We are thinking of selling our home in SF and moving somewhere cheaper...need suggestions for

[Dream Girl]

Blue areas in cheaper states. Florida, Arizona, Texas, New Mexico? Long time tesidents of Bay Area. We're both nearing 60 and I don't anticipate staying in the labor market much longer .i was let go from my previous corporate job of 13 years and it took me 14 months to find another job. My current employer is great (you would know the brand for sure) however there is a major disruption in the industry and I foresee layoffs in the next year or two. I wouldn't want to even think about trying to find a job in SF at age 60. We will have substantial equity if the bottom doesn't fall out of the housing market and would like to pay cash and live off a modest nest egg. Any suggestions on where a nice home could be had for around $400k in a very blue, progressive area? Would love to move to a blue state but they all seem to be pretty pricey.

[marylandblue]

1. Take a look at Austin, TX

Great town. Prices have gone up in recent years, but still much more affordable than SF area. It's like a progressive island in a sea of red.

[brooklynite]

44. Broadly speaking, look for a University town (if you can give up city life)

http://www.aarp.org/home-family/livable-communities/best-places-to-live/

[alarimer]

73. The drawback there is I-35 right through downtown.

Terrible traffic every single day. But it is likely to be worse in California anyway.

[TexasBushwhacker]

102. Yeah, but if they are approaching retirement, traffic doesn't really matter

Another bonus for Texas is no income tax! But when you look at properties, keep in mind that since we have no income tax, property taxes are relatively high. However, 65 and older residents get a break on property taxes.

If you want to live near the water, I recommend living near a lake rather than near a river. Flash floods during storms can be vicious.

[dixiegrrrrl]

150. Traffic noise is a huge problem, esp. in SF Bay area.

Did not know Texas has the Homestead Act...might handy to attract retirees.

[TexasBushwhacker]

184. Everyone in Texas gets a $25K homestead exemption

but 65+ get at least $10K more. I believe their tax rates are frozen, but if rates go down, they still get the benefit. Many counties have caps also, so your property taxes can go up no more than 10%.

[Paladin]

210. Traffic matters for everybody in Austin, regardless of age.

It's Godawful. It's as if everybody who wanted the "Austin Experience" moved there, and ruined it. I speak as somebody who lived there for many years, and who avoids it like the plague, now.

[TexasBushwhacker]

216. I lived there for 6 years

But I'm from Houston, so it didn't seem so bad to me.

[Paladin]

217. I swear, Houston has their traffic under better control than Austin.

Now there's something I never thought I'd live to say.....

[TexasBushwhacker]

218. Actually, I agree with you

considering that Austin is so much smaller. Houston really knew what it was doing, constructing the 610 loop, then Beltway 8 and Grand Parkway (99). Then the major state highways and interstates are like spokes in a wheel. You almost always have options to get from point A to point B, and options is what it's all about.

[MrScorpio]

114. I lived in Austin for a couple of years back in the 80s

When the chance came along to go to South Korea, I jumped at the chance and never looked back.

[WhiteTara]

2. New Mexico while wonderful

has a terrible water problem. Arsenic.

Arizona has a worse water problem. It will be out of water at any time.

Florida has "Florida Man" and he is really crazy.

Texas is being held by Reich Wingers and also has a water problem.

Don't choose Arkansas...it's filled with really stupid people and is run by the Reich Wing.

Someone suggested Virginia to me. THey are blue.

[Dream Girl]

6. This is exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. My step daughter moved to Virginia and loves

It., so we were considering that too. I was thinking this might be more of a DU lounge post, but wanted maximum visibility. Thanks much!

[blue neen]

31. Northern Virginia is blue (the areas around DC).

It's beautiful, too. My sister and her family moved there from central California.

The housing is not cheap, but not nearly as expensive as San Francisco. The population is diverse, with nationalities and religions of all types.

I'd like to move there myself!

On edit: You can easily take the Metro into DC. The access to museums, restaurants, culture of all types is amazing.

[spooky3]

82. But NoVA is very expensive. No way would OP

Last edited Fri Mar 3, 2017, 05:10 PM - Edit history (1)

find a SFH in the desired price range, unless she moved to a red area far away from D.C.

[KittyWampus]

163. was looking today. Some nice houses at about 350,000 which isn't cheap

but it is if you're leaving the Bay Area. And the property would only appreciate in value.

And there are houses split into condos for less.

[spooky3]

173. They are not close to D.C. if they are nice and $350k.

I live here; I know. If you find a nice $350000 house in NoVA, please post the link.

And houses do not "only appreciate in value." Ask people who lost money in the bubble, and many others of us who lost money selling homes at other times. Or look at the research showing how the increase in house prices over time is much lower in real terms than for alternative investments.

[KittyWampus]

174. Here's one house. And some areas in desirable neighborhoods may see values stall...

I live in such an area. Prices may languish for a while during downturns... but there's only so many lots and everyone wants in.


https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Richmond-VA/fsba,fsbo_lt/12549438_zpid/6752_rid/fan-district-_att/globalrelevanceex_sort/37.591077,-77.438893,37.534675,-77.531161_rect/13_zm/

[spooky3]

194. Richmond is more than 1 hour 45 minutes away. And that is

Without traffic. It is in central Virginia. It is very nice city but it has its own real estate market that is much more affordable than D.C. metro.

[Dream Girl]

12. We went to Florida for a soccer thing last weekend. When we boarded the plane, it seemed like

It was half full of Trumpers in baseball caps. You know the type. I was shocked to see commercials and billboard signs for guns 'n ammo. Scary. Going back, the place was full of SF folks from central casting which I don't get, shouldn't it have been the'same passenger profile Coming and going? Anyway, we were in the Tampa era and liked it thought it would be affordable but not sure about the politics and the "Florida crazy man" thing would be scary. We are a mixed Blac white couple with biracial 17 year old son. So there's that too.

[Blue_true]

120. Hills borough County (Tampa) is blue.

You run into rednecks north and south of it, but the I4 Corridor (Tampa to Orlando) is becoming bluer and bluer - Democrats running for Federal level office count on picking up plenty of votes there.

[Dream Girl]

123. We were in Tampa, very nice but wasn't sure if it was red or blue.

[Lochloosa]

197. Spend a little time in St. Pete Fl. Just south of Tampa.

It's one of my favorite cities in Fl. Great downtown area.

[stevenleser]

221. Tampa is slightly blue, St. Pete is slightly Red. Either place could use your vote AND its cheap

You wanted a house for $400K? You can easily get a decent one there for $150K and bank the rest of the money.

Florida is horrible if you have to earn a living, but if your money is already earned, its a great place to keep more of it.

Plus the weather...

[dixiegrrrrl]

151. Avoid Eastern Wa. and Idaho, esp. No. Idaho, then.

Sorry to say.

Might consider an area near a good University, usually those are liberal, except for the Jerry Falwell type schools.
South Ala, Pensacola and Virginia and a few other places have excellent medical centers, in several fields.
Not a minor point, as us retirees tend to get older and need more medical attention.
I have a friend who did the move from Ca. retire thing, picked a lovely place to live, but is a 45 minute drive to the nearest city/good hospital, his wife got cancer, many trips/appts and hell to drive in winter on frozen roads.

also, Mr. Dixie and I looked and made lists and etc for 2 years before we moved, in 2005
and we moved when we did only because we saw that the housing bubble was looking to burst.

So depending on how long we have to put up with Dolt 45, the markets may be climbing or crashing..
which affects any investments you may be counting on, and housing prices.

[Doreen]

179. I would not advise Eastern Wa either but

there are two universities and a community college in College Place and Walla-Walla.

[wordpix]

72. VA is actually purple---red in parts, blue in growing areas outside DC

down to Charlottesville.

I'm thinking of VA but I'm a mmj patient and it's not legal in VA.

[GulfCoast66]

171. We are a reality based community and

Florida man is a media construct. Had the murders in Kansas taken place in Florida you would be hearing all about Florida Man.

Florida is a big state. There are red areas and blue areas. Tampa and Saint Pete are very nice. Even Tallahassee is an area of blue in a sea of red. Two universities and the state government.

But if you really love San Francisco there is no part of Florida that you will satisfy you. It's just night and day.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

3. Vegas is and will always be a blue city. I know Californians who retired there. Inexpensive too.

You can get a lot of home there for 400K.

[Wounded Bear]

4. My sister has been searching lately...

She settled on AZ as of now, althought I don't know if they've actually put down a deposit on a house.

I'm assuming you want to go warm from your list, but there areas in Western WA that are blue and not far from downtown Seattle that might fit your bill. Even a couple of the red counties might be in danger of flipping in '18 (I hope, at least).

Best of luck, wherever you end up!

[appleannie1943]

5. Pittsburgh, PA is inexpensive, has a great cultural and restaurant scene, has hills like the bay

area only green instead of brown, the people are friendly for the most part. The only real drawback is it is cold in the winter.

