Why you live where you live + what you love and hate

[Deleted]

There's lots of talk on the boards about where we live, the things we love and hate about our locations, where we would like to live and more.  I wonder if talking about this could maybe help us get happier with where we are if we can't change that, or make good choices if we can change our locale.  How about it?

• Why are you living where you live?  Job, inheritance, hometown?
• What do you most love about your location?  Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
• What do you most hate about your location?  Weather, traffic, neighbors?
• Do you love your location but dislike your home?  Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
• Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

I'll go first 

Why are you living where you live? We moved to Houston for DH's job back in the 90's and fell in love with it. 
What do you most love about your location? We love the diversity of Houston and adore our neighbors 90% of the time. 
What do you most hate about your location? Houston weather totally sucks with awful heat in the summer and the constant threat of hurricanes.  The only thing worse than our weather is our traffic.  Road rage incidents are a daily occurrence across the city. 
Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?  We currently live in a single-family home and can afford to do that, but the over-55 community apartment communities are very interesting.  I'm sort of tired of the constant maintenance that an older home needs.
Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  If it was just me, I would live on a seashore somewhere.  But it's not just me and DH gets a vote too.  Some places, like Oregon, are so beautiful but way outside our financial means.  I think we could both be comfortable in arid areas like El Paso or Laredo.

[jerseygirl]

We should have stayed in Hawaii after we went there on vacation. Loved it but family would probably visit once then we’d be lonely

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2022 19:54:11 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

There's lots of talk on the boards about where we live, the things we love and hate about our locations, where we would like to live and more.  I wonder if talking about this could maybe help us get happier with where we are if we can't change that, or make good choices if we can change our locale.  How about it?

• Why are you living where you live?  Job, inheritance, hometown?
• What do you most love about your location?  Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
• What do you most hate about your location?  Weather, traffic, neighbors?
• Do you love your location but dislike your home?  Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
• Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

I'll go first 

Why are you living where you live? We moved to Houston for DH's job back in the 90's and fell in love with it. 
What do you most love about your location? We love the diversity of Houston and adore our neighbors 90% of the time. 
What do you most hate about your location? Houston weather totally sucks with awful heat in the summer and the constant threat of hurricanes.  The only thing worse than our weather is our traffic.  Road rage incidents are a daily occurrence across the city. 
Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?  We currently live in a single-family home and can afford to do that, but the over-55 community apartment communities are very interesting.  I'm sort of tired of the constant maintenance that an older home needs.
Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  If it was just me, I would live on a seashore somewhere.  But it's not just me and DH gets a vote too.  Some places, like Oregon, are so beautiful but way outside our financial means.  I think we could both be comfortable in arid areas like El Paso or Laredo.

Oooohhh, I like this idea for a conversation. 

1. I live where I do because it’s the area I grew up in and I’ve never lived anywhere else. Once my children graduated high school, I’ve been very open to relocating, but nothing has happened to MAKE me relocate.

2. I don’t really love anything about my location. It’s just “home”. Most of my closest family members live here, but as much as I love them and like being able to see them whenever I want, that wouldn’t stop me from moving away if the circumstances were right. Especially since my children are adults now.

3. What I hate most about my location is the high crime. I would love to live somewhere that I didn’t have to worry so much about violence and murder. I live in the suburbs now, but still Mister is usually packing when he’s just doing yard work. He is not being extra or paranoid, the crime here is such that even in the suburbs closest to the city, like the one we live in, you aren’t necessarily safe on your own property or even in your own home. That’s beyond all the burglaries and thefts, and never mind being out and about, doing things as simple as going to the grocery store or putting gas in your car. Or heck, just minding your business, driving on the expressway. Violent crimes happen around here in broad daylight now. I hate it! I also hate that race is a big deal here. I’d love to live somewhere that I could be free to just be me, without having to constantly beware because of my dark skin color.

4. I don’t love my location, but I do love my home. It’s not perfect, but I really do like it.

5. In the US, my ideal location would be in a small town close to the ocean and at least one large city. I’m a city girl, so even though I yearn for a certain lifestyle, I wouldn’t want to be too far from the amenities of a large city. I didn’t feel like I could move while I was raising my children because the support system I had here with family made my life as a single Mom so much easier. After my youngest graduated high school and I started really entertaining the thought of relocating, maintaining the income I have with my job became an issue. Then I met Mister, and even though we’ve talked about relocating, realistically, it would take a LOT for him to move away from his children, which I understand. His oldest is still only 19yo right now, and we have a long way to go with the youngest.

I don’t see me ever willingly moving somewhere where winters are worse than I’m use to, and they aren’t too bad here in comparison to some other parts of the country. My ideal is somewhere that is fairly warm all year. But I could tolerate winters about the same as here if I loved everything else about living in a specific area.

