Do you ever fantasize about picking up and moving to a lower cost of living area?

[Anonymous]

19:36 - You seem more ignorant than any of those damn hicks you're afraid you'd be exposed to if you moved to god-forsaken west of DC!
you seriously showed your ass on that comment....

[Anonymous]

We moved to Philly from DC a couple years ago--for jobs, not COL, but we really do like it. It's not all that much cheaper than DC but real estate is definitely less. And it's close enough to DC that we get back often to see friends and family.

That said, there are always two sides--I lived in DC for a long time, and I miss it, and it still feels like home to me. There's something about being at the center of so much action (political, etc.) that, even if I wasn't taking part in it, was just fun. It's really a city like no other, and I'm glad I was able to live there and become a part of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did it. Moved to a college town. We have great friends who are very intelligent, a constant flow of academics flowing through for dinner parties, and can drive to Chicago in a couple of hours if I want an event. I make 1/3 of what I did in DC at a law firm, work 2 days a week and live in a 3800 sf house that looks like Frank Lloyd Wright built it, with a fruit orchard and 20 acres. Cost less than our 2 BR SF in Spring Valley. Excellent schools. Love my new life. Miss some DC friends but nothing else.

Sounds amazing, What town?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all places that have a lower cost of living have uneducated people. Take any college town. Take Philly. Take many areas of places like Vermont.

burlington vt is a dream of mine. i've heard shelburne farms is lovely

Burlington is great in theory but the public schools are very under funded. People don't realize that there is a northern version of rednecks called "townies". Violent, poor and toothless, they drive the educated classes to send their kids to the ultra $$$ downstate--like Putney or into MA or other NE schools like Groton, Andover, Deerfield, Northfield-Mt Hermon, etc. The laid back granola life style up there comes at a much higher price than you might expect because there really is no middle class there.

There are townies everywhere.

[Anonymous]

just getting back to this post from yesterday - someone asked where you could buy a SFH in a good school district for less than $400K. We're moving to Austin. You can actually get into good school districts for less than that, but we want to be as close to the city as possible. Much like here, it is a trade off. We don't feel the need for more than 2000 sf, and many in TX think anything less than 3500 is "too small." I would prefer less space but close to amenities.

Our definition of nice house is likely less than most of the posters here. We have lived in a 2BR TH in Reston for 7+ years now and make just over $100K combined. We are NOT leaving Potomac or Great Falls or anything like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:just getting back to this post from yesterday - someone asked where you could buy a SFH in a good school district for less than $400K. We're moving to Austin. You can actually get into good school districts for less than that, but we want to be as close to the city as possible. Much like here, it is a trade off. We don't feel the need for more than 2000 sf, and many in TX think anything less than 3500 is "too small." I would prefer less space but close to amenities.

Our definition of nice house is likely less than most of the posters here. We have lived in a 2BR TH in Reston for 7+ years now and make just over $100K combined. We are NOT leaving Potomac or Great Falls or anything like that.

Lucky you! We went to grad school at UT and absolutely *loved* Austin. Would move back there myself in a heartbeat but can't see leaving my Federal job...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just getting back to this post from yesterday - someone asked where you could buy a SFH in a good school district for less than $400K. We're moving to Austin. You can actually get into good school districts for less than that, but we want to be as close to the city as possible. Much like here, it is a trade off. We don't feel the need for more than 2000 sf, and many in TX think anything less than 3500 is "too small." I would prefer less space but close to amenities.

Our definition of nice house is likely less than most of the posters here. We have lived in a 2BR TH in Reston for 7+ years now and make just over $100K combined. We are NOT leaving Potomac or Great Falls or anything like that.

Lucky you! We went to grad school at UT and absolutely *loved* Austin. Would move back there myself in a heartbeat but can't see leaving my Federal job...

So true! It's a beautiful area and a wonderful place to live! I have several friends whose children (both attorneys) live close in there, and they love it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:just getting back to this post from yesterday - someone asked where you could buy a SFH in a good school district for less than $400K. We're moving to Austin. You can actually get into good school districts for less than that, but we want to be as close to the city as possible. Much like here, it is a trade off. We don't feel the need for more than 2000 sf, and many in TX think anything less than 3500 is "too small." I would prefer less space but close to amenities.

Our definition of nice house is likely less than most of the posters here. We have lived in a 2BR TH in Reston for 7+ years now and make just over $100K combined. We are NOT leaving Potomac or Great Falls or anything like that.

Lucky you! We went to grad school at UT and absolutely *loved* Austin. Would move back there myself in a heartbeat but can't see leaving my Federal job...

I can keep my job as all of us basically work from home - doesn't much matter which state we're in. My husband is the one bringing in the bigger paycheck, though, so we're waiting to hear what will happen with his current job. If he can't keep it and work remotely, he has to look for something. He forsees a paycut and a change in industry (he is basically a defense/security contractor here, NOT something in high demand there). We shall see - we are prepared to stay here a couple more years if we must, but we really would like to leave this summer before my daughter starts K.

