Another "I want to relocate" thread (cheap, job)

[GlassPipe]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

Yeah but he wants to move to NorCal, rent a house on the coast for $1000/mo and smoke weed.

Texas would meet the warm/cheap part, but as EC said, I want a more 420 friendly kinda place. I really hate living in fear that I could be taken to prison for years on end for burnin' one down while the pigs are sucking down budweiser and shots all night after their shift. I think they chop off your fingers and tie you to a cactus in texas for such behavior - they love their whiskey though.

Per everyone's advice (thanks y'all) - starting to focus job searching in the Sacramento area. The company that I work for has a few openings in that area and I've found a decent array of other job opportunities. There were some coastal towns where you could get the $1000 rentals, but... not too much work to offer from what I've seen so far.

Not completely ruling out Colorado, but the wife wants to get out of the 6 months of winter routine. Gets pretty pricey on the fuel bills and she just doesn't like the cold. I love to ski though, so it's not a bad idea. But if we can make a go of California, I'm all over it.

Are the schools around Sac typically better in the smaller towns as opposed to the larger cities?

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by GlassPipe

I love to ski though

I think Sacramento or one of the suburbs east of town in the foothills would work for you. Ski areas near Lake Tahoe are about 2 hours away (you go to the snow, the snow doesn't come to you ) and if there is no traffic, San Francisco is about 90 minutes away.

Post a question on the Sacramento forum about schools and housing.

[johnnyz]

Dude, just do a little research on Davis,Ca. not to sound like a broken record but it really sounds like it's what you're looking for....15 Min. from Sacramento, 1 hour from San Francisco and around 2-2 1/2 hours from Lake Tahoe. Also, being a college town, it's got a great public school system, University (UC Davis) and like most college towns, it's quite Liberal.... I love it there.

[humboldtrat]

Also check out Woodland, just north of Davis and about 20 minutes from Sacramento (along I-5). The Sacramento airport is also nearby (but not close enough for noise issues). There are a few sketchy parts of town, but for the most part, it's a nice town still surrounded by open farm country.

[GlassPipe]

Hey thanks folks. I'm going to punch both of those into my yahoo mail page and see what local newspapers I can dig up for those areas. Still scrubbing the job boards too. We'll see what happens. GM just said today that we'll be down for the entire month of January. I'll probably still have some work to do though. But it's coming... I'm sure they'll push cutbacks on down to their contractors. Worse situation is, I'll get severance pay (2 mos salary) and unemployment for a year from the state. That would give me enough time to find something I'm sure.

Ugh... Just really really ugly here in Michigan right now. Our craigslist job boards have about 20 entries a day, 10 for millitary, 9 for mlm scams, and 1 for a doctorate holder. lol - there's jobs here, but you have to be able to jump through hoops, stand on your head, perform brain surgery and then make the boss dinner at night. Any new jobs they put on the news around here are all the same way. Not much room for talented and bright folks unless you have a 4 year degree and 20 years exp. Pretty depressing. If we do end up leaving, we're just going to put the house on the market and hope it sells. If not, oh well. We've been through that once, we can handle it again. (lost my job half way through building my last house - wife bought this one.)

[Soccersupporter]

Originally Posted by GlassPipe

Ok, I know there are thousands of these on here. But, needed some good fresh replies.

Currently we're in Michigan and chugging along on the GM express - I'm a technology contractor - not UAW. We're trying to get out of GM and Michigan before it all goes kapoot.

My wife likes the idea of California, as do I. Prefer from the bay area on up to Oregon. Still like a little cool in the winter, but not 4' on the hood of the truck every morning. That coupled with the obvious - friendlier attitudes towards pr215 folks.

Questions...

#1 - Need for us to both be able to work. I can do anything from construction to computers and from mechanics to dishwashing. I've held numerous jobs and have bounced all over Michigan a couple times. My wife is good at office type work. So where are there abundant jobs available? Smaller towns are cool too, as long as being able to get to a larger city isn't too far for commuting.

#2 - Cali is known out here in the middle of the corn as being over priced in just about all aspects. But, from what I've been able to dig up, a rental house is still fairly reasonable in smaller cities. Looking for something that we would be able to pick up for around $1000 a month. More if the salary allows for it. Coupled with the job aspect, where would you suggest? I'd prefer the coast and am willing to drive to work every day, just not too far as traffic makes me go bonkers, to say the least.

#3 - Good schools? We have a 5yo and 10mo - both boys. The 5 yo is smarter than whodunit - we're hoping his little bro will be the same way. So we want a challenging district - in other words, no teachers that are there for the 3 month vacation every year, we want educators who love what they do in a school where they won't be bored/left out/feel threatened by idiot hood rats.

#4 - Still thinkin'...

Any other suggestions/comments would be welcome.

We'd like to drive out there within the next couple of months and get a feel for what there is and hopefully go on a couple job interviews.

