If not here, then where?

[echo1]

It was decades ago, in the '70s and we were just starting out, but I left a union shop @ $6.35/hr. and took an ag job in the valley for $3.35/hr. just to escape The Pit ((SF Bat Area), Within a year I bought my first flyin machine, within 5 years our first house. Timing is everything but we never could have done that in the Pit, PAX

 

[nwslopoke]

Im 54... :/ there's no starting over now.

South Dakota is nice. I don't know if the winters are any worse than Montana. Starting over is interesting.

I went on a few interviews and questioned myself if I should shave my gray beard off or not. These were for jobs and not careers. I didn't shave because it takes months to regrow. I am pretty sure it had a lot to do with being passed over. I am in a lucky situation for now but changing course at 50+ isn't easy. You can't take less money because they think you'll leave. But, they don't want to pay what your experience is worth.

 

[Idaho44]

The grass is always greener (at least in the spring) but then you find out it's just cheat grass that turns brown (late spring and the rest of the year)!

 

[Ura-Ki]

I've been looking at St. George UT, real estate is half of the area I live in. Big attraction for me are communities that are predominantly Mormon. They make for good neighbors and usually have significant influence over local sociopolitical issues, which keeps the BS to a minimum. I know people have a negative perception of Mormons, but they run nice communities.

My biggest issue is that anywhere I go, I am facing a significant pay reduction. West Coast cities pay well for both my wife and I, and both of us face significant pay cuts for leaving.

However, on our last road trip we bought gas in LA at $5.75/gal, next fuel up occurred in Nevada and it was $2.75/gal, perfect example of politics impacting our lives far more than people want to admit

St. George is a nice part of Utah, we spend a lot of time there, especially as it's close to both Moab and Sand Hollow, but with out the tourists. It's also close enough to other cities outside of Utah that make it nice, Phoenix is about 6 or 7 hours away, Vegas is only 2 hours, Flagstaff about 5 hours, Kingman about 4 hours. So on and so on. It's also close to Colorado western border, Vale is about 5 hours, Breckenridge is 6 to 7 hours, and the springs 9 hours away.

It's absolutely beautiful there, and there are tons of things to see and do if your an outdoors sort, and obviously, that part of Utah is the world's capital of rock crawling, as well as just exploring back roads with amazing views!

We could live there, with Spanish Forks being My preferred area, close enough to be fun, but also close enough for modern needs, like good medical, and other needful things.

 

[sobo]

Recently in the M114 thread I mentioned that I have some co-workers looking to leave Oregon because of M114. Some other users replied saying they're leaving, others replied saying they'd leave if they could. My wife and I have tossed around the idea of leaving but its hard when most of our family is located in the PNW. Many different places have come to mind - Alaska, Utah, Wyoming, Iowa, Texas, Missouri, and Idaho. However, all those places have some sort of downside that makes us unsure if they're the right choice for us. So I'm curious.. for those who are leaving or wish they could leave - where will/would you be going? Why there?

Another vote for Idaho, and Idaho County in particular. About 25-30 years ago, I was enamored with the Sandpoint/Bonners Ferry corridor, mostly because of the rock and alpine climbing in the Selkirk and Cabinet Mountains of the area. But since then, the Leftists have turned CDA and Sandpoint into liberal shiitholes. I expect they are moving toward Bonners Ferry as well.

So, I shifted my focus to the central part of the state, in the Kamiah/Grangeville corridor. I discovered that area back in 1990 or so while rock climbing the granite domes along the South Fork Clearwater River valley up toward Elk City and fell in love with the place. Have wanted a log cabin and acreage over that way ever since. That looks to soon becoming a reality. I've been in the hunt in that area for 3 years now, and my offer on 36 acres was just barely beat this time last spring. I know better now, so things will happen soon enough. The weather is cooler in the summer there than here, and there's more snow in the winter (I like snow and winter) there than here. So, the weather suits my interests. The people there are much more like me in every way, politically, friendly, helpful, motivated, and 2A supporters. The fact that they have a small income tax isn't going to hurt me, and I expect that Washington is going to institute an income tax before too long anyway, and it will be legions greater than in Idaho, trust me, what with Leftists in charge in Olympia...

