Where should I move?

[TonyPlush]

This isn't 100% skiing related, but I thought the wise and well traveled Pugskiers might have some interesting opinions on this.

In the next 5-10 years, I will transition to fully remote work. This creates a unique opportunity to live anywhere, regardless of job market.

I'm currently 30 and getting married next year. We currently live in Minneapolis, but our dream is to buy a decent sized lot (1+ acres) and build our forever home. Budget of $200-300k for the lot.

Wish list:

• Peaceful setting with mountain or lake views.
• Driveable to an interesting city or small town. (Our favorite part of Minneapolis living is the restaurants, breweries, and city parks.)
• Prefer cool or cold weather. Anything consistently over 85 degrees is a no go. That said, we currently live in Minneapolis, so we've had enough of the truly brutal winters.
• ~30 minute drive to a modest to large size airport for traveling or visiting family in Minnesota & Texas.
• Good school system for raising kids.
• Don't need to ski everyday, but a mountain within daytripping distance (1-2 hours) or even a convenient airport to affordably reach skiing would be ideal.
• Near hiking/outdoor activities for the dog and family.

From my initial research, the only place I've found that seems to hit all the marks is Steamboat Springs, CO. I still need to do more research into the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.

Anywhere else I should consider?

 

[socalgal]

Eastern Washington/North Idaho.

 

[Plai]

Usual western places that come to mind
Reno, NV (Truckee CA)
Bend, OR
Bellingham WA
Spokane WA, Coer d'Alene, ID
Boise ID
Santa Fe, NM
Durango, CO
Salt Lake, Ogden, Park City, Herbert UT

Too many to list.....
Have you considered British Columbia? Vancouver and Vancouver Island are beautiful.

 

[Bill Miles]

Usual western places that come to mind
Reno, NV (Truckee CA)
Bend, OR
Bellingham WA
Spokane WA, Coer d'Alene, ID
Boise ID
Santa Fe, NM
Durango, CO
Salt Lake, Ogden, Park City, Herbert UT

Too many to list.....
Have you considered British Columbia? Vancouver and Vancouver Island are beautiful.

Doesn't Canada have some pretty severe immigration restrictions?

 

[babanff]

Doesn't Canada have some pretty severe immigration restrictions?

Yes, if you’re a remote worker won’t be easy to immigrate unless your company has locations in Canada. Also if you don’t have PR or citizenship, purchasing real estate can be cost-prohibitive (35% down payment typically required for non-resident)... and $300k might buy you a single square-metre in Vancouver

 

[martyg]

We were in the same boat. I retired at 52. As part of my professional career I worked in, and with, most mtn towns and ski hills, so I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in many.

Quick run down on what we looked at:

- Big Sky: too much winter.
- Bend, OR: way too crowded. It is just like any bedroom community now.
- Schweitzer: too small.
- Park City: found one builder there doing it kind of right and contracted with them. They flaked. Attorneys were involved. Most houses going up there are shit for construction methodology and materials - even the eight figure homes. In retrospect, too crowded.
- Carbondale: too much of a bedroom community.
- Vail Valley: too much of a circus.
- Durango: just right for us. Our builder was named by DOE as the most innovative home builder in the US. Probably the top cycling town in the US as far as talent. WW Park in town. 1.8 million acres SJNF. Purg is 25 minutes away. Wolf Creek. Telluride. Desert / canyon lands 90 minutes away. Real commerce here. Community. College town. Downside: small town. A long way from anywhere (which is also a plus). Too many Texans. Want to purchase a suit? Drive to ALB. Pack a sidearm.

 

[Bill Miles]

My decision when retired was pretty easy...

My two favorite places were Aspen and Sun Valley.

Couldn't afford Aspen, even downvalley.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

We went through this a year ago because the elevation in Breckenridge, where we'd lived happily for 10 years, started ruining my health. Kind of liked Reno but not the half hour daily drive uphill to snow. Ended up in Heber City, UT, easy 15 minutes to Park City, half hour to SLC and an easy winter with driveway shoveling maybe 10 times. Leaving UT now unhappily at wife's request to return to sweaty MI so she can be closer to family. Not OUR family, HERs.

Pardon the slight rant, but be aware and pick a spot SHE is committed to also.

 

[Posaune]

If you don't like hot weather I'd stay "west of the crest" as we sometimes refer to it. The coast part of the West Coast has more moderate temps. Bellingham fits almost every one of your criteria. The only one that might be a little bit of a problem is that while we have an airport in town, it's 1.5 hours to Sea-Tac (Seattle) by car. It has the most flights, though you can get connecting flights from here. Whatcom County has some really beautiful places and it's not super crowded.

