# Tell me about YOUR state/town



## LindaL (Oct 25, 2009)

I have lived in Oregon for basically my whole life (since I was 6) and never had a real strong urge to leave....until now. Not really even sure why...my whole family is here (grandma, parents, siblings, children, friends). I love the seasons (except the months of rain and I am not fond of snow when we do get it). I love that we have the ocean, mountains, valleys etc all within a few hours drive. I love the city...Portland is one of the best cities around! I am employed and it is "secure".

I expressed to Deb my desire to move...someplace warmer, less rain, NO snow, has to have the ocean (or gulf) within a few hours drive, affordable housing, and hopefully no tornadoes to deal with.

So.....I wanna hear about your area...convince me that we should move there! LOL This won't be a "pack up and leave now" situation. We are giving it up to 2 yrs to process...and who knows I may change my mind! LOL But, for now...I am willing to see what else is out there..step out of "my comfort zone" so to speak.


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## Ashley (Oct 25, 2009)

WOW you dont want much do you?






Well I would tell you about here but you know about here and it has snow(which I love) and no ocean(which I hate).

Where do I suggest? Hawaii!


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## Magic (Oct 25, 2009)

Well, we have less rain and no tornadoes, but also no ocean (beautiful mountains though and I love them).

We also are MUCH colder than where you are, with plenty of snow. Sometimes MORE than enough snow, lol! I'm guessing that my area is going not even make your "short list".





I think that you should refine your requirements to also exclude hurricanes. Eeeks!


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## eagles ring farm (Oct 25, 2009)

Southern New Jersey is very nice

Not to hot or too cold

although we do get some snow not usually more than a dusting to a couple inches although we have gotten larger amounts on occasion.

we have alot of farm land and

we live about 45 minutes from the Atlantic Ocean.

we have lots of lakes near us great bass fishing if you like to fish

1 hour from Philadelphia PA

45 minutes to Atlantic City and other shore points maybe about an hour

2 hours (+/- ) to the Pocono Montains although we have no mountain scenery here

its affordable in the southern part of the state.

NO TORNADOS or any other drastic weather here the weather is rather quiet the storms that hit the east coast don't usually make it to the south western part of NJ which is where we are.

Id say weather wise an location wise we are in a great location

We have been hit with the ecomomy problems but not as bad as alot of places it sounds

and last of all New Jersey is very horse friendly and boarding or breeding horses

can get your land farm assesed (sp?) for R/E taxes. If you have enough land


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## WTFFarm (Oct 25, 2009)

Why don't you just "hop" over the mountains to the High Desert area. Clear blue sunny skies 340 days a year. Very little rain. Same gorgeous Oregon beaches not far away. Some snow but it's dry, powdery and 99% of the time snows at night and melts by noon the next day. Still has everything else you love about Oregon but wayyyyy nicer than the valley area. I moved from the valley 13 years ago and would never go back after living in such a dry climate in the High Desert. Mountains, skiiing, lakes, Pacific Crest Trail, hiking, fishing, camping, BLM bigger than most countries, breathtaking views all around, some of the best hay produced anywhere in the world (lol)


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## Frankie (Oct 25, 2009)

Well I'm out!!

Pretty good amount of snow,,,several tornados a year,,,no oceans,,,no mountains!!!

But hey, WE GOT CORN!!!


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## Sonya (Oct 25, 2009)

Well, you wouldn't want to come here, Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country. The weather is ok, but you said no snow, our summers are normally gorgeous, although this past year was cold. We have the great lakes, way better than the ocean IMO. There is nothing more beautiful than the Lake Michigan shoreline. Housing prices are cheap, cheap, cheap...tomorrow I close on a $125,000 forclosure that I paid $25,000 for.


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## Shari (Oct 25, 2009)

I live in Oregon too but as you know there are no jobs. Oregon has the 2nd highest unemployment in the country.



And in the area where I live... its down right scary.

DH is has been looking for jobs out of state.

Having lived in the NE, I can tell you some of the states like Maryland and so on.. have some seriously strict codes about keeping animals and livestock...

So where ever you are interested in, Check the State/County/City codes first!

