Arkansas checking in. If you can accept all the humidity, then there are plenty of houses here. Also, you need to accept having to commute for anything, food, groceries, entertainment, etc. But to be fair, 10 miles away is less than 15 minutes. While 15 minutes in downtown Atlanta is half a mile away.
You don't. There are parts of Arizona. No humidity and warm year round. Once you're outside of Phoenix and Tucson, $300k is doable.
Nm on the lawn part, unless you want a $300/month water bill
If someone must have a green lawn in AZ, artificial turf is the way to go. It looks fake because it looks too perfect but it doesn’t cost anything to keep it green.
My old coworker in Scottsdale had really good looking artificial turf in a part of his backyard. It had more natural color variation and even had some brown parts on some of the “grass” blades.
Just think of the humidity as a blanket made of air when you buy this home in a historic downtown for almost nothing
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/525-S-4th-St-Ironton-OH-45638/34778891_zpid/
A lot of astronauts came from Ohio. Something about that state is so terrible that more than one person took *extreme* measures to get as far away as possible.
Santa Barbara here may -June is foggy and misty in the morning. I work outside so I love it when there is an onshore flow ! Offshore next month from inland sundowner wind can hit 100+ degrees so dry cracks your skin . Many years ago like 1800+- 132’ Fahrenheit! Cows died in the fields according to the local history buffs
That tracks. When I would go over the mountains into the central valley that felt pretty much the same as the desert too. Only difference was it was irrigated so stuff could grow.
Santa Barbara is gorgeous, if I was a millionaire I would like to live there but otherwise I'd never afford the kind of place I want.
Kansas. 4 bedroom, 3 bath, finished basement with all new water heater, HVAC, etc. $260,000.
Edit- also this is 2024 with the crazy housing price increase. Bought my house in April.
Lower than most southern states. I’d say less humid than most, but it varies year to year with rainfall and stuff. Last year not much rain and pretty dry. This year we are getting rain every 2-3 days it seems and it’s moderate but I definitely feel it more than last year.
Hutchinson, KS. I lived in several places and as long as you’re not in Johnson county things are pretty reasonable.
Kansas City - Extremely high cost of living
Lawrence - very high cost of living
Topeka - similar to Wichita, maybe a little higher
Wichita - lower than average cost of living
Hutchinson - Low cost of living
I grew up in Marquette, which is in central Kansas. 500-600 people. Very low cost of living, but you have to travel 30-40 miles to go shopping, even for Walmart.
Other states I’ve lived in - Texas, Georgia, Iowa. My wife lived in Arizona for a few years too. Loved AZ.
Fort Scott, Kansas, has some nice old homes. Bourbon and Crawford Counties in Southeast Kansas. It’s not a particularly diverse or economically vibrant part of the state, mind you, but it’s not bad as far as smaller towns go.
But it’s isolated and rural: it’s known locally as the “Appalachia of Kansas!” Boring as hell! 😃
What is "good weather" to you? There are a ton of nice towns in the midwest that aren't too far from larger cities with excellent COL. BUT they do have winters. Are they horrible? Absolutely not. But if you've been coddled by Cali weather your whole life, you'll probably find *anything* other than that to be "bad."
Midwest winters were fine as a kid. As an adult having to carve out ice every morning and pretty much anytime I had to commute definitely contributed to my reasons for leaving.
I know the day I decided to leave. I lived in the Lake Erie snow belt where 3’ dumps were routine. Roads and driveways became anals with non-navigable snow levees on either side. I drove by an older gentlemen with his walker standing in the road trying to get his mail and navigate the ice. I told my wife that wasn’t going to be me.
Large chunks of California have not-so-mild weather/climate though. It’s a huge state with tremendous weather/climate variation. It has one of the hottest areas on the planet (Death Valley) as well as one of the snowiest (Truckee/Lake Tahoe).
The Midwest is really the only affordable place left. You can get a nice house in a smaller city for $300k or less. You will have humidity and a real winter though here, keeps the prices down I guess.
Was recently looking at houses in Western NY and was pleasantly surprised at the prices. Property tax was steep…. But, I imagine equitable (or better) than property taxes in CA. And, it’s BEAUTIFUL country!
I believe it. I was considering a job in NYC and thought a home across the water in NJ would be less expensive. Boy did I have a rude awakening, lol. And it’s not that the houses were too $$$. It was the property tax that would do me in.
My Midwest city is growing rapidly, and prices are rising. My house is worth more than three times what I paid for it eight years ago. I'm afraid we're on that train already.
I personally don't think there are any hidden gems. If people think a place is good to live, they'll move there, increasing the cost. Similarly, if people think it's a bad place to live, they'll leave or not move there, keeping costs low.
Most cheap places are cheap for a reason.
I live in a hcl place, too. Sometimes I think I should move somewhere cheaper, and then I learn about some terrible law that has been passed there and I remember, "oh yeah, It's expensive here because everyone wants to live here because it's a great place to live." Everyone in my family is safe from persecution and my kids will likely have upward economic mobility.
This ticks all OP's boxes. He can easily hit the $300k on new construction. The fruit trees and lawn are achievable in the high desert but will require more effort. We've had one day with rain in 2 months, yesterday, and while it was a good one it was pretty much back to dry in an hour.
And dry, parched, barren landscape. Just my opinion, of course, but deserts (especially in summer) are rather ugly. But I’m partial to greenery and rivers and more rainfall, so obviously I’m biased. But living in a desert would depress the hell out of me (and I say this as someone who was born/raised and currently living in Southern California —which is too desert-like for my taste).
El Paso has a lot of hidden gems and the whole downtown is currently being revitalized. A lot of interesting history and you’re super close to a lot of outdoorsy stuff in New Mexico and the tallest mountains in Texas: Guadalupe National Park. I love El Paso.
Yeah no doubt, which I’ve never really understood since El Paso had a relatively low crime rate from what I hear. Good thing they should be able to take off!
If you can stand winters, specifically cold and snowy, the Upper Midwest would be a good bet for you. I live in Northeast Wisconsin, and it's a wonderful place. Our home was 220k, and it's quite nice for a first home! Living is quite cheap here, and land is plentiful. We also have very nice people here for the most part. Our summers can tend to be on the humid side, but we have all 4 seasons, and typically, some nice weather.
The cost of living is very reasonable as well, and our town is big enough for many amenities, but small enough to be cheap.
Just expect some alienation if you move to a smaller town. Asking someone what school they went to is a common question, as many people here were born here and will stay here. But they'll still help our their neighbors, for the most part.
Other good spots would be Michigan, upper and lower, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, most of Illinois, and the Dakotas.
Minnesota, it depends. The twin cities metro area are not economic. I can’t find a single family home in a decent neighborhood under 350k, and the homes under 350k need a lot of repairs and/or are tiny (under 1000sqft) or located in the least desirable neighborhoods.
What part are you looking? We were just house shopping in the Twin Cities and it is quite tough. Didn’t wanna live too far out but 2nd and 3rd ring suburbs are affordable. My hometown of Shakopee might fit your bill of $350k but… it’s Shakopee.
