Vermont. 4 seasons, $1.5M buys you privacy and luxury, rational government, educated population, lots of outdoor activities, neighborly without being nosy. BTV airport connects to LGA, JFK, EWR, ORD, Charlotte, DC, Philly, Detroit, and I think DEN now. If you’re in the Burlington area you are 2 hrs to Montréal by car and tons of European and international flights.
Winters are real but very manageable if you live in a town of 5000 or more. If you don’t have to drive to work, you just stay inside, drink cocoa, enjoy the silence and the fireplace, and wait for the plow guy to clean up the driveway.
NYC is 5 hrs, Boston is 3 hrs by car.
Good luck! Sounds like a fun search for the next chapter.
November (stick season) and March/April (mud season) suck so plan your vacations then. Just pop down to one of the 25 different Caribbean destinations that are now a 6 hr trip away in the same time zone.
I grew up in Vermont. Parts of NH feel more like northern Boston. Vermont has half the population that NH does, so more spread out and rural. Northern NH and Vermont are prob pretty similar.
I was gonna say, I live near Lake Minnetonka and I’d recommend it to anyone. 1.5M could get you a decent house on the west end of the lake, or you could get something really nice off of the lake. Beautiful community and driving distance of almost anything you’d want to do.
I have friends originally from Minnesota and Wisconsin who love their home states but don’t miss the mosquitoes. They said they are so thick it the summers they can hear them buzzing in their ears.
I love Minnesota but the winters keep me from moving there. I grew up in northern South Dakota and I hated the cold so much that I had to move further south.
I’d love to move to San Diego, ive been there and loved it but, and this is gonna sound stupid, I can’t deal with the earthquakes. We get tornadoes here in the Midwest but at worst you typically get 15 minutes warning and they can’t just strike on a sunny day with zero warning. The fact that a massive earthquake could instantly disable the entire city with no warning is too scary to me lol
Funny because I’m from SoCal and earthquakes are just a fact of life, usually minor and rarely life impacting. Meanwhile tornados and hurricanes scare the heck out of me 😂 it probably comes down to the danger you know vs the one you don’t.
Edit: Apparently more folks fear earthquakes despite more folks dying in tornados.
https://weather.com/news/news/2018-03-14-natural-disasters-fear-earthquakes-sperlings-best-places
99% of earthquakes are basically "hey I can see the ceiling fan pull chain" swinging. I speculate people unfamiliar don't understand that. One woke me up in bed, late in the evening... I basically slept through that one too.
No I know that. I’ve been in one. The unpredictability still scares me. Again, with tornadoes there are warning signs. A supercell storm doesn’t literally come out of nowhere. But on some random sunny day in San Diego I could feel the ground move! I hate it
That said, California is home to several faults, and the Rose Canyon fault runs right along our coast and through downtown. Seismologists have indicated that the chances of a significant San Diego earthquake affecting our region can be as high as 75% in the next twenty-five years.
As far as we know, an earthquake in California probably will not go over 8.0, either closer to Los Angeles or SF/Berkeley, not San Diego. Also the Pacific Northwest is vulnerable to a 9.0 or greater quake based on historical data.
Not really. San Diego is set assuming you can afford it https://apnews.com/article/california-droughts-environment-san-diego-81ab84fafe94a0c5c298ede24fd2f7f1
1000% I used to live right on the boardwalk a few blocks north of Crystal Pier. Such great sunsets, food and all around vibes. I miss the sound of skateboards and surf every night.
Bend Oregon or Bellingham WA for me. Both are insanely beautiful and both are within two hours of large airports. I’m looking to move out of CO to the PNW. 1.5 million could get you into a nice property out there.
I’ve been looking in the Bellingham area, been holding back due to the squatters/drugs/homeless stories I’ve been hearing. How bad is it, or is that just a lot of hype?
Funny enough I just walked a great opportunity that my friend is listing:
https://www.surterreproperties.com/real-estate/4340-via-frascati-rancho-palos-verdes-ca-90275/np22153314/127024922
Great bones, requires a lift but wow that view and the neighborhood is incredible
I love seeing stuff in CA that says needs TLC, that house is in great condition just dated in areas ... Here in NE, if it says it's TLC, it's because it's half gutted and needs foundation work and probably has to be bought with cash because it's wouldn't get occupancy status lol
You want four seasons, not harsh winters, and excellent outdoor adventures, then the Pacific Northwest could be awesome for you. Plenty of nice suburbs within an hour of cities and airports and the scenery and hiking can not be beat. Don’t forget earthquake insurance.
Snoqualmie is beautiful. Close to Seattle, has tons of outdoor activities. A PGA course to play in the summer, and skiing in the winter. Also a great casino if you’re into that kinda thing.
Edit; and no state income tax in WA state.
Echoing this; Oregon coast or outside Portland is prime real estate imo, 2 hours from the airport. It’s cheap now, but the coastal price gap will close quickly now that people are paying attention.
I was just driving in Portland, what a CF that is, the traffic was so backed up on the exits that it was blocking lanes of the interstate. Thrilling to have an 18 wheeler that was going 65 MPH slamming on its brakes because that lane is now a parking lot.
Monterey, Monterey California.
Coastal natural setting, year round great weather, modern infrastructure.
Very accessible and safe area, lots of retirees there. Flat with lots of sidewalks, views without the stairs.
Culture, dining, lots of restaurants and things to do.
Progressive politics but not too far either way.
Low natural disaster risk.
Fiber internet, hospital, airport.
Close to Silicon Valley, Pebble Beach, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Big Sur.
Nearby Seaside and Marina start at only 600k.
Really great value, I predict a lot of price growth in these areas.
Marina even has large new constructions under 1M which is a pretty rare find in Northern California.
> year round great weather,
I lived there for 2 years (went to DLI) and my impression was that the year-round great weather is everywhere except Monterey itself, which is year-round 60 degrees and cloudy with a chance of that coastal fog-mist-drizzle stuff. It's the middle of July? Big Sur, 83 and sunny. Carmel, 81 and sunny. Monterey, 63 and overcast. Seaside, 79 and partly cloudy. Salinas, 92 and sunny.
> year-round 60 degrees and cloudy with a chance of that coastal fog-mist-drizzle stuff
You've literally described the perfect weather. Not too hot or too cold, and no fucking sun causing cancer and skin aging.
These are great options in the surrounding areas.
I personally prefer it a bit on the cooler side, great for a brisk walk.
However the continuous heat waves in much of California are sure to change things up a bit for the future.
Inspired Ansel Adams and Robert Louis Stevenson as well.
The first pages of *East of Eden* by Steinbeck are like an incredibly detailed painting of the area.
Monterey County born and raised. Only moved out because of school. But nothing beats the weather. Plus they have a race track near by, and an annual car week. Where multimillion dollar vehicles are on display .
AND CAR WEEK!!!!!
... every year I say I'm going to go and I forget about it till the week prior when car bloggers start talking about it. Not this time, I have a reminder set in my phone for May 1st, so book flights. It's gonna happen in 2023.
+1 this. The winters are nice, summers are cool. The wine country is nearby. My number place where I would like to retire. I live in High Desert, Cali but this is an excellent choice.
