land made people behave differently toward each other (more humanely), which more than compensated for the lack of large bodies of water. I ended up in Wellington, which is located about an hour and a half north of Denver and 15 minutes north of Fort Collins and I love it here. This is a small town populated by about 8,000 people with massive, new residential construction going on right now and probably for the next 20 years- an excellent investment opportunity, as I see it. I bought one of these houses in late 2014 and it has increased in value from $222,000 to $290,000 in 2.5 years, so I'm buying another one on Monday for $300,000. I am renting my current house out for $1,700 per month, which will provide great cash flow. UPS plans to build a distribution center in the area, Google plans to build a headquarters near Denver, and there are dozens of new neighborhoods being built as I write this. I want to specify that I live in Wellington but I am talking generally about Northern Colorado. I wanted to provide some specific financials because they are important when considering an area as an investment opportunity but, more importantly, the people that I've encountered in Colorado are warm and friendly compared to the stereotypical Southern Californian. This reply turned out lengthier than expected but I hope it helps. Feel free to contact me if you want to.
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