Missouri, New Orleans, or Wherever

[RunningBum]

Roanoke VA is one of my favorite towns that might fit your criteria.

 

[W2R]

Roanoke VA is one of my favorite towns that might fit your criteria.

Thanks for the suggestion! It's close, but not quite a fit. Here are the criteria and how it fits them:

1) Because we are tired of hurricanes, we are looking for a place no closer to the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic than Huntsville, Alabama (what is that, 200 miles? I don't have my Streets and Trips on Frank's computer where I am typing). We realize there are other natural disasters in the universe, but would appreciate a little variety.

It turns out that Huntsville is 300 miles from the coast, and Roanoke is about 225 miles from the coast. So, it doesn't actually fit this criterion.

2) We want to live in a peaceful town of maybe 100K-150K, but with adequate medical facilities, gyms, and plenty of "big box" stores and other shopping so that I don't feel too isolated. I like a "small city" like Honolulu used to be in the 1960's, or like New Orleans was pre-Katrina. But a smaller town is fine, too.

Roanoke has a Census 2000 population of about 94K; close enough. Since you like it, I'll assume the medical facilities, gyms, and "big box" stores and other shopping, for now.

3)It should also have plenty of remote areas nearby, so that Frank's desire to be a near-hermit living off the land (yeah right, kind of a guy thing? ) out in the country or at least to occasionally drive out to very remote areas can be realized, as well. Springfield seems to fit the bill. It is big enough for me, and small enough for him.

No idea about the remoteness of nearby areas. If it fit the other criteria, I would find out.

4) Low crime is a huge priority for us.

A quick online search yielded this: "Roanoke's property crime levels tend to be much higher than Virginia's average level. The same data shows violent crime levels in Roanoke tend to be much higher than Virginia's average level." So, it doesn't really fit this criterion at all.

5) It should be someplace politically conservative or at least neutral enough that we wouldn't have to constantly justify our careers in service to our country and national defense/aerospace/oil. We are proud of these careers and what we have contributed to America (so shoot us). Frank eliminated the entire state of Colorado for this reason, though I have never been there so I am just trusting him on that one! He lived there for a year or two.

No idea but haven't heard of Roanoke as a bastion of liberalism, so it probably would be fine with this criterion.

6) Cost of living should be low, with extremely, unusually low cost housing. This is the factor that bears scrutiny in light of my inheritance, but really I do not have enough to live comfortably in California, Hawaii, NYC, or such areas. Also, should money mean that I would just dump Frank and live somewhere expensive that he can't afford? I surely think not!! But where would I live if it was just up to me? I am at a total loss on that, and still thinking. I need to know and come to terms with that.

Median value of owner-occupied homes in 2006 was $117,700 for Roanoke, $97,200 for Springfield. Hmm.

7) As warm a climate as is consistent with the above criteria.

About the same as Springfield - - average January high in Roanoke is 42, in Springfield 45, for example.

 

[Marquette]

Jonesborough, Tennessee (TN) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

Might be a little small, but it's close to Johnson City and two other decent-size towns. Knoxville is about an hour away.

As you look inland, you might want to cross-reference for tornados: Tornado History Project - Tornado Database

Granted, they're not as scary as hurricanes, but they're no picnic.

We're currently doing a lot of soul-searching on where we want to buy our hunk of dirt so I feel your pain. It's exciting and frustrating.

 

[RunningBum]

I suspected Roanoke might not fit the distance criteria, but it's pretty well ringed by mountains so the hurricane threat would be quite small. Distance isn't the only factor in hurricane avoidance.

Also, your 300 mile limit isn't really enough. Nelson County VA (my home) is also within 300 miles of the Atlantic, but the hurricane that ravaged it came from the Gulf, a little storm called Camille. The Hook - COVER- Flooded with memories: Nelson County 37 years after Camille

Anyway, crime may indeed be a deal breaker for Roanoke. That's the one drawback I see too. I've never looked at the specifics but I have heard some people mention some crime problems.

It really is a pretty town though, and seems very livable. Yes to the big box stores, and a definite yes to being able to get away to remote areas. The Appalachian Trail goes near it, and the Blue Ridge Parkway skirts the city. I-81 south of Roanoke down to Blacksburg has a very rugged beauty.

 

[SteveR]

Interesting discussion.
I can sure see the desire to leave NOLA. I would not want to live there. We spent a few days in the NOLA area back in late October and it was a somber experience. It rained 8 inches in one day and we thought we would have to evacuate the RV park. I could not live that way.

