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Hi all! A bit of background first. My husband is 67 and has worked retail his entire life. I'm 56 and just retired from nuclear medicine imaging after 38 years and had compassion burnout bigtime, but will be looking for medical receptionist type of jobs or animal care. We have lived in Las Vegas, a small town in Washington state, and a tiny desert town in California near Death Valley. I've also lived in NY on Long Island.
He is an NRA member-for-life conservative, while I'm a liberal tree hugger. (We have interesting conversations.) I will talk to and smile at everyone. I love nature, am a photographer and artist. He is an avid golfer and history buff.
We miss greenery, things to do, good restaurants, and access to quality healthcare.
When we sell our house, we should clear $80k, so my husband wants to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, with some land not too close to a neighbor (get off my lawn!!), under $150k, in a safe area since we're nearing retirement. He doesn't want a fixer-upper.
He does not want anything near Atlanta or the far east side.
We don't mind a little snow, and we have lived in rain before in Washington. Where we live now, we get winds over 50mph frequently.
I'm getting frustrated that he keeps thinking we'll find this holy grail of a town in Georgia, but I'm not so sure.
I've been researching the following towns so far:
Macon: High crime. 118 homes listed under 150k.
Columbus: High crime. Good access to medical care and things to do. Only 53 homes listed under 150k.
Dahlonega: Low crime, has festivals, access to mountains, wildlife preserve. ?Medical? 5 homes listed under 150k.
Athens: Has a mall (job opportunities), gardens, art. Quality healthcare. Only 58 homes listed under 150k.
Kennesaw: Low crime. No homes listed under 150k.
Mountain Park: No homes listed under 150k.
Evans: Access to lakes. No homes listed under 150k.
Rome: 20 homes listed under 150k. Medium crime.
Gainsesville: High unemployment. Low crime (?). 14 homes listed under 150k.
Dalton: Low crime. Multiple events, battlefields, holiday events, low unemployment. 14 homes listed under 150k.
Augusta: High crime. 131 homes listed under 150k.
So, my beloved city data helpers, does such a town exist?
Hi all! A bit of background first. My husband is 67 and has worked retail his entire life. I'm 56 and just retired from nuclear medicine imaging after 38 years and had compassion burnout bigtime, but will be looking for medical receptionist type of jobs or animal care. We have lived in Las Vegas, a small town in Washington state, and a tiny desert town in California near Death Valley. I've also lived in NY on Long Island.
He is an NRA member-for-life conservative, while I'm a liberal tree hugger. (We have interesting conversations.) I will talk to and smile at everyone. I love nature, am a photographer and artist. He is an avid golfer and history buff.
We miss greenery, things to do, good restaurants, and access to quality healthcare.
When we sell our house, we should clear $80k, so my husband wants to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, with some land not too close to a neighbor (get off my lawn!!), under $150k, in a safe area since we're nearing retirement. He doesn't want a fixer-upper.
He does not want anything near Atlanta or the far east side.
We don't mind a little snow, and we have lived in rain before in Washington. Where we live now, we get winds over 50mph frequently.
I'm getting frustrated that he keeps thinking we'll find this holy grail of a town in Georgia, but I'm not so sure.
I've been researching the following towns so far:
Macon: High crime. 118 homes listed under 150k.
Columbus: High crime. Good access to medical care and things to do. Only 53 homes listed under 150k.
Dahlonega: Low crime, has festivals, access to mountains, wildlife preserve. ?Medical? 5 homes listed under 150k.
Athens: Has a mall (job opportunities), gardens, art. Quality healthcare. Only 58 homes listed under 150k.
Kennesaw: Low crime. No homes listed under 150k.
Mountain Park: No homes listed under 150k.
Evans: Access to lakes. No homes listed under 150k.
Rome: 20 homes listed under 150k. Medium crime.
Gainsesville: High unemployment. Low crime (?). 14 homes listed under 150k.
Dalton: Low crime. Multiple events, battlefields, holiday events, low unemployment. 14 homes listed under 150k.
Augusta: High crime. 131 homes listed under 150k.
So, my beloved city data helpers, does such a town exist?
Gainesville probably looks like it might could be the best choice on your list, with Dalton maybe coming in second.
As an “NRA member-for-life conservative,” your husband will feel very comfortable in an area that is often recognized as one of the most Republican exurban areas in the nation in Gainesville, Hall County and the North Georgia Mountains region.
And while as a self-described “tree hugger,” you might not necessarily always feel the most comfortable with the decidedly conservative Republican political bent of exurban North Georgia...