[jeffreymo]

Met my wife here and started a family. Kids are in school so we’re anchored to the area for a while. Biggest dislike is the size of our house. It’s a 3/2.5 and we need a 4/2.5 with 2500+ square feet. Location of our place is great. We’re about a 5 minute drive to everything - groceries/restaurants/school/church/kids activities. My office is 15 minutes away. Parents and in-laws are both about 1.5 hours away, which is probably a good thing.

Funny enough we were just talking about where and when we could really move - like to a different state. Seems like both our jobs are trending toward fully remote work so we could probably relocate when our youngest is done with high school in 11 years. Tennessee, Florida, or the Carolinas would be where we would look. We’ll hopefully upgrade our house locally in the near future, but the move south would probably be the first step towards retirement.

[geenamercile]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?  I live in VA, lived here my whole life but now I am invested enough in my pension plan it doesn't make sense to move until I retire.  This is one of my hometowns and my aunt lives in it as well, we moved here because of my grandmother and aunt.

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy? The town is nice.  They have a lot of nice community events.   Location is both close to the mountains (say trip) and the beach (could be a day trip but we normally spend the night), D.C would be a day trip as well, and once in a while going to the museums, national zoo ect... is nice but we do tend to head in the other direction.  Lots of different cultural experiences.  Lots of history and state/national parks.  We do have all 4 seasons, and each offers something.  School for the girls is good, and lots of options for after high school.

What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors? Close enough to DC that the politics is never ending.  Even when not near an election still get junk mail about coming to this protest or that in D.C.  Not enough snow.  We got some this year but will have years without any as well.  We get samplings of all the weather just smaller versions, earthquakes have happen, hurricanes, tornadoes, blizzards, flooding, heat waves ect...  Also while we have the mountains and beaches, they seem to be not as great or magnificence as the beaches farther south, or the mountains out west.   I also think I could just be bored with it.     


Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome? I like my town and home.

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job? I don't know yet.  Wyoming was amazing when I went through it last summer, but I want to see what other places are like too.  I wouldn't move now for several reasons, pension, girls finishing school, my aunt, but at some point I see moving as a real possibility.   

[Deleted]

Mar 13, 2022 19:54:11 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

There's lots of talk on the boards about where we live, the things we love and hate about our locations, where we would like to live and more.  I wonder if talking about this could maybe help us get happier with where we are if we can't change that, or make good choices if we can change our locale.  How about it?

• Why are you living where you live?  Job, inheritance, hometown?
• What do you most hate about your location?  Weather, traffic, neighbors?
• Do you love your location but dislike your home?  Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
• Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?

Boise, Id.  We picked it.  We spent 2 years trying to find a place to move, traveling, searching online.  Dh wanted a place in the west that wasn't too big, wasn't too small, and not too expensive.  


What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?


The crime is low, we always feel safe, so that allows for lots of outdoor stuff.  It is a good starting point for camping.  Low humidity.  


What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?

The politics of Idaho!  There isn't a crazy right wing law, that they don't embrace.  Some state does something nuts and Idaho plagiarizes that law.  I never felt like a state actually hated me before.  It is exhausting. 
Lack of trees.  Lack of Basements.  Tiny lots.  Smoke season.


Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?

I like my house, except the lack of a basement.  


Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

No idea.  I lean towards going back home to MD, but that is homesickness (Crime, traffic, humidity).  Maybe Colorado Springs, that was number 2 when we made this move.  It will probably be 2 years before we make the move to somewhere else.  

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?
Moved out here to be with TD and never left.  Job opportunities are good for him here, they were crappy for me and largely the reason why I never moved out here.  While we were dating, we used to revisit this about every 6 months.  I could get a job in Seattle, but I’ve done big cities and I’m done with them.  
What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
TD is fairly close to his family, not so close to mine.  We have excellent neighbors, are off the beaten track but close enough that we still have amenities.  Not too hot, not too cold.  
What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?
Nothing.  I would like a water view but don’t want one bad enough to look for something else.
Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
I wish this house was a little smaller.  We don’t need this much space, as we have expanded our junk to fill it.  We already had a trial run as to how well this place would work with disability and know it is very doable as it is, but might require some small modifications.  We have friends who are in a pickle right now, wife has MS and it’s not so stable as it has been the last several years, she has deteriorated a lot. They need to do some major modifications to their house, but are finding to renovate one of their bathrooms to as H/C as it needs to be is going to cost about $85k.  There is squat available on the market for them to move.  Luckily, they have the resources to pay.
Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?
We keep revisiting as to whether we want to move, and really can’t think of a place we like more.  I don’t like how the prices in this city are driving working people out and retired in.    

