I'm over in Apex, and would love to head west to Hickory once my last kid graduates in a couple years. It's so darn expensive here, and getting very crowded.
Madison, WI is an awesome place. Our winters keep getting warmer, and snow less plentiful. My husband and I sold our snow blower, we are happy to shovel a few times. However, we have a large lot that requires a nice riding mower! We are considering a move to Rochester, MN. Not sure you have ever said one thing about, other than the Mayo Clinic! Four of my family members work for the Mayo. Part of the reason we want to move there. The rest of my husbands family live in Winona, MN, at city the Amtrak stops at. The rest of my family live in the Twin Cities. We would be closer to all families. I appreciate how you have a plug for relocation service at the end of your videos! I might need it. Happy World Kindness Day!
Madison is a horrible place to live unless you’re a white liberal who pities minorities and treats them like cheap help. I’ve never met a single person of color who enjoys the Madison vibe of elite snobbery laden with racist undertones.
Briggs, I live in Reno since the summer of 2006, as far as I remember we never had a dust storm, also, it's too late to buy a house here, all Californians already bought everything!
@akgobears yeah, good for you! Californians ruined Nevada, homeless went up, crime went up, all thanks for Californians! Your problems over there should stay there and not affect others!
Recently moved to Pittsburgh from San Bernardino California Pittsburgh is such a fantastic city such a hidden gem, one of the last amazing city you can actually still afford a home.
@@andrewlongo6 Saint Bernardine of Sienna.. There’s nice parts of San Bernardino. As with most large cities, they have their share of not so pleasant areas. Better in San Bernardino, than Los Angeles, City of the Angels.
@@josephskowronski Not all of Vegas is like that. I should know because I lived there for 5 years, 2013 to 2018, with my family. We lived in the working class part of Summerlin, near Vegas & Buffalo. If you lived in a numbered street, a street named after a state, by the government buildings (Skid Row), in Downtown Vegas= Those are the bad parts of Vegas.
I lived in Reno for 30 years. I absolutely loved it for about the first 20 of those years. It is such a miserable place to be now. I’m glad I’m gone, & Reno is probably also glad I’m gone.
There’s a reason why the cheap places are cheap. Most are bad places to live - crime, poverty, cold, no job opportunities, or just really,really boring. Huntsville is definitely an exception. I could live there.
A friend of mine moved to Greensboro from Philly last may. He said his property went up several months after he bought a house there and he has pretty positive equity already
The thing about Reno is that it's always been a bit rough around the edges for a city. Very strip mall-ish, some nice areas but the sketchy areas never seem too far away. I live in Tahoe and make the drive from time to time for shopping or restaurants and it's always a bit of a mixed bag. In that area I'd rather live in Minden/Gardnerville or parts of Carson and drive to Reno every once in a while.
Minded & Gardnerville's prices have really escalated. It used to be quite a drive from Reno to that area, but due to Reno's growth, it feels like a suburb now.
@@karnubawaxa friend moved there from South Lake Tahoe about six years ago. Her husband was working for Heavenly and was able to get to work quicker than his colleagues in Meyers...it's pretty quick when Kingsbury is clear...especially if you're going to Stagecoach.
Could you please do 2nd part. I feel there are a lot more of overlooked cities and great place to live for us, the ones that are being pushed out by the current home prices. Thanks man!
@@feliciasampson8032 Completely understand and what is inexpensive to me sounds astronomical to someone else. All has to do with location and landlord. What the answer is, I don't know. Landlords here raise the rent so high, it shoved families out on the street. And now homeless. And everybodyis up in arms about the homeless population. Hello??? There must be affordable housing everywhere, available to anyone. I don't see that happening. They make a big deal if they open up some building that gets a couple hundred people off the streets. That's great, but we have several thousand to house. Keep going. I pray every day for those in need. The average person shouldn't have to "just get by" and never able to save anything. Or spend a couple bucks here and there for a movie or an evening out. Food banks are always looking for free food or food donations. I give year round, not just for holidays. All the churches, synagogue, mosques accept donations as well. Sorry for being so long winded. Wishing you the best.
I would suggest Ocala Florida. Home of the World Equestrian Center. A growing community with new home construction, new schools, a beautiful historic district, weekly and seasonal events. Easy driving distance to the cruise terminals at Port Cape Carnival. Commercial airline service is not yet available at the Ocala Airport. You need to travel to Orlando or Gainesville for that.
I hate it here in Florida. Corrupt government, tripled homeowners insurance and property taxes and too many damaging hurricanes! You would have to be crazy to list any Florida city! Moving back to Pittsburgh!
Somewhere in VA Beach, someone’s having a solemn high, pontifical meltdown because you indicated VAB is second to Norfolk. Horrors! VAB opposed the extension of light rail from Norfolk to the oceanfront because “those people” would have easier access. Charming.
More and more I’ve been leaning towards moving to just outside of Reno when my job is up…hopefully retiring there as well. That area between Carson City and Reno is pretty cool.
I can’t be the only one who actually likes 4 seasons. Don’t like cooking in the sun all the time, and enjoy skiing. Our beautiful parks here in Pittsburgh are EMPTY during Steelers games so that’s a bonus for us non sports people.
Its probably an anomaly but Pittsburgh area weather has been great the last couple years. Very little snow, this year virtually no rain (literal drought) tons of sunny days.
And I do think it is quite up and coming! I don't even live there either (but had to travel a lot the past couple years) but all the suburban schools are very highly rated, prices are low compared to the national average and downtown there is a new 200mil renovation happening. I was very impressed with Pittsburgh when I went, way better than I expected.