... But you probably may feel extremely comfortable with the overwhelming greenery and very lush vegetation of an area that features a popular and beloved area of very densely forested high hills and low to moderate sized mountains in the Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian mountains region of North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee...
It’s an area that features 3 beloved federally protected wilderness areas in the Chattahoochee National Forest of North Georgia, the Nanathala National Forest of Western North Carolina, and (the exceedingly popular and beloved) Great Smoky Mountains National Park which straddles the state line between Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.
The Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian mountains region of North GA, Western NC and Eastern TN is also an area that, despite its decidedly/staunchly Republican leanings, features a fiercely environmentally protective bent towards a much beloved mountain forest wilderness region that local residents take much pride in being apart of and associated with.
That Blue Ridge Mountains and foothills region north of Atlanta has had a noticeable impact on the politics (and culture) of the entire state of Georgia, particularly in the north half of the state of Georgia, and especially in the hilly-to-mountainous part of the state north of Atlanta.
Even with Georgia having been a deep-red state in recent decades (and even with much of Georgia continuing to be deep-red outside of the ever-expanding and increasingly Democratic-leaning Atlanta metropolitan area), environmentalists (often with the help of the right-leaning Libertarians who often have an assertive voice in Georgia’s political scene) have much influence and hold much sway over Georgia politics, to an extent that often seems to surprise many outsiders.
Gainesville seems to be a good choice for you because of its unique location as an exurban city that serves as an industrial hub for the Northeast Georgia Mountains region.
Gainesville is an exurban city with its own identity that has its own shopping, dining, recreation (both close by at the popular and beloved Lake Lanier and in the aforementioned nearby Blue Ridge Mountains region, including many golfing opportunities at some beautiful Blue Ridge foothills and mountain golf courses), festivals/public events, good access to medical care (starting with the Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Medical Center system) and generally low crime.
Gainesville is also close enough to Atlanta (about 50-55 miles from Downtown Atlanta) to provide you almost direct access to the big city-level amenities of a major metropolitan area of international influence and importance, but Gainesville is also far enough away from Atlanta to make you feel geographically and emotionally removed from the direct effects of metropolitan life.
Gainesville is an exurban city that effectively serves as an exurban transition between the heavily populated/developed and cosmopolitan Atlanta metropolitan area to the south, and the much more sparsely populated/developed outer-exurban/rural Ridge Mountains wilderness region to the north and northeast.
Dalton in Northwest Georgia, is a good option because it is an exurban/rural industrial town that would provide you with direct access (via a straight shot to both areas on busy Interstate 75) to the metropolitan amenities of both the smaller Chattanooga and larger Atlanta metropolitan areas, while also providing you with good access to the Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian foothills/mountains region of North GA, Eastern TN and Western NC.
(... Dalton is much closer to Chattanooga than it is to Atlanta.)
Dalton and greater Northwest Georgia/Southeast Tennessee also would be a good option that your husband would enjoy as a history buff because of the area’s deep involvement in the Civil War.
As far as weather goes... North Georgia is an area with a humid subtropical climate with four seasons that generally receives an abundant amount of precipitation (about 55 inches on average each year, with as much as 75-80 inches falling during the wettest years, including some ice and even some snow on rare occasions).
You should be able to find something in the country for under 150k I would think. It might not be right in a town but if you want a little land you don't want to be smack dab in the middle of town anyway. But since you do still have to work a little while longer, I realize you will have to be near jobs and can't just live in the middle of nowhere.
You two having different politics is certainly interesting but hey love is love I guess
Not to get too much into politics but as you can see by the 2020 election and runoff, GA has a lot of people on both sides of the aisle. Your husband will have no issues with GA I don't think. And while rural areas are definitely more conservative, there are still some that lean liberal and that definitely increases in the larger cities. N Georgia in particular does at least have a lot of tree huggers I'd say. Maybe not west coast level, but we do have the southern Appalachians. A LOT of people from Atlanta and other places in N GA are really into conservation and recreation. We have the start of the Appalachian trail for one. Plus a lot of other trails in the mountains. There are a lot of people that will go up not just to enjoy but also to care for the trails and other wilderness areas in N GA. Even if you don't live in Atlanta, there are probably groups you could join based in Atlanta that do activities in the mountains.
B2R mentioned some good spots already. I have some family near Gainesville. Some actually in Gainesville, some nearby. My cousin and her husband live near Clermont/Cleveland. She works in Gainesville and it's a little less than half an hour for her to commute. It's pretty out there and you're not far from the mountains at all. You don't really need to worry about schools (I don't think) so that's good.