[Sharon]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?

    I just moved to this location a little over 3 months ago.  It was an across state move away from where I had always lived.  My DD moved to this area a year ago and after visiting several times I decided I liked the area.  I   was also in desperate need for a change in my life. 

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?

    I like that I am finally living in a rural area.  For years I have wanted to live on a farm but as a single Mom with no child support buying land just wasn't an option.  I now have 2 acres and although it doesn't constitute a farm it is so nice not to have neighbors right on top of me anymore.  I also love that I see DD and the grandkids regularly, actually more often than we both lived across the state.

What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?

    I'm having troubles adjusting to some of things that come with living in a small town.  Banking hours are 9am - 4pm and they are closed mid-day for 45 min for lunch, and don't even think about weekend hours.  While in the process of moving I had a storage unit in the area.  The storage facility didn't have any office hours during the weekend, which was an issue when my gate code didn't work and I was only in the area for the weekend.  Want to rent a U-haul on a Saturday you need to go a little further out for that because the closest location is closed on Saturday.

Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?

    My home was built in 1974 and needs some upgrades/refreshes but for now I haven't been able to find a contractor.  They are booked out for months.  It took me quite a while to find my home and I actually kind of settled because I insisted on a single level home since I'm not getting any younger.  I had been looking for 3 months before this home came on the market.

[Lizard Queen]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown? Hometown, mostly. It's where we found an affordable house in a good  area that was close job and family at the time of purchase. 

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
Convenience to grocery stores, close to Lake Michigan. Safe. I bitch if traffic delays my 5-10 minutes.  I'm spoiled that way, and  don't think I could stand living in a place with real traffic. 

What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?
Urban decay and few good jobs in the city metro. Businesses closing down and areas getting rundown,  while they build more on virgin land, chopping down trees and taking land away from wildlife. 


Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome? 
It would be perfect spot if it had a larger,  less exposed lot and a larger, newer house. It's located between the middle and high school's,  walking distance both ways. I could walk to 3 different grocery stores if I wanted to, but I don't. Bike to lake MI.


Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job? 
It would be a huge change.  I'm not sure where else I'd rather live in this country, while moving to another country feels like too big of a leap. Lots of places I like to visit, but I don't know if I'd like living there. I feel like I have to live near a large body of water. I feel a little lost without one nearby.  It's hard to explain.  other thing is politics.  I can't move to a more red area.

[tcu2003]

I’ll play. We’re in a suburb of Kansas City on the Kansas side of the state line.

• Why are you living where you live?  Job, inheritance, hometown?
• What do you most love about your location?  Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
• What do you most hate about your location?  Weather, traffic, neighbors?
• Do you love your location but dislike your home?  Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
• Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

Not sure there’s anywhere else I want to live right now. Overall, this is home and we’re pretty happy here. There are some things I miss about growing up in a small town that my kids won’t experience, but things they get to experience that I did not. Plus DH and I wouldn’t have jobs in most small towns so there’s that as well. 🙃

[zibazinski]

I love not owning a home right now. I sold when the market was high enough and even though the house is worth more now, I don’t regret it. I live downtown and can walk to everything faster than if I drove there. I can go weeks without driving my car. I’m a shuttle ride to the hospital I volunteer for because their parking lot for employees is close by. I walk to the theater and venue where I have season theater and hockey tickets. I’m close to a major airport and if all hell breaks loose, I’m close to a major air force base so I’ll be “ toast” and not a survivor in the aftermath. It’s an over 55 so it’s quiet enough, especially at night which I like. I moved here after DH died because my son was here and my daughter was in PA school close enough to visit. They’ve both moved, DS is close by and DD visits every two months. I may buy something in the future but it’ll be years from now. I want to travel and living like this makes it easy. I’ve lived my entire life pleasing others and now it’s my turn to please me.
Downside, like most large cities, it’s corrupt to the core. Crime is up and police are demoralized. I hope we can get a new mayor when her term is up.

[steff]

1.  Why are you living where you live?     the world's longest rubber band apron string. My mom moved to Georgia & one by one so did her kids. All of us lived within a 10 miles circle in Houston & have pretty much done the same in Georgia. In exchange for following my family hubby wanted to live in "the country". He lived most of his adult life in a small town until we got married. It was the compromise for dragging him halfway across the country.  At first it was complete culture shock for me, but I've learned to like it.  It does surprise me that I ended up liking it. Reminds me of spending summers at my grandparents in their small country town.

