Move west young man.....(a little long)

Fyi, SLC regularly has the worst air quality in the US (mainly in the summer I believe)

the west is the best. I have never driven a truck any farther west than the middle of texas. however I have travelled extensively all over the US and if you are able, I recommend going out there and exploring on your own to see what places you like

I'm from the south and the west coast is a completely different culture for the most part.

And there are a ton of hidden gems you will never find until you explore

New Mexico seems like the most affordable of the places you mentioned. I'm not a huge fan personally. Beautiful place though.

 

I would say don't buy anything right now wherever you end up going. Market will take a downturn and correct at some point probably not too far off. There will be bargains. Don't blame you for wanting out of Florida though. If you can sell your house and be okay for awhile, sure, go anywhere that strikes your fancy. If you want warmer stick to NV or AZ I guess. You might like Vegas/Henderson as a fun place to try for a couple years. SLC...eh, cold in the winter but if you want 4 seasons and mountain views that might be to your liking also. Either one will be a totally different world from Florida.

 

It just blows my mind what people are willing to pay for real estate. Obviously , everybody has a choice of where they want to live . But man o man to pay such a high price and taxes to live in " utopia ".

 

There are gang bangers in every neighborhood. They might be wearing suits and a tie, or cowboy hats and boots, though.

 

The problem the greater wasatch front is facing a combination of problems. Housing shortage is definitely one of them. They are building apartments, townhomes and houses as fast as they can. They say it is 2 to 3 years, maybe more, behind a the demand.
Employment in the technology sector is growing fast, faster than predicted. These tech companies found out that they could buy land cheap, and build large buildings. Then the company transfers jobs, then the workforce comes in at above local prevailing wages.
Pay cash for a house and drive the prices up. Local workforce gets a few pennies more at these same companies, but overall it is not competitive to the people transferring in. The locals get priced out of the market. Has little to do with the current state or federal administration.

Out along I-80, west of the SLC airport, a very large commercial-industrial area has a under construction, add that to what has already been built in that same region, the congestion is only going to get worse.
Prevailing wages in the region are low, have been historically. One of the factors for enticing companies to locate in the state.

 

Haven't seen any where I live. Least sign of a problem and the police swarm all over the neighborhood.
Henderson police force doesn't take any BS.

 

Yeah, they hire drivers from within. Warehouse workers waiting in line for a driver job.

 

I'm one of those Californians that will one day sell my houses here and move someplace else and pay cash, pissing off the locals in the process. I grew up in the mid-west, so I've never had the west coast political outlook. Wherever the wife and I end up, it will be close to our grandkids, the first of which is expected to arrive this coming July in Oregon.