We're looking at a couple neighborhoods in Eanes that are right behind Barton Creek Mall and Allandale in North Central Austin. Haven't ruled out Circle C, but the other 2 neighborhoods have bigger yards, more trees, etc.

[Anonymous]

No, because our salaries would also be much less. What matters is how much you keep, not how much you make or how little things cost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all places that have a lower cost of living have uneducated people. Take any college town. Take Philly. Take many areas of places like Vermont.

burlington vt is a dream of mine. i've heard shelburne farms is lovely

Other than the IBMers, there's not much of an intellectual life there. And the weather sux way worse than DC's weather. The schools are eh.

[Anonymous]

"Yes, we miss the constant stimulation and the walkability of DC and all our friends with multiple advanced degrees (like us), but we are happy being homebodies in our huge, comfortable house with lots of nice retail located closeby."

Good for you! The constant stimulation, the walkability, the educated friends are three of the reasons we'd never move. Love the Folger, Arena Stage and so much more. We don't believe in huge houses and "nice retail" doesn't do anything for us. We're not shoppers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did it. Moved to a college town. We have great friends who are very intelligent, a constant flow of academics flowing through for dinner parties, and can drive to Chicago in a couple of hours if I want an event. I make 1/3 of what I did in DC at a law firm, work 2 days a week and live in a 3800 sf house that looks like Frank Lloyd Wright built it, with a fruit orchard and 20 acres. Cost less than our 2 BR SF in Spring Valley. Excellent schools. Love my new life. Miss some DC friends but nothing else.

How's the weather? How's the job market? How tolerant is your area regarding gay families? You don't miss the Smithsonian museums, the Kennedy Center, etc., etc.?

[Anonymous]

We did it. We moved from NW DC to just outside Denver. You can definitely get great LARGE houses out here for $400,000 or less in great school districts.

Downside -- well it is Colorado. Denver is pretty much still a cow-town. I have befriended the only black person in the area. We laugh about it because I always ask her if she knows where she lives but she moved from UT so she thinks this area is more "diverse." Restaurants suck except if you like chains. Really miss just the local ethnic restaurant options. Museums....did you know that while most dinosaur bones are found out here DC has stolen them all?!?! Total suburban living.

Upside -- huge house, great (and I mean really great) schools, 1 hr to the mountains, everyone works normal hours, no rat race (still keeping up with the Jones' though), weather is fabulous with the sun always shining even in winter, rec centers galore with amazing pools/workout facilities, going to the DMV is actually simple and easy and the people are actually helpful, everything is just cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I did it. Moved to a college town. We have great friends who are very intelligent, a constant flow of academics flowing through for dinner parties, and can drive to Chicago in a couple of hours if I want an event. I make 1/3 of what I did in DC at a law firm, work 2 days a week and live in a 3800 sf house that looks like Frank Lloyd Wright built it, with a fruit orchard and 20 acres. Cost less than our 2 BR SF in Spring Valley. Excellent schools. Love my new life. Miss some DC friends but nothing else.

How's the weather? How's the job market? How tolerant is your area regarding gay families? You don't miss the Smithsonian museums, the Kennedy Center, etc., etc.?

Colder/more snow (we are near Chicago after all) but summers are a solid 10 degrees cooler than DC so that's nice. Job market is generally bad but of course depends on your situation. We both have great jobs. I have made several gay friends here but I don't know a ton of gay families. My child's daycare is extremely diverse in other ways, in his class of 8 we have kids from 4 different races and all socio-economic ranges. I think that is important.

I don't miss the Smithsonian or KC. My DH and I go to various productions as they go through town, and they are fine. We have a better art film house than DC does and I enjoy that.

There are so many kid-friendly things to do here -- county fairs, music festivals, arts festivals, and the Chicago has a lot of fun kid stuff. We have a small zoo and lots of parks, great beaches on Lake Michigan in summer...I can't imagine that people could be unstimulated here unless they aren't trying very hard. And it isn't like this is some magical place. I could have found much the same in half a dozen other places he interviewed. Point is, most places are what you make them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not all places that have a lower cost of living have uneducated people. Take any college town. Take Philly. Take many areas of places like Vermont.

burlington vt is a dream of mine. i've heard shelburne farms is lovely

Burlington is great in theory but the public schools are very under funded. People don't realize that there is a northern version of rednecks called "townies". Violent, poor and toothless, they drive the educated classes to send their kids to the ultra $$$ downstate--like Putney or into MA or other NE schools like Groton, Andover, Deerfield, Northfield-Mt Hermon, etc. The laid back granola life style up there comes at a much higher price than you might expect because there really is no middle class there.

There are townies everywhere.

Indeed.