Retirement location/home

[Sneezyone]

Our family has been living where we've been told to live for so long that it's very difficult for me to come up with ideas for where I actually want to live. If you're so inclined, could you help me brainstorm some possible locations? We're hoping to buy our forever home in the next year or so and I am overwhelmed by all the options.

 

What we need in a home/location:

- 4BR, 2/3BA, 2500+ sq. ft. under $500K (preferably under $400K but if it ticks all the wants we'll extend)

- good/great schools

- moderate to liberal politics

- reasonable taxes

- either historic homes (w/period details) or newer homes<10 years old

 

What we want:

- Water access for jet skis or w/in a 2 hr. drive of a ski resort

- International airport within 45 min.

- ethnic diversity>20%

- seasons!

 

I don't even know if such a location exists, but if it does, I'm certain the Hive knows where it is.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Sneezyone

[DawnM]

I am thinking the Pacific NW would be a great location.

 

My aunt and uncle have a place on a lake outside of Spokane, WA and then a townhouse up in the mountains to ski at Schweitzer in Idaho.

 

The West side would work as well, all up and down the Northern CA, OR, WA coastline.  Not in the major cities (for cost) but a lot of the smaller cities would be great.

[MEmama]

Greater Portland area, Maine, except for the cultural diversity bit. It's improving though.

[Sneezyone]

I am thinking the Pacific NW would be a great location.

 

My aunt and uncle have a place on a lake outside of Spokane, WA and then a townhouse up in the mountains to ski at Schweitzer in Idaho.

 

The West side would work as well, all up and down the Northern CA, OR, WA coastline.  Not in the major cities (for cost) but a lot of the smaller cities would be great.

 

HA! I'm from WA and we have family there but I don't want to be toooooo close, lol. I've never actually considered the tri-cities area tho. Hmm...

[Sneezyone]

Greater Portland area, Maine, except for the cultural diversity bit. It's improving though.

 

OOOOhhh...I'm liking this!

[MommyLiberty5013]

Northfield, MN or in that vicinity. Also, Lakeville, MN.

 

The only criteria it doesn't met very well is the ethnic diversity, unless you are in downtown Northfield, and that is a college town with two universities that have international students/faculty. MN - due to its historical Scandinavian immigrant population is very Caucasian. But, we have the second or third largest Somali population in the Nation and one of the higher Asian populations too. MN also has a lot of Native Americans.

 

All of these places are within 35 minutes of MSP airport. MN has lakes and rivers all over, ya know, the Land of 10,000 Lakes! There are actually more than 11,000. MN has some of the best schools in the country. We have an amazing park system if you like outdoor things to do.

 

Four seasons. Winters are not bad - we have a lot of sun even on very cold days. But, you buy nice parkas that cover your rump and thighs and gt some good boots = all set!!!

 

[MommyLiberty5013]

Northfield, MN or in that vicinity. Also, Lakeville, MN.

 

The only criteria it doesn't met very well is the ethnic diversity, unless you are in downtown Northfield, and that is a college town with two universities that have international students/faculty. MN - due to its historical Scandinavian immigrant population is very Caucasian. But, we have the second or third largest Somali population in the Nation and one of the higher Asian populations too. MN also has a lot of Native Americans.

 

All of these places are within 35 minutes of MSP airport. MN has lakes and rivers all over, ya know, the Land of 10,000 Lakes! There are actually more than 11,000. MN has some of the best schools in the country. We have an amazing park system if you like outdoor things to do.

 

Four seasons. Winters are not bad - we have a lot of sun even on very cold days. But, you buy nice parkas that cover your rump and thighs and gt some good boots = all set!!!

 

[creekland]

Take a look at Rochester, NY.  I'm not sure what the percent diversity is overall, but I know UR itself brings in a ton.  There are decent ethnic restaurants too.  You'd have skiing nearby - both snow and jet ski (Lake Ontario), pending season.  I'm not sure about taxes and don't know if you'd consider Buffalo an international airport or not.  My guy used Rochester's airport with no problems, but not to travel internationally - just to fly to BWI, FL, or Chattanooga.  Actually, he flew to Haiti from there too, but not without transferring in NYC.  Many people go to Buffalo instead to fly.

 

House prices/types, seasons, history, and politics all are in your range.  Then there's a bonus of good schools/colleges right in the area and Canada being nearby.

