Where would you go?

[rjwaldren]

I ask this in a semi-serious manner as financial prospects are not looking bright. Here goes, if you found yourself unemployed in a decaying financial crisis with no value in your investments and too far upside down on your home to ever recover before the bank takes it - What would you do?

I take the obligations I've entered into very seriously and never entertain idea of walking away. But if you could go with only what's on your back and start over - where would you do it? I'm a 36 yr old disabled USAF vet with a IT/Electronics background, with 2 Pre-K children, and a wife that teaches Elem school. Sounds marketable enough... But everyone is IT these days. Where would you raise your kids?

California is out, in fact, if everyone lined up on the Nevada border and a gave the ground a good push toward the Pacific I'd be lined up with them. I liked Oklahoma around the Norman area. Phoenix was awesome but I hear times a very hard there too. Upstate New York is beautiful but expensive with harsh weather.

I don't feel like we every really got started and here I am think about starting over. Our income dropped by more than 65% when I lost my job and the local market can't support 50% of my previous wage in similar jobs. I doubt I'd get my old wages anywhere else, but maybe my money could worth more elsewhere.

[docrowan]

Shhh, Mississippi is poor man's Hawaii. We don't like to let just everyone know what we've got going for us here. That's why we smile when everyone else in the country makes fun of us. Having transplanted here from Louisiana and spent time in many other states, I wouldn't raise my family anywhere else.

[rjwaldren]

I've heard that, but my wife is one of the fun pokers. She hates my thoughts about OK, and I passed on some job op's a few years back because of it, but she's softening. She finally realizing that we never really were close to breaking California's glass ceiling of elitism but we'll be crushed when it falls.

[cabinetman]

I'm partial to Florida for some reason. Put together a good resume and work on a list of prospective employers. It won't just fall into your lap, you'll have to be persistent. I wouldn't just move somewhere and then go job hunting. Maybe work with a good employment agency...preferably in the area in which you're interested. There are some that are IT oriented.
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[rjwaldren]

I don't intend to just do it without something lined up, if I was single I'd already be gone though - just don't know where.

[GoFish104]

Consider western Colo. Grand Junction currently has 4.6% unemployment. Not bad by today's standards. Weather is nice, we have mountains on 1 side, desert on the other. Skiing, biking, hiking, fishing, hunting within an hr. of downtown. OK I better stop or the Chamber of Commerce will want to draft me lol. Jack

[Uncle Cracker]

If you're gonna be broke and on the streets, why not do it in Hawaii?

Seriously, though, you might consider looking for a "share quarters and expenses" situation in a place where the prospects of finding work in your field (or another, if it looks better) are greatest. A friend of mine suggested, without prejudice, that survival is easiest if you learn to "live like a Mexican".

[drumpriest]

England, back from where my people came, if I had to move from here. I like it here though.

[Greg in Maryland]

RJ,

Take a look at the Washington, DC area and/or the Federal government. You would do well with your status in the job market. I would guess that the cost of living in Fresno is similar to that of Washington, DC. Also, teachers can do fairly well here.

Check out Washington Post, www.Monster.com, or www.usajobs.gov for postings.

Let me know if I can help -- I was in your same situation just recently, so I know how difficult and challenging it can be to find yourself with an unexpected opportunity like this. Something will come up.

Good luck!

Greg

[herb fellows]

Considering the scenario you paint, I would be looking at comparative cost of living charts. Living in NYC, I get ill when I see that living in Podunk is 50-60% cheaper than here. If i had to downsize my life, I'd look for the best Podunk I could find.

[JR]

This is a question LOML and I discuss frequently. We have no answers yet!

I'm a commited westerner. I'd very much like to stay west of the Rockies, or at least on Eastern slope. With that as the proviso, I like Eugene, OR and Prescott, AZ for lifestyle.

As to professional opportunities, this would seem to be a good time to become expert at medical record automation the Obama way. That is going to affect every health care professional in the land, making expertise fairly portable.

JR

[dbhost]

We have some family interests in Mexico and Germany that could be good places to land. Unfortunately LOML's German is WAY weaker than my Spanish... Which is scary...

Before I bailed out entirely, I would have to dry up pretty much every avenue of making an honest buck here.

And I mean dry up everything....

If I can't find work, I will make it somehow. I can make fishing lures, or shovel handles or something that will sell...

Of course if the folks that USUALLY have jobs end up unemployed and protesting the way the typically unemployed do... Maybe the middle class will finally get heard...

[shoottx]

I'd start by looking at a search based on your prejudices, using a search like the money magazine list.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2008/

[rjwaldren]

My first choice, would be the North shore of Zealand in Denmark, with a lovely view of Sweden. My limited experience with Europe found that quality of life is determined in completely different way than typical Americans. A way that I really found refreshing and more conducive to happiness. The only problem (though I agree with it) is that Non-Citizens can't own property there.

After rereading yesterdays post, I was painting a worst case scene, we aren't there yet. If things don't improve soon, it's a good idea to have a plan, as things are creeping that direction - There is still a chance of recovery. So I'm not entirely hopeless - yet. In fact I received a call from my Assemblyman's office this morning and now have the pit bulls going after the 2 months of back unemployment that I have coming.

Ultimately, I see myself in the mid west. And my wife might be a little more open to the east coast, now that it looks like her brother will remain in the Virginia/DC area. The hold up has always been my wife's desire to be close to her father. She sees her brother and sister not having that limitation.

As far as Podunk, here versus Podunk there - I found that my day to day life is pretty much the same wherever I've lived. With the exception of living in Mega Cities like NYC or San Fran most places are about the same.

[L. D. Jeffries]

Re: Where would you go?

With all the news about the housing nightmare I was thinking about taking advantage of houses that are up for auction. Idea would be to find a "modestly" sized and priced place somewhere warmer than here. Somewhere south of the Mason/Dixon line. What would be the best way to look up real estate on the web? Any suggestions from our real estate ww buddies out there?
Not so much as making any profit from it but since I don't have a mortage I probably can afford a second place. Turn into a "snow bird" for the winters.