• At 50, I retired from my job as a pharmacist in the US and moved to Ajijic, Mexico.
• To make this work, I did a lot of strategic planning and adjusting before and after the move.
• It has already paid off: I'm doing well, and I've planned for a sustainable early retirement abroad.

After turning 50, I retired from my job as a pharmacist and moved from San Francisco to Ajijic, Mexico.

On paper, I had done everything right: I did a ton of research, picked a beautiful lakeside town, and ran the numbers. I was confident I could make this new life work.

However, building a sustainable, enjoyable early retirement abroad takes more than just moving to a place with a lower cost of living.

After three years here, I believe I've finally done it.

First, I had to figure out what 'sustainable' actually means in practice

For me, a sustainable early retirement abroad means feeling at ease and living comfortably while staying prepared for the unexpected.

Since I chose to retire at 50, I wanted to make sure I could support myself for at least another 17 years, which is when I'll be eligible to receive full Social Security benefits.

When building a sustainable financial system, I kept in mind my desired lifestyle, second-career goals, fixed-income investments, and long-term legacy.

For example, I wanted to be able to visit my family back in San Francisco regularly and finally pursue writing as a career — something I'd wanted since grade school — without an immediate need for income.

So, I prioritized growing my high-yield savings accounts and investing in CDs, short-term bond funds, and money market funds to cover living expenses.

I also hired a financial advisor to diversify the rest of my portfolio for growth and stability, so I could focus on creative work rather than market swings after I moved.

I knew I needed to create a budget to help keep my yearly spending steady, so I began tracking how much I would need for essentials while still having extra money for travel, enrichment, and emergencies.

The first year of my move consisted of a lot of preparing, testing, and exploring

After the initial culture shock, I spent my first year in Ajijic learning my way around the town, getting accustomed to Mexican culture, and gradually falling into step with the local rhythm.

I explored different ways to manage cash flow between my US and Mexican bank accounts and learned I liked using the service Wise for low-fee currency conversions.

Through online searches and conversations with locals and expats, I curated a "money‑smart" list of the best-priced grocery stores, reliable handymen, and trusted doctors, so future surprise expenses could be less likely to blow up my budget.

I tracked all my spending in a spreadsheet, breaking it down by category so I knew exactly where my money was going. This helped me plan for the next year.

After a few months of renting, I also bought a house that's become both a comfortable home and a long‑term investment. Owning a home helped anchor me in the community and turn my housing expenses into an asset.

In my second and third years abroad, I did more strategic planning and refining

In year two, I worked closely with my financial advisor to better reshape my portfolio around my early retirement needs and set up an accessible emergency fund.

I got in the habit of using Wise to track the dollar-to-peso exchange rate and batch-converting money whenever it was favorable.

Plus, I took a closer look at my healthcare plans. Because of my good health, I chose to pay out of pocket for doctor's visits rather than buy health insurance in Mexico. This lowered my expenses and also made it easy to put off routine checkups.

Even though I felt fine, I knew I needed to stay on top of preventive care to protect my long-term health, so I also scheduled an annual lab panel, vision exam, and routine teeth cleaning. They all cost me less than what I'd spend on similar services in the US. I made plans to repeat this annually so small problems wouldn't snowball.

In year three, I set up many unsexy but critical documents, including wills, beneficiary designations, and a cross-border estate plan.

I also created an emergency plan in case of a health crisis, which included which hospital I'd like to use, how I would pay, and who to call if something went wrong.

And, after two years of collecting my Ajijic spending data, I finally had the experience and confidence to lock in my budget and begin living by it.

All in all, I've found that sustainability is a gateway to opportunities

I feel I've made the right choice by retiring early in Mexico and giving myself the chance to lead a new life on my own terms.

In three years, though, all my planning, saving, investing, and strategizing have begun to pay off: I've had more mental space for writing and other creative work that energizes me.

My writing career is already taking shape. I recently won ThrillerFest's 2026 Undiscovered New Voices scholarship and will soon pitch my latest psychological thriller to industry professionals.

Sure, this is a simplified overview — building a retirement abroad also involves navigating visas and so many other logistics.

It takes time to build a system that can hold up for decades, but I already feel confident I can maintain my current lifestyle for many years to come.

• The US has diverse architecture across its 50 states.
• History, art, and local aesthetics are all reflected in some of America's coolest buildings.
• From prehistoric dwellings to kitschy designs, these buildings make for unique attractions.

Throughout its nearly 250-year history, the United States has produced some striking and unique architecture.

From preserving local history to showcasing each region's unique cultural quirks, these 51 buildings across the US are worthy destinations for your next travel list.

Defining what we consider to be the "coolest" is hard. We evaluated every state on its own terms and found that the architecture across all 50 states and Washington, DC, can be as diverse as the country's population.

In states like California and Massachusetts, it meant picking buildings that look futuristic and elegant, like something out of a science-fiction movie.

In other states, like Maine and the Carolinas, we found that the coolest buildings are distinctive because of their place in history or the state's culture.

Whether you're looking for a piece of history or a glimpse into the future, these buildings can show you what different worlds look like.

James Grebey and Jacob Shamsian contributed to an earlier version of this story.

ALABAMA: Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal

The Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Passenger Terminal in Mobile, Alabama, which has Spanish influences with its cream walls and red clay tiles, was designed by P. Thornton Marye. It was completed in 1907 and has undergone restoration since passenger train service ceased in the 1950s.

ALASKA: The University of Alaska's Museum of the North

The University of Alaska Museum of the North is home to numerous exhibits showcasing the native cultures, natural wonders, and wildlife of our nation's largest state. It's also a stylish refuge from the cold.

ARIZONA: Chapel of the Holy Cross

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona was completed in 1956, and it juts majestically from a red stone butte, some 200 feet above the ground.

ARKANSAS: Thorncrown Chapel

The beautiful Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs looks like an open-air structure, but it's actually a serene, glass-enclosed architectural marvel.

CALIFORNIA: The Chemosphere

It was designed in 1960, but the Chemosphere still looks futuristic. It's a house with 2,200 square feet of space, perched atop a 30-foot concrete pole. And it's survived every major Californian earthquake in the San Fernando Valley since it was built.

COLORADO: Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, features some of the best-preserved prehistoric landscapes of the Ancestral Puebloan people. These ancient dwellings, where the Ancestral Puebloans once lived, were constructed on the sides of natural cliffs.

While most dwellings had only one to five rooms, the Cliff Palace, the largest known cliff dwelling in North America, had 150 rooms, 23 sacred meeting spaces, and housed about 100 people, according to the National Park Service.

CONNECTICUT: Grace Farms

The main feature of Grace Farms in New Canaan is a serpentine wooden pavilion that links glass-walled rooms, including a library, stage, tea room, and a gym with a full basketball court. Completed in 2015, it's open to the public for free.

DELAWARE: Wilmington's Grand Opera House

The country's oldest state has some classic buildings that stand the test of time. Wilmington's Grand Opera House, built in 1871, is as classic as it gets.

FLORIDA: The Salvador Dalí Museum

The Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg is a fittingly unique tribute to the beloved master of surrealism. The museum boasts the largest collection of Dalí's work outside Europe.

GEORGIA: The Earth Lodge on Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park

This might not look much like other buildings in this list, but the Ocmulgee Mounds National Park's Earth Lodge dates back to the year 1015, per the National Park Service.

The lodge is a reconstructed council chamber of the native Mississippian culture. While the walls and ceiling were reconstructed in the late 1930s, the clay floor remains the same as the original, dating back over a thousand years.

HAWAII: ʻIolani Palace

ʻIolani Palace in Honolulu is the only royal palace on United States soil. David Kalākaua, the last reigning king of Hawaii and the first monarch to travel around the world, was inspired by the European palaces he saw during his 1881 voyage.

IDAHO: The Dog Bark Park Inn

The Dog Bark Park Inn in Cottonwood is a delightful piece of American kitsch. The bed and breakfast is shaped like two charming beagles.

ILLINOIS: Bahá'í House of Worship

Although there are between 5 and 6 million adherents to the Bahá'í Faith, there are only eight continental houses of worship worldwide. The one in Wilmette, Illinois, is the oldest still standing, and the only one in the United States.

INDIANA: West Baden Springs Hotel

When the West Baden Springs Hotel opened in 1902, it was billed as the Eighth Wonder of the World. While enjoying the view from inside the massive domed atrium — at one point the largest in the world — it's easy to see why.

IOWA: Grotto of the Redemption

Father Paul Dobberstein promised to build a shrine to the Virgin Mary as she helped cure his grave case of pneumonia. His resulting Grotto of the Redemption in West Bend is made of rocks, shells, fossils, and gems pressed into concrete. It's the size of a football field.

KANSAS: Big Well in Greensburg

The Big Well in Greensburg is a museum that rests atop its titular main attraction: the largest hand-dug well in the world, spanning 32 feet in diameter and reaching a depth of 109 feet.

KENTUCKY: Churchill Downs

Churchill Downs, most famously the host of the Kentucky Derby, can hold 120,000 excited, sometimes rowdy, racing fans at max capacity.

LOUISIANA: The Pontalba Buildings

The Pontalba Buildings, which make up two sides of New Orleans' Jackson Square, are emblematic of the French Quarter. Some of the residences on the upper floors are believed to be the oldest continuously rented apartments in the country.

MAINE: The Portland Head Light

The Portland Head Light — one of the state's many lighthouses — has been around since 1791. It was built under the directive of George Washington himself.