2.  What do you most love about your location? My pink house. I am still completely in love with my pink Barbie house as much today as I was the first time I saw it 12 years ago. It's the longest I've ever lived anywhere. I like that I can live inside my 10 mile radius bubble & have pretty much everything I need. I like the quiet. I didn't realize that until I went to Houston for a visit and the 24 hour noise drove me insane by night 3. 

3.  What do you most hate about your location?  It's a deeply red, religious, conservative, good ol' boy, redneck clusterfuck of small towns. We regularly get flyers/letters from our local KKK groups hanging from mailboxes. I know exactly which houses by the flags they fly & people I'm going to need to avoid when/if the shit really hits the fan.  One town over is one of the biggest meth havens in the state. Small town gossip & everyone knowing your business really is true. Small town Southern people are WEIRD. I'm not saying that Deliverance could have been real, but Deliverance could have been real.  They are very paranoid over hysterical shit. Some days I feel like I"m in a Twilight Zone episode.  Now they are all weird & angry.

4. Do you love your location but dislike your home?  Love my house.

5.  Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  I used to think I wanted to move back to Texas. Visits back home to Houston have made me realize it's too hot, crowded, & busy for me now. I'm too old at this point to deal with that & the stress it brings. 

[buystoys]

We relocated to TX from NY when we retired.  We picked this location because my family all lives here.  I'm not crazy about how humid it can get, but I don't really mind the heat.  Of course, it helps that we spend a couple hours by the pool most days in the summer and that cools us off.

I love that we're in a smaller city and have less traffic to deal with.  I hated all the congestion of NJ/NY and how people were right on top of each other.  Here, we have all kinds of space.  We're not in town, so our taxes are about 1/2 what they could be.  Yet we're close enough that it's only a few minutes to drive into town to run errands.

DH has said he's never moving again, so we're never moving.    We've done what we can to prepare our home for aging in place.  I don't love it, but I do like it.  We're making it ours slowly but surely.  Another couple of major projects and we're done fixing it up.

[daisylu]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?

Transplanted from Baltimore when parents jobs moved, just as I graduated high school. Major culture shock.


What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
Quiet land all around us, but neighbors are far enough away that we can generally be as loud as we choose. Family close by, especially worth it to watch the nieces and nephews grow up. I love the spring, summer, and fall. 


What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?

I am not crazy about winter, it can get pretty bad for us when my SAD kicks in. I can do without snow, I would prefer to travel if I wanted to see it.


Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
We are in a tiny single family on 9 acres. I have been frustrated with the size of it, but with the kids planning to move out this year it will alleviate some of the crowding. I have also been purging some, and plan a larger purge when they move out. 


Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

Coastal city in the South Carolina area. DH prefers Kentucky, but I told him that if he is serious he is going to have to get used to flying (he never has, and likely never will), because I am not driving 16 hours to the beach. Though I do visiting Kentucky. Jobs and life keeps us where we are, probably at least until retirement. I would not have any issue moving away from family, once the youngest niece(8) and nephew(5) are older.

[Deleted]

• Why are you living where you live?
• What do you most love about your location?
• What do you most hate about your location?
• Do you love your location but dislike your home?
• Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?

South Carolina near my sister and 2 of my brothers. What keeps me here is DS and DDIL and my grandchildren, who are firmly stuck in Des Moines. When I can no longer live independently I'll find appropriate housing near them. Ugh. More snow but I'm not going to be one of those people who moves to FL and then expects their kids to drop everything and come running when I need help.

[TheOtherMe]

Why are you living where you live?

I moved here from Colorado to help with my parents during their final years.


What do you most love about your location?

I could afford to buy a home here.  It's a duplex and I own one side.  It's affordable.  Some people are friendly, but it depends on their religion, which makes me sad.


What do you most hate about your location?

The state and county are way too red for my liking.  They embrace every stupid idea the legislature introduces and rams through.  I don't care for the humidity.  


Do you love your location but dislike your home?

I like the house even if it's more space than I need.  I would be living in an overpriced apartment if I was still in Colorado.  I don't love my location.  

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?

Boulder CO but it will never happen.  Boulder and Colorado are both way out of my price range.  I can afford something on the Eastern Plains there is no good reason for me to live there, so I will stay here.

[chiver78]

Why are you living where you live? I'm a lifelong Masshole, born and raised.    I've always loved the ocean, and moved to Cape Cod about 7y ago. I thought I was moving closer to my office 2y ago, and then COVID/WFH allowed me to move back to the beach. I'm in "America's Hometown" of Plymouth now, not quite the Cape anymore. 

