Quoted:
Some information to consider:
1. My work - shifts could be early or late (0430 to 1300 or 0800 to 1630 or 1530 to midnight) more than likely 1530 to midnight for me.
2. I will be working near the airport if I move up
3. My salary will be 6 digits, but I am paying off a lot of debt and will be for the next 2 years due to divorce
(worth every penny of the 60k)
4. My new spouse is a school teacher and will be at home not working if at all possible for the next 3-5 years raising our children
5. I would prefer an area with decent sized homes in the 600-1000 range, the lower the better and the bigger the lot or acreage the better
6. A close rifle range would be a bonus.
7. Taxes - ad valorem preferably lower than where I am now in chatham county....
8. Arfcommers.... Good ones nearby is a plus!
I already have a preferance to the west/SW I 75 cooridoor, but have not limited myself to it. Gas for commuting prices are not really a concern. I am good with up to an hour commute. Spouse likes hills/mountains etc, and a home with a basement would be a bonus... so long as it does not flood...
Most important question. Which direction is your BOL? ITP will not be a good place to be in when TSHTF, I don't care what you have in the safe. You want OTP, even if you are working, you want the wife and kids to have an easier time heading to the BOL.
I'm up in Cherokee, been here for almost 9 years, and have done the airport commute thing for those 9 weekly for flights. With the schedule you listed, unless you get the primo 0800 to 1600 shift, traffic won't be that bad. I can leave my house at 0600 and stroll in for a 0800 flight with ease (and a heavy foot). Several indoor ranges in the area, about a 1.5 hour drive to Creekside (less with that heavy foot), and a short distance away from the hills the wife wants. Houses ain't bad, especially with the economy. Land ain't cheap, but it ain't bad. You looking to buy or rent? I have a 3 bedroom, 2 bath with full basement and 1.29 acres I have rented out right now for 1250 a month. I think we are renting it on the lower end, not sure, but my tenants are good, pay on time and have been here for 2 years with no indication of moving, so we're not messing with the rent on 'em. I am sure you can find something around the price you are looking for. You want to avoid the floods, look for hilly land. It ain't real hilly on the southside.
Don't sweat the commute. Find a good school system for the kids, a place in the direction of your BOL, and something quiet the wife will like, especially if she is staying at home.
Edit: I'm from Tucker, and have been trying to get my mom out of there for the last 9 years. I told her, SHTF, and I call you that the balloon went up, you better start heading this way, with a wife and 2 kids, I can't come get you. Being that close to the shithole we call Atlanta doesn't sit well with me, and that is one less thing I would want to worry about.
Good luck,
b