Local outdoor attractions: Mt. Baker Ski Area, North Cascades National Park, Mt. Baker Wilderness, Salish Sea including San Juan Islands, B.C.'s lower mainland and the Coast Range and interior (lots of skiing there). Plenty of breweries and restaurants, college town. Vancouver is just across the border (thank goodness for that border or we would be a suburb) and Whistler is 3 hours away.

You must be ready for drizzle, showers, damp, and moss during the winter, though summers are generally glorious.

 

[Jim Kenney]

This isn't 100% skiing related, but I thought the wise and well traveled Pugskiers might have some interesting opinions on this.

In the next 5-10 years, I will transition to fully remote work. This creates a unique opportunity to live anywhere, regardless of job market.

I'm currently 30 and getting married next year. We currently live in Minneapolis, but our dream is to buy a decent sized lot (1+ acres) and build our forever home. Budget of $200-300k for the lot.

Wish list:

• Peaceful setting with mountain or lake views.
• Driveable to an interesting city or small town. (Our favorite part of Minneapolis living is the restaurants, breweries, and city parks.)
• Prefer cool or cold weather. Anything consistently over 85 degrees is a no go. That said, we currently live in Minneapolis, so we've had enough of the truly brutal winters.
• ~30 minute drive to a modest to large size airport for traveling or visiting family in Minnesota & Texas.
• Good school system for raising kids.
• Don't need to ski everyday, but a mountain within daytripping distance (1-2 hours) or even a convenient airport to affordably reach skiing would be ideal.
• Near hiking/outdoor activities for the dog and family.

From my initial research, the only place I've found that seems to hit all the marks is Steamboat Springs, CO. I still need to do more research into the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.

Anywhere else I should consider?

Sounds like Whitefish. You need @Sibhusky to chime in.
PS: you're kind of young to be thinking about your forever home. Heck, I'm starting to push 70 and can't make up my mind about a forever home Unless it's the one for pushing up daisies.
It might be less overwhelming to think about the next relocation as your pit stop for a decade or so.

 

[Tony]

This isn't 100% skiing related, but I thought the wise and well traveled Pugskiers might have some interesting opinions on this.

In the next 5-10 years, I will transition to fully remote work. This creates a unique opportunity to live anywhere, regardless of job market.

I'm currently 30 and getting married next year. We currently live in Minneapolis, but our dream is to buy a decent sized lot (1+ acres) and build our forever home. Budget of $200-300k for the lot.

Wish list:

• Peaceful setting with mountain or lake views.
• Driveable to an interesting city or small town. (Our favorite part of Minneapolis living is the restaurants, breweries, and city parks.)
• Prefer cool or cold weather. Anything consistently over 85 degrees is a no go. That said, we currently live in Minneapolis, so we've had enough of the truly brutal winters.
• ~30 minute drive to a modest to large size airport for traveling or visiting family in Minnesota & Texas.
• Good school system for raising kids.
• Don't need to ski everyday, but a mountain within daytripping distance (1-2 hours) or even a convenient airport to affordably reach skiing would be ideal.
• Near hiking/outdoor activities for the dog and family.

From my initial research, the only place I've found that seems to hit all the marks is Steamboat Springs, CO. I still need to do more research into the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.

Anywhere else I should consider?

Usual western places that come to mind
Reno, NV (Truckee CA)
Bend, OR
Bellingham WA
Spokane WA, Coer d'Alene, ID
Boise ID
Santa Fe, NM
Durango, CO
Salt Lake, Ogden, Park City, Herbert UT

Some of list @Plai provided don't make the "consistently over 85 degrees is a no go". Following are average July/Aug Hi/Low Temp although, from someone living in the SF Bay Area, I realize there are micro-climates/elevations where temps are more moderate (but if they are closer to lakes or ski area prices most likely will be higher):
July August
Boise 91/60 90/60
Reno 92/58 91/56
Salt Lake 90/69 89/67

I like Minden, NV where average summer high temps are the same as Reno, but average summer lows average mid to high 40s. You are 45 mins to RNO which I think is a better airport to fly into than Bend/Redmond. Minden is well under 20 miles/30 minutes to Heavenly's Stagecoach and Boulder bases and 30 minutes to Lake Tahoe. You are also 45 min to Kirkwood, under an hour to Mt. Rose, just over an hour to Northstar and 1:20 to Alpine/Squaw. (All times from Apple maps and assume no traffic/weather delays). For late Spring skiing, Minden is 2:15 to Mammoth. Also great hiking nearby in Sierra in summer and Pine Nuts on other side of Carson Valley often has good mountain biking, and I presume hiking, year-round.

