Jon, I live in Sacramento and I love the climate, almost never freezes and while the summers can be hot, it's nothing like southern California. Anyway, you can pick up a 3/1 home that's not a toilet, if you search, for under $300K, not a problem. There are four MAJOR hospitals in Sac Town. Also Sacramento Raceway (drag) and Infineon Raceway? (used to be Sears Point Raceway) about an hour & half away. Rush hour traffic can suck, but I'll bet it's better than Seattle! I would only consider moving out of state for CHEAP land and good business opportunities, I'm a general contrator. Finally, if you have any questions, e-mail me, I'll be happy to help!
Mark