Weather forcing people to move?

[300UGUY]

We have had 2 pretty stiff winters here in Michigan, and most of the north. I had 2 neighbor's move into town last year, they both bought condos. The winter was really the last straw for them, they just could not handle it anymore. And I have several friends that are talking about moving to Florida. Do you think there is going to be a big increase in folks moving south?

 

[RoyJackson]

We've been in Vermont for a little over 2 years now...I just got hired full time at the company I've been working at (as a contractor) for the last several months. But we're looking at North Carolina and I've already applied for several jobs down there.
I love winter...always enjoyed clearing snow...but the winters in Vermont are getting tough to handle. That, and the outrageous cost of living here...just too much.

However, I don't actually think we'll move

 

[JSanders10]

Do you think there is going to be a big increase in folks moving south?

As long as they only stop in Alabama and buy gas, groceries and keep on moving, great!

lol, seriously, living here and driving up and down Interstate 65 weekly, I see so many tags from Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, etc, of the snowbirds this time of the year as they all begin to head back north. The southward migration runs usually in November, with another wave right after Christmas for the latecomers who have the holidays with family and return south after Christmas.

 

[coobie]

As long as they only stop in Alabama and buy gas, groceries and keep on moving, great!

lol, seriously, living here and driving up and down Interstate 65 weekly, I see so many tags from Michigan, Ontario, Quebec, etc, of the snowbirds this time of the year as they all begin to head back north. The southward migration runs usually in November, with another wave right after Christmas for the latecomers who have the holidays with family and return south after Christmas.

My co-worker was originally from alabama.He told me a hillbillys worse nightmare was a yankee pulling a U-HAUL headed south.LOL

 

[coobie]

We have had 2 pretty stiff winters here in Michigan, and most of the north. I had 2 neighbor's move into town last year, they both bought condos. The winter was really the last straw for them, they just could not handle it anymore. And I have several friends that are talking about moving to Florida. Do you think there is going to be a big increase in folks moving south?

I think the real reason they want to move to florida is they don,t want to vote on the Michigan sales tax increase to fix our crappy roads this spring.

 

[tjcarguy]

We lost 3 out of 6 on our road last year . The neighbor I talked to said he couldn't take the propane heating bill. It would be cheaper for us to shut it down for a couple months and rent a double wide on the edge of the bama bayou somewheres. ---Trevor

 

[k0ua]

We have had 2 pretty stiff winters here in Michigan, and most of the north. I had 2 neighbor's move into town last year, they both bought condos. The winter was really the last straw for them, they just could not handle it anymore. And I have several friends that are talking about moving to Florida. Do you think there is going to be a big increase in folks moving south?

Nah, not possible.. 2014 was the hottest year on record.. It is not cold or snowy here.... much...

 

[oldballs]

We've been in Vermont for a little over 2 years now...I just got hired full time at the company I've been working at (as a contractor) for the last several months. But we're looking at North Carolina and I've already applied for several jobs down there.
I love winter...always enjoyed clearing snow...but the winters in Vermont are getting tough to handle. That, and the outrageous cost of living here...just too much.

However, I don't actually think we'll move

Wow, Roy, it seems like you just got there in Vermont. I'll bet you haven't even got all the boxes unpacked. But time does fly bye.
Cheers,
Mike

 

[flusher]

In the CA Central Valley, weather (aka extreme drought) is causing some folks to sell the farm and move. In my area the growers have been cut off completely from state and federal irrigation water for nearly a year. They can't get cheap surface water now as in the past since the Sierra snow melt that supplies the reservoirs, rivers and irrigation canals is at near historic lows.

In the North Sacramento Valley (Tehama County) from which I moved last month (sold my 10 acre place), the orchard growers (olives, almonds, plums for prunes) have put in thousands of acres of new trees in the past 5 years and now have to pump ground water year round to keep those trees going.

My neighbor's well at about 100 feet depth ran dry this past August. With annual rainfall running about 40% below normal, we were not getting much ground water recharging. So it would not have been long before I would have had to drill a deeper well. Good luck trying to get a drill crew at your place. The best drillers are booked more than a year in advance right now.

My real concern is that this prolonged drought will continue for 5-10 years or more and drive down property values in my county. Like everyone else, I took a big hit in value due to the Great Recession of 2008. Property values have recovered 25% or so in the past several years. So for peace of mind I sold the farm and moved to the city.