[livetohike]

83. A second vote for Pgh. We moved back home from CA

10 years ago.

[BBG]

137. 3rd Vote for the 'burgh

They speak a different dialect there but it's our backstop if we need to leave the left coast.

[babydollhead]

149. pittsburgh!

[yortsed snacilbuper]

170. Pittsburgh,

bring a snow shovel, though.

[blm]

7. Asheville is nice for transplants. NC's a purple state, Asheville's a progressive, artsy small city

Cheaper, but, not cheap, with a nice walkable town. Gorgeous mountains and GREAT water.

[NCTraveler]

113. I like Asheville a lot.

There are some areas around Asheville where you can really get a lot for your money.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

8. In Florida, I'd consider Gainesville.

Last edited Fri Mar 3, 2017, 02:53 PM - Edit history (1)

It's a college town, with a decent culture, and a nice blue spot (although surrounded by red). Beautiful nature and weather.

All of Florida is great if you put aside politics. But sadly there's a fair swath of red in the state, especially further north, so you have to consider that. It's still beautiful, though.

[Blue_true]

35. Alachua County is far less red than it used to be.

I watched the debate for Sheriff of the county, all progressives. The sitting Sheriff was a woman. You're right about Gainesville, Florida - assume college town.

[dixiegrrrrl]

152. If I had to live in Fla. Alachua would be the spot, on the east side.

I lived and worked in Lake City for a couple years in the late 1980's.

[csziggy]

93. Through most of the South college towns tend to be pretty blue areas

Gainesville and Tallahassee in particular for Florida since both towns are relatively small and students that are activist and stay in the area have a huge influence.

Of course my main statement only holds true if the college and universities are not primarily religious institutions. And if the city they are in is large, the students don't have as much impact.

While I graduated from FSU I have several nieces who graduated from UF and loved the area.

[RKP5637]

119. Agree! It's a beautiful state and it's possible to avoid the red, but one has to look carefully. n/t

[OldHippieChick]

9. You can get a very decent home for that kind of money

in Colorado. The cold and snow would be new, but you can easily adjust especially if you are retired and don't need to drive in it. I had 2600 sf near Boulder that I just sold for $340k. It would be a little higher in Boulder itself, which would be a terrific place to live. You could probably find at least 1500 sf in Boulder for $400k and it doesn't get much bluer. I had to move to NC where I got 1800 sf for around $250k - much cheaper than CO, but also not as blue. I was tired of snow and cold and I live alone, so my options weren't as good as yours. I'm able to live off SS and a small pension w/ no problem.

[dawg]

10. I'll second Asheville, NC.

It's a beautiful, artsy place.

And a few more Democratic votes in NC could make all the difference in the world.

[sprinkleeninow]

99. I'll third NC. Check us out. You got the mountains, cities/towns and shore all in one

pleasing state.
Last week we landed here 32 years ago from N.E. NC has certainly progressed in those decades.
Last coupla weeks we were in 70's and an 80 or two. You're half way down to FLA if you feel like going there. Both sets of our parents retired in FLA, but we are not in the FLA state of mind. Don't see that we'll ever be.
That's my nickel, (my mom-in-law's saying). Now I say, that's my quarter, due to inflation!
(Disclaimer: I don't represent any tourism board or our local chamber of commerce. Altho' those might be a good place for a job for meee! Currently retired, but doesn't feel as such.) Toodles...

[SticksnStones]

11. How about Atlanta, GA. nt

[Baconator]

20. Ugh...

[dancePop]

220. Why Ugh? Atlanta is one of the top 20 most liberal cities in the country.

BTW, I live here and John Lewis represents me in Congress.

[Baconator]

222. Meh... Just never had a good impression when visiting or passing through...

Always seemed kind of run down and dirty to me.

[Warren DeMontague]

182. Arent sex toys still illegal in Georgia?

I'd have enough trouble at this point, philosophically, with a state that didnt have legal weed.

Living somewhere that puts people in jail for owning a vibrator would be too much.

[greymattermom]

190. Atlanta is fine

if you're retired and live close to Marta. There are wonderful neighborhoods in John Lewis' district, and soon (we hope) Jon Ossoff's district. You will get stuck in traffic though.

[jalan48]

13. Oregon is cheaper than the Bay Area and politically more aligned than the South or S West

[wordpix]

74. rainy on coast, cold winters inland

I lived in Willamette Valley 4 yrs. Rainy in winter but never really cold due to Pacific influence.

[jalan48]

88. Not really cold. Western Oregon is part of the NW temperate climate zone.

It usually stays above freezing 90+% of the time in the winter. Eastern Oregon can get colder though.

[wordpix]

121. I was talking about E. Oregon - west is warmer, wet

[jalan48]

125. My bad -I misread your post.

[Shrike47]

136. A couple years ago we has more than a week under 0 degrees as a high.

Since that resulted in a lot of people losing power (snow or ice on trees, limbs break or tree falls over, knocks out power line. Really. Over and over.)

And it rained more than 9 inches last month. Land o' mud.

[brush]

14. My wife and I were in a similar situation in New York a few years back

I had lived in the Bay Area before moving to NY and meeting her. I always wanted to go back but knew SF would be just as expensive as living in NY so we tried San Diego/La Jolla, Half Moon Bay, Monteray, Santa Cruz but found that we'd have to cough back up most of the money we got from selling our home to buy one out right in those areas.

So we tried Palm Springs, too isolated though. We tried Phoenix, too much driving, too hot, and too red.

We tried Tucson, it and Flagstaff, both college towns, a plus, are the blue areas of Arizona. Tucson might be a little slow for you though coming from SF.

We settled on Las Vegas (not as hot as Phoenix and tired of shoveling snow, homes are less expensive by quite a bit, the state is turning blue, especially in the Vegas area where all the people are, but culturally — galleries, museums, even art movie houses it's still evolving. UNLV is here though, and the new Smith Performing Arts Center.

Try renting first wherever you go to get the lay of the land and since you'll have the cash you might find a real bargain on a foreclosure in a good area.

[voteearlyvoteoften]

15. Maine or Vermont

[sunonmars]

97. Gorgeous places in Maine, outside portland, like Gorham

[csziggy]

16. I'm partial to the Tallahassee, Florida area

I've lived in Tallahassee since 1972 and enjoy the small town attitude with the culture provided by the universities. The coast is a reasonable driving distance and Leon County has a lot of trees and protects the natural resources.

There are farmer's markets almost every day of the week - you just have to have the flexibility to go to different locations. There is a great food co-op that has been around since the early 1970s and sells locally sourced vegetables, meats, cheeses and lots of other things. Parts of town have lots of locally run shops, while there are plenty of large chain stores and restaurants.

The worst part about Tallahassee is the state government, especially when they are in session - but for activists that lets us keep track of what the government is doing and puts in close contact with people who are inside the process. Leon County is a very blue area with Jefferson County to the east and Gadsden County to the west getting bluer. The second worst thing about Leon County is so many of the students fall in love with the area and stay - we joke that our wait persons are the best educated!

How many bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet? In a HOA or with no neighborhood agreements? What style? How large a yard - or would you want acreage? New or used? In town or a little way out? For $400,000 you can get a lot of house here!

I prefer the north east side of town, but the prices tend to be a little higher here. One advantage is that puts us on the side of town closer to the hospitals and other medical services. The north east side has more hills if you want to make sure you won't be prone to flooding. Plus this side of town is seriously Democratic!

[TBA]

28. Tallahassee Native Here

It's a very liberal enclave (except for the present legislature) in the deep south. I bought a 1200 sq foot 2 bedroom 1 bath in an excellent old downtown neighborhood (Myers Park) in excellent condition for 155,000. a year ago. My neighborhood is connected, we have social events and we know each other. I love it. Indianhead is another great neighborhood that is very socially connected.

Plenty of organic/natural grocers...New Leaf Market, Earthfare. Lucky's and more.

Beautiful parks... Cascade Park, Meyers Park, Dorthy Oven Park, Tom Brown park many more...

Bicycle Friendly...

Best of all... Mickee Faust! http://www.mickeefaust.com/

The most original, outrageous, community theater you will find anywhere. A true Tallahassee gem. We are celebrating our thirtieth anniversary this year and trust me... it's like nothing you have ever seen.

[csziggy]

69. I've lived outside the city since 1979

We bought a farm out Centerville Road and I mostly stay out here. It's near the Miccosukee Land Co-op, which I thought about buying into when they were first starting - but I am not social enough to be a land co-op member, plus the land they had was very wooded and not suitable for horses without cutting down a lot of trees, which would not have been popular.

I've only known about Mickee Faust for a little while. A friend was a member but she passed away before I could find out more about it. I did meet one of the Mickee Faust people at the Women's March but I never have made it to a performance.

I do love Tallahassee - the people and land are what keep me from just bailing and moving out of the country altogether.