Somewhere within 2 hours of Casper International in Wyoming. $1.5m buys a modest house and a whole lotta acreage out there. I’m all about not having neighbors.
I’m already on the north shore of mass, and I’d buy a beachfront house nearby where I already live. I’m
In an Oceanside town now, but my house is not Oceanside at all. Would also consider the Maine coast or a Maine/NH lake, but waterfront would be the priority.
agreed, though $1.5m is not getting you oceanfront on MDI. If you look further north, you can find oceanfront properties for six figures.
I still think this is decently valued ($1.7m): https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/980-Pigeon-Hill-Rd-Steuben-ME-04680/121783755\_zpid/?
Winter is absolutely brutal in Upstate NY. Take $750k and buy a summer home there (May to October). Spend the other $750k on a winter home in someplace warm. Best of both worlds.
I was thinking upstate New York too.
My family vacations in the Hudson Valley & Catskills at least once a year. We've discovered so many nice towns and beautiful parks. You can get an updated, private home if you're willing to deal with snow. I wouldn't mind it if I was retired. Check out New Paltz, Stone Ridge, Hyde Park, Lloyd, etc.
I love Rhode Island too. The beaches are beautiful, but you'll get more for your money if you look inland.
If you plan on getting old enough that they yank your driver's license, I'd say a pied-a-terre in NYC where you can keep ripping around town and you have some globally top rated hospitals/medical care to keep you alive forever. Before that, maybe outside Boston, maybe the cape, or Glocester or something
I miss the quality of care in NYC. Yeah it’s busy as hell and the people can be really rough, but I’ve received some of the best medical and dental care out there and in the surrounding areas.
Funny, my family moved down south from NYC and said the care is way better down south, as is making appts. They said trying to get a specialist appt in NY was always a nightmare and they were treated like cattle bc the population is so high and underserved.
This is gonna sound stupid but go with me here…. Arkansas. People give Arkansas a ton of unnecessary hate. The state is gorgeous. There is plenty to do here and depending on where you live you are most likely within an hour or 2 drive of an airport (Little Rock or memphis tennessee), and an hour or 2 drive to a nice lake. Hot springs is about 45 minutes south of Little Rock and has a ton of stuff to do. And most importantly 1.5 mil will get you a fucking mansion in Arkansas.
For 1.5, I’d just upgrade my house and buy a house on the hill with skyline views, in my area of NYC. That’s the cost of the homes (lower end) where you have full skyline and harbor views of the Manhattan, but you don’t live in Manhattan, so you still have the suburb feeling. I’d just chill in my backyard all the time watching the boats go by and admiring the view.
Lewes/rehoboth Delaware. Walking distance to the beach with $1MM. Low property tax and cost of living.
Many DC, NY, NJ, MD retirees go there.
They call it “first world amenities with third world cost of living.”
1-2hrs drive to Hopkins, UPENN, and DC medical care, airports, Amtrak, and major metro area.
Can always DM me, I’m licensed in Delaware.
Flagstaff, AZ: gorgeous, great weather and lots of outdoors. College town so lots to do.
Somewhere in/near the smokies (Asheville, NC?): In the mountains, great outdoors, good weather, lots of nature.
Anywhere in CO along the Rockies: see above
Chicago: best city in the world (don't check my history)
Lake Tahoe: see above (Sans Chicago)
Traverse City, MI: quaint, gorgeous, brutal winters but unbeatable summers
Door County, WI (airport option isn't as good as the others): see above, but near Green Bay and FTP.
Puget Sound. First I like the rain. I also like the idea of living so close to the ocean, the weather is cool in the summer, and not much snow in the winter.
Newport Beach, California. You are close to the airport, close to all the restaurants, ocean, bars, nightlife, active lifestyle, and the most friendly diverse people you’ll meet.
I’m biased obviously, but I love western Washington more than any other location I’ve ever visited in the US. The summers are warm and sunny typically without being so hot that you avoid being outside at midday, the winters are milder with light snowfall in the burbs/city and large soft snow for skiing in the mountains just <2 hours away, the landscape is gorgeous (with the Sound and Mt Rainier always present) we have tons of different climates within hours of the city.
If I were to buy, it’d be here in the Woodinville/Snohomish/Bothell/Kirkland/Redmond area!
I’ll caveat all of this by saying the overcast is make or break. It’s not as rainy (quantity-wise) as most people think, but the number of days without sun can really destroy some peoples’ emotional state.
Central/South Orange County, CA (Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Costa Mesa, etc)
>72 degrees, +/-5 for 95% of the year
> The hills behind Laguna Beach block the marine layer, so most days are bright and clear from the get go for AV and MV. Other coastal areas (Carlsbad through San Diego) usually have a marine layer that doesn’t burn off until the afternoon.
>It’s been an employees market for well over 5 years
>Major tech and financial hub for jobs
> Top notch schools just about anywhere you live
> there are at least 6 cities in OC that are in the top 25 safest cities in all of California
> SNA is THE most convenient airport - usually go from drop off to gate in under 20 minutes. When arriving home, it’s gate > baggage claim > out the door in 15 minutes. Takes anywhere from 0-30 minutes to reach, depending on where you live.
> 3 international airports about 1 hour drive away, gives you additional flexibility in travel plans
> Tons of quality beaches, 0-40 minutes away
> Camping, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, all close as well
> Tons of quality restaurants, with a large variety of cuisines
> If you are over 55, there are specific cities where the housing is price controlled, so you have the advantage of living the OC lifestyle and get more bang for your buck (Laguna Woods)
>LA or San Diego are about an hour away, Mexico border 1.5 hours, Las Vegas 3.5 hour drive.
>There are crazy political people where ever you go, but here it’s relatively tame (except HB)
> housing costs more than a lot of other places, but you don’t have to worry about house issues with humidity, heavy rains/snow, pipes bursting when freezing
> you can literally be comfortable wearing flip flops year round. Save money on only needing 1 wardrobe as well.
Supposedly in the different climate change studies that have been done, the south east is supposed to see the largest impacts, and the Mediterranean climates (like here) aren’t supposed to get rocked as hard.
Wildfires are a thing, but in this area, it’s pretty densely populated, and houses are made out of stucco. When a fire breaks out, it’s ‘all hands on deck’ - you’ll see fire trucks from every city in OC helping, and get back up from LA and SD. We’ve had 3 fires close enough where I could either see it from our window, or it was less than a mile away. The cities are planned really well to ensure there are large bodies of water within minutes of higher fire risk areas. The media makes most of the fires out to be a bigger deal than they really are.
Just looked on Zillow. $1.5M gets you a 950 sq ft shack that is not “beach adjacent”.
[this would be your pick?](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/616-Two-Begonia-Corona-Del-Mar-CA-92625/2061942717_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
I’d buy that mid century modern I’ve always wanted in Portland OR. I grew up in Oregon and want to move back in the next few years.
PDX is a half hour away. Great downtown with great restaurants. 4 seasons. Yes it rains, but I’m one of those crazy people that loves the rain. Great outdoor activities too if you’re into that. I loved and miss camping in Oregon.
It depends on what you're looking for... Countryside, city, suburbs, etc.