Washington was always a pretty place to me, up until the Stolen Election of 2004 for governor. Christine Gregoire just kept forcing the ballots to be counted and recounted until she miraculously "found" enough votes to "eclipse" Dino Rossi's numbers and she got the result she wanted. Ever since then, my confidence in voting in this state, and in this state's politics in general, has gone to complete shiit.

I am divorced, my kids are grown (one launched, one in mid-college years) and they don't much care for eastern Washington, and I work 100% remotely, so leaving this place is pretty easy for me. What with all of the taxes that go to shiit that I despise, gangs/crime, homelessness, and a complete Blue deluge in Olympia ripping my gun rights from me daily, I cannot get out of this shiithole communist nanny-state quickly enough.

 

[Loc]

We're staying until my mother goes and meet her husband in Heaven. Until then, we're looking at a lot of things and honestly... Educational opportunities, and support for our children is priority #1, State respect for the Constitution (specifically 2A) #2.....

Not many places where there's a nice overlap of great education for children, good autism program supports, and a healthy dose of respect for 2A..... Seems it's going to be like "pick two of three"

Agree with you there @CamoDeafie. Same issue here with the ASD support + my wife is a born in SW WA, gonna stay in SW WA, and gonna die in SW WA individual. That part may not matter soon, but I still need to support the kiddo for the remainder of my life. In addition, I have a rare congenital heart condition, and my doc at OHSU is in the top 3 in the nation for my particular condition. The other 2 are at...Stanford. Nope!

 

[Hotdog 7]

My biggest issue is that anywhere I go, I am facing a significant pay reduction. West Coast cities pay well for both my wife and I, and both of us face significant pay cuts for leaving.

I'm in a similar boat. I'd be looking at a ~$20,000/yr pay cut if I did the same job in the SLC area, but the average home costs $500k+ unless you're okay with a condo or townhome (which I'm not necessarily opposed to if I really like the area I live). I still have about another year until I'm vested in PERS here so we still have at least another year to think it over. Ultimately we have a couple of years to wait and see, but if we wait longer than ~5 years to make a decision then it'll be smarter to just stay where we are for another 10-15 years and then I fully retire from my department. Our little ones also aren't far from starting school so we want to make the decision before they start because moving so far can be rough on kids, esspecially once they're a bit older and have made friends.

Right now the plan is just to get debt free (I have a truck payment, wife has student loans), pile money into savings, and build equity on our current home. Hopefully this time next year we'll have a clearer picture of what we're going to do. Its all just ideas for us at this point.

 

[made in china]

I'm in a similar boat. I'd be looking at a ~$20,000/yr pay cut if I did the same job in the SLC area, but the average home costs $500k+ unless you're okay with a condo or townhome (which I'm not necessarily opposed to if I really like the area I live). I still have about another year until I'm vested in PERS here so we still have at least another year to think it over. Ultimately we have a couple of years to wait and see, but if we wait longer than ~5 years to make a decision then it'll be smarter to just stay where we are for another 10-15 years and then I fully retire from my department. Our little ones also aren't far from starting school so we want to make the decision before they start because moving so far can be rough on kids, esspecially once they're a bit older and have made friends.

Right now the plan is just to get debt free (I have a truck payment, wife has student loans), pile money into savings, and build equity on our current home. Hopefully this time next year we'll have a clearer picture of what we're going to do. Its all just ideas for us at this point.

I'm in PERS also, 20 years now.

My neighbor's house is up for sale, $2,100,000, so relatively speaking everywhere is much cheaper than here!
I've found a few homes in St. George between $465-500k that have amazing views of the valley. We're going to keep our eye on the proposed 3% property tax here in WA state and try to sell the current house before that tax decimates it's value and the market. Gonna live in a rental house for a while until we pull up out of here

 

[boattail]

I have always found the exodus from one state to another fascinating. Forty years ago there was a push to go to Montana. Now it is Idaho.
Everyone talks about how bad certain states are and I have seen it first hand but I also see it in every state as well just on a different scale.

