Virginia Tech also has an excellent vet school and is in a beautiful area, if a bit isolated.

I would not consider moving to go to any vet school unless you KNOW you can be admitted. Vet schools most certainly have waiting lists, as it is one of the specialities that is kept artificially small in numbers, IMHO.

Every vet grad I know had to wait for entrance to a vet school and they had very specific requirements. Find that out first if this is a strong factor.

And I LOVE MICHIGAN. All of it. I plan to move there myself.

And in my opinion, if you want warm weather and beaches you ARE sacrificing fall foliage in the sense that I have experienced it in Appalachia or anywhere North of that area.

Boone, North Carolina, home of Appalachian State University.

Actually similar rhetoric was being touted 10-12 years ago when the housing market in Cali (& other locales) did, in fact, crash. You can use whatever adjective you would like. The stability there, & again, in some other places is bound to falter at some point. Cali will be most impacted due to the large prices on homes, & the plethora of 'inventive' mortgage products people have used to get into those homes, to begin with. Many folks out there are living off of their equity, as they can't really afford the housing they are currently in. I hope I am wrong, but at some point a correction will likely take place in the housing market in general. I am merely suggesting that Jenny relook at her choices, as her timing may not be the best.

Totally agree with you, SAnParis. Housing markets do crash and timing is everything in real estate. I've had cousins that thought it was just "softening" and went bankrupt on Colorado housing a couple of decades ago with the same, "it's just a phase" research.

A housing phase can last 5 to 7 years. And housing markets do crash. I remember in '99 when the same "overlook" was being said about NASDAQ.

I think, felinesiren, the timing for you is now very tricky in quite a few markets. Research before you buy. Housing markets with large numbers of people living off their equity value is not universal in the USA. They vary greatly.

SAnParis: The problems you list for US real estate markets (not just California-- or are you indeed talking about Cali, the capital of Colombia?!) are indeed serious, and one already sees their impact in some markets. But the timing of the cycle on the west coast is different.

For whatever reason, California's markets' price surge was a bellwether for the rest of the country, but the rest of the country's real estate markets are softening and falling faster than California's. The last reversal in CA was pushed by the collapse of the aerospace industry out here. However, the dot-com bust of 2000 hasn't caused housing prices up in San Francisco and the Bay Area to shrivel. Inflation fueled by higher gasoline prices may ultimately burst our real estate bubble-- which is why I'll be getting my condo on the market ASAP....

HI..
Jennyjjj..
Lived in San Diego all my life in the La Jolla and Del Mar area and I got to tell you that California is very expensive on everything and if you are coming in from Ohio, you will be in culture shock and sticker shock.. alot of the country has risen to alot our cost like gas and etc.. but the housing market has softened but not dropped like other parts of the US...
We have very little humidity, no bugs to speak of and the weather is gorgeous..that is why everyone wants to move here but you have to have money to live here or work in a job that pays very well and if not 2-3 jobs to make it work..
We are protected from the big Earthquakes but we still get them from time to time and they are really no big deal..I don't know how people deal with the hurricanes, tornadoes and the wicked storms you get...
I wish you all the best...
felinesiren..
Have you thought of North Carolina as a place to hang your hat? My friends just moved from La Jolla to Wilmington and they just love it!

I love Wilmington, NC myself and am considering a move there in the future. However, I think many of the kind responders on this thread have overlooked felinesiren's desire not to "sacrifice my belove fall foliage and appalachian culture." Many places that have been suggested for relocation are about as culturally different from Appalachia as that of the Outer Mongolia.

Exactly, that's why I re-mentioned it. Seasons are 4 seasons- not just no rain or a little colder with rain; fall foliage comes with seasons.

I have lived in SoCal my entire life, besides 2 years on Oahu. SoCal is NOT what you're looking for if you "need your Autumn". There is no real change of seasons here. It is very boring as far as that goes. It can (and has) been just as hot on Christmas as the 4th of July. There is also no "culture" to speak of unless you are from another country...then your culture will rule sumpreme over any perceived US culture issue. The weather is great if you're after consistently warm but not too hot.

I currently work in the Mission Beach/La Jolla/Del Mar area. It has to be the most expensive housing around...except for Rancho Sante Fe. Houses have to *average* $800,000 - 1,000,000 there. Gas prices in San Diego are routinely documented as being the highest in the country. However, crime rates are low, especially in Del mar.