MARYLAND: The American Visionary Art Museum

The American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore showcases outsider art. All the works within its wonky exterior were made by inspired, self-taught creators.

MASSACHUSETTS: Simmons Hall at MIT

Simmons Hall at MIT is the coolest dorm building in the US. It looks like a monstrous Tetris piece combined with underground caverns.

MICHIGAN: Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

The museum, one of the oldest and largest dedicated to African American history, is a three-story building designed with influences of African and local Detroit architecture. The building features a stunning 55-foot-tall glass dome ceiling.

MINNESOTA: The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory

The Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Saint Paul's Como Park was opened to the public in 1915 and features Japanese, Bonsai, and butterfly gardens, among others.

MISSISSIPPI: Gehry's Pods at the Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art

Designed by Frank Gehry — whose striking work also includes the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain — the curved metal pods, which house pottery at Biloxi's Ohr-O'Keefe Museum of Art, are meant to look as if they were "dancing with the trees," per the museum's website.

MISSOURI: The Community Bookshelf

The parking garage at the Kansas City Library is called the Community Bookshelf. It displays the giant spines of 22 classic books that were suggested by Kansas City readers.

MONTANA: Montana State Capitol building

Construction started on the Montana State Capitol in 1896. The inside of the rotunda salutes four types of people central to the state's early history: a native American, an explorer, a gold miner, and a cowboy.

NEBRASKA: Nebraska State Capitol Building

The Nebraska Capitol in Lincoln is one of the greatest state capitol buildings in the US. Built between 1922 and 1932, the building features artworks representing the development of law and the state of Nebraska.

NEVADA: Ward Charcoal Ovens

The distinctive beehive-shaped Ward Charcoal Ovens in Ely were built for silver mining back in the 1870s, and they still look like nothing else on the landscape.

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Mount Washington Hotel

Built in 1902, the Mount Washington Hotel — today operating as the Omni Mount Washington Resort — is one of the last remaining grand hotels in the state, and is rumored to be haunted.

NEW JERSEY: Nassau Hall at Princeton University

Nassau Hall is the oldest building at Princeton University, dating back to the 1750s. While it now houses the school's administrative offices, during the Revolutionary War it was occupied by both British and American forces and suffered damage during the battles.

NEW MEXICO: Taos Pueblo

Hundreds of years old, the Taos Pueblo is a multi-story complex built by Native Americans from the region. It looks like one big, molded piece, and it's still used as a residence.

NEW YORK: The Chrysler Building

The Empire State Building gets all the hype, but it's the Chrysler Building that's really the most magnificent skyscraper in New York City. The Art Deco-style building was the tallest in the world when it was built, but it was beaten out by — you guessed it — the Empire State Building just 11 months later.

NORTH CAROLINA: The Executive Mansion

Give it to North Carolina for having its most beautiful building designated as a civil landmark. The state's Executive Mansion in Raleigh is the home of the governor and a high-profile event venue that's open to public tours.

NORTH DAKOTA: The North Dakota Heritage Center

At the center of the North Dakota Heritage Center in Bismarck is a great glass cube flanked by two copper-colored wings. It's the home of the state's greatest treasures, including Native American historical artifacts and lots of dinosaur fossils.

OHIO: The Longaberger Company building

The Longaberger Company, which makes baskets, made a building in Newark that perfectly matches its brand. The building was closed in 2016, and it has largely sat idle since.

Plans for the property have included a hotel, a coworking space, and, most recently, a mixed-use development, but it still has an unclear path for the future.

OKLAHOMA: First Americans Museum

The First Americans Museum's 175,000-square-foot building in Oklahoma pays homage to the state's indigenous populations and their history. The design is inspired by the importance placed on the rising and setting sun by Native populations, with the Remembrance Walls being aligned with the sunrise.

The central half-dome is supported by 10 pillars of various stones, each representing a 10-mile stretch traveled by Native people during forced removal from their original homelands, according to the museum's website.

OREGON: The Portland Building

In 2009, Travel + Leisure famously called The Portland Building "one of the most hated buildings in America," and its reputation is split among architecture critics. But its shapes, strange geometric clashes of glass and stone, make it the weird building that Portland most deserves.

PENNSYLVANIA: Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater

Frank Lloyd Wright's 1935 masterpiece Fallingwater remains Pennsylvania's greatest work of architecture. Water falls from each level of the building into the one below, perfectly integrating with the landscape.

RHODE ISLAND: The Breakers

Built as a summer residence for Cornelius Vanderbilt II, The Breakers mansion in Newport has 70 rooms across 138,300 square feet, making it one of the largest houses in the US and an icon of Gilded Age architecture.

SOUTH CAROLINA: The International African American Museum

In South Carolina, the International African American Museum stands on top of 18 13-foot pillars that keep the museum from touching the sacred ground on which it was built.

The museum is situated on the historic site of Gadsden's Wharf in Charleston's Cooper River, which was the last and most significant disembarkation point in North America for enslaved Africans during the transatlantic slave trade, per the US Civil Rights Trail website.

SOUTH DAKOTA: The Corn Palace

The walls of the Corn Palace in Mitchell are adorned with complex murals and art that's all been made out of, you guessed it, corn. The design changes every year.

TENNESSEE: Parthenon in Centennial Park

Built in 1897 for the Tennessee Centennial Exposition — and then reconstructed between 1921 and 1930 — the Parthenon in Centennial Park is a full-sized replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. Today, it's open to the public as an art museum.

TEXAS: James Turrell's Twilight Epiphany skyspace

Designed by renowned artist James Turrell, the "Twilight Epiphany" Skyspace in Houston is a performance space that makes you feel as though you've entered another dimension.

UTAH: Natural History Museum of Utah

The Natural History Museum of Utah in Salt Lake City looks like it could have been carved out of the landscape. It was designed by Todd Schliemann of Ennead Architects.

VERMONT: The Old Round Church

The Old Round Church in Richmond is technically a 16-sided polygon, but it's still enough of a circle to lend credence to a rumor that it was built in that shape so that the Devil had no corners to hide in.

VIRGINIA: Dulles International Airport

If they're done wrong, airports can be the most insufferable place to spend a few hours. But we have to admire Virginia's Dulles International Airport, which almost looks like a futuristic aircraft itself.

WASHINGTON: Seattle Central Library

Forget the idea of a dusty old home for books nobody reads. The Seattle Central Library is a miracle of modern architecture.

WASHINGTON, DC: The United States Capitol

Construction on the Capitol started in 1793.

The United States Capitol is such a mainstay of nightly news and political pop culture that it's easy to take for granted. It's nice to step back once in a while and take in the grandeur and historical significance of this government building that reflects on America's complicated past.

Construction on the Capitol began in September 1793, and much of the structure was built by enslaved workers working alongside free Black and white laborers, per the White House Historical Association. In 2012, a marker was added to the Capitol Visitor Center commemorating the unpaid labor of enslaved people who built the nation's Capitol.

WEST VIRGINIA: The Palace of Gold

The Palace of Gold is a majestic memorial shrine located in the Hare Krishna community of New Vrindaban.

WISCONSIN: The Burke Brise Soleil

The most striking feature of the Milwaukee Art Museum is the Burke Brise Soleil, a towering sunscreen with a 217-foot wingspan. It folds and unfolds twice a day.

WYOMING: Smith Mansion

This wacky-looking building is in the middle of the remote Wapiti Valley. In 1971, architect Francis Lee Smith started building the structure by hand as his and his family's home. After completing the first floor in 1973, he could not stop building. He died after falling from one of the balconies in 1992.

• Every US state has a capitol that houses its state legislature.
• Many state capitols are domed buildings similar to the US Capitol, but others are more unique.
• Maryland's State House is the oldest capitol in continuous legislative use in the US.

A state's capitol can tell you a lot about its history.

State capitols house each state's legislative branch of government, executive offices, and other administrative and ceremonial spaces. While their function may be the same across all 50 states, their architectural designs vary.

Many state capitols feature references to their locations, like the Kansas State Capitol is topped by Ad Astra, a statue representing a Kansa (Kaw) warrior, while the New Hampshire State House, built largely from locally quarried granite, nods to the state's "Granite State" identity.

Some buildings date back to the founding of the United States. Maryland's State House in Annapolis, completed in 1779, is the oldest one in continuous use as a legislative center.

Every capitol has a unique look and distinct origin. Here's what the capitol looks like in every state.

Montgomery, Alabama

Alabama's capitol served as the first capital of the Confederacy, and there's a brass star on one of the porticos marking the spot where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as its president, according to the Alabama Historical Commission.

The building that stands today was constructed in 1851, after a fire burned down the original building in 1849, according to the Alabama Historical Commission.

One of the more famous parts of the capitol grounds is the Avenue of Flags. It has the flag of every state, plus a native rock from each state at the base of its flag. It was dedicated in 1968, according to Exploring Montgomery.

Juneau, Alaska

The Alaska State Capitol, completed in 1931, doesn't look much different from any other office building in Juneau, save for the marble columns. According to Alaska's official website, it is one of the few state capitols that do not feature a dome.

As The New York Times reported in 1981, neither the building nor the location was popular with locals — both were chosen because of cost concerns shaping both construction and relocations. Voters approved a measure in the 1970s to move the capitol, but the effort ultimately failed.

As recently as 2022, Alaskan senators sponsored a bill to move the capital, this time to Willow, reported Alaska Public Media, but for now, Juneau remains the Last Frontier's capital city.

Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona's capitol was dedicated in 1901. It stopped being the home of the legislative branches of government in 1960, and by 1978, all government officials had been moved to other buildings nearby in an area called the Capitol Complex.

The original building was then officially converted into a museum open to the public.

Little Rock, Arkansas

Arkansas' capitol took 16 years to complete. Construction lasted from 1899 to 1915, and the building was originally designed by architect George R. Mann, with later revisions by Cass Gilbert, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

This building replaced the State House, which is now the Old State House Museum, according to Arkansas Heritage.

Sacramento, California

The building was constructed between 1860 and 1874, and designed by Reuben S. Clark. It has been listed as a California Historical Landmark since 1974, according to the Historic State Capitol Commission.

Its design was based on the US Capitol in Washington, DC, among other well-known American buildings, according to the State of California Capitol Museum.

The California State Capitol is located inside the 40-acre Capitol Park, which contains trees from around the world, a World Peace Rose Garden, and the Civil War Memorial Grove.

Denver, Colorado

The Colorado Capitol, which was completed in 1901, was also designed to look like the US Capitol, but with a Colorado twist: The dome is covered in real gold leaf donated by gold miners to reference the Colorado Gold Rush from 1858 to 1861, according to the Colorado General Assembly.

Hartford, Connecticut

The current Connecticut State Capitol is actually the third capitol the state has had since the American Revolution. This one, designed by Richard M. Upjohn, opened in 1879, according to Connecticut's official state website.

The golden dome is surrounded by six pairs of statues representing agriculture, commerce, education and law, force and war, science and justice, and music, according to the State Capitol Preservation & Restoration Commission.

Dover, Delaware

The Delaware Legislative Hall was dedicated in 1933 and replaced the Old State House, which is opposite the Hall on the capitol mall. It was designed in the Colonial Revival style by E. William Martin, according to Delaware's official state website.

Washington, DC

The United States Capitol is located on Capitol Hill in DC. It was in construction for decades, partially destroyed in 1814, and then finally finished in 1829, according to Architect of the Capitol. The famous, gigantic dome was later added during an expansive addition in 1855, designed by Thomas U. Walter.

Atop the dome sits the "Statue of Freedom," a 19-foot statue of a woman wearing a battle helmet, holding a sheathed sword in one hand, and a laurel wreath and shield in the other. She's been there since 1863, according to Architect of the Capitol.

Tallahassee, Florida

The current capitol, also called the New Capitol, is located directly in front of the original — together, they form the Capitol Complex. The New Capitol was built in 1977 by architect Edward Durell Stone and the firm of Reynolds, Smith, and Hills, according to the Florida Capitol website.

The website reports the building was designed in an "international style to reflect a modern Florida," and includes a 22-story central tower.

The Old Capitol still stands, and it was restored to its original 1902 glory in the '80s. Currently, the building is the Florida Historic Capitol Museum.

Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia's capitol was finished in 1889 and designed by Willoughby J. Edbrooke and Franklin P. Burnham, according to the city of Atlanta's website. It sits on the site of the former Atlanta City Hall/Fulton County Courthouse, which was there from 1854 to 1994.

According to the city, it's one of 43 National Historic Landmarks in the state.

Honolulu, Hawaii

At the dedication of the Hawaiian capitol in 1969, then-Governor John A. Burns explained the design of the building, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported.

"In this great State Capitol there are no doors at the grand entrances which open toward the mountains and toward the sea," he said. "There is no roof or dome to separate its vast inner court from the heavens and from the same eternal stars which guided the first voyagers to the primeval beauty of these shores."

The building is also surrounded by a reflecting pool meant to symbolize the Pacific Ocean, which surrounds the chain of 137 recognized islands that make up Hawaii, according to the State of Hawaii.

Boise, Idaho

Idaho's capitol was designed by architects J.E. Tourtellotte and Charles Hummel, and was constructed between 1905 and 1920. According to Idaho's Capitol Commission, it's the only capitol in the US that is heated by geothermal water. It comes from a spring 3,000 feet underground.

Springfield, Illinois

According to a pamphlet by the Illinois Secretary of State's office, the current capitol (the state's sixth) was completed in 1888, 20 years after crews broke ground. At the time of its construction, the limestone dome was illuminated by 144 gas jets. However, the carbon emitted by those jets eventually turned the dome black.

It took 100 years, but it was finally cleaned in 1986.

Indianapolis, Indiana

According to the Indiana Department of Administration, Indiana's capitol was completed in 1888, and is home to all executive offices, the Indiana State Senate, the Indiana House of Representatives, and the Indiana State Supreme Court, among others. It was constructed with Indiana limestone.

Des Moines, Iowa

The large golden dome is 23 carats, and the entire building is 275 feet tall, according to a visitor's guide. It's been re-gilded four times since its construction in 1886.

Overall, Iowa's capitol has a total of five domes, making it the only capitol in the US with five.

Topeka, Kansas

Kansas' capitol dome is topped with a statue called "Ad astra" (Latin for "to the stars"), which is part of the state's motto, "ad astra per aspera" ("to the stars through difficulties"), according to the Kansas Historical Society.

The statue itself is a bronze depiction of a warrior from the Kansa tribe (also known as the Kaw Nation or Kanza), who call Kansas home and gave the state its name.

The entire building took 37 years to construct, also according to the Kansas Historical Society, from 1866 to 1903. 

Frankfort, Kentucky

Kentucky's capitol was designed by Frank Mills Andrews, according to Kentucky's official state website. There are also statues lining the front portico that represent Kentucky, the central figure, with Progress, History, Plenty, Law, Art, and Labor as her "attendants," according to the state website.

The current building is the fourth capitol in the state, and it was completed in 1910.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Louisiana Capitol is just one of nine capitols in the US that doesn't feature a dome — and at 450 feet tall (or 34 floors), it's also the tallest capitol in the country, according to Louisiana's House of Representatives.

It was dedicated in 1932, without the person who had spearheaded the effort to build it, Senator Huey P. Long, a controversial figure in Louisiana's history, as reported by Encyclopedia Britannica.

Augusta, Maine

The capital of Maine was originally Portland when the state broke away from Massachusetts in 1820. But when Mainers asked for a more centrally located capital city, Augusta was chosen in 1827, according to the Maine State Legislature. The building was completed by 1832.

The State House's dome is topped with a female figure of Wisdom, which was designed by sculptor W. Clark Noble of Gardiner, a town 6 miles from Augusta.

Annapolis, Maryland

Maryland's State House is the oldest capitol in continuous legislative use in the US, built in 1779, according to its official website. It's also the only state capitol to have once served as the US capitol when the Continental Congress met there from 1783 to 1784, according to the website.

Boston, Massachusetts

The Massachusetts State House, built in 1789, originally had a wooden dome, but Paul Revere's own company was responsible for covering it in copper in 1802, CBS News reported.

And the land it was built on? It used to be owned by none other than John Hancock, who was Massachusetts' first elected governor.

Lansing, Michigan

The floors of Michigan's capitol, which was dedicated in 1879, are made of limestone and have visible fossils in them, as you can see on the capitol's official website.

St. Paul, Minnesota

According to Explore Minnesota, the state's capitol is the second-largest self-supporting marble dome in the world, only behind St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Architect Cass Gilbert insisted on using Georgia marble for the dome, according to the Minnesota Historical Society. Some were critical of using out-of-state materials, so as a compromise, the contractor leased the quarry in Georgia and imported the rough marble so Minnesotans could do the work in-state.

It took nine years, but was completed in 1905.

Jackson, Mississippi

Designed by architect Theodore Link and constructed between 1901 and 1903, Mississippi's state capitol was built on the site of an old state penitentiary, according to the state capitol's official website. The building spans 171,000 square feet and features 4,750 original electric light fixtures, as well as an 8-foot statue of an eagle on the top of its dome.

Jefferson City, Missouri

Missouri's state capitol was completed in 1917, according to its official website. Ceres, the goddess of grain, sits at the top of its dome.

In addition to Missouri's state legislature, the 500,000-square-foot building houses the Missouri State Museum with exhibits about the state's history and natural resources.

Helena, Montana

The main building of Montana's state capitol was completed in 1902, and its two wings were added in 1911 and 1912, according to the Montana Historical Society. Inside, the building features works of art such as the mural "Lewis and Clark Meeting Indians at Ross' Hole," painted by Charles M. Russell in 1912.

Lincoln, Nebraska

Nebraska's state capitol was designed by architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue and completed in 1932, according to its official website. The 400-foot tower is topped with a 19-foot bronze statue called "The Sower."

It is the only state legislature to be unicameral, meaning it only has one chamber.

Carson City, Nevada

Nevada's state capitol was built from 1870 to 1871 out of sandstone sourced from a quarry belonging to Abe Curry, the founder of Carson City, according to Travel Nevada. It features a silver-colored dome, a nod to Nevada's nickname as "the silver state."

Concord, New Hampshire

The New Hampshire State House was constructed between 1816 and 1819 with locally sourced granite from Rattlesnake Hill in Concord, according to the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources.

In 1818, a wooden sculpture of an eagle painted with gold was installed on top of the capitol dome. It was replaced with a copper replica in 1957, but the original sculpture can be viewed on display inside the capitol, according to EverGreene, the architecture firm that restored the State House's gold-plated dome.

Trenton, New Jersey

After Maryland, New Jersey State House is the second-oldest capitol still in use, completed in 1792, according to the state of New Jersey's official website. Much of the original building, designed by architect Jonathan Doane, was destroyed in a fire in 1885.