So where did the 300 mile ocean limit come from? Why not 250 or 400? Post hurricane flooding can occur several hundreds of miles inland from rain. If flooding is your concern then be sure to find high ground somewhere. There are a lot of nice places in this country that are not hurricane prone and where the cost of living is not outrageous. Springfield, MO may very well be one of them.

Whatever you choose remember after it is all said and done, it is still you (and Frank) but in a different place. Good luck to your both.

 

[myself]

Other things to consider before a move.
If possible, visit the area that you want to move for retirement at different times of the year.

I have a cousing that lives out in Montana (just outside of Missoula).
It's absolutely gorgeous during 9-10 months out of the year. But there is about 2-2.5 months of dry spell, where you have to watch out for wildfires. Not to mention if you're not ready to deal with any wildlife (he has coyotes howling every so often in his neighbor's yard ... a little further up the mountainside).

Personally for me, I could live in the house we live in right now until I go back to being dust. Caveat that with the fact that I definitely feel the tightness and sometimes pain of arthritis when it gets very cold. But then again, I guess I could wear more than a light jacket when it's 10 degrees out too.

 

[simple girl]

I suspected Roanoke might not fit the distance criteria, but it's pretty well ringed by mountains so the hurricane threat would be quite small. Distance isn't the only factor in hurricane avoidance.

Anyway, crime may indeed be a deal breaker for Roanoke. That's the one drawback I see too. I've never looked at the specifics but I have heard some people mention some crime problems.

It really is a pretty town though, and seems very livable. Yes to the big box stores, and a definite yes to being able to get away to remote areas. The Appalachian Trail goes near it, and the Blue Ridge Parkway skirts the city. I-81 south of Roanoke down to Blacksburg has a very rugged beauty.

We lived in Roanoke, VA in 2006 for 9 months. Absolutely beautiful area to live in. The hiking in the mountains is spectacular (see pic). We never had any trouble with crime. We didn't live downtown or in sections which might have been crime-ridden. Lived just outside the city in a really nice neighborhood. I would love to live there again, and it is a potential FIRE location for us in the future.

 

[W2R]

I have to run to a routine doctor's appointment, but in answer to some of your questions:

• Missoula is too cold,
• Jonesborough is too small (population 4K) and even Johnson City is only 55K. What advantage would Jonesborough have over Springfield? since it too may not have the sophistication that Springfield lacks and that others feel is the problem with Springfield,
• the 300 mile limit came from personal observations after Katrina,
• I am not unaware of tornados, having had one tear off the roof of the house on one side of me, jump over me, and destroy the trailer park on the other side of me, as I crouched in my hallway grading final exams with one arm over my head freaking out (memories of Meridian, Dawg52! );
• Roanoke is indeed pretty! but doesn't meet our criteria, and
• yes, after tentatively selecting Springfield we have already visited it on 4-5 one week vacations so far and we absolutely LOVE it. It may not be everybody's cup of tea, but then if we were all alike, wouldn't this be a boring world?

OK, off to the doctor! ZOOM!

(Edited later to add: but again, nothing is final until it is final! Springfield is still just very probable, not "come h*ll or high water", for us.)

W2R

 

[TromboneAl]

It should also have plenty of remote areas nearby, so that Frank's desire to be a near-hermit living off the land (yeah right, kind of a guy thing?

) out in the country or at least to occasionally drive out to very remote areas can be realized, as well. Springfield seems to fit the bill. It is big enough for me, and small enough for him.

When you choose a house, evaluate the distance of the drive to town. We are 30 minutes from the closest town over 30,000, and that can be pretty inconvenient sometimes. If you need to be in town in the morning and in the evening, for example, you're spending two hours on the road.

 

[Marquette]

Oh, I'm not trying to sell you on Jonesborough or anything... but if you want to be close to a few decent towns (keep in mind, you're close to not just Johnson City by also Elizabeth Town and Kingsport). If Frank wants to be a hermit, though, there's no better place to be a hermit than up in the mountains.

If you guys have already visited Springfield though, and like it, then I'd say go for it. I wish I could find somewhere that fit what I want to do!

 

[W2R]

When you choose a house, evaluate the distance of the drive to town. We are 30 minutes from the closest town over 30,000, and that can be pretty inconvenient sometimes. If you need to be in town in the morning and in the evening, for example, you're spending two hours on the road.

Thanks - - good observation. If we move to Springfield (tentatively!) I am planning for my ER house to be inside the Springfield city limits, within walking distance of stores and so on. I have a couple of great neighborhoods tentatively in mind, though I will know more after I am living in a rental up there, after ER. The neighborhoods that I like are not too far inside the city limits but are near larger streets where grocery stores, hospitals, big box stores, and other stores are located. There is no way a city girl like me could be happy with a septic tank and cows. I want infrastructure and Cable TV/internet, which are available in Springfield.

