1.    Choose the characteristics you are looking for
2.    Research those characteristics
3.    Talk to the locals
4.    Visit the place

Choose the Characteristics

The first thing you must do is to determine what exactly you are looking for in a place to live.  Figuring out what makes you happy will help you to narrow down your search.  Characteristics of a place that you may want to consider are:

•    Weather
•    Median Family Income
•    Population
•    Crime Rate
•    Employment Growth
•    Median Home Price
•    Proximity to Family and Friends
•    Cleanliness
•    Traffic
•    Median Age of Population
•    Professional Sports Teams
•    Entertainment
•    Nightlife
•    Dining
•    Culture
•    School System
•    Local and State Taxes

If you know that you enjoy skiing and if you want to be close to your family and friends, then you have probably narrowed down your search considerably.  If you love warm weather and insist on a large city with great nightlife, then you can cross a large portion of the country off your list.  Setting some basic parameters will allow you to compile a list of locations; obviously the more specific your parameters, the more narrow your search.  Focus on making yourself a manageable list so that you can do research on each place, but not so specific that you are leaving out potentially great places that you may have never thought of.  The goal of this exercise is to come up with 10-20 cities that you would like to look at in detail.

Research the Places

Once you have a list of places that interest you, you can research each one.  This may not sound like a lot of fun, but it actually is!  It gives you a chance to learn more about many different places and will help you narrow your search to the places you would potentially consider for relocation.  Simply figure out which characteristics are most important to you and then examine those details for all of the cities on your list.  An Excel spreadsheet is a great way to organize all of this data and compare each of your places.

Once you have built your spreadsheet, you should be able to narrow your search even further.  You can use any process to narrow this list – choose your top five or ten based upon your most important criteria or eliminate the bottom half based on the learning of facts unbeknownst to you before you began your research.  The purpose for building a spreadsheet is to view your potential locations side by side to compare them more efficiently.  Narrow your focus to the places that are the most appealing.

Talk to the Locals

The next step in the selection process is to contact people in each place to conduct a brief interview with them.  This will allow you to learn a lot more about the place and can also be an excellent way to build your professional network.  Make a list of items to discuss with these people, making sure to address your biggest questions, concerns and curiosities about each place.  Some questions that you may want to ask include:

•    What is the weather like throughout the year?
•    How clean are the streets and sidewalks?
•    Are there a lot of great career opportunities for young professionals?
•    How is the housing market?
•    Are the people friendly?
•    Is it a transient area or are most people born and raised their?
•    Is the local economy reliant on certain industries?
•    What is your favorite and least favorite thing about this place?
•    Would you consider it a good place to raise a family?
•    How easy is traveling in and out of the local airport?
•    Is the public transportation good?
•    Is it a walk-able city or do you need to drive everywhere?

These are just a few of the hundreds of questions you could ask local residents of the places you are considering.  You may be wondering where you can find people to contact if it’s a place where you don’t know anyone.  Great question!  There are tons of ways to find local people to talk to, such as lists of alumni from the high school or college you went to, the chamber of commerce, local realtors and the tourism department.  Successful individuals are always willing to help young, ambitious people in any way that they can.  Use these resources to help find the right place and begin to build a network in those places you are considering for relocation.

Visit the Place(s)

Depending upon how the process has materialized to this point, you may have found one or more places that you have fallen in love with.  If your budget will allow for it, try to personally visit as many places as you can.  You may need to narrow the list down to one or two that you want to consider.  If possible, build your professional search into this visit (much more on this process in the next chapter).  Ideally, you will visit a place and spend 5-7 days investigating whether it’s a place you would like to call home.  You will also strive to secure a few different professional options.  The most important thing to ask yourself is, “Do I see myself living here and calling this place home?”  If you spend enough time driving around, talking to people and seeing as much of the place as possible, you can usually determine whether you want to live there or not.  Make sure that you are spending enough time navigating through the place yourself, don’t just spend all of your time on highways and hitting tourist spots.  See where people live, shop, eat, go to school and go out.  Make a personal determination on whether or not it could feel like home; there is nothing scientific about this part of the process.

Even happy people will tell you they have a burning desire to live somewhere besides where they are currently.  How many times have you heard friends tell you they wished they lived in the mountains or on the beach?  How many people complain about cold winters and cloudy skies?  You don’t have to be like those people who complain about their current situations, yet do nothing to fix their problems.  As a young professional, you have the opportunity to live wherever you want, so don’t catch yourself later in life regretting that you’ve never lived anywhere outside of your comfort zone.

