Anyone else fleeing their state?

[Floridaman79]

Florida Panhandle/Lower Alabama is awesome, minus these pesky hurricanes (which I am sitting through right now). I live in Navarre, which is right between Pensacola and Destin. I used to hate it as I grew up in Point Pleasant, NJ and it reminded me of it with all the summer traffic and tourists. My outlook changed a lot after a boat and a couple jetskis. Now I love it here. Everything is better on the water.
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I grew up in Alabama but moved to Florida right out of college. Overall i really like both states. Florida doesn't have a state income tax but makes up for it in property taxes. Alabama has a state income tax but low property taxes. Depending on how much real estate you own vs how much you earn depends on whats favorable, but overall I think they are both fine places to live. I did several scalloping trips in the gulf this year and my jet boat loved to suck in the sea grass. I'd keep that it mind when considering a boat if you're in an area with a lot of sea grass. I don't have the same issue with the sargassum over here on the east coast.

 

[Quad]

@drewkaree Ha! Nah you have enough FIB's! We're heading to Da U.P. Been going up there for years between boating, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling and our general love for outdoors and our growing disdain for people! Although, you Sconnies love the IL $$$$ just not the people! LOL!

I'm from Iowa, so this shit-box state is just a temporary parking spot!

I spent the first 25 years of my life in the greater Chicago area, and could never understand the sentiment people in WI and MI felt towards us Illinosians.

Fast forward to 2016, after living abroad and in CA for the decade after leaving IL, the Admiral (CA native...ish) and I were having a hard go of it in the SF Bay Area and needed to get away from the masses of humanity. It meant leaving a ton of family and friends, but we needed a change from large-metro-area-living and found ourselves in Maine.

After 4 years in Maine, I finally have some perspective on the folks coming up from NH and MA - I now react to them like folks in WI and MI do to FIBs!

 

[GTBRMC]

I spent the first 25 years of my life in the greater Chicago area, and could never understand the sentiment people in WI and MI felt towards us Illinosians.

Fast forward to 2016, after living abroad and in CA for the decade after leaving IL, the Admiral (CA native...ish) and I were having a hard go of it in the SF Bay Area and needed to get away from the masses of humanity. It meant leaving a ton of family and friends, but we needed a change from large-metro-area-living and found ourselves in Maine.

After 4 years in Maine, I finally have some perspective on the folks coming up from NH and MA - I now react to them like folks in WI and MI do to FIBs!

Hahaha! I grew in Michigan and now live in SE Wisconsin. A fair bit of truth to your words.

 

[Dixie Highway]

All I ask for any of you fleeing your state, do NOT try to make the new state you move to like your old one. This seems to be a common occurrence more often than not.

Example: I'm out of CA....moved to NC. OMG!!! It's so inexpensive here...they should do XYZ and it will only raise the taxes "$xxx".

Nice job, you've now totally f'd another great area.

I think something to remember here is that IF I agreed with how our state was run I would not be leaving it. Unfortunately this has happened in Austin TX, Nashville, etc but I feel that has to do with them leaning that way to start. The states with all these financial problems are usually single party states, that’s true, but remember that doesn’t mean everyone there agrees with the govt. usually there is a very large city in the state that more or less dictates the entire state’s government structure. Needless to say for me personally I’ll fit right in there when we become residents.

 

[I_squared_r]

Everything in NYC still sucks. My company is one of the few that hasn't had layoffs, but now our projects are finishing. I don't know what next year will bring. I have taken only 9 vacations days since April 2019 so I will take an extended vacation at the end of the year and go to Brazil for New Years.. Pending my passport (another thing COVID messed up). If i'm laid off then I will move to a southern city with better job outlook or nuclear option is to apply for gas companies in Brazil and live abroad for a little. Even before COVID, I was ready for a change so the timing isn't too bad.

 

[Floridaman79]

@Dixie Highway did the new place make it thru hurricane Sally ok?

 

[Dixie Highway]

Made it through mostly intact, took a little bit of roof damage and lost the entire fence. Haven’t been able to get anyone inside yet to make sure it didn’t leak, hopefully have more answers this week. I was down there during the storm, and the day after was able to drive by and see the outside. At this point we were going to close Oct 30th but now it will depend on repairs and what the current owner is willing to do. Hopefully we get it figured out since we’ll be homeless here Oct 28th! In hindsight I wish we had pushed it out a bit farther, but even as of Monday morning when they accepted our offer we were still supposed to be 20-30 miles away from landfall, not taking a direct hit. This one really was hard to predict.

 

[Floridaman79]

Often times during hurricanes water will be blown into roof vents, so it looks like a leak although it only happens during hurricanes. If it gets dried out quick it can save a lot of headaches. Good luck on everything, glad you weren't flooded!

 

[Dixie Highway]

We experienced that directly where we were staying. Brother in law’s roof leaked in through the ridge vents and down his fireplace flue.

 

[Rowdie]

No I’m not moving. I feel like I choose wisely 20 years ago and everything I’ve seen and done since has confirmed it.

come on down! This place is beautiful. We’re running out of gulf access but you’ll find something that works.

 

[Hooker47d]

Might I recommend SC. I live in Aiken, smallish town, nice people 20 mins from Augusta GA, lots of lakes, sort of close to the Atlantic and 8ish hours to the gulf. LOW cost of living, great golf courses, tons of outdoors living. I bought 3 acres and built a 3k Square foot 5 bed/4bath for less than 330k in the last year. 1.80 gas/1.90diesel. Lots of jobs.

 

[Dixie Highway]

Update on the situation. We walked away from the previous deal, seller refused to honor the contract and return the property to the condition it was in when we signed the contract. We moved on, and will be in Spanish Fort. Closing Nov 23rd.