So far, Frank has acted like he wants to buy a house close to mine, maybe even on the same block. So, despite his inclinations, I think he will end up with a house in town. I am strongly encouraging such sentiments, pointing out the advantages of city police and fire protection, city water and sewers, nearby hospitals, and more.

He could surprise me, though! He wants to be someplace where he can set up a ham radio tower without scandalizing the neighbors, so I expect he will be checking with the local ham club about various areas, building codes, and so on. Either way, he also wants to spend a day or two now and then alone on an isolated remote hilltop somewhere, playing with his portable ham radio. We will need to look for various parks where he could legally camp and do that, if he decides to live in town.

 

[lazygood4nothinbum]

what's that phrase: you can't judge the future based on past performance or something like that?

after 4 hurricanes hit florida in 2005 with two of them passed directly over my house (katrina as a baby but wilma knocked our lights out), i wanted to run away from hurricaneville. the following season made me very nervous to be here but i was more relaxed in 2007. going into 2008 i'm considering moving to a cheaper location of florida and i would even move to another coastal area here.

what are the odds of another four-hurricane season? and while stronger hurricanes are predicted due to--for another few years--its normal cycle as well as, generally, global warming, who is to say that global warming will not disrupt historic hurricane tracks. maybe the northeast will get them now instead of us or maybe they will just dissipate into the high atlantic. who knows, maybe they will head for springfield.

from what i've read and seen on tv, i imagine that living in new orleans now continues to throw katrina in your face whereas in south florida we have hardly any blue roofs remaining from wilma so the memory, while still there, isn't as traumatic to consider.

and i've just a quick comment on living in a politically conservative area. you're worried about neighbors commenting on your careers but not on your premarital sex? just goes to show there's no accounting for priorities.

 

[Martha]

I think Missouri is a really nice state. JPatrick also moved there and he must be having so much fun that he hardly posts here anymore.

My only problem with Missouri would be the summer heat, but that should be nothing for a person from New Orleans. The winter issue I see is the ice storms they seem to get in that part of the country. But they are not likely to kill you. Especially as you can stay in your nice, cozy, inexpensive home.

A fair number of northerners from around here seem to be moving to Missouri or Arkansas when they retire.

I'll come to the virtual house warming.

 

[W2R]

and i've just a quick comment on living in a politically conservative area. you're worried about neighbors commenting on your careers but not on your premarital sex? just goes to show there's no accounting for priorities.

ROFL!!! Touche - - good point.

 

[W2R]

I think Missouri is a really nice state. JPatrick also moved there and he must be having so much fun that he hardly posts here anymore.

My only problem with Missouri would be the summer heat, but that should be nothing for a person from New Orleans. The winter issue I see is the ice storms they seem to get in that part of the country. But they are not likely to kill you. Especially as you can stay in your nice, cozy, inexpensive home.

A fair number of northerners from around here seem to be moving to Missouri or Arkansas when they retire.

I'll come to the virtual house warming.

Great! We may have quite a virtual crowd, but there will be plenty of virtual snack foods to go around.

I agree. The summer heat is bad, but we are used to it. I can stay in my nice, cozy, cheap home during ice storms and light a fire in the fireplace.

And if New Orleans magically recovers to where it was before the storm (not that I am holding my breath) before we can retire and sell our houses, or if the Mother of all Tornados destroys 100,000 homes in Springfield and the surrounding area before we move, then we could always think about just staying put. Even I might get religion at that point.

 

[youbet]

A fair number of northerners from around here seem to be moving to Missouri or Arkansas when they retire.

Very true for Illinois folks as well.

In addition to the Minn, Wis, Ill, Mich, Iowa, Ind, folks retiring down there in large numbers, there also seems to be lots of "rebounders." That is, folks who originally retired to traditional spots like Fla or Ariz, got tired of it and are moving to less expensive, four season areas like Mo and Arkansas.

My folks retired in northern Arkansas and we visited regularly to partake of the free baby sitting services while we fished, paddled, hiked and otherwise enjoyed the fabulous outdoor activities there.

BTW, both we and my folks found the predictions of an excessively conservative political and religious climate to be dramatically overstated.

They did get some nasty ice storms and chilly weather, but nothing like Chicago. We often arrived to 50f temps on Christmas visits. July and August were damn hot, sort of like Chicago having an unusally hot summer, but it happens every summer. Spring and fall and long and beautiful.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

"BTW, both we and my folks found the predictions of an excessively conservative political and religious climate to be dramatically overstated."