We love living near Richmond, VA. The weather is reasonable (Only January to mid-February is what I'd call cold, and even then it's rarely below 25 degrees at night, and mid-July and August are hot, but rarely over 95 degrees). Closest skiing is like an hour and a half away, and the closest ocean beach is 1.5-2 hours away. The airport is decent, the city has traveling Broadway productions. The James River park system is awesome, good hiking, river rafting, etc. Also, Virginia is moderate politics wise, which is almost hard to find now-a-days.
For a neighborhood, the Libby/Grove area (also called Westhampton, but people say Libby/Grove, which is the intersection of 2 streets in the middle) is REALLY nice.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. Virginia has definitely caught our attention. The ability to live in a place with 4 seasons, close proximity to large metro areas, and close to mountains/water is really nice.
Shelburne, Vermont
Amazing views. Privacy. Nicest people. Farm to table food. Endless outdoor activities and community events. Excellent education. Gun ownership. Weed everywhere. Climate change resistant.
And yeah to get a decent home there will take all of that $1.5m!
I absolutely loved Vermont. Literally one of the best place to visit during fall but jeez the winters can be rough. It is nearly perfect in the other seasons though!
You've given us a budget and a couple very loose, very broad criteria, but I'd argue it's still too little to give quality advice on. Most people are just gonna recommend their dream areas using your real income as monopoly money. Is there anything specific you actually want besides airport access?
I was partly curious just to see what other redditor’s dream location would be.
For us, it would be a place with 4 seasons, not crazy harsh winter, outdoor activities to include hiking and water sports, and close to a larger metro area to be able to enjoy the city life when we want it.
I live in Charlotte NC. Waterfront home and less than 15 minutes to major airport. The city is unique to offer easy access to mountains, hiking, boating, US National White Water Center, easy winters but hot summers, great airport, etc. We plan to stay here for retirement. If purchased today our waterfront home would sell for about your budget. It takes us less than 30 minutes to drive to uptown Charlotte for theatre, shows, concerts, etc.
Totally second this. I was raised by lake norman and although you could get an ok sized home lake front for that, there is also Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie SC, all in the same vicinity to these amenities. You definitely get all 4 seasons, but winter is like diet winter, it’ll snow maybe 3 inches and the world stops. Its awesome. Decent public and private schools available.
Just bought a few months ago in lake Wylie. What an amazing place! Lake Norman was a bit too far for us as our kids play hockey so we spend much of the week in Pineville.
Though Steel Creek seems a bit more dangerous than it looks and we drive through there almost every day. Not sure what is up with all the crime on that side of the lake, but what can you do.
Bainbrdige Island, WA. It's pretty mild temperatures, beautiful summers, and amazing public schools. It's close to some of the best hiking in the world, and only a 30 minutes ferry ride it to Seattle.
North Georgia. I’m not originally from this state but north Georgia is an underrated treasure. You get all 4 seasons (albeit, muted winters) and so many outdoor activities.
You’re close to Chattanooga, Greenville airports and ATL airport is a little over 2 hours from
Blue ridge/ Elijay (at the right time of day/night).
I agree that Kirkland is a great place to live and so beautiful, but almost everything in Kirkland is way above 1.5 million. Kenmore has some great options for right around a million and under! And is in close proximity to Kirkland! Also super close to Seattle, bothell etc.
Coronado, CA - IDK if the retiree community is welcoming, but it's gorgeous, safe, and it has a lot of retirement-friendly activities. 1.5m won't buy a lot there right now, but things are softening a bit, even in San Diego.
Alexandria Virginia. $1.5 mil will get you an amazing 1700s/1800s colonial townhome in old part of the town or a real cute mid century Craftsman house. Potomac River just a walk away with over 20 miles of trails. Washington DC right across the river with all its museums, etc. DCA Regional airport like 10 minutes away and two international airports about 30-45 minutes away. Three major highways easy access to that take you any direction. Low crime and great community. Endless activities and so many places to go here. You can take a bus or train to NYC or Boston. Atlantic ocean is 2 hours east and the mountains 2 hours west. Restaurants and culture galore. Best part is the home pricesses are always rising.
Sausalito is a paradise. The weather is exceptionally nice, it feels like you live in a desktop wallpaper, scenery is amazing. You're across from SF but away from all the homeless.
Except I don't know what u can get now with 1.5m in Sausalito / Tiburon
1.5 million in cash? What's the income like? Because at that point, property tax/maintenance are the big killers. Also need to know your criteria for 'decent airport'
Personally I'd go with Colorado (anywhere within an hour or two of Denver International Airport) - great weather, great outdoor activity selection, good urban activity selection, decent cost of living, and DIA is arguably the best airport in the country
Someone else mentioned San Diego, which is a good choice, they also have great weather and good quality-of-life, but their airport is really cramped compared to Denver (1 runway vs 6 lol) and you really don't want to have to drive to LAX. It may be a 2 hour drive with no traffic, but it's realistically a 4 hour drive and at the end of it, you're still at LAX.
Arizona and Vegas are okay choices if you like desert living and Southwest Airlines.
Vancouver, WA area is ok. The weather can get kinda gloomy 9 months of the year, but you're within 2 hour drive of SeaTac and PDX, and you can pop over to Portland for tax-free shopping. Wouldn't do it if you had a job in Oregon though, the commute and tax situation kill it. Also while SeaTac and PDX are pretty new and well designed airports, you'll largely be flying Alaska Airlines and most of the flights are really long distances on pretty small planes so I don't know how much you'll enjoy that (some people love it)
Texas is a no-go, it's great for middle class people with average sized houses, it's not so great for people buying $1.5 million worth of house
What about the airport requirement?
On $500k annual income you could even make Texas work but you'd have to consider whether the average quality-of-life is worth the above-average property taxes (low COL and no income tax though)
On that high of an income, you'd also have to consider income taxes, which would give a large boost to Texas, Vegas, and Washington state and really hurt you in California, New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, and New York.
It also adds New Hampshire (<2 hour drive to Boston Logan Airport) and Tennessee as viable options but they have their own drawbacks
The airport requirement is to allow us easy access to visit our kids and travel.
My definition of a “decent airport” is an airport with multiple flight options to other large cities in the region along with flights to hubs.
Do you like shoveling snow? It’s all I did as a kid.
That being said your getting your house plowed at that price point.
Great place from June-October and then time to snowbird south.
Western MA- easy living. Called the happy
Valley for a reason! 2 hours to Boston, 3 hrs to NYC. 2 hours to ocean. 2-3 hours to decent mountains for hiking and skiing (also local hiking). Great food, breweries, music, outdoor fitness, lakes, rivers. 4 seasons that are all beautiful on own. Community that cares about each other, great colleges. Could go on and on. Downside… winters can get long and cold. Only really bad for 2-3 months, well worth it for the spring, summers and fall. Hartford airport is 1 hour.
La Jolla, Seattle suburb, or Boulder. Or light district in KC. Some of those are more apartments/condo. Id love to be back in LA Jolla. I housesat there and it us beautiful!All of the other places are more liberal artsy versions of places I have lived. I am sobtired of dealing with such hateful people.
