New job
Sunday, Oct 22, 2006
We live on an island, sandwiched between two rivers. The driving isn’t too painful, especially when you consider we came from Orlando. The view is pleasant. Our house isn’t waterfront, but you wouldn’t know it by our tax and insurance bills. There is lots of water. Bridges, palm trees, and boats—sail, fishing, and weekend cabin cruisers—all dot the landscape. Well, actually the boats only dot the landscape after a hurricane, but you know what I meant.
We have a nice church within walking distance of our house—small, reformed, and they love on you like family. We have nice friends, which we spent the weekend shooting pool, cooking on the grill, and trading inside jokes with. We have lots of sunshine, close beaches, and a swimming pool that doesn’t need to be winterized.
For the past five years, Greg’s commute has been 45 minutes each way, even without bad traffic. He works on the most remote launch complex at Cape Canaveral, and no, we can’t get you into Kennedy Space Center for free if you’re in the area. (The Cape and KSC are different things, even though they’re in the same area.) His office is so top secret that I’ve never even seen it.
We’ve enjoyed our life here, but the opportunity to move on has presented itself. Greg recently took a job with a small engineering firm that allows him to work from home. Until the end of the year, he’ll be working both jobs, until he transitions someone into his old position at the Cape. After that, his office is at home. And home is wherever we want it to be.
We don’t take moving lightly. I’ve lived in Orlando my entire life, up until we moved to the coast to be closer to Greg’s job. (Back then, it was a 120-mile daily commute.) We are talking with family about moving with us, and they are warm to the idea. Even some of our friends are throwing the idea around. This next move will be our last, Lord willing.
I detailed some of our long-term dreams in an off-the-cuff post I wrote over a year ago titled, Thinking Outside the Box. It was one of the more popular posts I’ve written, with comments either strongly for or against my ideas. (link) We don’t know if God has placed this opportunity in our path so that we can follow this dream or if He’s just freeing up Greg to spend more time with our family right here, right now. We are OK either way. I wish we could stay here and pursue this dream, but land prices forbid it.
As we consider our options, would you consider dropping me a line? If you absolutely love where you live, could you tell me about it? What makes it wonderful? If we are looking for mild winters, a small town, a reformed church, and 40-acres-and-a-mule for a good price, where should we be looking? Thanks in advance to anyone who takes time to write. Your comments and thoughts are appreciated.
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Amy,
Wow. Yes, I remember that post. I read it and said to my husband, “THIS. Read this. This is what I want, too!”
Congratulations to Greg on the new job! How wonderful that he will get to be home more with all of you.
I can’t wait to see where God leads your family! Blessings to you and yours,
~Stacy (from western WA, which has mild winters AND many small towns AND reformed churches. Not sure about the land prices, though. We think it’s expensive to live here, but then, I’m not sure how it compares to Florida.)
Comment by Stacy (October 22, 2006 @ 11:46 pm )
About two years ago, my husband told his boss, “I don’t want to quit my job, but I don’t want to live here(San Francisco) anymore.” So, they let him work from home and home being wherever we wanted. Another benefit of his excellent work ethic! We chose central Texas because a)this is where all my family is and we wanted to be near family for our children’s sake and for mine as raising so many little ones can be tough. b) cost of living is extraordinarily cheap and housing is very affordable. The weather here isn’t much to my liking as I prefer snow over sun, but you might like it seeing as you prefer warmth and you’re not scared off by mosquitoes the size of Japanese cars. Am I painting an inviting picture yet? Oh, yeah, the land is cheap too
Blessings to you as you enter this new chapter.
Oh, one more thing. Daddy working from home can be hard in that the kids and I get greedy for his company. Make sure his office has good doors and locks
Comment by emily gunn (October 23, 2006 @ 12:11 am )
I am kinda doing the opposite of what you asked.
I lived in Florida all my life (I’m 38) and recently moved to the Pacific Northwest (Enumclaw, Washington). We live in a small farming community 40 miles from Seattle. Folks claim the winters are mild and compared to some places they are. There’s no snow and temps in the 40’s. Compared to Florida? That took some adjustment.
We love the scenery and folks in this town are very kind. We’ve found a church we love in a neighboring town. Here’s the rub, coming from the sunshine state to the Pacific Northwest is daunting. Why? The weather.
I moved here in February 2006. I didn’t see the sun for weeks. The rain seems to never end. Summer is August and September. These two months are beautiful but you live your entire year waiting for these two months. So, if you can move to anywhere in the country, I’d avoid the pacific northwest if you really need a good dose of sunshine on a regular basis. If the sunshine isn’t a big deal, then this area is beautiful.
Comment by Kris (October 23, 2006 @ 12:35 am )
As as Pacific Northwesterner for 30 plus years, I must throw our hat into the ring. You should think about Northwern Idaho, or the Spokane area. They have some snow, but the weather is mild and the surroundings can’t be beat. If you go online you can find acreage for prices that you can afford. Don’t count Oregon in, as our housing is some of the highest in the nation. We have trees and mountains for now, but the California transplants are carving up uor hillsides with mini-mansions. It won’t be pretty here much longer I am sad to say. Think north, and happy hunting. Just make sure you have high speed connectivity or a T1 so you can blog!
Comment by Imajackson (October 23, 2006 @ 1:25 am )
Thinking Outside the Box was one of the first posts I’d read after finding your blog. I didn’t realize it until I looked at it just now and had the same thought that I did back then in the original reading. It sounds like you are looking for a place like my “real life” friend has in Tennessee. I don’t know what your definition of mild winter is but southern/middle Tennessee is my definition of that.
Anyway check out my friends blog if you want and I’m sure she’d love to share any info about what’s up that way if you are interested. If you aren’t interested in living in TN you might at least find another person with similar interests. http://farmchronicles.wordpress.com
Comment by Deanna (October 23, 2006 @ 2:14 am )
Amy,
I’m so happy for your family’s good news. My sweet hubby started working from home about 2 years ago. It is SO amazing to say the least. The children and I just love having him here.
Apparently, only Pacific North Westerners and Texans read this blog! LOL! Another North Central Texan here telling you this is a good place for all the things you’re looking for. Land and housing is still relatively cheap, homeschooling is SO easy and if you don’t go too far west things grow pretty darn good. Even strawberries. We attend a reformed church and know of several more. So there you have it.
God Bless.
Comment by Michelle (October 23, 2006 @ 2:17 am )
We live in the Dallas area, mostly a combination of Scott’s job and family here. He works for an airline so he has to be close to a major city, and this major city has some of my family nearby. It’s not nearly as beautiful as where you live, but the winters are somewhat mild; maybe a few more than three cold days.
The land in Texas though is cheaper than anywhere. And it’s not all desert here; East Texas is actually a bit humid, green and quite pretty.
Comment by Jeana (October 23, 2006 @ 6:53 am )
Hi Amy,
Thinking of you as you work through this decision/process!
You can come our way - downunder! We live on 2000acres, just a 40 minute drive from a great town with great churches. With our three children (plus a little life still within) we live just 300 yards from my parents-in-love. We enjoy hot summers, cold winters, and generally magnificent springs and autumns. Because of the seasons, we grow a variety of fruits (including strawberries!) and vegetables all year round - apart from a few frozen vegetables on standby and special request fruits (eg bananas) - and are generally self sufficient in that area. We eat meat that we have grown on our farm and prepared ourselves (lamb, beef, duck, chicken etc). We milk our own cow and collect fresh eggs daily. In summer we all sit on the verandah at Grandma’s house and munch on fresh cut watermelon most afternoons before we swim in our pool. When my kids and myself had the stomach flu this past week, my mum-in-love did our ironing and folding. When she needs something faxed or down on the computer we do it at our home. My wonderful blessed pastoring husband works on our cattle enterprise alongside his father and our son (now 9). We are teaching our children to love the Lord and seek his purpose. Our kids aren’t homeschooled but attend the most amazing small rural school you could imagine with just 30 kids and four teachers right at the end of our road (about 5miles). We are intimately involved in their formalling schooling and actively seek to add to that by “homeschooling” them in many areas. We love the Lord and see his blessings daily.
We’d love a new neighbour! There’s 900 acres next door for auction on Friday!!!
Comment by Melanie (October 23, 2006 @ 7:11 am )
OK, let’s think waaay outside the box now. The very best place to live is in the Maritime Provinces of Canada!! I’m for New Brunswick (tho Charmin may say Nova Scotia). Land is plentiful and inexpensive.. winters aren’t that severe.. and if Greg is working from home, let it snow and build a fire!! We have lots of water so you’ll feel right at home… 4 beautifully distinct seasons… there is a reason why tourism is one of our major industries, everyone wants to be here!!! Friendly people… some good churches, some not so good… I could send you some links to some home listings if you’d like.
