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Could we be your neighbor?
I’m looking for advice from the experience of those who post here to help my wife and I decide where we will set down roots. I’ve been searching the forum and found lots of good information already (“where should I live,” seems to be a frequent topic here), but hoped for some further guidance. Let me give some background and thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.
I recently graduated from the University of Iowa as a Physician Assistant and for the last 7 months have been working in the Portland OR area. Unfortunately the job I currently have is in the middle of the city as is the apartment we are renting. Besides that, for several reasons it is not a job I would stay in long term. We would like to end up in the country with a small house and enough property for homesteading, maybe some forest for our kids to explore as well. At this point our efforts are going into saving up for a small house on large property as well as gaining as much knowledge as we can on various subjects relating to homesteading (books, community college courses, forums like this, etc.) I have extensive masonry experience as well as some pluming, electrical, welding, carpentry, and gardening experience. We are considering buying land and building our own home, perhaps a non-conventional style home. My wife is highly motivated to home school our children. We have two daughters’ ages 3 years and 2 weeks. Besides my own constant need for manual labor and projects we are convinced that a homesteading environment would be the best for our children. PA’s make a decent living, but our goal is to work towards a more self-sufficient lifestyle that does not require me to work full time as a PA although I expect this will not happen for some time. Portland is nice and we may end up moving to a smaller town not too far form here, but the job market for PA’s is not very strong here right now and we are looking at moving to another part of the country. We don’t really have any ties to keep us here. In your opinion, for a family in our position where would be the ideal homesteading location? It seems like it can work anywhere and I know there is no “best place to live,” but I’m sure certain location would work better for homesteading than others. We would like to avoid desert or near desert environments. I would really love to be near a large national forest (backpacking, hunting, fishing, etc.). Living in Iowa I learned to really enjoy having all 4 seasons, but my wife is still not a big fan of snow. I do like the snow; but admit that a longer growing season does sound appealing. As a PA I can usually find jobs in fairly rural locations. So far we are considering western Virginia, western North Carolina (near/in the Appalachian mountains), or western Arkansas (near the Ozarks). I would like to be near/in the mountains, but would also like to make sure the soil is quality. Of course we are taking into consideration things like the location of our family. Putting that aside, where would you put down roots if you were starting from scratch? Besides location I would really appreciate any other advice you would give to a family in our position. Also my wife wanted me to convey three specific concerns she has: finding friends for our children, access to a good library, and mosquitoes. As I start getting job offers I will have more specific locations I hope to get feedback on. Sorry for the long post. Again any advice you can offer is appreciated. |
You can be my neighbor. First we have to get rid of the white trash, pill selling, meth making cock fighting, non working, disability receiving, baby making, thieving, losers we have now.
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She wants mosquitoes, or she doesn't want mosquitoes? If there is water, there will be mosquitoes. I don't have any mosquitoes, but I am in the desert, so not what you want.
If you like Oregon, Dallas Oregon meets your criteria. It is very close to Salem, where there are a lot of medical facilities for jobs. It is close to forest (look 1-2 miles south of Dallas on the Pedee highway if you want forest on your land). You are a very short distance up the Detroit highway (22) for lakes, not far from the Hoodoo ski area, perhaps a 2 hour drive. Over the crest of the Cascades, the hiking and backpacking is fabulous, with forest you can actually walk through. Dallas is about 1 1/2 hours from the Oregon coast for sight seeing and ocean fishing. Dallas is quiet, but Salem has night life and you are close enough to get to Portland for really special events. The people are farmy and down to earth. You can grow darn near anything with the climate, soil is good, there are good feed and farm supply stores. There is plenty of hunting and fishing right in your backyard, and of course, Oregon is chock full of state parks, every where you look, for cheap safe camping. |
C'mon down to Western NC.
We could use more medical personnel.. especially in the deep mountains. (a willingness to barter would be really great for some of the older folks and younger mothers) Look for an older farm though and not raw land to buy. Rehab the house instead and take advantage to the older trees and shrubs that have been there forever. Look for semi bottom land and forget about a mountiantop view. All of the good soil from the top of the mountains end up down the slope anyway and your temps will stay more even. Views are for hiking to, not living with. There is a growing number of like minded folks in NC. Grow it yourself, don't waste anything, buy quality and buy local, learn the older ways, plant good flowers, eat weeds etc.. the farmer's markets are extraordinary. I would normally beg folks to stay away and leave it to the locals, but if you aren't going to build a mcmansion, tear up and down the roads in a huge SUV, be rude, demand a Starbucks in your town etc... then we would love to have you. Oh.. and in some of the higher elevation areas (where there is still plenty of good bottom land with a happy stream) there are no mosquitos. We lived in Madison County for years and there were no mosquitos! And at my cousin's house up on Alarka, there are no mosquitos.. so sweeeeeet! to have no mosquitos!! |
We have plenty of mosquitos here in NC, I'm afraid. Chickenista must be immune.
