1) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it means moving there?
Maybe. There seem to be some non-negotiable boxes to be checked.
2) Are you interested in "ERE city" if it happens grow around where you already are?
Hell yes!
Preferred level of development:
3) Are you willing to move to a high-density urban area? (3+ story buildings)
Yes.
4) Are you willing to move to a low-density urban area? (closely spaced 1-2st)
Yes.
5) Are you willing to move to a suburban area? (widely spaced, lots of lawn)
Was going to say maybe, but I think what I am thinking of is better described by 4 above. So, no.
6) Are you willing to move to a "small town" (one mainstreet) area?
Probably, if within a couple hours of "cultural events"--concerts, shows, etc.
7) Are you willing to move to a rural area?
No.
Since politics is getting increasingly important in people's decision making process:
8) Are you willing to live in an area where the politics or political vibe differ from your own?
Yes, if it's "live and let live". Open or even veiled hate is a no-go.
9) Are you willing to live in a state where the politics differ from your own?
Yes.
Budget:
10) How much are you willing AND capable of paying for a conventional home (house or apartment)?
About $300k for purchase and investments to cover T&I is what we are running right now and probably where we want to keep it.
11) How much are you willing and capable of paying for an alternative home (tiny house, strawbale, container, cabin, boat,...)? If yes, what kind?
I don't think cost will be the limiting factor here.
Living situation:
12) Are you interested in living with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
No. Sharing walls or some common area like in an apartment or a casita/in-law unit would be ok.
13) Are you interested in co-owning with others beyond yourself/SO/family?
Probably not ideal, but I'd do it if the deal was right.
14) If yes to either, what financial arrangement do you prefer? (landlord, rentee, collective,...)
I'd be part of a collective or partnership if that's what it took to grab some great multiplex or something like that.
Job situation:
15) What kind of job do you need or want if any?
Casual, part-time employment like tutoring, dog-walking, babysitting, etc.
16) How hard are those to find in a given area?
This might exclude small towns.
Time horizons:
17) When are you ready to move to ERE City? (Now? In 5 years? 10 years?...)
1.5-2 years.
18) When are you likely to leave again? (Never? After 5 years? We'll see?...)
Wouldn't move there just to move away again, but my career attention span has been ~5 years, and it seems like I may have a similar location wanderlust, so yeah, maybe after 5 years there.
Amenities:
19) Which are the most important ones? (Walkable, bikeable, nature, internet, climate resilient, dating scene, music scene, sports activities, airport, hiking,...)
climate-cannot get too cold
culture-good concerts, plays, comedians, etc., within a couple hour drive
nature-easy access to nice outdoorsy stuff of some sort
walkable-current walkscore is 61, would not want it to be worse than this
internet and electricity-this was taken as a given in the discussion at my house, as probably was the area not being high-crime or looking run-down
Of course there is some flexibility in all of this, like if a nice area was found but was so walkable one or both cars could go--more could be spent. I also expect objections to locales (from both myself, my household, and others) that weren't even mentioned. When there are so many variables, one can optimize for say, the top five, not realizing that changes #27 to something untenable. The
housing surprise thread comes to mind.