Oh yes, we do have Starbucks for the women and Tim Horton’s for the men. What is Tim’s you ask? That’s where all the guys go for coffee… started by a former hockey player by the name of.. Tim Horton.
If Dave could work from home anywhere in the world, we’d go a little farther north, just an hour or 2 where we can get 100 acres and a great house for 75k Canadian. This is no joke. Its just a rotten commute to his office.
Comment by martha (October 23, 2006 @ 7:45 am )
Thought I should add… we have no traffic. Sound impossible?? Backed up “traffic” means you might be delayed 15 min. I’ve lived in Calgary and Southern Ontario where I learned what traffic really is and… we don’t have any.
Comment by martha (October 23, 2006 @ 7:55 am )
I want you to consider Kentucky! WE moved 4 yrs ago from Tampa, and it was the best decision..well, okay, I didn’t want to move, but God made it obvious it was His plan, so He drug me here and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!
WE bought 20 acres for $20K, it has some hills, and a wonderful creek. (The absolute best thing about our land..the kids LOVE it) The end of a mile long gravel road.
We went from city folks, to having 2 tractors, 7 cows, 50 chickens/ducks, 3 dogs. We love that it gives my boys a place to REALLY work hard. We have started that orchard and grape vines you mentioned and our town has under 5,000 people in it. Small town life is very different but FUN.
My husband works 3 days a week and is home with the family the rest of the week. (ER Doc)
I’d have to check on the reformed church thing, but we have some friends with 12 kids that homechurch, you’d LOVE!!!
WE usually have about 2-3 snows that “stick” in the winter. Never have to shovel as it melts within days. WE are only 15 min from TN ( in South-Central KY.)
WE are 1 hr to the closest Wal Mart, but that hasn’t been a big deal at all. No traffic just beautiful hills and farms the whole drive. Come visit, we’d love to have you!
Misti
MOMYS to the 6 sweet savages
Comment by Misti (October 23, 2006 @ 8:59 am )
SW Missouri/NW Arkansas is a nice place to live. The land in Missouri is cheaper but you have a wide range of stores in Arkansas. The scenery is beautiful in the Ozarks. And we have mild winters and not too hot summers.
Comment by Amber (October 23, 2006 @ 9:13 am )
Amy,
I have no advice on places to live. We live near Chicago and I wouldn’t recommend it for cheap land or mild winters -we do have plenty of wind if you’re into flying kites though.
I would just say that we moved here one year ago and moving is hard. We also homeschool so that helped with not having to adjust to a new school, but it’s still hard. We will be praying for your family as you make this major decision in your life.
About the post - it was one of the first ones I read here and it is just fabolous. I pray the Lord gives you the desire of your heart.
Comment by JulieP (October 23, 2006 @ 9:17 am )
Congratulations on your husbands new job! We moved to Jackson, TN exactly 2 years ago for my husband to start working at the Christian college here. We were amazed how cheap housing is here. To put it in perspective I’ll give you some numbers. We bought a 1,500 sq foot house that was 8 years old for 94,500. For property taxes we pay 550 for city taxes a year and 600 for county taxes. It’s a bummer we don’t live a mile up the road where we would only pay county taxes. We are an hour from Memphis and 2 hours from Nashville. You definatley get the 4 seasons here, the winter aren’t too bad. We absolutely love our reformed church here, http://www.cccnow.org. Good Luck!
Comment by Sarah Ellsworth (October 23, 2006 @ 9:22 am )
How about over the bridge to Rockledge?
Comment by Tracey (October 23, 2006 @ 9:25 am )
I wasn’t going to comment, but I have to now that Martha baited me. : )
To someone who grew up in Orlando I would say, “Avoid the Maritimes altogether.” I love Nova Scotia for all the same reasons Martha loves her New Brunswick, although land prices are climbing in my area. (Though to my knowledge they are still cheap compared to most of the country.) Our winters that “aren’t that severe” would feel like Alaska to a Floridian.
Traffic? I get annoyed when I get held up at the end of our street for 3 minutes. I am not a city girl in any way. More than two lanes on a highway and I seize up with panic.
I’d love to live down the road from Amy and her 40-acres-and-a-mule. Maybe I could buy fresh eggs and milk from her. Some Saturday when the husbands are off we could drive to Halifax - hey, it’s only an hour and fifteen minutes - for a Starbuck’s. And I am not well educated on the many different denominations so I can’t refer you to a good reformed church in the area, but our Pastor is a fantastic teacher, humble servant, and committed to taking a stand for what is right and true.
Having said all that, I doubt if Canada was what you had in mind when you asked for suggestions. Which is why I hadn’t intended to comment in the first place!!
Comment by Charmin (October 23, 2006 @ 9:37 am )
I’m a lifelong Texan, and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Sadly, I’m in the Austin metro area right now, with no hopes of going much further out due to hubby’s job.
But, our dream has always been to move to the Texas Hill Country. Granted, people from San Antonio are moving north to that area, and Austinites are moving west and invading the space, but there is still land to be had.
And if you want seclusion - well, we moved to Austin from a town with a population of 2,600 people, the county seat of San Saba - with two nearby towns that had populations less than 500. Lots of land there, some cheap, some getting pricier. I think my sister’s FIL is selling 15 acres of their family farm (total of about 150 acres) for $90K. However, I’m not endorsing that as an ad, because my sister doesn’t want to see the land sold… just throwing it in as a price comparison. I know this is more than other land in the area goes for, but it is on the side of town closest to Austin, so more convenient to the big city (an hour and a half away).
Hubby and I dream of Marble Falls, or Llano, and further west into hills, Kerrville and Leaky. Not necessarily the cities themselves, because prices will be higher there… but find the third nearest small town and pick up a paper… I’m sure there are great prices to be had. (Think Mason and Brady.)
The weather is nice here, though hot during the summers. Winters are milder than most places. It does freeze during the nights, but usually day temperatures are in the 50s. Our winters aren’t very long, either - it’s the hot hot hot summers that can take it out of you fast.
Good luck with where you end up - I personally would go to the Pacific Northwest (Oregon first, then contemplate Washington - just because I have a romanticized notion of Oregon) if both of our families would follow suit, but it is way to far for us to go alone.
And congratulations on working from home to your hubby… what a blessing!
Comment by Laura (October 23, 2006 @ 9:51 am )
Hi Amy,
What an exciting time! I am also in SW Missouri.We love it here. Land is still inexpensive, anywhere from 3,000 to 12,000 an acre. You can buy a brand new, large home (around 3-4000 square feet) for less than 200,000. We like that there is a lot of variation in the land around here too. We live on the side of a wooded hill with a view of a national forest, but, within 15 min be on flat farm land, 5 min to a creek, large lakes in many directions. An hour away from Stockton lake ( nationally ranked #1 for sailing). 20 min to Branson, MO. 10 min. to Springfield, MO. This area still has a small town feel with all the conveniences near by.
HTH
Carey
Comment by Carey (October 23, 2006 @ 9:54 am )
Come to North Carolina!!! We’ve got beaches, mountains, and the pertiest (spelled that way for a reason) country you ever did see.
Plus…you’re in the Bible belt and finding a good church isn’t a problem!
I live in central NC…near a big city but still lots and lots of countryside.
Comment by Lindsey (October 23, 2006 @ 10:01 am )
I (like Deanna - comment #6) would have to make a case for Tennessee. Having lived here all my life, and in all three sections of the state (East, Middle, and West), I think the state holds a lot of what you are looking for. We have 4 wonderful seasons, mild winters, warm summers (Mid-May to late September), lots of land outside of the cities, and great football (go Vols!). Land is more expensive in the areas around Nashville and just North and East of Memphis (lots of people are seeking to escape the congestion of Memphis and Shelby County), but we have a lot of area that is not considered near a city…lots of small towns…where land is abundant and more affordable. Tennessee is also in the “Bible Belt”, so there are lots of churches both large and small.
All 3 sections have their pros and cons; I personally prefer East TN which has mountains (Great Smoky Mountain National Park), is beautiful in autumn, and has the potential for plenty great homeschool field trips. We lived in Knoxville for 4 years and are just waiting for God to tell us it is time to go back! Middle TN is nice, as well. There is a lot to do in Middle Tennessee with the music industry, the Hermitage (Andrew Jackson’s home), a great library system (in Davidson County - Nashville area), good museums, and several top notch universities. We moved to West TN a year and a half ago, and I would have to say it ranks 3rd with me. It is flat here (not quite as flat as the planes states, but close), more humid (due to the mighty Mississippi), and just doesn’t have quite the same feel as the rest of the state to me (we are in the Memphis area though). There are lots of cotton fields and farming in Northwest TN and east of Memphis (toward Jackson and Nashville) and I’m sure those areas are nicer than Memphis.