Architect Lewis Broome restored the capitol and added a cast-iron dome plated with copper and gold and featuring the Latin phrase "Fiat Justitia Ruat Coelum," meaning  "There must be justice even though the heavens fall."

Santa Fe, New Mexico

New Mexico's capitol, known as the Roundhouse, is the only round capitol in the US, according to Santa Fe's official tourist website. Architect Willard C. Kruger modeled the design after the Zia sun symbol, which he also incorporated into the capitol rotunda skylight. The symbol is also part of New Mexico's state flag.

Albany, New York

When New York's state capitol in Albany was finally finished after 32 years in 1899, it was at a cost of $25 million, making it one of the most expensive government projects in the US. In 2013, The New York Times reported the figure was equivalent to more than half a billion dollars today.

Inside the granite building, visitors can find 25 murals by William deLeftwich Dodge in the Governor's Reception Room.

Raleigh, North Carolina

Completed in 1840, North Carolina's 3-story capitol includes a copper dome, according to the National Park Service.

Bismarck, North Dakota

North Dakota's state capitol is the tallest building in the state at 241 feet and 8 inches tall, according to the official government website. The Art-Deco structure is nicknamed the "Skyscraper on the Prairie," according to the Society of Architecture Historians.

Columbus, Ohio

Construction of the Ohio Statehouse took over 20 years, from 1839 to 1861, according to its official website. Much of the work was done by prisoners at Ohio Penitentiary, some of whom left graffiti on the walls that was uncovered during restoration work, the website says. Built in the Greek-Revival architecture style out of Columbus limestone, the Statehouse is a designated National Historic Landmark.

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Built in 1917, the dome on Oklahoma's capitol was added more recently, in 2002, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society — it was left out of the original construction due to costs. The grounds of Oklahoma's capitol also had active oil rigs until 1986. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.

Salem, Oregon

Oregon's Art Deco capitol is made of white Vermont marble with a gold statue of an "Oregon Pioneer" atop the dome, according to the capitol's official website. In-person guided tours are paused due to construction.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania's capitol, designed by architect Joseph Huston, cost $13 million to build when it was completed in 1906, which would be over $403 million today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The building's 272-foot dome is decorated with green glazed terra cotta tile, according to the capitol's official website.

Providence, Rhode Island

The Rhode Island State House, built between 1895 and 1904, features the fourth-largest freestanding marble dome in the world, according to the Rhode Island Restoration Committee's official website. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1970.

Columbia, South Carolina

The construction of the South Carolina State House began in 1854, but halted due to the Civil War. The building still features cannonball marks from when the Union army captured Columbia in 1865, according to Discover South Carolina. The State House was finally completed in 1903, and it was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1976, according to the South Carolina Department of Archives and History.

A portrait of state senator Clementa Pinckney, who was killed in the 2015 shooting at Charleston's Mother Emanuel AME Church, hangs in the Senate Gallery.

Pierre, South Dakota

South Dakota's state capitol was constructed between 1905 and 1910, not long after South Dakota became a US state in 1889, according to the South Dakota Bureau of Administration. An annex was added in 1932. The Neoclassical building features scagliola plaster columns, war memorials, and stained-glass windows, according to Travel South Dakota.

Nashville, Tennessee

The Tennessee State Capitol opened in 1859. The architect, William Strickland, died during its construction in 1854 and was buried on the capitol grounds along with President James K. Polk and first lady Sarah Childress Polk, according to the Tennessee State Museum.

Austin, Texas

Completed in 1888, the Texas State Capitol dome is topped with a statue of Libertas, the goddess of liberty, according to the official website for the Texas House of Representatives. It stands 14 feet taller than the US Capitol.

Salt Lake City, Utah

Utah's State Capitol was designed by architect Richard K.A. Kletting and was completed in 1916, according to its official website. The rotunda features bronze and marble statues of Native American leaders, LDS pioneers, and US presidents such as Abraham Lincoln, according to its website.

Montpelier, Vermont

The Vermont State House, designed in the Greek Revival architecture style, dates back to 1857, according to the National Park Service. A statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, adorns the top of the dome.

Richmond, Virginia

Thomas Jefferson designed Virginia's state capitol to look like the ancient Roman temple of Maison Carée, according to the Virginia General Assembly's official website. The building also features a bronze statue of Jefferson, who is depicted holding the capitol's architectural blueprints.

Olympia, Washington

The Washington State Legislative Building features the tallest freestanding masonry dome in North America at 287 feet, according to the Washington State Department of Enterprise Services. Designed by Walter Wilder and Harry White, it was completed in 1928.

Charleston, West Virginia

West Virginia's capitol, designed by Cass Gilbert, took eight years and almost $10 million to construct before its completion in 1932, according to its official website. The dome stands at 293 feet tall — 5 feet higher than the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

Madison, Wisconsin

Wisconsin's state capitol features the only granite dome in the US, according to Travel Wisconsin. On top of the dome, a gilded bronze statue by Daniel Chester French is aptly named "Wisconsin."

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Wyoming's state capitol, constructed between 1886 and 1890, was built in the Renaissance Revival architecture style, according to the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information. It is one of 20 state capitols designated as a National Historic Landmark, according to the National Park Service.

• My husband and I remodeled our 600-square-foot kitchen into an open-concept space.
• We took down walls, added windows, and replaced the cabinets to make the room feel lighter.
• After the three-month renovation, I filled the room with bright, coastal-inspired decor.

Shortly after my husband and I returned from our honeymoon, we moved from a New York City apartment to a three-bedroom, two-bathroom house we bought in Greenwich, Connecticut.

It wasn't a turnkey property — the white picket fence and bountiful rose garden I'd always envisioned were nowhere to be found — but it had potential.

The kitchen, in particular, needed extensive work.

Rather than writing off its harvest-gold linoleum floors, Formica countertops, and brown cabinets that looked straight out of the '80s, we viewed the dated interior as an opportunity for improvement.

So my husband and I rolled up our sleeves and renovated the kitchen, ultimately transforming it into a bright, coastal-inspired room at the center of our home.

We designed the room and completed the demolition, insulation, drywall, and trim ourselves (with some help from my dad) and hired a kitchen designer to install new cabinets and a countertop.

It was our first renovation project, so we felt extremely excited and accomplished when we finished and admired the results.

Our goal was to turn the dated kitchen into an open-concept, multipurpose room.

As we designed the space, we knew we didn't want it to have a traditional kitchen feel.

Our goal was to put together a warm, inviting room with an open floor plan where we could seamlessly cook, eat, relax, and entertain.

Because the front door opens directly into the room, it sets the tone for the home as soon as we walk in. Every detail mattered, and we had to carefully balance both aesthetics and functionality.

Before starting the renovation, we decided on our priorities.

To get an idea of how much we'd spend during the renovation, we listed all of our desired changes, from our must-have appliances to our wish list of finishing touches.

Our sights were set on a white cast-iron farmhouse sink, a high-end refrigerator, a custom farm table, and the quietest dishwasher we could find.

Of course, the project required more than just filling up our shopping cart. To create the open floor plan we designed, we had to take down several walls, including one that was load-bearing. We also added new windows and glass farmhouse doors to bring more natural sunlight into the space.

Other major expenses to plan for included electrical work, plumbing, insulation, drywall, flooring, kitchen cabinetry, hardware, countertops, a stove, and eventually new furniture.

Making so many decisions at once felt overwhelming, but we were determined to keep our three-month timeline on track and stick to our budget.

The cabinets were the centerpiece of the room.

We removed the dated brown cabinets from the studs and swapped them out for bright white, Shaker-style ones with honey-bronze hardware.

Before we even made it to this step, I'd already planned to showcase my favorite Anthropologie plates and glasses inside a few glass cabinets.

When it came time to furnish and decorate, we chose multifunctional pieces with a coastal-cottage aesthetic.

Although construction took three months, we needed a bit more time to get the space ready for guests.

The room is only about 600 square feet, so we had to be intentional with the space if we wanted it to look clean and uncluttered.

On the wall opposite the cabinets, we installed an arched glass buffet. It provides plenty of storage and doubles as a surface for serving guests.

The furniture we selected is all light in color and extremely practical.

Instead of a traditional island, we opted for a custom farm table in a natural beachy wood finish that could serve as a dining surface and prep area. On top of it sits an oversized charcuterie board, a practical and aesthetically pleasing piece.

We removed the wood-burning fireplace and opted for a modern gas unit, complete with driftwood logs. We styled the area in front with shiplap and white marble tiles.

For seating, we decided on a cozy sectional, statement chair, and plush ottoman that doubles as a coffee table.

The finishing touches really brought our vision to life.

The wide farmhouse-style trim throughout the space and around the windows ties the aesthetic together.

I also always have fresh flowers from my garden in a vase and beach-themed candles on my arched cabinet buffet.

Once one of our least favorite rooms in the house, the kitchen is now the space of our dreams.

Our charming, quaint main room is everything I hoped it would be. I spend every day in our open-concept kitchen and wouldn't have it any other way.

It serves as both my workspace and a calming oasis. I now have a space where I can be productive, experiment with new recipes, entertain family and friends, or simply relax in front of the fireplace.

Whether I'm coming home from a trip or a day of errands, I breathe a sigh of relief the moment I step inside the front door. Enjoying my morning espresso in the sunlight pouring through the windows gives me pure joy.