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Nah Zong.. you are just too lowdown on the flats.
I am too, but there are places deeper in that are mosquito free! I promise my deepest promise it is true and I know because I could be bottled and sold as skeeter bait. I notice when there aren't any when I sit outside at dusk. |
Some of the areas in Kentucky would probably be suitable as well, similar in climate and general 'background' as the TN, NC, VA areas. Smaller towns and more rural areas would be more likely to have affordable land and as a PA you are going to have more employment options.
Some areas here have mosquitoes, some don't. We are in south/central KY, not too far from the TN line ... on a hill, but with this kind of rainfall, you do have damp ground and sidehill swamps ... but for whatever reason we don't have a big mosquito population. I've been places nearby that seem to be no different that where we are and they do have mosquitoes. That said, the absolute worst two places I've ever been for mosquitoes has been the Big Horn mountains of WY in the summer, and irrigated land east of Billings, MT. |
In all seriousness check into the drug problems in the areas you mention. WNC is probably the most cultured of the areas, especially Asheville but you're going to pay fo it. Schools aren't good, statistics might show otherwise but depend on actual experiences. Medical personnel as well as all other professions generally make less then other areas. In many cases medical is worse as many are on Medicare,Medicaid and other gov't supported medical plans.
Look at the local Newspapers of the area. When doing this check the surrounding larger newspapers, many small towns keep control on their news locally but the next larger town will have the real story. |
We are in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in WA. We love it and given a choice today, would stay here.
Best homesteading things we did... Planted fruit trees and berries first thing...the gift that keeps on giving, I cannot stress this enough. Looked out for our basic needs first, instead of a way to make money off of our place (example..we could have sold animals or produce along the way to get things we didn't really need, like a newer vehicle, instead we focused on keeping animals to have our own stock, or canning produce for the winter...as a result we have our own beef, pork, chicken, milk, fruit, berries, vegetables, year round...purposely keeping a variety rather than only beef, or only pigs). I don't mean to say that selling things from your homestead is not good, just that we chose to build up for ourselves, first, and then be able to barter or sell. Selected a couple of "new" things each year to try and really studied those things and talked to people who knew...example, this year's focus is better/more compost and we're pondering bees. A fictional book series that I re-read often, inspires me. The Red River Series by Lauraine Snelling. The family immigrated to the Dakotas and homesteaded. For me, it's a good account of homesteading, and a great example of building your place up with variety as you go. |
Too bad they just sold the eight acres behind me. !0 water shares, already established grass pasture. We ran electric and the road out to the property when we built our place last year. Neighbors around here are great. Small town. Good luck with your search.
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The Army hires lots of civilian PAs and Nurse Practicioners. There are many forts in ruralish areas. Might check this out.
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Well, come on down LOL...We love it here. Snow is rare enough to be fun, we own our rain, 30 minutes from a big library but 15 from a small one. Taxes are reasonable and land is not to expensive. We can have a garden most of the year. The heat is a killer though.
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How about the rural area around Bloomington, IN? You could choose from a hospital setting or or independent physicians' practices.
Being a university town, you and your family would have wonderful access to libraries, theatre, etc. As far as mosquitoes go, make your place bat-friendly. I live in an area where there must be a pond for every 2-3 homes, plus numerous creeks and small lakes. I purchased this land in '98 and I don't think I've had more than 3 or 4 mosquito bites in all of that time! I live about 45 mins from Bloomington, but still make the trip a couple of times a month for lectures, a play occasionally, shopping, etc. We would love to have your family as neighbors! |
New York's southern tier would have land & a need for your medical expertise. Winters can be pretty long & cold, and depending what you're used to in terms of driving on snow-ice-sleet, can be stressful. The growing season isn't all that long, so it takes more planning than some places, I think. But we don't have tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, mudslides, fire ants, locust plagues or rodent-borne hantavirus. We do have tics & skeeters. There have been a couple jim-dandy ice storms, 10 & 20 years ago respectively, that broke a lot of trees and put the power out for a week or three. Sue
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As a PA, you should be able to look around and find a rural area that will be more than inviting for you. We have a friend that graduated the PA program here, did a year in the big city for experience and is now in New Mexico working in a clinic making fair money, with them paying off her student loans because she was willing to go to such a rural area. I seem to remember my wife getting offers from places all over from hospitals to rural clinics along the same lines when she was getting ready to graduate nursing school.