I’m glad he mentioned the weather. I went to Pitt 90-94, and just kinda assumed the weather would be similar to the suburbs of Philly where I was from…maybe a little cooler, maybe a little more snow. Omg, it rained so much more. It would seem like it would be a nice day when I went to a 8 or 9am class, but by the time I got out, so overcast, or rain had started. Then a friend said, you’re here during the rainy season….and I said, I’m here the end of Aug til the end of April, and she said, yes, the summer is better. Well, one summer I did take summer classes and, she was correct, the rain was less in the summer! Lol. But I did like the people. Much less snobby than the Philly area. Pgh was more of a mid west feel than the hustle of the east coast. Maybe that has changed? But if the weather was better I would have considered staying after college.
Sorry Briggs, but the boat's already sailed on Reno. I used to live there and then the pandemic hit. A giant horde of remote workers from CA came flooding in. Very few rentals were on the market because of the eviction moratorium so rents incresed 2 or 3 times from pre-pandemic prices. So many people moved there from CA that it's no longer Nevada. It's eastern CA now.
We had the same problem happen down here in Southern NV. When I was still married (pandemic years), my then-husband kept getting outbid by former Californians who were looking for mostly income property (vacation homes) & paying with cash. For that reason, we had to give up on trying finding our dream home in the small, Southern NV town that we lived in. They drove up not only the home prices and apartment leases where we lived but also up in Vegas. That really sucked but that's just how things were back then. I'm hoping that someday my boyfriend and I can get married in a few years and find our dream house where I live.
Best video in awhile highlighting smaller to midsized cities. There are hundreds of desirable cities like these. They are the types of places a huge percentage of middle America is considering relocating to, and not so much the largest 20 or 30 overpriced megapolises that are usually featured over and over. Refreshing!
Lived in the North Hills of Pgh back in the late 80's / early 90's. The city was improving and was actually rated as most liveable city in the U.S. I believe in 1984. The outlying areas are really nice, especially to the north. Thanks, as always Briggs
Cleveland Ohio is greatly underrated. I’ve living in many different cities. It has a demographic that’s similar to how I grew up Philadelphia Pa but everything is much more manageable and much less stressful. It’s also a place that you can buy a first home that won’t put you in forever debt.
@@Jazsway910 I completely agree. I love this town. My point was that Pittsburgh is not second to Cleveland. The same way Cleveland is not second to Pittsburgh. They have very similar stories, past and present.
True. I'm a divorced mother of 2 teenagers and we live in a small town in Southern NV. I live 20-30 minutes from Northwestern AZ. Phoenix gets haboobs, dust storms.
You know I have a friend who sold his home in southern California and bought his home in Guadalajara, Mexico. Oh Man! for the price he bought a beautiful home with a pool. GDL has the same weather as So Cal. It is beautiful and the greenery is unbelievable! He found his home in Capital Brokers Homes for sale Guadalajara. It is considered the Silicon Valley of Mexico. I just flew back from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico it is so beautiful also. Many Americans call that city there home. I could see why the Beaches there are beautiful. There are restaurants there where their tables are on the sand. Magnificent and good food. Many High-Rise condos have a rooftop deck with bars and an Infinity pool overlooking the bay. So Beautiful! Loved it!!!
@@lorenk.775 No I went to visit my friend In GDL. the first week and the second week spend it P.V. I like Mexico because the homes there are not cookie cutter like in the U.S.A. and Cheaper. GDL has a lot of beautiful homes. I give my props to the developers out there and some of the pools are amazing.
@@thomasfranco5997 Mexico has plenty of cities & towns with cookie-cutter style homes, and most of the urban planing has been copied from U.S.A., in fact the whole North America (the continent) has copied the urban planing from U.S.A., South America it's a different story.
Virginia is a pretty state but their taxes are high. I am always tempted to buy a rural home on 15+ acres near NC/TN because it is way cheaper than both…until you check on all the taxes, like paying tax every year on your vehicles and paying extra tax on all prepared foods whether it is at a restaurant or mini mart or sushi/deli sandwich at the grocery store.
I agree there are use taxes in VA but depending on where you are now the actual car registration is low. And if you don't have 12 cars, boats, TV's, trucks or brand new vehicles the tax and registration is low. But you are correct and one needs to compare the extra taxes to other near states.
These videos rarely talk about the personal property tax on vehicles that has, unfortunately, become popular and is now in over half the states. Virginia has the highest annual property tax on vehicles, followed by Mississippi, SC, and Missouri. These are annual taxes typically separate from any vehicle registrations and they can total well into the thousands for a normal family with multiple vehicles.
I lived adjacent to Ft Collins for many years. Good town overall. I think it won some awards in cities to raise a family in. CSU is a good school, for sure. Also not mentioned is its proximity to Cheyenne, WY, and while that town is generally uneventful, it does host the annual "Frontier Days". Cheyenne Frontier Days is an outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the United States, held annually since 1897 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It bills itself as the "World's Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration." The event, claimed to be one of the largest of its kind in the world, draws nearly 200,000 annually. This event brings in bigger artists too. In 2015, the concert lineup was considered to be their best ever, with the opening weekend featuring Miranda Lambert and Big & Rich.
I think Athens GA would have been a great addition to the list. Situated between Atlanta and Greenville, it gets overlooked a lot but has a low cost of living, and it's really safe.
@joshaustin9119 I don't think it's that expensive. I was born and raised in the Brookhaven district of Atlanta. That's expensive. My adult son is a school teacher at Winder Barrow High School, just the next county down from Oconee Co. And he just got a cute 3br 2 bath house for 215k right by the Target off H316. But yeah, I agree that Athens is probably raising in cost. Everywhere that's nice is. Especially with l the rich "lake people" of Habersham Co coming over and buying Oconee land.
