Posted on 02/12/2015 3:48:01 AM PST by Crazieman
Nice real estate is plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Fourth largest metro area in the United States and soon will be third largest. Every cultural amenity that NYC, LA, Chicago and London has, without the high cost-of-living. Best economy in the nation, overall. Very impressive highway, railway and other infrastructure system. Take a look on Craigslist or elsewhere to see housing prices.
If you wind up in the Ft. Worth - Dallas area, consider Southlake and Keller areas. Its really nice and people even have acreage within the city with horses, etc. Very upscale, though with lots of wooded areas. Very Conservative.
FWIW Texas doesn’t have a state income tax.
Yeah it doesn’t pay that much. 40-60K, and adjustable on certain locations and I’d have to find that list again.
I know it includes places like Alaska and Hawaii as 25% increases, but there’s a few others.
Real estate in SF and SoCal is crazy expensive.
If you don’t mind me asking, what will your rate be? I’m guessing your not a GS? Have you checked locality pay in the places you are considering? From a sheer $$ standpoint and for that reason you might be best served in DC. Just had a guy leave here in NE FLA. and his locality is way more than it was here. If you go to Miami or PR you might want to brush up on your Spanish. I’ve been to PR, you could probably live like a king down there. Beautiful beaches but you are out of the CONUS.
Metrowest isn’t bad — outside 495, along Rt 2 or 119. More cows than people, sometimes prices aren’t bad. Still pretty Liberal, though.
“Real estate in SF and SoCal is crazy expensive.”
You aint kiddin’. Had some people I work with transfer from the alameda area in the 90s to here in NE Fla. They showed me a few pics of their, well, what I would call “crackerbox” homes, but property is so high out there with the $$ they sold those homes for they came here and some were able to buy in country clubs. No joke.
Near as I can tell, Postal Police Officers are on a separate “PPO” scale, which is equivalent to Grade 6 on the PS scale, which I’m part of right now, and coincidentally, Grade 6.
Also I’d need to find out if I would keep my seniority or not.
Not sure what the GS-equivalent is, I’d have to look it up.
“Dallas/Ft Worth.”
Naw, we can’t build roads and infrastructure fast enough to support the current influx as it is. Suggest you move to Detroit, read you can buy a house there for $100.
Newark NJ obviously is a city and not a great place to live. However depending on your grade (salary) and your willingness to commute, there are plenty of beautiful rural areas to live west of Newark (Morris, Somerset Hunterdon, Warren & Sussex counties). Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex are the most conservative although all are Republican counties. Morris, Somerset and Hunterdon are the most expensive to live in, Warren and Sussex are cheaper but still pricey (compared to nationwide).
If you want to live close to or at the shore, then Monmouth County is really your only good choice. Northern Ocean County is a possibility but you commute would be pretty brutal (traffic). Both Monmouth and Ocean are generally Republican counties.
If you don’t mind taking the train to work then you can easily live anywhere along the Raritan Valley or Ocean lines both of which go directly into downtown Newark.
If you have to live close to Newark, then I would recommend western Essex or western Union county.
Personally I think NJ is a great place to live but the property taxes are very high. You would get NY locality pay so that helps. San Fran has the highest locality pay but the cost of living there is crazy.
Good luck in your search !
The mistake by the lake? really? I hear there are 2 kinds of people from Cleveland, those who love it and will never leave those who will never go back. :)
You can get a house for free in Chernobyl or Nairobi, but then you’d have to live there. I enjoy DFW, there is lots to do, restaurants galore, friendlier people and tons of opportunity.
The only 2 places on your list I’d consider would be Dallas and PR.
Take Dalls. Live in Flower Mound, TX. Just north of the DFW Airport and a wonderful community.
Sounds like a great opportunity, good luck with whatever you decide but if it were me I’d seriously consider the Lone Star state. THe economy is good and it’s pretty Conservative, except for Austin.............the hippies and libs had to go somewhere I guess. :p
Don’t just pass up on Detroit, yes it’s not the greatest place downtown, but there are some great places around the city and the morning commute isn’t all that bad compared to other metro areas.
Grew up in the suburbs, you have the Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit trifecta within an easy drive and there is always something to do. Living in places like Brighton or Milford, Howell, hell anyplace in Livingston county and you will be pretty happy, shop around and you can get some pretty good deals on housing as well.
(some damn cute women there as well when you start looking again :))
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