Sad part is... I have lived all over. And I really like the weather in this part of Oregon and the pudget sound area in WA. No posionus snakes, few bugs compared with the rest of the country.

Other area's you can look are Coastal CA from SF up to the Oregon border.


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## MindyLee (Oct 25, 2009)

Dont move here to Michigan, it sucks here!

NO jobs

NO money

No nothing...

Weather I do like but thats about it.


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## uwharrie (Oct 26, 2009)

Central North Carolina. Four season, mild winters ( we get traces of snow each year but major snows only come every 4-5 yrs)

3 hrs from Mountains and the beach (both some of the best in the country)

Housing is very reasonable ( even so when the housing market was up)

Jobs, it really depends on what type. Unemployment is high (I think 9% for the state) but there is growth in some sectors.


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## krissy3 (Oct 26, 2009)

3 years ago I was in the same boat, I wanted out of the rat race, but didnt know where to go. then I met my husband who was visiting LA for a wedding. We dated via Skype for one year before we decided to get serious. There was a problem, he is Swiss, and the US is not a part of the EU( european union) I spent a lot of hours at the Swiss consulate and found a way to get here with a pre marriage visa. The area is beautiful, the air is clean, we dont use chemicals , we drink from a glacier above us.... but I had to learn German, and it hasnt been easy, next i will have to learn the local language Surselvian Romanich. I cant get things here like I can in the states. I cant get cold medicine, or over the counter drugs, I can get band aids and asperine ,everything else requires a doctors note. The lifestyle is about 50 years or more behind, in many ways, and progressive in ways of conservation and recycling. I left all my friends and family behind, and have only found 1 or 2 friends here, I am lonely, but I have my horse kids to hug and kiss when I need family. Come here to visit , but you wouldnt want to stay .

www.kistenpass.com


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## disneyhorse (Oct 26, 2009)

Well.... southern California HAS IT ALL except we have high housing prices and lots of traffic.

I wouldn't live anywhere else though. Great weather, ocean, mountains, and driving distance to anything you could want (amusement parks, big city, museums, restaurants, anything!)

Andrea


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## Watcheye (Oct 26, 2009)

Sonya said:


> Well, you wouldn't want to come here, Michigan has the highest unemployment rate in the country. The weather is ok, but you said no snow, our summers are normally gorgeous, although this past year was cold. We have the great lakes, way better than the ocean IMO. There is nothing more beautiful than the Lake Michigan shoreline. Housing prices are cheap, cheap, cheap...tomorrow I close on a $125,000 forclosure that I paid $25,000 for.








We got hit HARD and it is very very sad. We have all kinds of weather. Beautiful seasons and in my opinion MI is one of the most beautiful places ever....










It breaks my heart...the trouble MI is going through now.


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## mad for mini's (Oct 26, 2009)

Well despite the seemingly endless winter months and horrible job market, I would still choose Michigan over anywhere else. Houses are going for next to nothing which is good unless your the one trying to sell.



And as was said before the Great Lakes are better than any ocean ( nothing to eat you or sting you when you dip your toes



) Summers are overall pretty decent, I would choose them over the umbearable humidity of the south or depressing heat of the west any day. I've never been out east so I can't rule that out just yet.


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## Katiean (Oct 26, 2009)

I wouldn't even look at Nevada. Southern Nevada usually doesn't get snow (It snowed at xmas time when I lived there) but it gets soooooo HOT it would fry your horses brains and the traffic is just ... well... I would just stay home unless you HAVE to go somewhere. Then you have Northern Nevada. It is Hot, it is cold, it rains, it snows (7 feet one year. Not the norm), Oh and the wind. I lived in OR as a kid. Medford area. Loved it. However, I found it strange that most kids in the school had never been out of the Medford area. The kids at school thought we were rich because our house was 2 story. Naw, if you move it is different buildings same sky. If you have a stable job I would just stay put.


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## Maple Hollow Farm (Oct 26, 2009)

Frankie said:


> Well I'm out!!Pretty good amount of snow,,,several tornados a year,,,no oceans,,,no mountains!!!
> 
> But hey, WE GOT CORN!!!


