So here in a few year my wife and i would like to move out of Flagpole AZ.

can go i'd imagine anywhere we want. need ideas. we like the smaller towns. would like a place with water. we used to live in Coeur d'Alene ID it was nice. but again getting to be to many people. thought about Oregon somewhere, don't really know what's there. and of course every city web site boasts their city as the greats thing sense sliced bread.

thought about Montana or Wyoming. Texas maybe. Wife like Maine, she used to live there before she met me. not sure i can stand the east coast winters and humidity.

i like the snow. don't mind the cold. but here in AZ we get to see blue sky at least once a week.

is there any type of economy though.?

The good thing about Flag is it has a university NAU and Ski resort Arizona Snow Bowl and it's a gateway city to the Grand Canyon. But damn it's bloody expensive to live here. the cheapest house one can get into is about 350K for a cheep 2100sqf spec home. with no land.

 

i bring this up because i was layed off two weeks ago. and i'm sick of it.

What is you and your wifes  occupation?

i'm a professional Painter by trade, i also do computer work, and race Motocross.

The motocross doesn't pay much and can be put to the side for a while. my sponsors are very open minded.

she's a accountant for a local Fencing company, the office manager i guess..

Edited December 17, 20159 yr by Killer223

Hmmm... That's a tough one for Idaho. Most of the smaller towns are doing poorly for an economy base. Like Riggins, ID most are bailing out because employers just can't pay enough to satisfy most folks living here. Like most of the central towns are nice small town most along a river with winters.

 

sorry for the edit's i'm cooking dinner. i don't really want to go into my qualifications here. but i run equipment. Plow truck i was a engineering tech in Cali for a few years.

 

What type of painting? Reason I ask is the job market is still really strong here in ND for most things but most are not interested in this area due to stigmas and rumors. Water is something we have lots of in many forms. hundreds of small to mid sized lakes several huge lakes and rivers. Lake Sakakawea is the 3rd largest man made lake in North America behind only Mead and Powell. It has only 10 miles less total shoreline that the entire state of Florida to give you an idea of its size.

 

Seeing your new edits you could easily find a good job here with your skills as would your wife in pretty much any corner of the state you choose.

Edited December 17, 20159 yr by Wild and Free

House painting, commercial building. Log homes. i'm a journeyman painter.

I'm sure if you stop by here in the summer time MoparMom will hire you to paint two houses.

was lookin at Clearwater and Grangeville. i have an old family friend with property there. he loves it.

Im also a hunter. like mountains. trees. fishing is fun but.. all fish taste the same to me..

Scratch Oregon off your list. Too liberal and drives me crazy! Idaho as long as you can make a living or semi retire.

Best thing is live somewhere you can really live and not be tied to expensive living. Be closer to a natural surrounding and no crowds. Do your own painting biz, but, forget Oregon it's getting bad with crowds and rude people. There are still nice pocket towns with great folks but usually the econ isn't too great so it's best to think semi retire and buy a fixer keeping bills down so low you can enjoy winters off. Somewhere along those lines anyhow.

My log home is in need also and we got free hook ups for an rv on private land, but MoparMom is first, he he.

Edited December 17, 20159 yr by JAG1

1 hour ago, Killer223 said:

was lookin at Clearwater and Grangeville. i have an old family friend with property there. he loves it.

Im also a hunter. like mountains. trees. fishing is fun but.. all fish taste the same to me..

The cost of living is pretty low over here if you can adapt to the slow lifestyle. Like I said over and over most everything is quite a distance away. Local products can be expensive. There are several folks here like my Fire Chief which he does insulation work for his own business. Like the folks that hired me to be their diesel mechanic is in the field of rubberized roof coatings has a fleet of trucks that need servicing.

