Alabama, Georgia

[jimhcom]

Looking on some info on Alabama and Georgia. Planning to ER in 6 yrs. and am interested in relocating from San Diego to the south possibly AL, or GA. Would like to here the pros and cons. Thanks.

 

[Dawg52]

Looking on some info on Alabama and Georgia. Planning to ER in 6 yrs. and am interested in relocating from San Diego to the south possibly AL, or GA. Would like to here the pros and cons. Thanks.

Don't relocate on the coast. Too many hurricanes. 

 

[justin]

You will be shocked at the low price of houses. Atlanta is "expensive", otherwise, not bad elsewhere. Are you looking at urban or rural areas? I'm a Raleigh, North Carolina native, so I can answer your questions about Geogia's neighbor to the north.

 

[jimhcom]

Have the Carolinas on my short list as well. Want to stay in a warm climate with a good standard of living. Will be selling my house here so prices anywhere else will seem cheep. Also looking for a place where people are frendly, and courtious, and the pace of life is slower, but still have good resturants and shopping.

 

[polloloco]

I strongly reccommend looking at Huntsville, AL. Also, NW Georgia south of C A Nooga. North GA and AL are much more preferable than the southern parts of the states. You may also be interested in the extreme NW corner of SC, near Clemson. I went to grad school at Clemson and love the area just to the north on Lake Keowee and Jocasse. If you are not used to dealing with at least a few Red Neck attitudes, culture shock may ensue.

 

[jimhcom]

My wife is Asian, any potential problems?

 

[polloloco]

Huntsville is fairly diverse with the Space and Rocket Center located there. Also, Clemson, SC, being a college town, is somewhat more liberal than other small southern towns of a similar size. I have spent a lot of time in Clemson and Huntsville and would move to either tomorrow if I could have 70% of the income I have now.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Asian wife will be no problem. My youngest brother lives in Greenville, SC and his Japanese wife is happy and loves the South.

She smiles 24/7 and that's all it takes in the South.

 

[justin]

My wife is asian too. Not a problem in Raleigh. Some rural parts of AL, GA, SC and NC - you may get some stares, partly because they may not have seen a real, live asian person before (cept on them motion piktures they show in tha city). Billy Bob Joe Johnson the gas station attendant may stereotype your wife, but I don't think my wife has had any problems while we were out in the rural areas. Of course Billy Bob Joe Johnson also stereotypes northerners, Californians, midwesterners, foreigners in general, anyone without a deep southern accent, educated people, rich people, people driving foreign cars, liberals, homosexuals, etc etc etc. Most people in the south don't care what Billy Bob Joe Johnson thinks and most people aren't Billy Bob Joe Johnson.

There are some liberal areas in NC too. Asheville and Chapel Hill come to mind. Chapel Hill is probably similar to Berkeley. Asheville has some hippies. Both nice places, although I have a personal vendetta against Chapel Hill. I live in an area in Raleigh that has a pretty high concentration of SE asians. You wouldn't know it by driving through though.

 

[sailor]

Looking on some info on Alabama and Georgia. Planning to ER in 6 yrs. and am interested in relocating from San Diego to the south possibly AL, or GA. Would like to here the pros and cons. Thanks.

This sailor lives in Atlanta suburbs, where you might see snow once a year.
If you move little North, Georgia or SC/NC Appalachians - probably more frequently.
A lot of really cheap rural properties.
More expensive in Atlanta suburbs (but still peanuts comparing to San Diego)
How big of a city you are looking for? What do you like to do?
Do you like/need water/mountains etc?
Do you like/need restaurants/theatres/museums etc?
Like college towns?

 

[justin]

In regards to the asian wife thing - it is mostly funny to us. My wife has someone speak Spanish to her at least once a week because she looks a little Mexican. If your wife is not Chinese or Japanese, many people in the south will not understand this. If you've seen King of the Hill where Kahn (the asian guy) explains to Hank (redneck neighbor) that they are Laotian, and then Hank asks if he's Chinese or Japanese, that is pretty much how it is sometimes. I guess people think Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, etc. are all states within China or Japan.

 

[JDARNELL]

I grew up in N Ga, went to Grad School in Clemson, and now travel to Huntsvile for work.  10 Min outside HSV and you are in the sticks.  A lot of defense jobs in that area.  Seems like a lot more bad weather in HSV though something to do with the topography. 

I echo the comments of the previous posters.  I have looked at  land and it appears to be cheaper in Alabama.  For example I looked at a 16 acre parcel on a small lake and it was 32K near Scottsboro Al.

In the counties north of Lake Lanier in Ga it is cheap also.  I was looking at 2 bdrm cabins in White County Ga and the range is 109K to 122K. 

JDW

 

[unclemick]

Tornado alley - I arrived in June 74 - after an active season - some guy from Japan was bringing his team over on a grant to study why.

