- Joined
- Apr 26, 2013
- Messages
- 14,370
- Name
- Mack
My family is moving from the Tampa area of Florida.
I broached the subject at a family meeting to see who might want to come, fully expecting it to take months to determine who and how many were going.
The IMMEDIATE consensus was that everyone is going. The lack of hesitation was so shocking that we had to have another meeting the very next day. That’s me, wife, 3 adult kids living at home, my mom and my daughter and her serious bf. Eight people. One big house (the logistics of moving to a colder climate would only make it harder to get together than now which we all agree is unacceptable. We really enjoy one another’s company and like the big family atmosphere).
The impetus began with my examination of climate (not trying to start a debate. It’s just a big reason for us). In 2015, Florida had an insurance crisis because the insurance companies redrew the flood lines as a result of climate data. That meant for a small time, homeowners couldn’t get flood insurance and some folks lost their homes for no reason than their note was foreclosed due to a lack of flood insurance. My concerns were bolstered just this week when I talked with my agent as I paid my flood insurance premium that just one more hurricane hitting Florida and they’re going to want to redraw the lines again. We already have homes that should be worth in excess of $300k that can’t sell for $200k like many along the Manatee River just south of Tampa because no one can afford the homeowners insurance which can be in excess of $8k per year NOT including the flood insurance premiums which can be way in excess of $2k per year.
So, between no one really vibing with Florida (and my two youngest basically grew up into consciousness here and barely remember CA), we wanted to look at cities that will fare better as Climate Change continues.
I also have to have a very good VA hospital and they are regional, which restricts where we can look. Experience dictates that I need to be within an hour of a VA Hospital, not just a clinic. I know what crappy VA care looks like and very good VA care looks like and I’ll NEVER, EVER go back to crappy care.
Colorado was a top option, from Fort Collins to south of Denver. Problem is that while many areas had extraordinary homes for our needs, the VA there is routinely rated as just awful, especially in areas that are most important to me. Finding this out was probably the most disappointing part of my research thus far. With my asthma, I dunno how I’d react to the altitude, but the VA caused this area to be nixed.
Seattle area was vetoed because of depression issues, especially among women. It’s already an issue for our family and we’re not signing up to make the fight tougher.
Oregon was a possibility, but the dearth of larger, affordable multi family homes (6+ BRs with mother-in-law suite) made that essentially moot.
Tennessee was a possibility, especially not near the Mississippi river, but there were some red flags in their VA Hospital surrounding the care I need, so that became a pass. Plus, the only homes that fit our needs seemed to be in rural places. We are restricting our searches to suburbs and exurbs. We live in an exurb now and love it, but we can’t really adjust to anything more rural than we’re living in now.
Pittsburgh, PA, and Burlington, VT were possibilities, but as Climate is a huge factor in moving, they were eliminated due to increasing lake effects and the expected increase in hurricane activity and Noreasters dropping even more precipitation on the entire Northeast region. 300″ of snow in a bad year would wreck some members of the family. Have to go with reality and everyone’s reality is important. Plus, Legionella was found in the water supply both at the Pittsburgh VA and another VA facility near there in Jan of 2017. Not signing up for Legionella, even if the Pittsburgh VA was excellent, which it isn’t.
So where does that leave us? Well, the possibility we’re really focused on is Minneapolis, MN. HUGE change from what we’re used to in Tampa, but we’re not only ready to be done with the humidity and constant heat (the nights here when I pick up my son from work at 11 pm are about 86 degrees with about 90% humidity. That’s at 11 pm, dammit!
So, obviously, with such a drastic potential change (still so many details to address to see if this is even viable), there are so many questions, especially about living in a very northern climate. We lived in Easton and Allentown, PA for 3.5 years so the adults have a clue about living in winter and my mom had to make several business trips to Minneapolis over the course of winter a few years ago (October to February), so she’s familiar with the area, a little and what Feb feels like in MN.
That said, living is a complicated thing. I mean in the 9 years we’ve lived in Florida, I’ve learned SO MUCH about living in a tropical climate that I had no clue about coming from the arid climate of SoCal.
So… is anyone from Minnesota? Can anyone give advice moving to a cold climate?
Btw, I’ve already done tons of research on jackets and boots and nothing would please me more than getting a Big Red Canada Goose Snow Parka, but I think I’ll have to settle for a really nice The North Face McMurdo II or Gotham (if jacket works better than a coat) which should be more than sufficient.
Also, if there are alternatives that I haven’t mentioned (I may have done the research, but the place isn’t on my mind. Or maybe I hadn’t considered it), feel free to bring it up. I’m planning a road trip to Minneapolis either mid-September or early October to do the initial scouting and if there’s a “break” or for some reason it becomes a no-go, then I’d sure like to hear about other possibilities. I expect we’ll love Minny and surrounding areas, but never can tell.