Great idea for a video doing the number 2 or 3 instead of number 1. We live in the next town over from Virginia Beach & Norfolk and it’s a great place to call home.
Davenport and Bettendorf are on the Iowa side-Rock Island and Moline are on the Illinois side. I grew up just south of Chicago, but my father was a native of Davenport. My great uncle owned a bookstore there.
Virginia Beach is a wonderful place. Chics Beach and Sandbridge beach are better than the oceanfront. Hilltop is best for shopping. Vibe district is cool. Coffee shops and restaurants are great. It has a downtown but its kind of small and not that unique. Besides the beach life has a ton of parks, good schools, is safe, and clean. Renting is super hard there, buying is easier. Highly recommend, or maybe I don't, I want to be able to move back and be able to get a place:) Yes, many wonderful restaurants and coffee shops too.
Come to Parkston South Dakota, low crime 0, Avera hospital, city parks that they have programs in the summer big town 1500 people, bedroom community for a bigger town called Mitchell 20 miles north . Plenty of jobs there, too. My house here a four bedroom and two full baths on 3 lots on a corner, south facing a metal roof new in 2020, detached carriage house and a tack shed subbing as a garden shed $235,900. Cash only.
Briggs thank you so much for all this info. Can you maybe do a video one day about rental income in these hidden “gem” towns. I enjoy listening to and hearing the median home price, but would be interested in the rental market as well.
Virginia Beach rental market is really tight for renters, but if you want to buy a place and rent it out you would probably do great. Military moves in and out a lot so rentals are in high demand. And of course seasonally short-term beach rentals do great - but some communities prevent short term rentals so you have to find out what the community rules are. We are probably going to buy a place we can live in part of the year there and rent out some of the year. One thing to keep in mind when looking for a place to turn into a rental there is that many homes are older (there is not a lot of new builds) so you will want to check out any potential maintenance needs you might need to address if you are going to be renting it out for awhile.
@@mef536 Yeah, you could well with those too. Lots of people moving in and also military families that come there are usually there for at least 2 years and more likely to rent because they don't know if they will remain there past the 2 years. When we tried to rent a house with at least a year lease there the market to get what we wanted in 1 of our preferred 3 school districts was so tight we ended up buying instead because it was easier.
In regards to crazy sports fans in Pittsburgh, I think it's the state as a whole. I'm in southeast PA and the Eagles fans are so nuts, it drove me away from football.
You’re very correct about the wingdoodles…Northern Idaho (the smoke stack) is filled with anti-government, conspiracy theorist prepper types. But it’s nothing new….been there for decades. Grew up in eastern Washington in the 80s and remember the miltia groups and the anti-government nut bags all throughout that area all too well.
Just down the road from Reno and even closer to Tahoe is Carson City/Minden/Gardnerville...Much more laid back than Reno and i think maybe even a bit cheaper ....Less of a metro area than Reno....
I honestly was surprised to see a city in Virginia on here. I've heard Virginia is a really great state but I've also heard that it's actually getting a lot more expensive there. Honestly if California wasn't getting so expensive I'd say my hometown of Santa Rosa would be a great place which I love it here and I don't want to leave but all the people from San Francisco that move here have raised the cost.
Oh sir, how could you Fort Collins? How about Grand Junction Colorado, Larimer Wyoming, Steamboat Springs Colorado, Meeker Colorado. How about Moab Utah? You had to bring up Fort Collins as number 1? I can see many other cities that are better than Fort Collins as number 1.
Laramie, WY except a little too cold at 7k ft. I'd agree with Grand Junction being underrated. Nice dry sunny climate, close to great scenery. Downside is the distance from a major airport/city.
Briggs...I have to take issue with one inference. We here in New Mexico definitely experience all four seasons. More than many other places I've lived.
LOL, Briggs! You haven't been to Post Falls recently have you? It's a nice place, but traffic the last couple of years has been a real pain (by Idaho standards, anyway), due to a major, well needed overhaul of a major freeway intersection. Also, growth is nuts there - the prairie has been filling up with apartment developments and houses jammed shoulder to shoulder. Still PF is a newer city with nice folks and the beautiful Spokane River flowing through it, and is a decent place to raise a family. Glad it made it so high on your list!
OK! It's a date. Next spring your invited to come a little south of Hillsboro and use the rider John Deere and mow for a couple hours. Out in the farm country where your the only noise as you can't even hear Hillsboro Hwy. I'll be calling when the lawn is ready. 😊
I recently relocated to the Green Bay Metro from Southern California. I watched to see if it was on the list. I was surprised to see Madison on the list over Green Bay. Both have similar amenities, but the average home value in Madison is almost double that of Green Bay. An average home value of 400k is still out of reach for many folks, especially single income.
I haven't seen the video yet, but I hope Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are on the list. That's where I would go if I was young and starting out. Pittsburgh hasa great museums, and sports scene and it's a beautiful city. Likewise for Cincinnati.
Some good pick here. I'd like to throw in St. Louis. Plenty of opportunities and community. Not only are housing prices low, but the overall cost of living is very low. And, unlike some of the places in Colorado, Nevada and Idaho, we haven't been overrun by refugees from the Left Coast. Thank God.
Reno is fast becoming a Bay Area suburb. Lots of nice Californians moved there about a decade ago, but the recent arrivals not so much. Minden might be a better option. The rest of Tahoe is very expensive and not just for housing. Everything is expensive.
Oh Greensboro, I heard is a pretty good place to live. And so as Virginia Beach Virginia. Go figure. I mean those cities keep getting overlooked. And it’s a great place to raise a family as you have a good schools.