The results are worth every penny we spent and each hour of our hard work.

• Texas has become one of the top destinations for movers in the US.
• Its business-friendly climate and lower cost of living attract people from all walks of life.
• Supermodel Bella Hadid and actor James Marsden are among the celebrities who have moved to Texas.

Texas is popular for many reasons.

The second-largest US state is the birthplace of the iconic musician Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter as well as NFL star Michael Strahan and actresses Selena Gomez and Reneé Zellweger.

It's also home to a beloved football team, the Dallas Cowboys, and internationally famous festivals including South by Southwest (SXSW).

Beyond its cultural significance, Texas has a reputation for its affordability, largely due to its relatively lower cost of living and absence of state income tax. This personal finance appeal, combined with a business-friendly environment, has attracted entrepreneurs and their companies over the years.

Word has gotten out — and cities in the Lone Star State often lead lists of top places Americans are moving to.

According to a Business Insider analysis of individual-level data from the Census Bureau's 2022 American Community Survey, over 668,300 people moved to Texas between 2021 and 2022, the most recent time period for which data is available. This makes Texas the second-most popular destination in the US for movers, just behind Florida, which had about 739,000 inbound movers during the same period.

Several celebrities are among the hordes of movers to Texas. This reflects a broader trend of wealth realignment in the United States, where even the proverbial Joneses are moving to areas where their money goes further and the weather is more favorable.

Consider supermodel Bella Hadid, who moved to Fort Worth, Texas, this year to live with her professional horseman boyfriend, Adan Banuelos. Roseanne Barr and comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan have decamped from LA to Austin in recent years.

Many other stars have also relocated to Texas.

Business Insider has compiled a list of 16 notable celebrities and businesspeople who have moved themselves — and in some cases, their businesses — to the Lone Star State.

The list is presented in alphabetical order by last name.

Roseanne Barr traded the Hollywood Hills for 30 acres in Texas Hill Country.

Roseanne Barr's son, Jake Pentland, told Us Weekly in June 2025 that his famous mother had traded the Hollywood Hills for Texas Hill Country, a region in central Texas that includes cities like Austin and New Braunfels.

"My mom lives with me, my wife, and my two daughters — she's the best grandma," Pentland told the magazine.

In a separate June interview with Fox News Digital, Barr said living in Texas is a "dream come true" and described what her new life looks like.

"I'm doing a lot of mowing. I've got a really fantastic tractor out here, and I'm mowing," Barr said. "The only problem is I don't clear the trees quite as good as I should, and I'm always hitting a tree and knocking it over, and it always hits me in the head."

Haylie Duff admitted it took a while to realize she could still have an acting career without living in LA.

A native of Texas, Duff decided with her fiancé Matt Rosenberg to pack up the kids and leave California once the pandemic hit.

At first, she was nervous that the move would hurt her career.

"I think so much of my fear of moving out of Los Angeles was that my career was there and that I would never work again or something like that," she told Fox News Digital in 2022. "And, you know, I think this has all taught us that Zoom certainly can be a very powerful tool. And we can, you know, very luckily for me, get to continue to work from here, and I get to live near my dad. I haven't lived, here, near my dad in a really long time."

Scott Eastwood loves living in Texas because it "slows life down."

The son of Clint Eastwood, Scott has been methodically building his own career, showing up in the "Fast and Furious" franchise and Guy Ritchie movies.

During his downtime in Texas, he does everything from fishing to hunting.

"I think that's why people who come to Texas really can fall in love with it," he told Flaunt in 2021 from his home in Austin. "There's more community, people are more neighborly, people are nice. It slows life down a little bit. It's not this fast-paced living in a big city like New York or Los Angeles."

Adrian Grenier's acting career is thriving in Texas.

In 2020, "Entourage" and "The Devil Wears Prada" star Adrian Grenier left the Hollywood Hills for a 46-acre sustainable ranch in Bastrop, Texas, a city about a 40-minute drive southeast of Austin.

While in Texas, Grenier has continued acting and most recently appeared in the short film "Self Custody," about a struggling father who loses a cryptocurrency fortune. The film was shot in Austin, near his home.

In an interview with Page Six in March, Grenier said Texas' burgeoning film and television industry will keep him in the state.

"There's $2.5 billion that the Texas state government just put into film and television projects in Texas," Grenier said. "They're building three movie studios not too far from me. I don't see any reason why we wouldn't just continue to film in Texas."

Bella Hadid said she moved to Texas for her health.

After spending most of her life jet-setting around the world trying to conquer the modeling industry, Hadid decided recently to take some time away from the spotlight.

In early 2024, she spoke to Allure about moving to Texas to focus on her mental and physical health (she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2013), and be with her cowboy boyfriend Adan Banuelos.

"Just as I have styled myself for years now — which I still do — I love being able to do my own hair and makeup, be happy with how I look, and get ready with my girlfriends here in Texas," Hadid told Allure. "We have the best time, and I never feel like I need to do too much."

"For the first time now, I'm not putting on a fake face. If I don't feel good, I won't go. If I don't feel good, I take time for myself. And I've never had the opportunity to do that or say that before," Hadid added. "Now when anybody sees me in pictures and they say I look happy, I genuinely am. I am feeling better; my bad days now were my old good days."

Woody Harrelson is lobbying to make Texas a production hub for film and television.

Harrelson lived in Hawaii for many years before moving back to his home state of Texas in 2023.

Now in the Lone Star State and living just outside Austin, the actor has lobbied alongside longtime friend Matthew McConaughey to make Texas a hub for film and television production.

In 2025, the Texas House approved Senate Bill 22, which provides $300 million every two years through 2035 to support the local film industry.

50 Cent is a New Yorker, but his primary residence is in Texas.

In 2021, the rapper-turned-television producer and entrepreneur announced on X that he was living in Houston.

Since James Marsden moved to Texas, he lives closer to his mother.

The star has enjoyed visiting Austin for decades but finally decided to live there in 2020.

"I love it. I've been coming here for 20 years," he told "Live with Kelly and Ryan" in 2020. "I'm much closer to my mom and everybody. I love it. It's great."

Former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick traded California for Texas.

The former Uber CEO announced on the daily live video and audio podcast TBPN in March that he had moved to Texas in December 2025.

Kalanick joins a slew of tech billionaires, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who have left California for greener pastures.

Keith Lee fell in love with Dallas' restaurants.

The former mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter turned TikTok food critic has set up shop in Texas.

After living in Las Vegas, Lee relocated to Texas in November 2024. In a December video reviewing the downtown Dallas restaurant The Wicked Butcher, he revealed that he now lives in Dallas.

"One thing I do love about the Dallas food scene — we've been here a month, a month and a half — they do have some nice fine dining restaurants," Lee said.

Matthew McConaughey wanted to be closer to family.

Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey and wife Camila Alves settled in Austin in 2012 after buying a 10,800-square-foot mansion.

According to a 2024 profile in Southern Living, the move to Texas was initially because of a "family crisis," when he needed to help his mother and two brothers. The couple decided to stay put and raise their three children there.

"Ritual came back," McConaughey said of being back in Texas. "Whether that was Sunday church, sports, dinner together as a family every night, or staying up after that telling stories in the kitchen, sitting at the island pouring drinks and nibbling while retelling them all in different ways than we told them before."

Elon Musk moved to Texas and brought his companies with him.

In July, Elon Musk vowed to move two of his companies, X and SpaceX, out of California and into Texas. He already moved Telsa to Texas in 2021.

In 2020, Musk announced that he had already moved to Texas himself at The Wall Street Journal's CEO Council summit.

Musk has claimed to own a tiny home in Texas, and records show he bought a house in Austin in 2022.

Shaquille O'Neal has been buying up properties in North Texas.

In 2022, O'Neal bought a 5,269-square-foot home in Carrollton listed at $1,224,000 and sold it in 2024 for an undisclosed amount, though it was listed for $1.7 million, according to Realtor.com.

That year, Chexy Trust, tied to the Carrollton purchase, bought a 4,670-square-foot home in Rockwall County. In 2024, O'Neal opened a branch of his Big Chicken chain restaurant in Fort Worth.

As his footprint in the region grows, he told WFAA he plans to make the area his home base.

"I'm 75% going to move here full time," O'Neal said in June. "I have to see what's going on with TNT next year, but based on that, you'll probably be seeing a lot more of me."

Glen Powell got tired of the lack of freedom living in Los Angeles.

The "Twisters" star, who is also a native Texan, moved back to Austin from Los Angeles recently to be close to his family and for his own mental health.

"When all you do is consume movies and entertainment, you could become a little self-aware and maybe derivative of yourself," Powell told USA Today. "Your personal life, there's no sort of freedom there, there's storytelling around that, and I feel like that's just not good for you on the long term."

Jared Padalecki has a soft spot for Austin.

Padalecki ditched Hollywood for Texas before it was a trend. The "Supernatural" star, a San Antonio native, relocated from Los Angeles to Austin with his wife, Genevieve, in 2012.

In an Instagram video taken on Austin's 24th Street in 2020, he explained why he loves the city so much.

"Austin brings me a warmth and a happiness and a peace that I have been unable to find anywhere else in my travels," Padalecki said. "I love being here."

Christine Quinn's return to her home state has brought her closer to her family.

In 2025, former "Selling Sunset" star Christine Quinn relocated to her home state of Texas after splitting from her ex-husband, tech entrepreneur Christian Dumontet.

