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My husband was born and raised in San Diego. He’s 41. He could tell you every back road anywhere in SD. It’s home. However the political climate here has really gone the way of lunacy. The taxes and regulations have driven out so many businesses and citizens. We can’t stand it any more and are looking for a much more conservative state with a low cost of living and space to live in. It’s so crowded here. The lowest rent you can find for a studio apartment in the most ghetto areas is over $1000. The electricity bills are so high it make me want to cry and our water bill is $95 before we even use any water because of fees. We have the highest taxes in the nation aside from NY. Literally every part of living here is expensive. And for what? Sunny weather? Meh! I am originally from upstate NY and I can handle weather.
We are a conservative family. We own fire arms responsibly, we like shooting off fireworks on July 4 and we go to church. We want land and horses and peace and quiet.
We also have a 12 year old son that we hope can have a good place to grow up and have good schools to attend.
Now that you know what we’re looking for,
Is Ohio a place we could be happy?
What cities would you recommend? (We like snow and aren’t afraid of it, like I said I’m from Upstate NY)
I'm actually looking for the same thing, but I'm much more local. I am looking in Southern Ohio, but also trying to avoid areas where things could go "walking off" the property on their own, too. I'm thinking southeast Ohio, but not quite on the border of WV.
Are you looking to build or purchase an existing home?
At first we’ll probably rent to get a feel for the areas. Once we know better about best areas to live in, Then we’ll buy. I don’t have a preference on new construction or existing. If it’s a good plot of land I would do either.
At first we’ll probably rent to get a feel for the areas. Once we know better about best areas to live in, Then we’ll buy. I don’t have a preference on new construction or existing. If it’s a good plot of land I would do either.
I would do the same, but are you looking for just anywhere in Ohio, or do you have an idea of what part of the state you want to start in? The housing crisis is very real in Ohio, and any of the decent areas are being bid for, heavily. I've seen stuff going for above asking sight unseen. If you have 250+k then you have a decent chance in most areas, but otherwise the competition is fierce. Same for land. Without sounding presumptuous, what is your financial situation like?
You will also want to be careful about renting, because Ohio's cities are bedbug capitols outside of New York. Columbus for example has the most in the nation. If you drive southeast of Columbus, you'll see loads of billboards for bedbug treatments, heat treatments, etc. So keep that in mind if you're looking to rent. However, rent is going to be much lower than what you talked about in Cali, and Ohio has a much friendlier gun culture.
With that being said, buying land is more possible than a decent home right now IMO, but any land that is flat in these areas of Ohio are going to be floodplain. I've been all around the state in my life, and have lived the lifestyles similar to what you're looking for.
Random question, but have you thought about Idaho? I've looking into that state, too. Ohio is a great choice as well, but the current flight from the cities is making it difficult to be competitive for good rural land outside of the Appalachian areas for 120-140k range, which is where we're at right now with our budget.
My husband was born and raised in San Diego. He’s 41. He could tell you every back road anywhere in SD. It’s home. However the political climate here has really gone the way of lunacy. The taxes and regulations have driven out so many businesses and citizens. We can’t stand it any more and are looking for a much more conservative state with a low cost of living and space to live in. It’s so crowded here. The lowest rent you can find for a studio apartment in the most ghetto areas is over $1000. The electricity bills are so high it make me want to cry and our water bill is $95 before we even use any water because of fees. We have the highest taxes in the nation aside from NY. Literally every part of living here is expensive. And for what? Sunny weather? Meh! I am originally from upstate NY and I can handle weather.
We are a conservative family. We own fire arms responsibly, we like shooting off fireworks on July 4 and we go to church. We want land and horses and peace and quiet.
We also have a 12 year old son that we hope can have a good place to grow up and have good schools to attend.
Now that you know what we’re looking for,
Is Ohio a place we could be happy?
What cities would you recommend? (We like snow and aren’t afraid of it, like I said I’m from Upstate NY)
Give us more information. What occupations? Is living near a large body of water (e.g., Lake Erie) desirable? Do you desire four seasons of weather? Public, private, or parochial schools? How important are amenities, such as pro sports, cultural institutions, parks, etc.? Do you want a rural environment, urban, suburban, small town, etc.? How important is proximity to retail centers? Will you rent or own? If own, how much will you spend on a property? If rent, do you want an apartment, condo, or house? Is diversity desired or not?
