Cost of living question/poll

[Speed55]

Ok, well i've been living in ny my whole life, and honestly i'm fed up with it.
My family and friends are what have kept me here this long.

So basically to sum things up, because of an injury at work, i had to leave my air conditioning and heating job after 4 years. I'm now in school to learn about telecommunications and should graduate in april.

I want to leave ny.  The cost of living here is ridiculous.  1 bedroom apartments in any decent area go for around $1200 a month.  If i were to take a loan and try and by a house, the monthly payments would be around $3000 or more not  including food and utilities.

I'm hoping i can buy a house somewhere, and rent an apartment in it while i build my career.

So far i've looked at a place called the woodlands, north of houston, and a place called fairview park, west of cleveland.  I've talked to people in those areas, and they seem nice.
 
What i'd like to know is what are the going rates for a 1 bedroom apartment in your area?

[Rino]

I'm defecting from northern NJ to Charlotte in about 4 months.  Checking the
apartment prices for 1 bedrooms in the area were running from about $600 to
$1100 a month.

[Angus]

Me and wife rent out a 55 sq m (2 bedrooms) including heating and internet for some 800$ per month.
We are told that we're cheap, but we're marketing
And of course, another country....

[Maverick]

Speed,

Is there any part of the country you really want to go to or any that you want to stay away from? It would help in refining your search for info. There are other things to consider such as your lifestyle. If you like to fish, forget AZ and if you like the beach forget places like the SW and the central part of the country. What you like to do besides work and sleep might have a significant impact on where you would want to look.

Keep in mind that a major city like Dallas and Cleveland may not really be less expensive than what you are used to now. If you head to places like Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama for Southern states you'll find it less expensive and better weather too. Heading to the sunbelt like AZ can be less costly as long as you are not stuck on the Phoenix area. New Mexico has some real bargains but jobs may be scarce.

[AGM65]

One bedrooms near Chicago vary, but usually $600/mo. and up. Go to where I live in Rockford, IL and they start (decent ones) at about $400/mo and up.

[JB88]

Originally posted by Speed55
Ok, well i've been living in ny my whole life, and honestly i'm fed up with it.
My family and friends are what have kept me here this long.

So basically to sum things up, because of an injury at work, i had to leave my air conditioning and heating job after 4 years. I'm now in school to learn about telecommunications and should graduate in april.

I want to leave ny.  The cost of living here is ridiculous.  1 bedroom apartments in any decent area go for around $1200 a month.  If i were to take a loan and try and by a house, the monthly payments would be around $3000 or more not  including food and utilities.

I'm hoping i can buy a house somewhere, and rent an apartment in it while i build my career.

So far i've looked at a place called the woodlands, north of houston, and a place called fairview park, west of cleveland.  I've talked to people in those areas, and they seem nice.
 
What i'd like to know is what are the going rates for a 1 bedroom apartment in your area?

the woodlands is very nice.  i think it's a pretty pricey area though.  (though nothing like the COL in NY) outer suburbia land.

lot's of nice areas on the west side of cleveland.  closer to the lake you get the more pricey of course.)

[bsdaddict]

The Woodlands is nice, when I lived in TX I was just south of there, in Spring.  Been a while so I have no idea about prices there, although I'd guess the Woodlands is more expensive than the surrounding towns, Spring and Conroe.  (iirc Conroe was the other close town...)  I did just go thru a small relocation myself, from Fryeburg ME to ****ord NH.  1 bedroom apts go for 8-900 here.

EDIT:  my town's getting filtered.  M i l f o r d, NH

[REP0MAN]

Im currently in Phoenix and you can expect to pay 800-1000 for a decent neighborhood. 400-800 if you like gunshots and mariachi music.

Im moving to Tulsa in 4 weeks. Tulsa you can get something nice for 500-800.

Our house here sold for $360,000 (3 bed, 2 bath, 2CG, 2200 Sq ft.) It was a low offer. We've owned it since 2001 and had about 100k left on the note. Its appraisal is over 400k.

We bought a house in beautiful Broken Arrow, Ok (southern Tulsa suburb) that is 3 bed, 2 bath, 2CG, bigger back yard and in a cul-de-sac, 2400 sq ft., for $165,000.

Life is, currently, grand!

God luck getting out of New York.

[lambo31]

I live in Ga about an hour North of Atlanta and an hour South of Chattanooga, Tn. Wife and I bought a 2400 sq ft house, 4 bedrooms/ 3 baths on 2 acres for $140,000. I've never rented an apartment so I'm not sure of the price range, but I think it's between $500 and $800.


Lambo

[texasmom]

Originally posted by lambo31
I live in Ga about an hour North of Atlanta and an hour South of Chattanooga, Tn. Wife and I bought a 2400 sq ft house, 4 bedrooms/ 3 baths on 2 acres for $140,000. I've never rented an apartment so I'm not sure of the price range, but I think it's between $500 and $800.
Lambo

That's a nice deal. I'm surprised to hear that so close to Atlanta

[Meatwad]

1 BR apartment here - $275/month

[DiabloTX]

The Woodlands...very nice...but traffic there sucks big time.  Plenty of work opportunities up there though and it's not pricey if you know where to look.  I've wanted to live up there for a while but just never found the motivation to do it.  You might look at the Clear Lake area and surrounding communities.  But, be forwarned, the traffic in Houston pretty much sucks all around although it's worse in the North, Northwest, and Southwest areas.

I had a job near Kemah for a year and a half before I got laid off (NOC engineer) and I wish to god I still had that job.  Good luck in your hunt though.

[Whitey33]

Originally posted by Speed55


I want to leave ny.  The cost of living here is ridiculous.  1 bedroom apartments in any decent area go for around $1200 a month.  If i were to take a loan and try and by a house, the monthly payments would be around $3000 or more not  including food and utilities.

How much will average US-citizen earn per month?

[Reschke]

In the Birmingham, AL area you can get a 1 bedroom apartment in a range of 350 - 1500 a month depending on the area you want to live in. Downtown is more expensive but closer to the corporate work for the most part. My almost 4000 sq foot house was only 300k in an area called Vestavia Hills and we are in one of the higher end income areas of town.

[REP0MAN]

Originally posted by Whitey33
How much will average US-citizen earn per month?

I would say average is between $25,000-$35,000 per year. Divide that by 12 and you get between 2 and 3k per month. I'm just guessing though, could be more.