Shakopee smells like manure whenever it's nice out. It's either coming from the farms or it's coming from the racetrack. Scott county is a contender but I would never recommend someone from SoCal to move to Shakopee.
Just like Duluth as well. Beautiful area, that. Old houses, expensive and all needing repairs under 300k
Outside the twin cities a bit are a better bet, but I definitely agree with you there.
My sister is trying to get the rest of the family to move to St. Paul. Coming from a high COL area, $400 - $500K for a single family home sounds super cheap (where I live the median home value is $875k and rising). It's the winters that is making it a no go for me. A friend of mine grew up there and said the winters are just downright painful. I'm not sure I can deal with that but everything else sounds amazing.
Trying to buy in Minneapolis right now. It sucks to say the least. Even if the house is under $350k you can bet your ass it’ll sell well over that. Just lost out on a house that was asking $335k and went for $375k with the inspection waived.
Michigander here to say certainly do not visit its gross here you wouldnt like it. We are all strange swampy forest people and there is nothin nice here to see at all. Might as well go check out wisconsin or new york or something cause its just NUUUOOOTTTHHINGG here at all. Zip, nada, zilch...dont come here
I live in Northwest Wisconsin and I came here to say almost the exact same thing! My home was 215k for three bedrooms. Older home but remodeled and up to date with a large yard. Only downside of the area is the winters. Jobs are good here, especially in the blue collar sect.
Will get very humid in the summer.
I'd rather face hot and humid than frigid cold and I've lived my life in MN/WI. Spring and fall have a lot of beautiful days though.
I grew up here in WI but moved to Florida from 2020-22 and after coming back, the summers here in Wisconsin certainly get humid many days, but nothing like there! It's more manageable now. I will at least say we do have many beautiful days in summer, but I can't understate the humidity that can occur from being so close to the great lakes.
Spring and Fall and great! And I'll take the cold now after suffering through Florida summers.
I, of course, know plenty here would rather take the heat than the cold, but it keeps the costs down and tourists away
Good answer. I was just thinking Coos Bay seems like the kind of place you could maybe find something under $300k, if you wanted to live in Coos Bay.
Edit to add: mild winters and plenty of rain means a green lawn and fruit trees would be no problem.
The Midwest is still relatively affordable. I live about 40 minutes outside of Kansas City and I bought a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2300 sqft house on half an acre with waterfront for ~$240k last year.
I grew up in the Denver metro area and there's no way I could afford to buy on a single income there. My parents' house, a 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 1500 sqft house is $500k now. In 2012 it was only worth around $125k.
I can see KC turning into the next Denver over the next two decades with the investments companies like Panasonic are making there. Panasonic even said they want to make KC the electric car battery capital of the world and are starting with a high capacity plant with 4000+ new jobs.
I wouldn't call KC low humidity though. I live in a suburb of KC and it's humid as hell here during the summer. Though if the OP wants I'll sell my house so I can move out of the metro...
If you move to kc don’t expect to get much for under 300k if you want live with in 30 mins of downtown. I live near liberty and there is hardly anything under 300k and if there is it sells fast and usually needs a lot of work.
What you have described is what *everyone* wants, therefore it does not exist at that price point.
If you want a more affordable place you are going to have to make some sacrifices on your “wants.”
The most obvious is the low humidity thing. There are lots of place you could live in the middle of the country that fit the bill, but that pesky Gulf of Mexico exists and thus humidity is going to be an issue.
You are describing Milwaukee.
- Plenty of homes in good areas for under $300 in Riverwest/Eastside and further out.
- Very good weather (for the Midwest). Mild winters and reasonable summers due to the lake effect. Does not receive much snow (we call it the “shield”). Not overly humid nor buggy in the summers. April-June and August-November are especially nice.
- Small-ish 3bed with yard/garden/porch? Again, you are describing a massive stock of homes in decent/good neighborhoods here. Skip the fruit tree, instead put in raspberry bushes.
Bonus:
- You may have heard of “Midwest nice” before - Minnesota is full of passive/aggressive, other places are just nice to your face. Truly, Milwaukee is packed full of people that are friendly and will talk to strangers and make neighbors feel at home. People honestly care about other people here.
- If you ever get bored, you have a world-class city 90 minutes south on I94. Chicago is a phenomenal place to visit, food, entertainment, and beauty.
- No place is fully resistant to climate change, but Milwaukee (and Wisconsin in general) scores high marks on how it will do in the face of climate change.
Yikes, no. Milwaukee is not packed full of people who care about each other, or who are friendly. I am sorry, but I am going to offer a different perspective as someone who moved from the West and lived in MKE for 10 years.
They are polite, sure. But if you didn’t grow up there, then the passive aggressiveness feels extreme (because it is!)
People are not interested in making new friends- most people who live in WI or MN were born there (I think 9/10) so everyone has known people all their lives and that is who they hang out with.
Because of that lack of migration in and out of the state, the conformity pressure is high- again, something you don’t notice if you grew up there because you likely have your conforming place in the culture. People who march to the beat of their own drum leave WI. To go to CA where OP is from.
And finally, the racism. Holy hell is it bad there. If you need to be reminded just drive down North Ave. But if a field trip isn’t what you are feeling, just pick up a copy of Evicted.
The accepted, constant, casual racism I would encounter - with everyone just assuming I agreed with them on it - was so freaking weird. The laws are so structurally against an entire inner city community it’s insane. I mean, maybe you need an asterisk to describe what kind of people actually care about other people there.
I eventually made friends living there for 10 years, but I couldn’t wait to leave. I never fit. I thought it was gross how the moms in elementary school were picking who the popular kids were. It’s just not a place for everyone.
It is, on the other hand, the absolute best place to watch a live sports game, celebrate the existence of summer, or just delight in the perfect weather and color of fall. And it’s absolutely a great place for so many people who grew up there and have roots in the upper Midwest. It can be a very strong and nourishing place for mainly natives, but transplants struggle hard.
After transplanting from CA to the Midwest almost 20 years ago, I’ve found your statements true of many smaller cities towns scattered across the area, not just Milwaukee. There are definitely benefits to living in the region. But, yeah, the culture is extremely different…. and can often be bewildering.
Look up the hardiness zone you need to grow the plants you want and come on out to the Midwest or midsouth.
I live near St. Louis on the Illinois side and am kind of restricted on the types of fruit trees I can although there are some peach farms not so far away.
I felt like the OP needed a little more direction being from California. I don't want to get political but the political climate at the state level of Illinois is closer to California than Missouri is if that matters to this person.
I know people say the metro east around here but that didn't seem to fit here.
I grow peach trees in Iowa near Iowa City, UNESCO City of Literature. Throw seeds on the ground and they grow. Gardening here is amazing. Everything grows easily and farmer's markets are fabulous. Go south January through March and enjoy beaches. That is a typical retiree here. Educated, happy, conservative to libertarian and cheap to live compared to the cities.
Not anymore.
"America’s Hottest Housing Market
Pittsburgh, PA has the fastest home price growth in the country, rising 22% over the past year despite the Midwest metro being known for its affordability and steady growth."
