Abacus
That helpful B4 guy
So the wife and I are getting out of Maine in a few years and have short-listed our options to either the Florida Keys, North Carolina, or Utah.
We just got back from a few weeks in the Keys and while nice, it's different from what I'm accustomed, to the point I think the differences would be too stark. It's also insanely expensive, hot, and employment opportunities limited.
So that brings us to what's next on the list, NC. We are looking in the Asheville area, mainly because it's near the mountains and I enjoy hiking and biking. I know they have seasons (something the Keys lack) but nowhere near the -20°F for weeks on end we have in Maine, nor the 7 straight months of snow followed by a month of black flies and mud, two insane months of mosquitoes, and finally two months of semi-nice weather before it turns cold again.
My wife is established in the medical field as a primary care family physician and I am highly licensed in the environmental field with a focus in water remediation and purification. I know she will have a much easier time at finding employment than I will due to my narrow focus. We don't have extravagant tastes or wants and are down-to-earth people without a ton of money, although we do well by Maine standards. We both work hard and play hard and are active outdoors, but I dislike crowds and urban areas. I like to shoot, hunt, and fish but am not nuts about it. I am nuts about road/mountain biking and hiking during all seasons, having finished the NH4000 footer list for winter and any season. I'm working on the New England Hundred Highest list now.
My questions are these:
I thought I'd put this out there on the board because I consider some on here friends and am hoping for some personal knowledge and direction that we'd otherwise take much longer to figure out on our own.
Thanks in advance.
We just got back from a few weeks in the Keys and while nice, it's different from what I'm accustomed, to the point I think the differences would be too stark. It's also insanely expensive, hot, and employment opportunities limited.
So that brings us to what's next on the list, NC. We are looking in the Asheville area, mainly because it's near the mountains and I enjoy hiking and biking. I know they have seasons (something the Keys lack) but nowhere near the -20°F for weeks on end we have in Maine, nor the 7 straight months of snow followed by a month of black flies and mud, two insane months of mosquitoes, and finally two months of semi-nice weather before it turns cold again.
My wife is established in the medical field as a primary care family physician and I am highly licensed in the environmental field with a focus in water remediation and purification. I know she will have a much easier time at finding employment than I will due to my narrow focus. We don't have extravagant tastes or wants and are down-to-earth people without a ton of money, although we do well by Maine standards. We both work hard and play hard and are active outdoors, but I dislike crowds and urban areas. I like to shoot, hunt, and fish but am not nuts about it. I am nuts about road/mountain biking and hiking during all seasons, having finished the NH4000 footer list for winter and any season. I'm working on the New England Hundred Highest list now.
My questions are these:
- How is the climate in the various regions? Anything we should know about one particular region over another?
- Any particularly expensive places for housing to avoid?
- How are the taxes? Do they vary by region or are they consistent for the whole state?
- Motor vehicle inspections or emissions?
- Troublesome places to avoid?
- Is there any time during the year that is a particularly nice time to visit, or one that most accurately represents what NC has to offer?
I thought I'd put this out there on the board because I consider some on here friends and am hoping for some personal knowledge and direction that we'd otherwise take much longer to figure out on our own.
Thanks in advance.