Downtown Reno is a dump but the rest of the area is great. You either live in Reno for the casinos or you live here for the outdoors. I’d say 90% or more of the locals never gamble and go downtown maybe twice a year
Having lived in New England, Virginia, California, Florida, Colorado and Missouri, I found the property taxes in Iowa REALLY high (I've recently looked in Belmond) considering it is Iowa. The appraised values, for taxes, is the same as for loan purposes. You'd think after 100 years or so, the infrastructure would be mostly taken care of. Why so damn high!?
Coere D’Laine Idaho has a sandy beach in their city. Very pretty. Mom and dada and I stayed at Flamingo Hotel, where they had an extra room with a desk. Sharen
Was born and raised in Hickory and currently live in Greensboro. It was a shock to see both in the same video.
I moved to Greensboro 14 years ago from Hickory. Can't wait to move back I'm with you can't believe Hickory and Greensboro are in the same video.
Why not, what are the differences that stand out
I'm over in Apex, and would love to head west to Hickory once my last kid graduates in a couple years. It's so darn expensive here, and getting very crowded.
I also hate HOA’s it’s getting harder to find even land without them
Madison, WI is an awesome place. Our winters keep getting warmer, and snow less plentiful. My husband and I sold our snow blower, we are happy to shovel a few times. However, we have a large lot that requires a nice riding mower! We are considering a move to Rochester, MN. Not sure you have ever said one thing about, other than the Mayo Clinic! Four of my family members work for the Mayo. Part of the reason we want to move there. The rest of my husbands family live in Winona, MN, at city the Amtrak stops at. The rest of my family live in the Twin Cities. We would be closer to all families. I appreciate how you have a plug for relocation service at the end of your videos! I might need it. Happy World Kindness Day!
Madison is a horrible place to live unless you’re a white liberal who pities minorities and treats them like cheap help. I’ve never met a single person of color who enjoys the Madison vibe of elite snobbery laden with racist undertones.
You’ll get a lot more snow in Rochester, and is colder, but it is pretty.
Briggs, I live in Reno since the summer of 2006, as far as I remember we never had a dust storm, also, it's too late to buy a house here, all Californians already bought everything!
Thats ok, everybody from every other state bought up all the stuff in Calif. for about the past 50 yrs.....
@akgobears yeah, good for you! Californians ruined Nevada, homeless went up, crime went up, all thanks for Californians! Your problems over there should stay there and not affect others!
@@akgobearsHaha, never thought of that angle!
@@akgobears or China. My dad was on a work trip to China in mid 90's and he saw an add for real estate for Millbrae, CA.
thanks
Half of my family relocated to Sparks, NV and have made it their forever home. I visit often and love their parks and hiking trails.
Recently moved to Pittsburgh from San Bernardino California Pittsburgh is such a fantastic city such a hidden gem, one of the last amazing city you can actually still afford a home.
Interesting 🧐 I’m from San Bernardino, my parents came from Pittsburgh 😮
Ew... San Berdo.
@@andrewlongo6 hahaha ew is right!
@@GodsWill333 interesting!
@@andrewlongo6
Saint Bernardine of Sienna..
There’s nice parts of
San Bernardino. As with most large cities, they have their share of not so pleasant areas.
Better in San Bernardino, than Los Angeles, City of the Angels.
Great list, except for Reno. That place exudes “sketchy”. I never saw more people standing around doing nothing than in Reno.
Lots of panhandling, it also is the #1 spot for lots of new ugly Soviet style apartment buildings.
Ever been to Las Vegas?
@@josephskowronski Not all of Vegas is
like that. I should
know because I
lived there for 5 years, 2013 to 2018, with my family. We lived in the working class part of Summerlin, near Vegas & Buffalo.
If you lived in a numbered street, a street named after a state, by the government buildings (Skid Row),
in Downtown Vegas=
Those are the bad parts of Vegas.
I lived in Reno for 30 years. I absolutely loved it for about the first 20 of those years. It is such a miserable place to be now. I’m glad I’m gone, & Reno is probably also glad I’m gone.
@@Jaded7981
Where would you go for vacation?
Which hotel and which casino would you recommend?
Good restaurants?
I like diners and steakhouses.
There’s a reason why the cheap places are cheap. Most are bad places to live - crime, poverty, cold, no job opportunities, or just really,really boring. Huntsville is definitely an exception. I could live there.
Where is Huntsville? What state?
Not always
If it's just cold it's not that bad
@@jamesjirik2245Alabama
@@jamesjirik2245Alabama. It's an aerospace brainiac city.
A friend of mine moved to Greensboro from Philly last may. He said his property went up several months after he bought a house there and he has pretty positive equity already
From Asheville, can confirm that Hickory and Greensboro are very nice places. WNC is still very underrated overall.
Greensboro came back in the red for having forever chemicals in the water.
Shhh! I'm looking there😂
Greensboro is so ass tho like living in NC nothing is different just different cities with different names it’s so dry here
I lived in Waterloo Iowa. Davenport is a great community
The Quad Cities don't make up a huge urban area. But it's got a lot to offer. And the low cost of living is a huge draw.
The thing about Reno is that it's always been a bit rough around the edges for a city. Very strip mall-ish, some nice areas but the sketchy areas never seem too far away. I live in Tahoe and make the drive from time to time for shopping or restaurants and it's always a bit of a mixed bag. In that area I'd rather live in Minden/Gardnerville or parts of Carson and drive to Reno every once in a while.
Minded & Gardnerville's prices have really escalated. It used to be quite a drive from Reno to that area, but due to Reno's growth, it feels like a suburb now.
@@mtngrl5859the 580 to South Carson really cut down on travel time.
Sadly the word has gotten out about Minden.
