I personally would die if I had to live in that sort of humidity. I have friends in Winston Salem and between visits there -- to DC, VA and Charleston - the most miserable days I've ever experienced . And one time in Wash DC it wasn't even that hot -- 89 or 90F . . . But it rained and the sidewalks were literally steaming. Felt like a wet sauna set uncomfortably hot. And when visiting Charleston (which I loved - city-wise, weather - not so much) even my NC friends wilted - it was HORRIBLE.

Asheville or someplace with altitude like that would be better IMO.

I'm still wondering about this "work and visas are not an issue" idea. Usually that means a US employer, but that in turn usually determines where you live.

@janisj - you survive by spending all your time indoors or in an AC car.

1. WhereAreWe, it is the difference between the time where you are in the US and the time where your clients are in the UK or in Europe. It isn't anything about the zone itself.

The Eastern Time Zone is five hours earlier than the UK and six hour earlier than the Continent.

Moving to Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones adds 1, 2, or 3 hours to that.

Pretty soon, you and your clients are on completely different schedules.

2. Those worrying about visas and work permits may not have considered the possibility that the OP is a long term expat or someone with dual citizenship.

Think about Bloomington, Indiana, a picturesque college town about 3.5 hours from Chicago or the Indiana Dunes State Park on Lake Michigan, but with many features to recommend it without leaving town. Local lakes nearby. Southern Indiana has beautiful rolling landscape, 4 distinct seasons, and while it does get into 90s and 20s those are extremes -- at least they were when I lived there. Add access to great music programs, parks, libraries, national touring bands & theater, etc. I think it's an ideal spot to live. I went to grad school & lived there for about 3 years and certainly consider it as a potential retirement home. Great food coop, farmers market. And Eastern time zone (far western edge, but still).

Ackislander - I understand how time zones work. OP said they wanted to be east of Missouri and either in or close to the Eastern Time Zone.

Which means they could very well be in the Central Time Zone, and thus being east of Missouri is no longer relevant. East of Missouri but still in the Central Time Zone includes all of Wisconsin, Illinois, Mississippi, Alabama and half of Kentucky and Tennessee - so what's the point of being close to the Eastern Time Zone if you aren't actually in it?? There's no partial credit on the clock for being 50 miles away.

My question was for the OP - do you need to be in the Eastern Time Zone for work purposes, or is the Central Time Zone acceptable? Because as I've said, you can be east of Missouri but still in Central, in which case you might as well be west of Missouri and still in Central because it makes no difference on the clock. But it does open up a lot more territory to consider for relocating.

There's no way to know without more input from the OP, but I would guess that the east of Missouri criterion has to do with flying to and from Europe.

Thanks for the time zone explanation. The business angle is understandable.

I recommend Savannah, Georgia. It gets hot in the summer, but winter is mild and it is a colorful town of about 150,00 with beaches and it isn't far from the Great Smokey Mountains and many other destinations of interest. You could probably find just what you're looking for within an easy drive of all the city has to offer.

HTtY

PS In the summer it is going to be in the 90s any place you want to be east of Missouri. Why be close to the ocean?

I thought about recommending Bloomington myself. Great college town. The biggest drawback in my mind is that the student population can drive you nuts at times. It also drives the cost of rentals up. Housing is typically in short supply. But I love the town.

Just idle speculation, but I was going to suggest Charlottesville VA - decent quality of life, housing that ought to work with the OP's budget, close enough to DC or Richmond for getaways, lovely countryside. Can get hot, occasionally cold, but lovely year round.

Also while I haven't spent a great deal of time there, I was also thinking about somewhere on the Chesapeake Bay or Delmarva Peninsula, where the ocean might moderate both the heat and cold extremes.

WhereAreWe: As Ackislander says, it's because we'll both be working with people in Europe. And the closer we are to east the more time we'll have every day working with Europeans (whom are in three different time zones) - and there will be less hours of travelling when going to/from Europe.

When saying "east of Missouri" that was just to give people to the idea of where we approximately wants/needs to live. To narrow down the options, really.

@Ackislander "2. Those worrying about visas and work permits may not have considered the possibility that the OP is a long term expat or someone with dual citizenship."

Of course I considered that, but I would have expected the OP to say so. Perhaps the conventions are different on this board, I don't spend much time here, but on the Europe board someone planning to spend a year living and working in a European country would explain how they were going to do so legally. And if they didn't they would certainly be asked about it. Repeatedly.

Maybe the OP thinks it is none of our business. Ted Cruze's office won't respond to my questions about why he won't give up his Canadian citizenship. Maybe they think it is none of my business.

thursdaysd: For the record: My wife's a US citizen and I will obtain an "i" classification visa (by being employed by a sponsoring european news bureau only). We'll both be legally staying and working in the US, of course.

I think Charlottesville, VA is another good idea. Wherever you choose, be sure to check on availablility of high speed internet when you look at potential rentals. Many more rural areas (sometimes just outside the city limits) have limited broadband options.

Thanks for all the responses, by the way. Some great tips here!

Janet: I was thinking of Middleburg/Loudon County, VA. (I did say outer suburbs). You probably are thinking of Fairfax.

@Dnalre - glad to hear you'll both be legal! Good luck with the visa, the US immigration people are a major pain to deal with. I guess your wife isn't from the south, or she'd already know about the summers here...

I'm thinking of anything north of Spotsylvania

What is the cost of living in Middleburg? I have only been there for horse shows, which doesn't give a good view of regular life with regular people.

My first husband lived in Rappahannock County/Little Washington and that is a nice area as well.