The carpetbagger are here in full force

[PZ]

I moved to Idaho to get away from all the nonsense throughout the country, and now it feels like driving in Los Angeles when we go to town. Having come from California nearly 4 decades ago, I love this place because it was everything that California is not. Sadly now, the transplants from all over outnumber the local population and they have brought all their big city bad habits with them.

Home prices have skyrocketed and many locals have had to sell and move out of the area because they cannot afford the property taxes. I know of young adults that keep needing to move further from town because rentals have nearly tripled in the past few years.

The housing crunch is so bad now that a home here cost between $30-40k when I moved here, and the median price now is more than $500k, largely because out of state investors and corporations have purchased the homes as soon as they come available to turn them into VRBOs and other types of rentals.

Formerly if one wanted to switch lanes all that was needed is a signal and it was possible to move over. Now I am tempted not to signal because when I do, more often the car in the other lane will deliberately speed up to prevent me from doing so.

I never wanted to return to California, and now it looks like California has moved here. I just do not know why people hate it where they come from, and the first thing they do is try to make the new place just like the place they left. 

It is so bac now that for the first time in over 30 years I am actually thinking of going elsewhere, which would be heartbreaking because I love this place.  I could go on ad nauseum, but you get the drift [/rant]

[fragger]

Oh man, I get that all too well. Same story where I live. When I moved here just over 15 years ago, nobody knew this place existed. Heck, I never knew it existed even though I must have ridden/driven past the freeway turnoff a couple of hundred times in the past. But now the word's out and newbies are coming thick and fast.

Just like you PZ, I moved here to get away from the city, but now the city is moving here too - and yep, the slickers are bringing all their baggage with them. People are leaving Sydney in droves to get away from the crowds, the traffic and the expense, and almost all of them are migrating north, up to where I am and beyond. Sydney now has a larger population than Los Angeles, and is nudging its way towards New York City numbers. And even though people are leaving it, more overseas immigrants are arriving than there are departing locals. New housing developments are going up all around my area, and just like where you are, house prices are soaring. Whereas once I'd see maybe just two or three cars on our main drag each hour, now there's traffic and peak hours are becoming a major pain in the arse.

So yeah, I feel your pain, old bean. I too will be looking to move out of here in future. I'm only staying because my ageing folks need me, but that's the only thing keeping me here. I don't resent them for that or anything, but I can't say I'll be sad to up sticks and skedaddle when the time comes. I'd still like to stay in this region if possible, but I'll have to see if that's a viable option.

I'd move to Tasmania if it wasn't so flipping cold for much of the year. I've been too spoiled by warmth and sunshine

[PZ]

I'd move to Tasmania if it wasn't so flipping cold for much of the year. I've been too spoiled by warmth and sunshine

The problem seems to be everywhere as folks make their fortunes in the big cities and then bring their wealth to smaller areas where they displace the locals by pricing them out AND by bringing their awful big city habits.

My wife is not running for senator in district 5 of our area and I'm now her tech guy building her site. She hopes to get elected, but the chances are slim because of the out-of-state corporate interests are flooding awful candidates with campaign money.

To give you an example of how audacious these transplants are, an article appeared in the local player that moved from California only two years ago and came right out and said "if  you locals don't like the p0L!t!cs here, MOVE" It's that kind of trash talk that is now the norm. I cannot imagine even thinking something like that when moving to a new area.

Another example: I saw a truck sporting large American and Confederate flags. He likely could not get away with that where he came from and moved here, likely within the last 30 days or so because he still had his California plates on. I really hate how bad actors like this flaunt that they will resort to bad behavior if they are in any way challenged.