@@karnubawaxa friend moved there from South Lake Tahoe about six years ago. Her husband was working for Heavenly and was able to get to work quicker than his colleagues in Meyers...it's pretty quick when Kingsbury is clear...especially if you're going to Stagecoach.
@@karnubawax True, but with NV side Tahoe houses starting at $850k and up from there, a $500k house in Minden doesn't sound so bad.
Could you please do 2nd part. I feel there are a lot more of overlooked cities and great place to live for us, the ones that are being pushed out by the current home prices. Thanks man!
Reno was a fun place to live, but now it's too expensive.
Downright cheap to me. Just depends what one is accustomed to.
Way overpriced and the mayor is a nightmare! She loves bums and crime apparently.
My rent increased twice this past year...I can barely afford it, even working overtime most days.
@@feliciasampson8032 Completely understand and what is inexpensive to me sounds astronomical to someone else. All has to do with location and landlord.
What the answer is, I don't know. Landlords here raise the rent so high, it shoved families out on the street. And now homeless. And everybodyis up in arms about the homeless population. Hello??? There must be affordable housing everywhere, available to anyone. I don't see that happening. They make a big deal if they open up some building that gets a couple hundred people off the streets. That's great, but we have several thousand to house. Keep going.
I pray every day for those in need. The average person shouldn't have to "just get by" and never able to save anything. Or spend a couple bucks here and there for a movie or an evening out.
Food banks are always looking for free food or food donations. I give year round, not just for holidays. All the churches, synagogue, mosques accept donations as well.
Sorry for being so long winded. Wishing you the best.
Reno looks fun to live ngl
I would suggest Ocala Florida. Home of the World Equestrian Center.
A growing community with new home construction, new schools, a beautiful historic district, weekly and seasonal events. Easy driving distance to the cruise terminals at Port Cape Carnival. Commercial airline service is not yet available at the Ocala Airport. You need to travel to Orlando or Gainesville for that.
Buttt it’s Florida…
Bruh my friend lives there and he always talks about how trashy it is 😂😭
@@PapaMagnum Ocala is a dump lol
I love Ocala. New homes going up all over. Many people moving here. And it is not trashy. It's affordable Florida living.
I hate it here in Florida. Corrupt government, tripled homeowners insurance and property taxes and too many damaging hurricanes! You would have to be crazy to list any Florida city! Moving back to Pittsburgh!
Somewhere in VA Beach, someone’s having a solemn high, pontifical meltdown because you indicated VAB is second to Norfolk. Horrors! VAB opposed the extension of light rail from Norfolk to the oceanfront because “those people” would have easier access. Charming.
More and more I’ve been leaning towards moving to just outside of Reno when my job is up…hopefully retiring there as well. That area between Carson City and Reno is pretty cool.
I can’t be the only one who actually likes 4 seasons. Don’t like cooking in the sun all the time, and enjoy skiing. Our beautiful parks here in Pittsburgh are EMPTY during Steelers games so that’s a bonus for us non sports people.
Its probably an anomaly but Pittsburgh area weather has been great the last couple years. Very little snow, this year virtually no rain (literal drought) tons of sunny days.
And I do think it is quite up and coming! I don't even live there either (but had to travel a lot the past couple years) but all the suburban schools are very highly rated, prices are low compared to the national average and downtown there is a new 200mil renovation happening. I was very impressed with Pittsburgh when I went, way better than I expected.
There’s way too many liberals there
I’m glad he mentioned the weather. I went to Pitt 90-94, and just kinda assumed the weather would be similar to the suburbs of Philly where I was from…maybe a little cooler, maybe a little more snow. Omg, it rained so much more. It would seem like it would be a nice day when I went to a 8 or 9am class, but by the time I got out, so overcast, or rain had started. Then a friend said, you’re here during the rainy season….and I said, I’m here the end of Aug til the end of April, and she said, yes, the summer is better. Well, one summer I did take summer classes and, she was correct, the rain was less in the summer! Lol. But I did like the people. Much less snobby than the Philly area. Pgh was more of a mid west feel than the hustle of the east coast. Maybe that has changed? But if the weather was better I would have considered staying after college.
Sorry Briggs, but the boat's already sailed on Reno. I used to live there and then the pandemic hit. A giant horde of remote workers from CA came flooding in. Very few rentals were on the market because of the eviction moratorium so rents incresed 2 or 3 times from pre-pandemic prices. So many people moved there from CA that it's no longer Nevada. It's eastern CA now.
We had the same problem happen down here in Southern NV. When I was still married (pandemic years), my then-husband kept getting outbid by former Californians who were looking for mostly income property (vacation homes) & paying with cash. For that reason, we had to give up on trying finding our dream home in the small, Southern NV town that we lived in.
They drove up not only the home prices and apartment leases where we lived but also up in Vegas. That really sucked but that's just how things were back then. I'm hoping that someday my boyfriend and I can get married in a few years and find our dream house where I live.
I’d like to see a 55 and older community comparison please
Yes, Briggs. This would be very pertinent for me.
Same here!!!
Yes! Especially the PNW.
Southeast options please
Best video in awhile highlighting smaller to midsized cities. There are hundreds of desirable cities like these. They are the types of places a huge percentage of middle America is considering relocating to, and not so much the largest 20 or 30 overpriced megapolises that are usually featured over and over. Refreshing!
Lake Tahoe is one of those if money was no object places to live.
Agreed, I lived there long ago and wish I never left. 70s... nice houses were $75,000. 2 bed/2 bath nice apartment on Kingsbury were $300/mo
Briggs: Great call on Ft Collins....many SUPER NICE satellite towns nearby as well!
A dear friend moved to the Pittsburgh area 3 years ago. They’re retired and their money goes farther than in Sacramento California.
I am a Fort Collins native. Yes real estate has gone up but it is a great place to live.
