Do you live in a state that is too liberal and/or oppressive? Have you given any thought to moving to a state that is more in line with your values? More and more people are doing just that; voting with their feet. In this article I’ll cover some of my own struggles and list some resources that might help anyone else who might want to move to another state. I also ask any of you who might have input to please add it, so that those of us considering voting with our feet and moving to a new state might have an easier time of it.
As some of you might be aware Trudee and I started looking for a new home last fall. The goals were a lower house payment and, hopefully, ten acres or more. We haven’t had much luck, mostly due to the fact that I work from home and need a low latency high speed Internet connection. Since we’re looking in more rural areas because we want 5+ acres, satellite is often the only option and satellite just won’t work for my job.
We started looking for houses on ten or more acres and dropped it down to five when we weren’t finding anything. We started to find some properties, but as soon as we would tell our Realtor to book a showing, she would tell us they accepted an offer. We have now gotten to the point where there isn’t a single house on the MLS in our price range, with any acreage, that doesn’t require extensive fixing up.
I’ve grumbled about not liking Minnesota for years. It’s just too liberal for me. Last week Trudee made a comment along the lines of “maybe this is God’s way of telling us we should move out of state.” I’ll not get into the reasons why I want to move out of Minnesota, as that isn’t what this article is about. If you’re truly interested, send me an email or post in the comments.
We had a couple serious conversations about it. We did a bit of research to find which states are more conservative and found this poll from Gallup ranking the top ten most conservative and liberal states. Last week, Jack Spirko from The Survival Podcast talked about this subject in a listener question episode 1078. He also mentioned he was starting a new forum called Walking to Freedom, a place that will list ten of the most oppressive states and ten of the most liberty loving states. This forum will be a place to speak to others in states you’re looking to move to and from.
Jack posted an article titled “You Don’t Have To Live Like This” the next day. In it the author is telling his readers that many people are leaving states that are not business friendly for states that are. He lives in Florida and is making a case for people to move there.
Looking for a house in Minnesota is hard enough! We look on the MLS, take a look at the property on Google Maps to make sure it’s something that meets our requirements and then I check to see if high speed Internet is available. If it is, we ask the realtor to book a showing. We’re often told that the seller, often a bank, has accepted an offer. I have a hunch that people are making offers without seeing the house in person because Trudee keeps a close eye on the MLS. The houses that we do go see are often not a place we would live for various reasons.
How Do You Vote With Your Feet?
In Minnesota, I know the parts of the state that are more rural, the parts that are a little too rural and have a general area of where we would like to live. Researching another state would be a must, and this is where a forum like Walking to Freedom will come in very handy.
Let’s say you find an area you would like to live and even find a house for sale. How do you go through this process when you can’t go see the house in person? Once you find the house, Google Maps is a huge time saver. We have used it to rule out several homes.
We went to see seven or so houses, and after seeing them in person we ruled five out. One was ruled out due to lack of internet and one we were out bid on. My point is that the realtors put the best pictures of a house on the MLS. We had to set foot in five to rule them out. How would you go about ruling out houses? Trudee mentioned possibly finding a realtor willing to walk through the house with a smart phone running Skype or a similar program that would let us see the house and interact with the realtor. Can you think of any other options?
If you work from home and need an Internet connection with less latency than Satellite, finding a viable ISP may be problematic as well. It took me a week or two of searching to get familiar with the Internet Service Providers that service different parts of the state I live in. Just doing a Google search often only yields the big names like Comcast or Century Link, and might not list a perfectly viable but smaller ISP. I have found a newer technology called WIMAX, which is a wireless connection, sent much like a cellular signal. Since these WIMAX antennae are often located on water towers or other things of similar height, the signal doesn’t have to travel to a satellite and you can see speeds of 5+ Mbps with low latency.
Because of our situation, we may end up staying in Minnesota. Heck, we may end up staying where we live now! What about those of you who live in states that don’t hold the same values you do? Would you consider voting with your feet?