When I moved from the Midwest to CA the only thing I noticed was off the wall prices for homes and well everything. I didnt notice a vast liberal populace. People tend to be "people" where ever you go. At least in my experiences.

 

[Dave J]

I have lived in NE Missouri for over 25 years. My son lived in Springfield,MO for two years and then the first town south (Ozark) for two years before having to move to St. Louis for work.

Springfield,MO is a very nice area and I would have probably moved there when grand kids came if he was still there.

Look at some of the small towns just minutes south of the City when you get ready to go.
Also, if you are going for two houses, there are lots of Duplexes in the area that would let you be next door to each other but have your own space.

 

[W2R]

I have lived in NE Missouri for over 25 years. My son lived in Springfield,MO for two years and then the first town south (Ozark) for two years before having to move to St. Louis for work.

Springfield,MO is a very nice area and I would have probably moved there when grand kids came if he was still there.

Look at some of the small towns just minutes south of the City when you get ready to go.
Also, if you are going for two houses, there are lots of Duplexes in the area that would let you be next door to each other but have your own space.

Thanks for the information. I think it is a very nice area, too! We looked at Ozark the last two times we visited, and Nixa the time before that. But, we still like Springfield itself. We are thinking about duplexes, or perhaps it would work better for us to just buy houses that are close together. If we were next door neighbors, we wouldn't have any neighbor problems on that side. I guess we will see what is available that we like, when the time comes.

 

[Moemg]

and i've just a quick comment on living in a politically conservative area. you're worried about neighbors commenting on your careers but not on your premarital sex? just goes to show there's no accounting for priorities.

Lazy has a good point when I first moved to Florida I was shocked at the prudish attitude towards living together or spending the night !

Also, I am currently in Jamestown,Ny visiting my daughter and it's not the snow so much as the constant grayness that's depressing in winter .

 

[Rambler]

W2R, good luck to you. Sounds like a real adventure...something DW and I would like to do. Once we are back in the states, we plan to keep our home in CA, with the well, septic, and cows/horses next door. We will be doing some RVing and exploring other places that we might like for either a second home or possibly a move sometime down the road. We won't be able to move for at least 4 years after we get back as we try to get the benefits from living in each of our two homes there for a couple years each, in order to qualify for the tax benefits on the sale. But that's OK. Once we are free to roam, we'll just set up household in one for a couple years while roaming around in the RV (and prepping for sale), then set up HH in the other, while continuing to roam.

Gotta stop dreaming of FIRE now and get to w*rk...

R

 

[W2R]

W2R, good luck to you. Sounds like a real adventure...something DW and I would like to do. Once we are back in the states, we plan to keep our home in CA, with the well, septic, and cows/horses next door. We will be doing some RVing and exploring other places that we might like for either a second home or possibly a move sometime down the road. We won't be able to move for at least 4 years after we get back as we try to get the benefits from living in each of our two homes there for a couple years each, in order to qualify for the tax benefits on the sale. But that's OK. Once we are free to roam, we'll just set up household in one for a couple years while roaming around in the RV (and prepping for sale), then set up HH in the other, while continuing to roam.

Gotta stop dreaming of FIRE now and get to w*rk...

R

Thank you, Rambler.

But wells? Septic? cows? RVing? I am glad you are looking forward to these things in ER, though that would not be my dream ER at all. For me, a nice house (that isn't going anywhere or floating away) with city water and sewer (working infrastructure!) on 1/3 acre, peace and quiet, in a walkable neighbood within the city limits would be ideal. I doubt we would leave except for day trips. Maybe once in a while we might spend a weekend in Hot Springs or St. Louis.

Isn't it interesting that few of us have identical dreams, but we all have same goals of living a delightfully happy ER!

 

[2soon2tell]

W2R,

Have you checked for a coffee house that serves beignets and cafe au lait? These are a few of the things that I miss about NO.

2soon

 

[W2R]

W2R,

Have you checked for a coffee house that serves beignets and cafe au lait? These are a few of the things that I miss about NO.

2soon

So far, Morning Call hasn't set up a branch in Springfield!

Why not order the beignet mix from Cafe Du Monde - Original French Market Coffee Stand New Orleans - Our Beignets and make some yourself? That might ease the pain.

Beignets and cafe au lait are a big part of our lives in New Orleans, but so often we locals must only indulge on special occasions due to the demands of work, fitness, and similar mundane concerns.

 

[Orchidflower]

Want2Retire: Have you checked your cities on these?

tornadohistoryprojection/tornado.php? (Tornado history in USA)
hurricanecity.com (click on city ratings at top left of page) (Hurricane history in USA
& Islands)