November, 2005
Forbes "Cheap Places to Live Rich" by Rich Karlgaard.
Bend was rated as a "telecommuting heaven" where people can do
their best thinking, but not become so isolated that they would
go crazy. "Think you can't keep your high paying job and live
in a rural getaway such as Bend, Oregon? Think again", says
Forbes.com's Rich Karlgaard.
We've all heard about the wonders of the broadband Web. You can stream video, surf at lightning speeds, search for God-knows-what, get your e-mail in a blink. Here's what you may not know: It can let you live far richer than you probably live now.
Let me explain: For most of us, our biggest expense is the monthly mortgage payment that buys our house. The median house in America costs $210,000. Let's put in a new kitchen, redo the bathrooms and place the house in a good school district. Bingo, $300,000. For this money, you'll get a 2,300-square-foot house on a quarter-acre.
Does $300,000 sound cheap or expensive to you? Depends entirely on where you live, right? You'd say ridiculously cheap if you happen to live in Boston, New York, Washington, the Florida coasts or anywhere in California.