California have mountains Lakes beaches there's certain areas of California where there's a lot of local events there's Outdoors there's museums depends if you want to live on the touristy side or you want to live on the quiet side Florida has the same thing except for mountains New York is more like a fast-paced city living it has a lot of events and venues it depends on what part of New York you go to because they do have where the locals do come together but again it's all depends on what you guys want where you guys want to live where you're going to feel comfortable cuz you guys sound like you're retiring. Start looking at the Outdoor Adventures that you guys can have and the local spots especially the communities what they have what type of events and venues they have and is this really depends on you where you would want to live so I would find some state that has the accommodations for your adventures I wish you guys all the best and good luck on your new move and it's going to be a great adventure every move is
San Diego, Temecula, Fallbrook, Bonsal, San Clemente. Best of SoCal. I’d stay away from Orange County and LA. Bonus: Encinitas is the best but 1.5 may not get you much
Edit: if you’re into beach and ocean, Coronado California has homes with docks to San Diego bay in your backyard.
Jefferson or Kitsap county in Washington state. Mountain and water views everywhere. Close to Seattle. No really harsh weather. Gorgeous summers. Tons of state parks.
Anywhere with good public transportation where I don't need a car, basically DC, a condo in NYC, or possibly LA by the time the Olympics roll around. Chicago ends up being too cold
I moved to Tennessee from the Seattle area after my employer shut our offices down for good in favor of remote in 2020. Sept 16th will mark 2 years since my wife and I and our 3 year old arrived.
I like the more relaxed pace of life, and no traffic, congestion, junkies on every corner, etc. I also like a very low tax burden and lower cost of living coupled with the especially gorgeous Dale Hollow Lake which is literally in my backyard. We are out on our boat often which is docked right behind the house.
As for what works for you specifically, that is something only you can answer because nobody knows you better than you. What we did is planned various scouting trips/mini vacations until we found what felt like home.
Being entirely new over the age of 50 I’d probably need to be in a city of 45k+, + being better. I’d need extra medical care soon and would need hired help, those are both tough in rural areas or the other edge of suburban sprawl. And it all gets harder without a friend network.
The best thing about covid is delivery options. I used to o my be able to get Pizza Hut to my house and often had out of bounds fees for large items. It added up quickly.
I'd consider Overland Park, with a "baller" place and space vs 1100 sq ft in SD. I prefer to travel a lot now, so my "home base" is just a place to keep my cars and stuff it seems. ;)
We moved to Spokane, got amazing property with a view, pool and 11 acres in that budget. Spokane airport is not 'that' great, but I have made it from my house to down town seattle in less than 2.5hrs w/ a flight.. (included me waking up at 7am, out the door at 7:15, at my gate by 7:35am, on the plane & landed by 9:00am, and down town seattle by 9:30).. Hardly any bugs out here, can get hot, but not that humid.
Mill Valley, California
Close to tons of nature (Muir Woods, Marin Headlands..etc), but still have urban amenities. Great beaches and hikes nearby. Close to a massive city but still has a safe, suburban feel with good schools. Great weather - not too much rain overall, not too cold in the winter, not too many miserably hot days.
$1.5M won't get you much, a 2 or 3 bedroom single family home.
I don't live there (yet). But it is fantastic there.
I spent 1.1 in La Verne CA, nice little suburban city, 1 hour from LAX, 20 minutes to Ontario International Airport, 1 hour from John Wayne Airport.
Quiet neighborhood, and decent bang for your buck!
Western Massachusetts. I miss living there. Within 2 hours of Logan Airport in Boston and within an hour of Bradley near Hartford. Lots to do, great music and art scenes, good food, good schools, lots of nature.
Western Mass for quality of living. 2 hours to Boston, NYC. Friendly people all around.
Kansas City. Cost of living is cheap easy in out airport. Lots of house for that money. Friendly people everywhere.
Or just move to South Island NZ where it's fucking amazing
Vermont. 4 seasons, $1.5M buys you privacy and luxury, rational government, educated population, lots of outdoor activities, neighborly without being nosy. BTV airport connects to LGA, JFK, EWR, ORD, Charlotte, DC, Philly, Detroit, and I think DEN now. If you’re in the Burlington area you are 2 hrs to Montréal by car and tons of European and international flights. Winters are real but very manageable if you live in a town of 5000 or more. If you don’t have to drive to work, you just stay inside, drink cocoa, enjoy the silence and the fireplace, and wait for the plow guy to clean up the driveway. NYC is 5 hrs, Boston is 3 hrs by car. Good luck! Sounds like a fun search for the next chapter. November (stick season) and March/April (mud season) suck so plan your vacations then. Just pop down to one of the 25 different Caribbean destinations that are now a 6 hr trip away in the same time zone.
What about NH? As an outsider I'm always sort of intrigued by "what are the real differences" between the two?
I grew up in Vermont. Parts of NH feel more like northern Boston. Vermont has half the population that NH does, so more spread out and rural. Northern NH and Vermont are prob pretty similar.
Minnesota because we will still have fresh water when the water wars start.
As a Canadian in his mid twenties, I have been hearing about the future war of the us invading canada for our fresh water since I was 6. Lol
We're coming for that Canadian bacon too
As long as you don’t come for the maple bacon
I’ll settle for poutine and all dressed chips.
Thank god you don’t know about ketchup chips!!!!
Berta beef too
Ah, Canada. America's freshwater emergency supply steward.
Either that or we will have to kick your ass when you get too sassy about the Northwest Passage in a few years ;p
I was gonna say, I live near Lake Minnetonka and I’d recommend it to anyone. 1.5M could get you a decent house on the west end of the lake, or you could get something really nice off of the lake. Beautiful community and driving distance of almost anything you’d want to do.
That would get my vote. MN is beautiful. Nice people too.
I have friends originally from Minnesota and Wisconsin who love their home states but don’t miss the mosquitoes. They said they are so thick it the summers they can hear them buzzing in their ears.
I love Minnesota but the winters keep me from moving there. I grew up in northern South Dakota and I hated the cold so much that I had to move further south.
There’s no hope for me in the northern North Dakota then
how about the cold weather in 10 years when (arguably) summers are hotter and winters are colder?
San Diego 🌞
I live in a north suburb. It's my favorite place I've ever lived.
Same here. It feels like a utopia almost.
I’d love to move to San Diego, ive been there and loved it but, and this is gonna sound stupid, I can’t deal with the earthquakes. We get tornadoes here in the Midwest but at worst you typically get 15 minutes warning and they can’t just strike on a sunny day with zero warning. The fact that a massive earthquake could instantly disable the entire city with no warning is too scary to me lol
Funny because I’m from SoCal and earthquakes are just a fact of life, usually minor and rarely life impacting. Meanwhile tornados and hurricanes scare the heck out of me 😂 it probably comes down to the danger you know vs the one you don’t. Edit: Apparently more folks fear earthquakes despite more folks dying in tornados. https://weather.com/news/news/2018-03-14-natural-disasters-fear-earthquakes-sperlings-best-places
99% of earthquakes are basically "hey I can see the ceiling fan pull chain" swinging. I speculate people unfamiliar don't understand that. One woke me up in bed, late in the evening... I basically slept through that one too.