[amuse bouche]

162. I'm in Central Fl and want to move more north

I was thinking about the Daytona area, mainly because on the proximity of the ocean. Now you have me intrigued. How far from the ocean are you?

[csziggy]

167. Straightline about 35 miles from our house to St. Marks

But if you want good beaches, we're about 60 miles from Alligator Point. Not a lot different than where I grew up in the middle of Florida and it was 60-90 miles to each coast. Since I don't want waterfront property ever, that is close enough for me. I am northeast of Tallahassee, only about fifteen miles from the Georgia line - there are nice places further south than I am.

While this puts us far enough inland that theoretically hurricane force winds don't do as much damage, because this county loves our trees there is generally a good amount of damage from trees taking down power lines or damaging roofs.

Last fall Hurricane Hermine gave us five days without power (some friends lent me a generator and kept me in comfort) and some areas are still cleaning up trees - though some of the cleanup is from two separate storms that came through over the winter. The thing is that since I moved to Tallahassee in 1972 we've only had three, maybe four hurricanes and about half dozen tropical storms come through. Only twice have we been without power for more than twelve hours.

What I like is living in the Red Hills part of Florida - that ranges from Madison County to Jackson County just south of the Georgia border. The soil is pretty solidly red clay with limestone underneath and there are a lot of hills over 200 feet above sea level. We have a red clay ridge that drops from 206 feet to our wetland woods at around 150 feet. We get nice hardwoods and a scattering of pines. And none of that sandy former beach sand stuff that there is south of Tallahassee.

If you do want beachfront property, anywhere west of Alligator Point is a good bet - but every single one of those coastal counties are very red. My husband grew up in Panama City and was happy to get out - he still has family there and the Democratic forces are fighting hard.

[TBA]

204. You should come! We have a show the last two weekends in March.

Follow on facebook. This is a 30 year anniversary show and we went into the vault and pulled out our best material. All original BTW.

[csziggy]

209. I am following you on Facebook - started sometime in January

But the last several months have been brutal. My husband's appendix blew up on Thanksgiving but we didn't figure it out for nearly a week. He spent three days in the hospital and another month recovering from the infections that resulted. Tuesday he finally gets the appendix out.

Then his mother went back in the hospital New Year's Eve, into hospice on Jan. 11, and died on Jan. 12. We've been dealing with her estate - he drives over and spends more than half the week inventorying personal possessions.

When he's not home I only have the Suburban to drive. While it is great for hauling stuff, it's a bear to park so I don't go downtown or near the campuses with it.

March 21 is my Mom's 96th birthday so we will be driving down to visit her for several days. We were supposed to go down for Christmas but that fell through so this trip is important.

I'll check the dates for the performances, maybe we can fit it in.

[TBA]

211. Oh no. I hope things settle down for you soon.

And I'm glad your husband is ok

[retread]

96. I hate to quibble, but Gadsden County is dark blue. About 76% are registered Democrats and

56% are African-American.

The Northeast(district 4) is represented by Brian Desloge, a Republican, a Trump supporter, and a serious shit stain. Desloge was in the Roosevelt room when President Short Fingers signed the executive order making our water less regulated again. Desloge called the action a "big win for us". We all know who the "us" is.

[csziggy]

107. Yeah, since they smeared Cliff Thaell northeast Leon has suffered

Plus since the plantation was opened for development we've gotten more red. But in 2008 when I was working on the Obama campaign the part of NE Leon I was in voted 74% for Obama. A good percentage of our team were from the Land Co-op and they worked their asses off.

I have not kept track of Gadsden - when I first moved to Tallahassee, it was pretty red as was Jefferson. I knew both had gotten more blue but had not realized how much more Gadsden had! I looked at land in both but lucked into this place in Leon and haven't followed the other counties much.

I guess I will have to see who is running against Desloge the next time around and campaign for them. Since 2008 I've had five major surgeries and we've had two deaths in the family so it's been hard to keep up with the local politics, especially with the Tallahassee Democrat and their horrible coverage.

[TBA]

205. How about our awesome mayor running for governor?

[Tom Rinaldo]

17. We moved from the Bay Area to upstate New York: Hudson Valley/Catskills region

You have to pick and chose your communities for the degree of progressive leanings vs price, but there are plenty of options to chose from. We live about twenty to twenty five minutes outside of Woodstock and a half hour away from the New York Throughway. $200,000 will buy you a fine house in my neck of the woods if it doesn't have to be a mansion. There are plenty of progressives around where I live though we have some Trump voters around here also. A town like Woodstock or New Paltz leans further left but costs more than where I am. Other villages nearby me are cheaper still but more conservative. PM me if you want

[Baconator]

18. It might not be deep blue but check out Colorado

I love the Colorado Springs area and you could get an amazing home for 400K.

[moonscape]

36. I thought Colorado Springs is deep red? n/t

[OldHippieChick]

92. It is. That's

why I recommended Boulder above. Ft. Collins would also be nice and a bit cheaper than Boulder, but still a college town.

[Baconator]

169. It's a weird mix...

Last edited Mon Mar 6, 2017, 12:37 PM - Edit history (1)

I'd call it mostly blue outdoorsy or hippie types with pockets of deep red fundamentalists etc...

[still_one]

19. make sure whatever state you move to values healthcare for their citizens. Most likely once you

move out of the bay area, unless you win the lottery, it may be very difficult to come back

[Dream Girl]

27. Good point..the blueness of California will make it hard to leave, we may been be moving

Toward single payer in the near future.

[still_one]

32. The single payer of Medicare doesn't happen until 65, and as for single payer in the near future,

that would be ideal, but there is no way that will happen with republicans in charge, and Tom Price head of HHS

I wish it wasn't so

One more thing, if you like the California weather, you may also need to factor in a more temperate climate wise place, unless you don't mind the snow.

All the best to you and your family.

[Dream Girl]

37. Grew up in Cleveland and lived in Minnesota for five years. I know snow and cold but don't think I

Could handle it as an old person. I would have to spend winters in Mexico or some other tropical and cheap 😉

[ginnyinWI]

67. Minneapolis

Very blue, as you know. And as for the old and snow, buy a condo downtown with access to the skyway system. You'd never have to step foot outside, unless you wanted to.

We are recently retired and plan to move to the Twin Cities in a year or so. Got a kid and her family there. We will probably buy a single family home, just downsized from what we have now, but we have no problem with snow, having lived in MN or WI our whole lives.

For a major metro area, they have an excellent cost of living. They have a very good lifestyle for seniors--lots of healthcare, a lot of green parklands, and a lot of cultural amenities.

And think Al Franken and Keith Ellison.

[we can do it]

160. We just moved to Rehoboth Beach from Akron, Ohio.

Cuyahoga Falls, to be precise. We had been planning the move since around 2006.

[Blue_true]

42. Why not move from San Francisco to the East Bay? nt

[ailsagirl]

86. Or the North Bay?

[wordpix]

76. very important for low income retirees to learn about states' health care, esp. since

Trump & repukes want to get rid of all public systems, I don't care what they say. Lately, it's we should leave it to the states

[Stinky The Clown]

21. If you want progressive, Takoma Park, MD.

Not cheap, but you can find something there, for sure. $400K in some areas buys a mansion. In Takoma Park, it gets a decent but unremarkable house.

Maryland is a blue state and Takoma Park is arguably the bluest jurisdiction in the state.

https://www.zillow.com/takoma-park-md/

[wordpix]

77. good luck buying in w/ 400K, maybe a condo?

[Stinky The Clown]

79. Just sayin' . . . .

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Takoma-Park-MD/37293348_zpid/47942_rid/globalrelevanceex_sort/39.002977,-76.967812,38.962478,-77.040167_rect/13_zm/?

[wordpix]

124. my dad used to build homes like that in the '50's, '60's

in various places outside DC. He called them "nebish" homes. He would roll in his grave to learn these homes are $400K now.

Nebish
The word used to describe a person who is geeky, dorky or just plain awkward. However, the word should only be used when:

1. feeling sorry for the person;
2. if the person is cute, but in a dorky sort of way;
3. if something awkward happens to a person (dorky or not)that person and the whole situation will be nebish for the time being.

Nebish may also be used in some instances to replace the word shame, like: oh shame, that guy has his pants on backwards and everyone's laughing.

[KittyWampus]

22. If I ever moved to a warm, liberal climate it'd be like The Fan district in Richmond VA.

I love historic neighborhoods.

Some areas of Baltimore would also be a potential place to look.

[Dream Girl]

23. This is great! I'm bookmarking this for future reference. Lots of places I hadn't considered.

We'd originally been thinking of living abroad (we love Mexico) but I think it will be more stable for us here (after 2020) 😉

[Vinca]

24. You couldn't go wrong with Vermont.

[Blue_true]

47. Southern Vermont near the Massachusetts border, rural and artsy.

Montpellier is city like, highly progressive and culturally forward and artsy.

