Georgia on my mind

[allen-1]

Love Savannah area. Going for a week on Tybee next week. Probably spend a lot of time in the city itself. They have one hell of a St Patrick’s Day parade but haven’t been able to catch yet.

Prolly check out the club where GSSF is having a match in Nov as I was think of volunteering. Don’t mind helping out for the experience but gotta be warm.

Mrs does not do well in the heat so I predict we’ll be quasi-snow birds as we get to the age where it’s possible.

November 2nd GSSF. Showdown in Savannah is at 17South. That’s my local club.

I’ve worked and shot each GSSF match we’ve held there. You should definitely come shoot the match.

If you’re in the area next week, PM me and let’s try to coordinate a tour of the club.

 

[APFSDS]

This true. But...while goods and services are cheaper, the wages are less too. Like a lot less. Big companies move to the south mostly for cheap labor

I made 25% less and had more disposable income by A LOT when I lived in NC. Energy costs are outrageous, and there are taxes and fees for every little thing here. Food was also significantly less.

This is not true. The best health care in the world is in Boston. No ifs ands or buts..

If you are on a fixed income or are lucky enough to have a job that you work remotely, your standard of living will be higher in the most of the south. If you need to earn a living, in most cases, your standard of living will be higher in Massachusetts.

Having used the hell out of healthcare here and in NC, I can say that on paper that is true but not in practice. If you want an appointment here get ready to wait for six months. Need an answer to an urgent medical question? Good luck getting a hold of anyone and get ready to wait in the (slam packed) ER for 12 hours. My and my GF's (again, lung transplant recipient...she has like 12 or 15 specialists) experience has been that one-size-fits-all pseudo-socialized medicine here is IN PRACTICE not the best you can get. Nobody talks to each other, and the inefficiencies are breathtaking. Our experience at UNC was much, much better.

My standard of living was significantly higher in NC. This was pre-covid, but I have family and friends that still live there and things haven't changed any more than they have here, mostly less.

 

[fencer]

But quality of living is much better down south.

I agree completely.
As long as you are not close to one of the Big Dump Cities.
But the OP is looking for acreage, so he is obviously not looking to be near the urban areas.

My sister still lives is rural Georgia. Her husband was telling me that his county passed an ordinance requiring suppressors for specific hunting seasons, to alleviate noise complaints.
Savannah is a beautiful city and I have always liked Charlestown, and there is plenty of wide open country within a 45 minute drive.

 

[GL2020]

November 2nd GSSF. Showdown in Savannah is at 17South. That’s my local club.

I’ve worked and shot each GSSF match we’ve held there. You should definitely come shoot the match.

If you’re in the area next week, PM me and let’s try to coordinate a tour of the club.

Thanks!

Was thinking more of volunteering as RSO just to get the lay of the land, but I might take you up on your offer to look around

 

[fencer]

My standard of living was significantly higher in NC. This was pre-covid, but I have family and friends that still live there and things haven't changed any more than they have here, mostly less.

I think a lot of it has to do with what you do for a living, but most professions pay better here.
Much of it has to do with what is important to you, but a simple Google search reveals that standard of living is higher in Mass, by many sources.

But I agree with you that Mass is a liberal shit hole and standard of living rankings are not the only thing to consider, or we would all live in Utah

 

[allen-1]

I think a lot of it has to do with what you do for a living, but most professions pay better here.
Much of it has to do with what is important to you, but a simple Google search reveals that standard of living is higher in Mass, by many sources.

But I agree with you that Mass is a liberal shit hole and standard of living rankings are not the only thing to consider, or we would all live in Utah

Company based in CT. Full remote in Georgia

 

[jkelly1229]

I think a lot of it has to do with what you do for a living, but most professions pay better here.
Much of it has to do with what is important to you, but a simple Google search reveals that standard of living is higher in Mass, by many sources.

But I agree with you that Mass is a liberal shit hole and standard of living rankings are not the only thing to consider, or we would all live in Utah

So we just went through this looking to move you do need to take into account who writes that bullshit.

The top 25 places to live in ga are in and around atl.

I'm not saying it's what your going off of but a ton of those sites are written by people i don't want as neighbors

 

[GML]

Regular or Al dente?

I like grits, but not instant grits.

 

[jkelly1229]

As others have said, go spend some time down there. Pick three or four states and take vacations there a few times a year with the the 1,200 or so days you have left up here. Our opinions are just that, opinions.

We spent seven years traveling out west. Always went at different times of the year and always traveled/camped somewhere new. When I was finally fed up enough with the state of affairs in massachusetts, we knew where we wanted to be and we knew what it was going to be like there, no matter the time of year.