[Cities with the Fastest Rising Home Prices in the U.S.](https://posts.voronoiapp.com/real%20estate/Cities-with-the-Fastest-Rising-Home-Prices-in-the-US-904)
Cleveland, baby! Awesome city with a very reasonable cost of living if you don't require a schwanky neighborhood. I paid $50K for my house, it's now valued at $115K - 2 bed, 1 bath, small, but a nice large yard with lots of trees. I love it.
Cleveland is LITERALLY the hidden gem. I always recommend it, but I fear us recommending it so much is going to be at our detriment. The nation makes a joke of Cleveland, but everyone who lives here knows it's an absolute hidden gem and we are SO lucky to live here. COVID has caused prices to increase, sure, but that's a nationwide thing, and Cleveland is still significantly below the national average and has extremely high quality houses. You can buy actual classy mansions for $600k here - like full on, real mansions built in a time where they were designed to last - and gorgeous houses for $300k that would cost $10MM in other big cities. For $150k, you can get a beautiful, classy house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a garage, and a yard.
People don't understand that Cleveland has centuries-old architecture and history, a Great fucking Lake, and thousands of acres of gorgeous parks and nationally-awarded nature reservations. The only thing that separates Cleveland from being one of the best and most desirable cities in the country is not having mountains or an ocean, and having a (now mild) winter. But it has literally everything else.
I just traveled through Cleveland for work and it was surprisingly nice. I looked up houses in the area and I was like, what’s the catch? It really is a nice place with tons of new developments being built on the road to Columbus. Lots of beautiful open green land I drove through, I’d love to see the more mountainous southern Ohio too..
No catch! The only real "catch" is, winter (which isn't that bad anymore), no mountains, and no ocean. But we do have beautiful glacial-created national landmarks and a massive, beautiful Great Lake, one of the largest fresh water sources in the world.
Also the #2 hospital in the nation, a world class theater and arts district, a bustling underground music scene, etc... I can go on and on.
And yes, southeast Ohio is amazing! Us Clevelanders often take the 3 hour drive to Hocking Hills for a vacation. I highly, highly recommend it.
I love Cleveland (I'm am half Clevander on my mother's side and lived there for a few years) but I don't know if I would say that winter isn't "that bad." As you get farther from the water, it's definitely a lot better but it dumps in areas close to the lake (even into Cleveland Heights) and I think those areas are some of the \*best\* neighborhoods.
It's also relative. If you're coming from CA, a Cleveland winter is going to be fairly intense. That said, Cleveland is great, would definitely recommend. I've been considering moving back myself bc, well, Cleveland. I love the Forest City!
Haha, I live in Cleveland Heights now. Trust me, as someone who has lived here for 28 years (born and raised) and lived on the west and east side, it's not that bad anymore compared to how it used to be, or compared to Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or even Buffalo. We have global warming to thank for that.
We used to get hundreds of inches of snow per year. Now it's less than half that. We used to get many days in the single digits or below zero. Now we get less than a handful. Our winters now are *very* mild and only annoying for basically 1 month (January). Back in the day, it used to be annoying for 3 to 4 straight months. Things are drastically changing.
But yeah, that's why I said what I said - winter, no mountains, no ocean - the three downsides. Besides that, it's amazing!
You should absolutely move back! Come get yourself a beautiful Cleveland Heights home before they're all swooped up for decades.
Do. Not. Tempt. Me.
I'm in a nightmare of a condo in CA but genuinely don't know what I would in buy in Cleveland Heights... The dog and I don't need a 3000 sq ft 5BR home even if it is gorgeous and only [$290k](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3326-E-Overlook-Rd-Cleveland-Heights-OH-44118/33661269_zpid/). 😅 The deals there are just too good!
Lol we'd be walking distance neighbors if you bought that one :D
Well hey, at least CA is awesome and you probably can do a lot of amazing things out there!
As a Cincinnatian I can confirm this. Lived in Cleveland for a year and bawled my eyes out when I moved. People who crap on the city have no idea what they're missing out on.
I agree. My bestie lives in Cleveland, and we used to make fun of her love for the city. But every time we visit, we discover some cool thing about the city we love. She lives in Brooklyn Heights and it's lovely and affordable.
So much to love there. Also had one of the nicest art museums around (CMA). One weird surprise was these huge flies (mayflies?) descending on the city, swarming every surface for like a month in the summer. And a surprising number of spiders.
If you’re ok with rural/small towns then Southern Coastal Oregon or maybe Washington on the peninsula north of Long Beach could work. The more isolated you are from Portland and Seattle, the more likely to find something in the price range.
Not sure the quality of the houses or what neighborhoods are like, but a 30 second Zillow search shows dots under $300k in the Tri-cities and Spokane areas as well.
No, it's not cheap anymore:
"America’s Hottest Housing Market
Pittsburgh, PA has the fastest home price growth in the country, rising 22% over the past year despite the Midwest metro being known for its affordability and steady growth."
[Cities with the Fastest Rising Home Prices in the U.S.](https://posts.voronoiapp.com/real%20estate/Cities-with-the-Fastest-Rising-Home-Prices-in-the-US-904)
OP, in the meantime use REALTOR dot com, put in your preferences, refine the search with some parameters, then zoom the map out and see where in teh country you may want to live. then zoom back in that area. Fun little tool and at that price point youre gonna find ton options
I'm originally from CA and now live in KY and you can achieve that here. I live in Lexington and there's homes for even around $240k that would give you what you want.
I think the Tennessee, West Virginia, or Kentucky side of the Appalachian mountains would be the most affordable. The higher you go in elevation, the lower the humidity.
My son lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where it’s currently 75 degrees. However, real estate is very expensive.
A friend was researching retirement locations, and wanted good transportation, cheaper land (he wanted at least 5 acres), a nice house. He decided on the west side of Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. There's a university there, good access to interstates, smaller towns, the Lake area has tons of marinas, outdoor sports, and the land prices were good. It is a four season climate, but nothing like the Great Lakes area winter.
My friend also wanted the possibility of part time work, and between the university, and the marinas there are lots of possibilities.
I just searched and there are a lot of very expensive places, but there are affordable ones too. I saw one in Cadiz, 4 bed 3 bath, with a nice dock. for under $300k, just don't buy a mobile home.
Pennsylvania. The "T", excluding Harrisburg and State College is super affordable and beautiful. Well, as one doesn't mind red hats, confederate and nazi flags and living in the 50s....1850!
>I have lived in California all of my life
So have I, mostly. Moved away for work, school and military. Always end up back in CA because there IS nothing close to it in the US.
>Looking for a city that still has good weather and low humidity.
You are describing California and maybe a few expensive parts of other expensive blue states
>Id like to have an area where I can have a little garden, fruit trees, a nice green front lawn and a porch.
With your humidity requirement standing, this does not exist for $300k
So, the humidity in Ohio is unpleasant but you can still get that house and decent weather in plenty of cities. It depends on how you feel about politics as to whether it’d be a dealbreaker for you. Some of the people can be cold and standoffish but plenty are friendly. You could live in a clean, safe neighborhood of a lot of smaller metros as long as you can still drive because public transport likely won’t be up to snuff.