Having moved recently from an area we loved and where we had a “family” of friends, I can say that it is not easy to relocate (and we didn’t have children at the time). If you have family willing to make the move with you that would be wonderful in easing the transition.
Congratulations on the new job and new opportunities that God has set before you!
Comment by Jana G in TN (October 23, 2006 @ 10:09 am )
We’re in the Texas Hill Country, outside of San Antonio. Land is cheap and the cost of living is significantly lower than the national average. Views are breathtaking, and winters here are mild like Florida, not mild like the Pacific Northwest. One year we woke up to 1/2″ of frost on the ground, and my little sisters and brothers who had never seen snow used it to make snowballs.

Deer make gardening a challenge, but not everyone minds having problems like that. I’ve heard that residents can legally hunt the Axis deer year round. If you buy a place with good soil, you can garden almost year round.
We spend a lot on gas because we live so far from town, but your hubby would work from home.
Water is expensive, but out in the country you would undoubtedly have your own well.
There’s no state income tax in Texas.
And there are several reformed churches in the area. Ours is CREC.
So there’s my 2 cents. Another vote for Texas.
Comment by KimC (October 23, 2006 @ 10:22 am )
I make the case for rural kentucky!!! We LOVE it here in the country. We got 4 acres and 2400 square feet of house for $85,000. We LOVE it here. Feel free to e-mail me and I will gladly send you my phone number.
As far as I know there is not a reformed church here yet, but we would LOVE to have a reformed Bible Study in the area!!
BTW- I live near Misti who commented earlier, and I ditto everything she said. And after all- if you get hurt her husband can take care of you (and not mind if you don’t immunize- just don’t try to get drugs from him if you have a drug abuse history), and if you need flown out, my husband (an EMS helo pilot) can take you where you need to go!
Not having a Wal Mart is really not a big deal either. I love small town living, the people are great, and it is VERY large family friendly. Come visit! You’ll never want to leave!
Comment by petersonclan (October 23, 2006 @ 10:32 am )
I live in NE AR and would second choices for central/ western AR or MO. The flat land by the Mississippi is very humid and lots of mosquitoes due to rice farming–but that wouldn’t bother you would it?
I would like to suggest that no matter the location to check into water issues. Even areas that would not seem to have water problems are seeing it. Water is becoming an issue due to growing cities and more farmers irrigating crops. If it comes down to who gets the water–well who has the most votes? Around here the aquifer is concern, but the farmers and others are trying to find solutions before it becomes ugly. It would be disappointing to find the place of your dreams and be into building them only to find out that water has replaced land prices as the problem.
And don’t forget those wonderful homeschool laws! MO has very friendly ones & AR looks harder than it is.
We have lived in many places and find that most people are friendly–once they have had time to see what kind of people you are.
Comment by Stephanie (October 23, 2006 @ 10:34 am )
We live in rural TX. We go to an awesome reformed church. Most everyone homeschools and has lots of children. I am sure that land prices are much cheaper than where you are at. You would have more than one hat, coat and glove day, maybe a couple of weeks worth. As of today my flowers are still alive, it has not yet froze.
Comment by Kelly (October 23, 2006 @ 10:58 am )
Add my voice to the chorus for south/central Missouri. The Ozarks are BEAUTIFUL. Land is fairly cheap. The biggest downfall is the lack of industry, but that won’t be a problem for your family.
You will find many “homestead” type families. But they won’t call it that. They would more likely look at you like “how else would you live?” Our pediatrician prescribes salt water gargles instead of antibiotics for sore throats.
I would like the winters to be a bit warmer, but hey, then everyone would live here wouldn’t they? Generally it will be in the 40 degree range for highs. There will be a few weeks (not all together) where it will be really cold. Like 10-20. When I was a kid, we used to get a lot of snow, but the last few years have been super light.
Homeschooling is getting more and more popular.
I should warn you that the deeper you get into the Ozarks, the more Democrats you will find. You should know up front that they will be pro-choice, gun carrying Dems though. We’re a little different than the norm.
Biggest negatives: the meth problem. It’s getting better, but there are a lot of economically depressed areas. (especially in the hills) and meth is rampant there. There is definately two classes of people. “Good Folk” and “white trash”
And our state animal is the MULE. Come on, you can’t get more country than that!
Comment by whimsy (October 23, 2006 @ 11:30 am )
Hi Amy,
First of all, I have really enjoyed reading your blog. I can really relate to you and your experiences. Next, it is our family’s inside joke to say, ‘this is the alst time we move God willing.’ I am 36 and we have moved well over 60 times in my short life. However, we live in a wonderful community now, with it’s own quirks and irritations and you might find 40 acres and a mule. We live in Bedford County, VA. You might know it’s neighbor Lynchburg, VA, home to one Dr. Jerry Falwell. My husband works at his university, Liberty University. We really love it here and hope someday to buy our own acreage and build a house. Bedford County still has lots of land for sale, if you are willing to live a “fur piece out.” We ahve all the amenities of a larger city, but enjoy quiet living. Just a thought from Forest, VA.
Thank yo ufor your willingness to share! Angela
Comment by Angela (October 23, 2006 @ 11:33 am )
I just moved to Florida from Bloomington, IL. I had previously lived in GA all my life. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved Bloomington. There is lots of land and the most precious PCA church. The pastor is Bob Smart. That church made our move wonderful.
Comment by Claire Weaver (October 23, 2006 @ 11:53 am )
Hi Amy,
I live in TN, near the KY border, right off of 75. My recommendation is KY. There is a small but wonderful reformed church in London, KY. London is a small, spread out town (people hear think it is large). Within 30 minutes of London you can get good land at fairly inexpensive prices. Taxes are low. Winters are colder than FL, but we only get 2 or 3 snows that stick, and those snows are usually just a dusting.
TN is also nice, and where we live the land is still cheap. But there are no churches close by. The Tri-cities is nice but land prices have gone up. VA is better for land prices up by the Tri-cities. There is currently no income tax in TN, and property taxes are low, even towards cities like Knoxville.
We’ve only lived in the eastern parts of TN, it is beautiful here. Have fun looking.
Other things to keep in mind as you look is easy access to interstates, and airports that aren’t too far away. We have also lived in places that were very remote and when you have family that lives far away it is nice for the trip not to be too long, or difficult.
Kim
Comment by Kim in TN (October 23, 2006 @ 11:54 am )
Please move to my neck of the woods. There is a small PCA church nearby that treat you like family. It is pretty country up here. We have a mini-farm (10 acres) with pasture and a barn. We hope to be getting some animals soon. My nearest friend is about 45 min. away so this is a purely selfish request. I would love to have you over the ridge and down in the holler.
Comment by Leigh Ann (October 23, 2006 @ 12:16 pm )
Sweet Home, Alabama! Very mild winters! We haven’t had a blizzard in over ten years. It hardly ever gets below 30, and if it does, it only lasts a couple of days. But that’s good because it kills all the insect babies (like mosquitos!)
Lots of land and green space. Drives to town take about 15 or 20 minutes. Country living that isn’t too far from the rest of civilization. Two hospitals, one of which specializes in women and maternity. We live in a town of about 110,000. Not a small town, but not too big, either. Easy access to interstates and we have an airport. My uncle can give y’all a ride in his helocopter! Small churches, big churches, all over the place; reformed, arminian, charismatic, head-covering-wearing, rock bands, coffee shop church, you name it-we’ve got it! I’m sure you’ll find one to suit your family. Our little church has less than 100 people. All of the families homeschool. The “orchestra” is full of kids! The largest family has 7 kids. The smallest has 3. Low crime rate! And the beach will still be close! To top it off, you already have a friend with whom to drink coffee–ME!
I look forward to “watching” how God directs your family! How exciting!
Comment by Leslie (October 23, 2006 @ 12:24 pm )
So it would be too much to ask for y’all to move to Middle Georgia just so I’d have some company? :> Actually, it is a beautiful area to live. Lots of small towns, lots of great churches (being a Nazarene I’m not too sure, but I believe we do have a good reformed church in town), and it sure is pretty:) Mild winters (just a shade colder than Florida), but very pretty fall and spring seasons. And I’m here:) What more could you want? :>
Comment by Shannon Miller (October 23, 2006 @ 12:47 pm )
We have a great, small reformed church here in Eastern TN (Knoxville area). The cost of living is great, lots of beautiful rural land and small towns in the area, a good home schoole community. We are from out of state, came here for college ( in the late 80’s…) and couldn’t bear to leave…its really very beautiful and a great place to raise a family! And the winters are fairly mild,too…
Comment by crb (October 23, 2006 @ 1:03 pm )
Amy, I don’t have any suggestions for where you should move, but I’m reading the comments with great interest. Our family is going on the same journey within the year. We’re looking for affordable land to build what would be, Lord willing, our last home. My dh feels called to plant a reformed church, so we are looking to see where there is the greatest need. Another thing that we are looking at is the HSLDA’s map about homeschool laws. The states that are “red” are immediately off our list. Praying for you as the Lord opens doors!