Absolutely as someone who has call Fort Collins home since 2016 I absolutely agree
💯
It’s nice but all the illegal car/truck mufflers are so obnoxious
Lived in the North Hills of Pgh back in the late 80's / early 90's. The city was improving and was actually rated as most liveable city in the U.S. I believe in 1984.
The outlying areas are really nice, especially to the north.
Thanks, as always Briggs
As a Clevelander I can't believe you said Pittsburgh was second to Cleveland. You now need to do a Cleveland vs Pittsburgh video.
Cleveland Ohio is greatly underrated. I’ve living in many different cities. It has a demographic that’s similar to how I grew up Philadelphia Pa but everything is much more manageable and much less stressful. It’s also a place that you can buy a first home that won’t put you in forever debt.
@@Jazsway910 I completely agree. I love this town. My point was that Pittsburgh is not second to Cleveland. The same way Cleveland is not second to Pittsburgh. They have very similar stories, past and present.
Good description of Pittsburgh. I loved it.
Reno doesn’t really get that many dust storms. That would be Arizona.
True. I'm a divorced mother of 2 teenagers and we live in a small town in Southern NV. I live 20-30 minutes from Northwestern AZ. Phoenix gets haboobs, dust storms.
This guy I work with on the east coast dreams of moving to Carson City NV which is near Reno for some reason.
Carson City is 40-45 minutes south of Reno.
You know I have a friend who sold his home in southern California and bought his home in Guadalajara, Mexico. Oh Man! for the price he bought a beautiful home with a pool. GDL has the same weather as So Cal. It is beautiful and the greenery is unbelievable! He found his home in Capital Brokers Homes for sale Guadalajara. It is considered the Silicon Valley of Mexico. I just flew back from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico it is so beautiful also. Many Americans call that city there home. I could see why the Beaches there are beautiful. There are restaurants there where their tables are on the sand. Magnificent and good food. Many High-Rise condos have a rooftop deck with bars and an Infinity pool overlooking the bay. So Beautiful! Loved it!!!
Guadalajara doesn't have a beach!!
maybe you meant Puerto Vallarta!
@@lorenk.775 No I went to visit my friend In GDL. the first week and the second week spend it P.V. I like Mexico because the homes there are not cookie cutter like in the U.S.A. and Cheaper. GDL has a lot of beautiful homes. I give my props to the developers out there and some of the pools are amazing.
@@thomasfranco5997 Mexico has plenty of cities & towns with cookie-cutter style homes, and most of the urban planing has been copied from U.S.A., in fact the whole North America (the continent) has copied the urban planing from U.S.A., South America it's a different story.
Virginia is a pretty state but their taxes are high. I am always tempted to buy a rural home on 15+ acres near NC/TN because it is way cheaper than both…until you check on all the taxes, like paying tax every year on your vehicles and paying extra tax on all prepared foods whether it is at a restaurant or mini mart or sushi/deli sandwich at the grocery store.
I agree there are use taxes in VA but depending on where you are now the actual car registration is low. And if you don't have 12 cars, boats, TV's, trucks or brand new vehicles the tax and registration is low. But you are correct and one needs to compare the extra taxes to other near states.
Virginia is expensive!
These videos rarely talk about the personal property tax on vehicles that has, unfortunately, become popular and is now in over half the states. Virginia has the highest annual property tax on vehicles, followed by Mississippi, SC, and Missouri. These are annual taxes typically separate from any vehicle registrations and they can total well into the thousands for a normal family with multiple vehicles.
@@PoliticallyIncorrect90 and of all the folks that can’t afford it, it is the folks in Mississippi!
I lived adjacent to Ft Collins for many years. Good town overall. I think it won some awards in cities to raise a family in. CSU is a good school, for sure. Also not mentioned is its proximity to Cheyenne, WY, and while that town is generally uneventful, it does host the annual "Frontier Days". Cheyenne Frontier Days is an outdoor rodeo and western celebration in the United States, held annually since 1897 in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It bills itself as the "World's Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration." The event, claimed to be one of the largest of its kind in the world, draws nearly 200,000 annually. This event brings in bigger artists too. In 2015, the concert lineup was considered to be their best ever, with the opening weekend featuring Miranda Lambert and Big & Rich.
I think Athens GA would have been a great addition to the list. Situated between Atlanta and Greenville, it gets overlooked a lot but has a low cost of living, and it's really safe.
Been there they have a great botanic garden I think the college has
A lot to do with if I remember correctly
Expensive now. Im here
@joshaustin9119 I don't think it's that expensive. I was born and raised in the Brookhaven district of Atlanta. That's expensive. My adult son is a school teacher at Winder Barrow High School, just the next county down from Oconee Co. And he just got a cute 3br 2 bath house for 215k right by the Target off H316.
But yeah, I agree that Athens is probably raising in cost. Everywhere that's nice is. Especially with l the rich "lake people" of Habersham Co coming over and buying Oconee land.
Thanks for another good video! I’m kind of a nomad, and these are interesting and informative!
I lived in Pittsburgh for a little bit, it was okay but not great by any means. It's one of those "this will do I guess" types of places.
Had to go to Pittsburg for a work trip. It is a neat city. Definitely underrated.
Great job Briggs ❤❤❤
Great idea for a video doing the number 2 or 3 instead of number 1. We live in the next town over from Virginia Beach & Norfolk and it’s a great place to call home.
My son is looking at college there. My other son was stationed there in the Navy and liked it but for the traffic.
@@andrealmoseley6575 ah, the traffic! That’s a downside! My husband complains about that frequently.