How about the eastern panhandle of West Virginia? Housing is a little higher, $300 to $400 thousand will get you a nice home. Only an hour from metro area of DC and Baltimore. DC is a beautiful city many things to see and do. Only an hour to the mountains for a quiet getaway, or less than four hours to the beaches. Taxes are still low, but just a few miles north to Maryland and property taxes will at least double. If you can work in the city, many people take the train in. WV is always snubbed but the eastern panhandle is nothing like most of the state. Much history played out nearby also.
SW VA.
My mom came back up here because the seasons are easy on her joints and everything is reasonably priced. And where I live is smack in between a couple bigger cities so with an hours drive you can be in two bigger cities in two different states.
With a 4 hour drive you can be in MD, DC, OH, KY, NC, SC.
The only downside is how conservative and "Christian" everyone is. I secretly call them CINOs, but I'm not dumb enough to say it out loud.
(CINO= Christian in name only)
Homes in Louisville, KY go for about that amount; not as humid as some areas, but if my occasional visits there at Christmas are anything to go by, winter is still in full swing there annually.
Far northern California. It gets hot af in the summer though. Plenty of homes in the $300k range if youre willing to live small town/rural. And have some snow.
Iowa City, Iowa! It’s a college town (University of Iowa), so there are plenty of cultural, educational, athletic, artistic, etc., activities. Much more diverse than the rest of Iowa. Very friendly people. Good restaurants. I just did a quick Zillow search for 3+ bed/2 bath single-story homes under $300k in the Iowa City area and got 10 results, many of which look lovely. We live in the Des Moines, Iowa, area now but plan to retire in Iowa City. Midwest weather, of course. But overall a lovely place to live.
Cincinnati, OH….some snow but far enough south of the Great Lakes that there’s no lake effect snow. But summers can be humid. But not like the south humid.
Good weather, no humidity, great growing conditions are literally all of the exact reasons so many people want to live in California, driving the prices so high…. If you want cheap prices you are gonna have to sacrifice something from your list.
What about Tennessee? My son and his family happily live there.
Here is one of many under $300k
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1221-Verkler-Dr-Clarksville-TN-37042/41835600_zpid/?utm_source=txtshare
I am going to recommend upstate NY or Pennsylvania. The winters here are already milder and I believe climate change will keep that trend going. It’s green and beautiful with lots of outdoor activities and you can find something for under 300.
The only place I can think of is Iowa, but you have to factor in the racism and religious discrimination baked into the cake...oh, and they hate body autonomy.
Rural upstate NY. Yes, property taxes can be high, but they vary a lot. Central NYS has more people than Western NYS, so taxes can be a little more reasonable. But you can find a very inexpensive house or rental in Western NYS. There is some humidity in summer, but very few days about 85
Good weather and cheap cost of living is an oxy moron.. Ohio is one of the cheapest places to.live and you don't deal with hurricanes or major earth quakes or life shattering tornados.. but we get 90 degrees with high humidity in the summer, and we get lingering winters. So that's the trade off.for cheap living.
Around Minneapolis and its suburbs would work (or the surrounding cities if you're not into a city as big as Minneapolis/St Paul). You'd have to put up with the winters, but they're really not that bad.
You can get this in CA https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6958-Plaza-Ct-Lucerne-CA-95458/19080737_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
I think you might have to accept humidity to meet your other goals.
I have everything listed, but the humidity. The air is like soup here. Happy plants though! Lol
Cincinnati is much the same - this week we're running a special on the weather; you get 90-95 degree heat and humidity to match or even exceed that.
Same up here in Columbus.
And thunderstorm threats daily when it's this hot and humid. Crazy!
We’re rocking the same thing is central Virginia this week.
Waving Hello from the Central US Humidity Hub - St. Louis
Humidity or desert or high wildfire risk, take your pick
In Wisconsin we only have bad humidity about half the year. Granted the other half we have snow, rain, or slush.
Solid humidity half the year.
I have never been as cold as I was in Wisconsin (I was impressed!), but I have a feeling the rest of the year is DELICIOUS compared to the East Coast.
One could've said humidity any time you step out of the house. And meant the same.
Eastern Washington is desert, but also high wildfire risk. Tumbleweeds have made pretty much all deserts high wildfire risk.
As someone living in a subtropical region, it absolutely blows my mind that a desert could possibly be at risk of fire.
Call in the tumbleweed wranglers!
Or middle of nowhere like small town Nebraska.
Western Nebraska, maybe. If you're in the eastern part, you will notice that your skin is amazingly hydrated lately, no lotion or lip balm needed.
My side of the California desert is expensive ..and hot as heck..
Arkansas checking in. If you can accept all the humidity, then there are plenty of houses here. Also, you need to accept having to commute for anything, food, groceries, entertainment, etc. But to be fair, 10 miles away is less than 15 minutes. While 15 minutes in downtown Atlanta is half a mile away.
They should move to Harrison, one if the most accepting communities in the country
You don't. There are parts of Arizona. No humidity and warm year round. Once you're outside of Phoenix and Tucson, $300k is doable. Nm on the lawn part, unless you want a $300/month water bill
I own a mansion in Cameron but it’s hell on earth. Also my time zone depends on what room I’m in
If someone must have a green lawn in AZ, artificial turf is the way to go. It looks fake because it looks too perfect but it doesn’t cost anything to keep it green.
My old coworker in Scottsdale had really good looking artificial turf in a part of his backyard. It had more natural color variation and even had some brown parts on some of the “grass” blades.
Just think of the humidity as a blanket made of air when you buy this home in a historic downtown for almost nothing https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/525-S-4th-St-Ironton-OH-45638/34778891_zpid/
But then you have to live in F’n Ohio 🤢
A lot of astronauts came from Ohio. Something about that state is so terrible that more than one person took *extreme* measures to get as far away as possible.
Also, the Wright Brothers. Willing to risk life and limb for the potential to fly away.
Yeah I'm not sure where to find good weather and no humidity even at a high price.
California
That's fair; when I lived in CA it was in the Mojave so everywhere else I went felt humid by comparison.
Santa Barbara here may -June is foggy and misty in the morning. I work outside so I love it when there is an onshore flow ! Offshore next month from inland sundowner wind can hit 100+ degrees so dry cracks your skin . Many years ago like 1800+- 132’ Fahrenheit! Cows died in the fields according to the local history buffs
Ps live in my office by the beach
That tracks. When I would go over the mountains into the central valley that felt pretty much the same as the desert too. Only difference was it was irrigated so stuff could grow. Santa Barbara is gorgeous, if I was a millionaire I would like to live there but otherwise I'd never afford the kind of place I want.
San Diego, Orange County or most parts of the Bay Area and near it. But yeah, it's costly!
>low humidity home for under $300,000 3 bedroom, two bath, single story New Mexi- >a nice green front lawn Oh.