[Matryoshka]

Come live near me!  If you don't mind an old (historic ;) ) house, you could get that here.

 

We have great schools, the river where I row (15 min away) is full of jet skis; there are also lots of lakes. We're about an hour from the ocean. There's a tiny ski slope in town, but real skiing within 1 -1.5 hours.  Liberal state.  Our town has about 20-30% minority now (mostly Chinese /Indian).  Boston/Logan is 45 min without traffic; Manchester NH's airport is 45 in and there's almost never traffic.  We have all the seasons.

[rebcoola]

I am in Tri Cities and don't think it would fit (no seasons, low diversity) but Spokane absolutely has everything you want.

Edited July 14, 2017 by rebcoola

[solascriptura]

Southeastern PA.

[Sneezyone]

Come live near me!  If you don't mind an old (historic ;) ) house, you could get that here.

 

We have great schools, the river where I row (15 min away) is full of jet skis; there are also lots of lakes. We're about an hour from the ocean. There's a tiny ski slope in town, but real skiing within 1 -1.5 hours.  Liberal state.  Our town has about 20-30% minority now (mostly Chinese /Indian).  Boston/Logan is 45 min without traffic; Manchester NH's airport is 45 in and there's almost never traffic.  We have all the seasons.

 

Where is here, lol?

[Sneezyone]

Northfield, MN or in that vicinity. Also, Lakeville, MN.

 

The only criteria it doesn't met very well is the ethnic diversity, unless you are in downtown Northfield, and that is a college town with two universities that have international students/faculty. MN - due to its historical Scandinavian immigrant population is very Caucasian. But, we have the second or third largest Somali population in the Nation and one of the higher Asian populations too. MN also has a lot of Native Americans.

 

All of these places are within 35 minutes of MSP airport. MN has lakes and rivers all over, ya know, the Land of 10,000 Lakes! There are actually more than 11,000. MN has some of the best schools in the country. We have an amazing park system if you like outdoor things to do.

 

Four seasons. Winters are not bad - we have a lot of sun even on very cold days. But, you buy nice parkas that cover your rump and thighs and gt some good boots = all set!!!

 

Hmm...my older brother lives in MN. Never considered it but I actually do like him so I will check it out. :)

[Matryoshka]

Where is here, lol?

NW of Boston. :) Near NH, but still in MA.

Edited July 14, 2017 by Matryoshka

[Kalmia]

Portland, Maine. Exciting little city. Mountains, lakes, ocean all nearby and close to Boston. Maine's housing stock is the oldest in the nation so lots of charming older homes.

 

Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

[Storygirl]

I think the wider Cleveland, OH, area ticks all of your boxes. You have Lake Erie, low housing costs, many school districts and communities to choose from that surround the city, ethnic diversity (depending on the exact area you choose to live in), and the airport. There is snow skiing in the area, and it is only a couple of hours to get to more skiing options in NY.

 

People don't think about Cleveland as being an exciting place to live, but it offers urban advantages, as well as your choice of quaint suburbs or those with modern housing stock. World-class museums and orchestra. Cleveland has the second-largest theater district in the nation, second only to Broadway in NYC. You didn't mention access to arts in your OP, but Cleveland offers that, if it is an advantage to you. Plus a national park. And numerous nearby universities -- state and private; large campuses, as well as small liberal arts choices.

Edited July 15, 2017 by Storygirl

[Carol in Cal.]

There are outskirts of the Bay Area in CA that might fit the bill.

For instance, Watsonville, San Juan Bautista, or Hollister.

 

One area that is kind of up and coming but still extremely cheap is Merced--there is a very fast growing UC there, quite liberal, but the area itself is fairly depressed so prices are insanely low, and it's within a couple of hours or less of Yosemite, one of the two more gorgeous national parks in the country, with decent skiing and some of the best hiking in the world. There are lakes in cruising range, and the ocean is perhaps 3 hours away.  It's reasonably diverse--mostly Anglo and Hispanic more so than Black or Asian.

 

I have to say, I find it bleak.  It's far enough inland to be quite hot, and as former farm country there is a distinct lack of mature trees; but there are not hardly any bugs, no significant humidity to make you more miserable, and if I were younger I would invest there on the theory that it's going to be an absolutely awesome place in another 5-15 years, and getting better and better after that.