Quinn now lives in a suburb outside Dallas with her young son, Christian.

"I am really, really grateful to be living here," Quinn told People in January, adding that she's happy to be closer to family. "I have a sister who lives really close to me, and my son has a cousin. So it's really something that I needed as opposed to the chaos when I was in Los Angeles."

Joe Rogan ended up in Texas once the pandemic hit.

Like many other celebs, Rogan left Los Angeles once the pandemic hit.

In a 2023 episode of his popular podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," he explained why he ended up in Texas.

"Then we went to the lake, and people are playing music and jumping in the water," said Rogan, adding that his kids "were like, 'We want to live here!'"

"That was it. Two months later, I lived here," he said in the podcast episode.

Jamie Lynn Sigler has felt more connected to her craft since moving to Texas.

"The Sopranos" star moved to Austin in 2021 with her family, husband Cutter Dykstra, and sons Beau and Jack.

"I almost feel more connected to my craft and why I love acting," Sigler told The New York Times in 2021. "When the calls come in, it's a beautiful surprise. I'm still on things and I'm still a businesswoman and it's still my career, but I don't feel the pressure around it because we took a stand for ourselves and we made decisions for our families."

• Zachary Biss moved from the Tampa Bay area to Lisbon seeking a new lifestyle.
• Biss chose to take a cruise instead of flying and was able to bring more items with him.
• Biss appreciates the slower pace of life in Portugal and anticipates saving more money on bills.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Zachary Biss, 29, a musician from St. Petersburg, Florida, who moved with his girlfriend, Marina, to Portugal by boat. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I'm a full-time musician. Back in the States, I played gigs at bars and restaurants with my guitar, singing and playing covers for a living.

I've always had the same job in music, and over time, I was able to play all my gigs and have enough money at the end of the month to put away in savings and invest in stocks.

That allowed me to buy a house in Florida in 2019. I was really proud that I was able to make that happen.

Ever since I moved into the house, I've kept a budget down to the penny, and the expenses got absolutely insane.

My electric bill roughly doubled over the course of five years. My utilities, which covered water and garbage disposal, doubled as well.

You have all these people telling you homeownership is the goal — that's the dream — but the bills kept going up. I'm like, "This seems backward. I feel like I should be paying something off to where eventually I'll be paying less."

Over the course of half a decade, everything has crept up to where I'm working harder than I've ever worked, and making as much money as I've ever made, but I have nothing to show for it here.

We knew we wanted to move to Lisbon

I thought, maybe it's time to go somewhere else and try something different, because otherwise I'm just going to float here and not really thrive.

I haven't sold my home yet. It's still on the market.

My girlfriend and I already knew we wanted to move to Portugal for a while. So by the time we were able to finally move, I was like, "I don't care. We just have to go."

It was a little bit emotional, but not really because we'd been planning it for so long. I had gotten to the point where I didn't want to wait anymore.

We decided to move by taking a cruise

We found a cruise that was actually going directly one way, because they do the transatlantic sailings to move the boats. After the season's over in the Caribbean, they move to Europe, so we found one that was going from Tampa and ending in Lisbon. It was a match made in heaven.

We did pay a little bit more than flying, but you're getting a two-week cruise: all the food, all the lodging, and a couple of stops along the way.

We stopped in the Bahamas, and then after the Bahamas were six days at sea, and that was pretty wild. I've never spent that much time at sea.

After that was the Azores, and then it was another sea day because they're pretty far off from the mainland. Then we did Porto, which was really cool, and then we ended in Lisbon.

All in, we paid $2,500 total, so definitely more than two flights, but I would say it was worth the cost. The transatlantics are usually a bargain because they're not that full and they're just trying to sell tickets to make the voyage worth it — we actually got a balcony room and everything.

But the biggest perk was that there was no hard luggage limit. I brought my guitar, I brought my suitcases, Marina brought a bunch of her suitcases — as much as we could fit — and we got to the port and the porter's like, "How many luggage tags do you need?" And we said, "However many."

Flying would have been a lot more restrictive.

We also thought that sailing would ease us into moving a little more than flying would, because there's really nothing worse than landing at Lisbon Airport after an overnight flight, not sleeping on the plane, and dealing with that brutal jet lag.

On the cruise, there were six days at sea in a row, and they would roll forward the clock one hour at a time; they did that five times over the course of the trip to get us five hours ahead to where we are now.

I would totally recommend moving by boat for the luggage benefit alone, but especially if you're a cruiser or you just like relaxing, it's like being at the spa.

It's fun, and at the end of the day, I don't think many people get to say they've sailed across the ocean.

We like the pace of life in Portugal

The first night, we were sitting at the dinner table, and we looked at each other, and we both started crying, like, "What are we doing?" But I think that's 100% normal for anyone moving, even just moving to another state. It's scary. This is the first time I've moved.

There were things pushing us out of the US and things bringing us to Portugal. Honestly, the biggest one was health insurance.

As a self-employed person in the States, I often feel punished for being self-employed when it comes to health insurance. The cheapest plan offered to me on the marketplace for this year was about $360 a month.

When I talk to my friends who live here or have moved here, and I tell them what I paid in a month, they're like, "Well, that's about what I pay in a year."

Affordability wasn't the only reason we moved. If we were going for affordability, there are definitely cheaper places in Portugal, and even more affordable places in Europe. It's all relative; what's affordable to me might be different than what's affordable to a local here.

The people, in broad strokes, are in a little bit less of a rush here. I made a joke that even the people trying to sell you something off the street, once they realize you're not going to buy what they're selling, they'll just have a conversation with you, which is nice.

The pace of life is not so much work, work, work all the time, rush, rush, rush. People here really will take a moment — it's built into the day to have a coffee, have your pastry in the morning, and you're not just grabbing your big iced coffee and getting in your car and rushing to work.

It's a breath of fresh air.

• I left behind my plans in Poland and moved to the US after falling in love with my American husband.
• It took a while to adjust, but I eventually built a career and a life that I loved.
• Now, my husband wants to move to Poland — so we compromised and decided to eventually retire there.

When I first moved from Poland to Austin, Texas, for a short-term internship in my mid-20s, I never intended to stay.

As a new graduate, my goal was to get some hands-on experience in international business practices before returning home to work with my dad and teach fitness classes on the side.

Then I met the man who would become my husband. We crossed paths in downtown Austin, both waiting for a taxi after a night out. We started talking, felt an instant connection, and from that night on, kept finding reasons to see each other.

When the internship ended, I returned to Poland as planned. A long-distance relationship wasn't easy, but we made it work. One month after I left, he flew to Poland, proposed, and suddenly, the life I thought I was building there no longer felt possible.

I left behind a clear-cut path and rebuilt my life

When I moved back to the US and we got married, I left behind more than my country. I walked away from a defined career path, my family business, and the comfort of knowing exactly where I belonged.

Starting over as an immigrant was harder than I expected. As soon as I got my work permit, I took the first job offer I got. I felt pressure to prove — to my family, my friends, and myself — that I was succeeding in America.

Getting a job quickly felt like validation. In hindsight, it was a mistake. The role wasn't right, but I stayed longer than I should have. As a new immigrant, I didn't think I could afford to be selective.

When I became pregnant with my first child, I quit my job and made a difficult but necessary decision: I went back to college. I earned a degree in computer information technology and eventually started a new career in tech.

For the first time since moving to the US, I felt stable again. I had rebuilt my confidence and proven to myself that starting over didn't mean starting from nothing.

Still, something was missing. In Poland, I had always envisioned myself running a business. That dream never disappeared.

Alongside my tech career, I started my own fitness coaching business. Through it, I met inspiring women in the US — entrepreneurs, mothers, immigrants — who helped me rediscover my ambition and sense of purpose.

It took nearly 10 years, but slowly, the US started feeling like home.

While I was building a home in Austin, my husband was falling in love with Poland — but we've found a compromise

Just as I felt rooted, my husband started dreaming of the life I once left behind.

Throughout our marriage, we traveled back to Poland often. Over time, my husband fell for the things I once took for granted: the slower pace of life, the food, the walkable cities, the mountain views near my hometown, and the old architecture layered with history.

Eventually, his curiosity turned more serious. He began talking about what daily life there might look like, bringing up how it would feel to enjoy slower mornings and spend more time with my family. After one memorable visit last year, he asked if I'd be open to planning a future in Poland.

The idea no longer felt abstract. I agreed to start looking at property — maybe a piece of land, or even a small house — sometime in the next year or two.

We had a lot of conversations. We discussed our careers, finances, children, and what we wanted our future to look like.

In the end, we compromised: We'll stay in the US for the time being, but buy property in Poland within the next year or two. We'll visit as much as we can and plan to eventually retire there, about three decades from now.

Moving countries for love taught me that rebuilding takes time, and clarity doesn't come all at once. It also taught me that home isn't just about geography, but choosing each other, no matter where you are.

This 'as-told-to' essay is based on a conversation with Juli Ford, a 57-year-old real estate agent and certified senior advisor based in Massachusetts. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When my children were young, we saw my parents all the time.

We lived very close to each other in South Plymouth, Massachusetts, and my parents always helped with the kids. From the time they were born, Wednesdays were Grammy and Grampy Day.

My dad got sick in 2005. When we learned in the summer of 2011 that he probably didn't have much time left, we talked about what life would be like after he was gone, including where my mom would live.

When he passed in December 2011, my mom was not ready to live with us. At 68, she had never lived on her own. She'd been with my dad since she was 15.