[Vinca]

50. Exactly. Around Brattleboro.

[wordpix]

78. if you can afford to go elsewhere in winters, it can be brutal

I don't live far from there.

[Vinca]

98. I'm near there, too. This winter hasn't been too bad.

Every place has something. California has earthquakes, wild fires and mud slides for example. I'm just as happy with a few really cold days and some snow.

[karynnj]

201. Burlington on Lake Champlain with lots of things to do

And very progressice.

[asiliveandbreathe]

25. I was transferred From Mass. in 1994 as were so many of my peers -

I had a choice - PA, San Antonio TX, Atlanta GA, or Mesa AZ - chose AZ - then retired w/30 years in 98 - love AZ - Gov Napolitano was great..the wall we used to call her..Brewer POS came in - she is gone and now Ducey..never hear or see of him..legislators are nutty..but - we love it here..

June-Sept HOT HOT HOT..rest of year..very nice! -

look at some of the golf course communities..we settled in Red Mountain Ranch..homes built around 93-94 - since then we sold, moved to another GC Comm. bought a lot on GC (55+ comm.)- and built 2006 - as so many people are doing now..there are still a few lots left here - east Mesa - I look out to Superstition Mountains and Red Mountain - this state is beautiful..

Las Sendas is beautiful too...East Mesa..on the west side you have beautiful homes - Pebble Creek comes to mind..adult community too..further east you have Gold Canyon....beautiful....so many homes to choose from..prices - you get a lot for your $$..

Further south Tucson AZ - very Blue - Flagstaff North - Blue - and you get changing seasons..

Happy hunting...

[jmowreader]

26. The area surrounding Seattle would work for you

Don't move to "Seattle" itself because there's a significant premium having a "Seattle" address. For $400k you can do okay in the area south of Seattle (International Boulevard ain't that great but you won't be living there - try Tukwila near the mall, Burien or Renton), the area north of Seattle (my niece and her husband live in Mukilteo and love it) is a little cheaper, and if you don't mind riding a ferry for an hour to get to the fun stuff Bremerton will do nicely.

[Mendocino]

66. I knew someone who lived

in the Sequim/Port Angeles area and loved it. Real estate is reasonable, very temperate weather and it's a rain shadow area. They only received about 30 inches a year.

[oldtime dfl_er]

84. The Sequim area

is great. Also Bellingham, very progressive, near the Canadian border (easy access to fabulous Vancouver!). No state income tax in Washington State. Great governor, strong resistance movement. Bellingham is a college town so vibrant.

[Mendocino]

90. My buddy could see the ocean

from his front door, the Olympic Mts from the back. He would take the ferry over to Victoria just to go out to eat.

[SoCalDem]

196. We love our new place in Centralia..

We got a 3224 sq ft home with another 3224 sq ft finished basement under it for $284500.. (4-16).. The town is quaint, quiet, friendly..and has been lovingly restored/nurtured..no fast food places or big boxes until you get outside of the town..which is bustling.. I shop at a real butcher shop with great prices...and they even carry it to my car for me Farmers markets abound..as do specialty stores..

We have a Safeway, but I rarely go there.. I buy veggies at a place called "Veggies".. bread from the Franz outlet (they give away extras too)..
natural gas is a bit high here and gas stoves are scarce , but we are very happy..we even found an older part of town and have nearly 1/3 acre..

[jmowreader]

118. Port Angeles isn't bad

Anything on the east side of the Olympic Mountains is nice. I would not buy on the west side of the Olympic Mountain Range - if you thought Seattle gets a lot of rain, try Neah Bay. But...people are out there, so it has its charms.

[mrs_p]

176. That's where my mom retired

Beautiful place but kind of small compared to SF. All depends on what kind of amenities one wants.

[Blue_true]

29. Some suggestions in Florida that fall in your price range.

Orlando Florida and Orange County Florida (has become very blue mostly, but can improve)

Tallahassee, Florida, home to FSU and an increasing number of high tech startups.

Gainesville, Florida and Alachua County. Very blue but can be made even bluer county wide.

The southern part of the state is blue mostly in big counties, but pricey.

[bitterross]

30. Portland, Oregon!

It's way cheaper than SF and very much like it in personality.

[mrs_p]

177. House prices are insane right now

Two mediocre houses on small lots are selling for 800k up the block from me. Ridiculous.

[bitterross]

208. That is insane

But those same houses in SF would probably be 1.5 million.

[oldtime dfl_er]

212. Portland

seems about as expensive as Seattle...which is to say, VERY.

[PasadenaTrudy]

33. Please avoid NM

Sure, it's a gorgeous state, but so much poverty and crime there. More people are moving out than in. Healthcare is not great. Doctors are leaving because they can make more $$ just about everywhere else, and have a higher quality of life. Check out Portland and Eugene, OR

[Blue_true]

57. Some parts of New Mexico are elite and blue. Santa Fe, Los Alamos

Pretty elite addresses, but probably out of the person's price range. Albuquerque is where the crime is, in some parts.

[PasadenaTrudy]

106. But still....

Compared to the bay area in CA, very lacking in good healthcare services. People I know in NM end up going to TX or CO for certain specialists. This would suck. Even Santa Fe lacks the goods and services we Californians are used to. Just depends what your priorities are, I guess. I have another friend who moved to Portland from Abq. last year, and he does not miss NM one iota, even thought it's his home state.

[womanofthehills]

183. I live in NM and love it - it's beautiul and very blue

I don't know of anyone of all my friends who had to go out of state for healthcare. Presbyterian hospital in Albuquerque has won many awards.

Presbyterian Hospital* has been recognized by Healthgrades as one of America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery, Joint Replacement Surgery, Stroke Care, and Pulmonary Care.

Presbyterian Hospital Wins Consumer Choice Award for 21st Year. For the 21st year in a row, Presbyterian Hospital has received the 2016/2017 Consumer Choice Award for Albuquerque from National Research Corporation. The annual award identifies hospitals across the country healthcare consumers choose as having the highest quality and image.

U.S. News & World Report Names Presbyterian Best Regional Hospital. Presbyterian Hospital* was recently named a “Best Regional Hospital” for 2016-17 and was recognized for high performance in colon cancer surgery, treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, hip and knee replacements and heart failure procedures by U.S. News & World Report.

https://presbyterian-hospital.phs.org/about/Pages/awards.aspx

[marybourg]

112. I lived there 30 years ago.

More people were moving out than moving in then also. Ratio 5/4. Eventually we left too. Now west of Phoenix in a senior community and love, love, love it!

[womanofthehills]

187. Young are moving out for jobs but it seems like retired people are moving here

I live an hour south of Albuquerque, and retired people from the east are moving to my community. New Mexico is very blue;
there are currently 38 Democrats, and 32 Republicans in the House of Representatives and 26 Democrats and 16 Republicans in the Senate. Only problem is the governor. We had very large turnouts for the Women's March in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

What I love about NM - It is filled with creative people - lots of artists and most artists are liberal.

[marybourg]

214. Yes to the art scene.

When people would ask me if they should consider moving to NM, the least negative thing I could think to say was: Yes, if you're an artist, otherwise involved in the art scene, or wealthy enough to be an art patron. Otherwise . . . .

[MedusaX]

34. City within a City

Alamo Heights, Tx 78209
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alamo_Heights,_Texas

Terrell Hills, Tx 78209
Olmos Park, Tx. 78209

3 incorporated cities located just north of downtown San Antonio

Nearby attractions: McNay Art Museum, Witte Museum, Children's Do-Seum, Botanical Gardens, Riverwalk & The Pearl, San Antonio Museum of Art,

[BumRushDaShow]

38. Come to PA

They don't tax retirement income! Yay!

SE PA has deep blue Philly (which has a similar, but slightly larger population than SF) and the blue to purple rim burbs. Housing is relatively inexpensive. There are many colleges/universities in the area and we are about 1.5 hours from both the Poconos (for skiing) and the Jersey shore. Also about 2 hours from NYC and 3 hours to D.C. The SE corner is adjacent to New Jersey and Delaware (as other states that can be easily traveled to). The weather goes through gradual seasonal changes, with a range of rising and falling average temperatures throughout the year... and the intra-seasonal swings are not as radical as other areas (whereas I noticed SF when I was there, was pretty temperate and I understand it has dry/rainy seasons).

The "media" thinks PA is a "red state" and it is not. It's very much purple.

[Dream Girl]

43. Our son is looking at Lafayette college in Easton is that nearby?

[BumRushDaShow]

48. It's about 1.5 hours NE of Philly

and home of the Crayola Crayon factory!