Comment by Laura in KY (October 23, 2006 @ 1:04 pm )
What WONDERFUL news!!!! I’m so happy for you!! My dh recently started a job in Abingdon so, although he doesn’t work AT home, he sure is home MUCH MUCH more! We are so thrilled.
You probably can guess where I suggest you move! BTW, pretty awesome foliage here right now! :0) Our church is reformed episc.
Comment by Lyn (October 23, 2006 @ 1:12 pm )
northeast washington… all the good stuff plus it’s a conservative area… definitely not liberal like other areas of the NW.
Comment by LT (October 23, 2006 @ 1:50 pm )
I would put in a vote for Washington state, like the first responders here. It’s true that Western WA is cloudy much of the time and to live in the more urban Puget Sound area is expensive but middle and Eastern WA are beautiful (ranging from rolling soft hills/farmland to desert to green mountains), sunny year-round and have tons of wide open space to be purchased. Western WA tends to be politically liberal, but middle to Eastern tends toward the conservative; chances of finding a good reformed church there are very good. Winters are mild here in the western part of the WA where I live, and good churches can be found in the rural areas, but I have no idea how the price of land compares to FL. The county I live in (Snohomish) is a great mix of urban and rural (it takes 5 minutes for me to get to open farmland from my urban home and 25 minutes to get to the state forest), but of course you have to be okay with gray skies much of the year. However, our short summers, I’ve been told, are some of the greenest and most beautiful in the U.S. But if you move here in summer, you get fooled.
One of the best reasons for Washington state? We have some of the most “hands-off” laws regarding homeschooling in the U.S.! Your kids are not to begin “schooling” until age 8, the state does not make ANY requirements regarding curriculum, and does not “check up” on your kids’ progress, EVER. You are required to either test them yearly or keep a portfolio once they are of school age (8), but the test scores and portfolio stay with you, never to be viewed by “professionals.”
Here’s some info:
http://www.washhomeschool.org
http://www.experiencewashington.com/
Comment by Sara (October 23, 2006 @ 1:50 pm )
oops… meant SOUTHeast washington… obviously, i’m fairly new here, too!
Comment by LT (October 23, 2006 @ 1:51 pm )
Well, here in TX the winters are pretty mild! It is also a wonderful state to homeschool in, we are loving it!! I wouldn’t mind having you for a neighbor!
Candi
Comment by candi (October 23, 2006 @ 1:52 pm )
Amy–
I have to second the motion for North Carolina! It’s a beautiful state with something for everyone, and definitely a place where a family can grow and set down roots. We happen to live outside Raleigh and there is plenty of outlying farmland that is still affordable. Homeschooling is very easy to do in these parts because of homeschool-friendly laws and many resources, co-ops and clubs available. The homeschooling numbers here are strong. Plus, it’s nice to be close to the state capital, GREAT colleges and universities for the kids when they grow up (they can stay close to home!), and still be within easy driving distance of the NC beaches and mountains. It’s nice for young families and retirees alike (especially with good hospitals and specialists), and churches are plentiful. And even though your husband will be working from home, you never know what may happen in life and the Research Triangle Park is here to with lots of high-tech jobs!
Best wishes,
Jennifer
Comment by Jennifer (October 23, 2006 @ 2:20 pm )
Another vote for NC….this is where Floridians go for vacation, you know.
Comment by connie (October 23, 2006 @ 2:32 pm )
Maybe you should look into RC Sproul Jr’s church. They seem to be very much happy to promote “breeding” :D, homesteading, family worship, and are veeeerrrrry Reformed.
I won’t recommend PA, ’cause we don’t have mild winters. At least, coming from Florida, you wouldn’t consider them mild.
Comment by Margaret (October 23, 2006 @ 2:38 pm )
We’re on the same journey with you. My dad recently purchased some land in Coosa County Alabama that is about an hour from Auburn and an hour from Birmingham. His goal is to make it a “family property.” My husband and I are hoping to join them on it in a few years. We’re currently in the planning stages of how to make all of it work, how to protect the property, how to keep it like we want it for generations to come, and how to put different families on the same piece of land, maintain privacy, but also build community. I’d love to swap ideas with you guys as we come up with stuff and as you move along in this journey. We’re always looking for resources of wisdom and ideas. Now that the land is purchased, we’re going to be ironing out alot of this. Meanwhile, my hubby and I are trying to get out of Northern VA (while we love VA, it isn’t close to family) and he’s on the hunt for a job that will allow him to work from home. I can also say that TN is beautiful, and had we been doing this on our own, there was great property between Huntsville and Nashville that we would have loved. But we feel pretty strongly that we’re supposed to do this with our extended family. Please keep us posted. We’ll be reading with interest. If you want any resources, let me know. we’re collecting a small stockpile.
Lora
Comment by Lora Lynn (October 23, 2006 @ 2:49 pm )
Hi Amy,
My DH and I also share your dream! We would love to live out in the middle of nowhere with a LOT of land.
We currently have a decent size farmhouse on 7 acres and are learning about gardening. We hope to add some cows or goats and chickens next year (Lord’s will!).
I would love to buy a lot of land around here but I know that it is cheaper elsewhere. I live in a very small town (but not so small that we don’t have a post office and Dollar General - LOL). I am in SC and would be happy to give you more info if interested so please feel free to email me.
I can’t wait to see where the Lord leads you and your family!!!!
Have a blessed day,
Dana
Comment by Dana (October 23, 2006 @ 3:18 pm )
Our family had a similar desire to find that perfect rural acreage in a nice area with a Reformed church… we set out in a 28 foot travel trailer for seven months, seeing many places in the west/midwest, and now we’re happily settled in a rural area outside Springfield, MO. We’re on 28 acres, with two pregnant cows, a calf, two pigs, and a flock of chickens, having come from the big city- Phoenix, AZ. Yes, it is a big transition, but there are lots of people to ask for help and advice! People in general are very friendly in our nearby small towns. We love our CREC church, as well. It has many rural families happy to teach and encourage those wanting to learn more about how to live a country life. Land prices are pretty low here (a big consideration for us, coming from the West), although the area is growing- here is 40 acres, described as a hobby farm. I would gladly teach you how to milk and make cheese if you do come out to our neck of the woods.
Feel free to email if you have any questions… we’d love to have you!
-my dad’s blog
Comment by Natalie (October 23, 2006 @ 3:54 pm )
Chattanooga!!! There is a plethora of PCA churches here.
We are in the valley of beautiful mountains with lots of outdoor activities: hiking, hang gliding, caving, water skiing on the lake. We have Rock City and Ruby Falls. We have a wonderful aquarium, art museum, and symphony. We are a medium sized town that is very conservative and has mannerly people. I have friends who bought 53 acres here and have horses, goats, and chickens. They have 7 children.
We have an exceptionally large homeschooling community here as well. We are also an easy drive from several large cities: Atlanta, Knoxville, Nashville. We have low property taxes and crime rates. We have mild winters, but if you want snow, it’s an easy drive to the Smokey Mountains.
Comment by Calla Lilly (October 23, 2006 @ 4:38 pm )
Consider Richmond VA–here is link to our church including a complete statement of faith and downloadable sermons: http://www.gracebiblerichmond.org/home/
I think you would like it….
(The sermons are worth a listen even if the weather and land prices aren’t attrative to you!)
Comment by Karen (October 23, 2006 @ 4:39 pm )
Not in the Cincinnati metro area (especially on the Ohio side)…
Try TN.
Comment by Lori (October 23, 2006 @ 5:07 pm )
My husband just accepted a new job and will be working from a home office starting Nov.6. This is the fulfillment of a years long dream for us, so we’re very excited. In January we’ll be moving back to my hometown so we can be near my parents and grandmother.
People keep telling us about how much they *love* working from home. I think my husband is looking forward to not having to clean all the snow and frost off the van and shovel the driveway so he can leave for work every morning
Comment by Amy (October 23, 2006 @ 6:18 pm )
Interesting! I don’t have time to read all 50 some comments, but from the looks of the first few we could end up neighbors.
I really just wanted to say ‘Comgratulations’! It should be very exciting (life with God always is) to see what this move brings your family. Certainly having the commute time to spend with family instead will be a blessing.