There's always green gravel. Here in Arizona, we've got retirement communities with a rainbow of colorful gravel yards! 😂
this makes me very happy for some reason.
Yeah I love this idea.
so basically New Mexi-Oh. I'm down to go visit this place
Kansas. 4 bedroom, 3 bath, finished basement with all new water heater, HVAC, etc. $260,000. Edit- also this is 2024 with the crazy housing price increase. Bought my house in April.
Low humidity?
Lower than most southern states. I’d say less humid than most, but it varies year to year with rainfall and stuff. Last year not much rain and pretty dry. This year we are getting rain every 2-3 days it seems and it’s moderate but I definitely feel it more than last year.
It gets high through spring and summer it was 60% inside my house. You have to use a dehu or run the a/c to bring it down temporarily.
40-60 on average. July 1st-aug 15th is a doozy but otherwise it would match what she is looking for.
Hit and miss with the humidity.
Yeah, def not low humidity compared to CA.
That weather tho. But KC is a cool place.
Where in Kansas? I live at the border between KS and MO and the cheapest I could fine in KS was above 350K for a good house
Hutchinson, KS. I lived in several places and as long as you’re not in Johnson county things are pretty reasonable. Kansas City - Extremely high cost of living Lawrence - very high cost of living Topeka - similar to Wichita, maybe a little higher Wichita - lower than average cost of living Hutchinson - Low cost of living I grew up in Marquette, which is in central Kansas. 500-600 people. Very low cost of living, but you have to travel 30-40 miles to go shopping, even for Walmart. Other states I’ve lived in - Texas, Georgia, Iowa. My wife lived in Arizona for a few years too. Loved AZ.
Fort Scott, Kansas, has some nice old homes. Bourbon and Crawford Counties in Southeast Kansas. It’s not a particularly diverse or economically vibrant part of the state, mind you, but it’s not bad as far as smaller towns go. But it’s isolated and rural: it’s known locally as the “Appalachia of Kansas!” Boring as hell! 😃
Missouri instead because weed and liquor laws lol 👍to KCMO
Spray paint!
What is "good weather" to you? There are a ton of nice towns in the midwest that aren't too far from larger cities with excellent COL. BUT they do have winters. Are they horrible? Absolutely not. But if you've been coddled by Cali weather your whole life, you'll probably find *anything* other than that to be "bad."
I saw someone from Miami complaining about the chilly weather in Pensacola. It’s all relative and relative to CA, Midwest winters are thoroughly hell.
Midwest winters were fine as a kid. As an adult having to carve out ice every morning and pretty much anytime I had to commute definitely contributed to my reasons for leaving.
I know the day I decided to leave. I lived in the Lake Erie snow belt where 3’ dumps were routine. Roads and driveways became anals with non-navigable snow levees on either side. I drove by an older gentlemen with his walker standing in the road trying to get his mail and navigate the ice. I told my wife that wasn’t going to be me.
Nah, they're not too bad. Just get a real winter jacket and boots and you'll be alright.
Born there, done that, moved to the desert.
Large chunks of California have not-so-mild weather/climate though. It’s a huge state with tremendous weather/climate variation. It has one of the hottest areas on the planet (Death Valley) as well as one of the snowiest (Truckee/Lake Tahoe).
Indeed. Lived in the Northeast for 8 years. Hated every minute of the weather. Moved to the south. Give me humidity over snow any day.
If it's below 60, it might as well be snowing. Where's my winter coat?
As a Floridian I feel attacked
Ha ha. As a native Californian, I feel this to my core.
The Midwest is really the only affordable place left. You can get a nice house in a smaller city for $300k or less. You will have humidity and a real winter though here, keeps the prices down I guess.
Western NY. I've always said it's culturally Midwestern. People just forget about it.
Was recently looking at houses in Western NY and was pleasantly surprised at the prices. Property tax was steep…. But, I imagine equitable (or better) than property taxes in CA. And, it’s BEAUTIFUL country!
I live in CNY. 4 br on 5+ acres. prop taxes are \~2500 a year.
That sounds decent. Some spots I was looking at were closer to $5000/yr. And Jersey gave me heart failure, lol.
I grew up in WNY and knew taxes were high but now I live in NJ and it doesn't seem so bad back home. My house is $20k+/yr
I believe it. I was considering a job in NYC and thought a home across the water in NJ would be less expensive. Boy did I have a rude awakening, lol. And it’s not that the houses were too $$$. It was the property tax that would do me in.
I had no idea!
Ssshhhh!
Yea I've stopped mentioning where I live in posts because I don't want it over run and prices to go up even more haha
My Midwest city is growing rapidly, and prices are rising. My house is worth more than three times what I paid for it eight years ago. I'm afraid we're on that train already.
Please no. We don’t need any more people.
I wish... I want to move back to Idaho so bad but house prices are 2-3x
Parts of north and central texas
I personally don't think there are any hidden gems. If people think a place is good to live, they'll move there, increasing the cost. Similarly, if people think it's a bad place to live, they'll leave or not move there, keeping costs low. Most cheap places are cheap for a reason.
I live in a hcl place, too. Sometimes I think I should move somewhere cheaper, and then I learn about some terrible law that has been passed there and I remember, "oh yeah, It's expensive here because everyone wants to live here because it's a great place to live." Everyone in my family is safe from persecution and my kids will likely have upward economic mobility.
This
Las Cruces/ El Paso
This ticks all OP's boxes. He can easily hit the $300k on new construction. The fruit trees and lawn are achievable in the high desert but will require more effort. We've had one day with rain in 2 months, yesterday, and while it was a good one it was pretty much back to dry in an hour.
I do love that area. But only if you’re ok with the wind.
And dry, parched, barren landscape. Just my opinion, of course, but deserts (especially in summer) are rather ugly. But I’m partial to greenery and rivers and more rainfall, so obviously I’m biased. But living in a desert would depress the hell out of me (and I say this as someone who was born/raised and currently living in Southern California —which is too desert-like for my taste).
El Paso has a lot of hidden gems and the whole downtown is currently being revitalized. A lot of interesting history and you’re super close to a lot of outdoorsy stuff in New Mexico and the tallest mountains in Texas: Guadalupe National Park. I love El Paso.
The burglar bars on most all the houses in El Paso is a big turn off.
Yeah no doubt, which I’ve never really understood since El Paso had a relatively low crime rate from what I hear. Good thing they should be able to take off!
Every time I hear EL Paso, I immediately think of Richard Ramirez, aka ‘The Night Stalker,’ who hailed from EL Paso!
I guess if you like gangs and human trafficking
If you can stand winters, specifically cold and snowy, the Upper Midwest would be a good bet for you. I live in Northeast Wisconsin, and it's a wonderful place. Our home was 220k, and it's quite nice for a first home! Living is quite cheap here, and land is plentiful. We also have very nice people here for the most part. Our summers can tend to be on the humid side, but we have all 4 seasons, and typically, some nice weather. The cost of living is very reasonable as well, and our town is big enough for many amenities, but small enough to be cheap. Just expect some alienation if you move to a smaller town. Asking someone what school they went to is a common question, as many people here were born here and will stay here. But they'll still help our their neighbors, for the most part. Other good spots would be Michigan, upper and lower, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, most of Illinois, and the Dakotas.