My criteria are a little different than OP and others. I also like Bend, and have some family history and friends in the area, and there is a great number and variety of good breweries and places to eat, but the 9 hr. drive from where kids and grandkids live would make weekend visits difficult. Minden, assuming Hwy 88 is open, is about the same time from Bay Area as Tahoe. Moving there would also have the advantage of getting out of CA state income tax and generally high cost for nearly everything in Bay Area. While it's nice to dream about moving, I'm probably stuck in Bay Area for a while with 90 year-old Mother needing some help and other family issues.

 

[Bad Bob]

Another vote for the Inland NW Spokane/Coeur d'Alene region.

We raised our kids here and came back after our 15 years adventures. It holds everything you speak to and way inside your affordability factors. Our summer temps will often run above your magical 85° figure, but it is a totally different heat than Twin Cities; much lower humidity.

Discounting our life adventures we have actually lived in the region about 25 years.

 

[martyg]

If you don't like hot weather I'd stay "west of the crest" as we sometimes refer to it. The coast part of the West Coast has more moderate temps. Bellingham fits almost every one of your criteria. The only one that might be a little bit of a problem is that while we have an airport in town, it's 1.5 hours to Sea-Tac (Seattle) by car. It has the most flights, though you can get connecting flights from here. Whatcom County has some really beautiful places and it's not super crowded.

Local outdoor attractions: Mt. Baker Ski Area, North Cascades National Park, Mt. Baker Wilderness, Salish Sea including San Juan Islands, B.C.'s lower mainland and the Coast Range and interior (lots of skiing there). Plenty of breweries and restaurants, college town. Vancouver is just across the border (thank goodness for that border or we would be a suburb) and Whistler is 3 hours away.

You must be ready for drizzle, showers, damp, and moss during the winter, though summers are generally glorious.

And crime. We lived in Glacier. We had one guy that burglarized over 100 homes in the valley. One night I had a laser dot on him. I could have dropped him and made him disappear. I decided that is not what I retired for. We moved. With one deputy per 300 square miles, Whatcom County is severely underfunded. Meth, and vehicle and home break-ins, are rampant. If we went hiking, I took a Glock 19. When I got a few hundred yards down the trail it went in the pack. When we came back out, it became a sidearm again. You just never know if a tweaked will be messing with your vehicle.

Whatcom County and Mt Baker Snowqualmie NF are also very, very unfriendly to cyclists. There are a few developed mtn bike areas, and they receive a lot of press, but be prepared to drive. Road cycling sucks. I worked extensively with the county council. They had the opportunity to revamp roads to make them bike friendly, at not much cost. No deal. Nothing like the 300 miles of dedicated single track that I have put my door now.


The mountains, however, are spectacular. The only other place that I have experienced mountains of that magnitude are in Chilean Patagonia.

 

[Posaune]

And crime. We lived in Glacier. We had one guy that burglarized over 100 homes in the valley. One night I had a laser dot on him. I could have dropped him and made him disappear. I decided that is not what I retired for. We moved. With one deputy per 300 square miles, Whatcom County is severely underfunded. Meth, and vehicle and home break-ins, are rampant. If we went hiking, I took a Glock 19. When I got a few hundred yards down the trail it went in the pack. When we came back out, it became a sidearm again. You just never know if a tweaked will be messing with your vehicle.

Whatcom County and Mt Baker Snowqualmie NF are also very, very unfriendly to cyclists. There are a few developed mtn bike areas, and they receive a lot of press, but be prepared to drive. Road cycling sucks. I worked extensively with the county council. They had the opportunity to revamp roads to make them bike friendly, at not much cost. No deal. Nothing like the 300 miles of dedicated single track that I have put my door now.


The mountains, however, are spectacular. The only other place that I have experienced mountains of that magnitude are in Chilean Patagonia.

I won't dispute your description of Glacier, but the OP's criteria made me think of Bellingham. It's a pretty quiet place most of the time. Glacier is in the hills just short of the ski area and is filled with empty (most of the time) vacation places. A tweaker's paradise. I've spent a lot of time in the mountains around here and have never had an incident.

 

[martyg]

I won't dispute your description of Glacier, but the OP's criteria made me think of Bellingham. It's a pretty quiet place most of the time. Glacier is in the hills just short of the ski area and is filled with empty (most of the time) vacation places. A tweaker's paradise. I've spent a lot of time in the mountains around here and have never had an incident.