 

BTW, UC Merced has a strong STEM focus.

[MommyLiberty5013]

I think the wider Cleveland, OH, area ticks all of your boxes. You have Lake Erie, low housing costs, many school districts and communities to choose from that surround the city, ethnic diversity (depending on the exact area you choose to live in), and the airport. There is snow skiing in the area, and it is only a couple of hours to get to more skiing options in NY.

 

People don't think about Cleveland as being an exciting place to live, but it offers urban advantages, as well as your choice of quaint suburbs or those with modern housing stock. World-class museums and orchestra. Cleveland has the second-largest theater district in the nation, second only to Broadway in NYC. You didn't mention access to arts in your OP, but Cleveland offers that, if it is an advantage to you. Plus a national park. And numerous nearby universities -- state and private; large campuses, as well as small liberal arts choices.

 

This is all very true. I grew up near there. Ohio, in general, is a great place.

 

[MommyLiberty5013]

Hmm...my older brother lives in MN. Never considered it but I actually do like him so I will check it out. :)

 

PM me if you have any specific questions. We moved here in 2012 from the Cincinnati/N. KY area. I grew up in Ohio (near Cleveland), but feel like MN is my true home. My sister and BIL live in Tacoma. Their second choice state, if his family weren't there, is Minnesota.

 

It is so great! And, we really do have "Minnesota Nice." People are just nice!

 

 

[Zinnia]

Lake Oconee or Lake Lanier, GA.

 

Atlanta's season s are hot, really hot, not quite as hot, and pleasant....but it's not Florida or Phoenix, either. It grows on you.

[KungFuPanda]

If you move somewhere drastically different you may want to rent for a year to get a feel for the different areas. You could probably find all of that in the mid-Atlantic if you went up on the price or down on the square footage or the planets aligned during your search.

 

How 'bout Annapolis?

 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/100-Silopanna-Rd-Annapolis-MD-21403/36144789_zpid/

Edited July 15, 2017 by KungFuPanda

[Sneezyone]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will definitely check out Merced and the Cleveland area and find out more about MN.

 

When I mentioned this to DH he threw out another wrinkle...professional sports.😒 Really dude? These are your priorities?! Marriage.🤦ðŸ½â€â™€ï¸

 

Anywho, to recap, I'm seeing Portland, ME, Rochester NY, Southeast PA, Cleveland, OH burbs, Merced, CA, Northfield/lake view MN, NW Boston burbs, Atlanta burbs and Spokane, WA.

[Sneezyone]

If you move somewhere drastically different you may want to rent for a year to get a feel for the different areas. You could probably find all of that in the mid-Atlantic if you went up on the price or down on the square footage or the planets aligned during your search.

 

How 'bout Annapolis?

 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/100-Silopanna-Rd-Annapolis-MD-21403/36144789_zpid/

Ugh. Annapolis is entirely to close to the life we're leaving behind. 😉 But I appreciate the rental suggestion. We've been temps for so long tho, we want roots. Edited July 15, 2017 by Sneezyone

[Ottakee]

West Michigan ticks the boxes except for moderate/liberal political views. Lots and lots of water here for jet skis, many nice ski resorts for snow skiing, four seasons, older or new homes, reasonable housing costs, etc.

[DawnM]

Asheville, NC might fit the bill as well, although I am not sure where the nearest International Airport is, it might be Charlotte or Raleigh, which is more than 45 min. away.  But there are places in NC/TN that would work.  Asheville is liberal.

[Carol in Cal.]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will definitely check out Merced and the Cleveland area and find out more about MN.

 

When I mentioned this to DH he threw out another wrinkle...professional sports.😒 Really dude? These are your priorities?! Marriage.🤦ðŸ½â€â™€ï¸

 

Anywho, to recap, I'm seeing Portland, ME, Rochester NY, Southeast PA, Cleveland, OH burbs, Merced, CA, Northfield/lake view MN, NW Boston burbs, Atlanta burbs and Spokane, WA.

 

The Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose teams are the ones people in Merced would favor, I think.

And those are GOOD ones.

 

[Sneezyone]

The Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose teams are the ones people in Merced would favor, I think.

And those are GOOD ones.

