Hello fellow mustachians,
I have been adopting the mustachian life style since I can remember. Living in a house I own and yet having a financial freedom was always a dream for me. Recently, I've began thinking about how to make this dream come true.
One of the first steps is to identify a list of cities in the US that would be suitable and affordable for me, and that is where I need your help.
Here is some more info about me:
- I am a software engineer, 30 years old, single, 0 debt.
- I am currently renting in (the crazy) SF bay area. I would love to buy a house here, but the median price is 800K for an old 3BR house which is not worth it for me. Currently renting with roommates to save more.
- 2 years from now I'm estimating to have 350-400K, that is when I plan to buy a house (2-3BR, in relatively good shape), with that cash and possibly a small mortgage.
- my plan is to then find an employer that will employ me part time (possibly remotely) and enjoy life for the rest of the time (which I do not have time for right now) the part time job will cover the ongoing expenses.
- Enjoying life for me means very simple things: staying connected with nature, hiking, biking and enjoying the simple things in life. that means that one requirement is living in a place with access to all of those.
- Due to my profession, another requirement would be to live in a place where the job market for the software/high-tech industry is relatively big, so that a good engineer could find a job assuming the market did not crash. I understand that this requirement has a (big) price.
- Warm weather year round, or at the very least - mild winters. Unfortunately, I do not do well in cold weather.
I was thinking about Austin, Texas. But the housing market there is very hot right now, and will probably appreciate a lot in the next two years.
After living with roommates, working full time and maximizing my savings most of my adult life - I'm starting to get tired and hoping to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Any advice would be much appreciated!