What do you most love about your location? I'm basically in a cabin in the woods, it's definitely not downtown. other than my immediate next door neighbors that are way too close (a concern I had even when I first came to see the listing), it's nice to have my own space without too many people around. in the few months I was back in the area where I'd lived prior to moving to CC, I remembered why I left - there's too many people around there. even with COVID isolating, there was still traffic all the time!  

What do you most hate about your location? my immediate next door neighbors, who moved in after me. I'll be fixing that to some extent with a taller fence this summer. also, it's a bit of a pain to get in to the city. luckily I don't need to do that very often. 

Do you love your location but dislike your home? my house is the perfect size for my two dogs and me, although it is laid out a little strangely. I've chosen to make my living room in the finished basement room to allow for an actual dining room on the main floor. other than that, I'd like a little more buffer on the one side of the house to keep those neighbors at more of a distance. 

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? I honestly don't know where I want to live, other than that it pretty much has to be coastal. my job is one that can literally be done from anywhere, and my family (parents, sister/BIL) are pretty well rooted in their general areas. I've always had wanderlust, and don't see myself staying anywhere longer than a few years. while I'm making this house mine, it's not my forever home. I don't think I'll ever have one of those. 

[swamp]

Mar 13, 2022 19:54:11 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

There's lots of talk on the boards about where we live, the things we love and hate about our locations, where we would like to live and more.  I wonder if talking about this could maybe help us get happier with where we are if we can't change that, or make good choices if we can change our locale.  How about it?

• Why are you living where you live?  Job, inheritance, hometown?
• What do you most love about your location?  Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
• What do you most hate about your location?  Weather, traffic, neighbors?
• Do you love your location but dislike your home?  Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
• Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

I'll go first 

Why are you living where you live? We moved to Houston for DH's job back in the 90's and fell in love with it. 
What do you most love about your location? We love the diversity of Houston and adore our neighbors 90% of the time. 
What do you most hate about your location?

When it’s -30, I often ask myself why I live here.

Why am I here: I was born here. DH was born here. I got a job as an Assistant DA here after law school I realized quickly I could move up the food chain much faster if I stayed here. Once we had kids, i had great family support to assist me in my career. My kids are now very close to their grandparents, and I have a kick ass job. It’s also VVVLCOLA and my kids are able to do all sorts of activities that they couldn’t simultaneously do in a big city.

What do I love most: see above. It’s also beautiful here. Summers are amazing. I live on the water. I couldn’t afford to in a bigger city.

What do I hate most: Very rural and lack of diversity. Limited shopping and restaurants. Thank god for Amazon. It’s really cold in the winter

[giramomma]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?

Sheer laziness.  Honest to god. I didn't want to work, so I went to grad school directly after undergrad. Then I started working where I do now while I was in grad school. I didn't want to find another job. So they started the process to make me a permanent employee.

 I had a friend once tell me that it's very easy to get complacent where I live. She is so right.

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?

Love the diversity. There's always stuff to do....it can be cheap or expensive. I love that it is very liberal, sort of do as you wish.  Also, I do get four seasons.

What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?

I hate that we have so many "haves" between the university, state, and local government, as well as some big businesses near by that obscure the act that we have a pretty bad poverty issue. Like almost 50% of the kids in our school system live in poverty. Our city is also set up that it's pretty easy to avoid the bad parts of town, physically. And honestly, 75% of the haves are like the well off people at my church...they are only motivated to help others because it benefits them in some way. They don't help others because it's the right thing to do. (IOW, kids volunteer for hours for National Honors society. People eat up donating toys for christmas, because of how it makes them look. But, doing things like donating soap and cleaning products in mid June...that's not as sexy.)

I also hate that the public school system has no idea how to deal with a non-white, middle class population that is on target for reading and math. I mean, when the music major goes, "well, duh...I could have told you that...and you needed a STUDY to show it..." you have got a problem.

And I am one of the few people around that talk about such things. The poverty/low income issue here...it's like Bruno. We don't talk about it.

Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?

I wish our home were a tad bigger. But, Otherwise, I love it.

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

I am not sure where else I would like to live, TBH.  I mean, I'd love to live in San Fran because of the weather, but expensive.

[bean29]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?

