Detroit [[metro) is Most Affordable Market for Middle-Class Families

[Onthe405]

Out of curiosity, why would one be concerned about that door closing if they moved to a city for the cheaper COL in the first place?

As is the case with this guy, many people are driven by seeking ever-improving career opportunities, which is an entirely different motivation than looking for a place with the intent of reducing the cost of living. While this may not be true for you or me, career comes first to these folks, locale second.

Because lower COL is usually accompanied by lower salaries, the longer the career-motivated types spend in a cheaper place, the more difficult it becomes to negotiate the ever-increasing salary gap to jump back.

The key to side-stepping the "Trap" in his case might be to resist the temptation to spend the entire windfall of the Vancouver proceeds on a more extravagant residence in TX, and invest a portion elsewhere [[there might be capital gains penalty associated with that strategy, though).

Ultimately, "quality of life" is an extremely subjective & personal phrase. To each his/her own.

[313WX]

As is the case with this guy, many people are driven by seeking ever-improving career opportunities, which is an entirely different motivation than looking for a place with the intent of reducing the cost of living. While this may not be true for you or me, career comes first to these folks, locale second.

Because lower COL is usually accompanied by lower salaries, the longer the career-motivated types spend in a cheaper place, the more difficult it becomes to negotiate the ever-increasing salary gap to jump back.

The key to side-stepping the "Trap" in his case might be to resist the temptation to spend the entire windfall of the Vancouver proceeds on a more extravagant residence in TX, and invest a portion elsewhere [[there might be capital gains penalty associated with that strategy, though).

Ultimately, "quality of life" is an extremely subjective & personal phrase. To each his/her own.

I understand that everyone has their own preference, but it's unusual for one to move from a high COL place to a low COL and then yearn to move back to the high COL place. Even though the salaries may be lower [[not always the case, if you internally transfer in companies, they sometimes let you keep your high COL salary), the idea is that you'll have more disposable income to take trips more frequently, own more expensive cars, own bigger homes, etc.

Still, it's interesting to hear more about that perspective.

As far as career growth, this can be achieved in any large city with a sizeable/diverse corporate presence as long as you're not in a niche area of tech or finance.