If I am correct, Davenport, IA is part of the Quad city area. I believe it’s near Walcott,IA. ( I 80 Truck Stop )
The quad cities got destroyed by the recession. It's better now but there's not many economic opportunities there.
Davenport and Bettendorf are on the Iowa side-Rock Island and Moline are on the Illinois side. I grew up just south of Chicago, but my father was a native of Davenport. My great uncle owned a bookstore there.
@barbfagin1235 those are the better communities in that area. Bettendorf, specifically.
New video!! Hip hip hooray!! 🎉🎉❤❤🎉🎉❤❤
Virginia Beach is a wonderful place. Chics Beach and Sandbridge beach are better than the oceanfront. Hilltop is best for shopping. Vibe district is cool. Coffee shops and restaurants are great. It has a downtown but its kind of small and not that unique. Besides the beach life has a ton of parks, good schools, is safe, and clean. Renting is super hard there, buying is easier. Highly recommend, or maybe I don't, I want to be able to move back and be able to get a place:) Yes, many wonderful restaurants and coffee shops too.
Reno is legit an underrated city. Pittsburgh is another one hell even Tulsa
7:56 Looks like if you like in Pittsburgh you better learn to drive backwards at the same speed as going forward. Lol
Come to Parkston South Dakota, low crime 0, Avera hospital, city parks that they have programs in the summer big town 1500 people, bedroom community for a bigger town called Mitchell 20 miles north . Plenty of jobs there, too. My house here a four bedroom and two full baths on 3 lots on a corner, south facing a metal roof new in 2020, detached carriage house and a tack shed subbing as a garden shed $235,900. Cash only.
I'm tempted, pending pics, appraisal, etc
What kinds of jobs?
@@ald1144electricians, plumbers, heavy equipment mechanical, building trades, grocery, banks and all manner of retail. Teachers, SDA pastors, etc.
Yeah but those winters…
@@DillyDahlia Four distinct seasons. Can't you handle it?
Fort Collins… terrible traffic!
I second that comment!!
You want to complain about traffic, try D.C.
Still awesome
Briggs thank you so much for all this info. Can you maybe do a video one day about rental income in these hidden “gem” towns. I enjoy listening to and hearing the median home price, but would be interested in the rental market as well.
Thanks for the idea!
Virginia Beach rental market is really tight for renters, but if you want to buy a place and rent it out you would probably do great. Military moves in and out a lot so rentals are in high demand. And of course seasonally short-term beach rentals do great - but some communities prevent short term rentals so you have to find out what the community rules are. We are probably going to buy a place we can live in part of the year there and rent out some of the year. One thing to keep in mind when looking for a place to turn into a rental there is that many homes are older (there is not a lot of new builds) so you will want to check out any potential maintenance needs you might need to address if you are going to be renting it out for awhile.
@ thanks idea would be long term rentals. The idea is to buy investment prop that you get a tenant in that provides a fair rental.
@@mef536 Yeah, you could well with those too. Lots of people moving in and also military families that come there are usually there for at least 2 years and more likely to rent because they don't know if they will remain there past the 2 years. When we tried to rent a house with at least a year lease there the market to get what we wanted in 1 of our preferred 3 school districts was so tight we ended up buying instead because it was easier.
@@mredsmoak magic. Thanks for the heads up appreciated.
Thats why I enjoy Briggs gives you insight into the broader US.
In regards to crazy sports fans in Pittsburgh, I think it's the state as a whole. I'm in southeast PA and the Eagles fans are so nuts, it drove me away from football.
Ayyy Post Falls!!!!! That has been growing like crazy. Also post falls is full of nutcase wingdoodles , so if you are a prepper you will have friends!
No it’s not…at least not any more than any other place these days.
You’re very correct about the wingdoodles…Northern Idaho (the smoke stack) is filled with anti-government, conspiracy theorist prepper types. But it’s nothing new….been there for decades. Grew up in eastern Washington in the 80s and remember the miltia groups and the anti-government nut bags all throughout that area all too well.
Just down the road from Reno and even closer to Tahoe is Carson City/Minden/Gardnerville...Much more laid back than Reno and i think maybe even a bit cheaper ....Less of a metro area than Reno....
Carson is cheaper than Reno, but Minden/Gardnerville is definitely not cheaper.
Thank you for favorably recognizing Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! It’s an amazing place to live!!
Moose calls? Possible in Post Falls. Every so often a moose walks through our neighborhood in Midtown (Coeur d'Alene). Deer are very common here, too.
I honestly was surprised to see a city in Virginia on here. I've heard Virginia is a really great state but I've also heard that it's actually getting a lot more expensive there. Honestly if California wasn't getting so expensive I'd say my hometown of Santa Rosa would be a great place which I love it here and I don't want to leave but all the people from San Francisco that move here have raised the cost.
These days "affordability" now means in the worst (high crime) cities.
I loved this one! Greensboro is violent but the others sound good!
Yay, Reno! I really loved living there. The Biggest LITTLE City in the World! 😊
These are all really great places!
Saying Pittsburgh is 2nd to Cleveland is mad disrespectful🤣🤣🤣
Oh sir, how could you Fort Collins? How about Grand Junction Colorado, Larimer Wyoming, Steamboat Springs Colorado, Meeker Colorado. How about Moab Utah? You had to bring up Fort Collins as number 1?
I can see many other cities that are better than Fort Collins as number 1.
Laramie, WY except a little too cold at 7k ft. I'd agree with Grand Junction being underrated. Nice dry sunny climate, close to great scenery. Downside is the distance from a major airport/city.
@nwsvndr Grand Junction has an airport that has daily flights in and out. The airport has five different carriers. What more do you want.
@@thomasedwards2754cheaper airfare. There's a reason people fly to Salt Lake City and drive to grand junction
same , ft col is 3 hours of fuel I wont spend to visit.