 

[Babin Farms]

Update on the situation. We walked away from the previous deal, seller refused to honor the contract and return the property to the condition it was in when we signed the contract. We moved on, and will be in Spanish Fort. Closing Nov 23rd.

Sorry to hear that things didn't work out.

How close to the water will you be in Spanish Fort?

 

[Dixie Highway]

Spanish Fort is about 10 miles north of where we were looking in Daphne, but closer to Mobile Bay. We are about 45 minutes to the gulf (Orange Beach/Gulf Shores) and 30 minutes to a ramp that gets us to the gulf off the bay. Not as close as we’d like, but this keeps us out of the thick of the tourist areas.

 

[JetBoat1521]

Congrats. I'd love to escape Illinois but I don't see it in the cards right now. Hopefully someday.

 

[swatski]

Spanish Fort is about 10 miles north of where we were looking in Daphne, but closer to Mobile Bay. We are about 45 minutes to the gulf (Orange Beach/Gulf Shores) and 30 minutes to a ramp that gets us to the gulf off the bay. Not as close as we’d like, but this keeps us out of the thick of the tourist areas.

Man, hope this works out for you guys! I'll be very envious of your gulf boating access.
I can't complain myself, plenty of water where we landed, recently moved in the opposite direction kind of - from MO to NJ, lol.
Have to say, love it so far, other than taxes... just stupid high here, but other than that it is a beautiful state actually.

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[Maduro]

Well, we have decided to pull the trigger. Getting our ducks in line and putting the house on the market, heading to "LA" lower Alabama. We are going to be about 20 minutes from our beloved Gulf of Mexico. Some of you know I have recently sold my 210 FSH, this was part of the process. I really didn't want to, but the market is right and it will be one less thing to move, getting the loan off my credit will help with financing a new home (rates are crazy low right now, we were quoted 2.5% for a 30 year). This will be a long process as we are looking to build a new house there, but the wheels have started turning. Once we are settled in there I'll be looking for another boat. Can't say for sure it will be a Yamaha as I have big ambitions about learning to fish in blue water, more than likely though it'll have tuning forks somewhere on it lol. Bottom line though, we just don't see much of a future here in the People's Republic of IL. Taxes keep going up, crime is increasing, frankly the feeling I get is that the state doesn't want me here. Maybe I'm too middle class, they want rich donors and wards. Anyways, I'll be off to the land of sub $1000/yr property taxes by the end of 2020, wish me luck!

Moved to Bolivar Peninsula, TX. Best decision ever! No income taxes, great weather and the gulf is just a stones throw. Good luck on your move!

 

[Dixie Highway]

Man, hope this works out for you guys! I'll be very envious of your gulf boating access.
I can't complain myself, plenty of water where we landed, recently moved in the opposite direction kind of - from MO to NJ, lol.
Have to say, love it so far, other than taxes... just stupid high here, but other than that it is a beautiful state actually.

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I lived out east for a year near Philly, not my cup of tea but it was a beautiful area. We are all set and close on the new, new house Nov 20th. Very much looking forward to being less than an hour from white sand and emerald water, not to mention no snow!

 

[TwoSips]

Well, we have decided to pull the trigger. Getting our ducks in line and putting the house on the market, heading to "LA" lower Alabama. We are going to be about 20 minutes from our beloved Gulf of Mexico. Some of you know I have recently sold my 210 FSH, this was part of the process. I really didn't want to, but the market is right and it will be one less thing to move, getting the loan off my credit will help with financing a new home (rates are crazy low right now, we were quoted 2.5% for a 30 year). This will be a long process as we are looking to build a new house there, but the wheels have started turning. Once we are settled in there I'll be looking for another boat. Can't say for sure it will be a Yamaha as I have big ambitions about learning to fish in blue water, more than likely though it'll have tuning forks somewhere on it lol. Bottom line though, we just don't see much of a future here in the People's Republic of IL. Taxes keep going up, crime is increasing, frankly the feeling I get is that the state doesn't want me here. Maybe I'm too middle class, they want rich donors and wards. Anyways, I'll be off to the land of sub $1000/yr property taxes by the end of 2020, wish me luck!

Hey @Dixie Highway , brand spanking new 2021 252 SE Yammy Owner AND, pulling the trigger in Daphne as well from crazy Kali! Done with insane taxation and just horrible quality of life! The house we're looking at is in the $500K range. With a 2.25% VA loan, I'd be stupid not to jump on it. Not only that, we tried a model match to homes in San Diego. Comparable home starts at $2 MILLION with ZERO LAND. Yeah, not doing it. BUH BYE.

As much as WE LOVE San Diego and the incredible boating culture we've started into, it's succumbed to increasing insanity like the rest of Kali, so we're out. Was told Mobile Bay was an incredible boaters destination, so excited to experience that!

We're more than likely gonna be landing right south of Belforest, so maybe a 'Bama JB Community Forum boating get together is in the cards when you are back in the water!

 

[Dixie Highway]

Congrats on the move down here. Welcome! We ended up in Spanish Fort (Hurricane Sally, see previous long story) but the whole Baldwin county area is great with great growth. I will preemptively say in agreement with prior posts I hope you plan to move here and enjoy it, not move here and change it (I don’t believe that is your intention). Mobile bay is nice, just know that it is SHALLOW and muddy. Dauphin Island, Gulf Shores, OB, Perdido are all much nicer water. I’m still shopping for my next vessel but leaning towards an OB offshore rig, mainly due to my irrational expectation that I’ll be learning how to saltwater fish. Anytime you want to get together let me know, always nice to have someone to hang with at the sandbar.