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What’s your breaking point for moving from where you live?

Started by Max Rockatansky, September 08, 2019, 02:01:46 PM

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jeffandnicole

Quote from: 1 on September 11, 2019, 09:24:43 PM
DE, VA, DC, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TX: Hurricanes

Delaware is actually quite insulated from Hurricanes.  And due to its size, it would need to take a very exact hit to become a victim.

NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA, ME & Nova Scotia are actually more likely to be in a hurricane's path.


hotdogPi

Clinched, minus I-93 (I'm missing a few miles and my file is incorrect)

Traveled, plus US 13, 44, and 50, and several state routes

I will be in Burlington VT for the eclipse.

Mark68

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 12, 2019, 03:18:27 PM
^^^^

Aside from western Arizona along the Colorado River I’ve never observed a ton of earthquake activity in Arizona.  Interestingly volcanism is probably a higher risk factor given there is a hot spot under the Colorado Plateau moving east from the San Francisco Peaks.  Said hot spot is thought to been responsible for much of the tribal movement off the Plateau before Spanish colonization.


I was thinking more of the Big One that is overdue for the southern part of the San Andreas...and might still be a pretty good shaker even as far away as Phoenix.

Besides, those mountains didn't form themselves...
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."~Yogi Berra

cjk374

I have lived here....in this house....since my parents bought it in August of 1973. Mom was pregnant with me at that time. I moved to a "bachelor pad/stabbin'-cabin" during my college years, but it was only a few streets away in this town. When my mom moved out, I moved in to keep the house lived in.

Mom passed away in 2003...my siblings & I co-own this place. I live here rent-free & mortgage-free. Why would I want to leave? My job is close by, it pays the bills, and I am known. Life is good!
Runnin' roads and polishin' rails.

Laura

I've lived in 2 counties and 2 independent cities - Harford County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County, MD; Lynchburg, VA.

Edgewood, Harford County, MD ages 0-5 (suburban)
Jarrettsville, Harford County, MD ages 5-18 (rural suburban)
Lynchburg, VA for undergrad at Lynchburg College ages 18-21 (college campus in city)
Jarrettsville again after college ages 21-25 (rural suburban)
Baltimore City (with roommate) ages 25-26 (urban)
Perry Hall, Baltimore County (moved in with Mike) ages 26-27 (suburban)
Baltimore City again (two different places) ages 27-31 (urban)
Currently Bel Air, Harford County, MD 31-32 (suburban)

17 years rural suburban
6 years suburban
5 years urban
4 years college campus

I am so done with moving, lol, as I've lived in 5 different places in the past 7 years (3 of those in the same neighborhood in Baltimore City.) I first moved to Baltimore City because I really wanted to go at it on my own. My time was cut short there as I moved out to the suburbs into Mike's apartment. I convinced him to move to Baltimore City because I missed it. We started in a small apartment and moved to a row home. We now live in a suburban townhouse so that we could be near my family so that they can watch our daughter while we are at work (SIL 4 days, Mom 1 day per week.)

I personally could live anywhere, as rural, suburban, and urban places all have their pros and cons. My favorite of these places hands down was living on a small college campus in a city. I loved being able to take a short walk to almost anywhere I needed. I'm one of those weirdos who would be happy living in a senior apartment building one day because it'll feel like being in an older version of college again.

It will be really hard to move away from my family now that I've had the joy of living so geographically close to them again. I love seeing them multiple times a week.




iPhone

MNHighwayMan

I wish I had never left Minnesota, but at the time, it was a money thing; so I guess that's my breaking point? If I move again, it's going to be moving back.

In_Correct

#56
I have moved a few times. Each time I moved a little farther away. The reason(s) why I moved is the same as most other moves:

To live in a better location.

I now own property in a location that I like. The city is not cut in half by railroads. (There are grade separations.) It has every thing I need, and no Home Owner's Association to obey. If there is ever gentrification, I will fight against it.

Replying To Other Topics:

I would be happy living in part of the Southwestern United States, where there are no lawns to mow. An interesting place is Needles, California, from Snoopy! Seeing Interstate 40, and looking at its unusual alignment, I immediately suspected it is near Nevada. And it is very close to Arizona. What is most impressive is that the entire area, not just Interstate 40, is grade separated from Rail Roads.

Texas has hurricanes. Hurricanes impact the entire state. Far South Texas has extreme heat.

I would not like living in California, perhaps visiting Needles but that is it. It is very expensive in California. As already mentioned I deplore expensive places.