We are living in the last suburb of Milwaukee as you drive towards Chicago.  This is convenient because we make a Trip to Chicago to visit friends at least every other Month.  We have quite a bit of family in both Milwaukee and Waukesha Counties.
What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?  We built a single family Ranch home with a partial exposure about 15 years ago.  It is about 2,000 sq ft with a fully finished basement and a 3.5+ car garage, and we are allowed to have a fence in our subdivision, so we have one.  I would prefer a bit more sq ft on the 1st floor, really don't see us entertaining too much once our Parent's are gone, but DH does not recognize that yet.  We also have sidewalks in our neighborhood which is very nice for walking my Dogs.  We have everything close by, shopping, banking, Medical Facilities Freeway etc.
What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?  The taxes.  Our taxes run about $8,000 a year.  The layout of our house could be better too.  I think about buying a newer house with a better layout, similar sq footage all the time, but I don't think I will b/c we would go from having a house worth about $450,000-550,000 to one worth $700,000-800,000 for same first floor square footage + maybee 100-200 sq ft, and loose the finished basement.  We also may well have a smaller lot, depending on where we go.  Also we may not have as much space in the garage.  We can afford to remodel, but I think if I start changing everything I dislike about the house I might as well buy a more expensive home.  Updating the family bath will happen this year b/c DH says it needs to be done for various reasons.
Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?   
I think about buying a newer house with a better layout, similar sq footage all the time, but I don't think I will b/c we would go from having a house worth about $450,000-550,000 to one worth $700,000-800,000 for same first floor square footage + maybe 100-200 sq ft, and loose the finished basement. My DH would then want to finish the basement again.  He is not as young as he was, and he will not have the help we had on this house. We also may well have a smaller lot, depending on where we go. Also we may not have as much space in the garage. I would consider a two story home if it had a first floor master.  Also if I buy a next home, I don't want steep stairs, so I want a stair case that turns and has a landing.  DH wants either More land or a water view.  I don't share his vision.  So, I kind of think staying put is probably a good idea unless I get to move someplace warmer at the same time.

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?  I would move farther out into the suburbs, but right now my In-laws live very close to Lake Michigan, and are not willing to move despite the fact that their house is not suitable to older individuals with limited mobility.  Now one of DH's brothers lives with them and he is an amputee.  We always said MIL and FIL could live with us, but DH does not want to be saddled with his brother.  Brother is on Medicaid, so if he outlives his parents, he will have issues with where to live.  DH's office is about 15 minutes from them, about 20-25 minutes from where we live.  If we move too far west for lower taxes, we increase commute times, and distance to the 'rents.  So we need to stay put 10-15 years.  At that point, we will be retirement age, and house will be paid off.  I would like to live in a warmer climate, I am very sensitive to the cold.  DH has a brother in GA.  We both would prefer someplace more liberal, but I don't think there is an affordable temperate climate, so we will have to see when we get to that point.  We certainly could afford the mortgage on more house, but I am afraid I would be spending $$ that really should be invested for retirement.  The old YM joke of eating cat food in retirement always runs through my mind.

[raeoflyte]

I grew up here, in the exact house I'm in right now. (I did move out for many years! But happily accepted my parents offer to buy their house at a discount when ds was ready for school).

I love Colorado. We're close to Denver and the mountains. My parents live less than a mile from us now and my sister is across town but still close. Dh's family are also nearby. I love the kids elementary school and there are several kids on our block that dd can get a little bit of free ranging just close to home.

I hate the cost of living. I'd say we've jumped from mid to high col in the last 10 years. I don't know how my kids could launch in this area. We have too much traffic and not enough infrastructure to support the # that are supposedly still moving here (but that # is dropping). The rest of the country needs to legalize weed so its not as excitingto move here. Not enough diversity where we live now. The elementary school was great, but middle and high schools are mostly white.

I don't love our specific house. I'd like one a little bigger, more bedrooms. But we're on a 3rd of an acre which is nice for city living, and any complaints I have are just silly things. We're very lucky.

I wanted to move around when we were young. Tried to get dh to go to vet school in the caribbean. But once we had kids I'm not willing to leave my family. My kids have great relationships with them. We can have spontaneous get togethers, they help us out of every jam (pick up this kid, run to our house and grab long pants for that kid and bring them to the ice arena, etc.)

We have a family farm in MN, and I'd consider moving there if my parents came too, if MN fixed their rape laws, and if we could find some blue leaning lgbtq community. All of which to say, we're not moving there. Washington or Oregon would be appealing. I didn't get to live in a van traveling the US in my 20's, so maybe that's how I'll spend my retirement? Depending on where my kids settle.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Mar 13, 2022 19:54:11 GMT -5 soupandstew said:

There's lots of talk on the boards about where we live, the things we love and hate about our locations, where we would like to live and more.  I wonder if talking about this could maybe help us get happier with where we are if we can't change that, or make good choices if we can change our locale.  How about it?

• Why are you living where you live?  Job, inheritance, hometown? It is my hometown. I actually live right across the street from my parents' house I was born here and will probably die here.  I didn't intend for it to be that way but I graduated college in 2006 which wasn't exactly the best time to graduate.  My grandmother house was sitting unused because she had died shortly beforehand.  I needed a place to live, my parents needed breathing space to figure out what to do with the house without worrying about squatters so I moved in.  I also met Dh around this time.
  
