Any Advice?

[thewishfire]

I've been asking all over, so I thought I should try my luck on the DIS as well.

My mother and I will be moving; probably in early 2007. The only problem is that we have no idea where to go!

We're looking for somewhere that fits within these boundaries...
*The most we can spend is $250K.
*We are both tornado-phobes, so anywhere that is prone to tornadoes is out.
*I'm also not a big fan of bugs, so anyplace with large amount of insects (as in tarantulas, black widows, etc... not common house spiders and such) is not wanted, although I could probably learn to deal over time. [this is less important in the grand scheme of things]
*I'd like to start school when I move, so somewhere near colleges or technical schools is a big plus.
*Apartments and condos are out as well. We have 2 large dogs and a cat.

I have noticed a lot of 'moving' threads on here, but almost all are for specific areas. So if anyone can tell me areas to look in or areas to avoid at all costs, it would be much appreciated!!

TIA

 

[golfgal]

There are many smaller towns in Southwest Minnesota that would foot the bill for you. Houses can be had for WELL under $250K, many of the smaller towns you can find a nice house for $50,000 and even less. There is a state university in SW MN so that covers that. While tornadoes do happen, I have lived in MN most of my life and have never been through a tornado. We don't have any bugs that can kill you either. Common every day things like ants, daddy long legs spiders, etc. but no rattlesnakes, black widows, etc.

 

[bbangel]

If you are looking for a real change how about a new country. The province of Alberta in Canada is begging for workers right now. You can pretty much name your terms. Housing fits within your budget, even in the major cities. There are a couple of universities, two technical schools and dozens of colleges, so finding something that you want to study should be easy. And be here long enough and there is the whole health care thing!
I'm not sure how easy it is, but it may be worth looking into as even traditionally "minimum wage" jobs are paying more than $10 an hour.

 

[ilovepcot]

Are employment concerns not an issue with either of you? Most people have to take into account the types of jobs that are readily available before considering a move. If this isn't a concern...wow! There are so many wonderful places to consider.

 

[thewishfire]

Thank you for all of the suggestions so far, I'll have to check into them!

Employment is not a concern for either of us. My mother was a housewife for quite some time, and although she had jobs, none were "careers". I haven't gone to school yet, even though I graduated in 2005, and right now work in an office. So nothing in that respect is holding us down.

And I would consider moving to Canada. Of course leaving the country is a big decision, but if the circumstances were right, I don't see why it wouldn't be on the table at least.

 

[liamsaunt]

From an education standpoint, Boston would be a great place to be. Unfortunately, $250K won't get you a house here, or anywhere near here.

My sister in law lives in the Woodlands (a Houston TX suburb), and they were able to purchase a three-bedroom house for under $200K there.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

The Houston-area was meeting all your criteria until you mentioned bugs.

We have the big cockroaches here, although they're rare if you spray your home.

 

[aunt kelly]

Oklahoma meets all your requiements except that we do get more than our fair share of tornados.

 

[TLHB70]

Take this quiz:
http://www.findyourspot.com/
This quiz is supposed to help you find America's Best Places to live based on your unique personal interests.
DH did this several times when we were considering moving. It is lots of fun, too. You will learn about all kinds of towns and places that you have never even heard of. BTW, I made up a bogus name, email address, etc. when registering and it didn't matter. I had no intention of ordering any type of services from them. The quiz was fun to do over and over again plugging in different ratings of likes/dislikes, etc.
Have fun!

ETA: It will give you the cost of an average home in your top spots. Or, it did when we took the quiz a few years ago.

 

[chirurgeon]

Have you considered the Western Pennsylvania area? We have very reasonable housing prices, at least 6 universitys, not to mention a lot of trade schools. Pittsburgh is a great city. Good public transportation. The city has many wonderful neighborhoods.

Good luck finding a new home.

 

[thewishfire]

Take this quiz:
http://www.findyourspot.com/
This quiz is supposed to help you find America's Best Places to live based on your unique personal interests.
DH did this several times when we were considering moving. It is lots of fun, too. You will learn about all kinds of towns and places that you have never even heard of. BTW, I made up a bogus name, email address, etc. when registering and it didn't matter. I had no intention of ordering any type of services from them. The quiz was fun to do over and over again plugging in different ratings of likes/dislikes, etc.
Have fun!

ETA: It will give you the cost of an average home in your top spots. Or, it did when we took the quiz a few years ago.

I've done this and love it! It's a lot of fun. And I alway make up a name and email address as well.