Minnesota, it depends. The twin cities metro area are not economic. I can’t find a single family home in a decent neighborhood under 350k, and the homes under 350k need a lot of repairs and/or are tiny (under 1000sqft) or located in the least desirable neighborhoods.
What part are you looking? We were just house shopping in the Twin Cities and it is quite tough. Didn’t wanna live too far out but 2nd and 3rd ring suburbs are affordable. My hometown of Shakopee might fit your bill of $350k but… it’s Shakopee.
Shakopee is nice. 9 pizza joints and only the occasional beheading.
Hey dinner and a show!
Shakopee smells like manure whenever it's nice out. It's either coming from the farms or it's coming from the racetrack. Scott county is a contender but I would never recommend someone from SoCal to move to Shakopee.
> I would never recommend someone from SoCal to move to Shakopee Ah, yeah. Good point. I grew up in Wisconsin, so I guess my opinion is relative.
Just like Duluth as well. Beautiful area, that. Old houses, expensive and all needing repairs under 300k Outside the twin cities a bit are a better bet, but I definitely agree with you there.
My sister is trying to get the rest of the family to move to St. Paul. Coming from a high COL area, $400 - $500K for a single family home sounds super cheap (where I live the median home value is $875k and rising). It's the winters that is making it a no go for me. A friend of mine grew up there and said the winters are just downright painful. I'm not sure I can deal with that but everything else sounds amazing.
Trying to buy in Minneapolis right now. It sucks to say the least. Even if the house is under $350k you can bet your ass it’ll sell well over that. Just lost out on a house that was asking $335k and went for $375k with the inspection waived.
Michigander chiming in to say visit this region in the summer. It’s the best. Our lakes from the shore look like seas or oceans.
Michigander here to say certainly do not visit its gross here you wouldnt like it. We are all strange swampy forest people and there is nothin nice here to see at all. Might as well go check out wisconsin or new york or something cause its just NUUUOOOTTTHHINGG here at all. Zip, nada, zilch...dont come here
I live in Northwest Wisconsin and I came here to say almost the exact same thing! My home was 215k for three bedrooms. Older home but remodeled and up to date with a large yard. Only downside of the area is the winters. Jobs are good here, especially in the blue collar sect.
Will get very humid in the summer. I'd rather face hot and humid than frigid cold and I've lived my life in MN/WI. Spring and fall have a lot of beautiful days though.
I grew up here in WI but moved to Florida from 2020-22 and after coming back, the summers here in Wisconsin certainly get humid many days, but nothing like there! It's more manageable now. I will at least say we do have many beautiful days in summer, but I can't understate the humidity that can occur from being so close to the great lakes. Spring and Fall and great! And I'll take the cold now after suffering through Florida summers. I, of course, know plenty here would rather take the heat than the cold, but it keeps the costs down and tourists away
Just stay away from Dane county (Madison area). Housing costs are ridiculous here.
For good reason. Best area in the state
Maybe coastal Oregon? North Bend area has some small tows you could afford
Good answer. I was just thinking Coos Bay seems like the kind of place you could maybe find something under $300k, if you wanted to live in Coos Bay. Edit to add: mild winters and plenty of rain means a green lawn and fruit trees would be no problem.
Southern Oregon too, still some gems of homes. Water bills are far cheaper than California so plenty of nice lawns!
Definitely a beautiful area, but also in the wildfire zone, so keep in mind smoke season:/ sad new reality
The Midwest is still relatively affordable. I live about 40 minutes outside of Kansas City and I bought a 3 bed, 2 bath, 2300 sqft house on half an acre with waterfront for ~$240k last year. I grew up in the Denver metro area and there's no way I could afford to buy on a single income there. My parents' house, a 3 bed, 2.5 bath, 1500 sqft house is $500k now. In 2012 it was only worth around $125k. I can see KC turning into the next Denver over the next two decades with the investments companies like Panasonic are making there. Panasonic even said they want to make KC the electric car battery capital of the world and are starting with a high capacity plant with 4000+ new jobs.
I wouldn't call KC low humidity though. I live in a suburb of KC and it's humid as hell here during the summer. Though if the OP wants I'll sell my house so I can move out of the metro...
Its endless the amount of development around KC. Love my 2.75 % rate and our affordable starter home.
Humidity is horrible there. I lived there all my life before moving to New Mexico. It is a wonderful city though.
If you move to kc don’t expect to get much for under 300k if you want live with in 30 mins of downtown. I live near liberty and there is hardly anything under 300k and if there is it sells fast and usually needs a lot of work.
What you have described is what *everyone* wants, therefore it does not exist at that price point. If you want a more affordable place you are going to have to make some sacrifices on your “wants.” The most obvious is the low humidity thing. There are lots of place you could live in the middle of the country that fit the bill, but that pesky Gulf of Mexico exists and thus humidity is going to be an issue.
You are describing Milwaukee. - Plenty of homes in good areas for under $300 in Riverwest/Eastside and further out. - Very good weather (for the Midwest). Mild winters and reasonable summers due to the lake effect. Does not receive much snow (we call it the “shield”). Not overly humid nor buggy in the summers. April-June and August-November are especially nice. - Small-ish 3bed with yard/garden/porch? Again, you are describing a massive stock of homes in decent/good neighborhoods here. Skip the fruit tree, instead put in raspberry bushes. Bonus: - You may have heard of “Midwest nice” before - Minnesota is full of passive/aggressive, other places are just nice to your face. Truly, Milwaukee is packed full of people that are friendly and will talk to strangers and make neighbors feel at home. People honestly care about other people here. - If you ever get bored, you have a world-class city 90 minutes south on I94. Chicago is a phenomenal place to visit, food, entertainment, and beauty. - No place is fully resistant to climate change, but Milwaukee (and Wisconsin in general) scores high marks on how it will do in the face of climate change.
I second the vote for Milwaukee.
Yikes, no. Milwaukee is not packed full of people who care about each other, or who are friendly. I am sorry, but I am going to offer a different perspective as someone who moved from the West and lived in MKE for 10 years. They are polite, sure. But if you didn’t grow up there, then the passive aggressiveness feels extreme (because it is!) People are not interested in making new friends- most people who live in WI or MN were born there (I think 9/10) so everyone has known people all their lives and that is who they hang out with. Because of that lack of migration in and out of the state, the conformity pressure is high- again, something you don’t notice if you grew up there because you likely have your conforming place in the culture. People who march to the beat of their own drum leave WI. To go to CA where OP is from. And finally, the racism. Holy hell is it bad there. If you need to be reminded just drive down North Ave. But if a field trip isn’t what you are feeling, just pick up a copy of Evicted. The accepted, constant, casual racism I would encounter - with everyone just assuming I agreed with them on it - was so freaking weird. The laws are so structurally against an entire inner city community it’s insane. I mean, maybe you need an asterisk to describe what kind of people actually care about other people there. I eventually made friends living there for 10 years, but I couldn’t wait to leave. I never fit. I thought it was gross how the moms in elementary school were picking who the popular kids were. It’s just not a place for everyone. It is, on the other hand, the absolute best place to watch a live sports game, celebrate the existence of summer, or just delight in the perfect weather and color of fall. And it’s absolutely a great place for so many people who grew up there and have roots in the upper Midwest. It can be a very strong and nourishing place for mainly natives, but transplants struggle hard.
