Where in the USA would you buy a house? (Affordable!)

[MesaAZGuy]

So my wife and I are thinking of pulling the plug on Arizona and relocating to the southeast in maybe the next 3-5 years. We are both originally from NY and left there in 2001. Some states that we are looking at are Tennessee, Kentucky, the Carolinas and maybe Ohio. We want to cash out and buy a home mortgage free in the 150-250k range and on acreage with a small town to go to. What do you guys think? Pitch me your best "Move over to my neck of the woods" speech! We don't have kids to worry about with schools. Just her and I. Prefer brick Tudor style homes but something with brick and a basement would be best. I would like to have my own Bass-ment with space for my father in law who's aging and would come live with us. I would most likely start another electrical business or work for the city at the new destination. Who knows... If I win the Publishers Clearing house sweepstakes, I may just not need to work!

 

[Reli]

Depends how big of a city you want for employment and entertainment opportunities. But my favorite parts of the South are mostly in NC/VA, including Asheville and Hendersonville in NC, and Lynchburg and Coeburn in VA. For TN go for Chattanooga for sure. Nashville, eh there are a couple cool parts of it, but avoid Memphis IMO. Kentucky and Ohio? No thanks.

 

[Fatdog]

There are parts of Nashville (Davidson County) where you can find Tudor style homes, but you would be looking at $500,000+ with nice yards but no acreage. Your $250,000 top range limits you to Nashville's surrounding counties (except Williamson County), and even then, I doubt you would get a nice home that included acreage.

Tennessee has lots of beautiful areas - more and more celebrities are moving here. We don't have an income tax, but Tennessee has the highest average combined state and local sales tax rate - of all States - at (9.53 percent). It's 9.75% where I am.

 

[Reli]

You're still lucky. Here in Cali I pay 8.75% sales tax PLUS state income tax, lol.
The best option is to live on the WA side of the WA/OR border. There's no income tax in WA, and no sales tax in OR.

 

[MesaAZGuy]

I looked at WA and the prices are still up there. We have a close friend who left NYC a couple years ago and moved to Loudon, TN. He loves it there. Was a former NYPD. I haven't been to the southeast since I used to drive OTR in '93. Yep, i was a baby faced trucker! Still have my CDL. Unfortunately since the doc put me on a Bi-pap machine a few years ago, I need to get a physical every year. I no longer need the machine but don't know how to tell the DMV that. Anywho, we miss the greenery. I hate humidity but as I get older I hate 110-115º heat even if its dry. Arizona is still a beautiful place to be and our house really skyrocketed in value which is why I am thinking we could sell and be mortgage free somewhere else. We also miss a good storm every now and then! All we get are massive dust storms followed by a spot of rain. Just enough to piss you off as the dirt gets glued down to everything.

 

[Reli]

Yeah man, the West is just gonna get hotter and hotter every year, and more forest fires too.

 

[floyd]

I would choose west Virginia its about the most beautiful place on earth and with your budget your should find a nice place.

 

[MesaAZGuy]

I thought of WV but not sure about employment opportunities. I do like the charm of some of their neighborhoods.

 

[trippy1313]

Yeah man, the West is just gonna get hotter and hotter every year, and more forest fires too.

Well you called that one. I've been covered in smoke for days now.

 

[Reli]

Well you called that one. I've been covered in smoke for days now.

Yep, thinking of leaving for sure. It's not going to get any better. The upper Midwest such as Michigan is probably the safest part of the country for people to put roots down. The rest of the country is going to keep getting battered with more and more hurricanes, floods, droughts, fires, ice storms, tornados, earthquakes, and rising sea levels (although that last one is a much longer term thing).

 

[legacykemp]

It's been a while since your post, but I'd like to add some information.
Finding an affordable place to settle down in the USA can be a real puzzle, right? It depends on what you're looking for. If Family matters can be tough to you, places like Tennessee or Indiana can be solid bets. They've got a nice mix of affordable housing and good communities. Tennessee's got that Southern charm, while Indiana's known for its friendly folks and lower cost of living. If you're more into the West Coast vibe, places in Arizona or New Mexico might tickle your fancy—they've got great weather and some more affordable spots away from the big cities. It's all about what suits your style and wallet!

 

[Fatdog]

Welcome aboard, @legacykemp !

 

[trippy1313]

You're still lucky. Here in Cali I pay 8.75% sales tax PLUS state income tax, lol.
The best option is to live on the WA side of the WA/OR border. There's no income tax in WA, and no sales tax in OR.

Only unless you're trying to buy a car in OR but live in WA.

They still charge us in WA for out of state vehicle purchases. And out of state online purchases too.