Here in my corner of the Great Northwest, we have four seasons and love them all. We also have a small town quality of life in a city, inexpensive housing, parks, and good churches. But it can take YEARS to make friends …
Praying for you.
Comment by Rebecca (October 23, 2006 @ 7:01 pm )
Amy~ We’d love to have you in Carrollton, GA. Mild winters but hot summers. Still a rural county with lots of southern hospitality and churches everywhere. Not terribly far from the beaches. Plus you’d have a built in friend…me! Enjoy your search!
Comment by FayW (October 23, 2006 @ 7:58 pm )
WoW, Amy! Congrats! You are living our dream! Land is relatively cheap in central/rural Nova Scotia, but certainly no mild winters there, and reformed churches might be a bit scarce. I would love to move back to be near my family, but we are longing for milder winter weather than N.S. or N. IL has to offer. We have been looking at San Antonio, TX area after a trip there in August. Land is alot cheaper, especially in rural areas. I have been told that the land is good or growing too. There are a number of reformed churches there as well. A relatively new small (five families) house church Southeast of San Antonio. S.A. was a nice clean city too. It is a growing city, but you would only have to go there for supplies….maybe.
TX homeschooling laws are very similar to what we have here in IL, another draw for us.
May the Lord bless and guide you! Please keep us updated and let us know how you made your choice once you have the place decided upon!
Blessings,
Theresa
Comment by Theresa (October 23, 2006 @ 8:50 pm )
Aw, Amy…that’s great! I’m so very happy for you. A little jealous…but mostly happy.
(I want my husband to work from home, too!)
Comment by Holly (October 23, 2006 @ 9:26 pm )
Oh yes. I just told my dh what was going on with your family. He strolled into the room and said, “Ask Amy if we can come and live on their land, too. We’d be willing to be migrant workers.”
He’s strange, but cute. 
Comment by Holly (October 23, 2006 @ 9:31 pm )
What do you consider “a good price” for a house? I know it varies greatly with where one is used to living.
Comment by Catherine (October 23, 2006 @ 10:02 pm )
Gaithersburg, Maryland. It’s the dearest place on earth to us because of Covenant Life Church. Joshua Harris is our Senior Pastor. The area is expensive, the winters aren’t particularly mild, the area is not conservative politically, and we’re hours from the beach, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else! I pray God will direct you and your husband.
Comment by jean (October 23, 2006 @ 10:18 pm )
I don’t know if anyone has suggested my corner of the world because I didn’t read all the comments - but . . . we live in Fresno, CA and the central valley of California is very affordable, land a plenty, and there happens to be a smaller reformed PCA church right here. The pastor is fantastic (oh, and he is my husband! ha ha). Really though, there are many great churches around the Valley. The Central Valley produces much of the produce for the country - we are so spoiled! Road side stands sell avacados 10 for a dollar at the right time of year. Everything grows here, the ground is 20 feet of top soil!
Come on out here - I’d be glad to show you around.
Anna
Comment by Anna (October 23, 2006 @ 10:43 pm )
Don’t move to Phoenix.
Hi Natalie.
Congrats to your hubby, Amy. Seems to me that TN or MO would be a good place to settle, based on all I’ve read.
Comment by Janet (October 23, 2006 @ 10:56 pm )
we have three kids, working on four. we want to live with my parents on at least 5 acres of land so we can grow our own veggies. you’re right about florida. we live in brandon, just outside of tampa. the best deal i’ve found for land here is one acre for $100,000. we want to move to texas. san antonio actually. acreage is about $1500-$3000 an acre, san antonio is an interesting place, the weather is comparable to central florida and you can’t beat texas for small towns and good churches.
what a blessing that your husband can work from home! my husband has a clearance also and works for booz allen hamilton at macdill afb. we are praying for something to open up where we can transfer or he can work from home.
maybe we’ll see you in texas one day. i’ll pray for God’s will to be done in your lives. God bless you all.
joanna
Comment by Joanna (October 23, 2006 @ 11:01 pm )
Hi Amy,
VERY interesting question, but no interesting answers here. I live in Indianapolis and let’s face it, not because of the incredible mountain-top or ocean views. I’m as landlocked as they come, baby! I do have Lake Michigan (only 3 hours away) to escape to when the water siren calls my name, but I can’t break away all that often. I live here because my daddy does, because his daddy does, because his daddy did before him, and so forth, many generations back. I had a stint outside of Indy, but the pull of “home” is strong…so strong that I imported my hubby from Michigan and we put down roots here.
All that to say…I couldn’t leave my family. They are a daily part of my life and I’m having a ball watching my nieces and nephews grow up. My local little suburban town greets me like a dear friend at the end of my workday and commute; I have trees for friends…and they’ve been my friends since childhood.
My life dream is to live in England for awhile. But even then, I know one day I’ll pack it up and hum a little tune…”Indiana wants me…”
Follow your dreams. But your heart knows where home is. The path to that place will rise up to meet your feet. That’s how it works. Good luck and God bless!
Comment by Becky (October 23, 2006 @ 11:26 pm )
Just popping in to say that I just finished reading every comment and email, but it is too late to begin to reply. Thank you, and I will post when I have a chance. My baby is crawling now, so that is less often nowadays.
Comment by Amy Scott (October 23, 2006 @ 11:44 pm )
Amy,
This is an amazing dream.
After reading last years post and then this one,
I will tell you I married into a farming family (walnuts in CA), live between my in-laws and my sister-in-law & her family — in the country. It is a great lifestyle. My kids are so blessed to have their grandparents right here.
Farming takes looong hours but when you are together it doesn’t matter. I could go on and on.
It isn’t all roses (lots of dust) and you can’t hold grudges … but for this city girl gone country, I know what I’ve got and I’m thankful.
Pray & Press On.
Comment by Dana E (October 24, 2006 @ 1:59 am )
Well, Amy, I don’t know about you, but after reading all of the comments, I think that Anna’s made me want to move to her area the most…TWENTY FEET OF TOPSOIL!?! ZOWIE!
And the avocado prices…wow…
I know you spent some time in California not too long ago, but I think that it sounds like a winner to me! (I’m from just southeast of Seattle, and although I would love to have great, hand-picked neighbors, I’m not sure how well Floridians transplant to the NW…would you miss your sun? Would you freeze at the first snow? But you would LOVE the falling leaves!)
Karen in WA
Comment by Karen (October 24, 2006 @ 2:39 am )
Come to Alabama! Come to Alabama!! We live about 30 miles south of Birmingham. We have a fabulous small reformed Baptist church that we love! Though we live in the suburbs there are great farms about another 10 miles south… we’ve been dreaming about something like that ourselves (complete with the mule) The land prices are about $8,000 an acre which seems high to us but I don’t know how that compares with Florida. If you are willing to go further out by about 30 more miles or so land is a cheap as $2,000 an acre. (Can you tell I’ve been doing some homework in this area?)
As for winters… well, I grew up in Florida and I don’t like the cold. It does get what I consider quite frigid here in the winter. My husband assures me that our winters are very mild. We get snow once every four or five years… about an inch and it melts by noon, but it’s snow!
And, don’t forget… yard sales in Alabama yeild things like Vita-Mix blenders for $5.00!! Can’t beat that!
Comment by Lady Why (October 24, 2006 @ 8:51 am )
Congratulations to your family on your husband’s wise career move! We’re also in a period of transition right now. My husband will start a new job in December, and will be commuting nearly 2 hours each way until we can move.
We live with our five children on a small 34-acre farm in Georgia, about an hour west of Atlanta. There’s a good homeschooling community out here — and land for sale. It’s beautiful countryside, if you don’t mind a few rednecks.
Wish you the best!
Comment by Heather (October 24, 2006 @ 9:55 am )
I am de-lurking because I just had to offer another vote for NC. I moved to this beautiful, small town from Northern Virginia and have been in heaven ever since. Small town charm, lots of churches, close to major cities, 30 minutes from Durham, 50 from Raleigh and Chapel Hill. I love driving behind tractors, what can I say. Farming communities are awesome and the people are full of charm. There is never any traffic in my neck of the woods. I love this place, it is gorgeous and does offer pretty mild winters. By mild, I mean, little if any snow. My husband and I moved here to raise our children in a safe and wonderful place. I will not give credit to the high schools, they were much worse here than in the city we are from. We homeschool our highschooler now.