Anyone else relocate out there care to chime in on how you landed work? We'd definitely need secure jobs before moving. I know that some folks will just pick up and go, take a tent and hope for the best, but I've got two kids too worry about and a little collection of dogs/cats that I don't want running around in the cab of my truck. lol

Thanks all, sorry to ask this same question again but everyone has their own questions to be specific about.

Going to CA without a job would be a big mistake right now. Unemployment is higher than most places around the country and still rising. While housing is more affordable than in the past if you don't have a job it won't matter. You would be jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire. I would wait until CA is in the midst of a recovery. You might try a more hospitable state as an interim to your CA move.

[AKgirlinCA]

Please don't rule out TX. If you want to be able to live the 420 lifestyle....(which I know all about growing up in AK) just be smart about it....and you'll be fine....seriously. If you need a REALLY liberal place for that...move to AK...do research on the laws re: that and you might be amazed. Of course you'd have to put up with the winter but here are some pros to living there:

Obviously beautiful scenery
lax 420 laws (for your sake)
no state income tax
no sales tax
the state will pay you and every member of your family money every year JUST for being a resident after you've been there a year...google Permanent Fund Dividend for Alaska residents
I don't really think it's expensive housing-wise up there but some ppl do....
job opportunities are actually pretty good...if you could secure a job on the "North Slope" you'd be set...
great place to raise a family
awesome skiing,hunting,fishing,camping,hiking etc...
NO crowds
minimal traffic in Anchorage....
okay enough about my hometown just thought it might be worth considering since having a 420 friendly place is so important to you

feel free to ask me any other questions....

[GlassPipe]

Hi Soccer - I would never just jump without a job, but thanks for advice. I can see where single folks with no responsibilities can get away with it, but not a family. Folks that do that are just plain nuts.

AK - I'd love nothing more, believe me. But, the wife just won't do it. She hates winter in Michigan. She told me that could be my next home if I wanted a divorce. lol. But an hour out in the middle of nowhere would be better than perfect for me.

[t_thibaud]

Another vote for Texas. The economy should be your #1 concern right now. You have a famiy to provide for. Texas has a healthy, broad-based economy that's not dependent on finance or autos. Unemployment's low, as are taxes and cost of living. The summers are brutal but as a Michigander you'll be delighted by the mild winters.

As to your pipe, the big cities are fairly liberal and controlled by Democrats. Despite all the spam and disinformation you read in the national media, Texans in the better neighborhoods of the big cities are not less cosmopolitan, tolerant or gay- or 420-friendly than other Americans. Both Dallas and Houston have huge populations of libertarians, transplanted Yankees (Bush's father was one), and gay and lesbian populations.

No one will bother you in these towns. They certainly won't in Austin, either-- people there proudly display bumper stickers that proclaim, KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.

Btw, if you end up in Dallas, try the Dallas international School in Preston Hollow for your boys. Outstanding multilingual and multicultural education, international baccalaureate (IB) program, and very affordable (~$7k per year), especially given the fact that your rent or mortgage will be very low. You can find excellent and affordable housing in north Dallas or Richardson. Good luck!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by GlassPipe

Ok, I know there are thousands of these on here. But, needed some good fresh replies.

Currently we're in Michigan and chugging along on the GM express - I'm a technology contractor - not UAW. We're trying to get out of GM and Michigan before it all goes kapoot.

My wife likes the idea of California, as do I. Prefer from the bay area on up to Oregon. Still like a little cool in the winter, but not 4' on the hood of the truck every morning. That coupled with the obvious - friendlier attitudes towards pr215 folks.

Questions...

#1 - Need for us to both be able to work. I can do anything from construction to computers and from mechanics to dishwashing. I've held numerous jobs and have bounced all over Michigan a couple times. My wife is good at office type work. So where are there abundant jobs available? Smaller towns are cool too, as long as being able to get to a larger city isn't too far for commuting.

#2 - Cali is known out here in the middle of the corn as being over priced in just about all aspects. But, from what I've been able to dig up, a rental house is still fairly reasonable in smaller cities. Looking for something that we would be able to pick up for around $1000 a month. More if the salary allows for it. Coupled with the job aspect, where would you suggest? I'd prefer the coast and am willing to drive to work every day, just not too far as traffic makes me go bonkers, to say the least.

#3 - Good schools? We have a 5yo and 10mo - both boys. The 5 yo is smarter than whodunit - we're hoping his little bro will be the same way. So we want a challenging district - in other words, no teachers that are there for the 3 month vacation every year, we want educators who love what they do in a school where they won't be bored/left out/feel threatened by idiot hood rats.

#4 - Still thinkin'...

Any other suggestions/comments would be welcome.

We'd like to drive out there within the next couple of months and get a feel for what there is and hopefully go on a couple job interviews.

Anyone else relocate out there care to chime in on how you landed work? We'd definitely need secure jobs before moving. I know that some folks will just pick up and go, take a tent and hope for the best, but I've got two kids too worry about and a little collection of dogs/cats that I don't want running around in the cab of my truck. lol

Thanks all, sorry to ask this same question again but everyone has their own questions to be specific about.

don't do it!!!