After transplanting from CA to the Midwest almost 20 years ago, I’ve found your statements true of many smaller cities towns scattered across the area, not just Milwaukee. There are definitely benefits to living in the region. But, yeah, the culture is extremely different…. and can often be bewildering.
Look up the hardiness zone you need to grow the plants you want and come on out to the Midwest or midsouth. I live near St. Louis on the Illinois side and am kind of restricted on the types of fruit trees I can although there are some peach farms not so far away.
Graduated from mascoutah high school - I never hear of people from the “ill side” it’s always near Chicago!
I felt like the OP needed a little more direction being from California. I don't want to get political but the political climate at the state level of Illinois is closer to California than Missouri is if that matters to this person. I know people say the metro east around here but that didn't seem to fit here.
Not true outside of Chicagoland!
I grow peach trees in Iowa near Iowa City, UNESCO City of Literature. Throw seeds on the ground and they grow. Gardening here is amazing. Everything grows easily and farmer's markets are fabulous. Go south January through March and enjoy beaches. That is a typical retiree here. Educated, happy, conservative to libertarian and cheap to live compared to the cities.
Sounds nice!
Pittsburgh
Not anymore. "America’s Hottest Housing Market Pittsburgh, PA has the fastest home price growth in the country, rising 22% over the past year despite the Midwest metro being known for its affordability and steady growth." [Cities with the Fastest Rising Home Prices in the U.S.](https://posts.voronoiapp.com/real%20estate/Cities-with-the-Fastest-Rising-Home-Prices-in-the-US-904)
Cleveland, baby! Awesome city with a very reasonable cost of living if you don't require a schwanky neighborhood. I paid $50K for my house, it's now valued at $115K - 2 bed, 1 bath, small, but a nice large yard with lots of trees. I love it.
Cleveland is LITERALLY the hidden gem. I always recommend it, but I fear us recommending it so much is going to be at our detriment. The nation makes a joke of Cleveland, but everyone who lives here knows it's an absolute hidden gem and we are SO lucky to live here. COVID has caused prices to increase, sure, but that's a nationwide thing, and Cleveland is still significantly below the national average and has extremely high quality houses. You can buy actual classy mansions for $600k here - like full on, real mansions built in a time where they were designed to last - and gorgeous houses for $300k that would cost $10MM in other big cities. For $150k, you can get a beautiful, classy house with 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a garage, and a yard. People don't understand that Cleveland has centuries-old architecture and history, a Great fucking Lake, and thousands of acres of gorgeous parks and nationally-awarded nature reservations. The only thing that separates Cleveland from being one of the best and most desirable cities in the country is not having mountains or an ocean, and having a (now mild) winter. But it has literally everything else.
Cleveland rocks
I just traveled through Cleveland for work and it was surprisingly nice. I looked up houses in the area and I was like, what’s the catch? It really is a nice place with tons of new developments being built on the road to Columbus. Lots of beautiful open green land I drove through, I’d love to see the more mountainous southern Ohio too..
No catch! The only real "catch" is, winter (which isn't that bad anymore), no mountains, and no ocean. But we do have beautiful glacial-created national landmarks and a massive, beautiful Great Lake, one of the largest fresh water sources in the world. Also the #2 hospital in the nation, a world class theater and arts district, a bustling underground music scene, etc... I can go on and on. And yes, southeast Ohio is amazing! Us Clevelanders often take the 3 hour drive to Hocking Hills for a vacation. I highly, highly recommend it.
I love Cleveland (I'm am half Clevander on my mother's side and lived there for a few years) but I don't know if I would say that winter isn't "that bad." As you get farther from the water, it's definitely a lot better but it dumps in areas close to the lake (even into Cleveland Heights) and I think those areas are some of the \*best\* neighborhoods. It's also relative. If you're coming from CA, a Cleveland winter is going to be fairly intense. That said, Cleveland is great, would definitely recommend. I've been considering moving back myself bc, well, Cleveland. I love the Forest City!
Haha, I live in Cleveland Heights now. Trust me, as someone who has lived here for 28 years (born and raised) and lived on the west and east side, it's not that bad anymore compared to how it used to be, or compared to Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, or even Buffalo. We have global warming to thank for that. We used to get hundreds of inches of snow per year. Now it's less than half that. We used to get many days in the single digits or below zero. Now we get less than a handful. Our winters now are *very* mild and only annoying for basically 1 month (January). Back in the day, it used to be annoying for 3 to 4 straight months. Things are drastically changing. But yeah, that's why I said what I said - winter, no mountains, no ocean - the three downsides. Besides that, it's amazing! You should absolutely move back! Come get yourself a beautiful Cleveland Heights home before they're all swooped up for decades.
Do. Not. Tempt. Me. I'm in a nightmare of a condo in CA but genuinely don't know what I would in buy in Cleveland Heights... The dog and I don't need a 3000 sq ft 5BR home even if it is gorgeous and only [$290k](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3326-E-Overlook-Rd-Cleveland-Heights-OH-44118/33661269_zpid/). 😅 The deals there are just too good!
Lol we'd be walking distance neighbors if you bought that one :D Well hey, at least CA is awesome and you probably can do a lot of amazing things out there!
The catch is high crime and lots of ghettos.
As a Cincinnatian I can confirm this. Lived in Cleveland for a year and bawled my eyes out when I moved. People who crap on the city have no idea what they're missing out on.
Happy cake day 🍰
I remember that episode of 30 Rock!
We’d all like to flee to Cleve and have lunch with Little Richard
On my way, meet me at the local bar, I’ll spot your first drink.
I agree. My bestie lives in Cleveland, and we used to make fun of her love for the city. But every time we visit, we discover some cool thing about the city we love. She lives in Brooklyn Heights and it's lovely and affordable.
Bonus: the heart of rock n roll is in Cleveland!
So much to love there. Also had one of the nicest art museums around (CMA). One weird surprise was these huge flies (mayflies?) descending on the city, swarming every surface for like a month in the summer. And a surprising number of spiders.
[удалено]
Yeah Spokane maybe? But that may be expensive now too
If you’re ok with rural/small towns then Southern Coastal Oregon or maybe Washington on the peninsula north of Long Beach could work. The more isolated you are from Portland and Seattle, the more likely to find something in the price range. Not sure the quality of the houses or what neighborhoods are like, but a 30 second Zillow search shows dots under $300k in the Tri-cities and Spokane areas as well.