Comment by mandy (October 24, 2006 @ 10:18 am )
Hi Amy! Whatever you do DO NOT move to Memphis (or all of Shelby County for that matter)! It is a WICKED area! Actually I wouldn’t recommend western TN much at all. Northwest AR is gorgeous! I’m not sure about a reformed church up there. Although I think there are a PCA or two (I don’t know how reformed they are). Thankfully we are in the process of moving from Memphis to Virginia! We are so excited! We will be a little less than an hour outside of Roanoke (which I hear is SO pretty!). I hope everything goes well with your move and the job!
Comment by AG (October 24, 2006 @ 11:28 am )
About two years ago we adopted a little boy from Ukraine who is deaf. At the time we lived in a tiny little town in West Texas. He happened to be the only deaf child in the county and we quickly realized that we needed to be in a larger community that had more support and resources available. At the same time, for many reasons, we were considering a career change for my husband. Also at the same time, (this is the short version) we realized the great importance of a doctrinally strong church home and committed to do whatever it took to find that. Since the company that my husband works for is nationwide we found ourselves at a point in life, much like you and your husband, where we could really move anywhere that we wanted. So we began searching for a strong, reformed church that we could be a part of. Since I promised the short version, I’ll tell you that we found a church that we love and moved to it. It’s definately worth a visit to the website to check it out. It’s http://www.reformedbaptist.org. It is in Mansfield, Texas. There are no palm trees here…but there is lots of sky to look at. The winters are mild, but not as mild as yours now! There’s lots of land. It’s wide-open Texas, you know. It’s definately worth checking out. Oh, one last thought…there is a strong homeschooling community and a great food co-op that we’re apart of. Love it here!
Comment by Erin (October 24, 2006 @ 11:33 am )
Amy, we started out on the same journey 2 1/2 years ago. We lived in Central CA and ended up in Lynchburg, VA after a year of research and prayer by dh. Our criteria were: must have a solid, family-integrated, reformed church, be homeschooling friendly, reasonable housing/land, and mild climate (we are not cold weather people). We were members of a PCA church in S. CAlifornia and then an OPC in central CA before we moved 1 1/2 years ago to VA and became part of a CREC. Dh flew out here first to talk with the pastor after visiting another candidate state/church on our list and that solidified that this was the place for us to go. We love our church and there are many open areas on the outskirts of Lynchburg where land is very reasonable. All that said I don’t think there is one “perfect” spot in the U.S. but we are thankful for the changes this move has brought us.
~Jennifer , mommy to 5 and one on the way
Comment by Jenn (October 24, 2006 @ 12:06 pm )
Gotta stake a claim for NC…there’s still plenty of farm land this way and not too far from Charlotte. I’d shoot for Western Lincoln county where the taxes are low and the veiws of the mountains are great. There are plenty of rolling hills. As for reformed churches in that area, I’m unsure. My hubby and I are just outside of Charlotte and have located a great PCA church just in the suburbs here.
As for other votes, I’m very partial to upstate SC. I’m a Greenville baby personally, and there’s a great PCA church there in Greer, SC which still can provide lower taxes and larger quantities of land. You just have to search for the land as it’s getting harder to come by in the updstate. And, as for having the best of everything there? They’re central to the mountains (and Greer has FABULOUS views of them!), not too far from the beach and well within an easy drive to cities like Atlanta and Charlotte. If I could move my hubby’s family to the greater Greenville area, I would in a heartbeat be right back there!
Congratulations on the new job for your husband! And, you’ll be in our thoughts and prayers as the Lord leads you to a new place to call home…
Comment by Alison (October 24, 2006 @ 1:21 pm )
How about the Smoky Mountains? Just about everyone that moves or visits this area raves about it. Our winters are mild but we can still see snow if we go into the mountains. We do that once a year with our children. This is a great area to raise a family. AND we at HSB have the Smoky Mountain Bloggers - we can make you a member. Jenig and Gena from the Old Schoolhoue are out here as well. I knwo you have met them.
Blessings,
Maria
Comment by Maria (October 24, 2006 @ 6:53 pm )
Amy
I cannot help you much with the best area to move to, but I am delighted that your prayers and dreams are looking more like reality. Just wanted to say that!
Comment by Andrea (October 24, 2006 @ 8:54 pm )
Can’t say that I’d recommend northern Indiana…
You might want to try http://www.findyourspot.com , it might be able to point you in the right direction. I look at my “top spots” and dream of moving away from the snow!
Comment by Rebekah (October 24, 2006 @ 9:03 pm )
All I’m saying is the area around Huntsville, Alabama is beautiful. Mountains, valleys, lakes, what more can you ask for? There are several really great churches (reformed ones among them, plenty of culture, mild winters, and hot summers. And a great homeschooling community!
Comment by Aubrey (October 25, 2006 @ 10:04 am )
#77 findyourspot.com
Just wanted to say that I’ve been checking back on the other comments, and I went to the website above from comment #77 - I was amazed that 25% of my results from the quiz were towns that hubby & I have our eye on here in Texas! It might be a good place for ya’ll to look… it was right on the money with us. (The other 75% were places we’ve never heard of or looked into, so they might be great as well…)
Comment by Laura (October 25, 2006 @ 10:55 am )
I have lived in many places and have seen people putting plugs in for most places to live.North Carolina ia where I live now-Wake Forest.Have lived in the Huntsville-Madison area of Alabama-good area also.Ohio is out of the question as for weather and the other things you are looking for.Virgina is great also but I havn’t lived there in 21 years.Since you would be leaving Florida then no vote to stay,Mississippi was strange where we lived.
Final place from me-actually hard to say but North Carolina seems to the number area said here so I will put in the plug for that area of centeral NC.
Comment by Tammy (October 25, 2006 @ 10:59 am )
Oh comon people Ohio is great…we have all FIVE seasons…Spring, Summer, Fall, WINTER, and Construction
(being sarcastic…cause if we could move now I would…) LOL Wherever you decide will be the perfect place for your family and “the dog” 
Comment by Christy (October 25, 2006 @ 12:19 pm )
Hi, Amy!
This is my first comment on your blog, but I’ve been reading for a couple weeks now. Compared to Florida’s prices, Northeastern Nevada might fit the “40 acres and a mule” price tag. Here in the Elko area, we’re just coming out of a housing shortage, so the prices will going down over the next year or so, too. I live about 14 miles out of Elko, in Spring Creek, but most of what we need as far as Doctors, stores and such are in Elko. There are quite a few churches in both areas, and the schools aren’t bad, either.
I’m not really sure what you mean by a mild winter…. that’s kind of a perspective thing, I think. Having grown up in Colorado and Montana, and lived in Wyoming before moving here, the winters seem pretty average to me. But to you, from Orlando, maybe not so much! Anyway, that’s my two cents. Feel free to email me if you like.
Vida
Comment by Vida (October 25, 2006 @ 12:21 pm )
I’m writing from Alberta. A few days ago you had a link on the side bar about the best places to live. I really enjoyed that article. It didn’t name specific places, it described a place. The things I remember is: it has to be out of town, about a 1/2 hour drive to stores and stuff. You have to struggle with the weather a bit. There is a strong sense of community, neighbours helping one another out. You work hard at growing your own food.
I don’t remember what else, but I really liked the article. I really agree with it. We live in just such a place. It’s a slower life style, we grow huge gardens and poultry for meat, we have lots of trees for privacy and beauty, lovely country church with a strong sense of family and good Bible teaching, yes, a 1/2 hour to a decent store - but that is good. It keeps me home more than on the road. On all sides of our 5 acre yard are wheat and hay fields as far as the eye can see. It is peaceful and quiet and beautiful place to raise children. We truly enjoy the four distinct seasons and the chore of getting wood to heat with. Winter and snow has the added blessing that it forces us to work hard indoors and be creative - so lots of hand work and wood working going on.
Hope you find a great place. Congratulations on the new job.
Comment by Mrs. Voth (October 25, 2006 @ 12:31 pm )
I am so excited for you.
This is my dream for me and my family…
check it out:
http://www.ruralvillage.org/index.html
You have to go through the whole site to really get
a feel for it. The people who are planning it live in
the same town as I do. Sarah just had an article in
the Above Rubies magazine (if you read that)
There would be more than just your own family
but the neighbors would be great… we’re in
Indiana, mild winters, and lots of great people.
Yep, there is more than corn in Indiana.
Good luck and I can’t wait to see where your
family ends up.
Comment by Tonja (October 25, 2006 @ 12:56 pm )
We moved from NC back to the mid-west about 6 years ago to be closer to family. In some ways it was hard to leave friends and the church we were involved with. Being close to family is nice. I will be praying for you as you make the decision. Blessings
Comment by GardenOfGrace (October 25, 2006 @ 6:12 pm )
Just now reviewing my own post from earlier. So sorry for the typos!! My spelling really isn’t that dreadful. I promise!
