Author Topic: Any one change their geography to hack their housing costs?  (Read 1714 times)

Phish

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I live in a expensive coastal area of the U.S and have for many years.  I'm doing a lot of research on relocating to a cheaper part of the U.S.   to either rent or buy.  I'm 40's retired no kids live off my investment returns so can live anywhere.   Curious if other MMM folks have moved geographies to lower housing costs?  Where did you start off and where did you move?  How much did you reduce your housing cost?

Housing is the one item in my budget I am having a hard time "hacking".   I don't want to do roommates and want a decent place to live.


Phish

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Re: Any one change their geography to hack their housing costs?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2017, 09:52:02 PM »
Has to be someone on MMM that has made a major move out of their area to substantially lower their housing costs?  Move to another city close by?  State?  Different country?  Love to hear some success stories how it went

joonifloofeefloo

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Re: Any one change their geography to hack their housing costs?
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2017, 12:44:09 AM »
Mr MM moved from Canada :)

I move regularly per housing costs. I mean, I move regularly for other reasons too -sheer fun, interest, learn a new language, whatever- and I end up with skookum deals most times. But yeah, I move to chase awesome shelter deals, too, because that's what makes or breaks my FIRE.

e.g., Move to current place was to snag a dream world at $500/mo. Now I'm moving out of the region in hopes of not seeing a jump to $2k/mo...or at least to get a much fancier lifestyle if I have to pay that much.

My best move is to find a perfectly good, unrented place, and make a pitch to the owner. No roommates and quiet and cheap for me; reduced insurance costs for landlord, income for landlord. Win-win.

I also love work exchanges, etc.

Roots&Wings

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Re: Any one change their geography to hack their housing costs?
« Reply #3 on: May 06, 2017, 07:11:07 AM »
Many other threads on this if you search, here's one for example: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/how-to-find-your-best-place-to-live/


Phish

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Re: Any one change their geography to hack their housing costs?
« Reply #4 on: May 06, 2017, 09:15:51 AM »
Thanks step-in-time I'll check that thread out.

Well, I live in the Seattle burbs.  Although, even though the Seattle area has high rents/house prices, you save lot here with no state income tax and low utility costs.  Many other states have BOTH state income tax AND high utility costs.  But housing costs are getting SO high, that even with a state income tax + higher utility costs it makes sense to move somewhere with much cheaper housing.

I have a 1 bed apartment I pay $1,250/mo for (that is inclusive of water/sewer/garbage).  And this is a working class burb outside of Seattle, and not even a hip higher end neighborhood (that would be at least $1,600/mo for a 1 bed apt...but more like $1,800+).  $1,250 is about the cheapest I can get a decent 1 bed apartment in the Seattle metro that is not dumpy/ghetto.  My electricity/heat is only $20/mo average, which is really awesome.  Seattle has some of the lowest electricity costs in the U.S.  No AC needed in western WA. 

Some areas thinking about:
-Boise ID
-Omaha/Lincoln NE (high taxes but very low housing costs)
-Spokane WA
-Albuquerque NM
-Vancouver WA (still pretty high housing costs but less than Seattle area)
-Maine
-Phoenix (would do a snowbird thing and get out of there 6 mos)
-NH (have family close...but NH doesn't have cheap housing costs)

SE Asia or latin america might be nice for some winter months, but I don't think I could live there full time.   I am interested in finding a cheap way to be a snowbird too as I have that flexibility.  There are some nice parts of the U.S. with lower housing costs that either have brutal winters or brutal summers.  So being a snowbird would alleviate that the bad weather mos.














Phish

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Re: Any one change their geography to hack their housing costs?
« Reply #5 on: May 06, 2017, 09:23:32 AM »
Many other threads on this if you search, here's one for example: https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/ask-a-mustachian/how-to-find-your-best-place-to-live/

Also the difference I was looking for in my thread vs threads like this one you suggest, is seeing examples of people that have done moves.  How much their housing costs changed.  Where they moved to and from and how they liked it, etc...


 

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