  
• What do you most love about your location?  Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy? It's very low cost of living here.  I wouldn't have been able to start my career where I did making what I did elsewhere.  That is quickly changing though.   I do like that the kids are so close to their grandparents.  I didn't really have much of a relationship with my grandparents and that was with one set living in the same city.  I like my kids have extended family they are close to.
  
  
• What do you most hate about your location?  Weather, traffic, neighbors? I HATE the entire state anymore.  I didn't use to back when I was in HS/college the state was more purple.  We were the third state to legalize gay marriage.  Slowly over time we've become ever more red.  My area has a pretty big meth problem neither the city or state want to address it's so much easier to go after those evil liberals for critical race theory.  I used to really hate winters but thanks to climate change winters are more mild than they used to be.  In general compared to other areas of the country I think we get off light with weather.
  
  
• Do you love your location but dislike your home?  Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome? I like our house just fine.  It has it's faults but having been built in 1942 it has good bones, we're not facing the issues people who live in those new surburban complexes are that were built by fly by night companies assuming you'd flip in 5 years and wouldn't notice the stuff wrong with it.   I decided back when I lived in the dorms I would prefer to never live in a place where I share walls with people.
  
  
• Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there?  Is it affordability, proximity to family, job? I'd live in Nederland Colorado.  Pretty sure my parents would follow me.    it's the cost of living out there that stops me.  Plus that is a very small mountain town I would be required to commute to one of the major cities for what I do. I already hate driving in winter in the Midwest no way in heck am I doing it in the mountains.
  
  I would have moved to Iowa City which is a college town in Iowa back in 2008 with my former boss if DH had not put down an ultimatium it was either him or moving. I chose him which I won't lie somedays I wonder if that was the right choice.  I would have been in such a different place career wise if I had told him I was going.  But then I wouldn't have the girls.  I do appreciate that he has progressed in his recovery enough that he can look back on that and admit how wrong that was of him to do.  Given how the PhD thing has shaken out in my field I'd likely be in the same boat I am now career wise just with more debt and even more over qualified.   Still sometimes I do wonder.

[laterbloomer]

Why are you living where you live?

I ended up here accidentally when my plans to move to another town ran into a snag and I knew someone living here that said they could put me up for a little while. I got a job here quickly, the cost of living is reasonable and there is a college and a university here. (I wanted to go to post secondary at the time) Since then I have built a life here with people born and raised here that won't move away.

What do you most love about your location? The cost of living is reasonable and I live in a part of the world that other people come to vacation to in the summer.

What do you most hate about your location? Winters are too long and cold. I am hoping to be a snow bird when I retire.

Do you love your location but dislike your home? I really like my home. I own my own house but it's small enough for me to take care of on my own. Sometimes I wish the yard was a bit bigger, but realistically I hate yard work.

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Like I said, I just want to get away from winter. Cost and leaving my loved ones keep me here at the moment. After ISO passes and GW gets out on her own we will see.

[seriousthistime]

Why are you living where you live? I got a job in California in 2016. I had a chance to transfer to Seattle or Denver in 2018, and thought about those places for a NY minute before deciding against it.  I retired in 2020 and stayed here.  

What do you most love about your location? The weather! I've spent most of my life living in areas with horrible winters and hot humid summers and I am so done with that.  I LOVE the smaller airport that serves this area.  Excellent service to major cities, easy connections to smaller places, and it's worth it not to have to deal with the major international airports north and south of here. 

What do you most hate about your location? The cost of living, but so far it's manageable.  Traffic can be a bear if I drive to one of the major cities within an hour or two of home. 

Do you love your location but dislike your home? I like condo/townhouse living, pay dues to the HOA and have all exterior maintenance taken care of.  I would like to have a single story place with a bit more room.  In the long run, as I age, the stairs will be a deal breaker. 

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? I would like to spend more time with my grandson, but I don't want to live there.  I'm trying to buy a place where they live so I can spend more time with him without being in their face, help them out, be closer to dear friends (DS still lives where he grew up), etc. It would be a second home because the COL there is significantly lower than California, so I can afford to keep two places.  Weather is what keeps me from going there permanently. The winter and summer are beastly. 

 

[Deleted]

Lovely YM'ers, I have not abandoned this post and have read quite a few replies.  I will read all the responses and am really grateful for the perspectives you have shared.  Personally, this is helping us take a deeper look at our situation, what brings quality to life, what we should consider as we move forward.  