 

 

HA! That was DH's complaint about Cleveland. It'll be in the toilet as soon as LeBron retires and the Browns are poo poo. :lol:

[Carol in Cal.]

Well, but those cities are in cruising range of Merced.

San Jose has great soccer and hockey teams.

San Francisco has the 49ers and the Giants.  They used to be really good.  (This is why we can't have nice things.)

Oakland has the Raiders (not for long though) and the Golden State Warriors (the Champions!)

Really, that ought to give him something to like.

[Carol in Cal.]

PS If you can afford Davis, it's nice right now, not 'going to be nice sometime in the future.'

I don't know much about prices up there though.

[Sneezyone]

PS If you can afford Davis, it's nice right now, not 'going to be nice sometime in the future.'

I don't know much about prices up there though.

 

How so?

[Carol in Cal.]

How so?

 

UC Davis is a fantastic university, one of the 'top three' in the UC system, whereas UC Merced is still quite new and not entirely established.  UCD has an excellent medical school and vet program also, so there are a lot of older students in the mix.

 

It's always been kind of a foodie city--best farmers' markets around, and good restaurants.  Very well established city with wide, flat streets, extraordinarily bicycle friendly (bikes are more the norm than the exception), lots and lots of trees, cools off a bit at night. 

 

Close to Sacramento, the state capitol. 

 

Very liberal community.  Diverse-ish, but again more Anglo and Hispanic than Black.  Not sure about Asian.

 

Basically it's what Merced will be like in 5-15 years, but it's like that already.  More jobs.  Higher property values, but cheaper than the Bay Area of course.  Probably more comfortable right out of the chute.

 

[Denisemomof4again]

NW of Boston. :) Near NH, but still in MA.

 

taxes are not good and while finding a house to fit your needs would be possible, I think it would be difficult.

 

My BIL has a house in MA,  (in an area not local to ) and it's 2700 sf, nothing too fancy, and taxes are just over 6k per year.  NH taxes are atrocious so I couldn't recommend that, but you get a lot more house for your money.

[Matryoshka]

taxes are not good and while finding a house to fit your needs would be possible, I think it would be difficult.

 

My BIL has a house in MA,  (in an area not local to ) and it's 2700 sf, nothing too fancy, and taxes are just over 6k per year.  NH taxes are atrocious so I couldn't recommend that, but you get a lot more house for your money.

 

Taxes here are not the best.  But the good schools and services kinda go along with that.

 

It would indeed be hard to find what she's looking for here, but not impossible if a historic home with only 2500 feet and willing to go up to $500K, if it hadn't been recently updated with granite counters and jacuzzi baths and master suites and all the latest bells and whistles.  New houses are huge (and still somehow really badly laid out) and much more $$$$.

 

If you go out past the 495 belt, prices go down even more, esp. for older homes (the new McMansions seem to be $$$ even in the stix), but the commute to places like the airport get longer. 

[KungFuPanda]

Colorado?

[Sneezyone]

Taxes here are not the best. But the good schools and services kinda go along with that.

 

It would indeed be hard to find what she's looking for here, but not impossible if a historic home with only 2500 feet and willing to go up to $500K, if it hadn't been recently updated with granite counters and jacuzzi baths and master suites and all the latest bells and whistles. New houses are huge (and still somehow really badly laid out) and much more $$$$.

 

If you go out past the 495 belt, prices go down even more, esp. for older homes (the new McMansions seem to be $$$ even in the stix), but the commute to places like the airport get longer.

Yes, this is my concern with newer homes. There's lots of sq footage but The spaces are so awkward. I expect we'll pay a decent amount of taxes to have good access to public services. On a 500k house, we'd pay about 4K in property taxes in Little Rock so 6K isn't a huge jump. It's worth considering, especially b/c our youngest will still be in HS. Edited July 16, 2017 by Sneezyone

[Laura in CA]

There are outskirts of the Bay Area in CA that might fit the bill.

For instance, Watsonville, San Juan Bautista, or Hollister.

 

One area that is kind of up and coming but still extremely cheap is Merced--there is a very fast growing UC there, quite liberal, but the area itself is fairly depressed so prices are insanely low, and it's within a couple of hours or less of Yosemite, one of the two more gorgeous national parks in the country, with decent skiing and some of the best hiking in the world. There are lakes in cruising range, and the ocean is perhaps 3 hours away. It's reasonably diverse--mostly Anglo and Hispanic more so than Black or Asian.

