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

213 Replies

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  • Developer · Danville KY · Member since 2015 · 85 posts · 110 votes
    9y
    Check out Greenville SC, we have the land, entertainment, woods, and lakes. The beach is also a 4 hr drive.
  • Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Terrell Marible:

    Come to North Carolina... the best of both worlds here.

    NC has a lot of great towns. Winston Salem was mentioned previously and I will definitely do some research on it as I'm not too familiar with the area. Many thanks, Terrell. 

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

    I lived in Tampa, great area, they have the "nature coast up north of Spring Hill, not sure how big a town you want, plenty of woods and awesome airboating swamp people up there, had many a good times on the rivers, to me the best undiscovered area in all of FL. Still have family there.

    I live in Charlotte now and its great as well. the blue ridge mountains are beautiful. Charlotte and Raleigh are arguably both TOP 10 commercial real estate markets in the entire USA, and Charleston is close to that top 10 list.

    Asheville, NC is one heck of a mountain town. picture cool nightspots, breweries and restaurants with hipsters in a great sized downtown, with views of mountains on all 4 sides. a little slice of paradise. lakes and waterfalls to swim in beat the beach any day for me.

    The Charlotte, Greenville, SC, Asheville triangle to me is one of the best regions in the nation. still 3 hours to beach, but i'd rather swim in the mountain lakes.

    Cheap housing, snows maybe 1 time a winter, mild winters, hot summers.

     Hi, Adam. Many thanks for the great message. I will definitely research Tampa/ as well. It does look to have some woodsy areas. 

    I need to look into Raleigh, definitely. My good friend lives in Mebane which isn't far from there - I think he said it's roughly an hour away. 

    My sister lives in Charlotte and their market has been crazy longer than most. My sister bought a house in a very nice neighborhood and they added onto the house - a lot. And several of her neighbors simply bought homes, knocked them down and rebuilt. 

    I will definitely look into some of the places you mentioned. I appreciate it, Adam. Many thanks!

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

    Hey Karl I live in Nashville and LOVE it. We just hit the charts in a bad way though as one of the fastest growing cities for cost of living, but it's because of exploding housing costs. I've done several flips in outlying areas and always made a good ROI, but finding a good deal on a Nashville property these days is tough. I'd recommend taking a close look at Chattanooga. I built a spec home there a couple years ago and made a terrific profit. IMO Chattanooga is where Nashville was several years back re cost of investment property. I picked up a lot with a 780 sf house on it for $27,000 at a tax auction in spring of 2016. I scraped the house and am holding it to build on in a couple of years, but it's currently valued around $60,000 as a vacant lot. Chattanooga is surrounded by rivers, lakes and mountains (TONS of woods), and is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. Its employment, culture and geography are attracting young people in droves. Check it out!

    Hi, Cindy. Thank you so much! I will definitely research Chattanooga and talk to me cousin about the town (my cousin lives in Nashville). It sounds like you have been doing great investing in those areas. I appreciate the message very much. 

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

    @Cindy Maxson, totally agree. I live in Nashville and am wholesaling and investing there now as well. It's a beautiful place to live too, great option for this gentleman but lake waves only...

    @William Allen Hi, William. I'll definitely check it out. Thank you for the message. I appreciate it

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

    Karl B. I would check out Middle Tennessee in the Nashville area. Outside of downtown (15-45 minutes) land is cheap but it is a growing city. There are beautiful trails and woods everywhere. I even just spent last weekend on one of the many lakes around the area.

    Let me know if I could help you in any way!

    Thank you, Daniel. I appreciate it. I'll definitely check it out. There are definitely a few areas across the country that have been mentioned numerous times and those are likely good places for me to look into. I appreciate the message, Sir. 

  • Investor · Las Vegas NV · Member since 2017 · 26 posts · 7 votes
    9y

    HI Karl. Don't forget to check out Greenville, NC. I wholesale out here and as far as future investments and growth it's possible. Only if you like beaches, beer, and football though.

