In 2022 my family left the San Francisco Bay Area, where my wife and I had been selling homes at Compass and Sotheby's, and moved to 60 acres in East Tennessee. We wanted to raise our own food and give our kids room to grow up outside. I won't pretend every part of that move was smooth, and that's exactly why I'm useful to clients who are thinking about doing the same.
The people who call me about this are usually founders after an exit or executives whose companies let them work from anywhere, and more and more often business owners who've handed off the day-to-day. None of them are looking for a smaller life, they want room and privacy and a home that doesn't depend on a city to stay comfortable.
Primary home or second home
This is the first decision, and it changes everything after it. A second home lets you try a place for a few seasons while keeping your house in the city. A full move frees up equity and simplifies your life, and it's harder to undo. Neither is wrong. I'd rather you decide on purpose than drift into one.
Sell the city house or keep it
I'm licensed in California and still sell in the Bay Area, so I often handle both sides: listing the house you're leaving and buying the one you're moving to. That lets me time the two closings so you aren't carrying two properties longer than you planned, or rushing into the new one because the old one sold faster than expected.
Taxes
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, which is one reason so many of my California clients look here. Where you're considered a resident, and when, can get complicated, especially around a liquidity event. Please have that conversation with your CPA and tax attorney before you set a moving date, not after.
The practical stuff people forget
How far is the nearest good hospital? How long is the drive to an airport with direct flights? Is there fiber internet, and is it reliable? What are the schools like, or are you planning to homeschool the way we do? These questions sound small next to the house itself, and they decide whether you're happy there after the first year.
Try it before you commit
If you're unsure about a region, rent there for a season first, ideally through a winter, and drive the back roads after a hard rain. I'd rather you buy a year later and love it than buy next month and regret it.
When you're ready, I can handle the whole thing, from the search and the financing to the sale of the house you're leaving, so the decision gets the care it deserves while you keep running your company. Book a private consultation and we'll start with where you are now.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. All loans are subject to underwriting approval.
Talk it through with me
If you're weighing a move, a purchase or a loan, a private consultation is the easiest place to start.
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