Are you familiar with the cost of living? One thing that Ma and my uncle wait to find out about each year is the COLA (cost of living adjustment.) We are lucky enough that we don’t live in a hot spot so our cost of living is somewhere in the middle. In fact according to the hot spot home buying map I recently checked out the median home price in Atlanta is $265,940.
Atlanta is the closest major city to us so that is the pricing I was checking out. Of course if you look at the Bay Area on the map (out in California) the median home price is $1,150,000. God lord, could you imagine? I don’t make that much in a year let alone to afford a house at that price. That is the median price too. I can only imagine the highest.
I am planning on moving us as soon as we can comfortably afford it. Since we are hoping to head to South Carolina I checked the map for any hot spots there. There weren’t any listed whatsoever but Ma has mentioned maybe wanting to live in North Carolina. She grew up there and Raleigh is a hot spot. It’s not too bad though at $245,00 which means we won’t have to make any huge adjustments to our monthly budget.
Having to worry about the cost of living each month can be a burden at times. As the person who handles all of the bills and finances for our home weighs heavily. I do it because there isn’t anyone else to do it. I will tell you that I have learned to look at every aspect and can squeeze the last little cent out of each check to ensure that we have everything we need.
Share Your Thoughts
Do you know where your city falls on the map? At least the largest major city? I bet it will surprise you.
I live in a small Georgia town that you most likely have never heard of and I LOVE it! My house is more than full as I am a single mother of four & caregiver to my aging mother and uncle. Lover of all things Outlander. Goes to the beat of her own drum woman.
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We’re about to embark on a big move, and one of the things we considered was the cost of living in our new location. So much more goes into the decision than just home prices! And in your situation, you’ll be looking at school districts and availability of health care, etc. So many things to consider–good luck.
I”m glad that I’ve been in my home long enough (32 years) to have my mortgage paid in full.
Cost of living was one of the reasons I moved to Texas. I didn’t know the hot spot home buying map even existed!