Then, in April 2015, a house in Pembroke, Massachusetts, about 30 minutes from South Plymouth, came on the market. The second I saw it online, I thought, "Oh, this is perfect."

The house had a beautiful in-law apartment

The house is 4,300 square feet, and the basement is about 800 square feet. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms.

My mom fell in love with the home's basement apartment. It's full of beautiful natural light. It's one bedroom with a den, a full kitchen, a fireplace, its own laundry, 1.5 baths, its own outdoor patio, and two entrances.

We made an offer within two days. We bought the house in April 2015 for $630,000.

My mom had no interest in ownership. Instead, she made a financial contribution toward the down payment equal to what she would have paid in rent for the next five years.

She also gave us money every year for utilities. Last year, she started making a bigger monthly contribution to help cover household expenses. She essentially has not had to pay rent for 10 years, and as the house gets older, the cost of maintaining it grows.

It was a dream when we first moved in

My mom helped me a lot with my kids, especially with their schooling. My kids were 10 and 11 when she moved in, and they were homeschooled. We drove around a lot because we were going to museums and other activities in Boston. She sometimes helped with driving, and she became their English teacher because her first career was teaching English.

Grammy Wednesdays continued when we moved into the house, and my kids, who are 20 and 22 now, would go down and visit her on their own.

My mom has exceptionally good boundaries. I'm sure we did things differently than she would have done with our kids, but she's always been very good at keeping her opinions to herself.

My mom is still independent, but needs our help now

At 82, she's a bit less independent than she was 10 years ago because of health issues. Still, she has privacy: I don't know everything that she does all the time, and we can go days without seeing each other. Other times, we see each other a lot more often.

We have had a few medical emergencies with my mom, so I got in the habit of keeping my phone next to my bed. There have been a few times that she's had to call me.

I cannot imagine how much harder it would be to be a daughter of an aging mom if we weren't in the same house. I would be so much more concerned about her being alone and getting lonelier. It would be more time-consuming for me if I had to go somewhere else to support her.

The house gave us other financial benefits

In the beginning, the only financial benefit I really thought about of combining households was that we could get a nicer house than my husband and I could afford on our own.

Around the time we got this house, my brother's family went through a foreclosure after his wife had been hit by a drunken driver and had a traumatic brain injury. They had a lot of housing instability during that time because she was unable to work and had massive medical bills. They were not sure where they were going to live.

Because we combined households with my mom, we were able to tap into the equity in this house to help them. We took out a home equity loan and bought a small, lovely house, and rented it to them. We weren't really making any money on it, but the rent was paying the bills.

Within two years, they recovered their credit enough that they purchased the house from us. They were able to rebuild their financial well-being in that house.

We used the proceeds from the sale to buy a vacation property in Vermont, which we turned into an Airbnb for four years. When we sold it, we paid off our kids' student loans.

We were all able to build wealth because we combined households with my mom. We feel so proud and grateful. It's not something I saw coming 11 years ago.

I see multigenerational living as one of the most compelling solutions to our elder care and affordable housing crises. Bringing families together around this is really an underutilized solution.

• My husband and I spent nearly three years traveling the country in a camper van.
• I got pregnant earlier than expected, forcing us to make a decision quickly.
• Letting go of vanlife helped us realize what we actually wanted in our next chapter.

I sat in the bathroom staring at the blue cross sign on the pregnancy test, as expletives leaked out of my mouth in a whisper. Disbelief sat around me like the 4 a.m. dew outside our window.

We always wanted kids. Traveling in a camper van was our "last hurrah" before pivoting toward parenthood. But that wasn't supposed to happen yet.

The shock bubbled away, and excitement found home in my body. I smiled and covered my hand over my mouth.

We don't always get to choose our own timelines. I rushed to my husband, John, to wake him up.

This was our one last adventure before having kids

My husband and I were both busy with the 9-5-and-working-odd-jobs hustle. We lived in a large house that we would someday fill with kids. There was a whole world we wanted to see before we tied ourselves down with the responsibility of child rearing. We chose to say goodbye to the life we were told to settle for in pursuit of a life we wanted to celebrate.

Partially on a whim, mostly on adrenaline, we sold most of our belongings and built a 1996 Chevy Express conversion van into a tiny house.

We wanted to explore the country coast to coast before we took on the role of parents. We also wanted to see what our options were for where we would settle down. Do we want to raise kids in a city? In the middle of nowhere? East coast? West coast? Mountain town? Rural Midwest?

We buckled ourselves into our van with our pups and hit the road to rediscover ourselves without the chains of our previous life and to find where we'd like to replace our anchor.

From April 2017 to April 2019, we discovered the magnificent, hidden corners of almost every state. We camped in humid Florida, snowy Vermont, busy California, and sleepy Wyoming.

Every pocket we investigated had something remarkable that ignited our excitement and something tricky that made us second-guess a home there. Each area brought us one step closer to our end goal.

Everything shifted overnight

In March 2019, we were back in St. Louis to visit our family. My period had been irregular ever since I had experimented with hormonal birth control, so we could never quite pin down my cycle.

We were planning our next departure, and I took a pregnancy test to prove I was not pregnant, for our own peace of mind.

This wasn't the timeline we had planned, but one thing living in a van had taught us was to find comfort in the unexpected. Flexibility is one of your greatest tools when you travel full-time. You never know what obstacles are going to throw you off course.

Giddy with excitement, John chose to scrap our plans we had laid out for the rest of the year. We now needed to make our most important decision. Where do we want to have this baby?

Life made us decide which path we wanted to take next

Throughout our travels, we found ourselves returning to New Mexico. The warm sun, the dry air, the beautiful winters, and the towering mountains all took our breath away. It was diverse, eclectic, artistic, and inspiring. We joked it was like Colorado, but without any of the people. We both felt the call and picked up the phone.

Shortly after the positive pregnancy test, we lost the baby. Grief filled the van as we stared at the fork in the road.

We had to decide what we wanted now. Do we want to keep traveling? Or do we want to stay on this new path? The contemplation was minimal. The excitement and the loss had shown us what we wanted. We were ready to grow our family.

Trading in four wheels for four walls

We spent that summer exploring various properties. There was an unexpected grief in the search for a new residence. The van was our home. The road, our driveway. The wild, our backyard. Our identity was tied to the title "vanlifers", which meant we were constantly moving and on the go.

But now we were settling down and growing roots.

We outgrew our lifestyle quicker than we had planned, but we unlocked a new and exciting chapter when we bought an off-grid home on 40 acres. We weren't pumping the brakes on an adventurous life. We were just shifting gears.

• Americans aren't flocking to Florida like they used to.
• BI spoke with three former Floridians about why they say the state has lost some of its appeal.
• Affordability is a common issue among relocaters, particularly with the state's higher home prices.

Kimberly Jones was born and raised in Florida and expected to live in South Florida for the rest of her life.

But after COVID, Florida no longer felt the same. An influx of out-of-staters strained the infrastructure in Jones' area of South Florida, where new construction, crowded grocery stores, and traffic-jammed commutes became the norm. The flood of newcomers also drove up housing costs, making it harder for longtime residents to afford the place they've always called home.

In 2021, Jones and her husband packed their bags and moved to North Carolina. They're not the only ones who have fallen out of love with Florida. While people are still moving to the state, net domestic migration — or the number of people moving into the state from elsewhere in the country minus those moving out to other parts of the US — has steadily cooled in recent years.

There are a few reasons behind Florida's slowing numbers and waning appeal. For some, the state's tax benefits may no longer outweigh its rising cost of living. That was certainly the case for Jones.

"Our reasons for moving were multifaceted," Jones, 60, told Business Insider. "A major factor was affordability — the cost of living in Florida had gotten out of control. Prices increased for everything — homeowners' and auto insurance, and even for everyday expenses like groceries and eating out. Those costs felt particularly high in South Florida compared with other parts of the state."

The Joneses found a more affordable, more relaxing life in North Carolina

Jones and her husband settled in a small rural town about an hour from Charlotte. They now live in a custom-built lakefront home on 1.5 acres — the kind of property Jones said she couldn't have afforded in Florida.

Indeed, Florida's home prices have continued to climb in recent years. Data from Redfin shows that the median home sale price in Florida increased by 19% between March 2021 and March 2026, reaching $417,000.

With the state's overall cost of living rising, many people — especially young adults, like Jones' son — are finding it difficult to become homeowners.

"My daughter managed to buy a condo a few years ago, when prices were lower, and interest rates were still low," Jones said. "But my son has little chance of buying anytime soon; he'll be renting for the near future, like most of his friends — most of my friends talk about the same thing with their kids."

Besides more affordable housing, Jones and her husband are also enjoying lower home insurance costs, as well as cheaper groceries and restaurant prices in North Carolina. But perhaps the biggest benefit of all is that the lower cost of living has allowed Jones to cut back on work.

"My husband retired a few years ago, and I was able to transition to remote work," Jones said. "We love [North Carolina's] slower pace of life and the fact that people are very nice up here. My quality of life — my stress level, everything — has improved tremendously just from being out of what felt like a rat race."

Natalie Alatriste left Florida in search of a more like-minded community

Natalie Alatriste is also a native Floridian. She remembers a time when her hometown of Miami felt sleepier, and neighborhoods like Little Havana were still under the radar. Today, she said, the city feels transformed.

"There's a pre-COVID Miami and a post-COVID Miami, and the post-COVID version is completely different," Alatriste, 35, told Business Insider. "The cost of living has gone up, and so many people have moved in that traffic is always heavy."