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Chris, might I suggest that you take a serious look at Alabama? According to the list in the link you provided, surprisingly we are at the top of the list of conservative states. It’s about time we led in something, lol. Contrary to public opinion, we have paved roads and indoor plumbing everywhere now. We also have Charter high speed internet available in lots of places. I live in Guntersville which is in the northern part of the state on the Tennessee River. We have an abundance of beautiful weather, lakes and mountains to enjoy. The schools are great here if you have children and I am a short drive from “big city” shopping and conveniences without the traffic headaches. Google us and see if you don’t agree. Land prices and taxes may well be to your liking too.
Thanks Donna. I’ve never been to Alabama, but I’m not opposed to it. I was a little surprised that it was the number one most conservative, I would have guessed it was high on the list, but not quite that high. Would it be alright to email you if I have any Alabama related questions?
Absolutely! As I sit at my computer looking out the window at Beautiful Lake Guntersville, I believe I must certainly live in the greatest place on earth. We live in “town” which has a population of around 10,000 and would love some acreage but so far it isn’t within our means. Also, being in our sixties, I’m not sure just how well we could keep up much more than we have already.
Donna, I love your sense of humor….indoor plumbing!!!!! Makes me want to come to Alabama just for a laugh! So tired of “political correctness”! God bless you and yours…..and we are in our 60′s too…but looking for land. You can do it! Thanks again for the laugh, I needed it!, Nancy
Thanks Donna. Trudee and I have had the same conversation about being able to manage more land. But I look at it like this, even if we let a good portion of it go wild and I don’t do all of the permaculture stuff I want to, at least it gives us more of a cushion from other people. Part of my complaint about where we live now is that if people are outside we can’t have the windows open without hearing conversations from next door. So more elbow room is very appealing.
Even though we are in town, we don’t have close neighbors. We have woods on one side and in the rear of our property. The lake is in the front. On the other side is a fairly close neighbor but the lady is 93 yrs. young and so far her parties haven’t been too rowdy. We also belong to Marshall County Preppers which currently has over 600 members and is still growing. Come on down and check us out. A great place to stay is Lake Guntersville State Park. The only place I would not recommend unless you are well outside the city limits would be Albertville. Unfortunately, it has been somewhat over-run with mostly “undocumented” immigrants and property values are down. They work and don’t cause any problems so it’s not all bad.
Donna, If I might ask what is the economy like? My wife is in the medical field I am in the technology field. How is the job market?
Just a ball park figures, what is a five bedroom four bath house on say 5+ acres of land going to go for roughly?
Also schools. Currently we send our seven year old daughter to a private christian school (I am sure anyone reading this blog can understand why) would we have a number of schools to chose from?
I am going to do some research online about your area because it sounds really nice. But it is sometimes good to hear more first hand information as opposed to what websites and statistical charts show.
I know what you mean I live in Minnesota also. And with the increase in taxes and now the increase in minimum wages I fear that employers are going to start moving out of the state. Already IBM in Rochester is moving a portion of its manufacturing jobs to Mexico which will affect about 200 workers. The company I work for is also setting up a manufacturing plant in Mexico and while they are not moving jobs to Mexico they are doing quite a bit of expanding in Mexico. Not to mention the fact that (heavy on the air quotes) “Assault Weapon” ban was nearly passed. This state just does not seem to share the same principles of liberty and freedom that I believe in, so I am beginning the research process of which state will better serve our lifestyle.
Finding a property that fits our needs is one thing, but finding a job there for both me and my wife and then finding a school system that teaches Christian values has made our search all but impossible. I am still continuing to do research and look into options, but I just wanted to let you know that I feel your pain.
I think that website Walking to Freedom will be very beneficial and I plan on using it as a resource, thank you for sharing it.
Jim I know what you mean, the challenge of starting over in a new state is difficult. I keep praying for wisdom and guidance, we’ve wondered if the silence is an answer.
