What Now, When Millions Can Live Anywhere?

[skeptic llc]

Covid has enabled a critical mass of workers to move wherever they want and continue their employment. How will that change the country?

 

[Peter]

I don't think it'll have much impact.
This idea that millions will move just to save a bit of money completely ignores that people have family ties to where they live like kids in school or just simply not wanting to move away from friends or family.
Yes, some will move but the overwhelming majority will stay put.

 

[dex4974]

Hello from Brazil!

 

[Chomsky]

Hello from Brazil!

 

[Chomsky]

I think the best part is white collar professionals who used to need to live in cities, can now live in further-out suburbs or exurbs. Less commuting? Stay home with the kids? Have an acre or two around you? What's not to like?

 

[skeptic llc]

I don't think it'll have much impact.
This idea that millions will move just to save a bit of money completely ignores that people have family ties to where they live like kids in school or just simply not wanting to move away from friends or family.
Yes, some will move but the overwhelming majority will stay put.

Well, I moved to save a LOT of money and because of family ties. Previously I had to be in a high cost of living location, far from family, to earn high wages. Now I can live in a low cost of living location, with family nearby, while retaining the same paycheck. Seems like lots of Americans (not most, but lots) might be having the same experience.

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

I think the best part is white collar professionals who used to need to live in cities, can now live in further-out suburbs or exurbs. Less commuting? Stay home with the kids? Have an acre or two around you? What's not to like?

I expect that people will be expected to go to the office a few times a month when this is over. Which will still limit where people live to a degree.

Also, where I live, the exurbs are already for the upper middle or wealthy. To get a couple of acres with a house would cost $1 million plus, for any thing within 30 minutes of the city limits (then add 1 hr to get to the city center

 

[Chomsky]

I expect that people will be expected to go to the office a few times a month when this is over. Which will still limit where people live to a degree.

Yes, limited to some degree. They'll need to stay in the same metro area. But if they have an hour-and-a-half one-way commute once a week, it's no big deal. Daily, it is.

 

[skeptic llc]

I expect that people will be expected to go to the office a few times a month when this is over. Which will still limit where people live to a degree.

Also, where I live, the exurbs are already for the upper middle or wealthy. To get a couple of acres with a house would cost $1 million plus, for any thing within 30 minutes of the city limits (then add 1 hr to get to the city center

Dunno, I'll need to return to CA about one week per month. I can do a 2 day drive back and forth on a monthly basis to make that work. No need to live all that close to the office .... and if I was willing to fly, it would just be a few hours monthly.

 

[Drawdown]

Covid has enabled a critical mass of workers to move wherever they want and continue their employment. How will that change the country?

Employers are becoming disillusioned with the work at home model.

 

[skeptic llc]

Employers are becoming disillusioned with the work at home model.

That would be great news for my finances. Evidence?

 

[chuckiechan]

For those that can do it, working from home is great. BUT IMO in many cases, without social contact in the office you can sink into anonymity when it’s time for raises and promotions.
“Oh, that Chloe.”

 

[skeptic llc]

For those that can do it, working from home is great. BUT IMO in many cases, without social contact in the office you can sink into anonymity when it’s time for raises and promotions.
“Oh, that Chloe.”

That must be true in some lines of work and at some companies. It's probably less of an issue where there are clear metrics by which employees can be compared.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Dunno, I'll need to return to CA about one week per month. I can do a 2 day drive back and forth on a monthly basis to make that work. No need to live all that close to the office .... and if I was willing to fly, it would just be a few hours monthly.

Two day drive from PNW to CA in a decent car or decent light pickup is a pleasure, the return trip isn't too bad either.
In fact, I just did that very trip in order to help my daughter MOVE to Portland.
Only problem is, I was driving a POS gasoline powered Uhaul truck, and the drive up to Portland was a nightmare.
They call these hamster powered Uhauls "dragonflies" or .... "Drag & Fly's" because you drag em up one side of the hill and wind up flying down the other side.
Uggghhh, 40 mph going uphill with the accelerator to the floor, long line of pissed off cars and trucks behind me, hating me, then standing on the brakes till they begin to smell, then downshifting progressively from OD, to D, then 4th, 3rd and even 2nd while hearing the crappy Ford V8 redlining.
Lather, rinse, repeat over and over ad nauseum...at roughly six miles per gallon.

I really wish Uhaul would or could equip those trucks with a diesel like the larger Uhauls.
Maybe not as quick but at least they have the torque to flatten out the hills a little better and no one needs "quick" when it comes to a moving truck, and a comparably sized diesel might have gotten me at least 12-15 mpg instead.

I wound up flying back because I could not secure a rideshare.
I really despise flying these days.

 

[skeptic llc]

Two day drive from PNW to CA in a decent car or decent light pickup is a pleasure, the return trip isn't too bad either.
In fact, I just did that very trip in order to help my daughter MOVE to Portland.
Only problem is, I was driving a POS gasoline powered Uhaul truck, and the drive up to Portland was a nightmare.
They call these hamster powered Uhauls "dragonflies" or .... "Drag & Fly's" because you drag em up one side of the hill and wind up flying down the other side.
Uggghhh, 40 mph going uphill with the accelerator to the floor, long line of pissed off cars and trucks behind me, hating me, then standing on the brakes till they begin to smell, then downshifting progressively from OD, to D, then 4th, 3rd and even 2nd while hearing the crappy Ford V8 redlining.
Lather, rinse, repeat over and over ad nauseum...at roughly six miles per gallon.

I really wish Uhaul would or could equip those trucks with a diesel like the larger Uhauls.
Maybe not as quick but at least they have the torque to flatten out the hills a little better and no one needs "quick" when it comes to a moving truck, and a comparably sized diesel might have gotten me at least 12-15 mpg instead.

I wound up flying back because I could not secure a rideshare.
I really despise flying these days.

Yes, it's a very nice drive (well, if there's no UHaul in the equation). I already hated flying, and now the last thing I want to do is share air with a bunch of people for a couple of hours.

 

[Checkerboard Strangler]

Yes, it's a very nice drive (well, if there's no UHaul in the equation). I already hated flying, and now the last thing I want to do is share air with a bunch of people for a couple of hours.

Which I just did, so I've been sitting on pins and needles the last few days since my return.
But so far, so good.
Fingers crossed.