Still plugging the counties around the Charlotte NC area and Greenville SC area. By the way, Greenville SC has so many good Bible believing churches! I was spoiled rotten to grow up there. (BJU is there too, you know. And, it’s NOT a cult like every “outsider” believes it to be.)
And, I loved the findyourspot site. Greenville & Charlotte both were listed for me.
Comment by Alison (October 25, 2006 @ 8:46 pm )
I’m delurking to put in one more vote for NC too. I’ve lived in the mountains of NC (Boone)for 11 years and just love it. I grew up in south GA and married a Tarheel! We have great homeschooling laws (not intrusive). Our annual conference is one of the best in the country! In my area, we have a strong homeschool group. I have LOTS of godly Christian friends who are likeminded believers. I know many strong families who value children and desire to be blessed with them, strive to be good stewards of God’s resources and view the family to be God’s design for bringing others into God’s kingdom. We have several Bible believing, family friendly churches in our area and even a new family-integrated church. The pace of living is slower here than in the larger NC cities. Some of my friends who move here from larger areas are a little surprised how “laid back” everyone seems to be! (Most of them love it though!) I’d be glad to send you links to churches and our homeschool group if you are interested. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Comment by Tina (October 26, 2006 @ 12:05 am )
I vote for Upstate SC, specifically outskirts of Greenville. I love the Traveler’s Rest area and we go to a wonderful reformed church in Greenville, Grace Covenant Church. (part of Sovereign Grace). I am a transplant from Oregon originally, also lived in Florida, Southern Virginia….We love it here! Nice weather, warm, southern summers, winters are fairly mild and spring and fall are just awesome!
Comment by Kathryn (October 26, 2006 @ 4:34 pm )
Amy, I have read all the above comments, and no one has invited you to North Dakota! My husband grew up in NH and I in MN, but we love it here. People consider it a well kept secret, as there are wide open spaces, and lots of farms to buy for cheap. We felt the same stirrings your family has, and 2 years ago made the move from a larger city to northcentral ND — 2 miles from the Canadian border. We live in the Turtle Mountains, with lots of hills, valleys, woods and lakes. (Yes, we do have cold and snow, but this way we can enjoy all 4 seasons.) You are going into this lifestyle with a much more realistic idea of what life will be like than I did! My husband does his work via the computer, so we also could move anywhere. People say our homeschooling laws are some of the most stringent in the nation, but we have found plenty of freedom. One of my sons and I decided we would write a book entitled, “Improvisational Homesteading;” how to homestead by making do with next to nothing! We know the Lord called us here, and our boys are thriving. Yes, life can be hard and lots of work, but it is such a fulfilling way of life.
Comment by Lynn (October 26, 2006 @ 5:31 pm )
Amy,
I’ve never met you nor did I discover your blog until today–on the recommendation of a friend. I very recently moved from Panama City, Florida to Klamath Falls, Oregon and WE LOVE IT HERE. There literally is not a day that goes by when I don’t say to the Lord, “Thank you, thank you, thank you for bringing us here.” Currently we commute 100 miles to the nearest Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Medford but that church is very supportive of our desire to plant an OPC here in K Falls. It’s a long commute but worth it for the fellowship and teaching. And driving there is so gorgeous that it’s almost a worship service in itself. There are already several interested families in the area who were formerly part of the OPC until they moved to Klamath County.
Reasons to move here?
We want you to build a reformed church with us where “they love you like family”
NO traffic
World-class fishing for trophy size trout and accompanying water water everywhere to house all the fish
Trees, mountains, and farms everywhere
I’ve not met friendlier people even when we lived in Texas–which, by the way, I loved
Gorgeous springs that look like Switzerland and
Gorgeous falls that remind me of New England
Summers are very mild (not much above 95 on the very hottest days)
Tons of wildlife, though not compared to Alaska (we also lived there)
Downhill snow sports only 90 miles away
Potential for a Classical Conversations homeschooling program to start up in Sept 2007 (see the classicalconversations.com website if you’re interested)
No humidity
No “suburban creep and crawl”…yet
No Starbucks, no Target, no shopping mall (don’t miss them at all)
Okay, so winters are snowy and cold for a few months, but…
land prices (especially for acreage) are still relatively affordable and if you want some cows and horses, your county taxes are VERY reasonable. I’d guess in the neighborhood of $2000/year based on comments by locals. We’re currently building on 1/2 acre in a resort area–long story with lots of pros and cons, ultimately ending with the statement “Because it’s what God has led us to do…”
Let me know if you want more information.
Sincerely,
Cara Bergeron
Comment by Cara Bergeron (October 26, 2006 @ 6:49 pm )
Amy,
My brother moved to Tennessee from California and loves the area in which he lives. He is located in Seymour, TN, near Pigeon Forge and Marysville and it is truly beautiful there. The Smokey Mountains are his backyard and there is an OPC congregation in Marysville.
Hope you find a great homestead-we are a military family and home is wherever we end up every couple of years or so. I’m glad you all have this neat opportunity to have your dh home with you! Happy home hunting.
Comment by Kimberly (October 27, 2006 @ 8:50 am )
I am still reading emails and following links and leads. You guys overwhelmed me; thank you! Sorry for the delay as I answer comments, emails. A few asked about what I thought expensive was… we’re hoping to settle in an area where vacant land prices are 1,000 - 4,000 an acre.
Comment by Amy Scott (October 27, 2006 @ 10:46 am )
Well, we’re definitely within that range… I looked on randyfry.com, one of the better sites for looking at property in our area, and found 27 acres for 49,400. (listing number 612839). It has a barn, too.
Some folks are moving to our area in the next month from Washington state, and are going to rent for a while so they can look without rushing and find the perfect place. We did something similar, and it worked well… it takes time to find your way down winding country roads to see properties, and time to decide which one is right- although I think when my dad saw our land, he pretty much just fell in love.
We appreciate the good gardening/livestock value of our land here, especially compared to places we looked where it would have been much harder to feed a milk cow or grow veggies, and my five little brothers love playing in the mud at the creek…oops, I mean catching minnows.
On the same logistical note, it really helped us to visit places we were considering, to get the feel of the area and know whether it would be a good fit.
Hope that your search goes well! It can be a little stressful contemplating uprooting, and figuring out where, but I hope it will be a wonderful adventure for your family as it was for ours!
Comment by Natalie (October 27, 2006 @ 1:08 pm )
I can’t believe you are asking this and that I have the chance to respond with a recommendation.
Huntsville, Alabama home of the Marshall Space Flight center and Space Camp is wonderful. I am originally from Chicago and we fell in love with this town though we are in Germany now-we hope to return someday Only three hours from Atlanta(and faster once the interstate goes in) and two from Nashville, and 4 or 5 to Destin, Florida for weekends or the Smokey Mountains, it is centrally located. It is small enough to get across town in 20 minutes but big enough to have good restaurants and shops. There is alot of farmland surrounding it. 30 min away is Decatur and Trinity Ala(country with lots of great land) which is even cheaper and the most marvelous reformed(Free Presbyterian-check their website)country church. The pastor may have a thick southern accent that might turn a biased northerner away but his sermons are like the old puritians-rich with meat. Almost everyone homeschools here too. About 50 members that go to church to worship and not be entertained. The psalms and old hymns are song here many times accompanied by all the homeschool children and their violins, flutes, piano, etc.
Huntsville has the most engineers per capita in the country because of NASA. It is temperate with beautiful azealeas and southern graces and charm. Since you are looking for a small town, if Huntsville is too big for you, it is surrounded by many small towns that are still close in for those intown things you want to purchase.
Comment by momof3blessings (October 27, 2006 @ 6:26 pm )
One more thing, I agree with a comment above. Huntsville’s Madison county is definiitely more ritzy and pricey but the surrounding counties are cheap with lots of options available. The church I mentioned is a small country church not in ritzy Huntsville but in one of the more rural counties. We were blessed to find it.
Comment by momof3blessings (October 27, 2006 @ 6:42 pm )
Hi Amy, I’ve been reading your blog for months but have never posted anything. I just like to stop in and get a smile. But, I felt like I should gang up on you for SW Missouri. I attend church with Natalie and we moved here from CA 8 years ago. This is a wonderful place with very affordable land. The winters aren’t bad even for a CA girl! We bought 30 ac. for $2200 an ac. We are on a river. All I can see are cows. AND, we have a wonderful Reformed church to attend. What more could you possibly ask for?
Comment by Susan (October 27, 2006 @ 10:32 pm )
You should try East Texas. Lots of lakes. If your children ever want to try their hand at some sort of small business enterprise, there is First Monday Trades day in Canton. Lots of homeschoolers in Texas. I grew up in Athens, Texas. It has a beautiful lake and lots of agricultural type properties. I paid about half of my college costs by raising sheep and cattle. We picked blackberries along the fence lines in spring and there was a blueberry farm nearby. There are dogwoods and azaleas galore. I’ve heard that Paris, Texas is quite nice. As are towns around Tyler.