Many people claim that moving away from home would be “too difficult.”  Of course moving is difficult; if it were easy, everyone would do it.  Most worthwhile things in this world are difficult, but those who are willing to fight battles and persevere are able to create great lives for themselves.  You need to determine if taking a risk is worth trying something different.  You may end up living in a place that’s better than any place you’ve ever experienced.  What if it isn’t a great experience?  Then you have spent some time and money taking a great chance, but at the end of the day you will have one less regret in your life and you won’t wonder what the outcome might have been.

If you aren’t sure about relocation, try this exercise right now:  I want you stop reading, close your eyes, and imagine the perfect place.  What does it look like?  How does it smell?  What is the weather like?  How friendly are the other people who live there?  Do you see any water?  Is there snow?  Is it crowded or empty?  What else did you see or hear?

Now that you have visualized your ideal place, ask yourself if you already live there.  If you don’t, why wouldn’t you move there?  If you saw the beach and felt warm weather, then why would you live in a colder city?  If you saw bright lights and the big city, why would you choose to live in a small town?  You must choose the best place for yourself and make it your focus.  Many people understand all of this but allow a career decision to get in the way.  Choose the place that makes you the happiest, great opportunities exist everywhere.

•    Initially vowing that you will save money and pay down loans only to spend more because you begin to think that what you’re saving on rent is disposable income.
•    Not growing up nearly as fast as you would if you were on your own since you don’t have the same level of responsibilities.
•    Having some difficulty dating due to the potential awkwardness of spending time with a significant other in your parents’ home.
•    Becoming too complacent by having someone else fulfill the majority of your domestic responsibilities.

If you are going to live at home for any length of time after graduation, make sure you have a specific purpose for doing so, such as saving up for the down payment of a home or paying off a substantial amount of student debt.  Set a very specific goal for yourself, such as “I will live here for 18 months, and by that time I will have enough money saved up for the down payment of a home.  I need to save $500 per month over these next 24 months.”  Measure yourself monthly towards this goal and make sure the time period doesn’t get stretched out to 48 months!

Another potential pitfall to avoid is that you do not become too reliant on your parents for chores that you should be capable of doing yourself.  There is no reason why you shouldn’t be managing your own finances, doing your laundry, making your bed, ironing your clothes and paying for your share of household items.  Becoming too dependent on your parents will make it even harder to eventually go off on your own, and nobody wants to be “that person” just starting to become independent in their late 20s.

Unless you are facing uncontrollable circumstances (such as extreme amounts of debt, ill parents, family members going through some very difficult times) or unless you have a specific purpose with a specific time limit (such as saving for a down payment or paying down student debt), try to avoid living at home.  The only way you are going to become completely independent is to…. be completely independent!

As a young professional, the potential living situation can take you to one of three places – the home you grew up in, living on your own in a city you are familiar with or relocating to a brand new city that you may or may not have any connection to whatsoever.  Before looking at each of these three, let’s talk for a minute about the decision making process.  You really need to evaluate what is truly important to you and there simply is no easy answer.

The main factors in a young professionals decision about where to live include one or more of the following, each with varying degrees of importance:

People – Do you want to be as close to your family as possible?  Did you make a pact with your high school friends that you would all move back home after college?  Are you and some college friends all moving to a certain city together?  Is your boyfriend/girlfriend already living somewhere?

Money – Are you at a point financially where you feel as though your only option is to move back home?  Do you want to move to a big city but can’t afford to even split a studio with your income?  Are you being offered twice as much money to start your career in a certain city?

Location – Do you need to be near a beach?  Or can you not live without the lights and sounds of a big city?  Do you need to be on the mountains and ski as much as possible?

Education – Does a school 1,500 miles away have the best program in the country?  Is your field of study only offered in certain parts of the country?

Industry – Is it easier to become an actor in Los Angeles than it is in Omaha?  How difficult is it to be a ski instructor in Miami?  Are you at an advantage to choose one location over another based on your industry?

What is important to you may not even be a factor in someone else’s decision and vice versa.  We all value different things in life and those things can often change significantly and quickly.  The bottom line is that no matter what you decide to do, put yourself in control of the decision making process.  Make sure to consider all of the above factors and not only one.

To keep things simple, focus on three things when you move to a new place:  have great living arrangements, meet lots of people and make sure you give it a fair chance.  You can control each of these factors and they will give you a better chance of immediately finding happiness in your new place.

Great Living Arrangements

Make sure to live in a place that is safe.  Spending slightly more than you would like is worth allowing yourself to live in a nicer place that will make you happy.  Be sure to choose an area that is home to the types of people you want to be around, such as young professionals. Be sure it’s a part of town that you will enjoy, perhaps in close proximity to nightlife.  If you are new to an area, it is typically better to rent as opposed to buying, so that you are able to get a good sense of the entire city.  Once you become an expert on the different neighborhoods and sections of town by living there, you’ll be in a better position to consider buying a place.  You will also want to make sure you are committed to living in the area for at least a couple of years so that it makes financial sense to purchase a place.