Agreed on Bellingham. However if you are going to venture out of town - leave your vehicle at a trailhead - unless it is a sporty drive like some of the spurs off of Canyon Creek Rd, best to leave it unlocked, no valuables. Not where I want to live, or recreate. Which is why we moved.

The county council’s attitude towards cyclists was also one of the drivers for me. I’m very active in Durango City
government. Totally different vibe.

Glacier is just short of the ski area, if 30 miles is short. Would not want the hour + drive from Bham to the hill everyday - especially if you don’t beat the school busses.

 

[Philpug]

Some of list @Plai provided don't make the "consistently over 85 degrees is a no go". Following are average July/Aug Hi/Low Temp although, from someone living in the SF Bay Area, I realize there are micro-climates/elevations where temps are more moderate (but if they are closer to lakes or ski area prices most likely will be higher):
July August
Boise 91/60 90/60
Reno 92/58 91/56
Salt Lake 90/69 89/67

I like Minden, NV where average summer high temps are the same as Reno, but average summer lows average mid to high 40s. You are 45 mins to RNO which I think is a better airport to fly into than Bend/Redmond. Minden is well under 20 miles/30 minutes to Heavenly's Stagecoach and Boulder bases and 30 minutes to Lake Tahoe. You are also 45 min to Kirkwood, under an hour to Mt. Rose, just over an hour to Northstar and 1:20 to Alpine/Squaw. (All times from Apple maps and assume no traffic/weather delays). For late Spring skiing, Minden is 2:15 to Mammoth. Also great hiking nearby in Sierra in summer and Pine Nuts on other side of Carson Valley often has good mountain biking, and I presume hiking, year-round.

My criteria are a little different than OP and others. I also like Bend, and have some family history and friends in the area, and there is a great number and variety of good breweries and places to eat, but the 9 hr. drive from where kids and grandkids live would make weekend visits difficult. Minden, assuming Hwy 88 is open, is about the same time from Bay Area as Tahoe. Moving there would also have the advantage of getting out of CA state income tax and generally high cost for nearly everything in Bay Area. While it's nice to dream about moving, I'm probably stuck in Bay Area for a while with 90 year-old Mother needing some help and other family issues.

Nailed it. IMHO, for what the OP is asking for, Minden is a better option than Reno.

 

[pchewn]

Bozeman could work.

 

[Ken_R]

This isn't 100% skiing related, but I thought the wise and well traveled Pugskiers might have some interesting opinions on this.

In the next 5-10 years, I will transition to fully remote work. This creates a unique opportunity to live anywhere, regardless of job market.

I'm currently 30 and getting married next year. We currently live in Minneapolis, but our dream is to buy a decent sized lot (1+ acres) and build our forever home. Budget of $200-300k for the lot.

Wish list:

• Peaceful setting with mountain or lake views.
• Driveable to an interesting city or small town. (Our favorite part of Minneapolis living is the restaurants, breweries, and city parks.)
• Prefer cool or cold weather. Anything consistently over 85 degrees is a no go. That said, we currently live in Minneapolis, so we've had enough of the truly brutal winters.
• ~30 minute drive to a modest to large size airport for traveling or visiting family in Minnesota & Texas.
• Good school system for raising kids.
• Don't need to ski everyday, but a mountain within daytripping distance (1-2 hours) or even a convenient airport to affordably reach skiing would be ideal.
• Near hiking/outdoor activities for the dog and family.

From my initial research, the only place I've found that seems to hit all the marks is Steamboat Springs, CO. I still need to do more research into the Pacific Northwest, Idaho, Montana, and Utah.

Anywhere else I should consider?

I would consider Kalispell, MT (real town, airport, lots of amazing properties around) or Whitefish, MT (more of a second home / vacation spot, about 1hr drive from Kalispell)

 

[Jack skis]

The original post here listed Steamboat Springs, CO as a possibility for a future home. After 16 posts no one else has mentioned it. I think Steamboat deserves consideration. The airport isn't exactly world class and isn't right in town, but it's a nice community, good schools, ski area right there, lots of outdoors in the summer, and not so far from Denver that if you need a bigger city fix it's available.

 

[Philpug]

I'm currently 30 and getting married next year. We currently live in Minneapolis, but our dream is to buy a decent sized lot (1+ acres) and build our forever home. Budget of $200-300k for the lot.

The original post here listed Steamboat Springs, CO as a possibility for a future home. After 16 posts no one else has mentioned it. I think Steamboat deserves consideration.

Will it fit into his budget?