So, you love cars and can live anywhere. Where do you go?

[quote]Yup and skierd, the non-traditional car stuff is also appealing. In a place like Alaska or the Virgin Islands, road quality isn't typically very good, but that doesn't mean a lifted Miata or something along those lines wouldn't be a blast. Potential for overlanding, powersports, and the like are definitely considerations.[/quote]

Well in that case I’d still avoid Anchorage proper unless you want some city-like life, but man anywhere on the Kenai Peninsula would be a great place to live imo. I could do the Mat-Su valley too. 

There’s literally thousands of miles of winter trails from my front door here in Fairbanks. Hundreds that are still passable in summer. Rivers, lakes, two oval tracks (one dirt one paved), a motocross track, and easy access to the backcountry and to the rest of the state. 

If car culture is a priority I'd say NOT SOUTHERN UTAH.

In reply to white_fly : Anyplace?  Forget low cost of living.  Bad idea. Cheap is another word for low cost.  And cheap preceding anything is bad!

Cheap also tends to mean crowded, poor service, common, poor.  

So why not go the other way?  Big Sur, Carmel,  Monterey.  

Yes real estate is expensive! But they aren’t making any more of it.  That means demand!  Demand =  increase.   Increase anything and you get more  but when you start high to begin with you get a lot more!  

Great roads nice crowds and no crowding. Attracting nice cars and usually well mannered people.   

I've often thought about relocating down south for the rust free cars without the Midwestern "southern rust free car " tax but the heat, hurricanes and the "yuaintfromarounhur" make me think otherwise.  Plus I know I'd miss the snow.

Curtis said:

Property in Ireland is cheap right now, too from what I heard.  My parents just got back from a trip there and were amazed at some of the prices.

I read JuiceBoxForYou from time to time. Ireland looks like fun if you're into JDM or the VW scene.

Norway is also high on my list mainly because, by all outwards appearances anyway, they seem to have their E36 M3 together. How true that is I don't know. Also:  Gatebil.

Probably New Zealand. They never had their own car manufacturing industry so have an awesome variety of stuff. They got plenty of stuff from us Aussies. Heaps of JDM stuff as well as a good mix of American and European stuff. 

Their import laws are so lax compared to say Australia or the US. There's so many exemptions and loop holes you can bring in almost anything. If it was built in the last 20 years, you'll need to comply to the relevant standards of the country of origin. Unless it's a special interest car or you're bringing something with you when move there. There's even provisioning for the importation of scratch built vehicles.

Nz import laws

Beautiful scenery, some good driving roads, a decent car scene and fairly laid back and friendly people. And let's not forget it's the home of Burt Munro.

The California coast is definitely an option. New Zealand is actually a great idea. I've considered moving there before, I must put it back on the list.

north carolina mountains.. asheville..  

good roads.. CMP AMP, Roebling all do able..

Hungary Bill said:

 

Hungary comes in a close second because of its cheap communist car supply (those are lots of fun).

Two things surprised me in Hungary. There were a lot (and I mean really a lot) of Suzuki Swifts, like here in Canada in the late 90's/early 2000's and the general lack of Eastern European cars. I expected (hoped) to see some Skodas, and didn't see a single one. Saw a number of Ladas, again just like here in the 90's.

Live? Right where I am. But I'd visit more places. 

Strictly in terms of cars, the US is in a league of its own, nowhere else has such a combination of low costs, plentiful tracks (plus other venues like offroad trails, deserts and salt flats), and loose registration requirements.

But life's not just about cars and Canada seems like a decent compromise NZ is also interesting but I'm a bit wary of living on a remote island after all too much personal experience.

Cuba is entertaining for us to watch from the outside, but I for one would not enjoy a car ownership experience that resembles a never-ending series of LeMons pit-stop emergency fixes - to say nothing of the non-automotive aspects of living in Cuba.

How about thinking way outside of the box and not have a home and just do cool car stuff around the world on your days off.

So for the past five years i was working a fly in and out job in northern Canada working on a ten in and a ten out shift , so on my days off the wife and i would often travel to wherever there was a seat sale too, so some of the car events we got to do were -GoodWood  festive of speed (it really is over the top cool) 

Nurburgring  twice, it helps to have a friend who lives 45 min away and has a track car

Ireland doing a road trip taking nothing but back roads,

 southwest US again taking nothing but back roads 

plus we did a lot of non car event trips, in total i think we did 13 different countries in europe asia and north and south america  and really we did all of this on a reasonable budget.

Just think you could look at the world racing calender and go to those events on your days off

In reply to Outlawghia :

I've definitely thought about that, but I don't really even have a home base at this point. I don't need one, not urgently, anyway, but I'm curious about where I might like that place to be.

Perhaps Durham or Orange county in NC.  Not far from airport,beach,mountains,civilization,and VIR.

frenchyd said:

In reply to white_fly : Anyplace?  Forget low cost of living.  Bad idea. Cheap is another word for low cost.  And cheap preceding anything is bad!

Cheap also tends to mean crowded, poor service, common, poor.  

So why not go the other way?  Big Sur, Carmel,  Monterey.  

Yes real estate is expensive! But they aren’t making any more of it.  That means demand!  Demand =  increase.   Increase anything and you get more  but when you start high to begin with you get a lot more!  

Great roads nice crowds and no crowding. Attracting nice cars and usually well mannered people.   

 

Big Sur is one of my favorite places in America. The roads are great, when they're actually open. Anyway yeah in demand places are nice but you have to be able to afford them. 

yupididit said:

frenchyd said:

In reply to white_fly : Anyplace?  Forget low cost of living.  Bad idea. Cheap is another word for low cost.  And cheap preceding anything is bad!

Cheap also tends to mean crowded, poor service, common, poor.  