Haha me too! We get enough snow drifting over the drives and roads that you might as well plan some bad weather stay at home days. We also have tornado after tornado in the summer although this year actually wasnt as bad as normal however last year was one of the worst. It also rains a lot and at inconvenient times. We have some decent lakes, I am in central Iowa and about 30 minutes from Hannen Lake which has nice camp sites and good fishing. but definitely no mountains, maybe a nice hill LOL and yep we have corn and bean fields as far as the eye can see



. But we have low cost of living and there are still some decent jobs out there if you look hard enough.


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## Sterling (Oct 26, 2009)

Well let me make a list for you from southern NJ.

The summers can get horrendously hot and humid. It's not a dry heat and it feels like you're melting. On the good side, it keeps your skin looking fresh and wrinkle free! Worse months are July and August.

The mosquito is the state bird!





It's a small state and we are losing our farmlands and open acres of land quickly. There are some programs set in place to protect many of our open areas now.

Seems like everywhere you look there is strip mall construction.

About a couple of months in the winter, Jan. & Feb. mainly, we get into a deep freeze. Sometimes weeks on end. Bitter cold, wind chills, ice storms and everything is more difficult and amplified at that time. If you are well equiped with troth heaters and such, you should be ok with the horses.

There is high job market employment here. Very good pay.

RE market is ok, but kinda pricey if you're just starting out. Well established farms are bringing in high $$, yet some are not moving at all. It's a buyers market as in many states. Watch out tho, the property taxes will get ya!

Very convenient to major cities and sites. NY is 2 hours away, Atlantic City 1/2 hour, PA just 25 minutes over the bridge.

Very historical as far as Civil War and Rev. War. If you're a history buff and enjoy these eras, then you will really like it here.

Many people are surprised to see that NJ is very scenic. The further north you go, the more mountainous it is. We have beautiful scenery. And the forests are just the best! Right now the colors are changing in the trees and it's just breathtaking.

No major tornados in the past 25 years. They do happen but not consistantly.

The ocean has it's boardwalks and many things to do there. The nightlife here is very active. Beautiful when you go down to the shore.

If you're animal oriented, many things to do with your dogs and horses.

Whew...that's all I can think of right now.


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## SweetOpal (Oct 26, 2009)

I live in Southern Ca and am dying to get out, the traffic is ridiculous, the price of everything is outrageous, the electric went up over 40% in a 3 month period last year, the pollution is nothing to get excited over, dry, dusty and dirty. One thing I really noticed after coming home from Congress this year was how dirty our roadways are. The freeways are just plain ugly, trash and weeds everywhere. The forclosure rate is alarming, don't know about the jobs as we have our own business, but obviously not good or would not be so many forclosures. Housing prices are not terribly high right now. Can get more for your money. Forgot to mention HOT! I am bathing horses daily here, they have full coat on becuase they don't realize we are still in the 90's, yes in the end of OCT... have had to wear shorts at Christmas dinner before, that is not normal and does not feel like christmas....Did I mention pollution?? You can not see the mountains on certain days!!!!!



:arg!

I think you are looking for something that is somewhat what you are used to having and I have the place in mind.



It is actually amazingly gorgeous and the weather is the most wonderful weather I have ever been in. I have been there 3 times in May(different years) and would move tomorrow if I could. It is Santa Rosa, Ca. The town is great, it is not too small but not to large, they have everything you need, a walmart, sams club....mall...all kinds of stuff. In the morning and evening you wear a light coat in the summer and shorts in the afternoon. It is very close to the ocean, has beautiful trees and rolling terrain. Very close to San Francisco. It really is a nice place, alot like Oregon just not with the constant rain. People all seem nice and friendly, price wise I would say about the same as Portland for housing. Don't know about jobs...you should go there and visit, I really think you would love it!