[gwheezie]

39. Virginia but

I live in rural Virginia but work in Richmond. Even though Virginia is bluish in national politics & at the governor's office, it is gerrymandered & red at the state level. It's a battle for women's rights, criminal justice reform & lgbtq rights.
I think you could be pretty happy in a place like Richmond because of the universities there is music, art & opportunities for interesting seminars. Also the weather is decent so there are many outdoor festivals & events. If you're interested in history, Richmond is full of it. It's a diverse culture.
The negative for me is the gun culture & Confederacy.
I live in red Virginia but we're putting up a good fight. If you like the coast or waterfront the northern neck (rural,small-town) or Virginia Beach (military, tourists) are interesting.
I have a 15 acre farm between Richmond & the northern neck that would sell for under 200k but there are no services here. The library is in a single wide. Verizon is the only cell carrier that works & I have no neighbors.

[Dream Girl]

46. Step daughter lives in Charlottesville. Thoughts?

[gwheezie]

54. Cville is lovely

Not a big city but because of universities it's got a young, diverse culture. Uva medical center is top notch. Nice older neighborhoods.Walkable to entertainment. Closer to the mountains so the weather is different than where I live. When I moved to VA I was considering cville but wanted to be closer to the beach.

[wordpix]

81. w/ $400K you'll do well but I'm looking in lower price range

I can't find a decent house for $200K, only condos, which I don't want.

[KittyWampus]

64. property values are going to help turn Virginia bluer. It's a great state to invest in.

And same for Georgia.

[gwheezie]

65. I love where I live

I'm close enough to Richmond to enjoy the city but also close to the bay for water fun. Close enough to the coast that it hardly snows but far enough in no floods. And I love Amtrak, I've taken the train to DC in the morning & back home by night.

[wordpix]

126. where? How far from C-ville?

[gwheezie]

132. I don't live near cville

I live between Richmond & the northern neck. Although I like cville.

[CK_John]

40. IMO, the future is very bleak for home ownership, jobs, tiny houses will be the future and UBI will

be the only income (Universal Basic Income).

Wake up and smell the robots.

[haele]

41. New Mexico is going blue.

My parents retired to Albuquerque from Seattle (similar situation as yours) when Dad turned 70 and was "encouraged" to retire as a High School teacher and coach. about 10 years ago.
Mom says there has been a progressive improvement in both government and the economy there over the past three years. If you don't want to live in Albuquerque (which is slowly gentrifying) or Santa Fe (which is expensive), there's a few other towns that are doing pretty well and are reasonable to live in - Las Cruces, Roswell, and Taos come to mind.
The altitude and water supply can be a problem in New Mexico, but the weather isn't too bad overall, and the natural environment is still pretty much intact in many places.
Take a road trip there, and get a feel for what area you might be comfortable in.

If I wasn't living in a double-wide in one of the few affordable mobile home parks in San Diego county, I'd be looking to move the family to Albuquerque in three years as soon as my military pension kicks in.

Haele

[dixiegrrrrl]

45. We retired 10 years ago, moved from SF, had to find a way more inexpensive area.

I am from the Seattle area originally, then moved to the South, for years, before back to West Coast, then moved again for retirement. So I was familiar with a lot of places.

Very affordable housing was the key factor, next was budget friendly living,
3rd was no snow ( mobility issues), 4th was no city living, we both like small quiet towns.
and I wanted a warm and sunny climate.
No place on the West Coast met that criteria. That housing bubble, remember?

So we looked to the South.

Fla. was a no go, even No. Fla., because of heat/humidity and climate change, I had lived there before. Damn place is flat as a table and hurricanes hit it way too much.

Mountainous areas are nice in summer, but cold and snowy in winter, so that left some areas of the South out of the equation.

we settled in a small ( 6,000 pop.) town, county seat, in the SW corner of Ala. because it was far enough away from the coast to mitigate what then were hurricane concerns,
far enough south to avoid the tornado storm pattern ( they travel mostly about 50 miles north of us)
houses of all kinds are incredibly affordable, even with acreage, zero property taxes if you are over 65.

downside...red state.
and food tax ( tho they are talking about getting rid of it)
and income tax, but we don't qualify to pay it, happily.

Upside: Strong sense of community, because in the South, you do not talk religion or politics unless you know someone very well, but if we need serious help, there is no problem.
and I am pretty fluent in Southern speak.
Upside: You can get to almost anywhere in a few hours, thus can take advantage of trips to New Orleans, or to the Casino boats in Biloxi ( tho there are now land casinos within a few miles), loads of excellent live music venues, museums, etc.
Fla. has the lottery, Ala. does not yet have enough sinners to vote for it.

We could have bought more than enough gorgeous house in Mobile, but traffic is wall to wall there because of the way the streets run (think 19th street in SF), and flooding is more of a problem than ever before.
Pensacola is nice, LOTS of retired folks there, no sales tax, but again an area where water is rising.
Natural disaster evacuations from the Gulf Coast are a nightmare, not enough road options, so you get instant gridlock.

I would use an online realty site, like Zillow, search out prices for your list of must have features, narrow a few states down and start researching them.
If cold snow winters are ok, you really will have a lot of options, and much much more cheaper housing.

[Dream Girl]

49. Depending on what we set we could be snow birds and spend winter months in Mexico.

[Dream Girl]

53. I hadn't even thought about hurricanes and flooding as a consideration.

There really is a lot to consider.

[dixiegrrrrl]

143. I was working in SF on 9-11

and from that day on, one of my considerations has been how the hell to avoid being trampled by a fleeing mass of people in an emergency.
Thus, one of the reasons I prefer to live away from cities and crowds now that I don't HAVE to work.

In my many years on the West Coast, earthquakes were always something to think about, but never volcanoes.
till St. Helens blew up.

so, yes...climate/weather issues in many places.

[MineralMan]

51. Minneapolis and St. Paul

Winters are an issue, but the cities have an outstanding bunch of amenities, almost as good as San Francisco. Home prices are much lower than in California and especially in the Bay Area.

Minnesota is a blue state. It wavered a bit in 2016, but will be back to its blue status in 2018.

But, the winters are an issue, for sure. I'm a California transplant, though, and I manage just fine.

[Dream Girl]

60. I lived there for five years. Went to the u of mm law school. I liked it, great culture,restaurants

But very cold winters. We'd definitely have to become snowbirds

[MineralMan]

62. Cool. So you know the place.

I'll agree about the winters, but you already know your reaction to those. Just an idea.

[NCTraveler]

116. I tried to make it clear in my post.

If the area in which MM resides is on your list, check it off. Not a chance.

[MineralMan]

117. Very funny, indeed.

Droll, even.

[LanternWaste]

52. Dallas, TX is blue and the surrounding suburbs are very (very!) affordable.

Dallas, TX is blue and the surrounding suburbs are very (very!) affordable. Quality of living here is better than decent, and there's tons of things to get involved in, to do, and to visit. So many great, tiny, quiet neighborhoods that no one's ever heard of ten minutes from either downtown Dallas or downtown Fort Worth.

Museums, theater, community activities, best state fair in the universe, wonderful library systems... the list goes on. TX take a lot of grief from half-witted idiots on DU, but it's a great place to wake up every morning!

[CountAllVotes]

68. you are right about Texans

I found a 1/2 cousin recently and he lives in Houston.

He is a native of Texas and has kin in Missouri.

He is a Republican but he did not vote for tRump and hopes he'll be impeached, etc. and is infuriated about this Russia sh*t.

Never thought I'd be posting this, but if he is like other folks from Texas they are best I can tell!


As for the OP: LOOK NORTH, much to be had for those kind of bucks!

[tammywammy]

146. DFW has a lot of great things going for it. n/t

[Warpy]

55. NM is blue in the northern 2/3. The southern third is deep red

and full of Texans. The northern part of the state is the more mountainous part, the greener part, although the whole state is pretty much classified as desert. The climate is temperate and most areas have 4 seasons. Some areas, like Santa Fe and Taos, are beautiful but have been yuppied to death, with sky high housing prices. Santa Fe is one of the more progressive areas and your budget would get you something there, just check out the ads online.

The state is a visual artist's paradise. Just be aware that the local cuisine puts chile in everything, it's the only way to keep it from tasting like airline food at high altitude. It's also a very poor state, meaning some amenities like Aldi's and Ikea, are not here.

The good thing about the northern 2/3 of NM is that it's blue and not just in a few urban enclaves. While there are blue areas in AZ and Texas, they're surrounded by a hell of a lot of red.

Florida, the state of my birth, pretty much sucks. It's tied to boom and bust real estate, beaches are now blocked by endless walls of high rise condos, the climate is like a steam bath, and would you believe flying cockroaches? My parents retired there and I visited there for 35 years and you couldn't give the whole state to me. Plus, it's a hurricane magnet and it's sinking. You like swamps and rabid mosquitoes, move to Florida.

(Yeah, I know a lot of people think it's where good people go when they die but I don't)

[Quixote1818]

165. New Mexico is actually pretty blue down the middle and red in the east and the west, mostly east

Las Cruces which is at the bottom of the state is pretty blue, Socorro is pretty blue and Silver City is a mixed bag but a bit more blue. Farmington is North and about as red as red can get.

