All Forum Posts by: Marianne Lopez-Henthorn

You're killing me, that would be a dream! Do you invest in real estate in that area? If so, what kinds of real estate are you investing in? My sister lives in Santa Monica right now and loves it. My husband is originally from San Jose and it seems like such a great place to raise a family.

I hear great things! How could you complain about sugar white sand beaches! Do you happen to do vacation rentals down there? That is another option I've been thinking of.

Thanks for your input!

That's amazing! I will follow closely for rumors of that bullet train. After travelling to Japan, it's easy to see why the NE needs this kind of transportation. Major cities are so close together; a bullet train would make commuting possible. And I love NYC, I'd be there all the time :)

I can relate about the winters! 6 months of winter here, -40 degrees, I work outdoors, lack of sunlight. Overall, I actually love having 4 seasons and don't mind winter, I'm just tired of 6 months of it! 

I'm interested in Chattanooga for its proximity to the mountains (I'm definitely a mountain gal). Do you think there are enough jobs in these markets to support population growth?

Thanks for your input!

Philly is on the list, thanks! I've been hearing good things about developments in the area. Is there a certain industry fueling the growth of Philly?

I love the idea of being close to NYC and being in the north east, while still being affordable. Plus I love traveling to Europe, so that's always a bonus being so close ;) I also live in a town where we're a 5 hour drive to the closest major city, so I don't mind driving at all.

Thanks for your input!

Are you talking about the Miami area? Would love to visit for sure!

My husband is from Memphis, and I've visited quite a bit. It's not as humid as Louisiana and Florida, but I know how hot it gets. BUT he moved from there to here, where it gets to -40 Celsius in the winter - so I think I can adjust too! It'll probably just be from the car to the mall where there's always AC ;)

I'll have to look into Tuscon, too! We've only been to Sedona and Phoenix. I know Phoenix is another big spot with Canadian snowbirds.

Thanks for your input!

That is absolutely the plan! Raleigh and Jacksonville are both on the list! Once we're able to travel to the States again, we have a long list to places to visit to put feelers out on the areas.

Thanks for your input!

Not quite true. I don't live in Vancouver anymore. I moved to pursue work in the Oil Industry. Do I miss Vancouver, absolutely! The average house price in Vancouver is currently $1.25 million, so a little out of my reach right now. If I can actively invest in Real Estate even in the suburbs and live there too, then I will. As an investor in Canada, you need a 20% down payment. There seems to be a lot more creative ways for financing in the States and a lot more opportunity. 

I will miss universal health care for sure. However, I often get taxed 40% of my income. If my husband were to work in Florida, his income tax would be 0%, and that would help pay for a really good health care plan - if he doesn't already get one from his employer.

I don't want to live in a small city in the US, I would prefer a large city. Tampa Bay area has a population of ~3.1 Million. The median house price in Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area January 2020 was $279,450. Still much more affordable than Vancouver! I understand I will compromise on diversity a bit. It won't be anything like Vancouver, SF, NYC, Toronto, but that's a trade-off for affordability. As long as there is some diversity, I will be happy.

Regarding active shooter drills, yes this is something I worry about coming from Canada. Canada isn't immune to mass-shootings, but it is far less common. There's not too much I can say about that other than it's something I worry about.

Suggesting that I hate Canada is as far from the truth as you can get. Just because you leave one country to looks for opportunity elsewhere doesn't mean you hate your home country. This is a great, free country. But my husband is American, so I have a unique opportunity to pursue work elsewhere - why wouldn't I try? I'm young and consider myself resourceful, I'm not afraid to try new things. I'll be letting go of a great job, but if I'm not happy here, why not try something else? Luckily, because I have a good job, I'll have a good nest egg to fall back on. I'd always have my experience here also. I could most likely work in oil again, if all else fails.

Thanks for your input.

 Why not Pennsylvania?