Am I a complete weirdo for contemplating moving to America?

But could you afford the healthcare? Do you need a house that big? Really??

And, you know, money isn’t everything. Do you have enough to live on, comfortably? Do you really need more? Is the pursuit of more money worth the considerable risks involved in living in America right now?

Personally, I wouldn’t.

A “fantastic” health care policy in USA does not equal ‘paying minimally out of pocket’ sadly. Even the best top notch policies only cover in-network providers (and all providers have to be in network eg not just the doctor performing your surgery, but also the building in which it takes place, the anaesthetist, the theatre staff etc), and you still have co-pays on everything, every visit, check-up, prescription, everything. It mounts up to a lot very quickly when you have kids.

I’d go in a minute!

Would the children be in private school and have you factored in those costs? Are you planning to be a stay at home mum? How close are you with extended family?

I don’t think it’s a non-started necessarily. I’d worry a bit about air traffic control and the government shut downs as I know that’s been a concern. Surely Trump can’t live forever, though?

Financially it’s a better life if you’re wealthy, in a lot of ways. Depends what your priorities are.

Looks like Newtown.

As someone who’s done similar - check the cost of house insurance, property taxes/HOA fees (and car insurance) before deciding on comparable house costs, they are often massively higher than UK. Also when you come to selling a property it is a lot more expensive to sell here. Also be aware it may be very difficult to buy a house until you have lived in the US a few years and built up a US credit history. Feel free to PM me if you’d like more details!

I live in the United States. I live a very privileged life here. My money and my skin color protect me from all sorts of issues my fellow citizens have to face.

I am still terrified. I am not convinced our democracy is going to survive.

babies have been pepper sprayed. American citizens have been held by ICE. Rights are being violated constantly.

my day to day life remains idyllic, but that doesn’t mean this is a good place to live.

Could you though? You can’t just compare rent/mortgage on one to the other. The overall cost of living is very different.

Is that Southfork?

If that's what you want then go ahead. I would hate to live in the US at the moment.

Can you try it for a few years and then come back? (Although Dubai would probably be better from financial perspective)

As a Brit living in the states I can tell you about my life. We have a great healthcare package, fantastic schools with great sports, drama and arts facilities.Recreational facilities here are great I have 5 rec centre's within 30 mins with pools,.gym, skating etc. I Like the culture here it's more optimistic and upbeat. In general American's are very welcoming of Brits. Yes there are some crazy politics going on but most of us are just here living our lives as normal.

do you know anyone there? Who would be visiting this gorgeous house? I’ve been tempted myself purely for property purposes - it’s shocking what we end up with here in the UK house wise vs some parts of America!

This! Yes go to America. You can come back in a few years but its a great place to live if you have money. I have lots of family there. None of them have come close to being shot. Not everone is a Trump loon.ICE raids aren't going to affect you.

The violent crime statistics are nothing like the same in the UK vs US. To say it is approaching the same is disingenuous. I wouldn't live there but you aren't me!

Go for it! A close friend lived in LA for three years with the kids, loved it. Another friend lives in New York State, with the kids, loves it.

It’s not a prison sentence. You can come back if you don’t get on with it. However you need to give it a couple of years at least.

I’m American and there is no bloody way I’d ever move back. 😂

It sounds like your motivation is purely financial. Have you actually looked into the cost of living? Because it’s much more expensive there. Never mind the cost of healthcare - a biopsy cost me $1000 with insurance as a student with a student discount way back in the noughties! I’ve just gone through a year of cancer treatment and I’ve never been more grateful for the NHS. My treatment (the actual drugs themselves, not the appointments or the cannulas or the nurses gloves for blood draws or the CT, MRI, PET scans and the 5 surgeries), literally just the drugs, costs $207,000 in the US. Yes, which would have been largely but not entirely covered by insurance - assuming I could afford it. But just the thought of that cost outside of a system of universal healthcare. That’s a mortgage free house!

Anyway, things like food shopping and eating out and housing costs are stupidly expensive. A starter can be $30 at a normal family restaurant. Or $50 for a main. x family of 4, it’s a lot. I have several friends who are estate agents. Normal unremarkable teeny houses with 3 bedrooms rent for $2500-3000. That’s considerably more than my mortgage on a massive 5 bedroom house with garden and horse paddocks here (£1600/$2100). My mum and stepdad rent a 2 bedroom apartment for $3000 a month plus service charges. It is near a beach but it’s definitely not luxury.

Just do your sums and make sure it’s worth it with all the associated extra costs before you get in over your head.

I have relatives in America and they hate it. One has recently had treatment for cancer and had to sell her home to pay for treatment. She lost her insurance when she was made redundant.
Another has a really well paid job but wants to move away as she hates seeing what is happening there.

@Frinkleg Sorry but I really really wouldn't. Would somewhere else be a n option? Australia? Canada?

No, it's really not getting that way.

MN is weird about America. Probably because people spend too much time reading about Trump and don’t visit anywhere outside Florida.

The reality is day to day life for most people is the same as it was under Biden, or Obama.

Assuming you can get the visas, and your DH’s health insurance is good, I would go for it. It will be an adventure. And if you don’t like it you can come home in a few years, with plenty of time for your DC to get re-integrated into the British education system before GCSEs.

@Frinkleg Brit is US Here. Dare I say it. Connecticut is lovely, I was West Coast and now East Coast. You don’t live day to day thinking about guns much like I didn’t think about knife crime day to day living in London. And you won’t in Connecticut either. Truly.

it sounds like you’ll have decent Health Insurance (although always something that gets denied), access to decent public schools or private schools, guaranteed income. Although COL is three times that of UK it feels and so salaries account for that.

Don’t get swayed by the big house yet. You need to look at interest rates and property taxes which are huge. But your quality of life could be fantastic. Access to nature and the sea.

it’s a personal decision only you can answer what will work for your family, It’s not an easy move and can be a culture shock. So it could take a year or two to settle properly, I would start joining more specialist FB pages with people who can answer all your questions

That house looks like the ‘Home Alone’ house! I’d go for it. America is a big country with very safe enclaves. If you can afford an affluent lifestyle with healthcare you’ll be fine. I’d go for it. If you don’t like it you can come home - DH will get a job anywhere.