If you want urban, read through the forums for Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
Here's a good introductory thread for Cleveland. Start with post 3:
I would do the same, but are you looking for just anywhere in Ohio, or do you have an idea of what part of the state you want to start in? The housing crisis is very real in Ohio, and any of the decent areas are being bid for, heavily. I've seen stuff going for above asking sight unseen. If you have 250+k then you have a decent chance in most areas, but otherwise the competition is fierce. Same for land. Without sounding presumptuous, what is your financial situation like?
You will also want to be careful about renting, because Ohio's cities are bedbug capitols outside of New York. Columbus for example has the most in the nation. If you drive southeast of Columbus, you'll see loads of billboards for bedbug treatments, heat treatments, etc. So keep that in mind if you're looking to rent. However, rent is going to be much lower than what you talked about in Cali, and Ohio has a much friendlier gun culture.
With that being said, buying land is more possible than a decent home right now IMO, but any land that is flat in these areas of Ohio are going to be floodplain. I've been all around the state in my life, and have lived the lifestyles similar to what you're looking for.
Random question, but have you thought about Idaho? I've looking into that state, too. Ohio is a great choice as well, but the current flight from the cities is making it difficult to be competitive for good rural land outside of the Appalachian areas for 120-140k range, which is where we're at right now with our budget.
We are looking at different states right now, Ohio being one of them, and Tennessee being another. So more of a general statewide look right now rather than a city wide look.
We are looking to buy anywhere from the $100k-$400k range. We don’t rent out here because it actually made more sense to buy since our mortgage payment is actually less than it would be if we were renting.
I had no idea about the bedbug thing. Bedbugs definitely creep me out and I am Super paranoid about bugs in my house as far as the infesting kind like roaches and bedbugs. Thank you for that heads up!!
Also didn’t realize about the floodplain thing but that makes plenty of sense and I don’t want a flooded house or mildew in my house.
We have definitely considered Idaho and have looked there for jobs. Unfortunately there’s a fair amount of prejudice against people coming from California looking for jobs in Idaho believe it or not. If they find out you’re from California they won’t even look at your resume. They don’t like that housing prices have gone up since people from California have been bringing in more money in that regard. I do understand that mindset and I can’t say that I blame them completely. Unfortunately we just can’t seem to land a job there because of it. Funny enough we know seven families that have moved to Idaho that we have known here in San Diego for many years but they either had family there to live with for a little while or were transferred there as luck would have it for them.
Last edited by FloonieMcFloonieNue; 07-18-2020 at 05:41 PM..
Give us more information. What occupations? Is living near a large body of water (e.g., Lake Erie) desirable? Do you desire four seasons of weather? Public, private, or parochial schools? How important are amenities, such as pro sports, cultural institutions, parks, etc.? Do you want a rural environment, urban, suburban, small town, etc.? How important is proximity to retail centers? Will you rent or own? If own, how much will you spend on a property? If rent, do you want an apartment, condo, or house? Is diversity desired or not?
If you want urban, read through the forums for Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati.
Here's a good introductory thread for Cleveland. Start with post 3:
My husband is an all-around computer guy. He can do software programming, managing, coding, you name it. I’m actually a Horse Trainer and live in one of the few areas in San Diego that many people own horses.
I would love to live by any water. Ha ha. Any water at all. Our lakes out here are nothing more than vacant holes in the ground filled with farm raised trout that never bite. We have an ocean, sure, but I would love to live near any lake or river especially the Great Lakes. And I am very aware of Lake affect snow and I’m OK with it.
I would love to have all the seasons again. The seasons we have out here are just spring, summer, fire, flood, mud, then back to spring and summer.
Public school is fine with me but I do love the opportunity to have charter schools. Public charter schools that is. We most likely wont be paying for a private school. My son has an IEP and the one thing California does boast is special consideration for learning disabilities in children.
Community things like public parks, and cultural institutions are plentiful here and we don’t really use them at all. We’re looking for a laid-back country lifestyle. I was raised in a small town and I would love to be in one again. The kind of town where everybody knows everybody. My husband jokes about wanting to live in a town on the movie doc Hollywood.