California and several other states has volcanoes, (Montana, Wyoming) Wildfires, Earthquakes, and even cold weather (including Snow and Ice storms) is in California also. 

That means if I had to Choose My Poison, I would survive in Illinois. New Jersey would be better.

But I do not like cold weather. I do not like cold winds. I certainly do not like any accumulations of Snow and / or Ice. Some of these posts acts like it is Water Under The Bridge when it is actually stuck ON the bridge. Dealing with Snow and / or Ice is nowhere near easy. I can not ever believe that it is paradise in Northeastern United States. There have been several occasions of below zero (Fahrenheit) as well as Power (Natural Gas also) failures lasting DAYS. Before any body replies saying it is rare, I do not want to risk it. I have Solar and Emergency Generator, but I still do not like winter weather.

I do not like driving in winter weather. Also, I watched videos where other people are driving. It is Halloween in the middle of winter. If you are driving, or if you are in a city but you can't go any where be cause they closed The Interstate 80 or some thing.

That means I live in areas with minimal winter weather. (and minimal grass also)

If any Fault Lines decide to appear, I will build a sturdier house. If a Volcano decides to appear and erupt, I will most likely move away from it. If Volcanoes decide to surround my property, I am doomed.
Drive Safely. :sombrero: Ride Safely. And Build More Roads, Rails, And Bridges. :coffee: ... Boulevards Wear Faster Than Interstates.

Laura

I realize I never properly answered the question, lol. I blame new mom brain.

Honestly, at this point of my life, the only thing that would make me move is if I pursue my dream of going back for my PhD in urban planning and get a tenure track position in another part of the country. As for the PhD itself, my top 2 schools are University of MD College Park and University of Pennsylvania, which would have terrible but doable commutes.

I won't make any absolutes, though. I didn't expect that I'd move back home after undergrad but then the economy melted down. My favorite movie, after all, is It's a Wonderful Life, where main character George Bailey has all of these grand plans to leave his hometown but never does.

J N Winkler

I confess that having to mow a lawn is not a guiding consideration for me in deciding where to live.  I have actually been tracking lawn mowings (date, number of 39-gallon trash sacks filled with clippings, number of mower grass catcher emptyings to fill each sack, time required to finish, number of pushes of prime button required for the mower to start on first cord pull) since 2017, and for a lawn that is now mixed fescue/bermuda, I generally find it takes about 24 mowings a year with time to mow usually ranging from 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.  (If it is the last mowing of the season in late November/early December, though, it can last as long as 4 hours since I am also collecting fallen leaves.)

With a working sprinkler system and a contract with a firm that applies lawn treatments, a well-established lawn is essentially maintenance-free other than for mowing and winterizing the sprinklers, generally by turning off the pump and then blowing out the lines with compressed air.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

MNHighwayMan

Quote from: J N Winkler on September 17, 2019, 09:46:10 AM
a well-established lawn is essentially maintenance-free

All lawns can be maintenance-free if you're lazy enough.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 17, 2019, 10:21:37 AM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 17, 2019, 09:46:10 AM
a well-established lawn is essentially maintenance-free

All lawns can be maintenance-free if you're lazy enough.

One of the best things about living out west is you can realistically have a grass free lawn if you so desire.  Unfortunately my wife doesn't agree...makes me miss my desert landscape that I had in Scottsdale.

MNHighwayMan

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 17, 2019, 11:57:42 AM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 17, 2019, 10:21:37 AM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 17, 2019, 09:46:10 AM
a well-established lawn is essentially maintenance-free
All lawns can be maintenance-free if you're lazy enough.
One of the best things about living out west is you can realistically have a grass free lawn if you so desire.  Unfortunately my wife doesn't agree...makes me miss my desert landscape that I had in Scottsdale.

I would really like to replace my lawn with native prairie grass. It'd be good for the wildlife and I wouldn't have to mow it! Unfortunately, it's expensive to do and I'm not 100 percent sure that city code even allows for it.

J N Winkler

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 17, 2019, 02:41:04 PMI would really like to replace my lawn with native prairie grass. It'd be good for the wildlife and I wouldn't have to mow it! Unfortunately, it's expensive to do and I'm not 100 percent sure that city code even allows for it.

Around here (climate zone Cfa, same as the vast bulk of the South, but within a few hours' drive of the BSk/Cfa/Dfa tripoint), buffalo grass is the popular eco-friendly choice.  It grows prolifically if it is overseeded.  However, it is green for a noticeably shorter fraction of the year than cool-season grasses like fescue.  When our new library opened with buffalo grass as part of its landscaping, we received complaints about it going brownish in the fall while fescue on adjoining properties was still green.