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## ~Lisa~ (Oct 26, 2009)

LOL used to live in So Cal but I got out..

crime rate is high, public schools are scary- traffic is disgusting can take an hour to literally go 10-15 miles on the freeway. Prices are very high on everything and oh ya the pollution... many days when you can actually see the air you are breathing cause it is brown and disgusting it is a bit of a problem. HEat heat heat I have body clipped horses in Dec and Jan cause they were sweaty in the 85 plus heat daily

Granted you can go surfing in the morning and skiing in the afternoon of course if you had the money and the time to sit in traffic

There are lots of different cultures (that part is good) and lots of things to do and see - weather is rarely an issue but again.. gotta fight traffic to get there and did I mention the smog.....or well perhaps the So Cal Haze is what tourist board likes to call it LOL

I am in South West IDaho now.. air is clear I can breath we have 4 seasons- not as much to do for sure.. no traffic- not very diverse (that sucks) - jb market sucks like most places but schools are great - crime is very low-but all in all no way i would go back to So Cal

By the way horse property in So Cal is usually well on avg 1/2 acre for a single family home if you are lucky you can find one with a couple of acres but you are going to pay close to a million for it depending on location.

cant forget the wildfires and earthquakes and mudslides.. having lost property and friends to all of the above it is hard to get past that but many just consider it part of life there and hey never a dull moment.


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## LindaL (Oct 26, 2009)

LOL....OK, you were suposed to be convincing me to come live where you do, but MOST of the places so far I was reading and thinking "No thanks" LOL! Especially Michigan and So. CA....NO WAY!





Sweet Opal....OK, so now you have me intrigued about Santa Rosa and will go check it out online. Does No. CA have AMHR shows? Hmmm....

I've always liked Central Oregon, but.....no horse shows there at all....would have to drive at least 3 hrs to get to one and most a lot more than that.

Truthfully, I loved Florida when I went there in April (but yeah, the weather was nice then...not too hot or humid). I think I could stand the humidity as long as I could go to the beach or had AC or a pool (or all of the above...lol) Deb is from there (lived there for 15 yrs)...she is not talking me into moving there...in fact, quite the opposite, because she doesnt think I could handle the humidity. But, the sunshine and being able to wear shorts most of the time would be awesome to me. Lots to do there...we were there for 10 days and didnt even make a dent on stuff we "could have" done.

I'm hesitatant to commit to someplace that far, tho....HUGE move involved and there is the fear factor...what if I hate it once I get there?? LOL

Deb mentioned the Carolinas, but....I dont know much about the area. IDK...we have a lot of research to do, I guess!


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## KanoasDestiny (Oct 26, 2009)

I also live in Southern California, but in the high desert area...nowhere close to where Jennifer lives (about 90 minutes away). We have nice clear blue skies here, no pollution. We also have no problems with traffic. Our town is about 9 miles long, so everything is in close proximity. The most traffic we see is on the weekends, with people traveling between the Los Angeles area and Las Vegas (we're the bathroom break in between). I'd say that our crime rate isn't too bad, anywhere on the outskirts of town is zoned for horses, and housing in NOWHERE near a million dollars (even with several acres). Average seems to be around $150,000-$250,000 for 2+ acres. Plus we have three military bases nearby that offer lots of opportunities for employment. Our minimum wage is at $8.50 and I think we pay an 8% tax.

Our weather is pretty nice (or you get used to it




). I've never seen the temp get below 18 degrees here, and that was in the early 90's! (Our usual is around 30 degrees at coldest.) We get snow maybe once every 10 years or so (this year was freak weather and we did get it three times but it melted within hours). We don't get rain more than a couple of times a year, and it's usually just sprinkles or a quick thunderstorm. We get lots of wind during certain months but you get used to it. We have dry heat, the hottest I've ever seen it get was 125, but that only happened once that I can ever remember, and I've lived here for 27 years. Our usual summers are around 110-ish. We start cooling off in the middle of October (we're wearing sweatshirts in the mornings and evenings right now), and we start warming up around March or April. Just earthquakes to worry about, no tornados or hurricanes, and we have very little greenery, so no mudslides or wildfires.

We are 3 hours from San Diego (Sea World), 2 1/2 hours from Vegas, about 1 1/2-2 hours from Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, Legoland, Magic Mountain, Hollywood, Los Angeles and several beaches, and about an hour away from Big Bear (mountains with a big lake). We're also not far from Death Valley.


