Where to buy a home... NEAR WATER?

Hey guys!

While I'll be scouring the depths of the internet to also find the answer, I'd love some real life insight. The wife and I were discussing moving OUT OF CALIFORNIA in 2-3 years. We want to be somewhere a little bit calmer. A little bit less crazy. Less pollution. And now... less natural disasters. HOWEVER; our ideal move puts us on some sort of LARGE body of water River. Lake. Something. Also, preferably somewhere that the water doesn't FREEZE in the winter. Some snow is cool. We just want to be on the water year around. We'd love some pics of where YOU live and your insight on PROs and CONs. I work in insurance (run a major body shop) so my career should be able to take me anywhere with open positions. My wife is a medical assistant for Kaiser, so she is versatile as well. Budget is $500k-ish on the home, but willing to go lower if available and higher if needed.

Thanks in advance for all your input! pics accompanied by your own feedback would be AWESOME. Also if you're familiar with the collision and medical industries, EVEN BETTER. If you're hiring either of our positions, please also put compensation, moving allowance and a desired move date! HAHA! (But seriously, lemme know!).

I'd recommend MI, but the lakes freeze here. You probably want to be in the Kentucky or Tennessee area to be away from natural disasters and not be in the freeze zone.


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Like everyone else, you could join the zillion CA transplants that move to the PNW. Portland is known as "Bridgetown". If you're willing to deal with water that's not as warm as the South, we've got an amazing place to live. We've also got some of the largest floating home communities in the nation. We're within 2 hours of the ocean, the mountains, the high desert... We have the Columbia river gorge that's a windsurfing and kiteboarding mecca. We're famous for our Microbrews, our coffee, and our wine. We get very little snow in the city. I can run my boat from April through early November. (although right now the water temps are in the low 50's! But totally doable with a drysuit). And we have LOTS of Kaiser Permanente here.

Our rivers don't freeze. rarely do we find a time when we can't launch somewhere. But I have to winterize my boat around early November until April because I store my boat under a carport and we get freezing temps at night.

Hot Springs, Arkansas. Live on lake Hamilton for weekday boating, pull the boat and make the short cruise over to Lake Ouachita for the weekends.

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Originally Posted by dusty2221

Hot Springs, Arkansas. Live on lake Hamilton for weekday boating, pull the boat and make the short cruise over to Lake Ouachita for the weekends.

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Is there a particular desirable area to live in?

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Originally Posted by trayson

Like everyone else, you could join the zillion CA transplants that move to the PNW. Portland is known as "Bridgetown". If you're willing to deal with water that's not as warm as the South, we've got an amazing place to live. We've also got some of the largest floating home communities in the nation. We're within 2 hours of the ocean, the mountains, the high desert... We have the Columbia river gorge that's a windsurfing and kiteboarding mecca. We're famous for our Microbrews, our coffee, and our wine. We get very little snow in the city. I can run my boat from April through early November. (although right now the water temps are in the low 50's! But totally doable with a drysuit). And we have LOTS of Kaiser Permanente here.

Our rivers don't freeze. rarely do we find a time when we can't launch somewhere. But I have to winterize my boat around early November until April because I store my boat under a carport and we get freezing temps at night.

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I've been up to Portland and Redmond/Bend area but it's been a long while. The area is HUGE, is there a particular area you can recommend there? What are summers like?

Anywhere with a really long boating season. And a good airport nearby for the winter ski trips.


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Originally Posted by dusty2221

Hot Springs, Arkansas. Live on lake Hamilton for weekday boating, pull the boat and make the short cruise over to Lake Ouachita for the weekends.

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Originally Posted by TheBabyBadger

Is there a particular desirable area to live in?

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Hot springs national park was the first land set aside by federal government for recreational use, 40 years before Yellowstone was named the first national park. It is now the smallest national park in the registry. It was created to preserve mineral rich water.

Hot springs village is/was the largest manned gated community in the US. It is popular for retirees as it houses 7 well manicured golf courses and other amenities. Lake homes available inside the gates as well.

4 seasons ... lighter in winters/heavier on summer

The state has several great Lakes to choose from. Northwest west arkansas (beaver lake) is home to UofA and the Waltons (walmart) who have built a world class museum (crystal bridges) and just announced a 5 to 7 year corporate campus build.

It's not for everyone but it certainly seems better than the reputation that proceeds it.

Oh ... medical jobs are in demand in several areas of the state. Your job sounds like it may best in higher populations? 500k can go a long ways here.

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Arkansas is a great place for boating and everything is cheap there. I even gave away a lot on a golf course there as there were no takers. Many Californians have moved to Coeur d'Alene Idaho with a lot of boating and snow ski areas. Where ever you go I'd recommend ditching your CA car plates as soon as you can.

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Originally Posted by dusty2221

Hot Springs, Arkansas. Live on lake Hamilton for weekday boating, pull the boat and make the short cruise over to Lake Ouachita for the weekends.

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This!


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