I don't think true prairie grass is practical for typical suburban home landscaping, even in areas that were traditionally prairie.  It has to burn periodically, and the resulting fire hazard is unacceptable for a fixed occupied dwelling.  Bison and prairie dogs are also helpful in maintaining the soil biome and, of course, do not fit in suburban settings.  In the past we have had people, including a district court judge, try to let their grass grow and then call it "prairie," only to be fined and forced to pay to have it mowed.  In this city, grass over 18" high attracts a compulsory mowing order.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 17, 2019, 02:41:04 PM
Quote from: Max Rockatansky on September 17, 2019, 11:57:42 AM
Quote from: MNHighwayMan on September 17, 2019, 10:21:37 AM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 17, 2019, 09:46:10 AM
a well-established lawn is essentially maintenance-free
All lawns can be maintenance-free if you're lazy enough.
One of the best things about living out west is you can realistically have a grass free lawn if you so desire.  Unfortunately my wife doesn't agree...makes me miss my desert landscape that I had in Scottsdale.

I would really like to replace my lawn with native prairie grass. It'd be good for the wildlife and I wouldn't have to mow it! Unfortunately, it's expensive to do and I'm not 100 percent sure that city code even allows for it.

I tried Rye Grass but it was absurd trying to keep it alive in the summer with the amount of water it needs.  I just planted Bermuda Grass which should work better since it ought to go dormant in the winter.  Either way I'm chipping away at the amount of real estate dedicated to grass with walk way and porch expansions. 

US 89

Quote from: J N Winkler on September 17, 2019, 04:01:50 PM
When our new library opened with buffalo grass as part of its landscaping, we received complaints about it going brownish in the fall while fescue on adjoining properties was still green.

Pfft. In Utah, we're amazed if the foothills are still green by June.

Mark68

Quote from: US 89 on September 17, 2019, 04:58:07 PM
Quote from: J N Winkler on September 17, 2019, 04:01:50 PM
When our new library opened with buffalo grass as part of its landscaping, we received complaints about it going brownish in the fall while fescue on adjoining properties was still green.

Pfft. In Utah, we're amazed if the foothills are still green by June.

Bet they were this year!

Our foothills were green (and mountaintops still had snow) into July.

But it's been a hot August and now September. Starting to remind me (a little) of growing up in SoCal, with some of the hottest days being in August and September.
"When you come to a fork in the road, take it."~Yogi Berra

Beltway

Quote from: J N Winkler on September 17, 2019, 09:46:10 AM
I generally find it takes about 24 mowings a year with time to mow usually ranging from 45 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.  (If it is the last mowing of the season in late November/early December, though, it can last as long as 4 hours since I am also collecting fallen leaves.)
I don't mow mine that many times.  Maybe 10.  This neighborhood has 1/3 to 1/2 acre lots, and a self-propelled mower makes it a lot easier.  Some people have riding mowers.  Some people hire a service.
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Bruce

I've lived in the Seattle area my whole life, but I'm considering leaving because of how expensive everything is. I'll likely never be able to afford a home in the metro area for a few decades, and even then there's always the risk of being dragged into a horrendous daily commute.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: Bruce on September 18, 2019, 12:08:09 AM
I've lived in the Seattle area my whole life, but I'm considering leaving because of how expensive everything is. I'll likely never be able to afford a home in the metro area for a few decades, and even then there's always the risk of being dragged into a horrendous daily commute.

I've considered Kitsap in the past but I've always been concerned urban sprawl, namely by way of cost of living will overtake it eventually. 

ce929wax

Re: Lawn mowing

I have only had to mow my lawn a few times this year and I have only had to mow my back yard once, because it has been so dry.  As a matter of fact, as of this week I will have mowed the yard more in September (2x) than I did in August (0 times).  I live in southern Michigan. 

webny99

If it's a dry summer, we can go for months without mowing.
If it's a wet summer, on the other hand, once a week is the absolute minimum.

Normally, once a week would be the expectation, because rain-free summers (or even a rain-free week, for that matter) are relatively rare.

Scott5114

Quote from: webny99 on September 18, 2019, 08:49:34 AM
If it's a dry summer, we can go for months without mowing.
If it's a wet summer, on the other hand, once a week is the absolute minimum.

Normally, once a week would be the expectation, because rain-free summers (or even a rain-free week, for that matter) are relatively rare.

