Brit moving to US....where would YOU recommend to live?

[Captain Haddock]

Quote from Covertibility:

A little outdated (Q4 of 2005) but just tack on 5-10% and it'll probably be close to what prices are today:

The most expensive U.S. cities for renters

Thank's for that link, it looks like my $1600 might need to stretch to $2k to get something above average. I'm assuming I'd have to pay 12 months rent up front being a foreigner, which is why I'm trying to keep the costs down.

Quote from Pekelo:

For Britts? Seattle!! It gets as much rain as England...

Quote from version77:
Send him up to Vancouver, Canada. I think they have more fog
there so it would seem more like London...

Yeah thanks for that gents! My British stiff upperlip has had more than enough of rain soaked days inhaling lungfuls of smog

Quote from drmarkan:

Anywhere from Huntington Beach California to San Diego California. You could even go Seal Beach, or Long Beach. Most of Long Beach is actually nice, except for renting purposes, but it is still an option.
The Los Angeles County coastal cities for the most part are going to be overpriced for what you get compared to a lot of Orange County and North San Diego County.

Many people on here are going to tell you that Southern California is loaded with a bunch of phonies, but it isn't as bad as they say. Most of the phonies are people who have moved here from other parts of the country.

Coming from England, you may not be ready for the humidity in Florida. You can fly in at midnight and be sweating your balls off the second you get off the plane.

Funnily enough the San Diego area has been mentioned to me before as a possibility so thanks for that I'll give it a closer look.

Yep you're spot on there. I hate too much humidity, perhaps the short list is going to be made up of Cali Cities then.
I only picked out florida as I know real estate's struggling in certain areas which would mean I could probably buy a villa on the cheap when the sellers are really keen to shift.

 

[MGJ]

Lots of independent traders (people who are able do their "job" from anywhere), choose to live in US states that don't charge an income tax. These are:

Alaska
Washington (Seattle &c)
Wyoming
Nevada
Texas
South Dakota
Florida

Why do you think so many traders reside in Incline Village, Nevada? (Answer: it's 15 miles from California, where they'd RATHER be).

 

[Captain Haddock]

Quote from MGJ:

Lots of independent traders (people who are able do their "job" from anywhere), choose to live in US states that don't charge an income tax. These are:

Alaska
Washington (Seattle &c)
Wyoming
Nevada
Texas
South Dakota
Florida

Why do you think so many traders reside in Incline Village, Nevada? (Answer: it's 15 miles from California, where they'd RATHER be).

Yes that's a good point and definately a consideration.
I may well still come under UK tax juristiction unless I choose to literally spend a whole year in the US, however I then need to declare my earnings to the IRS and my visa is only a residency type at the moment so I'm not sure how that would work yet without further investigation

What's the worst state for income tax? We pay 40% over here if income exceeds $70k. Any other stealth taxes to be aware of and budget for?

 

[K-Rock]

I say checkout MIAMI (South Beach) it's a fun place to be single!!!

-It's an exciting place (24 hour city) like Vegas, LA and New York, with a great nightlife.
-Good restaurants.
-Beautiful beaches, some of the best in the U.S.
-It's an international city (diverse population).
-It's has two major airports (Miami & Fort Lauderdale) which offer cheap flights.
-It about 2 to 3 hours by plane from both: New York to the North, and from the Caribbean/South America to the South.

P.S. The humidity is bearable, especially if you hangout on the beach during the day, after trading or while trading, and hit the clubs, restaurants, and lounges in the evening.

 

[ElCubano]

Quote from Captain Haddock:

Yep you're spot on there. I hate too much humidity, perhaps the short list is going to be made up of Cali Cities then.
I only picked out florida as I know real estate's struggling in certain areas which would mean I could probably buy a villa on the cheap when the sellers are really keen to shift.

the humidity is awful during summer months...august being the absolute worse month of the year as far as heat and humidity...id say there is about 2 unbearable months a year july/august and i mean just crazy unbearable...but aside from that it isn't that bad the other 10 months...and in the winter you get some unbelievable weather...75 degrees no clouds and just picture perfect...dont forget it might feel different for you..i am a native to this area...anyways as far as real estate, i think you might be able to scoop some nice properties now to live in ( not for flipping or investing , it may take way too long to get out of the excess inventory ) , but nonetheless to live for a long time you might just get a sweet deal......Miami has great beaches, lots of beautiful woman a good night life and lots of outdoor stuff to do...PM me if you have any questions....

 

[LT701]

Quote from MGJ:

Lots of independent traders (people who are able do their "job" from anywhere), choose to live in US states that don't charge an income tax. These are:

Alaska
Washington (Seattle &c)
Wyoming
Nevada
Texas
South Dakota
Florida

Why do you think so many traders reside in Incline Village, Nevada? (Answer: it's 15 miles from California, where they'd RATHER be).

texas gulf coast seems like it might have an attractive combination of cost of living, beach and no state taxes

 

[u21c3f6]

Orlando Florida.

$1,000 per month will get you something very nice. Major airport close by and a large British population in the Davenport/Clermont area near Orlando.

Joe.

 

[peterdonald]

NYC. But the weather isn't great during Winter..

 

[Captain Haddock]

Quote from K-Rock:

I say checkout MIAMI (South Beach) it's a fun place to be single!!!

-It's an exciting place (24 hour city) like Vegas, LA and New York, with a great nightlife.
-Good restaurants.
-Beautiful beaches, some of the best in the U.S.
-It's an international city (diverse population).
-It's has two major airports (Miami & Fort Lauderdale) which offer cheap flights.
-It about 2 to 3 hours by plane from both: New York to the North, and from the Caribbean/South America to the South.

P.S. The humidity is bearable, especially if you hangout on the beach during the day, after trading or while trading, and hit the clubs, restaurants, and lounges in the evening.

Quote from ElCubano:

the humidity is awful during summer months...august being the absolute worse month of the year as far as heat and humidity...id say there is about 2 unbearable months a year july/august and i mean just crazy unbearable...but aside from that it isn't that bad the other 10 months...and in the winter you get some unbelievable weather...75 degrees no clouds and just picture perfect...dont forget it might feel different for you..i am a native to this area...anyways as far as real estate, i think you might be able to scoop some nice properties now to live in ( not for flipping or investing , it may take way too long to get out of the excess inventory ) , but nonetheless to live for a long time you might just get a sweet deal......Miami has great beaches, lots of beautiful woman a good night life and lots of outdoor stuff to do...PM me if you have any questions....

Thanks, the info is appreciated. I've just been looking on realtor.com to get a feel for prices and there's quite a bit about in my range
EG: an ocean view condo in "DADE, Grand view palace" 2 bed for $1500 or a 3 bed house in "dade lakes by the bay cee" for $1500

There's a real sweet looking apartment for $1675 though

http://rentals.realtor.com/prop/1081484410

Quote from peterdonald:

NYC. But the weather isn't great during Winter..

Yep it's a great city. I've been quite a few times. It's similar to London in a lot of ways, I really fancy some sunshine and beach action though.

Quote from u21c3f6:

Orlando Florida.

$1,000 per month will get you something very nice. Major airport close by and a large British population in the Davenport/Clermont area near Orlando.

Joe.

You're right their is some very cheap stuff about. What's the city itself like? All I hear about Orlando is the estates full of holiday home families.

Quote from LT701:

texas gulf coast seems like it might have an attractive combination of cost of living, beach and no state taxes

I hadn't considered that area. I need to do some research on my taxation postion when I move. No/low taxation will definately have hefty weighting on my decision.

 

[Captain Haddock]

I've just found this link http://www.taxadmin.org/FTA/rate/ind_inc.html
interesting.