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I was born and raised in Oregon, but when it came time to set down roots and raise a family I did a LOT of looking and found south central Kentucky fit all my criteria. We have sufficient rainfall so irrigation is not required. We have plenty of old farmsteads available on the cheap, and most will have some pretty good tillable land, along with areas of hardwood forest. What I liked most about this county was the people. They tend to be friendly and make good neighbors. We have a good growing season, plenty of sunshine in the summer, but have all four seasons. Wildlife is abundant here, lots of places to hunt, fish and forage. We have no planning and zoning commission interfering with my lifestyle, and durn few building codes or restrictions to deal with. Septic systems have to meet state codes, and the power company wants electrical work to be up to code before they will connect to new construction. Other than that you can build what you want to build, however you want it. We have lots and lots of water in the area... but most of it is moving so skeeters just are not a problem. Rattle snakes do frequent some of the more remote timber country, and copperheads can be found if looked for close enough. We do have our share of stinging insects, honey bees, wasps, hornets and things of that nature, but they really arent too much of a problem. The only real downside to this county is its lack of pubs and liquor stores. Dry county!! Well, its legally dry, but there are some watering holes if one knows where they are so its not too bad. I have been here for over thirty years, and plan to be buried here on the farm when the time comes. All in all, I have to say I like Kentucky!
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I have lived in several states, Im happy with Middle East Ga. Not too hot, snow is rare maybe twice a year soil is pretty good. Medical job market its wide open with many opportunities and plus a great medical college if you decide to finish you medical training.
I also have access to education and the best animal hospital within 30 min of my house (UGA). West Ga has too many twisters and even though I have spent most of my life in those places I feel more at home here on the east side. I love Tenn but too much snow and hills, no income tax however so thats a plus. Penn is a beautiful state as well, always enjoy driving through it. |
Something to consider with Tennessee is you won't take the income tax hit to your income you will in NC, or Va, or Ky......plus I think NC has building codes ( and the officials to go with them) statewide. In TN, it's only in cities. County is a septic and electrical inspection, that's it.
PM me if you want some local specifics. |
A short hop on I5 south -about 4 hours- and you can check out the best part of your own state! I do like the salem area, and have friends there,.but I would never leave southern oregon. Actual seasons, summers warm enough for swimming, with rivers clear enough that you want to. Winters are nice, with just enough snow for the kids to enjoy without making your life miserable, and cold spells come and go rather than living several months in a deep freeze. In a short drive, you can be on the coast, in some of the best mountains in two states, in the city, or skiing and snowboarding. Close enough to culture too, with ashland and jacksonville real close.
Yep, save yourself some moving expenses, and do it right the first time-move to southern oregon! |
Don't limit yourself to western Ark. North central and Northeast Ark are very commodious to what you're seeking. While not wealthy areas for the most part, they are generally neighborly sorts. 4 seasons of almost equal length, good water, mixed forests and spectacular views, fishing and hunting.
When you improve a virgin piece of land you'll have to clear lots of rocks from your fields, but most of those stones make excellent garden walls so it is a bonus. Definite need for medical personnel in most areas and homesteading friendly in most places. |
couple of houses with land for sale just down the road from us, with the depressed housing market they aren't selling, or even being shown, we have forests all around us and there is a canoe river just north of us, the houses are about 3 miles from the expressway but definately country.