I really find it interesting when you look at the west coast for example. People from all over the United States have flocked to the west for jobs. A lot of young single people move west for opportunities they cannot find in their home state. My own family, on one side, moved out west from West Virginia four generations ago. The other side of my family moved out west just three generations ago. The west is full of people that came out here not long ago from other states.

It is pretty common to see people come out west to make their money then head back out of the area once they are secure. It may take a generation or two but a lot of families migrate back to where their roots were planted.

 

[crstrode]

If I could...I would go to the "Pan handle" of Idaho...Love the Wallace area.
Why.....
Beautiful country...nice people...and free.....unlike Washington.
Washington is gone....I vote...I write...but ain't no one truly represents me...and my interests.
And I am sick and damn tired of being thought of as dangerous or the problem ...just 'cause I own firearms.
Andy

Yes, Washington is gone. Sad to say, Idaho is going fast - due entirely to the influx of those that are leaving the blue states and bringing their mental baggage with them.

 

[CamoDeafie]

Wyoming. Think I've read more about certain people (who tends to vote against 2A) leaving Wyoming because it doesn't have the stuff they wanted like "diverse culture", "multicultural food places" or urban centers that caters to them

 

[sobo]

Right now the plan is just to get debt free (I have a truck payment, wife has student loans), pile money into savings, and build equity on our current home. Hopefully this time next year we'll have a clearer picture of what we're going to do. Its all just ideas for us at this point.

I paid off all of my credit card balances in 1 year, my car loan in 2 years, and my 30-year home mortgage in 12½ years following the guidance in this book. I have not paid a penny of interest since January of 2018. The feeling of living debt-free is indescribable! Not everybody likes him and his methods, but this book really helped:

 

[Stomper]

If I could...I would go to the "Pan handle" of Idaho...Love the Wallace area.
Why.....
Beautiful country...nice people...and free.....unlike Washington.
Washington is gone....I vote...I write...but ain't no one truly represents me...and my interests.
And I am sick and damn tired of being thought of as dangerous or the problem ...just 'cause I own firearms.
Andy

Like many here, you ARE dangerous (in the best possible way).... just not the problem.

 

[DivCurlGrad72]

Sad to say, Idaho is going fast - due entirely to the influx of those that are leaving the blue states and bringing their mental baggage with them.

I don't know why people keep saying Idaho's turning blue when voter registration data is showing the opposite, namely that it's getting redder.

 

[sobo]

I don't know why people keep saying Idaho's turning blue when voter registration data is showing the opposite, namely that it's getting redder.

Link is not working...

 

[DivCurlGrad72]

Link is not working...

Should work now.

 

[1775usmc]

I have more important things/people I care about in Oregon than 11+ round magazines. So I won't be going anywhere.

I'll continue to do what I do. With that said if I could move it would probably be AZ.

 

[Tlock]

I paid off all of my credit card balances in 1 year, my car loan in 2 years, and my 30-year home mortgage in 12½ years following the guidance in this book. I have not paid a penny of interest since January of 2018. The feeling of living debt-free is indescribable! Not everybody likes him and his methods, but this book really helped:

View attachment 2077717

Few years left on my house is all!

 

[1775usmc]

I paid off all of my credit card balances in 1 year, my car loan in 2 years, and my 30-year home mortgage in 12½ years following the guidance in this book. I have not paid a penny of interest since January of 2018. The feeling of living debt-free is indescribable! Not everybody likes him and his methods, but this book really helped:

View attachment 2077717

He's the man! Got me and my wife out of debt. At 36 years old all I owe is the mortgage to my house. It feels great!

 

[Explorer1]

ID is first thought but Boiseand Panhandle are turning blue.
Love the Badlands but no more cold winters in my future. I can visit to go snowmobiling.
We loved our somewhat recent 5yr+ stent in KY but TN is very tempting today.
Short list is basically all in the SE but not in easy reach of hurricanes.