[WheelWalker]

56. Eugene, OR

[LisaM]

58. Agree about the University town; they tend to be great.

And if you can be two more blue votes in a red state, that's good too.

It bothers me that a skilled worker in San Francisco can't find a job at age 60.

[Blue_true]

129. The skilled jobs in San Francisco center around

Software Applications Development, Biotech Research and Development, High Technology Composites Research and Development, Defense Related Research and Development (believe it or not). The high cost of living is because salaries are high for some skillsets. Manufacturing workers suffer and typically need to find housing well out of the Bay Area to make ends meet. Commutes during rush hour are brutal, for long distances. I have spent a considerable amount of time in the Bay Area due to my profession, a commute from south of Morgan Hill to San Jose during rush hour is very taxing, when there, I found it easier to arrive very early and leave late.

[LisaM]

131. I live in Seattle, and I hear you.

The ageism here is ridiculous. And let me also state for the record that young tech workers make for a boring city. When I first moved here (late 80s) it was a rollicking place, and age didn't seem to matter - it was kind of an all-age atmosphere.

[dixiegrrrrl]

155. Seattle was great until they put the damn freeway in the middle of it.

but still pretty ok, had good alternative transportation. I bailed in 1980 and moved to Whidbey island.
My son lives in Seattle, for many years now, says it is getting very unaffordable and too built up, because of speculation in real estate.
He ihas no kids ( a permanent idea for him) so can still hang on for a while more.

[LisaM]

158. Yeah, we're hanging on.

I don't remember it before I-5 but for years I lived in a little rental house that was moved (along with the house next store) to the spot where it is when they built the highway. We lived in that (falling apart) place for a long time, the owners were real old-timers in Seattle, great landlords, never raised the rent for 17 years. But the dad died and the mom got old and their greedy lawyer daughter took over and basically kicked us out so that she should fix it up and rent it for way more. Typical.

[TravelingMan]

59. Homes

We were in the same spot as you but did not want to leave the bay area . What we found was Benicia Ca.town's average home price 400.-550 and yet close to S.F. Napa and Snow if that's what your looking for . We left Florida when they started waving the rebel Flag everywhere .

[Dream Girl]

89. Benicia is nice but a bit pricey, but would keep us in Bay Area.

I'm not really digging SF that much these days. It has changed so much in the past 20 years. The traffic and hipsters everywhere. Still it is beautiful and has a progressive soul. Tech has ruined it though.

[ebbie15644]

61. Pittsburgh! It's a purple state and we could use some help!! It's been ranked consistently

The Economist has ranked Pittsburgh as the most livable city in the continental Unites States squeaking in just under Honolulu.

Not bad, considering Hawaii is a vacation destination.

This marks the third time in seven years that the esteemed journal of global economies has ranked Pittsburgh at or near the top. The Economist Intelligence Unit first designated Pittsburgh as the most livable city in America in 2005 and the British magazine declared the same in 2009. But you won’t find it online

[Corgigal]

63. Interesting that this topic just came up

We just sold our home this week, and will be moved out by the 27th. We too are close to 60.

We are going to go rent in Berea Kentucky, as near as the college as possible. It's only 25 min from Lexington, which is blue. The last time we went to visit Berea, they had a protest on the corner and this was before Trump took office. Lots of artists live in the area, and this former New York girl felt alive and safe.

We are living a red state, will not have as much equity funds as you. However , we will find a place for me,hubby, 2 chihuahua and a corgi dog. Might visit the thoroughbred farms up there, I love to see beautiful things of nature.

Good luck to you. I'll let you know it works for us, soon.

[csziggy]

70. I haven't been to Kentucky much but it is a beautiful state

Just remember, the thoroughbred farms are about as close to nature as a golf course is. They are just maintaining a different kind of grass and use nearly as many chemicals as any other artificial turf.

I've always wanted to visit the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area - that is my idea of nature and it is supposed to be incredibly beautiful. https://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/

[Corgigal]

75. True, but it's the rocks

That make the grass. After the grass is treated, not sure what they do to the meadows cause living creatures eat it. I was talking of the beauty of the horses. The young foals at play, even the fencing is beautiful.

I guess it's just my thing. I went to Claiborne in Paris Kentucky because secretariat is buried there. It's just something that I have always loved, now it's my time to explore. Going to see American Pharoah at Coolmore.

[csziggy]

91. Now, the horses are a completely different thing!

I've been a horse lover for my entire life. Still have four of my Quarter Horse broodmares and one five year that is seventh generation bred and raised on my farm. While he is foundation Quarter Horse bred he looks like a Warmblood and moves like a dream. I don't have any recent photos of him, just some from when he was born. Here he is at one day old:



He makes his dam look small but she's 15.3 hands. He's now better than 16.2.

While the Thoroughbreds are lovely, I won't own one and when I was running a boarding operation I hated having to take care of them. They are bred for speed, not for brains or sense. I'll stick with my Quarters horses.

[Corgigal]

140. Ah beautiful

Always wanted a horse, my whole life. Maybe I'll get a miniature horse. Thanks for the photos.

[wordpix]

85. my friends are in Harrisburg, very liveable

They live downtown and fixed up an old town house near the Susquehanna R. and park along it. They can easily walk to the state house and nice old streets/townhouses nearby. Cheap!

I am not crazy about the downtown except the older neighborhoods but it's OK if you can love PA.

[mahina]

100. A good friend lives there part time and loves it.

She is a Berea grad. There are so many community events, it looks easy to find a community and make new friends there. Super progressive "we" feeling place and lovely as it can be.

[Corgigal]

142. My son is a Berea grad

Loves it there, which is how I learned about how progressive this little area is. Gonna rent for a bit, see if we fit into the landscape. Then purchase a home. I love the older homes near the college. It's just a beautiful place. First time I walked the campus I was floored. This is the free school? My head couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing. They have a beautiful drone camera view of Berea college, if anyone in interested. On YouTube.

[Lint Head]

71. I think Tennessee is turning blue. Nashville is expensive but the rural areas and small towns around

are reasonable.

[guillaumeb]

80. $400k, or less, would buy a very nice house in the Chicago area.

Cook County is very progressive. But we do have winter in Chicago. And retirement income is not taxed.

[The River]

87. I'll Stay in CA

regardless of the cost. The Sierra foothills are not cheap but a lot
cheaper than SF and you're still in a progressive blue state.
Blue areas in red states are still subject to state law.
Being governed by state level Trumpublicans isn't worth the risk.

[PasadenaTrudy]

109. Me too!

I'm not a fan of the heat and traffic in L.A., but I'm staying put! Been here all of my life and I think CA is the best place to be right now.

[Dream Girl]

145. I would stay but if I'm not working we will have a big mortgage and no income.

Only option is to cash out for me. I'm open to other parts of Cali...maybe San Luis Obisbo

[CottonBear]

94. Athens, GA

University town. Progressive. Blue island in red state. 2 hours to mountains, 5 hours to coast & 1.5 hours to Atlanta. Piedmont geographic area of GA.

[Hortensis]

95. Go north, plan to winter in the south if necesary.

Climate change and fresh water disappearance are going to devastate whole regions. Even if they are able to adjust and eventually recover new vigor under different conditions, you don't want to be spending your retirement in a transitioning county currently unable to provide adequate services and with empty houses around you because jobs have left and people followed them. Also, generally speaking, hot climates tend to be more conservative, cooler climates more liberal. Check that one out on any political map.

[Laffy Kat]

101. Near me, of course!

Lafayette is between Denver and Boulder. It's a nice, diverse, little town. Yes, it's Colorado, but the winters are mostly mild and even the cold doesn't feel THAT cold because it's dry. A $400k house is still possible now, but the real estate in this area is presently on fire. It would be a nice place to buy if only for the investment. Check it out:
http://www.coloradodirectory.com/lafayettechamber/

http://www.lafayettecolorado.com/

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale/Lafayette-CO/pmf,pf_pt/12251_rid/400000-_price/1522-_mp/40.074918,-104.987755,39.930011,-105.222245_rect/11_zm/

[Coventina]

103. Tucson, AZ is blue.

I wouldn't recommend Phoenix (even though I live here).

[Jane Austin]

104. I hate to dis my beloved Austin,

But it's damnably hot here these days, even in the winter.

My son's birthday is in February and he was just stunned that it was in the 90s for his birthday this year.

If you like to garden, everything burns up here. It's okay in the winter, but the days are too short then to get much done.

I vote for Virginia, too. It's beautiful with a much more moderate climate.

[chillfactor]

105. I live in the mountains 15 miles to the east of Albuquerque....

in a small community called Sandia Park. I LOVE it here. Quiet,peaceful community...great grocery store, hardware store, plenty of restaurants if you like eating out. I am retired...live on social security with a little side help from tutoring....I am a retired teacher. I get by just fine and would not live any place else. I hope this helps.

