CA taxes are high but jobs also pay better than SHREVEPORT. You must be kidding - better cross that off your list fast! Have you been to Shreveport? At least go to Southern Louisiana. Baton Rouge would be a much better alternative if you want to go to LA - at least it isn't in the bible belt.

Try this site Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, cost of living, crime, race, income, photos, education, maps, weather, houses, schools, neighborhoods, and more It will give you all the census info, crime rate, population make up, income, house prices etc. I have had good luck finding places that would match the data with towns I enjoyed living in - it is amazing how similar towns are if they have the same demographics, income, crime rate etc.

George

Seems kind of funny that the Cali folk chime in where it's not an option. They must need tax payers, badly.

I used that site to look at where I am and where I am looking. It is amazing, how can I afford to live here? Oh yeah I can't anymore:rolleyes:

We drove from NJ to Alabama gulf coast for christmas, the day after the snowstorm. There was no snow from north Tenessee all the way down. We stopped for lunch in Birmingham, north AL. Beautiful town, women wearing light dresses. Weather was like a warm fall day, in the 60s. Loved the place. I wouldn't mind finding a job there.

There's a lot I miss about CA, but a lot more that I don't.

It is most definitely NOT the same place it was 10-15 years ago, nor is it anything like you see depicted on TV/movies.

It is stupidly unaffordable for one. The unemployment situation there is horrendous for another - and the state gives me ZERO confidence that they have any sort of approach for addressing it or getting things turned around anytime soon. It's a financial train wreck and although there certainly are beautiful areas, there are an awful lot of ghettos/slums too. There are a lot of parts that are overcrowded and the traffic in the cities is almost unimaginably bad, etc. Water rationing/shortages, energy shortages, restrictions, regulations and taxes on everything and anything you can think of, out-of-control bureaucracy, etc. There's a lot to like about the place (beaches, Yosemite, convenience of things, etc.) but it really is "Paradise Lost".

The weather is nice, but it certainly isn't everything. There are plenty of beautiful, sunny, 70-degree days I had to spend indoors slaving at my office like everyone else. Nice weather is... nice, but it only goes so far.

Nynor, I strongly encourage you to look in the Pensacola, Florida area.

My uncle lives in Ft. Walton Beach (home of Eglin AFB), about 45 minutes to the east. We have spent a week or so in that area for many years. Pensaloca is a beautiful small city with an excellent airport. It's big enough to offer whatever you want, easy to get into and out of if you want to go somewhere, and close to small towns or unincorporated areas if you want to live away from people. We think it really has the best of both worlds. We have often thought of retiring to a beachhouse somewhere between Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach. I can't say enough good about the area.

Another thought is another warm weather destination I've visited a lot because of relatives. Look into St. Simon's Island/Brunswick Georgia. There's a thread on Brunswick here in the PPOT section. Also a wonderful old south place to live.

If you're an RRT, you'll have plenty of oportunity either place.

Between Pensacola and Destin (again to the east) there are small towns, beaches, and open space.

the post below pretty much sums it up. i would also add pollution.

i've spent a lot of time in california. my father is from whittier. i also spent some time working there, installing satellite dishes and wiring mainframe computers. i've been all over the state, especially sacramento and pretty much everything west and south of there. i had a confrontation once when i was simply using someone's driveway for a three point U-turn. the place sucks, no offense. in fact, a lot of what i dislike about utah is mirrored in california, especially the attitude.

i'll look into those areas in florida and georgia. that is definitely an option.

Fixed it for you. ;) Seriously, the hinterland in that area is scary. I agree that the coast is great - however it has been overdeveloped in the last 10 years.

George

lol....

Fruits and nuts, taxes, cost of frikking everything is higher there, restrictive laws (smog, firearms and so on) and finally earthquakes.

Have been offered several high paying jobs in SoCal. There is not enough money printed to get me to move there...

Why not OK? Its warm... the People are great... houses are cheap... Porsche guys here are TOPS.


I wanna go to Austin... Google the annual "Undie run"

My problem with the region mentioned by the OP is humidity. I just don't do well in that.

Bro, i lived in OK.

I would never go back there again even if i live to be 10,000 years old. What a godforsaken, windswept, wide open expanse of nothing. And the chicks were just dog ugly too. :-/

I've said this every time you say that... You lived at Ft. Sill.... The part of the state we refer to as HELL... The opposite part of the state... Tulsa.... Is awesome...

I've been to Tulsa several times. I was not impressed. You live in the ass end of the US amigo...you just don't know any better.

Just stay where you are. Al Gore says it will get warmer.

It might not be as bad as Sniper says (I lived in Tahlequah for a while) but OK sure is not on the list of top 10 warm states in the country!

http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos..._2677041_n.jpg


That was TODAY in OK... Doesnt look flat to me.. And the weather was pretty much perfect for a drive in the Porsche and Hike....

My mother lives outside of Pensacola, and when I was younger, we spent some time living in Pensacola. I like Pensacola, but I don't think I'd move there. Too many hurricanes. House insurance is horrible, if you can get it.

It seems like the target for hurricanes that hit the Gulf is anywhere between East Texas and Pensacola. Houston/Galveston does get them, but it seems like we get them less than the area that I mentioned. Also, Houston is far enough inland, that we don't get storm surge like they do on the coast.

Wow, cool picture of Mars!