[cjrogers]

Well, if you have a ton of money, So Cal is what you are describing. You can also move to South Florida. Other than that, the Gulf States or Arizona.

We moved from Chicago to North Texas in 2004 -- In December and January we will have some days that are 30 and 40 degreess ( note the word "some".) And when it snows, it melts by noon because it is 60 degrees by end of day.

It is very warm here. Summers last from April to November. Then cool / mild weather from mid December through March. But trust me, Cool, mild weather, is usualy in the 50s and 60s. If you are golfers you will love the weather here.

The job market rocks. And most people are translplants from up North. I rarely meet native texas where we live.

The only downfall is that the beach is more like 4.5 hours away... it would be a weekend trip for you. But check out Dallas Fort Worth. The job market is stable, but the housing market, like everywhere else, is a mess. But you can get a mcmansion for under 250K. Housing is cheap, one of the least expensive places in the US.

And note, once a Texan, always a Texan. As a liberal Chicagoan, I moved here thinking that I would hate it. I LOVE IT. I would never move back

Good luck.