[pandr32]

108. You skipped Hawaii

It is a very blue state and the Big Island has most of the land mass and only 20% of the total population so there is reasonable real estate here. We bought on the island's east side just outside the capital of Hilo. The west side where Kona is is more touristy and expensive. Also, the vog drifts in there from the volcano.
We have an acre covered in palms and fruit trees, a small swimming pool, a large private lanai, a 2,000 sq ' open-style house with high ceilings and lots of windows within 5 blocks of the ocean. Our area is very quiet.
Hilo is growing rapidly and there are jobs here. A house like ours can still be found for under $400,000 and as long as you stick with a lava-risk rating of no less than 3 the home insurance is reasonable.
Lots of California people here. Next door to us is a lady from California and she grows orchids on her property. The local outdoor markets are plentiful and provide us with access to all kinds of produce at a much more reasonable rate than the supermarkets. Wonderful local fish markets are nearby, too. Hilo is full of restaurants, galleries, one of a kind businesses, medical facilities, government offices, and activities. We are out and about all the time. Tonight, as an example, is the First Friday event in Hilo where the shops stay open and local musicians play in open venues so people can wander around and enjoy. This is a monthly event. In nearby towns there is always something going on as well. Indoor/outdoor life here, and it is good for the spirit as well as the body.
The governor has an ambitious green energy and environmental protection agenda. It is a different world here from the mainland, but occasionally we do spot a Trump sign and cringe.
Oh, and there is a Costco on the island!
We have an awesome realtor who helped us find our home. I would be happy to put you in touch if you wanted information from a professional.

[NCTraveler]

110. It's not blue but the price is right and there is a lot of good in the area.

Polk or Hudson Florida. Just north of Pinellas County. Lots of red but really good places to live at great prices. Pinellas has overpopulated to the point we are spreading north. The red aspect will slowly start to diminish over the coming decades. If not that, check out Pinellas itself. There is simply everything for everyone.

Interestingly enough, red ass Polk has some of the best county served facilities out there. They have mental health programs that should be looked at by the rest of the country.

[ghostsinthemachine]

111. Nevada City CA

Or there abouts. Very progressive area, community radio station www.kvmr.org. incredible art scene, lots of live music, festivals. Lots of political energy.

Grass valley, anywhere around there should do you well at that price.

[ghostsinthemachine]

223. 3 bedroom, 1 1/2 bath. $265,000

Cabin, ten acres, off grid. Level. My friends listing. Put 20k into solar, 10k into power walls and still way under your price. Still in CA, no traffic, great rivers. In a place known as North San Juan. On the radio station right now is a show about Standing Rock. Cool spot.

[randr]

115. Western Colorado

Too nice to describe. Check out Paonia in the North Fork Valley. Wineries, organic farms, great arts amd Community radio, home to Solar Energy Internatioal, and currently getting high speed fiber optic county wide

[eleny]

133. That's so nice to learn about the Slope. I'll recommend Lakewood, Colorado, though

The Slope has been a conservative area for so long. Great that things are shifting towards liberalism more and more.

We've been in Lakewood since '76 and have seen Jeffco go left. Homes don't stay on the market long. 400k is doable. The services for seniors are plentiful with lots of community stuff for fun times. Sitting right between Denver and the mountains and with a mild climate, it's practically ideal.

[AJT]

122. We are in the same boat. I will have to keep my eye on this

thread. We're in Madison WI, which is very blue, but it's still Walker's Wisconsin so we want to move. I've heard great things about Pittsburgh, but worry about the winters.

[Dream Girl]

144. Wouldn't the winters be milder than Wisconsin?

[Mz Pip]

127. Washington State?

We live in the SF Bay Area also. We've spent quite a bit of time in WA north of Seattle. You souls find a lovely home in your price range up there. Mt. Vernon is great. Near the coast, near the mountains and near the border.

We'd move there in a heartbeat, but we have family here.

[liberal N proud]

128. We are in the process of moving to Sothebys Carolina

Hilton Head area. Great climate, cost similar to what we had in Ohio.

Our thought, move to a red state and turn it blue

[ileus]

130. Boone NC

[mnhtnbb]

134. Orange County, NC is also VERY blue. Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough

are all places you can get a nice home for $400K.

Carrboro is adjacent to Chapel Hill, which is the location of UNC - Chapel Hill, the flagship campus of the UNC system. Excellent university
town with everything it offers for anyone who enjoys college sports, theater, or touring performances. Yes, we have HB 2 hanging over us,
but I do think our new Dem Governor is going to eventually negotiate getting rid of it. And we are under a Supreme Court order to redraw districts, which, hopefully, will counteract the gerrymandering that Repubs did when they took over.

Hillsborough is the county seat and the area is known for having many writers. Artsy little town with farms and acreage around it and about a 20 minute drive to Chapel Hill.

My husband is a native Californian: we left Santa Monica in 1988. I lived in CA for 23 years, although I'm a native of New York and grew up in NJ. Didn't think I could ever live in the south, but Chapel Hill is very nice. The entire Triangle area has a lot of colleges/universities (Duke is 20 minutes from here) and a very tech/science oriented area with good jobs and well educated people.

[TuxedoKat]

135. How about DE or MD

I love the eastern shore area, nice beaches, weather is not bad year round either. DE is a no tax state as well, something to consider...

[we can do it]

139. Hi neighbor!

[TuxedoKat]

219. Actually...

I don't live there but my mom has a vacation place on the eastern shore so I go down there a few times a year for free mini vacations. Perhaps someday I will live down there part of the year. Love the area.

[gwheezie]

141. I'm going to try to sell my farm & de sounds nice

I love the Eastern shore my family lives at the Jersey shore,can't afford that but a nice ferry ride from Lewes to cape may sounds nice. I always see dolphins in the bay. I like bay beaches better than ocean.

[randr]

164. We have a place in Fenwick

Grew up at shore every summer. Between there and home in Colorado we still need a dose of city from time to time.
NO, NYC, SF, and SantaFe are our favs.
Always wondered about setting up a network of people around the world to share housing.

[Mendocino]

203. My good friend has property in Fenwick.

He too grew up summering there, a place on Bunting. I went there with him back in December helping with some off season repairs. Funny seeing it in winter, no crowds or traffic.

[we can do it]

138. Why not join us in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware?

[WinkyDink]

148. I'm going to, for a week in July! Have never been!

[we can do it]

159. You're going to love it! Diverse, clean, great food and drinks!

Very friendly, too.

[WinkyDink]

147. Well, PA turned Red once, but it's great for us retirees! Can't swing the proverbial

dead cat without hitting a health-care facility!

Less than two hours South or East, Philly and NYC, respectively. Same with NJ and Lambertville and Princeton. Art museums; Sands Casino and Event Center; Home of Peeps, Crayola, and Martin Guitar (and Mario Andretti!); Farmers' Markets galore; 6 colleges/universities; all kinds of festivals, from music to Celtic to garlic and more; Minor-League baseball and hockey; and IMO the Crown Jewel, Bethlehem, the Christmas City!

http://www.discoverlehighvalley.com/

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g4266551-Activities-Lehigh_Valley_Pennsylvania.html

https://www.facebook.com/TheChristmasCity/

[NCcoast]

153. Wilmington, North Carolina

Great beaches, lively historic downtown, very moderate weather and the friendliest people you'll meet anywhere. I've been here 28 years.

[RazBerryBeret]

154. Columbus?

I've lived in Ohio all my life. (so maybe I don't have enough to compare it to?)
Areas are comfortably blue, job market is still good, houses are reasonable and our winter was mild this year. and it was just ranked as "Best City in the World".... ok, I think that is an overpromise, but reasons why are here:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/columbus-ohio-ranks-best-city-world-daniel-white

[flamingdem]

156. You will not be happy outside of California

Florida is too right wing and just the quality of lifestyle we are accustomed to in California.

Other states maybe but boredom and right wingers pose a problem, not to mention too cold or too hot weather.

[Warren DeMontague]

180. Meh.

Having lived in both northern and southern California at various points in my life, and Portland Oregon, i'll take PDX by a mile.

And im very much a warm weather/sunshine person- but the multiple other payoffs of quality of life here are worth not being able to wear shorts in February.

[Hamlette]

157. have you thought about leaving the country?

I would love to live overseas. I watch House Hunters International and dream. Some places are inexpensive enough (not Western Canada but Mexico, So and Central America, So East Asia (I love Thailand and Cambodia. but it would be easier to visit US if you stayed close.) I'd love to live in Europe and some places are reasonable.

[Dream Girl]

172. Yes, in fact we always thought we might move to Mexico because we have been there many

Times and know it rally well. Now not so sure. Would prefer to have a solid base in the US and maybe spend winters in Mexico, Costa Rica or Nicaragua if we could make that work. Somehow, I would feel vulnerable without a base in the US. My Husband is Irish and we had trout about there too, but winters are miserable,..dark, wet and cold.

