Relocation recommendations...

[Lew]

My wife, son and I are currently running a team tractor trailer. When our lease is finished in June 07, we are looking at getting off the road and re-establishing a home residence. We will literally be starting out from scratch. The only thing we kept from our old lives were the guns, (well DUH!) and our K5 Blazer and all of my tools, (too many to fit in a K5 Blazer!) These are kept at my parents home in Maine where we visit every now and then. But come June we are thinking of making a go of it in a new state. Right now we are running in all 48 states and there are some we like and some we don't. I, for some obvious reasons, don't really want to live in illinois, wisconson, or califorina or NY.

We were considering Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada and Arizona.

In the Army I spent time in both Texas and Arizona, so nothing too new about those.

We are looking to home school our son and we both have class A cdls and we are both Metal Fabricators. We would need to find jobs and a home in the new state. While I moved several times in the Army, they took care of it all and I just went along for the ride...lol

What are some places I should consider and avoid?
What should I remember to do or not do? Any pitfalls I can avoid I would like to. I would really like to hear any comments you guys have.

There is a lot of life experience here and I think we could use some.
I mean leaving the support network of long established family is a big deal and getting local recon and intell from a local is a good start...

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[ELCruisr]

Well, I lived in WY for 8 years back in the '80s. Wonderful people as long as you play by the "rules". It is a state that when you break down on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere (which is a big chunk of the state) the next car along will do anything to help you. Great hunting and fishing and camping to boot.

The downside is long brutal winters, snow possible any month of the year historicaly. LONG drives to get anywhere and some have a hard time adapting to the high altitude. We used to drive to CO so we could see green vegetation!

[afeazell21]

I have lived in Texas all of my life.......I wouldn't go anywhere else in U.S. to live unless I had to. Not to take away from other states, but I love it. I like to travel but Texas will always be my home.

[robinsonre]

Nevada is a spectacular state.

The weather is fair, the people are friendly and our laws are very firearm owner friendly. As a CDL driver you could probably find work relatively easily in Reno or Carson City, I would stay away from Las Vegas though as it's becoming alot like Los Angeles....

[P95Carry]

It seems you plan to go south but - if the NE still not too out of the question - Western PA could well suit you in many ways. Overall pretty gun friendly.

[tnoisaw]

I live in the Kalispell, Montana area. The economy is great. Jobs galore. Many construction jobs- entry level too. Housing is a little on the high side compared to where I came from in Iowa. The scenery is amazing. Thirty minutes from Glacier National Park. I’ve meet many home school parents and they’re a few Christian schools also. Montana is very gun friendly. With the exception of Alaska, probably one of the most gun friendly. Even the Democrat Governor is a shooter.

I also spent ten years in Alaska and loved it. If I were not here I’d want to be there. Anchorage was okay but I’d go to Palmer or Wassilla if you had to be close to Anchorage. Fairbanks is a great mid size city but it also only 150 miles from the Arctic circle. A little chilly I’d say. Not so bad in the Anchorage, Matanuska Valley area.

Good luck in your decision. It’s a difficult one to make.

[retsupt99]

to home school, Florida offers some great options.
Especially the North Central or the Panhandle...
Great weather...you don't have to speak spanish...great gun laws, which includes the 'Castle Doctrine'...no income tax...no snow, ever...the list goes on...

Stay safe...stay warm...

ret

[ELCruisr]

Another thing about FL is a very low unemployment rate! I need help and there is nothing to hire except unemployable scum! Skilled trades are in very high demand.

[tanksoldier]

Colorado!

Great gun laws, great home-school laws, churches on every corner most with schools attached, great colleges and universities.

Denver is a bit socialist, and Boulder is a bit granola, but neither are as bad as anywhere in CA, NY or NJ.

[Bumper]

Try FindYourSpot, which gives you some interesting choices to play with. My wife and I have been playing with it for a while now as we decide where to retire....

[retsupt99]

Where to retire?...you're already in AZ...why move?

ret

[ExSoldier]

Try FindYourSpot, which gives you some interesting choices to play with. My wife and I have been playing with it for a while now as we decide where to retire....

Bump, thanks for the link to FindYourSpot. GREAT site! I took the quiz and my number two result was our #1 plan so far! I'm going to have the wife take the test too.

[tnoisaw]

Find you spot is good. I just did it and it had the city I live in and two surronding cities. Pretty cool.

[.45acp]

Where to retire?...you're already in AZ...why move?

ret

Really.
Arizona is one state I'm looking at for retirement, it's beautiful and has it all, lakes, trees, mountains and desert. I like it better than North Carolina which is my 3rd choice.

Kuaii would be my first choice but a shack there costs 800k, too rich for my blood. Can get a condo there for 300 but then theres all the condo fees and rules, also not gun friendly.

[tegemu]

There is a reason besides good weather, plenty of employment, inexpensive housing, that shooting enthusiasts call Florida, the "Gunshine State." If you consider us, I would advise you to avoid the major Metroplex areas like Miami, Orlando and the Tampa/St. Pete area. Just too many folks in a confined area.