affordable cities
The Unstoppable Empty Nesters
The search for the perfect city for empty nesters. Consider Francesca and Jack, recent empty nesters, renting on the Upper Westside of NYC after selling their brownstone in Carroll Gardens. Jack is set to retire from his management consulting firm in the next few years. Having spent fortunes on college educations for their twins, they want to buy a place somewhat affordable that’s not totally out of the loop. San Francisco and Los Angeles are out because they’re too expensive, and they don’t ev
General
Spotlight Small Town: Los Olivos
Los Olivos is wine country. This 2.5 square mile town is just north of Santa Barbara in the Santa Ynez Valley and its old west charm is home to many wineries (and tasting rooms), restaurants, bars, and local farm kitchens (and once home to the infamous Neverland Ranch.) Historically, it’s been a place for weekend getaways, but SoCal empty nesters and families are quite taken with the idea of putting down roots here. It’s a tough ticket though; Los Olivos will never become Napa because it’s such
General
Why college towns are unicorns and what we love about them.
College towns are magical places that make sense for all sorts of different people, perhaps more than any other type of city. Kids love ‘em., families love ‘em, empty nesters and retirees love ‘em. This is why college towns like Ann Arbor, Madison, Chapel Hill, and more, frequently rank at the top of the list for most livable cities in the entire U.S.A. Here are some of the things we love about them: 1. They are the original 15-minute city. No college (other than commuter schools) wants th
General
Great Lakes on the Rise: A Managed Retreat Begins.
Being from Michigan, many will claim bias, but the Great Lakes area is an unsung hero of the country that is largely ignored by many from the coasts, mountain states, and southeast and south central regions. The assumption is the winter is long, dark, and cold, and the summer is short and hot. For problematic climate change reasons, this perception is no longer valid, and even when there is a colder winter, it still beats some of what is happening on the coasts or the south. For many reasons, m
Relocation
Top Ten "Attainable Cities"
In a recent New York Times article: The author highlights how the housing crisis has hit cities and regions previously thought to be among the most affordable in the country. The reasons for this shift are many.