Athens the city can be hit or miss but the surrounding area isn't bad. A town like Jefferson splits the difference between Athens and Gainesville while also being decently close the NE Atlanta suburbs. More and more people are moving out there that don't have to commute to downtown Atlanta because there are actually a decent amount of jobs within 30-45 minutes. I don't know how easy or hard it'll be to find a job but at least your job is general enough that you just need to find any old small office which you can find in small towns. Small towns need vets and doctors too.
Hi all! A bit of background first. My husband is 67 and has worked retail his entire life. I'm 56 and just retired from nuclear medicine imaging after 38 years and had compassion burnout bigtime, but will be looking for medical receptionist type of jobs or animal care. We have lived in Las Vegas, a small town in Washington state, and a tiny desert town in California near Death Valley. I've also lived in NY on Long Island.
He is an NRA member-for-life conservative, while I'm a liberal tree hugger. (We have interesting conversations.) I will talk to and smile at everyone. I love nature, am a photographer and artist. He is an avid golfer and history buff.
We miss greenery, things to do, good restaurants, and access to quality healthcare.
When we sell our house, we should clear $80k, so my husband wants to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, with some land not too close to a neighbor (get off my lawn!!), under $150k, in a safe area since we're nearing retirement. He doesn't want a fixer-upper.
He does not want anything near Atlanta or the far east side.
We don't mind a little snow, and we have lived in rain before in Washington. Where we live now, we get winds over 50mph frequently.
I'm getting frustrated that he keeps thinking we'll find this holy grail of a town in Georgia, but I'm not so sure.
I've been researching the following towns so far:
Macon: High crime. 118 homes listed under 150k.
Columbus: High crime. Good access to medical care and things to do. Only 53 homes listed under 150k.
Dahlonega: Low crime, has festivals, access to mountains, wildlife preserve. ?Medical? 5 homes listed under 150k.
Athens: Has a mall (job opportunities), gardens, art. Quality healthcare. Only 58 homes listed under 150k.
Kennesaw: Low crime. No homes listed under 150k.
Mountain Park: No homes listed under 150k.
Evans: Access to lakes. No homes listed under 150k.
Rome: 20 homes listed under 150k. Medium crime.
Gainsesville: High unemployment. Low crime (?). 14 homes listed under 150k.
Dalton: Low crime. Multiple events, battlefields, holiday events, low unemployment. 14 homes listed under 150k.
Augusta: High crime. 131 homes listed under 150k.
So, my beloved city data helpers, does such a town exist?
Check out Harris County, just north of Columbus. Low cost of living, tons of outdoor activities and close to Columbus for shopping and healthcare. Towns like Hamilton and Pine Mountain sound great for you two.
You have been given great advice. The 150k price point may pose a problem if proximity to quality Healthcare means 10 miles or less but can probably be done in most areas away from Atlanta since I assume schools don't matter to you. There are deals to be had on housing in not so great school districts. (Not so great school district doesn't mean 'bad area' in GA like it does in many places since many counties have private schools, etc.--whole other conversation though). Areas to the north of Columbus, Macon, and Augusta all have rolling hills and greenery (although not as lush as NE GA) and 20 miles outside of town gets you away from crime, neighbors, etc. Good luck!
Last edited by midgeorgiaman; 12-31-2020 at 10:53 AM..
Also, since you describe yourself as a “liberal tree hugger” who loves nature, another thing that you should probably know is that the state of Georgia is home to a very active state-level chapter of the Sierra Club.
The Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, which is based out of the notably left-leaning Atlanta inner suburb of Decatur, is often feared by both Republican and Democratic politicians alike and has an undeniably assertive voice in Georgia politics.
The Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club is geographically subdivided into about 6 local groups, 3 of which are based in metro Atlanta and are (along with the Georgia state chapter) often very active and engaged in environmental issues that affect the greater North Georgia region as a whole... That often includes a very high level of political activity and advocacy on environmental issues that affect the popular and beloved Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian foothills/mountain wilderness area of North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee.
Links to the three North Georgia local subgroups of the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club:
Sorry this post was delayed, our internet's been spotty lately.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll
... But you probably may feel extremely comfortable with the overwhelming greenery and very lush vegetation of an area that features a popular and beloved area of very densely forested high hills and low to moderate sized mountains in the Blue Ridge/Southern Appalachian mountains region of North Georgia, Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee...
I really enjoyed our time in the Pacific Northwest, where I could go out anytime I felt like it to photograph birds. Here in the desert, you have to drive at least 2 hours to get near any sort of greenery, except for cacti, of course.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll
Gainesville is an exurban city with its own identity that has its own shopping, dining, recreation (both close by at the popular and beloved Lake Lanier and in the aforementioned nearby Blue Ridge Mountains region, including many golfing opportunities at some beautiful Blue Ridge foothills and mountain golf courses), festivals/public events, good access to medical care (starting with the Gainesville-based Northeast Georgia Medical Center system) and generally low crime.