Beyond that, I feel like I know you better, what rewards you get and what challenges you face, what drives you day to day.  I'm seeing a lot of really resilient folks who have faced many transitions in life and made wise choices.  

[weltschmerz]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown? I love this city of Montreal. I've lived in many places in different countries but always come back to my favourite city. It's festival after festival, with many free shows, activities, art exhibits and plays.

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
My neighbours are great! They're from Uganda, Columbia, Mali, Yemen, Paraguay, Mauritius, South Africa, etc. Very convenient, with grocery shopping, post office, drugstore, health clinic, sports center right across the street.

What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?
Freezing winter weather. Potholes.

Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
I love my apartment. It's huge and full of sunlight. I don't want the headache of owning a home anymore.

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?
I'd consider living in Victoria/Vancouver, but it's unaffordable. I'd like to be by the ocean.

[Anne_in_VA]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?

I moved here to coastal VA with exH from CT.  I like it here so decided to stay after the divorce. 

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?

I love being close to the beach, have great neighbors, nice weather most of the year, lots of amenities and entertainment.

What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?

There is very little that I dislike about this city.  The summer traffic is brutal in the tourist season and I don’t go near the oceanfront then because of the traffic.  

Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?

We live in a one story single family home that is really just about right for what we need.  If we could have afforded it, I would have chosen a little bigger house, but we opted to keep our costs low knowing we were heading into retirement.  

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?

I think I would stay here.  DS and his family live near, DD lives about 5 hours away, so it’s doable.  DH is still working so there is that too.  He is a government contractor, so can’t really move elsewhere easily.

[Bonny]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?

We originally moved here due to DH's job. We both grew up in So. Cal moved to the Washington DC area in 1987 for DH's job. I didn't love the DC area for a number of reasons but it was a good experience to have. When DH got the chance to move to the SF Bay Area in 1989 I was concerned that it would be to expensive.   We found a that was double the cost of our VA condo for $240k. That would be worth over $1M today. In 1996 we bought a bigger box to hold DH's family furniture. I was stressed that we overpaid by $7k.  It's now worth over $2M. Another 

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?

It's a small <40k town on the coast about 15 miles south of San Francisco and we are about 20min from SFO. Wine Country is 2hrs away.
What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?

People whine about the traffic but it's really only about one hour during peak. Ironically it's the weekend traffic that keeps us sheltering in place. Our town has been "discovered" by Silcon Valley. The real problem is that it is very, very expensive and it's hard for people who are not in tech to buy a home here given starter homes are $1M.
Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?

We have a stunning ocean/bay/hill view on almost 1/2 acre. Although the house really isn't anything special it's fine for our needs other than it is two-story.
Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?
I'm happy here. DH would prefer to move to our AZ house.

I should add that I've moved five times for DH's job. I'm done! 

[mamasita99]

It has been very helpful for me to read about other people’s experiences in their own areas, and to see that pros/cons are everywhere. I’m out of the country now, but since my young adult children are in the US, I know I’m not going to be here forever. DW and I often discuss where we want to get a home in the states, since we don’t have the family/school/job ties that we would have had years back.

[flamingo]

Why are you living where you live? Job, inheritance, hometown?
We moved here for my job. Not even close to my hometown, though ironically enough, my parents lived in a different part of this city about 20 years ago, so at least I was familiar with the city before we moved.

What do you most love about your location? Neighbors, close to family, convenience, economy?
Love the convenience of where I live. Close to the larger city, though my suburb has everything we need. Super diverse, warm weather year round (we even like the hot humid summers) only an hour from the beach.


What do you most hate about your location? Weather, traffic, neighbors?
Traffic. It's hideously terrible all the time - not so much in my city/suburb, but definitely in the larger metro area. The only reason I am willing to deal with it is b/c I work from home so I don't have to worry about rush-hour traffic.
Politics. It's hard to be a liberal in my state, though we are in one of the more liberal metros/suburbs. Still, it wears me down.

Do you love your location but dislike your home? Would you prefer to live in a single-family home or an apartment/condo/townhome?
We rent an apartment since we just moved here last summer. We'll probably rent again next year b/c while housing is affordable the housing market is nuts and I can't imagine buying a house over asking w/barely a chance to see it first. Not a purchase I want to rush into if I can avoid it.

Where would you like to live and what keeps you from going there? Is it affordability, proximity to family, job?
My family is all across the country, so that doesn't affect where we live. My DH would like to live ON the beach, but the threat of hurricanes keeps me from greenlighting that. We've lived in a lot of places, and my DH constantly talks about either moving to the Florida coast or somewhere like Panama. Sometime he says he wants to live in Sweden. So all over the map, haha.