That sounds horrific. Usually, once a week is only necessary in Oklahoma in late April and through May. By mid-June, things have dried out enough that you may have to mow once between July 1 and September 1. The heat and drought normally only breaks whichever week the State Fair happens to be that year, because it wouldn't be the State Fair if it didn't get rained on.
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J N Winkler

Quote from: Beltway on September 17, 2019, 11:33:02 PMI don't mow mine that many times.  Maybe 10.  This neighborhood has 1/3 to 1/2 acre lots, and a self-propelled mower makes it a lot easier.  Some people have riding mowers.  Some people hire a service.

I think our lot size is 0.27 acre, which is a bit larger than usual for the subdivision and may come from our backing onto a railroad line.  We have always had self-propelled push mowers.  In the past I have tended not to use propulsion assist, but now use it because the safety ignition interlock on our current mower operates in such a way that it is awkward to try to push the mower without assist.  One neighbor has a riding mower.  Many neighbors use lawn services, with pickup, trailer, and zero-radius riding mower being typical equipment.  I don't have a hard figure on how many households in the neighborhood use automatic sprinklers, but we are part of a contiguous bloc of at least three houses that do, and I rarely see anyone attempting manual lawn irrigation.

Mowing once a week is the norm in this neighborhood.  The lawn services arrive to mow each lawn once a week, rain or shine.  This year and the past few have been wet, so even in August when grass clipping load is at its minimum for the year, there are usually enough clippings to fill a sack over three or four bag emptyings.  In a relatively dry year (such as in the early part of this decade), multiple weeks' mowings can be skipped, a single mowing can yield as little as one bagful, and it is a struggle to keep the grass from going into dormancy with sprinklers operating three times a week.  (Many neighbors run their sprinklers daily, but we do not because this gives rise to ponding and results in the grass forming weak, shallow roots.)

We are on friendly terms with our neighbors, so our lawn mowing regimen is informed partly by diplomatic considerations.  We don't like our grass to grow significantly taller than in the yards on either side.  We do, however, mow slightly higher, partly to promote good grass health.  (The usual advice is not to cut more than one-third of the height of each blade of grass per mowing.)

Especially immediately after fertilizer has been applied, it can be self-defeating to skip mowings.  This year we had a fertilizer application in late March, and I did not mow until April 22 because I was bound and determined not to start mowing until we were close to having to turn on the A/C.  The grass was totally out of hand by that time, and the first part of mowing took three hours and filled three sacks at nine bag emptyings per sack since the mower wouldn't stop clogging.  Finishing the job the next day took a further hour and a half.  It would have taken slightly less time overall, and been far less aggravating, to have started mowing once a week immediately after the fertilizer application.
"It is necessary to spend a hundred lire now to save a thousand lire later."--Piero Puricelli, explaining the need for a first-class road system to Benito Mussolini

MikeTheActuary

I'm late to the thread.

Almost 3 years ago, I tried to move, due to changes in my life and a window of financial opportunity.  However, my father decided to move into independent living a bit sooner than he had previously indicated...and my move was aborted because I had to get his house ready for sale.

I still want to move...but by disabled wife and I just don't have the flexibility/resources to make that happen. (It's hard to get a house ready for sale, and maintain it in that condition, when you're on the road 50% of the time and have a resident with health problems.)

The main reason for being interested in moving is that I am currently a telecommuter so I'm not necessarily tied to a specific location for work (although my current monthly trips into the office might require adjustment if it becomes less convenient to travel to Montréal), and my wife and I have family commitments in Memphis and southeast Alabama.

The main thoughts (some of which are conflicting) in considering a move, for me, are:
  • I want to move no more than twice more in my life time; the next move should be my last move before it's time to go into "the old folks home".
  • The next destination needs to have a couple of actuarial employers in commute distance, in case something changes with my current job/employer
  • I'd prefer to live someplace with a reasonably low cost of living, and low taxes.  Connecticut's taxes are miserable, and the upsides of living here aren't enough to offset those costs
  • I am not interested in living someplace with significant exposure to hurricane or earthquake risk.
  • The next move will be to someplace within a reasonable day's drive of our parents' homes .
  • The next move will be to "ham friendly" property.
  • The next move will be to property with good, reliable internet connectivity, sufficient for telecommuting to not be painful.
  • We're not interested in fixer-upper properties.
We're already past our pain point in moving.  The main reason we're still here are the logistics, and the difficulty in finding someplace that satisfies our requirements.

ftballfan




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