FIREmenow
Full time employment: Posting here.
- Joined
- May 9, 2013
- Messages
- 756
Oh, and to your OP, an emphatic yes.
If it was something we really wanted to do and didn't significantly impact our chances of the lifestyle we planned for then I would certainly do it. The extra $100k is a transfer from investable assets to real estate and won't affect the inheritance you pass onto the heirs. The higher cost of living you'll have to run the numbers on.
So, throw on your nice ski jacket and boots with YakTrax and mittens and hat, grab some ski poles if you have them, and go for a fast, intense, heart healthy powerwalk up the street and back every morning when you get up! That would get your blood moving and might well satisfy your desire to get outside. Sure sounds cheaper than $100K.
My concern is that you have a "rose colored glasses", idyllic idea of what it's like to live in a warmer climate. We get cooped up too, due to the heat, at least in maybe July through September. When you live in a place, it's not like taking a vacation even in that same place. We don't sit around outside all afternoon every afternoon drinking tropical drinks. At least, nobody that I know of in New Orleans would do that. That's more what tourists do here. We have places to go (in our cars), things to do, a life to live.
If you truly want to spend most of your time outside, I'd suggest Hawaii since the temperatures there are quite stable the year around. But, some people think it's too humid there. Go figure. When you live in a place like that, you become more sensitive to minor temperature changes. When I was in high school in Hawaii, we'd break out the expensive sweaters if the temperature got down as low as 73 or so. We felt pretty cold at that temperature.
Renting first is part of our plan, but we'll still face the real estate premium. No point in renting if we're not willing to pony up the $100K.Suppose you found a good place that was much less than $100K difference.
Then a year later you realize that actually it wasn't as great as you first thought and there's another place not far away that you would like much better.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
If I were you, I think I would want to rent long enough to be really sure of where I wanted to buy.
Fair point, more specifically we'd be trading 40" of snow for 3" on average. And 10 degrees warmer in winter makes a difference to us.I would never live in Charlotte because of the cold winters (not considering other factors). I wouldn't consider living there escaping winter at all. I think because America is a cold country in much of the country for most of the year, most people fall into making relative comparisons on temperature. A quick check shows over half the year with a low below 50 (5 months with lows below 40) and about half the year with a high below 70.
Good point, but we are moving regardless, so the initial out of pocket add would be essentially $100K. DW and I aren't happy with our current house, like you weren't evidently. Either we get a new house where we are for about $350K, or we get the exact same new house further south for $450K.By the way, in answer to the original question, in 2015 I spent $92K just to move three miles, to a better house right next door to F, and to a better neighborhood.
OK, the price difference between the houses was less than $40K, but with closing costs, moving costs, repairs, fixing up the new-to-me house, and so on, it added up fast.
Moving anywhere is expensive. Moving to another state could cost more than one might initially think.
P.S. - - I don't regret spending that $92K, though! Value to me and my happiness is in the millions.
Good reminder, I know it but I lose sight of it for some reason.If it was something we really wanted to do and didn't significantly impact our chances of the lifestyle we planned for then I would certainly do it. The extra $100k is a transfer from investable assets to real estate and won't affect the inheritance you pass onto the heirs.
Sorta. We are sure we're going to move out of the current house. It's whether we stay in this area, or move somewhere warmer with much less snow.Alan said:But I suspect that you are not completely sure you want to move.
Good point, but we are moving regardless, so the initial out of pocket add would be essentially $100K. DW and I aren't happy with our current house, like you weren't evidently. Either we get a new house where we are, or we get a new house further south.
The winters you can expect in the Carolina's are fairly short, you never have to shovel snow, but you'll need more than a tee shirt.I would never live in Charlotte because of the cold winters (not considering other factors). I wouldn't consider living there escaping winter at all. I think because America is a cold country in much of the country for most of the year, most people fall into making relative comparisons on temperature. A quick check shows over half the year with a low below 50 (5 months with lows below 40) and about half the year with a high below 70.
Somewhere in the Triangle. We've been spoiled living next to (very) large metro areas all our lives, and we're not willing to give that up. Charlotte and the Triangle are probably the only options to us.