Nan

Ted, In response to the comment about health insurance over $1000.00 is a lie - I repeat, I am self-employed. I was insured with a Kaiser Permanente for many years until they totally pulled out of the NY area.After an exhaustive search,I chose Oxford Health as a replacement.Their rates started at about $650 per month,a couple of years ago, and steadily climbed to my current rate of $1250 per month.Possibly the insurance offerings in DC are different than what's available here in NY.

xxx

Absolutely right Nan. And isn't it interesting that you were able to point that all out in a civil manner without calling Tammy and Ted liars? So, Tammy and Ted, are you taking notes?

Barry

I suggest that people who want to move to a place with cheap housing move to Erie PA. The average four bedroom 2000 square foot home is under $100,000 and you can get indivual HMO insurance coverage for $200 with very local deductible and copayments. Life is good people are friendly and with the $600,000 Ted and Tammy have in the bank they could pay for housing costs and basic living expenses out of the interest from a 5% CD our local banks are paying.

Char

Here in Mobile, Al the average couple makes about $55,000 and the average single family house costs about $140,000. I have been doing some math and I figure that if Ted and Tammy can get 5% on a CD that pays interest each month, that is $30,000. So they only need to make $12,500 a piece a year in part time earnings to lead the life of the typical couple in Mobile.

We got it all here, and the nicest people anywhere!

xxx

But Barry, why would you want to sic the likes of Ted and Tammy on the poor, innocent townsfolk of Erie?

Anne

Hi, I worked part-time while I was writing a book. I purposely chose a job that offered health insurance for part-time employees. I received full coverage. I did find that the selection of part time jobs was rather narrow and promotional opportunities were limited so I went back to full time work. I also was self-employed for a few years and also only paid $200 per month for health insurance through an HMO called Health Alliance Plan. There was only a $10 co pay for all doctor's visits and other services.

kl

Ted & Tammy,

I have a suggestion for you - Roanoke, VA. Yes, it is not a large city, but large enough to have a few cultural activities; and housing prices are nowhere near those of Northern Virginia. Roanoke is located in SW Virginia, tucked in the Blue Ridge mountains and close enough to Virginia Tech to take advantage of their high-tech atmosphere. Plus, you are only 3 1/2 to 4 hours from DC to visit family and friends. We had some good friends move to Roanoke after working in the government for 25+ years. They semi-retired, and one is working at a local gardening center part-time. She always loved gardening and this is a perfect way to keep busy and do something to enjoy.

Also, if it matters, Einstein (who posted earlier) does not know what he is talking about. If you do sell your house, you only have to pay taxes on any profits over $500k.

Good luck in your search for the perfect place. I would definitely make the change if I were in your shoes.

Sandra

Ted: Sell the house. Move to the Caribbean . Open up a small bar and enjoy life. It's too short!!! My husband & I own a business and those are our plans. We have 8 more years left or shorter.

JTA

I've lived in the DC metro area since 1986. I think that's too long. The traffic has gotten so bad, that it's hard to enjoy the amenities DC has to offer! My mother-in-law came down from PA for Mother's Day. We made the mistake of going into the city. Streets were closed off because of at least two rallies. We left the house at 10:00 a.m., from Gaithersburg, to attend church services at the Basilica. We barely made the 12:00 service. Getting out the of city was almost as bad. I wish we could make a tidy profit to live on by selling OUR house and moving away, but my property values haven't increased as much as Ted & Tammy's. If you can do it, go for it!

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ME

I am in the SAME situatio as the first poster. We lived in the DC are for the last 18 years, we're both 45, and have just bought a 3300 square foot single family home in the Tampa FLorida area in a gated, golf course community for about 250,000. We sold our home in Gaithersburg for almost about 450,000, which gave us a profit of over 130,000 paid off our new home in FLorida and now we do not have the pressure of finding a high paying, stressful job! The DC area has its benefits and such but the tax in Maryland is horrid, especially Montgomery County. In addition, traffic everywhere you go is ridiculus. You could be on the beltway at 3am on a Saturday and sit in traffic. All in all, we cannnot wait to move and evjoy the lower taxes, no state tax, and sunshine of Florida.

JTA

ME -- I envy you! I don't think I could convince my husband to move to FL, he's from PA and hates the intense heat of FL. Do you know what the job market for professionals is like in Tampa?

Linda

I want to move to part time, I am 47, also but do not want to work retail for minimum wage. If I could do my job 20 hours a week life would be sweet.

Anyone done that but stayed a professional?

Laura

Well at 45 I decided to go back to School. So I am selling my vacation home near Smith Mountain Lake, a Chalet on 5 acres. You are welcome to buy it and I guarentee you will be glad you did. It is easy living there, not expensive and relaxing, besides the nature and nice neighbors.

Suzie

Currently doing 26 hrs per week. Started part time (20 hrs) when son was 18 mos after returning from leave and finding I could not do both well. DH & I worked it out to stay home with child. After second child started school full-time increased hours to 26. Very supportive boss. Making same money (prorated) and getting same benefits as full time staff.

Hmmm...

Laura: Where is Smith Mountain Lake?
Linda: Try going "consultant," if you don't need the "benefits."

ME

JTA,
I am a telecom engineer and will be working at Raytheon in Tampa. Check out tbo.com for local news and job openings. The market is not as good as the DC area but there are a lot of tech companies down there. My wife's job allows her to work at home in 45 of the 50 states as a loan broker.

The companies, for some reason, don;t like to hire out of staters, so we used a relative's FL address on the resumes.

Tampa is great because of the lower living costs and the traffic is not nearly as bad as anything in the DC area.

xxx

ttt

dosey

Ya'll come down to New Orleans -- weather is warm, housing is moderately priced, we have several universities, museums and other culture, plus you'll have a great time living in such a unique city.

nina

Yes Linda. If you read my above post I did exactly what you are considering. I love it and hope I never have to work full-time or for anyone else again.