Moving to the East Coast. Umm...Help?!

Hey guys, lol. Catchy title huh? It's a serious question though!!

I'm really not sure how to go about explaining...but basically what's going on is that I've finally convinced my boy's mom to let us move across the country. She will be moving separately to the same area with her boyfriend...so we're under a few constraints we might not be otherwise. What I'm looking for here is kind of a crash course on what areas are going to be most friendly to my own goals, while still fitting into those constraints. With the vast majority of people on these forums being from the east, I figured a general question/discussion post might prove enlightening for us...or at least give me more information to go on.

So lets start with some basic information. My target for a move date would be next (2017) spring. This would hopefully give us some time to get used to the vastly different climate before the next winter lol, as well as give her boyfriend a full season of work (he's in the lumber industry) before having to buckle down for any weather based off season. I don't know what kind of budget I'll have for the move yet, but I plan to spend the entire time saving, so hopefully it will be reasonable. For now though let's assume the budget will be tightish lol. With my work, I can live pretty much anywhere, but I'd prefer somewhere with solid gun laws in place, and a moderate cost of living. Rural(ish) is better, but shes in pharmacy (and as I said, he's in logging/lumber), so that's a consideration as well. She's absolutely opposed to Georgia for some reason, as well as Florida. We don't want to go too far north, either. We're currently looking at Kentucky, West Virginia, and Virginia...south to Alabama (maybe), and Georgia (if something amazingly fitting can be found to convince her it's worthwhile to move there).

Things we're considering include:
- Overall cost of living
- Price of land/housing
- Quality of schools/education system
- Gun friendly laws
- Proximity to both hospital/pharmacy work, and logging/lumber work

Now, I can get to work virtually as soon as I'm unpacked, so that helps a lot. Outside of that though, we know virtually NOTHING about these things when it comes to the far coast...so any information you guys have would be awesome. Also, if you have any other considerations you want to suggest, I'm all ears. The farthest I've ever moved is around 800 miles, and that was to an area with a lot of family to help out. I know that moving farther, with no support system is a different thing...but for the most part all I can imagine it requiring is a solid savings account to cover unexpected expenses and time out of work.

So...what do you all have for me??

 

Well I'm obviously no use with info as I'm not even on the same continent But wishing you all the best with everything, sounds like the start of an adventure!:cool1

 

London?

 

Well I live in New York and it's expensive and the gun laws suck. I would move to Penn from here but can't get the wife to leave.
I guess if you go south you'll have to be near a large city so the ex can work.
I have some friends that live in Kentucky, near Science Hill I think it's called. If you're interested in that area I'll get you some info.
I know property and homes are very affordable.

 

Florida has no state income tax, and Tennessee only has an income tax on things like interest and bonds. The panhandle of Florida is more "deep south" in culture, and has logging and more rural areas. Plus the Redneck Riviera is close if you're a beach person. Haven't spent much time in Tennessee, but it's very pretty. Florida property values are not too bad depending on where you are, but it was difficult to get homeowner's insurance for a while due to insurance companies losing money on hurricane claims. Don't know if it's still the case. Pharmacists can get jobs a lot of places. CVS is one of the big pharmaceutical chains. Also places like Publix (a grocery chain--my niece is a pharmacist and works for them.)

Georgia has some nice areas. Depends on what you're looking for. Kennesaw, GA had mandatory gun ownership for a while--don't know if it's still the case. Used to be a lot of lumber farms (pine) in Georgia, too. It's been more than 30 years since I lived there, so don't know if it's still the case.

If you're in the Southeast, you'll be in the Bible Belt. Blue laws are still in effect in some places.

If you've got asthma or other respiratory conditions, you might want to cross the Louisville, KY off your list--the air quality gets pretty bad in the Ohio river valley in the summer with air stagnation.

DEET is your friend.

 

Random thoughts in no particular order.
Virginia is slowly going anti gun and taxes have been going in the wrong direction I am told.
North Carolina has solid gun laws and is pretty friendly. My impression is lumber is big there. Places like Ashville are pretty big city like insofar as pharmacy type jobs. College town.

South Carolina in the north and west has some lumbering and may have the friendliest people on earth. Good gun laws but only to residents.

PA Is a very strong constitutional state good gun laws and pretty good taxes.. retirement income is not taxed.
Of course you do not want to be in the very eastern part of the state near NY and NJ as prices are higher. Also winters in PA can be brutal.
In any event good luckon the search.

