Thinking about moving out of Iowa

I think that's a pretty good call, but I tend to prefer some of the NC towns vs. Virginia. Maybe I didn't have a good impression because driving by Richmond a couple years ago on the way to OBX I saw the biggest flag of any kind in my life, and it was not an American Flag.

I still have my top two states when/if we retire and leave Iowa as CO and NC. Really loved Charleston too, but have only been there in spring. Not sure I could handle it June-Aug.
Yep, worst part of the Deep South, is at least some of them are still acting like they won the Civil War. Look you lost, it was not a War of Northern Aggression, but a war that you tried and planned to keep people enslaved. Spare me the noble Lost Cause BS, and take your loss and get over it. The rural south is full of this BS, cities its not bad, but you can be proud of your heritage without distorting it. Just give us the facts.
 
If you can afford housing, it's a little less than three times higher than in Ames, on average over 900K in SD while Ames is around 330K for the average home.

You don't have to buy a house. The people I know down there have nice apartments that aren't crazy expensive.
 
I've spent time in Lisbon and did a couple of day trips while I was there, one of which was to the summer palace in Sintra. It was okay, but I don't remember enjoying it as much as I have the last couple of times I've gone to Spain. I do remember the same blind lady begging for money every day in the Lisbon subway. I think I could probably do her job given that her approach was exactly the same every day (even though I don't really speak Portuguese).

P.S. Just in case there's a misunderstanding (which there probably isn't), the Canaries belong to Spain and Portugal owns the Azores.
I have friends move to Costa Rica and Portugal and both have settled in, but there are big things to consider.
 
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the more i go to Houston the more I realize there are more Iowa State fans there. Last two trips there I have run into Cyclone fans. Love it.
Lot of ISU grads in the Dallas and Houston areas, fewer but some in and around Austin. All have great Cy Clubs that get together for game watches at a local bar and set up ticket packages when ISU playing at Baylor, TCU or Houston. We have gone through them to get football tickets for away games 3 times and have gone to one of their game parties. Really great people.
 
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You don't have to buy a house. The people I know down there have nice apartments that aren't crazy expensive.
Rent in SD is going to cost you twice what it would in Ames or Des Moines, don't get me wrong its a beautiful area of the country and wonderful weather, but the cost of living is approaching Seattle and SF levels.
 
Charlotte, NC fits that bill almost exactly. Just over an hour to the mountains, 3 hours from the beach. Summers are hot and humid. Winters are mild. A large percentage of Charlotteans are transplants, too.
Was just in Charlotte for a conference a couple weeks ago. Our local office lead said something crazy like the Charlotte metro is gaining 157 new residents every day, on average.
 
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I lived in Colorado for 15 years. Miss it terribly, mostly the weather. However, the cost of living, sprawl and escalating crime makes it a hard no for me to consider going back. Maybe the western slope?

Austin was alright. I joke that central Texas has two seasons, hot and surface of the sun. At least in Iowa, the two weeks of bitter cold, you can put on a blanket or dress for the cold, in the heat, you cannot get anymore naked. I miss HEB down there, those who know, know. Texans are some of the nicest people you will ever meet, until they get behind the wheel, then they want to kill you.
I want to end up in the mountains eventually. It's most likely that we'll just end up renting a house for a month a year or something like that when we retire. But I really want to spend a lot of time in the mountains. Trying to figure out where to do that but NOT in Denver. At that age, we'll want to be relatively close to healthcare.
 
Rent in SD is going to cost you twice what it would in Ames or Des Moines, don't get me wrong its a beautiful area of the country and wonderful weather, but the cost of living is approaching Seattle and SF levels.

Ok I'll let my friend who is a guide for kayak cave tours (not a very good paying gig) in SD know that she can't afford her nice apartment.
 
Lot of ISU grads in the Dallas and Houston areas, fewer but some in and around Austin. All have great Cy Clubs that get together for game watches at a local bar and set up ticket packages when ISU playing at Baylor, TCU or Houston. We have gone through them to get football tickets for away games 3 times and have gone to one of their game parties. Really great people.
I have noticed for sure. Wish there were more closer to SA. I live west of San Antonio and went to my first game with DFW Cyclones last year at TCU. Plan on doing the same for the game in Waco this year!
 
Ok I'll let my friend who is a guide for kayak cave tours (not a very good paying gig) in SD know that she can't afford her nice apartment.
not sure why you got defensive. SD is very much an expensive city. That's great your friend can afford it...many can't. A 400 foot 'nice' studio is over $2000 a month. Doesn't include parking, utilities, etc.
 
I think that's a pretty good call, but I tend to prefer some of the NC towns vs. Virginia. Maybe I didn't have a good impression because driving by Richmond a couple years ago on the way to OBX I saw the biggest flag of any kind in my life, and it was not an American Flag.

I still have my top two states when/if we retire and leave Iowa as CO and NC. Really loved Charleston too, but have only been there in spring. Not sure I could handle it June-Aug.
There are certainly sections of the area that are too proud that it was the capital of the confederacy but that's even faded in the last 20 years or so.
 
Been all over Europe.... If I were to buy a place over there it would be anywhere in Ireland, or Prague.
 
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I’m planning on moving to either the Tahoe area or Hawaii when my step daughter heads to college in 9 years and we don’t have to coordinate with her dad (we have a good relationship, I’m just not bringing another person into decision making on a move).

My wife thinks Hawaii is too far away so Tahoe is more likely. Should have our home in the western dsm suburbs paid off before them and plan to downsize when we move to something in a similar price range.
 
I’m planning on moving to either the Tahoe area or Hawaii when my step daughter heads to college in 9 years and we don’t have to coordinate with her dad (we have a good relationship, I’m just not bringing another person into decision making on a move).

My wife thinks Hawaii is too far away so Tahoe is more likely. Should have our home in the western dsm suburbs paid off before them and plan to downsize when we move to something in a similar price range.
I'll see you in Tahoe! I'll be on the south side
 
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There are certainly sections of the area that are too proud that it was the capital of the confederacy but that's even faded in the last 20 years or so.
In my experience, you could go a lifetime without seeing a Confederate flag if you stay within an hour of NOVA, but anywhere outside of that bubble and you start seeing stars and bars real fast.
 
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It’s since been renamed, but remember visiting DC and driving US 1 through Alexandria and Arlington and seeing it named as “Jefferson Davis Highway.”

Major highway through the DC metro, running by the Pentagon and Reagan Airport, being named after the confederate president was definitely a choice.
 
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I moved out of the midwest 10 years ago to AZ. First moved into a condo in Mesa, then bought a house in MEsa (this was before everything got crazy). Sold the Mesa house and moved to Queen Creek (again...before everything got crazy)

My wife and I don't plan on moving away anytime soon. We have a nice house in the suburbs and have a really awesome friend group.

I have a great job, and make pretty good money. Yes, everything is more expensive out here now, but what i'm seeing lately is a LOT of assumable mortgages.

My advice? Just do it, the more you think about it, the less likely you will actually do it.