If your a vet tech, I would like to suggest Colorado....just because I watch "Emergency Vets" on the Animal Planet all the time and their suppose to be one of the best...Alameda East Animal Hospital. It may be way off on where you want to be...but I just love the show!!! May be a dumb way to find a place to plant your roots, but I heard they were one of the best.
www.alamedaeast.com

Wow, I can't believe there aren't many vet tech positions in NC. Everybody complains about the shortage of vet techs. Are you registered or licensed? Do you get the NAVTA journal or Veterinary Technician? If you are truly interested in becoming a vet, I would look at positions at teaching hospitals. Don't just look at the journal postings. Go to the teaching hospital web sites. I know UPenn always has vet tech listings. Of course, they almost always require you to be licensed (as they should). There are many advantages of working at a teaching hospital. For one, you establish residency in that state. They get to know you and you have established a history of experience. You can usually specialize which usually pays more and gives you better experience. Also, after a year many offer free tuition in university classes if you need to get some prereqs such as biochem. NC State may be a good choice for you. Its in a pretty area but near a good economy and has a lot of what you desire. VA Tech is out in the boonies. UPenn is a top vet school and will give you the most experience because of its city location. Its close to the beaches but may not have the other desirable aspects you are looking for.

Southern California has no Autumn. That's why I left San Diego.

What about the Pacific Northwest. Oregon or Washington. Washington State University has a terrific Vet program, although that's eastern Washington.

Are you interested in rural or something more cosmopolitan. Seattle and surrounding areas can be pretty expensive (cost of living), but Tacoma could be significantly less.

I agree with the poster who suggesting visiting some locations. Do a road trip around the PNW and look for a place you like. Everyone else's opinion of the "perfect place to live" will be different from your own.

Hi Tahiti,

Thanks for the advice. we have been traveled to the area 3-4 times and we are going back again in about 4 weeks and then again in July. I want to be sure, you know?

The last time we actually went to some open houses so we are aware of the prices of homes. we are looking at it as in investment :)

Our goal is to retire in Hawaii so we have to get on the train with the higher prices of homes or we will be living in a hut in Hawaii when we retire...Wait....I don't know if a hut in Hawaii is that bad! LOL

I really think Del Mar is the place we are going to move to. We love La Jolla but with the college there, we would rather be farther away from that.

We are looking for a place where the real estate will hold it's value. Our home here has dropped almost $100,000 in value so we have to find a better investment :)

Thanks again for confirming what I was looking for!

when dick devoss wins the election you might consider michigan once gov. granholm is gone-not a good govenor.

Don't come to Denver, you'll hate it (wink, wink). We left Ohio 5 years ago and we shovel our driveways all summer to get to work.
There's no such thing as sunscreen here. It's not necessary.
If you can't cross-country ski you'll never have milk or bread.
We miss Ohio- stay there.

Original Post:
Author: felinesiren
Date: 04/29/2006, 04:38 pm
I currenty live in southern ohio, for those of you who have never been here, the job market and economy leave much to be desired. But all it lacks in those aspects, it makes up in natural beauty. Nevertheless, I want to move. I am hoping for a good economy, warmer climate and beaches, but I don't want to sacrifice my beloved fall foliage and appalachian culture. Any suggestions???


My response:
I definitely think you should wait and see what vet school you get accepted into and THEN move to whereever that is. If you don't do that, then I also recommend the Charlotte Metro area, which is where we're moving to this summer from NoNJ. 3 hours from the beach, 2 hours from snow, enjoy four seasons, lots of activities available. Stay out of Mecklenburg Cty which has higher taxes, but consider Iredell Cty, NC or York County, SC which is in the C'lotte area but has the cheaper taxes. Economy is decent because of all the banking and insurance companies there, and more companies are coming to Charlotte metro every month!

Glad to read your response, k2rider! I read felinesiren's post that So Cal was in the running and wondered if that area had EVER had a fall. :)

I second N.C. The education system is great, economy is good in many areas, and close to mountains or beach--your choice on any give day . . . not to mention all 4 seasons.

Good luck! Let us know if you ever make a decision.

Paducah, Kentucky
We do not have beaches, but a beautiful place to live. Take a look on the internet.