Sell everything I own and move to the mountains?

[GTI337]

Hey everybody,

Been reading AT for probably 5 years, just don't post very often, if at all. I've enjoyed the OT forum for a long time, and have seen some good advice (As well as bad) flow through here.

Anyway, I have a good job in IT and a house in the Southeast. I love to snowboard and for a long time it has been a dream to move out west so I'd be closer to some mountains to ride. My friends have all recently moved away, I hate working in IT, and I recently ended a long term relationship in the city I'm in now. As you can see, not a lot keeping me here. I'm seriously thinking of selling the house, quiting my job, and moving to Colorado to work at a ski resort for the winter. The plan is to see where that would lead me in the off-season since I don't really know what I want to do career wise right now.

Anybody done anything like this? Anybody think this is nuts?

 

[T3C]

If you can afford it then go for it. If you can not afford it or are just going to wing it, then you are nuts.

 

[upsciLLion]

Originally posted by: TechITguy
If you can afford it then go for it. If you can not afford it or are just going to wing it, then you are nuts.

Exactly. Save up a bunch of money if you haven't already.

 

[alien42]

sounds almost exactly like my situation but i am thinking about oregon or australia

 

[Otaking]

What about the wife? family?

OMG, give me the 337. Now. (That is, if you have one.)

 

[GTI337]

Can I afford it? I guess this is what worries me, because I'm used to living a rather nice lifestyle.

Well, if I were to work at the resort and rent an aprtment, I could get by if I llive like I was in college again.

If I don't work I could probably get by for 2 years on the proceeds from the sale of the house if I live like I was in college again.

 

[lokiju]

I say do it if you can, enjoy your life while you're here...

I should take my own advice


One day I will...

 

[GTI337]

No wife or family.

And yes, I have a 337. She's my baby

Originally posted by: Otaking
What about the wife? family?

OMG, give me the 337. Now. (That is, if you have one.)

 

[tami]

it's not nuts. if there's nothing to leave behind, go for it. if it will make you happier, definitely do it. just make sure to get a job at the ski resort first

 

[Fullmetal Chocobo]

Property taxes would kick your a$$ though...
Tas.

 

[jjzelinski]

Do mountains have ATOT?

 

Is your name Ted Kaczynski?

 

[rahvin]

Living in a ski town isn't cheap dude. If you wanna be a ski bum it's not that hard, but there is a reason bum is part of the name. You will live like you are almost homeless, the only way to get by is usually to live with 5 or 6 other people, resort jobs usually pay minimum wage because there is a lot of ski bums looking for jobs. On top of that you only workat the resort during the ski season, during the rest of the year you will end up doing landscaping or something equally inane, because jobs are hard to come by in a ski town in the summer when there are no tourists. And like I said, ski towns aren't cheap, not any of them, expect to live much worse than college otherwise you are setting your expectations to high.

 

[GTI337]

Originally posted by: tasburrfoot78362
Property taxes would kick your a$$ though...
Tas.

If you mean the capital gains tax on the money from the sale, I've already figured that in. Yeah, it would suck.

Forgot to mention I've got three friends in the Denver area. One of them has a cousin that works for one of the resorts and the husband works for another. Should make finding a job a little easier. Plus I'd have some friends to fall back on about 2 hours away in Denver.

 

[MX2]

Its very beautiful in Colorado and the skiiing is fan-fvcking-tastic

 

[xaeniac]

Follow your dreams man.... If you feel that is what you want to do definitely do it. Our life on Earth is way too short to not follow your dreams

 

[rahvin]

Originally posted by: GTI337
Forgot to mention I've got three friends in the Denver area. One of them has a cousin that works for one of the resorts and the husband works for another. Should make finding a job a little easier. Plus I'd have some friends to fall back on about 2 hours away in Denver.

Denver is 2 hours away from the nearest resort, and it's even more expensive to live there. Real estate prices in the denver metro area are absolutely insane and I doubt rent is cheap but I don't know on that one.

There is something you should be considering, and thats the cost of not putting money away for retirement when you are young. If you are in your thirties or younger you shouldn't be counting on SS in your old age. There is a very real possibility that by the time you retire they will have raised the benefits age in excess of 75 and cut the benefits you do get by 50%. In other words you will have to work 10 years longer and the benefits you get will NOT be a living wage. Compounding of returns placed into retirement accounts early in life will exceed contributions made later many fold. In other words build up some substantial saving while in your 20's and you won't have to worry as much about retirement later. A little hard work and sacrifice early pays some heavy dividends.

 

[sixone]

I <3 mountains. Do it.

 

[PHiuR]

do you like to take risks?

 

[RedCOMET]

Pack warm clothing...

 

[Mo0o]

Whatever makes you the happiest, thats what you should do, as long as you dont hurt anyone inthe process

 

[apoppin]

well, i moved from Cali to Hawaii [with 2 suitcases] to pursue surfing Big Waves . . . lived on the North Shore for 8 years. No regrets.

 

[eigen]

Don't be afraid.Think about it from the long-term view.As in on your deathbed.This could be life-changing.

 

[thomsbrain]

i've met people who go back and forth between america and australia/new zealand to work year-round at ski places.

 

[GTI337]

Originally posted by: rahvin

Denver is 2 hours away from the nearest resort, and it's even more expensive to live there. Real estate prices in the denver metro area are absolutely insane and I doubt rent is cheap but I don't know on that one.

There is something you should be considering, and thats the cost of not putting money away for retirement when you are young. If you are in your thirties or younger you shouldn't be counting on SS in your old age. There is a very real possibility that by the time you retire they will have raised the benefits age in excess of 75 and cut the benefits you do get by 50%. In other words you will have to work 10 years longer and the benefits you get will NOT be a living wage. Compounding of returns placed into retirement accounts early in life will exceed contributions made later many fold. In other words build up some substantial saving while in your 20's and you won't have to worry as much about retirement later. A little hard work and sacrifice early pays some heavy dividends.

I wouldn't be living in Denver, just saying I have friends there that I could stay with/have some kind of support system if something happened.

I've given consideration to the cost of not putting anything away for retirement. I'm currently 29 and have so far saved about $45K in various 401Ks (Would be more but I had a failed business attempt, but that's another story). Most of the jobs I've been looking at are full time positions with Vail resorts which also offers a 401k. Granted, I wouldn't be saving nearly as much as I do now.

I'm leaning more and more towards doing it, right now it depends a lot on what I can get for the house.