I've always wanted a riding lawnmower too. I've only used one for one summer but it was so fun and satisfying to experience!
Briggs...I have to take issue with one inference. We here in New Mexico definitely experience all four seasons. More than many other places I've lived.
Briggs, you rock! ❤ Peace
I work in Greensboro but live in Burlington. I love NC ❤️
You'll be gettin' that Buc-ees in a few years.
Reno is the biggest little city
Just came here to say that
Expensive
He does that so we will comment. 😂 It's a form of trolling.. 😊
@@Runn_it_up Right behind Vegas.
I went to a party in Huntsville and literally everyone I met worked for DoD and was an engineer!!
LOL, Briggs! You haven't been to Post Falls recently have you? It's a nice place, but traffic the last couple of years has been a real pain (by Idaho standards, anyway), due to a major, well needed overhaul of a major freeway intersection. Also, growth is nuts there - the prairie has been filling up with apartment developments and houses jammed shoulder to shoulder. Still PF is a newer city with nice folks and the beautiful Spokane River flowing through it, and is a decent place to raise a family. Glad it made it so high on your list!
International places would be appreciated as well
I agree!
I used to live in Reno. It was a nice place. I'd definitely go back.
Fort Collins is a gem of a place
OK! It's a date. Next spring your invited to come a little south of Hillsboro and use the rider John Deere and mow for a couple hours. Out in the farm country where your the only noise as you can't even hear Hillsboro Hwy. I'll be calling when the lawn is ready. 😊
I recently relocated to the Green Bay Metro from Southern California. I watched to see if it was on the list. I was surprised to see Madison on the list over Green Bay. Both have similar amenities, but the average home value in Madison is almost double that of Green Bay. An average home value of 400k is still out of reach for many folks, especially single income.
Pittsburgh is a beautiful city!
I knew you were gonna bring up eastern washington/northern idaho. Such a beautiful area
Reno's best hidden gem is the National Automobile Museum.
Cassville Wisconsin! Small, safe, friendly community along the Mississippi River. Less than 2 hours from Madison!
I haven't seen the video yet, but I hope Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are on the list. That's where I would go if I was young and starting out. Pittsburgh hasa great museums, and sports scene and it's a beautiful city. Likewise for Cincinnati.
Sacramento is surprisingly cheap for being the California state capitol. At least compared to the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
We go through Huntsville on our way to Oxford and theres a lot of new construction going on, homes, roads, highways etc.
Yes. I go every so many months to visit kids. Any suggestions on country towns outside especially toward the East with decent prices and good coffee!!
Florence is lovely but it’s west of Huntsville.
Post Falls got real gangstas 😂 buddy told Briggs to check in first
Yep and he's riled them up again! Only reason I found this video is because Post Falls residents are pissed our town is on this list lol.
15:02 I just left Virginia Beach actually looking to possibly move there.
Some good pick here. I'd like to throw in St. Louis. Plenty of opportunities and community. Not only are housing prices low, but the overall cost of living is very low. And, unlike some of the places in Colorado, Nevada and Idaho, we haven't been overrun by refugees from the Left Coast. Thank God.
Used to live in oil city about an hr north of Pittsburg
And yr point?
Pittsburgh is fairly handy to West Virginia too, if you like the Appalachian Mountains.
Hey Briggs, I’ve got a few questions for you about investments. Been following you for a while now and really dig your channel.
GREETINGS FROM THE PPRC GREAT VIDEO TODAY, GUESS RENO IS MY PICK OUT OF THIS BUNCH.🇺🇸🍺🍺
Fascinating. Thanks.
Wiscon real estate taxes are not high, IL has high taxes, and that isn't even near a lake..
If you want to live somewhere where you need a riding lawn mower come to Oklahoma. Everybody has a riding lawn mower in oklahoma😅
Loved Lake Tahoe when I was a kid and it wasn’t as expensive as it is now. Not as crowded either.
@0:40 *biggest little city
da wha? Ft Collins, surely Briggs going full troll mode on us here.
Reno is fast becoming a Bay Area suburb. Lots of nice Californians moved there about a decade ago, but the recent arrivals not so much. Minden might be a better option. The rest of Tahoe is very expensive and not just for housing. Everything is expensive.
Grensboro was awful when my Canadian high school did a band exchange trip with them. We didnt enjoy our visit.
It’s ass there nothing going on fr
I live in CA and I like sneaker waves. They are fun
Oh yeah, Pittsburgh is so overlooked
Oh Greensboro, I heard is a pretty good place to live. And so as Virginia Beach Virginia. Go figure. I mean those cities keep getting overlooked. And it’s a great place to raise a family as you have a good schools.
I never heard of a town called Post Falls
You know, I am surprised that Savannah Georgia didn’t even make the list
And I'd like to keep it that way. "Nothing to see here, people, move along!" 😁
@@ShawnMKouriit’s not a hidden secret. Besides the cost of living is higher.
Downtown Reno is a dump but the rest of the area is great. You either live in Reno for the casinos or you live here for the outdoors. I’d say 90% or more of the locals never gamble and go downtown maybe twice a year
Your comment on Fort Collins is funny because I just got accepted to their environmental studies program
Having lived in New England, Virginia, California, Florida, Colorado and Missouri, I found the property taxes in Iowa REALLY high (I've recently looked in Belmond) considering it is Iowa. The appraised values, for taxes, is the same as for loan purposes. You'd think after 100 years or so, the infrastructure would be mostly taken care of. Why so damn high!?
Coere D’Laine Idaho has a sandy beach in their city. Very pretty. Mom and dada and I stayed at
Flamingo Hotel, where they had an extra room with a desk.
Sharen