Don't know your age but I'm guessing you are close to my age. Do not under estimate the importance of access to medical care and the simple conveniences of life like a hardware store or a haircut. I'm into self sufficiency and being left alone as much as almost everyone else on this site. But having everything five minutes away and a property that requires ten minutes a week to care for sure is nice as I get older. Gives me a lot of time to play, and I like to play. Big difference of wanting to get out and get your own food, and having to do it, if you know what I mean. Nothing is perfect. Be honest with yourself, think of what you're needs will be as you age, and take advantage of the time you have left in massachusetts to explore the area you are considering.

Yep... this is true.

Also do your hw about growth plans of the area you're moving.

Last thing you want to do is buy into a small town that triples in size in 2 years with cheap housing.
That's what is going on in a lot of towns right now

 

[allen-1]

So we just went through this looking to move you do need to take into account who writes that bullshit.

The top 25 places to live in ga are in and around atl.

I'm not saying it's what your going off of but a ton of those sites are written by people i don't want as neighbors

Yup. I wouldn’t live near atlanta on a bet. But that’s me - it’s suitable for others .

 

[Garys]

True. We settled on three hard criteria for any move. Well, four actually.

1) Within an hour of a major airport.
2) Close to a city with university affiliated health care.
3) Close enough to a city to go shopping or whatever and then drive home.
4) Close to our kids. Which narrowed it down to Austin or the Charlotte, NC area, including SC.

The reason for #4 is based on our experience as our parents got older, we're going to need some support at some point. Hopefully not soon, but it's inevitable. We've both found doctors that we like, which is good. Mine is affiliated with the major teaching hospital in Austin, I'm not sure about my wife's.

Someone mentioned cost of living. I don't that Texas is that much cheaper to be honest. OTOH, we were able to sell our house in MA for enough that we bought a larger and newer house down here for cash. Plus we were able to cover the cost of the move, upgrades on our new to us house, and replacing the whole house generator.

Driver's License is $33.00 and good for 8 years.
LTC is $40.00 plus the cost of the class and fingerprinting, so about $100.00 or so. Good for four years, but don't need to take the course again.
Registration. $50.75/year. Plus you need to get your vehicle inspected ($18.00). That last is going away next year except for six or so counties. Of course including ours. If you are moving in from another state they will charge some portion of a sales tax equivalent.
Car insurance. Twice what you're paying in MA. And you have to renew every six months. Also, even if you are not at fault, you'll need to pay the deductible. Once you insurance company collects from the other insurance company, they'll refund that. BTW, it's pronounced INsurance. Oh, and it's Pecahns, not Pea Cans.
Home owners insurance is a bit cheaper. The state mandates a deductible of 1% of the value of your house for claims.
Property taxes. Vary widely. You can Homestead and that reduces your tax rate, but the big discount is if you're 65 or older. Tax rates are more complicated here because the city has a tax, the county has a tax, and the Emergency Service Districts (ESD) and Independent School Districts (ISD) are governed by their own boards and set their tax rates subject to voter approval. There are also MUDs and SUDs, but they charge fee for service.
Food. About the same, but the selections are different. And, they are not big on low calorie foods down here. Lots of fast food down here, including some that disappeared from New England 40 years ago. Lots of Mexican and Tex - Mex as well. I still don't know how Taco Bell stays in business in Texas.
Gas. Cheaper, but the price per gallon can change during the middle of the day.
Electricity. It's unregulated by the state and and a state agency produces or buys all of it. Then independent brokers sell it. Prices vary, but there are far fewer taxes disguised as "fees" than in MA. Overall I think it's cheaper.
Natural Gas is regulated by the state and there is only one source. No idea on pricing as we don't have it.
We have Propane which is sold by a private company. We live in a "Propane Community." Which I thought was a typo when we bought the house. It's not. When the neighborhood was built the gas company didn't have lines in the area, so it was piped for propane. There are two huge tanks buried underground at one edge of the development. I don't know how they get filled as I've never seen trucks there.
I expect that most of you know this, but I'll mention it anyway. Just as I did in MA before hiring anyone to work on the house I demand proof of insurance (liability and Workers Comp) and a license. As I mentioned in another post, roofers don't have to be licensed in Texas.

HOAs. Yes, everyone hates them but the properties that we looked at that weren't in one were older and all of them needed a lot of work. We didn't want a "project" house, so we passed. Plus, in Texas and likely much of the south zoning laws are loosey goosey. Some areas are strict, but Harris County (Houston) has none at all. One house we looked at had a truck shop on one side and a motorcycle club on the other. You may be in a nice area, but there is that one house that takes $25,000.00 off the value of your house.

So, we bit the bullet and found a property with a low ($150.00/year) fee. The lower the fee, generally the older the neighborhood and there will be few or no amenities.