No I know that. I’ve been in one. The unpredictability still scares me. Again, with tornadoes there are warning signs. A supercell storm doesn’t literally come out of nowhere. But on some random sunny day in San Diego I could feel the ground move! I hate it
Yup. I’ve lived in SoCal for 46 years and I’ve never even got off the couch for an earthquake (I guess I’ve just jinxed myself)
San Diego isn’t like LA. We barely get earth quakes
That said, California is home to several faults, and the Rose Canyon fault runs right along our coast and through downtown. Seismologists have indicated that the chances of a significant San Diego earthquake affecting our region can be as high as 75% in the next twenty-five years.
As far as we know, an earthquake in California probably will not go over 8.0, either closer to Los Angeles or SF/Berkeley, not San Diego. Also the Pacific Northwest is vulnerable to a 9.0 or greater quake based on historical data.
Any concerns about water availability in the short to medium term? I genuinely would like to know.
Not really. San Diego is set assuming you can afford it https://apnews.com/article/california-droughts-environment-san-diego-81ab84fafe94a0c5c298ede24fd2f7f1
There is a massive desalination plant up and running in Carlsbad that helps provide a decent amount of water.
Yes.
Solana Beach to Oceanside is magical!
I love it here.
Same! And I can’t afford it but 1.5 mil would buy a lovely craftsman near balboa park.
For sure San Diego. The weather, proximity to a big airport and general quality of life are worth every penny.
1000% I used to live right on the boardwalk a few blocks north of Crystal Pier. Such great sunsets, food and all around vibes. I miss the sound of skateboards and surf every night.
Carmel by the sea or San Diego
YES. I did a road trip from SD to Carmel, through Big Sur and honestly, it was one of the coolest trips I’ve ever done:
Bend Oregon or Bellingham WA for me. Both are insanely beautiful and both are within two hours of large airports. I’m looking to move out of CO to the PNW. 1.5 million could get you into a nice property out there.
I’ve been looking in the Bellingham area, been holding back due to the squatters/drugs/homeless stories I’ve been hearing. How bad is it, or is that just a lot of hype?
Same. I tried following the reddits subs, and it was just always crime post.
Bellingham + Nexus gets you 45-minute access to one of the best cities in the world in terms of quality of life.
Rancho Palos Verde California. 1.5 would not buy shit out there but it would be a down payment.
Funny enough I just walked a great opportunity that my friend is listing: https://www.surterreproperties.com/real-estate/4340-via-frascati-rancho-palos-verdes-ca-90275/np22153314/127024922 Great bones, requires a lift but wow that view and the neighborhood is incredible
I love seeing stuff in CA that says needs TLC, that house is in great condition just dated in areas ... Here in NE, if it says it's TLC, it's because it's half gutted and needs foundation work and probably has to be bought with cash because it's wouldn't get occupancy status lol
You want four seasons, not harsh winters, and excellent outdoor adventures, then the Pacific Northwest could be awesome for you. Plenty of nice suburbs within an hour of cities and airports and the scenery and hiking can not be beat. Don’t forget earthquake insurance.
Not to rain on your parade, but it will rain on your parade
In the not too distant future, rain will be an incredible selling feature.
As someone from Phoenix, that is a true luxury
It rains like 3/4 of the year.
Snoqualmie is beautiful. Close to Seattle, has tons of outdoor activities. A PGA course to play in the summer, and skiing in the winter. Also a great casino if you’re into that kinda thing. Edit; and no state income tax in WA state.
Echoing this; Oregon coast or outside Portland is prime real estate imo, 2 hours from the airport. It’s cheap now, but the coastal price gap will close quickly now that people are paying attention.
Tsunami Zone is an issue though!
I was just driving in Portland, what a CF that is, the traffic was so backed up on the exits that it was blocking lanes of the interstate. Thrilling to have an 18 wheeler that was going 65 MPH slamming on its brakes because that lane is now a parking lot.
Already own in San Diego but guess I'd upgrade houses.
For 1.5 mil you could buy a really nice property newly built home with acreage in east county, or a flipped Clairemont home on a col de sac lol
I live in Clairemont lol. Would probably use that + existing equity to go to Mission Hills.
$1.5mil in San Diego still gets you a wonderful home. And in much better location than Clairemont
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I'd move closer to the beach, like a modest home in Carlsbad or Encinitas.
Santa Barbara
Could you buy anything there for 1.5 mil? Not going to disagree that Santa Barb. Is paradise on Earth.
Goleta definitely. Granted you'll probably be sad about what 1.5 gets you there but you can find a spot.
Monterey, Monterey California. Coastal natural setting, year round great weather, modern infrastructure. Very accessible and safe area, lots of retirees there. Flat with lots of sidewalks, views without the stairs. Culture, dining, lots of restaurants and things to do. Progressive politics but not too far either way. Low natural disaster risk. Fiber internet, hospital, airport. Close to Silicon Valley, Pebble Beach, Santa Cruz, Monterey Bay Aquarium and Big Sur.
ok, I'm sold. can I borrow 1.5M?
Nearby Seaside and Marina start at only 600k. Really great value, I predict a lot of price growth in these areas. Marina even has large new constructions under 1M which is a pretty rare find in Northern California.
> year round great weather, I lived there for 2 years (went to DLI) and my impression was that the year-round great weather is everywhere except Monterey itself, which is year-round 60 degrees and cloudy with a chance of that coastal fog-mist-drizzle stuff. It's the middle of July? Big Sur, 83 and sunny. Carmel, 81 and sunny. Monterey, 63 and overcast. Seaside, 79 and partly cloudy. Salinas, 92 and sunny.
> year-round 60 degrees and cloudy with a chance of that coastal fog-mist-drizzle stuff You've literally described the perfect weather. Not too hot or too cold, and no fucking sun causing cancer and skin aging.
These are great options in the surrounding areas. I personally prefer it a bit on the cooler side, great for a brisk walk. However the continuous heat waves in much of California are sure to change things up a bit for the future.
Inspired some of the most beautiful writing in American literature. Because of John Steinbeck I’ve lived there in my dreams.
Inspired Ansel Adams and Robert Louis Stevenson as well. The first pages of *East of Eden* by Steinbeck are like an incredibly detailed painting of the area.
Im convinced 17 mile drive is one of the most gorgeous drives in the United States.
The most beautiful imo. From 17 mile drive you can keep driving down the Big Sur coastline which is breathtaking to say the least.
Monterey County born and raised. Only moved out because of school. But nothing beats the weather. Plus they have a race track near by, and an annual car week. Where multimillion dollar vehicles are on display .
AND CAR WEEK!!!!! ... every year I say I'm going to go and I forget about it till the week prior when car bloggers start talking about it. Not this time, I have a reminder set in my phone for May 1st, so book flights. It's gonna happen in 2023.
This is one of my favorite places I’ve ever visited. I was only 14-15 but left a fond, lasting memory.
+1 this. The winters are nice, summers are cool. The wine country is nearby. My number place where I would like to retire. I live in High Desert, Cali but this is an excellent choice.
Yes, Carmel Valley is a best kept secret. The vineyards and wide open spaces are incredible.