All that sounds wonderful.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll
Dalton in Northwest Georgia, is a good option because it is an exurban/rural industrial town
I read job postings for a chicken hatchery there. Is there a section of town that "enjoys" an odor from that facility?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll
Dalton and greater Northwest Georgia/Southeast Tennessee also would be a good option that your husband would enjoy as a history buff because of the area’s deep involvement in the Civil War.
He would love to get involved in some way by being an interpretive guide or researching the history of an area, as one can only golf so much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll
As far as weather goes... North Georgia is an area with a humid subtropical climate with four seasons that generally receives an abundant amount of precipitation (about 55 inches on average each year, with as much as 75-80 inches falling during the wettest years, including some ice and even some snow on rare occasions).
Having lived in WA state, rain is not something we fear. I do miss a good thunderstorm. Thank you so much for your detailed help!
Quote:
Originally Posted by sedimenjerry
You should be able to find something in the country for under 150k I would think. It might not be right in a town but if you want a little land you don't want to be smack dab in the middle of town anyway. But since you do still have to work a little while longer, I realize you will have to be near jobs and can't just live in the middle of nowhere.
Driving 1/2 hr to work would be no issue for either of us if we find a town we like and a home on the outskirts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sedimenjerry
You two having different politics is certainly interesting but hey love is love I guess
I grew up being very respectful of others and their beliefs and lifestyles, so I have an easy time seeing the other side of issues. Having spent the past 15 years as a global moderator of a forum of 250k members, I can debate with the best of them without mudslinging. My husband calls it, "ruling with a velvet fist," haha. So dealing with different politics or ways of life contrary to my own is no problem for me. I've actually swayed my husband to the blue side of some issues. Of course, I now know how to handle a gun, so there's that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sedimenjerry
A town like Jefferson splits the difference between Athens and Gainesville while also being decently close the NE Atlanta suburbs. More and more people are moving out there that don't have to commute to downtown Atlanta because there are actually a decent amount of jobs within 30-45 minutes.
I hadn't considered Jefferson. Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Columbus1984
Check out Harris County, just north of Columbus. Low cost of living, tons of outdoor activities and close to Columbus for shopping and healthcare. Towns like Hamilton and Pine Mountain sound great for you two.
Unfortunately, it's that darn 150k housing limit. I couldn't find any homes there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by midgeorgiaman
You have been given great advice. The 150k price point may pose a problem if proximity to quality Healthcare means 10 miles or less but can probably be done in most areas away from Atlanta since I assume schools don't matter to you.
We moved from the Pacific Northwest to be closer to my husband's five grown kids and in those 12 years we've been visited by them maybe four times; they didn't even call when he had open heart surgery. So, yeah, schools are not important. Nor is a guestroom.
Quote:
Originally Posted by midgeorgiaman
There are deals to be had on housing in not so great school districts. (Not so great school district doesn't mean 'bad area' in GA like it does in many places since many counties have private schools, etc.--whole other conversation though).
Ooooo, that's good to know! Thanks!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Born 2 Roll
Also, since you describe yourself as a “liberal tree hugger” who loves nature, another thing that you should probably know is that the state of Georgia is home to a very active state-level chapter of the Sierra Club.
I hadn't even thought of that. I'm not big on pushing agendas on others, which some chapters can get quite nasty doing, but it wouldn't hurt to check them out once we get there! I could put my "velvet fist" to good use, haha. Thanks for all the links!
It's very hard trying to research areas right now, without being able to go and explore. With me not currently working, this would be the perfect time to fly out, but the pandemic certainly throws a wrench into the works, so all this information is gold to us. Thank you all so much!
Have you looked at Warner Robins? Its about a half hour south of Macon. I have family there and have visited dozens of times and really like the area. I would give it a look.
I hadn't even thought of that. I'm not big on pushing agendas on others, which some chapters can get quite nasty doing, but it wouldn't hurt to check them out once we get there! I could put my "velvet fist" to good use, haha. Thanks for all the links!
The Georgia Sierra Club is not necessarily known for being aggressive on an all-around basis.
But they are known for being an organization that politicians don’t want to tussle with on unpopular large-scale highway construction projects, which the Georgia Sierra Club has often played a lead role in helping to stop and/or significantly alter, often with much support from a Georgia voting public that often can be notably averse towards large-scale highway construction projects.
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Thank you, thank you!