Note that everything I wrote is true in central Texas and may be different in other areas. As much as we love it down here, there was a period of adjustment. As my wife said one day, it's easier to think of Texas as a different country than a different state. Of course it was and might be in the future.

Sorry, I didn't mean to write a book.

This, think about every aspect of your life and how it would change in a move. As we are considering this some things are not a big deal, others, yea a big deal. Cardiac care is a biggie for me. As for jobs Me and the Mrs. both work in fields that jobs can be had easily.

 

[jkelly1229]

Yup. I wouldn’t live near atlanta on a bet. But that’s me - it’s suitable for others .

Couldn't agree more 45 miles is too close lol

 

[Masswhole]

November 2nd GSSF. Showdown in Savannah is at 17South. That’s my local club.

I’ve worked and shot each GSSF match we’ve held there. You should definitely come shoot the match.

If you’re in the area next week, PM me and let’s try to coordinate a tour of the club.

Nice, I'm working the match next weekend here in NC.

 

[M1911]

Once we sell here we’ll have money to buy a house and some land. I’d like a few hundred acres with a house in the middle. My better 1/2 is good with that also. Ideally the land will have some elevation/views.

Do you have millions of dollars? Start looking at Zillow and you’ll see that there aren’t many large, inexpensive properties down there. And if you are looking to retire down there, I suggest that you look into the location of the nearest good hospital.

 

[M1911]

We are looking at 330 acres in NH with an extra lot/house for close to 900k now.

That must be pretty far north.

 

[M1911]

We vacationed in Savannah in July 2019. Hot and humid every day. I'd go back, but only in spring or fall.

I spent a year working on a construction site at the Savannah River Plant, which is in SC, a couple hours north of Savannah, Georgia. I remember the first week of June was 95 degrees each day, with 90+% humidity.

Coastal GA, SC, and NC are seriously hot and humid. You also have hurricane risk, so don’t be surprised if you find it hard to get homeowners insurance. I expect that the problems that FL residents are having with homeowners insurance will be coming north up the eastern seaboard.

 

[jkelly1229]

I spent a year working on a construction site at the Savannah River Plant, which is in SC, a couple hours north of Savannah, Georgia. I remember the first week of June was 95 degrees each day, with 90+% humidity.

Coastal GA, SC, and NC are seriously hot and humid. You also have hurricane risk, so don’t be surprised if you find it hard to get homeowners insurance. I expect that the problems that FL residents are having with homeowners insurance will be coming north up the eastern seaboard.

For what op is looking for I would assume the coasts are out so he probably doesnt have to worry too much. Hurricanes die out pretty quick when they hit land.

Everything on the coast isnt really land. From jacksonville to about va is really marshy off 95...

 

[allen-1]

I spent a year working on a construction site at the Savannah River Plant, which is in SC, a couple hours north of Savannah, Georgia. I remember the first week of June was 95 degrees each day, with 90+% humidity.

Coastal GA, SC, and NC are seriously hot and humid. You also have hurricane risk, so don’t be surprised if you find it hard to get homeowners insurance. I expect that the problems that FL residents are having with homeowners insurance will be coming north up the eastern seaboard.

It is hot and humid. I adjusted. I don’t miss new england winter.

 

[M1911]

It is hot and humid. I adjusted. I don’t miss new england winter.

I spent a year in Dallas, a year in Atlanta, and a year at the Savannah River Plant. I never did adjust to the heat and humidity. YMMV.

 

[Picton]

I spent a year in Dallas, a year in Atlanta, and a year at the Savannah River Plant. I never did adjust to the heat and humidity. YMMV.

This. Me neither. Five years living in Georgia and the Carolinas and I NEVER got used to the dewpoints.

Some people can handle different weathers differently than others. It's one of the reasons I advised OP to spend a lot of time down there before he pulled the trigger.

 

[Garys]

I had far less of a problem with the heat and humidity than did my wife. It's not as bad in Texas, but we have a really good HVAC system so she can stay inside if it's really bad. Other than that, she loves it down here.

I spent a year working on a construction site at the Savannah River Plant, which is in SC, a couple hours north of Savannah, Georgia. I remember the first week of June was 95 degrees each day, with 90+% humidity.

Coastal GA, SC, and NC are seriously hot and humid. You also have hurricane risk, so don’t be surprised if you find it hard to get homeowners insurance. I expect that the problems that FL residents are having with homeowners insurance will be coming north up the eastern seaboard.

 

[kevin9]

I had far less of a problem with the heat and humidity than did my wife. It's not as bad in Texas, but we have a really good HVAC system so she can stay inside if it's really bad. Other than that, she loves it down here.