 

Middle Tennessee is pretty nice. No state income tax. Gun laws are great. Healthcare is a giant industry around here, I think it's the biggest employer if I'm not mistaken.
Not sure about logging though. That's probably more prevalent in East TN.

I'm happy here. Trying to buy some land around here myself this year.

Good luck on whatever you decide!

 

I live in NJ ... DO NOT MOVE HERE! It's ************** expensive, the gun laws here and in NY are some of the toughest, I think. People are aholes (well, a lot of them are ...), they drive like maniacs and the potholes can swallow a baby elephant and the winters here can be pretty nasty. Other than that it's awesome LOL

I think you should consider North Carolina. My co-workers there always brag with what kind of property they are getting there vs. NJ (basically Mansion vs. 2 bedroom apartment), the people are awfully friendly and certain areas are major business hubs (also hospitals ...)

 

Thanks everyone!

Bill, please find out what you can for sure.

Lucretia, that's a bunch of great info! She's pretty much said she'd move to Moscow before Florida. Georgia she's a bit less aggressively against...and is somewhere I'd personally like. I've got a feeling she's thinking Virginia/NC. Virginia has great gun laws which is nice. The Bible Belt thing isn't really a concern either so we're good there. No respiratory problems either...so that's a check .

As for DEET...I hate bugs (not in general...more having to swat them off and having them stick to you etc)...but I hate where I live more...so it's going to be a great trade lol.

 

I grew up in south Alabama, and have spent time all over the southeast. The timber industry is huge in AL, but not as much as it was when I was a kid. The cost of living, Birmingham aside, is pretty low, but public education has been in decline since NCLB and the advent of testing. Having the ocean close is a huge plus.

I recently had an opportunity tomove to Nashville, but based on time spent there, I wasn't to keen on that. Good restaurants and from what I hear good schools.

If I chose to leave New Orleans I would be tempted by Birmingham and the opportunity to work for Mr. Stitt, but would really have my eye on Richmond VA, reasonable urban living, and fly fishing inside the city limits.

 

I also haven't hunted in forever so I haven't looked into VA gun laws, but I don't carry so it's not something I stress over.

 

Yep London, just on the outskirts to the North so not right in the hustle and bustle, couldn't afford anything more central even with 10 jobs

 

i live in south central PA (by south i mean 2 miles from the line ) its nice here winter can get bad but its more like late winter early spring. we have been looking at WV for land for a hunting/ retirement property but also central PA. both places can offer cheap living and good size citys if you are willing to drive a hour
can not even think about going much more south then northern NC

 

I lived in Birmingham area years ago. Very very low property tax. No state income tax. Schools kinda suck unless you live in mountain brook suburb and they are top notch. You can get a house with acerage cheap. Gun laws liberal. Hunting is huge there. The Alabama herd is several million and there the limits are a buck and a doe per day. Doe days are unlimited does. And you can hunt with crossbow.

But culturally, it's a wasteland.

 

But culturally, it's a wasteland.

Says the guy in Houston. Glass houses buddy.

 

Houston is the 4th largest city in the US. Museums galore. Multicultural multiethnic population with scores of ethnic markets. One of the best eating cities in the US ( and one of the fattest!!!). First run Broadway shows. Music clubs and several arenas for concerts (did Neal diamond or phil Collins ever play in Birmingham? Circ du Soleil? Cheap Trick? Johnny winter?). My son attended one of the top 10 public high schools in the US here. And Houston has been rated the top city for black women to achieve professional goals and advancement in the US.

But Alabama is the home of Bass Masters. I guess they have us beat.

Oh, I forgot, starting January 1, 2016, we can OPENLY carry our side arms.

 

best part of livig where i do is 1 hour to balt. 1.5 to washington 3 to phillie 4 to Pittsburgh 5 to NY NY and i never have to deal with city living less i want to

 

Alright guys, lol...relax!

Seriously though...this is a ton of great information. I think the hardest part right now is looking at areas on mapquest in some of these places and basically just being lost as to what each little name represents in regards to population etc. I have a feeling we may end up in a more urban area to start out (which is NOT what I want)...spend a year looking, then decide where we want to move to in a more rural setting.

Not the way I want to do it lol...but...I don't see a lot of other ways to go about it.

 

sounds like you'll need to set up a few scouting trips in 2016.

 

Relax, living in New Orleans it is my civic duty to give Houston a hard time.