[apcalc]

161. Philly burbs!

Close to shore, the city culture, Pocono mountains for skiing

[kwassa]

166. Montgomery County, Maryland, a very blue state.

Immediately north of DC, housing in a wide variety of price ranges, our house is worth about $400,000. Great public transportation, close to DC and all the culture there. Northern third of the country is an agricultural preserve. Lots of services, huge diversity, great food.

[krispos42]

168. You could move to Connecticut, I guess.

In my area I think you could get a decent house in Milford. Lots of stuff there, too. Lots of shopping along the Post Road.

Anything closer to NYC is going to be either expensive or kinda run down.

Waterbury, Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven have a pretty gritty reputation (post-industrial and recovering) but they're also where a lot of stuff is.

Lots of smaller town and cities scattered in the eastern part of the state, and the northwest quarter.

I personally preferred living in Minnesota, but life takes strange turns sometimes.

[mrs_p]

175. Fort Collins

Blue state, beautiful area, lots of outdoor activity, great breweries and local music, can buy something outright in a cute neighborhood (stay close to the foothills or downtown).

[Gabi Hayes]

178. somalia will be nicer than here in a few years

buy now before the rush

very low taxes

[Warren DeMontague]

181. Portland, OR

Granted, we've had a real estate boom, too, but its still a bargain compared to the Bay Area.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

185. I currently live in Santa Fe, NM,

and I find the trashing of this state to be wrong.

I moved here from Overland Park, Kansas, some nine years ago after a divorce. I've lived in lots of places, including Boulder, CO which truly is incredibly expensive. The home we used to own there would now sell for over 6 times what we paid. Meanwhile, my modest home in Santa Fe is worth about what my former home in Overland Park is worth.

Albuquerque has all the advantages and drawbacks of any big city. I have also lived in Tucson (went to high school there) and Phoenix (four years as an adult and my younger son was born there). You could not pay me to live in Phoenix. Entirely too hot and far too many of the residents think that now that they don't have to shovel snow off their cars in winter, all problems are solved. However, there is much more to quality of life than whether or not you'll be shovelling snow of your cars in winter.

This state is reasonably blue, even though the current Governor is a Republican, Susana Martinez. She won her first election in 2010 mainly because the residents here were quite fed up with Bill Richardson, and the Democrat running that year was Richardson's Lieutenant Governor, Diane Denish was tainted simply by her connection to him. In 2014, five Dems were in the primary, and the voters in their infinite wisdom, chose Gary King, largely because his father had been Governor some years before. Dumb. I will only say I didn't vote for him in the primary. He ran a crappy campaign and lost.

The down side of living here is that the corruption is breath-taking. Things like a sheriff being caught selling county equipment on eBay. A recent Secretary of State resigned after it was learned she had used campaign money to finance trips to casinos. Just yesterday there was a story that someone embezzled $200,000 from Northern New Mexico College, and an unnamed official has resigned. It goes on and on.

Another down side is that outside of Los Alamos County, home to Los Alamos National Labs, one of the richest counties in the country with an amazing concentration of PhDs, public schools aren't very good. Lots and lots of reasons underlay that, but if you have school-aged children either move to Los Alamos or check out the private schools in different cities before moving here.

The up side is that the scenery is gorgeous! The cost of living, even in supposedly expensive Santa Fe ( I live here, remember, and my income is well below the national median, and somewhat below the local median) is relatively low. The climate in Santa Fe is, in my opinion, spectacular. I grew up in northern New York State. I've lived in Tucson, Phoenix, Minneapolis, Boulder, the Kansas City area, the DC area, and this is wonderful. They only claim 300 days of sunshine a year, but I doubt there are as many as ten days in a year that are fully overcast. Almost always the sun shines at least part of the day. The night skies are fabulous! I go outside and marvel at what I can see.

It is also a state with an enormous amount of things to see and do. We have a whole bunch of museums here in Santa Fe. Many more around the state. Roswell, which you probably know as the site of a supposed UFO crash, has two incredibly good art museums, as well as a fascinating UFO museum. In Albuquerque there's the Nineteen Pueblos of Northern New Mexico Museum, a museum of Nuclear Science and Industry. Carlsbad Caverns. It goes on and on. I've barely scratched the surface in my time here.

People here are nice. It doesn't hurt to know Spanish, but you will absolutely not be handicapped if you don't speak a single word of that language. The locals take one look and know which language to use. I personally find the chile on almost everything to be rather tiresome. A couple of weeks ago I was back in the Kansas City area and ate wonderful barbecue and Middle Eastern food. But the presence of red and green chile isn't enough to keep me away.

Overall, this is a wonderful place to live. Of course, what you consider wonderful might be very different from what I consider wonderful. Many people have posted good assessments of various parts of the country, many of which I'm familiar with.

Oh, and if you want more about Santa Fe or New Mexico, please feel free to PM me.

Hope you find a place you just adore!

[meadowlander]

186. Any place with a decent sized university is probably a good bet.

Charlotte, North Caroline; Madison, Wisconsin; Austin, Texas.

Minnesota seemed really nice the last time I was there but I imagine the winters are a bit of a bear.

[gopiscrap]

188. Tacoma or Olympia Wa

[demtenjeep]

189. if you don't need income...come to Kansas and help us actively trying to turn our state BLUE

we need all the help we can get

ICT has lots of cutural events, great concerts great events generally nice people

a 400000.00 house would buy you a mansion here

[diane in sf]

191. Lol, you can move to Vallejo and get a nice house for that sum. Lots of us SF refugees are here.

Lots of artists, gay couples, definitely Democratic. You can take the ferry to SF and you're only 25 minutes from Napa or Berkeley. And the weather is great, balmy warm days and nights.

[Sancho]

192. There are parts of Florida that are blue

I'm in St. Petersburg on the gulf. Warmer than SF and more Democrats registered in the county by a small margin. 400 is about right for a nice home. Lots of entertainment. The republicans are business people, not so many loony tunes. Stay away from North Fl and the central retirement communities. That's more of the Trump nuts.

[NBachers]

193. Drive up to Arcata, California, and get acquainted with that area.

Humboldt State keeps a lively and educated population, and there's all sorts of great locations to explore. My son went to school there, and every time I went up to visit, I thought, "Yeah, I could live here."

It's like how life would be if the hippies had won. Arcata has an actual town square, and there are farmers' markets and events all the time. Plenty of California history.

One time when I went up, there was music on the square. A band called The Compost Mountain Boys were playing, and called out a greeting to all the growers in the audience.

Beautiful mountains and seascapes; active people creating their own lives; honest local food; all the amenities; life on a human scale - California.

[SoCalDem]

195. We moved from So Cal to Washington state ...love it

home prices are GREAT (if you stay away from Seattle ..)

I zillowed for a year and then we spent two weeks in a rental car looking for just the right town

[NMDemDist2]

198. Tucson is a blue dot in ruby red Arizona

lovely city, but a far different climate than you're used to.

take a visit in January & July and see what you think

[bathroommonkey76]

199. Asheville, NC

It's a liberal town surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.

[karynnj]

200. Can't get bluer than Vermont

Depending on size, I think you could move anywhere in the state.

[CanonRay]

202. Oregon coast; pretty cheap and pretty blue

Lot's of Cali people moving here right now.

[JDC]

206. Burlington, VT is nice

As blue as you can get

[David__77]

207. Sacramento

It's nice, still in California, and fairly progressive.

[spooky3]

213. If you don't need an urban area, I think the suggestions here for parts of Virginia are very good

The weather is not as mild as SF's. It isn't as cold as where you lived as a child (maybe 6-8 degrees warmer--and sunnier-- on average in the winter than several midwestern cities I have lived in, and that makes a HUGE difference), but it is also is hotter and more humid in the summer--though the difference is not as great.

NoVA is only about 20% cheaper than where you are, per the COL calculators on the web, primarily driven by housing prices. But Charlottesville and Richmond and much cheaper (houses cost about a third of what they do in NoVA close to DC) and are blue, although the surrounding areas are rural and mostly red. They are small, however, and driving from Richmond to DC to visit museums etc., can be a bear because of traffic and few alternative routes. Richmond is about 100 miles but it can take 3 hours on a Saturday in the summer. There are trains.

The Tidewater area, which is bigger, is a mix of blue, red, and purple, and substantially cheaper than NoVA also, but probably more expensive than C & R. Virginia Beach is red, but some of the other communities near it are more blue. You would be much closer to the ocean.

Right now, we have a Republican legislature and I don't think that will change for awhile. However, Gov. McAuliffe has done an excellent job IMHO, much better than I expected, and is more than willing to use whatever power resources and tactics he has to pursue progressive goals, even though he does not always win. He cannot sit for re-election this year, and it looks to be a tight race.

[lucca18]

215. There are areas in California where homes are far more reasonably priced than Sf.

There are homes up near Sacramento where you get a lot more for your money.

I think you can still find some good deals in Santa Rosa.

(My brother sold his condo in San Francisco recently and moved to Bangkok Thailand!)