Moving out of state?

"Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero" (sampsonite24)
11/14/2019 at 15:01 • Filed to: None

So, big news yesterday, my company is shutting down my office and turning everyone into remote employees. its not going to make a huge change in my day to day operation since i already work from home, however it does come with the added benefit that being remote means I, nor my wife, have to live within a 50 mile radius of the office. So naturally this leads to talk of finally ditching Illinois, and heading to somewhere a bit warmer, IE looking at the Carolinas and Tennessee.

So i was wondering if anyone in oppo had a great deal of experience moving out of state? how did you work out house showings and inspections from a few states away? luckily we don’t have to worry about selling the house we are currently in to afford a new one since we are living in my in-laws old house. but it seems very challenging to make that sort of move. I should also mention that where we are looking we have no family in the area to scope out houses for us either.

GT for interest

DISCUSSION (33)

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:09

Is there like, a warm Detroit ?

If commuting wasn’t a thing for my wife and I, we’d live somewhere super cheap and remote in the Maritimes

Snuze: Needs another Swede > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
11/14/2019 at 15:11

If it wasn’t for being an American and my wife’s objections, I’d beliving somewhere remote in the Maritimes.

For Sweden > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
11/14/2019 at 15:12

Birmingham is the Warm Detroit

HammerheadFistpunch > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:13

Man, if I got a full time remote gig I would be as far away from people as decent internet would allow.

E90M3 > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:17

I’ve moved long distances before and out of state, but only lived in apartments. On that note, it might be beneficial to sign a short term lease and live somewhere before you just uproot and buy a house there, just so you can figure out what area of the city you want to live in and so you’re not rushing into anything.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > E90M3
11/14/2019 at 15:20

the only problem with a short term lease that i could see is finding a place thats big enough to have space for both my wife and i to work as we need seperate offices. not to mention we have one kid already and are thinking about having a second. so anything we look at would need to have at least 4 bedrooms, or 3 and a basement that isnt a dungeon lol

Khalbali > E90M3
11/14/2019 at 15:21

I second all of this, I've also only lived in apartments but it's hard when you move to pick the right area/neighborhood/suburb, I'd also recommend a short lease or something while you really get the feel of the town.

Khalbali > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:22

I second E90M3 but also I'm jealous, I want to move away from Chicago so so badly. Right now the leading contender is Madison in about a year though, so not much warmer....

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:23

Get a rental for at least 6 months, then scope out the area and figure out where you want to be and give yourself some time to buy a house. That’s what we did when moving back to montana. Also I’m for moving away from people, not towards them so places like Buffalo Wyoming and Haver Montana are more desirable to me than Charleston or Miami.

Demon-Xanth knows how to operate a street. > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:24

Five years ago I moved from California to Virginia.

Just moved from Virginia to Washington.

ABF U-Pack worked well. Loaded up a pair of trailers, they stored them until we got a place, and unloaded.

Realtors handle the stuff that needs to be done pretty well. But try to get the inspections and stuff done while you are there. The realtors can help with what needs to be done.

Expect a lot of paperwork, and stress. But focus on your day to day life while locating a new place to live. It’ll cost more than you expect.

Regarding the ABF U-Pack trailers:

These were brilliant with standard ratchet straps:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07LF54KXW/

Michael > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:25

We just relocated from Atlanta to Minneapolis. Got our house prepped and on the market before we left. We took what we needed for a few months in our cars, plus the dogs, and got a short term apartment while we actively house hunted. For long distance, that would be my recommendation.

For 2 months, can you and your wife share the dining room table as an office while you house hunt?

Arrivederci > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:26

Carolinas are great (that’s where I live). Temperate weather and low cost of living.

First step would be to figure out a city or area where you want to live, and then take a visit. Different parts of town are usually priced differently, for good reason. Let proximity to shopping, good schools, airports, etc., factor into where in a city you want to live, not to mention the “feeling”. Only way to really accomplish this is to visit - maybe plan for a long weekend in an AirBnB where your host can help answer some questions.

Once you pick a city or area where you want to live, contact a realtor in that area. Depending on how soon you want to make this happen, they can either just provide you access to something like Listingbook or start to pulling properties to digitally show you.

After collecting a handful of properties that you’d be interested in living in an area of the city you love, fly back down to meet with the realtor and check them out. Rinse and repeat until you find something you love... obviously given the larger expense of travel, you’d want to really narrow down what you want before making a trip.

E90M3 > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:28

Just have to look and see if it’s an option. Worse come to worse, that option isn’t on the table, but I know after I move I usually get a much better feel for the area.

E90M3 > Arrivederci
11/14/2019 at 15:29

You’re also in the Carolinas?

shop-teacher > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:29

WHAT? How could you even consider leaving the great state of IllinBWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! I almost got that out with a straight face!

shop-teacher > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:31

You’d be surprised how many large houses there can be to rent. It’s not that uncommon. The people who lived next door to my parents for several years, rented the house for 6 months to see if they liked the area. Then they ended up buying the house. I always thought that was a good idea, because if they ended up hating the area, they were free to go.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Arrivederci
11/14/2019 at 15:33

thats all good advice, which carolina are you in? we were looking specifically at charlotte and maybe fayetteville NC

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
11/14/2019 at 15:34

But you need internet. That’s the thing that would kill me. R emote areas with decent internet are getting pricey due to people doing this, too (mind boggling on the Olympic Peninsula).