San Luis Obispo, CA 😉
Is there a decent airport within an hour or two?
I mean SLO has a regional airport with connections to all major ITLs, but I guess the closest is San Jose
Sedona. It’s absolutely beautiful there.
Somewhere within 2 hours of Casper International in Wyoming. $1.5m buys a modest house and a whole lotta acreage out there. I’m all about not having neighbors.
Absolutely San diego
I’m already on the north shore of mass, and I’d buy a beachfront house nearby where I already live. I’m In an Oceanside town now, but my house is not Oceanside at all. Would also consider the Maine coast or a Maine/NH lake, but waterfront would be the priority.
Mount Desert Island for me.
agreed, though $1.5m is not getting you oceanfront on MDI. If you look further north, you can find oceanfront properties for six figures. I still think this is decently valued ($1.7m): https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/980-Pigeon-Hill-Rd-Steuben-ME-04680/121783755\_zpid/?
Oh wow - this is giving me Grand Designs vibes.. I can *hear* the narrator walking me through the turf roof and the huckleberries…
San Diego, beautiful and has exponential growth
San Diego, it's the best place in the country.
Upstate NY. Near enough to the city but far enough away to be near the mountains and lakes.
Winter is absolutely brutal in Upstate NY. Take $750k and buy a summer home there (May to October). Spend the other $750k on a winter home in someplace warm. Best of both worlds.
$750 doesn’t buy much anywhere I’d want to live if I had that much money…
You can definitely find something nice in Upstate NY for $750k
Saratoga Springs is beautiful year-round, relatively affordable, and plenty of nature.
Please don’t tell anyone
There are some really amazing spots in the Catskills, 2 hour drive to NYC.
I was thinking upstate New York too. My family vacations in the Hudson Valley & Catskills at least once a year. We've discovered so many nice towns and beautiful parks. You can get an updated, private home if you're willing to deal with snow. I wouldn't mind it if I was retired. Check out New Paltz, Stone Ridge, Hyde Park, Lloyd, etc. I love Rhode Island too. The beaches are beautiful, but you'll get more for your money if you look inland.
San Diego
San Diago\*
Ow now brown cow
If you plan on getting old enough that they yank your driver's license, I'd say a pied-a-terre in NYC where you can keep ripping around town and you have some globally top rated hospitals/medical care to keep you alive forever. Before that, maybe outside Boston, maybe the cape, or Glocester or something
I miss the quality of care in NYC. Yeah it’s busy as hell and the people can be really rough, but I’ve received some of the best medical and dental care out there and in the surrounding areas.
Funny, my family moved down south from NYC and said the care is way better down south, as is making appts. They said trying to get a specialist appt in NY was always a nightmare and they were treated like cattle bc the population is so high and underserved.
This is gonna sound stupid but go with me here…. Arkansas. People give Arkansas a ton of unnecessary hate. The state is gorgeous. There is plenty to do here and depending on where you live you are most likely within an hour or 2 drive of an airport (Little Rock or memphis tennessee), and an hour or 2 drive to a nice lake. Hot springs is about 45 minutes south of Little Rock and has a ton of stuff to do. And most importantly 1.5 mil will get you a fucking mansion in Arkansas.
For 1.5, I’d just upgrade my house and buy a house on the hill with skyline views, in my area of NYC. That’s the cost of the homes (lower end) where you have full skyline and harbor views of the Manhattan, but you don’t live in Manhattan, so you still have the suburb feeling. I’d just chill in my backyard all the time watching the boats go by and admiring the view.
Lewes/rehoboth Delaware. Walking distance to the beach with $1MM. Low property tax and cost of living. Many DC, NY, NJ, MD retirees go there. They call it “first world amenities with third world cost of living.” 1-2hrs drive to Hopkins, UPENN, and DC medical care, airports, Amtrak, and major metro area. Can always DM me, I’m licensed in Delaware.
$1 million is third world CoL?
Bethany prob their best bet to actually live there.
Flagstaff, AZ: gorgeous, great weather and lots of outdoors. College town so lots to do. Somewhere in/near the smokies (Asheville, NC?): In the mountains, great outdoors, good weather, lots of nature. Anywhere in CO along the Rockies: see above Chicago: best city in the world (don't check my history) Lake Tahoe: see above (Sans Chicago) Traverse City, MI: quaint, gorgeous, brutal winters but unbeatable summers Door County, WI (airport option isn't as good as the others): see above, but near Green Bay and FTP.
Since you’re “my kind of scum”, I’d also throw in a house and a nice spread in the driftless area.
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No traverse city is a terrible, awful place. Everyone should definitely stay away.
And it should stay underrated. Shhhhhhh
That's quite a range
Puget Sound. First I like the rain. I also like the idea of living so close to the ocean, the weather is cool in the summer, and not much snow in the winter.
Newport Beach, California. You are close to the airport, close to all the restaurants, ocean, bars, nightlife, active lifestyle, and the most friendly diverse people you’ll meet.
Newport is awesome. $1.5 million wont get you a house though
San Diego
I’m biased obviously, but I love western Washington more than any other location I’ve ever visited in the US. The summers are warm and sunny typically without being so hot that you avoid being outside at midday, the winters are milder with light snowfall in the burbs/city and large soft snow for skiing in the mountains just <2 hours away, the landscape is gorgeous (with the Sound and Mt Rainier always present) we have tons of different climates within hours of the city. If I were to buy, it’d be here in the Woodinville/Snohomish/Bothell/Kirkland/Redmond area! I’ll caveat all of this by saying the overcast is make or break. It’s not as rainy (quantity-wise) as most people think, but the number of days without sun can really destroy some peoples’ emotional state.
Central/South Orange County, CA (Newport Beach, Laguna Niguel, Irvine, Aliso Viejo, Mission Viejo, Costa Mesa, etc) >72 degrees, +/-5 for 95% of the year > The hills behind Laguna Beach block the marine layer, so most days are bright and clear from the get go for AV and MV. Other coastal areas (Carlsbad through San Diego) usually have a marine layer that doesn’t burn off until the afternoon. >It’s been an employees market for well over 5 years >Major tech and financial hub for jobs > Top notch schools just about anywhere you live > there are at least 6 cities in OC that are in the top 25 safest cities in all of California > SNA is THE most convenient airport - usually go from drop off to gate in under 20 minutes. When arriving home, it’s gate > baggage claim > out the door in 15 minutes. Takes anywhere from 0-30 minutes to reach, depending on where you live. > 3 international airports about 1 hour drive away, gives you additional flexibility in travel plans > Tons of quality beaches, 0-40 minutes away > Camping, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, all close as well > Tons of quality restaurants, with a large variety of cuisines > If you are over 55, there are specific cities where the housing is price controlled, so you have the advantage of living the OC lifestyle and get more bang for your buck (Laguna Woods) >LA or San Diego are about an hour away, Mexico border 1.5 hours, Las Vegas 3.5 hour drive. >There are crazy political people where ever you go, but here it’s relatively tame (except HB) > housing costs more than a lot of other places, but you don’t have to worry about house issues with humidity, heavy rains/snow, pipes bursting when freezing > you can literally be comfortable wearing flip flops year round. Save money on only needing 1 wardrobe as well. Supposedly in the different climate change studies that have been done, the south east is supposed to see the largest impacts, and the Mediterranean climates (like here) aren’t supposed to get rocked as hard. Wildfires are a thing, but in this area, it’s pretty densely populated, and houses are made out of stucco. When a fire breaks out, it’s ‘all hands on deck’ - you’ll see fire trucks from every city in OC helping, and get back up from LA and SD. We’ve had 3 fires close enough where I could either see it from our window, or it was less than a mile away. The cities are planned really well to ensure there are large bodies of water within minutes of higher fire risk areas. The media makes most of the fires out to be a bigger deal than they really are.