I pray you and your family are blessed with finding the perfect home in a state that you can set roots in and be blessed, and a blessing to those around you.
Chris, I know what you mean. Sometimes the silence is deafening.
Hopefully both of us can shake the dust from our sandals as we leave some day soon.
Amen
I have, and do believe firmly in voting with my feet. When I first left the military in 2009, my “hometown” had become inundated with very liberal values and ideologies. My wife and I prayed, and ended up moving to the great state of Texas. The economy here is strong, there are still strong Christian values taught, and in some public schools you can still let your kids bring their bible to school.
Now I am in the middle of packing to move again, not because of the political climate, but rather because God is leading my family and I to another state. If not for Texas, I would have never grown in my relationship with God, in turn I would not be moving. The Lord is great, and I am more than happy to oblige.
I am from the NW, and that is where I am moving back to, and the surprising thing is God has placed me in one of the most conservative states, Idaho. I would have never thought of moving there, but I am excited to see what he has in store for me.
Good morning Chris,
Love this article, as it is number one on my mind….leaving the horrific state of California. I am a native of California, and it is most upsetting to see all it has lost, and what it has become. We vote and vote and vote, but alas we are out-numbered, or even worse, I fear our voting system is so “rigged”, which leads to dictatorship. I have wanted out for years! I’ve been researching and looking and trying to find a way for a long time. I chose Wyoming a long time ago, and as time goes by, it just keeps looking better and better. Then I see in the report in this article that it is #3 on the conservative list. Yeah! I spend much time looking at homes on the internet, just as you do! Then google earth and zoom right in! I have found one Realtor who videos many of the homes she has and they are on her site, and on u-tube. Nice walk through! That’s in Clark, Wy., on the prairie. Then there’s the other side of Wy. near and in the Black Hills. Newcastle, all the way up through Sundance. It is a worthwhile dream, and I hope to someday make it….the problems of course are many. Not that easy to just “pick up and leave” like everyone thinks. How bout a job??? That’s a biggy. I retired this past year, but my husband is still going…so it might have to wait till then. But I feel your “pain” with the places you decide you want, and they “just sold”! Over the years I’ve found my dream homes….(sure would love a log cabin) just to watch them eventually be sold. But then a new search begins! Don’t give up….keep on searching and I’ll keep praying you find the homestead God wants you to have. I, like Trudy, think maybe the Lord is leading you away from Minnesota. He has a plan, and sometimes it takes us a while to finally “get” it! Thank you for an article I love reading and talking about….even if it is “just a dream”. It’s a good one!
Hi Nancy,
Glad you liked the article. When we started to consider moving out of the state, North Dakota and Wyoming were the first two states we looked at. Conservative, plenty of open land and considered “fly over” country, which I am just fine with.
Thanks for the info on the realtors, if we decide to move forward with moving out of state, I’ll look on youtube for a realtor to see if there is one that videos the homes. It’s really a great idea, and could saver them and the buyers a lot of time.
We’ve lived in Idaho for 23 years, and love it. Everybody it seems, are preppers, own guns, and know how to hunt and fish. Our homeschool laws are the best in the country, and both houses of our legislature, as well as our governor, are always conservative.
Boise was recently voted to be the most likely city to make every top 10 list ever considered.
Anyway, we have enough immigration into this state as it is, (but there’s always room for more good people!)
I think I would love it in Idaho, probably in my top 10 states I would like to move to.
I live in a conservative state, but it could easily grow in the opposite direction within a few years. I’ve read a number of articles and seen several news stories about liberal minded people deliberately moving (en mass) to conservative states in order to change the political balance.
Conservatives moving to conservative states will strengthen those conservative states, but abandoning states that are majority liberal will strengthen those liberal states, allowing them to pass liberal legislation that will eventually pressure conservative states if those liberal states outnumber the conservative.
Moving in order to be among like-minded people is a great idea, but if a move is for political reasons, all factors must be considered, and the ramifications of the move considered, not just for the people moving, but for those left behind.