So you have to be creative on what you're going to do for income. You can't exactly say you're going to only do one thing for a living. Like myself, I'm all over the map from computers, server administration, diesel work, firewood, firefighter, search and rescue... If you're flexible then you might fit the mold for Idaho.

i'm flexible. i can do remodels. i can turn wrenches. i like cuttin firewood.

i've been a roofer, painter. computer, auto mechanic, RV repair.

i like the slower life style. we are home bodies. hardly ever go out not the party type. on birthdays i take her to Vegas. then once a year we go camping for a week in CO.

i do have enough in savings to make the winter and layoff. i guess i'm just tired of Flagstaff. ready to move on. My Step dad passed away on Nov 18'th and i could care less for my biological dad. so i have ZERO reason to stay here. no family tying me here.

i'll be getting a nice chunk of change from inheritance and also a nice monthly check from my trust.

i just hate not working. i go crazy...

If you get your own piece of ground some land you will have plenty of work between jobs. Nice folks in nice town word spreads easier about a good guy. Youll live longer I think living more free with a variety of tasks.

BTW, MoparMike and me have excellent motorcycle riding out our back doors.

Edited December 17, 20159 yr by JAG1

i think i'll keep the place we are in now, and turn it into a rental. its payed for free n clear. so that extra income will help as well. we are people of small means. very.... frugal. thanks again for the thoughts...

11 hours ago, Killer223 said:

i just hate not working. i go crazy...

Then I highly suggest you create your own business right here and now. No one said you "must" be employed by a company. Then you have better control of your life. That is one of the beauties of work for yourself. You have full control of what you'll work on, how long you'll work and what days you get off. I know JAG1 is another self-employed person, but he's kind at the extreme end of working too hard. I go through spells of working so darn much that I can't seem to get time to just slow down and smell the flower and other times I'm so slow that I wish I had something to do.

Edited December 17, 20159 yr by Mopar1973Man

9 hours ago, Mopar1973Man said:

Then I highly suggest you create your own business right here and now. No one said you "must" be employed by a company. Then you have better control of your life. That is one of the beauties of work for yourself. You have full control of what you'll work on, how long you'll work and what days you get off. I know JAG1 is another self-employed person, but he's kind at the extreme end of working too hard. I go through spells of working so darn much that I can't seem to get time to just slow down and smell the flower and other times I'm so slow that I wish I had something to do.

MoparMike is right.  I got tiered of working for some one else and having them tell me "if you don't like it you can hit the road".  I started my repair business 21 years ago and haven't looked back.  When I work a 12 hr day or weekends I do it because I want to do it not because I was told to do it.  When I want to take time off, I don't have to ask anyone, I just do it.   Yes it's hard drumming up work and trying to stay busy but the only people I have to satisfy is me and my customers.  You treat the customer the way you would want to be treated and give them what they paid for and you can't fail. 

The Northeast is expensive. The economy is rough except for the Boston area. I lived in MA, CT, then out to Ohio and now back to MA. I've been at a jobsite all week in Indiana and regret moving back to the East Coast. New Hampshire and Maine have a lot of great land for hunting and being in the sticks, but jobs are lacking and wages aren't great. Massachusetts is great for a job and income, but that's about it. Don't even consider CT.

to start a business in AZ one has to be a licensed contractor. that'll be 2800$ before insurance. and my phone isnt ringing off the hook. i'm working on it. i really don't need full time work. only about 25-20 hours a week.

Thanks you for the input. the bride and i will be thinking on this for some time to come.

That's crazy price for contractors. Oregon is about a grand less with the insurance for a specialty trade then double that if you are a general contractor. Working in a small town lately, I'm finding a surprising amount of people wanting to hire the unlicensed locals. Yes, it is unfair to us legal guys who pay each year, but, I've gotten to where I don't blame anyone because Oregon is requiring all these classes be taken and to sit there and listen to all the stuff you learned years ago, it's stupid. And then the minute your name is on an address with a building permit it is published everywhere so then the Gov't comes AND spies on you from a distance/ takes pictures with a telephoto lense, you don't know they are there and fines the bejeebies out of you for anything they can find safety wise. Fines you for things every homeowner has done weekends.

Like myself, I'm NOT a ASE Certified mechanic, I don't have insurance or anything fancy. Again, I'm NOT A+ Certified Computer Tech also don't have insurance for that either. Still to this day, I continue to do jobs. A matter of fact I just got a heater core job yesterday from a local rancher. No one else wants to do the job.