I’m not sure about Reformed churches, but there are heaps of churches in East Texas.
Comment by Leslie (October 28, 2006 @ 5:03 pm )
I’m from beautiful East Texas, too, though now in the North Dallas area. I think you’ll find East/Central Texas summers to be HOT and winters to be mild, but I think the most important thing for us has been our church. We have found a beloved church teaching the doctrines of grace in a community north of Dallas (Parker). Many of our members are willing to drive a ways to come. Since you asked, I would recommend visitng around the places you are looking at to find a WONDERFUL church that you love. It makes all the difference to us. Living in a picture perfect place without good fellowship and friends to share life with would be sad.
You can trust God to lead you exactly to the “perfect” spot…just where He wants you!
Comment by Biddie (October 29, 2006 @ 9:59 pm )
All I can say is South Central PA. Rolling farm land, Amish buggies dotting the landscape, Hershey, Lancaster. The winters are just cool enough to experience the joy of Christmas in the air. The aroma of hot apple cider, with sticks of cinnamon. Summer breezez, close to DC, a drive. Friendly people mostly reformed or wishing they were. Good luck on your choice, I’m sure you’ll rejoice.
Comment by Gerry (October 29, 2006 @ 11:11 pm )
Amy,
First of all, I should tell you I live in Maryland, and I don’t think this is what you’re looking for. (With my apologies to Gaithersburg, MD.:-)) The land and house prices are through the roof, the traffic is horrible, the taxes are worse and the homeschool laws are–IMHO–cumbersome. If government were the answer to the world’s problems, then Maryland should be a shining city on a hill…
Anyway…
I have family looking to go down the same road, and they have looked primarily at southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana. The homeschool laws are good, land prices seemed reasonable (in the right places), and other reasons more personal to them. I know James and Stacy McDonald, editors of Family Reformation, are planting a church in Peoria, IL, and I believe they are reformed. We are not reformed so I can’t give a lot of help that way.
Kansas would also be good (I was raised there). The land prices are good, taxes were fairly good last time I checked, it’s considered a fairly conservative state, and as long as you state to the middle or eastern part, it’s not too flat.
You might check out KSMilkmaid who is obviously in Kansas.
I know you’ve been swarmed with suggestions, but I couldn’t help but throw in my $.02. I can’t wait to hear how it turns out.
Comment by Dena (October 30, 2006 @ 11:18 pm )
Well, there is a property two houses up from us that is for sale, that is approximately seven acres, which is for sale. On one side is a small house and then a farm of about two hundred acres that has draft horses, on the other side is a mini storage facility, my grandparents’ house, and then our forty acre farm. Behind it is about three hundred acres of forest with trails my grandfather and another neighbor just built. I digress.
The property currently has two trailers on it. The trailer in the front is owned by an elderly couple, and they pay rent for the property their trailer sits on. The husband enjoys mowing the lawn on the property. The second trailer will also be staying with the property, and will be owned by the property-owner.
There is also a barn that was built about 6-8 years ago, with ~six stalls, a hayloft, a coop area for poultry, a woodchip storage area, etc. There is an outdoor “riding arena” that has since been converted into pasture for the owner’s two horses, and if you decided to have something like a milk cow or a goat, etc, you could garden/farm the rest of the property, which is currently pasture. There is a small pond on the front side of the property. The property goes back to the treeline.
Personally, I think a wonderful idea would be to purchase the property and live in the second trailer while building a house back against the treeline. If you were adventurous enough to try a milk cow, or a couple of goats, or what have you, you could use the “riding arena” in the front as pasture, and put up a sizable garden in what is currently the pasture area. There are trees throughout this pasture area, as well.
We are located in Oswego county in central NY. Some years we get a lot of lake effect snow. Other years we have a very warm and mild winter. It’s touch and go.
From the experience that our family and some friends of ours in the same district, our school district is very open to homeschoolers and we have had no problem with it.
There is a local homeschool association that sponsors sports teams in soccer (autumn), basketball (winter), volleyball (late winter/early spring), and track and field (late spring).
I am not sure exactly what sort of church that you are looking for. I recently became a member of a church that I have been attending the teen/young adult activities of and started attending church at this summer. They are a “small” country church (depending on your definition of small… probably ~80 minimum each week?) that is recently received a large gift in order to continue building an addition to enlarge the church building. They sit on fifty acres and do lots of different activities - we just finished a community outreach through a dramatic hayride, where we had six people get saved through the course of three hayrides (we had a lot of rain that week and our forest scenes ended up flooding, thus ending the posibility of subsequent rides). They are an independent, fundamental Baptist church, but they aren’t like the other independent, fundamental Baptist churches that I have experienced. I don’t know how else to explain it. I have seen many IFBs that border on (or flat out *are*) legalistic, but Armour of Light hasn’t been, in my experience, and yet it’s not like we’re getting fluffy “God-is-love” sermons. They are very meaty, and I love digging into them.
I do know of a Reformed Presbyterian church out the other direction, that a family in our homeschool association goes to, but I don’t know if that’s what you meant by reformed church or not? I’m not too familiar with denominations outside of Baptist or Christian and Missionary Alliance (which we also have in the area).
I know that you’re probably looking for someplace that doesn’t have snow, and that doesn’t involve building, but if you’re looking for adventure… this would be an amazing site for a beginning homesteader! (I could hook you up with some chickens and rabbits, for that matter.)
If you want to see the listing for the property, go here:
http://coldwellbanker.com/servlet/PropertyListing?action=detail&ComColdwellbankerDataProperty_id=9640737&page=property
They would probably settle for a lower price, as when they were trying to sell it on their own, it was priced lower, and they really want to move to where their relatives are.
Comment by CountryGoalie (November 1, 2006 @ 4:28 pm )
Hey Amy! Don’t you have family in North Carolina?
We live near a beautiful small town named Tyro, NC. Land prices there are as cheap as $7,500/acre and there’s a bunch of it. We have a library (where I work), a Dollar General, a new Subway, and a family-owned Lexington-style barbeque restaurant. The people are very friendly, and if you get involved in the community, you can’t help but run into someone somewhere who wants to tell you hello and ask how your family’s doing. For the most part the people are good, old-fashioned country folk.
The closest cities are Lexington (about 10-15 minutes away), Salisbury (~12 minutes away), and Winston-Salem (30-45 minutes away).
There are several gardeners I know from the library who would probably be more than willing to get you acquainted with our North Carolina clay– er, soil. : )
We’ve got a really neat historical home/museum, (http://www.tyronc.com) whose owners are Christians and open their home for tours and have re-enactments on July 4th etc.
As far as having a reformed church, unfortunately there isn’t one in Tyro. But we live about 8 miles north of Tyro, and we drive 20-25 minutes further north to our church in Winston-Salem. We are a Free Presbyterian church, very reformed and very much “you.” Several ladies in our church could qualify as MOMYS, and I do believe the adults are quite outnumbered by all the children around! You’d fit right in : )
You can visit the website I linked to to see pictures of our family, and you can visit here to listen to sermons from our preacher.
Hope you consider this lovely bit of the South, where our winters are quite mild (we only had flurries twice last year) with only the occasional ice storm. And we usually only get a day or two of rain and breezes if a hurricane comes through!
If you are interested, please e-mail our dad, Darin, at bauguss[at]sermonaudio[dot]com, who is real estate broker, and he can set you up (no strings attached, he says!!) on Listing Book so you can browse properties available for sale here.
Praying that you will know the Lord’s will for your family!
PS- And if you really want to live “out in the boonies,” you can live even a little further south than Tyro, in a community called Churchland. There’s hardly anything down there besides farmland! But it’s farther to our church, at about 40 minutes…
Comment by Jessie (November 11, 2006 @ 6:45 pm )
PPS- It’s very easy to comply with our state’s homeschool laws, since you may mail the state an attendance form and test results per year, in lieu of meeting with a state official. And just about every family in our church homeschools, so we have our own built-in homeschool group. One of our elders owns a homeschool consulting business, Piedmont Education Services.
Comment by Jessie (November 11, 2006 @ 6:54 pm )
[...] Lately, most of my time online is spent researching property and plans as we make forward steps with buying acreage. (Background info. is mostly here and here.) I said that I’d journal our journey, and I hesitate talking aloud on things that aren’t a done deal. But in the event that it might be helpful to others or cause us to rethink some things that need adjusting, I’ll keep updating. [...]
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