It could come down to: stay and fight, or retreat.
I think I understand what your saying, but guess is there are more like minded people in a more conservative/libertarian state.
I understand all too well, over the past 10 months my wife and I simplified our lives by giving away or selling as much as We could, sold our house and moved to Falgstaff, AZ. We are now looking in Wyoming and Texas to see what is available and where we think we’re supposed to settle. Thanks, Robert
Gutsy move, I pray the Lord makes your path clear.
I encourage you to keep praying and looking. My wife and I did this two years ago and we were led to a property that would have suited you; rural location, lots of acres and good internet connection. I also work from home and need a good internet connection and I found a property that the previous owner’s employer had paid to have a T1 line run to it. The interesting thing is that the internet was not even listed in the listing, the realtor did not even know. Everyone in the area struggles with poor internet and I am swimming in band width.
One thought, I found this in a very rural area of a state that most would consider on the liberal side. This part of the state is very conservative, the state government seems to struggle between liberal and conservative, but most of the state is liberal and is not a state I would have originally thought about looking at . I would encourage you to move west but my wife would not consent and thus I was looking for something east of the Mississippi that would be closer to relatives. You can also look in very rural areas of states you might normally reject.
The main thing of course is to keep praying about it, working hard on the search and pray that you are led to a property that has what you need.
sounds like you got a pretty nice deal. We did find one place when we first started looking, that was 10 acres or so, and had fibre right to the house. But it was three hours further than we wanted to move at the time, so we passed. If we saw the same deal today we would jump on it.
Thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it.
Well my friend, I know my home state of Florida is not on that list, but it’s a great place if you don’t mind living in a swamp. Considering the amount of people, we’re still pretty dang conservative, and contrary to popular belief, you can get pretty far out in the middle of nowhere here. And most things grow well, if you’re planning on starting a garden. Unfortunately, people have been moving here to retire and they tend to vote the way they did back home, not caring that they’re messing things up for the natives. I’m more than a little embarrassed that my state went blue in the last election. That never would have happened 15 years ago.
I say all that to say, look at the history of the place before you move there. They may be fairly conservative now, but is the trend moving more toward liberalism? Just some things to think about.
We considered Florida, I know the gun laws and ability to protects oneself and ones property are for sure better than they are here. I also like the idea of being able to grow so many things that wouldn’t stand a chance here.
You make a good point about looking at the states voting history over time, I’ll need to do that moving forward.
Hey Chris,
My prayers for you and Trudee include finding the location the Lord already has in mind for you. It is wonderful you are both on the same page.
My wife and I live in Cuyahoga County Ohio, cesspool central for liberal progressivism in Northern Ohio. We, too, are considering moving to a local that is safer, more conservative, and offers the opportunity to become self-sufficient.
I appreciate how you and the survivalblog.com cooperate by posting each respective URL. At Mr. Rawles’ site I found info that sheds light on areas of our country that are “prepper-friendly” and away from mass population centers.
Once in my life I moved as a result of wanting a geographic cure–it did not work. Now, as a Believer, my wife and I will move at His direction. May you and Trudee do the same.
Blessings – Bro Geo
Hello George,
Good to hear from you, I hope all is well.
I have seen the information you listed from the Survivalblog, that is very helpful as well, thank you for mentioning it.
There are so many of us who’re like minded, looking for the same kind of things, it would be nice if God just directed our paths.
We keep praying, but as I have mentioned in other comments, we’re not hearing much.
I do appreciate the prayers my friend, thank you.
Chris
I’m in very rural Missouri right near the Iowa line. No building codes and we have DSL internet via the co-op phone company along with several satellite connections.
Doesn’t sound half bad.
Hi Cherlynn,
My wife and I have considered southwest MO or southeast KS as potentially good spots to settle. Are you at all familiar with those areas? Do you, or for that matter, anyone on this site know of a good URL for state-by-state comparisons on things like: is there a state income tax and if so, how much? Are KS and MO equally conceal carry friendly? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
George