there are hospitals 18 miles south and another one 40 miles North as well as a few others around, dr offices in the same towns.. (Cadillac and Traverse City Michigan) there are two other towns east and west each about 15 miles..both with dr offices as well there are lakes, rivers, golf, ski, just about everything one could want here..and pure water.. you might check out Northern Michigan Craigslist..the houses are for sale through Remax |
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Big hardware stairs give classes on Saturdays. County Extensions give all kinds of classes, and has clubs to join where you can learn different skills. I simply love the local library. Quote:
Check your 'potential' state of residency to see what the laws are. Some states are VERY restrictive. Some......very loose. My state says I have to educate for 180 days....that's it. *I* determine what *educate* means. Quote:
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It's simply beautiful down there. And the people were just as beautiful!! Quote:
Friends for kids? Have lots of kids. I suggest no less than 8. If you plan on homeschooling, www.hslda.com will tell you where the home school groups are in the area you live in. 4-H at the local county extension is a great place for kids to meet and mingle. Look in a location, then google the library. |
Try Oklahoma and Kansas. I'm hoping to move to Oklahoma eventually. Kansas is for the most part rural except for Kansas City. Wichita where I live right now is a town of 500k people which is just right but that means the rural land immediately out of town is higher priced than the land a little more further out. There are also areas in Kansas where they're trying to give away free land for settlers who can bring valuable income to dying towns. Kansas has an incredible homeschooling crowd. Every year they host a homeschooling event where thousands of kids come to stay for a week or so. Very interesting. With that being said, we have a state income tax. Oklahoma doesn't and has more ruralish feel to most areas. Even OKC is so spread out you don't feel like you're in a big town. Land and house prices are very reasonable in Oklahoma pretty much anywhere you look. Kansas...depends on where you live. Also winters are just right. Maybe 1-5 blizzards or extreme snowing conditions that for the most part..the snow is gone within 3 to 5 days. Western KS gets the most snow. Central Kansas..not as much. I can't say anything about East or SE KS. SE KS is very hilly due to it's close location to the Ozark areas. Oklahoma gets less snow but still has a winter period.
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michigans upper peninsula has forests galore, hiking trails, lakes, small town or rural living. not the place to be if you don't like snow though. it can start snowing in october, and not stop for good until late april. skeeters, and black flies can be annoying. there is a shorter growing season, but i was able to grow quite a variety of things the 10 years we were there. just depends on what you want, and what you can get used to. we still have a house on 40 acres there, and we may be moving back soon. unemployment is high. not sure what the demand for P.A.s is. drs seem to be in short supply though. that could be good for your situation. we liked living there because we were so far removed from the rat race, and everything that comes with living in a metropolitan area. cleaner air too. its not the place for everybody. my mother in law was born there, and couldn't wait to leave. my wife can't wait to move back. go figure.
keith |
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Once we decided between a couple of towns, we subscribed to the local papers. It gave us a great insight as to where the communities put their emphasis. Things like religious tendencies, education, economic climate, law enforcement, governing bodies and recreation. I'm sure that you would get an idea as to the job market and health care enviroments.
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oregon woodsmok - Wife does not want mosquitoes. Thanks for the information about Dallas OR, We had not looked there specifically, but will now.
Chickenista – I’ll have to bring up the bartering when negotiating a contract. No doubt something has to be done with healthcare costs. We thought long and hard about doing our own home delivery after seeing what it was going to cost to spend a few hours in a hospital. Your statement about mountains and soil confirms my suspisions. I think we will look for a place near, but not in the mountains, but if we could find something with good soil and less mosquitoes that would be nice. (You named several things I despise (large houses, SUV’s, off-roading, Sawbucks) SFM in KY – I’ll have to spend some time looking at jobs in TN. Sounds like we will have to just go shirtless in the area we are considering a few evenings before making a decision to test the mosquito level. We can count the bites the next day and make a graph to compare locations. (I know we are over thinking this a little) Beeman – Thanks for the advice. I really cannot complain about the PA’s pay (I would complain about the cost of schooling). Even at the low end it is not bad, so what we are really looking for is quality of life. 10kids – Fruit trees and berries first think, defiantly. I would have thought that part of WA would be on the dry side? We may end up selling things, but I would not be a mine goal. I recently took a course on Bee keeping. It’s something I also hope to get into. rhaige9 – I wanted Idaho, but the wife took it off the list. Too bad, sounds like a great place to me. silverbackMP – I’ve looked into civilian PA jobs out side the US, when we were considering spending some time abroad. I’ll have to see what I can find nationally. Kmac15 – My wife says “I like heat.” Makes me want to move to SC just so I can quote that to her every summer. Marilyn – Near by college town are defiantly nice. I’ve never been