So, it has been on my mind now for the last year or so that it is getting near the time for me to decide on where to live and buy a house. My gf is open to the idea of moving out of the tri-state area (NYC). We both work as engineers, so employment can be an issue depending on where we look for work. I am much more flexible as I have been working for a utility company since I have left college (5 yrs) and she works as a chemical engineer.
So what is the problem with the area I live in? Taxes and cost of living! I understand the idea of living in this area you receive a larger salary and have “everything†available to you but I am starting to believe it just isn’t worth it. Nice areas to live in and a school system worth sending your kid to, property taxes are in the $10k-$14k range. God help you if you need to cross any of our bridges to get to and from work, add at least $10 to your daily commute – gas is understood to be $.
Am I complaining? Not really. Just the quality of life is becoming more of an important factor rather than the amount of money I make and then to give it away just to live in the area, lol. I am sure we both are looking for a nice decent house with land for a garage big enough to hold the toys. Yes, the gf likes bikes and in the near future will have an s30 also! Doesn’t she sound perfect? Lol. But honestly after a few years of fun we would like to be in an area that has a good school system. It amazes me sometime looking at random places how much more “house†people get for their money. You can blame HGTV also….sometimes I hate watching those shows!
So now we are throwing the idea out there of getting feedback from others who live as far down as Nc, MAYBE Ga and see why they enjoy the places they live and would they recommend the area for a younger couple. My selfish requirement is I have to be within a few hours’ drive of a track or two. Property size we know will vary depending on where we are looking but taxes and school system takes priority over that. The Va, Md area seems to be the first choice just because it isn’t too far from our families but further down isn’t out of the question.
So let me know what you guys have to say…..in the meantime we will continue to look around in our area. This is really a decision to be made probably 1-2 years out but why not plan now?