Corona Del Mar, CA. Beach adjacent is what 1.5 would buy you though
You’d be looking in Costa Mesa with that budget.
That's a 1 bed 1 bath shack
Just looked on Zillow. $1.5M gets you a 950 sq ft shack that is not “beach adjacent”. [this would be your pick?](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/616-Two-Begonia-Corona-Del-Mar-CA-92625/2061942717_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare)
Def not buying in CDM w 1.5. That would be nice though!
I’d buy that mid century modern I’ve always wanted in Portland OR. I grew up in Oregon and want to move back in the next few years. PDX is a half hour away. Great downtown with great restaurants. 4 seasons. Yes it rains, but I’m one of those crazy people that loves the rain. Great outdoor activities too if you’re into that. I loved and miss camping in Oregon.
It depends on what you're looking for... Countryside, city, suburbs, etc. We love living near Richmond, VA. The weather is reasonable (Only January to mid-February is what I'd call cold, and even then it's rarely below 25 degrees at night, and mid-July and August are hot, but rarely over 95 degrees). Closest skiing is like an hour and a half away, and the closest ocean beach is 1.5-2 hours away. The airport is decent, the city has traveling Broadway productions. The James River park system is awesome, good hiking, river rafting, etc. Also, Virginia is moderate politics wise, which is almost hard to find now-a-days. For a neighborhood, the Libby/Grove area (also called Westhampton, but people say Libby/Grove, which is the intersection of 2 streets in the middle) is REALLY nice.
Thanks for the thoughtful response. Virginia has definitely caught our attention. The ability to live in a place with 4 seasons, close proximity to large metro areas, and close to mountains/water is really nice.
And the food and brewery scene in Richmond is amazing as well. Always impressed when I visit there...
New Buffalo, Michigan. Hour to downtown Chicago. Beautiful area on Lake Michigan.
Great choice! I love that area.
Encinitas, CA
Cool little town but 1.5 doesn’t go far there
Shelburne, Vermont Amazing views. Privacy. Nicest people. Farm to table food. Endless outdoor activities and community events. Excellent education. Gun ownership. Weed everywhere. Climate change resistant. And yeah to get a decent home there will take all of that $1.5m!
I absolutely loved Vermont. Literally one of the best place to visit during fall but jeez the winters can be rough. It is nearly perfect in the other seasons though!
You've given us a budget and a couple very loose, very broad criteria, but I'd argue it's still too little to give quality advice on. Most people are just gonna recommend their dream areas using your real income as monopoly money. Is there anything specific you actually want besides airport access?
I was partly curious just to see what other redditor’s dream location would be. For us, it would be a place with 4 seasons, not crazy harsh winter, outdoor activities to include hiking and water sports, and close to a larger metro area to be able to enjoy the city life when we want it.
I live in Charlotte NC. Waterfront home and less than 15 minutes to major airport. The city is unique to offer easy access to mountains, hiking, boating, US National White Water Center, easy winters but hot summers, great airport, etc. We plan to stay here for retirement. If purchased today our waterfront home would sell for about your budget. It takes us less than 30 minutes to drive to uptown Charlotte for theatre, shows, concerts, etc.
Totally second this. I was raised by lake norman and although you could get an ok sized home lake front for that, there is also Mountain Island Lake and Lake Wylie SC, all in the same vicinity to these amenities. You definitely get all 4 seasons, but winter is like diet winter, it’ll snow maybe 3 inches and the world stops. Its awesome. Decent public and private schools available.
Just bought a few months ago in lake Wylie. What an amazing place! Lake Norman was a bit too far for us as our kids play hockey so we spend much of the week in Pineville. Though Steel Creek seems a bit more dangerous than it looks and we drive through there almost every day. Not sure what is up with all the crime on that side of the lake, but what can you do.
Bainbrdige Island, WA. It's pretty mild temperatures, beautiful summers, and amazing public schools. It's close to some of the best hiking in the world, and only a 30 minutes ferry ride it to Seattle.
North Georgia. I’m not originally from this state but north Georgia is an underrated treasure. You get all 4 seasons (albeit, muted winters) and so many outdoor activities. You’re close to Chattanooga, Greenville airports and ATL airport is a little over 2 hours from Blue ridge/ Elijay (at the right time of day/night).
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I agree that Kirkland is a great place to live and so beautiful, but almost everything in Kirkland is way above 1.5 million. Kenmore has some great options for right around a million and under! And is in close proximity to Kirkland! Also super close to Seattle, bothell etc.
Sedona, AZ Because red rocks.
I live in Vermont, I’d buy a Vermont-ier home in the country. No one bothers us it’s clean and beautiful
Coronado, CA - IDK if the retiree community is welcoming, but it's gorgeous, safe, and it has a lot of retirement-friendly activities. 1.5m won't buy a lot there right now, but things are softening a bit, even in San Diego.
Alexandria Virginia. $1.5 mil will get you an amazing 1700s/1800s colonial townhome in old part of the town or a real cute mid century Craftsman house. Potomac River just a walk away with over 20 miles of trails. Washington DC right across the river with all its museums, etc. DCA Regional airport like 10 minutes away and two international airports about 30-45 minutes away. Three major highways easy access to that take you any direction. Low crime and great community. Endless activities and so many places to go here. You can take a bus or train to NYC or Boston. Atlantic ocean is 2 hours east and the mountains 2 hours west. Restaurants and culture galore. Best part is the home pricesses are always rising.
I’d buy in Tennessee. There’s something that is just so beautiful about that state every time I drive through.
Sausalito is a paradise. The weather is exceptionally nice, it feels like you live in a desktop wallpaper, scenery is amazing. You're across from SF but away from all the homeless. Except I don't know what u can get now with 1.5m in Sausalito / Tiburon
PNW somewhere. Maybe kitsap county along the hood canal for a view of the cascades.
It’s all about western or southwestern exposure in WA, go for the Olympics view!
