I would only consider it if you are born and raised in the US. Extra points for being white. I also would keep my SoCal real estate and rent it out. I know quite a few people who thought it was awesome to buy some big house out-of-state in exchange of their California home. Now they can't come back because the big out-of-state house pricing is flat and California real estate has doubled since ...
I have lived in the south. I'm an immigrant. I'm not Christian. I was never "one of them". I left for CA when I started a family. I will never go east of the Rockies again.
YMMV of course ...
G