So why not go the other way?  Big Sur, Carmel,  Monterey.  

Yes real estate is expensive! But they aren’t making any more of it.  That means demand!  Demand =  increase.   Increase anything and you get more  but when you start high to begin with you get a lot more!  

Great roads nice crowds and no crowding. Attracting nice cars and usually well mannered people.   

 

 

Big Sur is one of my favorite places in America. The roads are great, when they're actually open. Anyway yeah in demand places are nice but you have to be able to afford them. 

or you can do as I did. Buy the worst house in the best neighborhood early in your life. There is absolutely no way I can afford this neighborhood today. The basic lot today is well in excess of a million, plus whatever house is on it. But I bought here at $107,000 after selling my first home for $99,000 which I originally paid $27,800. 

Even today there will be a modest priced home or lot in the Carmel/ Big Sur/Monterrey area that some hard working forward thinking young guy can buy cheaper than any other place and through diligence and sacrifice turn it into something special. 

The real trick is to never cash out.  Don’t treat where you want to live as a piggy bank. 

Outlawghia said:

How about thinking way outside of the box and not have a home and just do cool car stuff around the world on your days off.

So for the past five years i was working a fly in and out job in northern Canada working on a ten in and a ten out shift , so on my days off the wife and i would often travel to wherever there was a seat sale too, so some of the car events we got to do were -GoodWood  festive of speed (it really is over the top cool) 

Nurburgring  twice, it helps to have a friend who lives 45 min away and has a track car

Ireland doing a road trip taking nothing but back roads,

 southwest US again taking nothing but back roads 

plus we did a lot of non car event trips, in total i think we did 13 different countries in europe asia and north and south america  and really we did all of this on a reasonable budget.

Just think you could look at the world racing calender and go to those events on your days off

 

 

While that is a great treat to live as a vagabond and simply enjoy life. It has it’s costs as well. By not owning a home you are never going to get on the inflation elevator.  

Real estate appreciates at about the rate of inflation while special real estate appreciates at a multiple of inflation.  

The earliest years at one place are also the hardest and most expensive.  Very little of your payment goes towards building equity. Yet percentage wise it demands the most of your income. Over time that curve gradually bends into your favor until the end of your mortgage nearly everything you pay goes towards  paying off that debt.! The big advantage there is interest paid is tax deductible.  In effect the government  subsidized part of your payment. 

Assume you buy your home at age 20 and make payments for 30 years.  As you get older your income tends to increase meanwhile the percentage of your income going to paying off that mortgage is smaller and smaller. By age 50 the mortgage is paid off and you are in a position where other than costs ( such as maintenance and taxes) you can live free.  At the same time your earning are approaching the maximum  Meanwhile inflation has increased the value of that asset.  

If  wisely purchased in your youth the item you bought for 1/4 of your income is now worth thanks to inflation and value  25-50 times your income. 

They say that sudden diets may give quick results but when the dieting is over the body goes back to it’s normal weight plus a little extra from the stress of dieting. The best way to lose weight is slowly a pound or so a week.  The body adjusts to that loss and weight loss can become permanent.  

That’s also the best way to gain wealth. Slowly over a lifetime.  No sudden spurts of income, like winning a lottery just a gradual steady increase.  

Here you go again Frenchy. 

The different states I visit and spend time in (example: NH: "Live Free or Die" my ass...) the more I like living in PA. Not that it doesn't have some quirks, but they are relatively easy to work with.  And I don't mind having an "off season" during the winter where I could work on projects and look forward to spring - provided I had the room (currently do not).

If I could live anywhere for work, I'd probably keep a home base in PA and travel around the country in a custom RV.

In reply to Ian F :

I’m going to stay here in Minnesota because like you I like it here and friends and family are mostly here.  

As for travel, an RV has it’s attractions but also it’s limitations and drawbacks.  Travel in the West via Train offers some real attractions. I’ve also given some real thought to taking my boat to the Great circle route here in America. Basically it’s the Great Lakes to the East coast, inland waterways down to and across Florida, Gulf Coast to the Mississippi, up the Mississippi back to home.  

In reply to frenchyd :

Yes - "The Great Loop".  I follow a YouTube RV couple who are doing it (very slowly).

Not sure what you're smoking that train travel beats RV travel.... not that I dislike trains, but that is a shortish vacation, not something you would do for weeks or months on end.

Last I heard New Zealand doesn't just let you move there.  At least if you plan on working still.  You have to prove you have a skill to do a job that a native born New Zealander (sp?) can't do already.

Ian F said:

In reply to frenchyd :

Yes - "The Great Loop".  I follow a YouTube RV couple who are doing it (very slowly).

Not sure what you're smoking that train travel beats RV travel.... not that I dislike trains, but that is a shortish vacation, not something you would do for weeks or months on end.

Not sure a train would be the best way to travel, just that it offers something a RV doesn’t.   Maybe it’s the romance of the rail or nostalgia. Last time I took a train ride I was 14 and it was a steam powered milk run across Wisconsin.  My dad  put me on the train by myself late one night and I hitch hiked when I got off the 14 miles to Lyndal Farms racetrack to be a pit crew on the Black Jack special. 

Anyway I want to ride the Great Northern to Seattle and then the Coastal express on down to San Diego.  There are sights you just can’t see via the road. 

docwyte said:

Last I heard New Zealand doesn't just let you move there.  At least if you plan on working still.  You have to prove you have a skill to do a job that a native born New Zealander (sp?) can't do already.

Nor can you move there if you are older than 55.  You can only stay 6 months max. 

docwyte said:

Last I heard New Zealand doesn't just let you move there.  At least if you plan on working still.  You have to prove you have a skill to do a job that a native born New Zealander (sp?) can't do already.

I happen to have one of those skills.