Spent 75 in Huntsville on Sparkman Drive - you could see the crop duster planes from the apartment buidling lawn. Not so anymore - the place has grown - last up that way visiting in the early 90's.

Even with the down period in the 70's - the NASA engineers I worked with - those who dabbled - real estate has been good - not bubble like - just good.

Of course I'm way, way out of date.

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Justin,
which side of Avent Ferry Rd. do you live. Cary or Smithfield?

 

[justin]

Justin,
which side of Avent Ferry Rd. do you live. Cary or Smithfield?

This is a strange question. Not sure how to respond. Neither side. I reside in north Raleigh. I lived on Avent Ferry Rd. a few years ago while in college. Why do you ask?

 

[youbet]

"Of course Billy Bob Joe Johnson also stereotypes northerners, Californians, midwesterners, foreigners in general, anyone without a deep southern accent, educated people, rich people, people driving foreign cars, liberals, homosexuals, etc etc etc."

Maybe if Billy Bob Joe Johnson didn't get stereotyped so often by narrow minded northerners, Californians, midwesterners, foreigners, etc..........

youbet

 

[OldAgePensioner]

Justin,
I lived on Gorman St. (west end of campus) for 4 years, long ago.  Lot's of friends lived over of Advent Ferry Rd.

 

[SteveR]

You should also consider Tennessee. They have no income tax and RE prices are still low in many areas (stay away from Nashville). Otherwise, east TN has a lot to offer; lakes, rivers, lots of land and house for the money. Sure there are rednecks and ultra conservative fundamentalist religions; they are everywhere. But, if it were me....I would go for east TN, or the Huntsville, AL area. NC and SC are fine, but you will pay more in taxes; both income and personal property and I find it hotter and more humid there (lived in all 4 of these areas at one time or another).

 

[unclemick]

To repeat - I liked Huntsville (1970's) and one of the doughnut shop boy's is 'summering' in his vacation cabin in east Tennesee until sept.

 

[renferme]

didn't read all the posts above, so this may be redundant, but...
the weather in ALA and GA will be extremely hot and humid, especially
compared to San Diego, which has near perfect weather.
Only reason I could see to leave SD, is the cost of living.
.
Just came back from NH and Maine - beautiful states !
Really loved the coastal areas of Maine. Just one problem though - their
winters are brutal. I guess that's the price to pay for wonderful summers.

 

[RE2Boys]

I actually RE'd in Huntsville, AL in 2000. Only moved away due to elderly parent situation in 2004. Spent over 20 years in Huntsville. whatever preconceptions that you may have about Alabama don't really apply to Huntsville. During the 1960's a lot of engineers moved to Huntsville to work with the Space Program. Very cosmopolitan area with good cultural events for a city of about 180K population.

Only real drawback is that from about mid-June to Labor Day, it is just plain HOT. But far enough from the coast (300 miles) that the humidity is not quite as bad. I'd rather spend a summer in Huntsville than in Washington DC.

Pretty mild winters, it snows about every third year. Very long springs and falls. Sold my 8 year old custom built 2700 sq ft home last year for $200K, to give you an idea of the house pricing.

RE2Boys

 

[Renderdog]

I grew up in California and have lived in Alabama and Tennessee for 25 years; here are what I see as the pros and cons...

Pros:

Low home prices
Low income and property taxes
Plants thrive, very green except Winter
Fewer people, less traffic
People generally more friendly

Cons:

High humidity
Intolerance and ignorance more common
Litter on the side of the road
Mosquitos and ticks
Low doctor/patient ratio
Sky not as blue, especially in Summer - haze
Long drive to the beach or mountains

I've made good friends here and will probably stay once retired. You could visit some B&B's at different times of the year to get a feel for the area. I try to schedule vacations out west in August.

IMO, the climate in Tennessee is better than Alabama, and the terrain more interesting. Northern Tennessee has a good balance of Winter/Summer weather and the education level is generally higher than Alabama's.

Mark

 

[military spouse]

You might take at look at Dothan, AL. The cost-of-living is quite low and being within 30 miles of a military base, there is an Asian population. It is a nice, clean city of approximately 80,000 that actually serves a much-larger Tri-state area (GA, AL, FL). Panama City and Destin, FL are about 1 hour away. Taxes are very low. In fact, I believe the property taxes are the lowest in the nation. They don't tax defined-benefit pensions either. Robert Trent Jones golf trail is a great place to buy a house!

 

[unclemick]

Dothan, AL - don't know anything about it - but at least one set of retired military - Colorado Arapahoe's - buddy of mine from the old plant - his parents retired there - like it - and he was 'considering' - if he got tired of New Orleans.

 

[jimhcom]

Whats it like around Birmingham?