I know there are folks from all over, so any advice is greatly appreciated.
I broached the subject at a family meeting to see who might want to come, fully expecting it to take months to determine who and how many were going.
The IMMEDIATE consensus was that everyone is going. The lack of hesitation was so shocking that we had to have another meeting the very next day. That’s me, wife, 3 adult kids living at home, my mom and my daughter and her serious bf. Eight people. One big house (the logistics of moving to a colder climate would only make it harder to get together than now which we all agree is unacceptable. We really enjoy one another’s company and like the big family atmosphere).
The impetus began with my examination of climate (not trying to start a debate. It’s just a big reason for us). In 2015, Florida had an insurance crisis because the insurance companies redrew the flood lines as a result of climate data. That meant for a small time, homeowners couldn’t get flood insurance and some folks lost their homes for no reason than their note was foreclosed due to a lack of flood insurance. My concerns were bolstered just this week when I talked with my agent as I paid my flood insurance premium that just one more hurricane hitting Florida and they’re going to want to redraw the lines again. We already have homes that should be worth in excess of $300k that can’t sell for $200k like many along the Manatee River just south of Tampa because no one can afford the homeowners insurance which can be in excess of $8k per year NOT including the flood insurance premiums which can be way in excess of $2k per year.
So, between no one really vibing with Florida (and my two youngest basically grew up into consciousness here and barely remember CA), we wanted to look at cities that will fare better as Climate Change continues.
I also have to have a very good VA hospital and they are regional, which restricts where we can look. Experience dictates that I need to be within an hour of a VA Hospital, not just a clinic. I know what crappy VA care looks like and very good VA care looks like and I’ll NEVER, EVER go back to crappy care.
Colorado was a top option, from Fort Collins to south of Denver. Problem is that while many areas had extraordinary homes for our needs, the VA there is routinely rated as just awful, especially in areas that are most important to me. Finding this out was probably the most disappointing part of my research thus far. With my asthma, I dunno how I’d react to the altitude, but the VA caused this area to be nixed.
Seattle area was vetoed because of depression issues, especially among women. It’s already an issue for our family and we’re not signing up to make the fight tougher.
Oregon was a possibility, but the dearth of larger, affordable multi family homes (6+ BRs with mother-in-law suite) made that essentially moot.
Tennessee was a possibility, especially not near the Mississippi river, but there were some red flags in their VA Hospital surrounding the care I need, so that became a pass. Plus, the only homes that fit our needs seemed to be in rural places. We are restricting our searches to suburbs and exurbs. We live in an exurb now and love it, but we can’t really adjust to anything more rural than we’re living in now.
Pittsburgh, PA, and Burlington, VT were possibilities, but as Climate is a huge factor in moving, they were eliminated due to increasing lake effects and the expected increase in hurricane activity and Noreasters dropping even more precipitation on the entire Northeast region. 300″ of snow in a bad year would wreck some members of the family. Have to go with reality and everyone’s reality is important. Plus, Legionella was found in the water supply both at the Pittsburgh VA and another VA facility near there in Jan of 2017. Not signing up for Legionella, even if the Pittsburgh VA was excellent, which it isn’t.
So where does that leave us? Well, the possibility we’re really focused on is Minneapolis, MN. HUGE change from what we’re used to in Tampa, but we’re not only ready to be done with the humidity and constant heat (the nights here when I pick up my son from work at 11 pm are about 86 degrees with about 90% humidity. That’s at 11 pm, dammit!
So, obviously, with such a drastic potential change (still so many details to address to see if this is even viable), there are so many questions, especially about living in a very northern climate. We lived in Easton and Allentown, PA for 3.5 years so the adults have a clue about living in winter and my mom had to make several business trips to Minneapolis over the course of winter a few years ago (October to February), so she’s familiar with the area, a little and what Feb feels like in MN.
That said, living is a complicated thing. I mean in the 9 years we’ve lived in Florida, I’ve learned SO MUCH about living in a tropical climate that I had no clue about coming from the arid climate of SoCal.
So… is anyone from Minnesota? Can anyone give advice moving to a cold climate?
Btw, I’ve already done tons of research on jackets and boots and nothing would please me more than getting a Big Red Canada Goose Snow Parka, but I think I’ll have to settle for a really nice The North Face McMurdo II or Gotham (if jacket works better than a coat) which should be more than sufficient.
Also, if there are alternatives that I haven’t mentioned (I may have done the research, but the place isn’t on my mind. Or maybe I hadn’t considered it), feel free to bring it up. I’m planning a road trip to Minneapolis either mid-September or early October to do the initial scouting and if there’s a “break” or for some reason it becomes a no-go, then I’d sure like to hear about other possibilities. I expect we’ll love Minny and surrounding areas, but never can tell.
I know there are folks from all over, so any advice is greatly appreciated.