 

[Parkanzky]

We've talked about moving somewhere warm a few times over the past decade. We've looked at North Carolina, the Scottsdale area, and southern California. A couple of those times I've really wanted to go, but my wife's career has been on the rise and she wants four seasons so we've always stayed. When we get closer to retirement, we'll probably either move someplace warm or buy a condo somewhere warm that we can use as a vacation spot for the last few years we work and then as a winter home when we're retired.

We really love Grand Rapids in the summer. Fantastic food and good culture for a city its size, with no real traffic and a low cost of living. But the winters aren't for me and I'm ready to pay the "sun tax."

 

[vtsnowedin]

Roy Jackson: Your just going to have to suck it up cupcake. The last two winters have been normal or even a bit of underachievers.
On the other hand one of my daughters has moved south to Georgia and another one is looking to move down to the DC area. Those are not climate related but work related. You can put up with a lot in Vermont or Michigan if you have a good paying job but if the money is tight heating oil and snow plowing expenses get old in a hurry.

 

[RoyJackson]

Roy Jackson: Your just going to have to suck it up cupcake. The last two winters have been normal or even a bit of underachievers.
On the other hand one of my daughters has moved south to Georgia and another one is looking to move down to the DC area. Those are not climate related but work related. You can put up with a lot in Vermont or Michigan if you have a good paying job but if the money is tight heating oil and snow plowing expenses get old in a hurry.

I'm paid pretty well...no complaints there. My plan was move to West Virginia since I had been accepted for a federal job there. Wife wanted to move to VT and since I also got a job offer from Vermont Castings (who also paid for the move), we ended up here. Wifey was raised in Plainfield VT and has kin here...but she's ready to pack it in too.
Like I wrote...it's actually pretty unlikely. I do love the area...taxes are a killer though. And, like anything else, one does learn to acclimate themselves. I do think VT is getting a bit more conservative since we have an aging population....and I hear a lot of people complaining about the lefties in Montpelier. Who knows...might turn out to be a good state again!

 

[Country Geek]

The old saw I hear from people I know who moved here from up north (which is a lot including my parents when I was a baby) is that they strapped a snow shovel to their car, drove south, and stopped the first time someone asked them "what's that?"

 

[CalG]

Two sorts of people in this world.

Those that like winter, and those that don't

I'm going skiing tomorrow!

Oh, If you don't like Vermont winters, you can always move to New Hampshire! ;-)

 

[vtsnowedin]

I do love the area...taxes are a killer though. And, like anything else, one does learn to acclimate themselves. I do think VT is getting a bit more conservative since we have an aging population....and I hear a lot of people complaining about the lefties in Montpelier. Who knows...might turn out to be a good state again!

Well when a few more Obamacare/ Vt health connect bills come due a lot of Vermont's young people may become conservative well before the usual time. I see a glimmer of hope.

 

[chad22]

I like where I live right now. But I don't like the weather in the winter.

I wouldn't mind buying some land somewhere warm one day and move there in a travel trailer for winter. Then come back for spring and summer.

Who knows. I may like the warmer place even better and just stay there. lol

 

[Pirate]

Forced me right to TN. After living in ME and MI, and FL, this climate seems to be the best.

 

[newbury]

The "move south because you cannot stand the winter" has been going on since time began. It accelerated greatly when a/c became feasible.
When I lived in northern Vermont I could always put on warmer clothes so I could go outside and "do stuff".
Down in Mississippi there are a few days a year I can't take off enough clothes to go outside and do "stuff".

If I had my wishes I would be typing this from my retirement site in Northern Vermont where the temps got down to 29 degrees below Fahrenheit last week. But SWMBO's family is in Mississippi so I'm typing from where the temp is supposed to be 73 degrees next Tuesday.

That's only a 102 degrees difference

 

[RoyJackson]

Oh, If you don't like Vermont winters, you can always move to New Hampshire! ;-)

Might, actually...I work in New Hampshire

 

[Bird]

I thought all the northern retirees go to Florida, North Carolina, or Alabama. And all the northern folks who are still working are moving to the Dallas/Ft. Worth/Denton area of Texas. The traffic around here is just incredible and the road and home construction going on is mind boggling; both huge expensive apartment buildings and big expensive homes.