Somewhat similar experience here. I grew up in MD, without AC. My STBE-wife is a New England gal. We lived in MD 2 years before moving north and she never adjusted. I didn't mind moving north, at the time: "I could take the heat, just didn't like it." "There's only so much clothing one can remove in the summer whereas one can always add more layers in the winter." Now that I'm older I find the cold and snow more of a pain. Once the legal procedures are done I'll be moving in with family in coastal Maine (not as cold or snowy as central MA) for a while, then eventually WV, east TN or east KY. I like having 4 seasons, and don't want to melt in the summer, but I can do with less winter than here.
Keep looking OP. The right place will find you.

 

[71montess]

This. Me neither. Five years living in Georgia and the Carolinas and I NEVER got used to the dewpoints.

Some people can handle different weathers differently than others. It's one of the reasons I advised OP to spend a lot of time down there before he pulled the trigger.

The humidity would grow moss all over my body. Don't think I could adjust.

 

[paul73]

The humidity would grow moss all over my body. Don't think I could adjust.

climate will not be improving in those parts going forward at all. so what is bad now will be getting only worse.

 

[APFSDS]

North Carolina can offer you true mountain hiking and good beaches, but it’s a 6 hour drive from one end of the state to the other.

How small and close together everything is here was an adjustment. When I lived in NC going to another state involved a hotel stay and a half-day drive, whereas here I go there to visit the Costco. Also, it's like 8 or 10 hours if you go from the coast all the way to the far western tip of NC, it was six hours just from Raleigh to the family cabin near Franklin, NC.

 

[Picton]

How small and close together everything is here was an adjustment. When I lived in NC going to another state involved a hotel stay and a half-day drive, whereas here I go there to visit the Costco. Also, it's like 8 or 10 hours if you go from the coast all the way to the far western tip of NC, it was six hours just from Raleigh to the family cabin near Franklin, NC.

Lol. Try growing up in southern California, where anything worth seeing anywhere east is two days and a desert away. And the next state north is about a twelve-hour drive.

When I moved to Wyoming, where driving diagonally across the state only takes seven or eight hours, I thought that was nothing. Road trips that are normal out west are a Big Thing back here.

 

[massgun]

Lots of great info has been provided here so I thought I'd add my 2c worth. They are everywhere, but seem more prevalent in the South. I'm talking about EPA hazardous waste sites and worse, Superfund site's. Check out areas you are interested in to see if there are any of these sites within your comfort range.

Secondly, after selecting an area of interest, use Google maps satellite view to look for things you might not want to be too near like industrial buildings, commercial farming/livestock, paper plants (can be pretty stinky), railroad tracks/rail yards, etc. Happy hunting and good luck!

 

[Masswhole]

I gotta say, the humidity here in NC isn't nearly as bad as people are saying. It's nothing like florida or southern texas. Gets hot AF but then I just jump in the lake.
My girls daughter lives directly on the coast in wrightsville beach. Hurricanes have been non-issue in the 4 years she's been there.
I spend a lot of time in the woods mountain biking and the lack of mosquitos and ticks has been a revelation.

 

[allen-1]

How small and close together everything is here was an adjustment. When I lived in NC going to another state involved a hotel stay and a half-day drive, whereas here I go there to visit the Costco. Also, it's like 8 or 10 hours if you go from the coast all the way to the far western tip of NC, it was six hours just from Raleigh to the family cabin near Franklin, NC.

Friend of mine rode up from Texas to spend some time with me in Connecticut. She referred to New England as "seven states before breakfast". I left Virginia one morning, headed to her place in Plano. Hit the Texas border and I had hours of riding still in front of me.

 

[Garys]

I'm impressed that you can get from Virginia to Texas in one day. My last trip down, which I think is in fact going to be my last trip, from MA took three long days.

We're outside of Austin which is considered the central Texas even though it's not. A drive to Dallas/Fort Worth is 4 hours, Houston 2+, San Antonia an hour. If I were to go to Amarillo, it would be most of a day. Visitors from the northeast have a hard time grasping how big it is. We have friends visiting their son in Dallas next month sometime. They wanted to know if we could drive up to meet them for lunch. Sure, but we'd spend a full eight hours on the trip. We're trying to meet them half way, but we're not sure if we can put it all together.

People think it's a joke that Texans say that they measure trips in hours not miles, but it's true. My wife and I have started doing it. It's half an hour to our daughter's place, almost an hour to south Austin, and so on.

Note, I'm not complaining at all. We love it.

Friend of mine rode up from Texas to spend some time with me in Connecticut. She referred to New England as "seven states before breakfast". I left Virginia one morning, headed to her place in Plano. Hit the Texas border and I had hours of riding still in front of me.