 

I have to say, I find it bleak. It's far enough inland to be quite hot, and as former farm country there is a distinct lack of mature trees; but there are not hardly any bugs, no significant humidity to make you more miserable, and if I were younger I would invest there on the theory that it's going to be an absolutely awesome place in another 5-15 years, and getting better and better after that.

 

BTW, UC Merced has a strong STEM focus.

I like Merced, and agree with your assessment in general, but I feel compelled to point out to non-NorCal folks that "insanely low" is relative to the high-COL CA prices. Looking at a few Merced-area houses on Zillow, all the prices per square foot were around $150–$165, whereas the (lovely, spacious, non-cookie-cutter) houses I looked at in Cleveland were around $68–$75/ft^2. Just so people remember that our idea of "insanely low" house prices is warped!

 

 

ETA: In my town – in the far outer reaches of the Bay Area and considered relatively affordable – housing prices are $400/ft^2. NYT has an article today (7/17) about California's crazy housing crisis.

Edited July 17, 2017 by Laura in CA

[displace]

What we need in a home/location:

- 4BR, 2/3BA, 2500+ sq. ft. under $500K (preferably under $400K but if it ticks all the wants we'll extend)

- good/great schools

- moderate to liberal politics

- reasonable taxes

- either historic homes (w/period details) or newer homes<10 years old

 

What we want:

- Water access for jet skis or w/in a 2 hr. drive of a ski resort

- International airport within 45 min.

- ethnic diversity>20%

- seasons!

 

 

My recs- check out a survey website asking questions about where you want to live and it will give you ideas.

 

Consider relocating near parents and/or family. It may not be exciting or fun to relocate back home but frequently it's worth it vs visiting a couple times a year.

 

I think most items on your list can be found in the suburbs of larger cities throughout the mid Atlantic and northeast, excluding super expensive NYC.

 

Otherwise- suburbs in Maryland (think Howard county or Carroll county)

 

New houses less than 500K -yes

Good schools - check (especially Howard county)

Liberal - yes

Diverse - yes

Tax burden - typical of mid Atlantic/NE US so not awesome but frequently places farther north and coastal have higher taxes.

 

Mountains and ocean but both closer to 3-4 hour drive iirc

Seasons - yes

Bwi airport within an hour, also D.C. Airport

[Carrie12345]

Our family has been living where we've been told to live for so long that it's very difficult for me to come up with ideas for where I actually want to live. If you're so inclined, could you help me brainstorm some possible locations? We're hoping to buy our forever home in the next year or so and I am overwhelmed by all the options.

 

What we need in a home/location:

- 4BR, 2/3BA, 2500+ sq. ft. under $500K (preferably under $400K but if it ticks all the wants we'll extend)

- good/great schools

- moderate to liberal politics

- reasonable taxes

- either historic homes (w/period details) or newer homes<10 years old

 

What we want:

- Water access for jet skis or w/in a 2 hr. drive of a ski resort

- International airport within 45 min.

- ethnic diversity>20%

- seasons!

 

I don't even know if such a location exists, but if it does, I'm certain the Hive knows where it is.

 

I've got:

Those houses much cheaper w/reasonable taxes and <10 years

50/50 on politics (almost exactly)

Plenty of both water access and ski resorts

Ethnic diversity (schools are <50% white, older generation is more white)

and seasons.

 

Don't have the great schools. International airports are 2 hours away.

 

NE PA

[MedicMom]

Rochester area might be reasonable for you. There's plenty of professional sports within driving distance, the Finger lakes are perfect for jet skiing and water activities(where I'm headed in a few minutes actually), and you have several ski resorts close by--one within a less than an hour drive. Housing prices are more than reasonable. One of my friends just bought a brand new 2500 square foot beautiful house for around $200,000. There's a lot of ethnic diversity especially as the colleges attract students and faculty from around the world. I've flown internationally from Rochester airport as well.

And yes, you'll have all four seasons.