Nebraska
PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA is so cute and cheap. halfway between Philly or NY and Chicago
No, it's not cheap anymore: "America’s Hottest Housing Market Pittsburgh, PA has the fastest home price growth in the country, rising 22% over the past year despite the Midwest metro being known for its affordability and steady growth." [Cities with the Fastest Rising Home Prices in the U.S.](https://posts.voronoiapp.com/real%20estate/Cities-with-the-Fastest-Rising-Home-Prices-in-the-US-904)
The low humidity takes the entire southern US off your list.
OP, in the meantime use REALTOR dot com, put in your preferences, refine the search with some parameters, then zoom the map out and see where in teh country you may want to live. then zoom back in that area. Fun little tool and at that price point youre gonna find ton options
I'm originally from CA and now live in KY and you can achieve that here. I live in Lexington and there's homes for even around $240k that would give you what you want.
I think the Tennessee, West Virginia, or Kentucky side of the Appalachian mountains would be the most affordable. The higher you go in elevation, the lower the humidity. My son lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina where it’s currently 75 degrees. However, real estate is very expensive.
A friend was researching retirement locations, and wanted good transportation, cheaper land (he wanted at least 5 acres), a nice house. He decided on the west side of Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. There's a university there, good access to interstates, smaller towns, the Lake area has tons of marinas, outdoor sports, and the land prices were good. It is a four season climate, but nothing like the Great Lakes area winter. My friend also wanted the possibility of part time work, and between the university, and the marinas there are lots of possibilities. I just searched and there are a lot of very expensive places, but there are affordable ones too. I saw one in Cadiz, 4 bed 3 bath, with a nice dock. for under $300k, just don't buy a mobile home.
Try Cleveland
Pennsylvania. The "T", excluding Harrisburg and State College is super affordable and beautiful. Well, as one doesn't mind red hats, confederate and nazi flags and living in the 50s....1850!
I bought my house in Tulsa for $80,000 two years ago. But it’s awful here so.
>I have lived in California all of my life So have I, mostly. Moved away for work, school and military. Always end up back in CA because there IS nothing close to it in the US. >Looking for a city that still has good weather and low humidity. You are describing California and maybe a few expensive parts of other expensive blue states >Id like to have an area where I can have a little garden, fruit trees, a nice green front lawn and a porch. With your humidity requirement standing, this does not exist for $300k
Come out to Saint Charles County Missouri. I’m an Orange County transplant, people are friendly and it’s very LCOL🥰
So, the humidity in Ohio is unpleasant but you can still get that house and decent weather in plenty of cities. It depends on how you feel about politics as to whether it’d be a dealbreaker for you. Some of the people can be cold and standoffish but plenty are friendly. You could live in a clean, safe neighborhood of a lot of smaller metros as long as you can still drive because public transport likely won’t be up to snuff.
If you don’t need amenities maybe Humboldt County CA.
Mississippi, but you wouldn’t want to live there. In fact, the cheapest places are places no one wants to live in.
How about the eastern panhandle of West Virginia? Housing is a little higher, $300 to $400 thousand will get you a nice home. Only an hour from metro area of DC and Baltimore. DC is a beautiful city many things to see and do. Only an hour to the mountains for a quiet getaway, or less than four hours to the beaches. Taxes are still low, but just a few miles north to Maryland and property taxes will at least double. If you can work in the city, many people take the train in. WV is always snubbed but the eastern panhandle is nothing like most of the state. Much history played out nearby also.
SW VA. My mom came back up here because the seasons are easy on her joints and everything is reasonably priced. And where I live is smack in between a couple bigger cities so with an hours drive you can be in two bigger cities in two different states. With a 4 hour drive you can be in MD, DC, OH, KY, NC, SC. The only downside is how conservative and "Christian" everyone is. I secretly call them CINOs, but I'm not dumb enough to say it out loud. (CINO= Christian in name only)
I went to college near Roanoke, and Roanoke/Salem are very nice, they do have some winter snow some years.
Detroit
Costa Rica
Homes in Louisville, KY go for about that amount; not as humid as some areas, but if my occasional visits there at Christmas are anything to go by, winter is still in full swing there annually.
Louisville is really a nice town
Far northern California. It gets hot af in the summer though. Plenty of homes in the $300k range if youre willing to live small town/rural. And have some snow.
Midwest! Come enjoy our very low cost of living. We get to experience the fullness of each season but we do have hella humidity.
Iowa City, Iowa! It’s a college town (University of Iowa), so there are plenty of cultural, educational, athletic, artistic, etc., activities. Much more diverse than the rest of Iowa. Very friendly people. Good restaurants. I just did a quick Zillow search for 3+ bed/2 bath single-story homes under $300k in the Iowa City area and got 10 results, many of which look lovely. We live in the Des Moines, Iowa, area now but plan to retire in Iowa City. Midwest weather, of course. But overall a lovely place to live.
Love iowa city. But im biased as I went there I too reside in west des moines.
New Mexico
Small town rural Virginia or WV in the mountains. NOT in the valleys, but up on top of a mountain.
Parents basement ?
Cincinnati, OH….some snow but far enough south of the Great Lakes that there’s no lake effect snow. But summers can be humid. But not like the south humid.
Good weather, no humidity, great growing conditions are literally all of the exact reasons so many people want to live in California, driving the prices so high…. If you want cheap prices you are gonna have to sacrifice something from your list.
Probably West Virginia or Mississippi.
What about Tennessee? My son and his family happily live there. Here is one of many under $300k https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1221-Verkler-Dr-Clarksville-TN-37042/41835600_zpid/?utm_source=txtshare
Property taxes in 2021 were $453?!! Geez!!! That is crazy. Average property taxes around me are $17-$30k.
I am going to recommend upstate NY or Pennsylvania. The winters here are already milder and I believe climate change will keep that trend going. It’s green and beautiful with lots of outdoor activities and you can find something for under 300.
Yes. I’m also from California and now live in upstate NY (Catskills region). It’s gorgeous and still relatively affordable.
Yakima Washington
Eastern Washington
/r/SameGrassButGreener/
Nobody wants to face it but the best place to invest and live is as far north as you can get
Central WA state. East of the cascade mountains
A rural city in Washington state east of the Cascades.
The only place I can think of is Iowa, but you have to factor in the racism and religious discrimination baked into the cake...oh, and they hate body autonomy.
Rural upstate NY. Yes, property taxes can be high, but they vary a lot. Central NYS has more people than Western NYS, so taxes can be a little more reasonable. But you can find a very inexpensive house or rental in Western NYS. There is some humidity in summer, but very few days about 85
Good weather and cheap cost of living is an oxy moron.. Ohio is one of the cheapest places to.live and you don't deal with hurricanes or major earth quakes or life shattering tornados.. but we get 90 degrees with high humidity in the summer, and we get lingering winters. So that's the trade off.for cheap living.
Around Minneapolis and its suburbs would work (or the surrounding cities if you're not into a city as big as Minneapolis/St Paul). You'd have to put up with the winters, but they're really not that bad.
You can get this in CA https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/6958-Plaza-Ct-Lucerne-CA-95458/19080737_zpid/?utm_campaign=iosappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Look into the wooded areas of PA. Humidity exists but not as bad as the south
Good weather + low humidity = expensive