to Indiana. We liked Iowa, but could not get past the vast clear-cut mega monocultures. How does Indiana compare? How do you make you property bat friendly and does it really work? We had lots of bats in Iowa City, but still plenty of mosquitoes. Use Less – Thanks for the advice. But the wife’s pulse goes up just thinking about driving on snow-ice-sleet. Sandc – Your right about the student repayment. When I was in Iowa I was getting plenty of these offers, but being in OR and without any real connections to these areas I have been finding it surprisingly hard to get in contact with the rural MDs who would be looking to hire a PA. The only jobs I can find are those that are advertised in a million places with tones of applicants. I know there are tons of rural clinics who would love to have a PA, but it’s taking some real work to get in touch with them as they typically do not have all the money to compete with the advertising of larger medical groups. Yvonne's hubby – You make a strong argument. We are definitely expanding our job search to Kentucky. What do you think of the eastern side? Thank you for the recommendation. I built pools in Georgia for several summers as a youth. I diffidently have fond memories for the state, but probably will not end up there. “if you decide to finish you medical training,” (FYI not really how it works) We have heard great things about Tennessee and diffidently considering it, but geographically it seems like 3 states and are not sure which to choose. TnAndy – Wife “Tennessee’s sounding better and better.” Ghmerrill – We spent a few days at Grants Pass. It seemed a little dry. How does the Cave Junction area compare? Thanks ChristyACB – I would assume that the closer to the Mississippi you are the better the soil. For the better fishing, hunting, forests, etc do the north central and northeast folks have to travel west to the Ozark or Ouachita national forests? Our major appeal for west Arkansans is based on the location of these forests. Ronbre – Thanks for the response. We had not looked at Craig’s list for homes, but will do so. Laura Zone 5 – Lots of greats advise. Thanks for the home school link to bookmark. “Bat house”… every boys childhood dream. Seriously I didn’t know about those. |
TedH71 – We liked Oklahoma when we were passing through. All things being equal I would prefer being on the east side close to the large national forests of Arkansas I just wonder about the soil in the area.
Rxkeith – I’m sure it’s beautiful there, but probably too much snow for us. gone-a-milkin and CIW – local newspaper - Once we narrow it down a little we will try this. |
To the first 21 responses, thank you. I have already responded to each post, but apparently the site moderator must first approve the response. Not sure why, but hopefully it’s up soon. My wife and I really appreciate all of the good advice.
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I’ll try breaking up my original response posting it again. Sorry if the other one goes through and it get posted twice.
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oregon woodsmok - Wife does not want mosquitoes. Thanks for the information about Dallas OR, We had not looked there specifically, but will now.
Chickenista – I’ll have to bring up the bartering when negotiating a contract. No doubt something has to be done with healthcare costs. We thought long and hard about doing our own home delivery after seeing what it was going to cost to spend a few hours in a hospital. Your statement about mountains and soil confirms my suspisions. I think we will look for a place near, but not in the mountains, but if we could find something with good soil and less mosquitoes that would be nice. (You named several things I despise (large houses, SUV’s, off-roading, Sawbucks) SFM in KY – I’ll have to spend some time looking at jobs in TN. Sounds like we will have to just go shirtless in the area we are considering a few evenings before making a decision to test the mosquito level. We can count the bites the next day and make a graph to compare locations. (I know we are over thinking this a little) Beeman – Thanks for the advice. I really cannot complain about the PA’s pay (I would complain about the cost of schooling). Even at the low end it is not bad, so what we are really looking for is quality of life. 10kids – Fruit trees and berries first think, defiantly. I would have thought that part of WA would be on the dry side? We may end up selling things, but I would not be a mine goal. I recently took a course on Bee keeping. It’s something I also hope to get into. rhaige9 – I wanted Idaho, but the wife took it off the list. Too bad, sounds like a great place to me. silverbackMP – I’ve looked into civilian PA jobs out side the US, when we were considering spending some time abroad. I’ll have to see what I can find nationally. Kmac15 – My wife says “I like heat.” Makes me want to move to SC just so I can quote that to her every summer. Marilyn – Near by college town are defiantly nice. I’ve never been to Indiana. We liked Iowa, but could not get past the vast clear-cut mega monocultures. How does Indiana compare? How do you make you property bat friendly and does it really work? We had lots of bats in Iowa City, but still plenty of mosquitoes. Use Less – Thanks for the advice. But the wife’s pulse goes up just thinking about driving on snow-ice-sleet. |
Sandc – Your right about the student repayment. When I was in Iowa I was getting plenty of these offers, but being in OR and without any real connections to these areas I have been finding it surprisingly hard to get in contact with the rural MDs who would be looking to hire a PA. The only jobs I can find are those that are advertised in a million places with tones of applicants. I know there are tons of rural clinics who would love to have a PA, but it’s taking some real work to get in touch with them as they typically do not have all the money to compete with the advertising of larger medical groups.