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

    Karl - I'm from Erie, PA myself.  And although it had some great attributes, I have spread my wings and lived in 6 states and 4 different Countries.  From a mindset, you have to know that you can invest in any market if you do it correctly, using the right tools and understanding the market cycles. Secondly - no place has everything, but sun w/o cold,  woods and water and cheap land  - don't usually all go together.   Tradeoffs & Prioritize.   Rent an RV for two months and spend a week or more in several places and see how you feel being there.   And it's not permanent , so you can move again in 2 , 5, 9 years when your priorities change.  Good luck on the journey.

    Thank you, Bill. I appreciate it. Yes - if it wasn't for the winters, I would likely live in Erie for my entire life. It is a great city and I REALLY hope it can improve. The good news is the guy who will likely win the mayor campaign (basically the guy who won the Democratic primary = a likely win in Erie) is a really good guy. I know his daughter and she's awesome and her father is a business man. 

    I'm definitely going to do a whole lot of research and then some visiting. Thank you for the post and the advice. I appreciate it.

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

    It sounds like you would really like Buford, Georgia. Just north of Atlanta. There is a large lake (lAke Lanier), several mountain ranges to hike, and great weather.

     Hi, Clark. Wow - you weren't kidding! That is one heck of a Lake! I'm definitely going to look into Buford and research it. Thank you so much for the post. I appreciate it. 

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

    Check out Greenville SC, we have the land, entertainment, woods, and lakes. The beach is also a 4 hr drive.

     Hi, Lina. Thank you for the suggestion. I'll definitely look into Greenville and do some research. Thank you. 

  • Flipper/Rehabber · Cardiff By The Sea, CA · Member since 2017 · 5 posts · 3 votes
    9y

    Karl- Nice small town, but blight, job losses, drugs and crime have really changed that down home feel from my childhood days.  Probably some decent real estate opportunities there, if you have the stomach for it.

    Change will be good for the town.

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

    HI Karl. Don't forget to check out Greenville, NC. I wholesale out here and as far as future investments and growth it's possible. Only if you like beaches, beer, and football though.

     Hi, Michael. Many thanks for the suggestion. I do like beaches and football. I drank a few lifetimes of beer in my 20s, though I still have a beer from time to time. Again, many thanks. I willl definitely research Greenville. Based on the Google images it looks like a neat place.

  • Rental Property Investor · Pasadena, CA · Member since 2016 · 164 posts · 149 votes
    9y

    Hey Karl, why don't you look at the agoura hills/calabasas area right outside of LA. There are tons of plots of land, lots of hiking, views or the ocean or very close to the ocean. Decent sized lots are 300-600K. It doesnt have the forest, but it is very open and outdoorsy.

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

    Karl- Nice small town, but blight, job losses, drugs and crime have really changed that down home feel from my childhood days.  Probably some decent real estate opportunities there, if you have the stomach for it.

    Change will be good for the town.

    I invest in multi-families in Erie. I'm closing on another on Monday. The numbers are very good and there are definitely some sweet spots where you can cash flow like a beast. 

    Within the past two years there has been a lot of massive revitalization effort spearheaded by business owners and lots of the successful youngish people. 

    I think the biggest problem is the mess the Erie School District is in (it's epic-bad). Also, heroin have become more of a problem in recent years but I see the job market improving. Erie has done a lot of things wrong but for all they've done wrong the city still isn't half bad. It can improve immensely. 

    I see businesses like L.E.C.O.M. and Erie Insurance investing in the area and this time most Erieites are thankful for that (some drove G.E. out and I think it was a lesson). 

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

    Hey Karl, why don't you look at the agoura hills/calabasas area right outside of LA. There are tons of plots of land, lots of hiking, views or the ocean or very close to the ocean. Decent sized lots are 300-600K. It doesnt have the forest, but it is very open and outdoorsy.

     Hi, Michael. It's a nice area but I want to get out of SoCal. 

  • Rental Property Investor · San Angelo, TX · Member since 2017 · 113 posts · 60 votes
    9y

    Being in the Military I have had a chance to experience living in quite a few places.  Surprisingly enough my most recent move to San Angelo Texas, which I had a lot of resistance to moving had probably been my most pleasant one thus far.  The people are super friendly, the winters get down to maybe the 40s but that only lasts untill the sun comes up and then its right at 60, hardly ever snows and when it does its 2 inches that fall over night or early morning and is melted away by noon.  Rio Cancho runs throughout the city and there are parks set up all along the river plus San Angelo State Park which has a huge lake.  Land... dirt cheap, I am looking to get started into real estate here and may very well plant my roots here for the long haul.  The only thing I think San Angelo doesn't have for you is a lot of woodland, but I have not had a chance to checkout the state park just yet, but that's on the list for this weekend.  