If possible, try to find at least one other person to live with. Having a roommate will substantially lower your cost of living or allow you to spend the same amount of money but live in a much nicer place.  It will also help you to have a more active social life and to meet more people since a roommate usually comes with a new set of friends to hang out with.  Finding a good support system is crucial.

In terms of your living arrangement, it is important to bring some pieces of home with you.  This may include picture frames, memorabilia and furniture that bring the familiarity of your comfort zone to your new place.  In a new environment, you will want to feel ties to your life from the past.  As you continue to grow, it’s important to remember where you’ve been.

Meet Lots of People

One great thing about relocating is that you will have countless opportunities to surround yourself with people from all different walks of life.  If you grew up in one city and attended a school nearby, then you probably haven’t met many people from the opposite side of the country.  You can learn a lot about yourself and other people if you are able to surround yourself with diversity, and relocation allows you to do this.

Meeting new people who you’ll actually want to spend your time with can be difficult.  You must make a strong effort to meet new people, especially because it will be more challenging than it probably was for you at any other point in your life.  In high school, you had class with lots of people your age, many of whom you grew up with and lived nearby.  In college, it was even easier to meet people.  You lived in a dorm room when you started college and had a couple hundred people your age within a couple hundred feet of you at all times.  You met people through the dorms, classes, clubs and organizations that became some of your best friends.  However, in the “real world,” meeting people is more difficult.  You will probably need to make a stronger effort than ever before, but by doing so you will build new and enduring relationships that will make you a happier person in your new place.

Once you move, make a commitment to yourself that regardless of your other responsibilities, you will make every effort to meet new people.  You can do this by getting involved in the alumni association of the college you went to, watching sports games with other fans of your favorite team, volunteering at the local Boys & Girls Club, joining professional networking groups or joining a softball league.  There are thousands of ways to get involved, and they’ll allow you to build a network of friends, professionals and maybe even to start a relationship with the love of your life.  Meeting new people is difficult and can be uncomfortable at times, but doing so will expand your horizons.

Give it a Fair Chance

A common mistake for those who make a big move is to hit the “panic button” too soon when the initial feeling of un-settlement is still lingering.  Many people’s first reaction is to return to their comfort zones when this challenge arises.  Moving to a new city can be extremely difficult, but you must give yourself every chance to succeed.  At first, it is easy to complain – you’re too far from home, you are unhappy professionally, you don’t know anyone, the place is different from what you are used to.  Most of the problems you will have at first are easily fixable if you truly want to fix them – you can always meet new people, move to a different part of town or change your career.  Challenge yourself to persevere through the initial difficulties and give yourself every chance to succeed.  If you decide to move back to your comfort zone too quickly, you may regret it later on in life and always wonder what would have happened if you had just stuck it out.

Keep in mind that moving to a new city and successfully becoming independent will make other big decisions and moves in your life much easier; you will be more confident and more successful in the future because of your experiences.  If you can pack up your life, move far away and become successful in a new place, then most of the other challenges you face in life will seem less intimidating.

The main factors in a young professionals decision about where to live include one or more of the following, each with varying degrees of importance:

People – Do you want to be as close to your family as possible?  Did you make a pact with your high school friends that you would all move back home after college?  Are you and some college friends all moving to a certain city together?  Is your boyfriend/girlfriend already living somewhere?

Money – Are you at a point financially where you feel as though your only option is to move back home?  Do you want to move to a big city but can’t afford to even split a studio with your income?  Are you being offered twice as much money to start your career in a certain city?

Location – Do you need to be near a beach?  Or can you not live without the lights and sounds of a big city?  Do you need to be on the mountains and ski as much as possible?

Education – Does a school 1,500 miles away have the best program in the country?  Is your field of study only offered in certain parts of the country?

Industry – Is it easier to become an actor in Los Angeles than it is in Omaha?  How difficult is it to be a ski instructor in Miami?  Are you at an advantage to choose one location over another based on your industry?

What is important to you may not even be a factor in someone else’s decision and vice versa.  We all value different things in life and those things can often change significantly and quickly.  The bottom line is that no matter what you decide to do, put yourself in control of the decision making process.  Make sure to consider all of the above factors and not only one.

The Bottom Line: relocation is a great way to learn, grow and challenge yourself at a young age.  It can also open the doors for some amazing opportunities and experiences that you never thought of before.  Consider all 5 factors and do what you feel is best for yourself; both in the short-run and long-run.