Yvonne's hubby – You make a strong argument. We are definitely expanding our job search to Kentucky. What do you think of the eastern side? Thank you for the recommendation. I built pools in Georgia for several summers as a youth. I diffidently have fond memories for the state, but probably will not end up there. “if you decide to finish you medical training,” (FYI not really how it works) We have heard great things about Tennessee and diffidently considering it, but geographically it seems like 3 states and are not sure which to choose. TnAndy – Wife “Tennessee’s sounding better and better.” Ghmerrill – We spent a few days at Grants Pass. It seemed a little dry. How does the Cave Junction area compare? Thanks ChristyACB – I would assume that the closer to the Mississippi you are the better the soil. For the better fishing, hunting, forests, etc do the north central and northeast folks have to travel west to the Ozark or Ouachita national forests? Our major appeal for west Arkansans is based on the location of these forests. Ronbre – Thanks for the response. We had not looked at Craig’s list for homes, but will do so. Laura Zone 5 – Lots of greats advise. Thanks for the home school link to bookmark. “Bat house”… every boys childhood dream. Seriously I didn’t know about those. |
Be sure to check water and air quality. In ETN we have Tennessee Eastman chemical plant along with coal fired power plants. Also a lot of groundwater contamination from buried industrial waste. Most every area around here has municipal water which is marginal.
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Personally, I'd call ALL municipal water marginal when they add chlorine and flouride to it.
One of the many nice thing about mountains, you can find places like I have.....spring water that comes out high enough on the mountain to gravity feed the house, so you don't even need a pump. As for mosquitoes, we don't see enough here in a summer to talk about.....seriously, we'll go all year sometimes without a bite, and I have two small fish ponds that I would think would be a dandy source for them. I don't mean to sound like a tourist brochure for east TN, but I've lived and visited a LOT of places in the US ( and several foreign countries), and this is the place I picked....I was not born here. In terms of climate, you have four definite seasons, none of which are extremes, tax structure is the best I've seen....pretty nice place here with 75ac is 1300 bucks in property tax, as I stated earlier, no income tax ( and none likely ).....folks are hard working, for the most part ( yes, we have trailer trash and meth heads, but they are a minority ), politically conservative, church going. You could do a HECK of a lot worse than here, real easy. When we come home and shut our gate, we feel like we're "on vacation".....REALLY hard to get up the inspiration to go ON a "vacation" when you have it this good at home ! Here's the gate: http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1...D720/ry%3D480/ and looking back out from top of the field to the right of the gate: ( can't see the gate down in the trees below ) http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47a1...D720/ry%3D480/ |
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The nearness to the forests may be one nice thing, but there are smaller forests and forests owned by towns all over down there. I'd suggest going down there and taking a look. The differences in soil, temperature, availability and so on are pretty drastic as you go east. |
No state income tax in Texas!
N. TX is not so bad, still can get good land for 2500/ac-4K, depending on size. PM me & I'll email you pics of our land! Its heaven. Unless its july/aug. :) PS-if I can get back on photobucket w/o their virus, I'll post pics here... |
We moved to Maine a couple of years ago and we've met tons of people who have also moved here and love it, including a number of physicians actually. I think we live near the divide between what's considered northern and downeast Maine (the general Bangor area).
Vibrant local food movement, lots of homesteading types. Good, safe communities. Great outdoors opportunities. Only thing I would change is for the high taxes I wish the roads were in better shape. |
If you might be interested in SW Michigan, let me know: (or Callieslamb, she is a recent import). Lots of land opportunities, major Kalamazoo hospital sytems, WMU is just starting a medical school, major colture and shows at WMU, also an extensive library, Google Waldo library....recently stabilized employment in Kalamazoo, Paw Paw, St. Joeseph/Benton Harbor. Increasing employment in Holland, and some in G.R. Housing market open to buyers. Acreages included. Allegan State Forest, Michigan Dunes, Lake Michigan shoreline.
Negatives are like everyplace else. Meth labs, lots of pot plots, some crime, enough poverty to go around. Don't know too much about homeschooling, all my kids are public school teachers..... For buying land, you will need some knowlege about Michigan soils and water tables. geo |
Michigan's northern Lower Peninsula is nice, too, especially if you don't mind snow. Check out Charlevoix, Antrim and Grand Traverse counties. You are gonna have mosquitoes though!
Traverse City has an exceptionally nice library. You won't have any problems homeschooling in MI. Beautiful scenery and friendly people! |
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I am in Grand Traverse county but just a few minutes from either Antrim or Kalkaska counties. I work in Traverse City. I have no mosquitoes here at all though. There is that snow thing though,,,,,, I agree,,, TCs library is a good one. And, I know a LOT of home schooling folks. |
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