Moving out-of-state

Parent Cafe
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<p>In the interests of getting the most help/fit possible, a mini biography follows:</p>

<p>Who’s doing the moving: mother, father, 22-year-old brother, 7-year-old border collie, 1-year-old cat.</p>

<p>What’s relevant: Mother has undiagnosed (not for want of trying, believe me) digestive issues and chronic pain stemming from 5+ neck/spinal surgeries initiated by an on-the-job falling accident. Hasn’t worked since (15+ years) though is looking at starting PT at something. Recently had a hip replacement because deposits eroded the joint prematurely; they figure this is related to the digestive thing, whatever it is. </p>

<p>Father works in aviation, but is either a contractor or self-employed 90% of the time. Needs to be within 1-2 hours of an international airport for this reason. </p>

<p>Brother is a high school drop-out. Will be seeking his GED and possibly vocational school. Will also need to work! He is somewhat reserved and spends most of his time with video games and the people who play them.</p>

<p>(I… am a self-sufficient college graduate, so I don’t matter as long as I can visit once in a while. ;))</p>

<p>The whole family is strange. :wink: Fall into the majority, ethnicity-wise. Entirely a-religious except for mother who seeks… alternate paths. “Pagan” wouldn’t be far off, except it’s less of the “coven” type and more of the “holistic living” type. Dad is retired Marine, fairly conservative. Brother is irrelevant, because parents are gently trying to encourage him to move out. As long as he can get his GED and maybe some job skills, his preferences are irrelevant. :stuck_out_tongue: </p>

<p>Mom loves the cold and snow. Everyone hates high temps and humidity. Dog-friendly is an absolute must; the more places my mom can walk with the dog (keeping in mind her hip replacement was in the past year but that she’s looking to go hiking again soon) the better. </p>

<p>They are looking for 2-3 bedrooms with a dog-safe yard or access to one for around $1000/mo. </p>

<p>Mom and dad both grew up in the Bay Area; brother was born there. If they could afford it and weren’t so eager to “escape California,” they would undoubtedly move to Marin County or somewhere around North Bay. A milder version of San Francisco is exactly what my mother wants; my dad is flexible. Extreme conservatism and religiousness are a no-go for both of them. </p>

<p>–</p>

<p>Just so everyone knows, I am dutifully taking notes of all your impressions and sending them on to my family. They want me to pass on their thanks with my own; they really value personal recommendations and commentary. :)</p>

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<p>Dog friendly… Pagan… Relatively mild climate… No extreme conservatism and religiousness… Within 1 hr of a major airport…</p>

<p>Welcome to Seattle-Tacoma area :)</p>

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<p>Well, except for the part about 2-3 bedrooms and a dog-safe yard for $1000/month. Can’t be done in Seattle. </p>

<p>Portland… yes. it can be done here. Easily. And Portland is more dog-friendly than Seattle. Really. I didn’t think it was possible, but there it is. I have two poodles, and this is the first time I’ve ever taken them to restaurants. A lot of Portland restaurants have a dog patio! And every single Portland park has some off-leash hours. (Only a few are fully fenced though.)</p>

<p>And I know several people with GEDs and jobs that allow them to afford a small place here. And the alternative religion thing–believe me, NOT A PROBLEM ;-)</p>

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<p>High medical needs, loves cold & snow, proximity to major international airport, low unemployment, moderate rents: sounds like Rochester, MN to me. Regularly rated one of the most desirable places to live in the US largely because of the Mayo Clinic/Mayo Health System, which really can’t be beat, and the MSP airport is one of the nation’s busiest hubs with roughly 1/3 more flights per year than Seattle and about 70% more than Portland. Cold and snow? Few places can beat Minnesota in that category.</p>

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<p>Parents made the move very suddenly! They found a great place at a great price:</p>

<p>They’re moving to a house on San Juan Island, Washington. It’s quite a commute for my dad, but my mom loves it, the island apparently has an adult school for my brother, and there seems to be good opportunity for them to get jobs as well. Best thing: the people there are lovely and the salmon’s as fresh as they’ve ever had it. ^_^</p>

<p>Thanks so much to all of you for your help and suggestions. I know it helped them shape their decision, and I think it’s helped a few other posters find out what people think about relocating. Who knew NC was such a hot spot? ;)</p>

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<p>What kind of healthcare/hospital services will there be for your mom on the island?</p>

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<p>“Everyone hates high temps and humidity”</p>

<p>Forget my prior suggestion of Chapel Hill/Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina!</p>

<p>Interesting listing on the web today of “most affordable places to retire”. Obviously not for OP, since parents have already made a decision…but might be of interest to others.</p>

<p>[Best</a> Affordable Neighborhoods to Retire - WalletPop](<a href=“http://www.walletpop.com/retirement/best-retirement-values?icid=main|main|dl5|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fretirement%2Fbest-retirement-values]Best”>http://www.walletpop.com/retirement/best-retirement-values?icid=main|main|dl5|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fretirement%2Fbest-retirement-values)</p>

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<p>I am always amazed at the some of places picked by web sites and magazines. Sorry I lived in Cleveland for seven long, cold, and cloudy years. I am really looking forward to retirement, but I think I would rather keep working than move back to Cleveland.</p>

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<p>I definitely recommend the Pacific Northwest, Upper Midwest, and New England.</p>

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<p>jym, I haven’t a clue. I suspect my parents were a little less than prudent because the area was pretty, the house was dog-friendly and had the right kind of kitchen, and it was in their price range!</p>

<p>They keep saying they’ll “make it work” and I guess they figure the 2 hours to Seattle is worth being 2 hours from Seattle. Maybe there’s a specialist in Vancouver…</p>