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## REO (Oct 27, 2009)

All of CA isn't South Calif. There's more to Southern CA than LA!

I'm born and bred CA, 5th generation, both sides! Salinas Valley!





Went to H.S. in Fort Bragg CA! My hubby is from Redding.

Mid to Northern CA can't be beat!

But.....though we long for home, we can't afford to live there so we live in OK.

My best friend lives in Santa Rosa LOL.

OK isn't bad at all! We've been here about 18 years now. Lots of A & R shows and horsie stuff going on!


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## LindaL (Oct 27, 2009)

Oh yeah...someone mentioned sales tax, so that made me laugh cuz in Oregon we do NOT have sales tax AND we do NOT pump our own gas!! Hmmm....maybe I should stay here!


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## uwharrie (Oct 27, 2009)

Well North Carolina you can have Mountains or Coast or in between. Where we live in Central NC we are three hours from anywhere in the state. Two BIG AMHA/AMHR shows a year. Nice mini horse club, does get a little hot and humid in the summer but not as bad as futher south. Unless you are in the Mountains or northern peidmont you dont get much snow. We do have occasional hurricanes ( yep even in the middle of the state) but the vast majority are only a nusance.

cost of living is low, housing is cheap, jobs it depends on what field you are in.



LindaL said:


> Deb mentioned the Carolinas, but....I dont know much about the area. IDK...we have a lot of research to do, I guess!


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## ~Lisa~ (Oct 27, 2009)

LOL that gas thing is pretty weird. I can remember the first time I was there on my way to a show in WA and I started to pump the guy came out and was like OH NO LET ME I was like NO i dont need you we kinda went back and forth till he told me I was breaking the law


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## sedeh (Oct 29, 2009)

I live in Southern Oregon! Moved up from So Calif....but Hi Desert. I liked the desert except for the wind! Also had earthquakes often. Since I moved to Williams, OR I have felt "at home". I'm surrounded by mountains. We have all 4 seasons but fairly mild. Much less rain than Portland!! Snows occasionally but mostly a couple of inches and it's gone. Every few years we'll get significant snow but it's gone in a few days. Ocean is 1 1/2 hours away. Lots of horsey things going on! More for the big horses than mini's. I show Pinto and travel 3 1/2 hrs up to Albany several times a year for the big shows.



Our housing prices soared a few years ago and have dropped since but still a lot higher than when I first moved here. Half our population came from So Calif! We don't have a "big city" really close but Eugene is 2 1/2 hrs away and Portland 4 hrs....and I'm not a "city" person anyway. We have wonderful rivers and love to go down them on our Tahiti's. I *love* not pumping my own gas....you sure get spoiled!!



Biggest downer is the job market. If I weren't an RN I would have a hard time finding something with a livable wage.


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## SilverDollar (Oct 30, 2009)

I live in Southern California, in Ventura County near the coast (northwest of L.A.--we're actually closer to Santa Barbara). My little valley is all equestrian, gets daily breezes throughout the summer when the temperature averages around 80 degrees. Winters are mild with lows rarely below 40 degrees. Humidity is low but we do get a bit of morning fog that burns off to mostly sunny days. Rainy season is in winter but isn't too bad. Where I live the skies are clear with no visible pollution. And the sun shines most all the time.





I really love it here despite some of the shortcomings (high real estate prices and taxes). It's not as crowded where I live as it is closer to the city. I grew up in Michigan which does have some very beautiful areas. Big problem for me was the weather (too gray and depressing) and the job market (25 years ago it was really bad so I left). It makes me sad to see what it's going through nowadays



; I still have family there.

Northern California is beautiful, too, with Santa Rosa having similar weather to where I live--if I didn't live where I currently live, I'd probably live there. (However, the bay area up there is _way _too crowded for me.) Nice horse country up there, too, but ranches are about the same cost as where I live. If you go inland, housing costs are usually lower but it's hotter, too.

We don't have tornadoes or hurricanes, and major earthquakes are rare. IMHO you have to "pick your disaster". I'm terrified of tornadoes and love the sunshine so this place works for me.


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