GoodIdeaAtTheTime > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:36

I have moved out of state 6 times now. It is a hassle. Having to transfer over things like titles, insurance, registration, licenses . Frustrating times, each stat e does something just a little bit different, can take upwards of 2 weeks to get sorted . Spend a few weeks of vacation in a state you are interested in, you may not like it (Florida, Tennessee ) My only advice would be to sell as much as you can. Throw out what you can afford too. Move with as little as possible and restart fresh in the new state. Only things I have a lot of trouble with are NFA items, my class 3's and SBR’s are a nightmare to transfer to a new state.

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > shop-teacher
11/14/2019 at 15:36

so not gonna lie, I absolutely love it here. I love chicago, i grew up in and around the city and close suburbs, all our family is here. but living somewhere warm and closer to the ocean does sound very appealing. my idea is to just move to central illinois where chicago is only a 2 hour amtrack ride away

Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero > Michael
11/14/2019 at 15:37

probably, or at least bedroom and living room if it came down to that

Arrivederci > E90M3
11/14/2019 at 15:43

Yes, the Northern variety.

Eric @ opposite-lock.com > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:44

Sweet. Going from my 70-80% telecommuting to 100% like my wife would be amazing and be so freeing. If it wasn’t for the baby you mentioned in another post, I’d say that you should sell almost all your belongings and become digital nomads. Spend a few months somewhere tropical while planning for your next move to some popular destination in an edge season, then when the tourists start arriving head to a remote spot that’s temperate...

As for moving, it’s not hard without children, but might complicate things with them. I’d do scouting missions with one of the two of you, then swap. When you have a strong potential, get everyone there simultaneously and decide. Moving interstate is expensive and complicated, so I have usually left a “presence” in former states for a month or six as I transition if it’s financially feasible to avoid running afoul of oddball laws in the destination state.

One thing I will also recommend is looking at the tax regime in the state you’re considering and weigh your options .

E90M3 > Arrivederci
11/14/2019 at 15:44

I’m in the southern one.

Arrivederci > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 15:49

In the Greensboro/Winston/High Point area known as the Triad. Charlotte is great, that’s where I grew up - lots of nicer communities on the outskirts of the city. Belmont is one that’s in super vogue right now. I’m not sure I’d live in Charlotte-proper though.

I haven’t spent a ton of time in Fayetteville, so take my opinion with a grain of salt, but I would absolutely not live there. Its nickname is Fayette nam. Huge military presence thanks to Ft. Bragg, and that comes with all the associated negatives. It would be about the last place I’d live in the state. If you like that region, Pinehurst and Southern Pines are both pretty decent.

Of course, since you’re an Oppo, maybe you like fun roads. Have you considered the NC mountains? That’s where I’d live if work would allow.

shop-teacher > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 16:06

I like it here too. Our state government is just so easy to make fun of. I spent seven years in central Illinois between undergrad, grad school, and my first teaching job. I liked it down there a lot. I came back to Chicagoland so I could actually make a decent salary as a teacher.

Chuckles > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 16:07

I lived in Greenville NC for 5 years. N ot a bad area as long as you don’t mind flatness. It’s a college town, home of East Carolina University. Plenty of food and shopping options. Maybe an hour and a half from the beach, or an hour and 10 minutes to Raleigh.

Just know that everything east of I-95 is absurdly flat, so look into what areas flood before you buy a house.

Chariotoflove > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 16:16

We did it by making researching relocation specialists with real estate agents in the area and pre-interviewing them by email and phone. We went with someone who was able to take us around to a bunch of potential homes in different neighborhoods that met our stated needs. She was very professional about it. We made a trip down coincident with the job interview and then again to deal with moving issues once the job was in the bag.

Once you’ve made contact with someone in person and forge a relationship, everything else can pretty much be done handled remotely until the moving trucks roll up.

Ask me more questions if you like. We moved from MI to TX with no one we knew down here.

Sammyno55 > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 16:23

Tennessee has no state income tax on wages . Just saying. I really considered the Chattanooga area a few years ago before deciding on the Atlanta area instead.

Textured Soy Protein > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 16:29

I moved from WI to MD last year but we moved from one rental to another so all the house buying/ selling stuff wa sn’t part of the equation.

As for the move itself, we have 2 cars and 3 cats. I was moving back to where my parents live, so a couple weeks before the move, I drove my car out in 14 hours straight through, the next day signed my lease, then left my car at my parents’ house and flew back to WI.

Then we spent the next couple weeks packing, and for the physical moving of stuff we rented a U-Haul and a car trailer for my wife’s car. We hired movers through U-Haul to load and unload the truck at each end. We did that drive over 2 days, with packing the truck and hitting the road in the morning, an overnight stay in a La Quinta (pets stay free!) in Cleveland, and then the rest of the drive and unloading everything the second day.

RutRut > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 17:11

My wife and I moved from Michigan to California last year, and just had a close friend move Michigan to Phoenix. We both found PODS to be the easiest way to move for the trip. For house showings we had our house prepped and an offer accepted just before we left and finished paperwork by mail. My friend split, his wife moved before to find a place and he stayed back until their house sold.

dtg11 - is probably on an adventure with Clifford > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 17:25

Once I graduate college, that’s my plan too. Same states as well.

I can’t help, but good luck! I hope you can move, I wouldn't wish living in Illinois on my worst enemy

Manny05x > Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
11/14/2019 at 19:46

I relocated from NY to NC, i rented at first after a year i purchased my house. Do your research i love NC but Tennessee is really beautiful also.