    Plus, I need a partner so come on down!  Hahaha but seriously Savanah, GA is certainly my number two place.  I am just not sure as far as how much real estate is down there, I believe it is still relatively affordable down there.   

  • Lender · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2017 · 83 posts · 33 votes
    9y
    Originally posted by @Terrell Marible:

    Come to North Carolina... the best of both worlds here.

    I lived in Charlotte for the first 15 years of my life! NC is very nice, but I must say, I prefer South America far more. It's more comparable to getting into a Fortune 500 stock at the ground floor. Far more opportunities and potential for growth. Coastal NC is beautiful. But, I could build 12-20 beachfront units, each cash flowing $300-$500, for the price of one beachfront single family home in NC. 

    Math is wonderful! 

    Obviously, the risk in South America is far greater, but there's always ways to minimize and eliminate risk. 

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

    Being in the Military I have had a chance to experience living in quite a few places.  Surprisingly enough my most recent move to San Angelo Texas, which I had a lot of resistance to moving had probably been my most pleasant one thus far.  The people are super friendly, the winters get down to maybe the 40s but that only lasts untill the sun comes up and then its right at 60, hardly ever snows and when it does its 2 inches that fall over night or early morning and is melted away by noon.  Rio Cancho runs throughout the city and there are parks set up all along the river plus San Angelo State Park which has a huge lake.  Land... dirt cheap, I am looking to get started into real estate here and may very well plant my roots here for the long haul.  The only thing I think San Angelo doesn't have for you is a lot of woodland, but I have not had a chance to checkout the state park just yet, but that's on the list for this weekend.  

    Plus, I need a partner so come on down!  Hahaha but seriously Savanah, GA is certainly my number two place.  I am just not sure as far as how much real estate is down there, I believe it is still relatively affordable down there.   

     Hi, Giovanny. Many thanks for the message. I will definitely research the town. It looks like there's some rivers there. Savannah was mentioned prior - I'll definitely research there as well and see if there's woods in any of the areas. Many thanks! 

  • Investor · Post Falls, ID · Member since 2016 · 606 posts · 699 votes
    9y

    If you can handle sun on snow, try Northern Idaho.  We have the most beautiful lakes and whitewater rivers.  But you have to promise to vote conservative!  But face it -- anywhere you go will be an upgrade from LA!

  • Physician · Oakland, CA · Member since 2017 · 60 posts · 28 votes
    9y
    Ode to be young and free!! Best of luck !!
  • Real Estate Agent · New York, NY · Member since 2017 · 66 posts · 26 votes
    9y

    Atlanta is great!

  • Buffalo, NY · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 0 votes
    9y
    Hdc
  • San Carlos, CA · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 1 vote
    9y
    Bend Oregon... not as grey as Portland but you need the right occupation supposedly to thrive there ... not a lot of high paying jobs...
  • Real Estate Agent · Camarillo, CA · Member since 2017 · 9 posts · 4 votes
    9y

    Wilmington, Surf City, Hampstead, Oak Island, Southport,  Cape Hatteras all in NC. Pretty much anything along the NC coast is nice, not much snow at all and affordable if you can withstand the humidity and bugs. Charleston, SC is a very nice city, I heard that Kiawah Island, SC is also nice, Savannah, GA, Myrtle Beach, SC are all decent choices, all close to the ocean. Best of luck finding your next place. If you decide to move close to Wilmington, NC I have a realtor friend there that can help out finding a place/land.

  • Houston, TX · Member since 2017 · 1 post · 1 vote
    9y
    Austin, Texas meets all of your needs and it's where everyone from California is moving to anyway. Austin has a great outdoor scene with many hiking, biking and water activities. There are a few great lakes and other bodies of water. It definitely doesn't snow but beware the temperature gets MUCH warmer than SoCal or the North East. People are friendly and there's an overall laid back vibe. The cost of living in Texas is significantly more affordable than California. Good luck!
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