[Kanin]

I agree with those who said Portland, Maine. The diversity might be lacking, thought. Your husband could go to Boston for sports. The Portland coastline is beautiful, you'd be within driving distance of Sugarloaf Mountain in Maine as well as NH/VT mountains, too. It's definitely liberal, and you could get a nice house for less than your price. :) 

 

[whitestavern]

That pretty much describes where I live (including the period home with period details, lol) in CT. Our taxes are questionable, but everything else is what you're looking for. We have lakes (close) and the Long Island Sound (within an hour.) Bradley Int'l Airport is about 20 minutes away. We have seasons. We're about 15 minutes from Hartford. Really, though, a lot of New England would fit the bill.

 

And we're midway between the Yankees and the Red Sox/Patriots and Giants!

Edited July 16, 2017 by whitestavern

[Arctic Bunny]

Saskatchewan!

 

Except the skiing, that's a day's drive.

[Sneezyone]

Saskatchewan!

 

Except the skiing, that's a day's drive.

 

DH is not opposed to being OCONUS. :)

[Arctic Bunny]

DH is not opposed to being OCONUS. :)

I *could* say skiing is very close, but I really don't think anyone who puts skiing on their list of musts would consider what we have within two hours to be real skiing ;)

 

Everything else, though! :D As a bonus, $400K USD is like... $570K here!

[Lanny]

In the list of priorities, I would also include excellent medical care. A city with a Teaching Hospital would be perfect, but at the least, one or more hospitals with an excellent reputation. Good luck with your search! That was one of the reasons I selected the city of Cali, Colombia.

[happypamama]

I think eastern PA has at least most of those things. The center has plenty too, but is more conservative and farther from a major airport and water (although I think in 2 hours, we could jet ski, probably less than 2 hours). But the areas around Philadelphia and north of there might fit you better. (I don't like them because they're crowded and expensive, but ymmv.)

 

Northern MD might also fit the bill, and it's a bit less crowded than eastern PA or the areas right around DC and Baltimore.

 

We lived southeast of DC for a while, and that's 45 minutes from BWI and less expensive, but I have heard that the area has gone downhill since we left. The area directly south of Annapolis, on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay, is farther out from DC and might also appeal to you.

 

If you're anywhere around the PA-MD border, you've got excellent medical care at the Univ. of PA, Johns Hopkins, Hershey, and whatever is in DC (I only know about their children's hospital).

 

We get all four seasons, roughly equally, depending on the year, and our extremes aren't as bad as New England or the south. And there are historic homes galore all over the mid-Atlantic, in a variety of price ranges.

 

I've heard that living in PA is often beneficial to retirees for some tax reason, so you might check into that.

[Chris in VA]

Grew up in a suburb of Cleveland--stay out of Cuyahoga Falls (where the "National Park" is). Heroin problem in a lot of Ohio, and my hometown is really in a bad place now. 

Not very diverse, either, with attitudes that are pretty shockingly racist (not everyone, of course). Other areas around Cleveland are much better. 

[creekland]

Heroin problem in a lot of Ohio,  

 

Correct me if I'm wrong (anyone), but it seems Heroin is becoming a more major problem essentially everywhere.  I know it is in MD, VA, and PA (more or less around me), and then also in NY where I have several relatives.

[elegantlion]

Northfield, MN or in that vicinity. Also, Lakeville, MN.

 

The only criteria it doesn't met very well is the ethnic diversity, unless you are in downtown Northfield, and that is a college town with two universities that have international students/faculty. MN - due to its historical Scandinavian immigrant population is very Caucasian. But, we have the second or third largest Somali population in the Nation and one of the higher Asian populations too. MN also has a lot of Native Americans.

 

All of these places are within 35 minutes of MSP airport. MN has lakes and rivers all over, ya know, the Land of 10,000 Lakes! There are actually more than 11,000. MN has some of the best schools in the country. We have an amazing park system if you like outdoor things to do.

 

Four seasons. Winters are not bad - we have a lot of sun even on very cold days. But, you buy nice parkas that cover your rump and thighs and gt some good boots = all set!!!

 

I've been to Northfield a couple of times for conferences, the downtown is so picturesque and the people were great. We were there in November and it was about the same temp as northern Missouri, it fact it was actually warmer the days we were up there. 

[TechWife]

Research Triangle Park area in NC meets all of your requirements. In addition, reasonably priced state universities. You will have to do a bit of research to find that size house in your price range, but it is very possible, even with new construction.