We would end up buying a home and want land for horses, dirt biking etc. we would be looking to buy something probably in the $150 to $450,000 range. we are not opposed to just buying the land, living in our fifth wheel and building a home also.
I hope that helps. And I appreciate all of your help.
Last edited by FloonieMcFloonieNue; 07-18-2020 at 05:42 PM..
We are looking at different states right now, Ohio being one of them, and Tennessee being another. So more of a general statewide look right now rather than a city wide look.
We are looking to buy anywhere from the $100k-$400k range. We don’t rent out here because it actually made more sense to buy since our mortgage payment is actually less than it would be if we were renting.
I had no idea about the bedbug thing. Bedbugs definitely creep me out and I am Super paranoid about bugs in my house as far as the infesting kind like roaches and bedbugs. Thank you for that heads up!!
Also didn’t realize about the floodplain thing but that makes plenty of sense and I don’t want a flooded house or mildew in my house.
We have definitely considered Idaho and have looked there for jobs. Unfortunately there’s a fair amount of prejudice against people coming from California looking for jobs in Idaho believe it or not. If they find out you’re from California they won’t even look at your resume. They don’t like that housing prices have gone up since people from California have been bringing in more money in that regard. I do understand that mindset and I can’t say that I blame them completely. Unfortunately we just can’t seem to land a job there because of it. Funny enough we know seven families that have moved to Idaho that we have known here in San Diego for many years but they either had family there to live with for a little while or were transferred there as luck would have it for them.
What makes you interested in Tennessee? Also, the environments are very different in Tennessee vs Ohio. I don't know if you plan on making the choice based on that, though.
It think if you are willing to go seriously that high, then you won't have any problems finding at least something in Ohio. Problem is that you will be overpaying for it in this market, so any property that's 200k in a down market is going to go for 240-280k now. It's actually pretty wild to see how many people are buying sight-unseen.
I never thought there would be issues like that in Idaho, but what you're saying makes sense. I know that the local atmosphere in Ohio when it comes to California immigration (again though, not among all people) is that there's a worry about Californians brining the same policies and voting with them where they'll move. Maybe the everyday people of Idaho are having the same concerns? You don't sound like you wouldn't fit in though.
Quote:
Originally Posted by FloonieMcFloonieNue
My husband is an all-around computer guy. He can do software programming, managing, coding, you name it. I’m actually a Horse Trainer and live in one of the few areas in San Diego that many people own horses.
I would love to live by any water. Ha ha. Any water at all. Our lakes out here are nothing more than vacant holes in the ground filled with farm raised trout that never bite. We have an ocean, sure, but I would love to live near any lake or river especially the Great Lakes. And I am very aware of Lake affect snow and I’m OK with it.
I would love to have all the seasons again. The seasons we have out here are just spring, summer, fire, flood, mud, then back to spring and summer.
Public school is fine with me but I do love the opportunity to have charter schools. Public charter schools that is. We most likely wont be paying for a private school. My son has an IEP and the one thing California does boast is special consideration for learning disabilities in children.
Community things like public parks, and cultural institutions are plentiful here and we don’t really use them at all. We’re looking for a laid-back country lifestyle. I was raised in a small town and I would love to be in one again. The kind of town where everybody knows everybody. My husband jokes about wanting to live in a town on the movie doc Hollywood.
We would end up buying a home and want land for horses, dirt biking etc. we would be looking to buy something probably in the $150 to $450,000 range. we are not opposed to just buying the land, living in our fifth wheel and building a home also.
I hope that helps. And I appreciate all of your help.
There are a lot of areas in Ohio where you can try to train horses, but I know a woman who left the field because it doesn't pay very well in this region as people who have horses generally have land for them and want to be more hands-on in their care.
We do get pounded by snow around the Great Lakes, but Southern Ohio below Columbus isn't nearly as bad. I can't help you with the school issues, sorry. I don't know enough about them, but I would say to avoid Cleveland in general.
If you are going to dirt bike, make sure you buy enough land. I can't tell you the number of feuds I've seen spark up because someone has been riding their raptors or ATVs until 3 AM or during another family's reunion. I've even seen it happen at a backyard wedding, lol.
If you are looking to avoid zoning for a fifth wheel, then Southern Ohio looks to be your best bet. However, make sure that the county allows you to be in it without hookups for septic because even if a township doesn't have minimum square footage, they will nail you on waste unless you have the variances, and a fifth wheel is not considered a permanent legal inhabitance.