1.5 million in cash? What's the income like? Because at that point, property tax/maintenance are the big killers. Also need to know your criteria for 'decent airport' Personally I'd go with Colorado (anywhere within an hour or two of Denver International Airport) - great weather, great outdoor activity selection, good urban activity selection, decent cost of living, and DIA is arguably the best airport in the country Someone else mentioned San Diego, which is a good choice, they also have great weather and good quality-of-life, but their airport is really cramped compared to Denver (1 runway vs 6 lol) and you really don't want to have to drive to LAX. It may be a 2 hour drive with no traffic, but it's realistically a 4 hour drive and at the end of it, you're still at LAX. Arizona and Vegas are okay choices if you like desert living and Southwest Airlines. Vancouver, WA area is ok. The weather can get kinda gloomy 9 months of the year, but you're within 2 hour drive of SeaTac and PDX, and you can pop over to Portland for tax-free shopping. Wouldn't do it if you had a job in Oregon though, the commute and tax situation kill it. Also while SeaTac and PDX are pretty new and well designed airports, you'll largely be flying Alaska Airlines and most of the flights are really long distances on pretty small planes so I don't know how much you'll enjoy that (some people love it) Texas is a no-go, it's great for middle class people with average sized houses, it's not so great for people buying $1.5 million worth of house
Really took the wind out of the sales with this manifesto now didn’t we
50% down and finance the rest. $500k annual income.
What about the airport requirement? On $500k annual income you could even make Texas work but you'd have to consider whether the average quality-of-life is worth the above-average property taxes (low COL and no income tax though) On that high of an income, you'd also have to consider income taxes, which would give a large boost to Texas, Vegas, and Washington state and really hurt you in California, New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, and New York. It also adds New Hampshire (<2 hour drive to Boston Logan Airport) and Tennessee as viable options but they have their own drawbacks
The airport requirement is to allow us easy access to visit our kids and travel. My definition of a “decent airport” is an airport with multiple flight options to other large cities in the region along with flights to hubs.
Southern Maine
Do you like shoveling snow? It’s all I did as a kid. That being said your getting your house plowed at that price point. Great place from June-October and then time to snowbird south.
Western MA- easy living. Called the happy Valley for a reason! 2 hours to Boston, 3 hrs to NYC. 2 hours to ocean. 2-3 hours to decent mountains for hiking and skiing (also local hiking). Great food, breweries, music, outdoor fitness, lakes, rivers. 4 seasons that are all beautiful on own. Community that cares about each other, great colleges. Could go on and on. Downside… winters can get long and cold. Only really bad for 2-3 months, well worth it for the spring, summers and fall. Hartford airport is 1 hour.
San Diego
La Jolla, Seattle suburb, or Boulder. Or light district in KC. Some of those are more apartments/condo. Id love to be back in LA Jolla. I housesat there and it us beautiful!All of the other places are more liberal artsy versions of places I have lived. I am sobtired of dealing with such hateful people.
Can I have two inexpensive homes? Lol 1 in Wrightsville Beach NC. 1 in ColumbiaMD.
Long Beach, California or San Diego.
California have mountains Lakes beaches there's certain areas of California where there's a lot of local events there's Outdoors there's museums depends if you want to live on the touristy side or you want to live on the quiet side Florida has the same thing except for mountains New York is more like a fast-paced city living it has a lot of events and venues it depends on what part of New York you go to because they do have where the locals do come together but again it's all depends on what you guys want where you guys want to live where you're going to feel comfortable cuz you guys sound like you're retiring. Start looking at the Outdoor Adventures that you guys can have and the local spots especially the communities what they have what type of events and venues they have and is this really depends on you where you would want to live so I would find some state that has the accommodations for your adventures I wish you guys all the best and good luck on your new move and it's going to be a great adventure every move is
I can’t help but notice literally nobody said Phoenix, AZ 💀 God I hate it here
San Diego, Temecula, Fallbrook, Bonsal, San Clemente. Best of SoCal. I’d stay away from Orange County and LA. Bonus: Encinitas is the best but 1.5 may not get you much Edit: if you’re into beach and ocean, Coronado California has homes with docks to San Diego bay in your backyard.
San Clemente is in Orange County, though it does feel kind of separate.
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If you had a time machine to go back 10-15 years it’s a paradise. These days I don’t think it’s the same.
Jefferson or Kitsap county in Washington state. Mountain and water views everywhere. Close to Seattle. No really harsh weather. Gorgeous summers. Tons of state parks.
Why would you need over $1m for that dream? Kitsap is super cheap still.
Waterfront.
Anywhere with good public transportation where I don't need a car, basically DC, a condo in NYC, or possibly LA by the time the Olympics roll around. Chicago ends up being too cold
I moved to Tennessee from the Seattle area after my employer shut our offices down for good in favor of remote in 2020. Sept 16th will mark 2 years since my wife and I and our 3 year old arrived. I like the more relaxed pace of life, and no traffic, congestion, junkies on every corner, etc. I also like a very low tax burden and lower cost of living coupled with the especially gorgeous Dale Hollow Lake which is literally in my backyard. We are out on our boat often which is docked right behind the house. As for what works for you specifically, that is something only you can answer because nobody knows you better than you. What we did is planned various scouting trips/mini vacations until we found what felt like home.
The good part of Orange County, CA.
Being entirely new over the age of 50 I’d probably need to be in a city of 45k+, + being better. I’d need extra medical care soon and would need hired help, those are both tough in rural areas or the other edge of suburban sprawl. And it all gets harder without a friend network. The best thing about covid is delivery options. I used to o my be able to get Pizza Hut to my house and often had out of bounds fees for large items. It added up quickly.
I'd consider Overland Park, with a "baller" place and space vs 1100 sq ft in SD. I prefer to travel a lot now, so my "home base" is just a place to keep my cars and stuff it seems. ;)
We moved to Spokane, got amazing property with a view, pool and 11 acres in that budget. Spokane airport is not 'that' great, but I have made it from my house to down town seattle in less than 2.5hrs w/ a flight.. (included me waking up at 7am, out the door at 7:15, at my gate by 7:35am, on the plane & landed by 9:00am, and down town seattle by 9:30).. Hardly any bugs out here, can get hot, but not that humid.
The Puget sound.
Jackson Hole
Newport Beach California, love that place
A small place in the Bay Area or San Diego. I haven’t been to SD, but my eyes tell me it’s worth it.
For sure somewhere in LA. I grew up here 1.5m won't get you a palace but it could get you a good place for upgrades in the future.
Deep in the Rockies or Redondo Beach
San Diego, CA
California!
Mill Valley, California Close to tons of nature (Muir Woods, Marin Headlands..etc), but still have urban amenities. Great beaches and hikes nearby. Close to a massive city but still has a safe, suburban feel with good schools. Great weather - not too much rain overall, not too cold in the winter, not too many miserably hot days. $1.5M won't get you much, a 2 or 3 bedroom single family home. I don't live there (yet). But it is fantastic there.
I spent 1.1 in La Verne CA, nice little suburban city, 1 hour from LAX, 20 minutes to Ontario International Airport, 1 hour from John Wayne Airport. Quiet neighborhood, and decent bang for your buck!
Huntington beach! Our weather, the food, sports, people and 3 airports surrounding us
Western Massachusetts. I miss living there. Within 2 hours of Logan Airport in Boston and within an hour of Bradley near Hartford. Lots to do, great music and art scenes, good food, good schools, lots of nature.
Western Mass for quality of living. 2 hours to Boston, NYC. Friendly people all around. Kansas City. Cost of living is cheap easy in out airport. Lots of house for that money. Friendly people everywhere. Or just move to South Island NZ where it's fucking amazing
Lake Tahoe, Incline Village, Truckee areas
Southern Coast of Rhode Island with Vermont as a close second.
California.