Lots of flooding happens in Ohio only if you don't have the proper drainage, but that's another story. Some people try to put French drains in around their property if it's smaller, but if you're looking for land, that's not really practical depending on where you are building, how many buildings you will have, and the size of your home.
My husband is an all-around computer guy. He can do software programming, managing, coding, you name it. I’m actually a Horse Trainer and live in one of the few areas in San Diego that many people own horses.
I would love to live by any water. Ha ha. Any water at all. Our lakes out here are nothing more than vacant holes in the ground filled with farm raised trout that never bite. We have an ocean, sure, but I would love to live near any lake or river especially the Great Lakes. And I am very aware of Lake affect snow and I’m OK with it.
I would love to have all the seasons again. The seasons we have out here are just spring, summer, fire, flood, mud, then back to spring and summer.
Public school is fine with me but I do love the opportunity to have charter schools. Public charter schools that is. We most likely wont be paying for a private school. My son has an IEP and the one thing California does boast is special consideration for learning disabilities in children.
Community things like public parks, and cultural institutions are plentiful here and we don’t really use them at all. We’re looking for a laid-back country lifestyle. I was raised in a small town and I would love to be in one again. The kind of town where everybody knows everybody. My husband jokes about wanting to live in a town on the movie doc Hollywood.
We would end up buying a home and want land for horses, dirt biking etc. we would be looking to buy something probably in the $150 to $450,000 range. we are not opposed to just buying the land, living in our fifth wheel and building a home also.
I hope that helps. And I appreciate all of your help.
If you want to live near Lake Erie (which has great fishing), and you enjoy horses, Kirtland in Lake County, very convenient to Cleveland, comes to mind. Check out zillow.com for houses for sale in Kirtland, Kirtland Hills, Willoughby Hills and perhaps Concord Township. All of nearby Geauga County (e.g., Chesterland and Chester Township) is a possibility. Western Geauga County is very rural, actually still with a good Amish presence, but not as convenient for Cleveland.
Greater Cleveland has great Metropark (county park) systems, something you won't find in Tennessee, according to a friend who considered it given the opportunity to establish an office anywhere in the eastern U.S. (he ended up near Columbia, MD). He and his wife also didn't like the quality of the public schools in the Nashville area.
Greater Cleveland Metroparks and Ohio's Dept. of Natural Resources stock many of the rivers in Greater Cleveland. E.g., steelhead trout is a favorite.
See posts 7 and 9 in this thread for a discussion of Greater Cleveland Metropark systems. Many of the Metroparks have bridle trails, and a few, such as the Rocky River Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks even offers stables. Rocky River would be a good place to look if you were willing to stable your horse.
I believe that horseback riding has been given a priority over dirt biking in Greater Cleveland. I'm not even certain where dirt bike trails are located. Check out the Western Reserve (perhaps read about the Western Reserve) Motorcycle Club here; it's not located in Greater Cleveland:
I don't think your going to find an nice house in a good school district with lots of land for $400,000, let alone $100,000. Perhaps check out Lorain County, where rural land may be cheaper (and school districts not as good) and other lakeshore counties west of Cleveland, of which I don't have great familiarity. Lorain County does have a large Metropark system likely with bridal trails. I doubt if the schools are as good as in Lake County, however.
COVID-19 is ravaging Ohio public school budgets and I'm not certain what they'll look like, especially regarding special education needs, post-epidemic. This thread may be useful regarding special education needs.
I don't know anyone who ever had bed bugs in their home.
Also, it's pretty easy to avoid flood plains in Greater Cleveland. Google prospective cities for floods and don't purchase land in river valleys; major rivers in northeast Ohio typically are in gorges. A few cities in Greater Cleveland have problematic storm sewer systems that result in flooding.
Believe it or not, flood insurance (very cheap outside of flood plains) is needed for storm sewer back-ups that cause flooding in a general area. Separate back-up insurance is needed to protect basements. Back-up preventers are a good idea.
Greater Cleveland can experience very large rainfalls.
Greater Cleveland winters are disappearing rapidly with the onslaught of climate change.
The great Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga Valley National Park allows horses, and parts of the trail outside of CVNP likely also allow horses.
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