But it was not just Miami's growth that pushed her to reconsider her future in the state. Alatriste said Florida's shifting political landscape was also a factor in her decision.

"In 2024, I seriously started thinking about leaving not just Miami, but Florida entirely," she said. "The state's politics became a turning point for me. During the presidential election, everything I voted for — the amendments, the candidates, all of it — went in the opposite direction."

In 2025, Alatriste moved to Shirlington, a neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia, that's roughly a 20-minute drive from Washington, D.C. She and her partner rent a three-bedroom, three-story townhouse that's about 2,500 square feet, and pay roughly $4,350 a month. It's still expensive, but Alatriste said sharing the cost with a partner makes it easier to handle, and overall, Virginia feels more affordable.

"My quality of life feels much better in Virginia. I don't feel like I'm wasting so much time or spending so much money just to live," she said. "I also have greater peace of mind and can breathe easier because I'm part of a community that feels more aligned with my values."

Karen Meadows wanted a more active retirement

Florida is one of the most popular retirement destinations in the country. It offers plenty of obvious draws, including no state income tax, warm weather, and an abundance of retirement communities. But for some retirees, like Karen Meadows, life spent at the beach or by the pool isn't enough.

"Many people move to Florida to retire because it's quiet and has a slower pace of life," Meadows, 62, told Business Insider. "But for me, I wanted to move somewhere with more energy."

In 2024, Meadows and her husband moved to New York City.

"It's funny because the first thing everybody says about our move is, 'Oh my God, you did the opposite,'" Meadows added, "and they're right."

Meadows sold her home in Panama City Beach and now lives in a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo in Brooklyn. Though New York still feels intimidating at times, being closer to her kids and living in a vibrant city has made the move worth it.

Beyond training for marathons — including the New York City Marathon and the Boston Marathon, both of which she has run several times — she volunteers with North Brooklyn Angels and the food rescue organization City Harvest. She has also joined the North Brooklyn Runners Club and started a book club.

"I know I probably could have moved somewhere more laid-back, warmer, and with lower taxes, but I love New York," Meadows said. "I'm almost 63, and I feel better and more alive than ever. Life feels freer, I'm more engaged, and there's still so much to explore."

Are you a former Floridian? We want to hear from you. Email the reporter, Alcynna Lloyd, at alloyd@businessinsider.com to share your story.

• The banker says he has received multiple offers from employees since posting the deal this week.
• The 13-acre Mill Valley estate features sweeping views of San Francisco, an infinity-edge pool, and a spa.
• The offer comes as Anthropic's valuation on secondary markets reached $1 trillion, and shares are scarce.

A tech banker really, really wants Anthropic shares.

The hunt for shares in Anthropic has become so frenzied in recent weeks that Storm Duncan is offering up his $4.8 million Marin County estate in exchange for stock.

"If you're going fishing, you've got to put a worm on the hook," said Storm Duncan, the founder and managing partner of Ignatious, a tech boutique investment bank, in an interview with Business Insider. "What's my other option? Not being in it?"

The offer comes as Anthropic's valuation on secondary markets soared to $1 trillion, driven by investors who have been wowed by its torrid revenue growth and momentum around its AI-powered coding assistant, Claude Code, Business Insider reported this week.

Duncan, who lives primarily in Jackson Hole, Wyo., also owns other properties, but he decided to list this one because he thought it would be especially attractive to Anthropic employees.

Duncan's 13-acre, fully furnished Mill Valley estate features sweeping views of San Francisco, an infinity-edge pool, and a spa.

"It's a 20-minute commute to the Anthropic offices in the city," he said. "No one from Anthropic probably wants my Miami or Jackson Hole place."

By offering the property, Duncan hopes to get on the radar of employees who have legitimate shares to sell and own a goldmine of Anthropic stock they can't sell until after the company goes public.

Duncan says he has received multiple offers since posting the deal this week. "Some of them are [Anthropic] employees, and some of them just happen to have invested early," he said. "I believe they're serious, but it's a complex transaction."

"There's probably a decent number of people who are sitting in a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco even though they're earning $400,000 a year and are worth a $100 million," he said. "But they can't access that because their stock is so illiquid, so this gives them an opportunity to diversify."

It's not the first time there's been an unconventional way to secure shares in pre-IPO tech companies. In 2005, artist David Choe chose Facebook stock over $60,000 in cash to paint murals at Facebook's first office. That choice led to an estimated windfall of about $200 million once Facebook went public in 2012. In the dot-com era, some real estate owners asked startups for company stock in exchange for leasing space in San Francisco.

Some on X have dismissed Duncan's offer as a publicity stunt or a sure sign of the top of a bubble. Others have made cracks about the only thing being more precious than Anthropic shares is Bay Area real estate.

Duncan insists the offer is real and he is not seeking attention. As for why he does not simply buy shares in the company, he says a small investor like him would never be able to secure stock directly.

"Anthropic can't spend time with people like me," Duncan said. "They're looking for people who can write $100 million in a single check." (The company did not respond to a request for comment.)

The alternative is to buy shares from early employees or investors on secondary markets, but Duncan says those deals are often increasingly dubious.

He said the scarcity of shares on the secondary market has made sellers offer deals that can be rife with high fees and opaque ownership structures.

Duncan already owns shares in Anthropic that he acquired in its 2024 funding round, when it was much easier to obtain shares. He says he was recently convinced he wanted to double down after being wowed by the results of his firm's implementation of Claude Code.

"It's probably going to triple our throughput and reduce our costs by 50%," he said. "As I started to implement the platform at my own firm, I said I would like to have more exposure to this."

• Harry and Susan Jones own Bridge Avenue Berries, a blueberry farm in Allenwood, Pennsylvania.
• The farm became USDA organic certified in 2021, boosting customer traffic and interest.
• If they had bought the farm 30 years ago, they would have likely grown a more diverse set of crops.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Harry Jones, 63, who owns and runs Bridge Avenue Berries with his wife, Susan, in Allenwood, Pennsylvania. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Since I was a kid, I'd always wanted to run my own business, but it never quite came together. I tried starting a small tree nursery business, but we couldn't compete with the big nurseries and had to close it.

Then, a blueberry farm that my wife and I had been picking berries at for years went up for sale. When I first mentioned buying it, she said, "Absolutely not."

A few months later, we were there picking blueberries, and the farm still hadn't sold. We started talking with the owner and purchased it in March 2018.

We didn't have much time to figure it out. Blueberry season starts in early July, and we had about four months to get ready.

That first summer, it felt like we were drinking from a fire hose. We were learning everything at once — pests, soil, customers — mostly the hard way.

I wasn't starting from scratch, but owning a farm still surprised me

My background is in horticulture. I have an associate degree in nursery management, and I spent years designing landscapes. So, I've been around plants most of my life.

Still, running a blueberry farm is a different kind of challenge.

We have about 7 acres of blueberries — roughly 3,800 plants — and we harvest around 18,000 pounds a year.

The catch is that it all happens in about a 30-day window in July. That month is intense, but the work doesn't end with the season. The rest of the year is spent on preparing for the next one.

I've kept my full-time job in the lumber industry through all of this. We tend to call the farm my self-supporting hobby, but the truth is, even a small farm like ours struggles to make a dollar.

By the time you pay for inputs, repairs, improvements, and all the other costs that come with a small business, there's not much left.

If I were younger, I'd do it differently

At this stage of life, I think differently about what the farm should be. If I were 25 or 30 years younger, I wouldn't run it the way I do now.

Right now, we're heavily focused on one crop. If I were starting earlier, I'd cut the number of blueberry bushes down — maybe from 3,800 to about 2,000 — and use the rest of the land for other crops. Strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins — something to stretch income across more of the year.

That's the biggest challenge with what we do. When you rely on a single crop and a short season, it's hard to build a stable living.

We've found ways to spread out the income a bit. We freeze blueberries — about 1,900 pounds a year — and sell them through the winter at local markets and to restaurants.

Becoming USDA-certified organic was a game changer

We started farming organically from day one in 2018, but it took time to make it official. To become USDA certified organic, we had to go through a required three-year transition period — documenting everything we did, from fertilizers to pest control, and proving we were following the standards.

We finally got certified in spring 2021, and once we could call our berries "USDA organic," we saw more customers, more traffic, and even people driving an hour or more to pick our fruit.

But over time, the downsides started to add up. The certification cost us about $1,400 a year — a big expense for a small farm — and required inspections and paperwork during our busiest season. More importantly, I grew frustrated with what I saw as inconsistencies in the system.

In early 2024, we gave up our USDA certification and switched to Certified Naturally Grown, a smaller, farmer-led program. It costs about $350 a year and still holds us accountable to the National Organic Program Standards, but in a way that is more transparent and aligned with how we actually farm.

We know we won't do this forever

Realistically, we'll probably run the farm for another three to five years and then look to sell it, so that we can have more freedom to travel and visit our three kids and nine grandchildren.

I think about what a younger person could do with this place. It's a productive farm with a lot of potential. Someone with more time and energy could take it further than we have.

Even knowing what I know now, I'd still buy the farm.

We're happy with what we've built. It gave me a chance to finally run my own business and to work with something I've always loved — plants. And it's been meaningful to us to see people come here, enjoy the farm, and tell us how much they like it.

• The Presidential Emergency Operations Center was first built for FDR during World War II in 1942.
• The PEOC served as a command center in the aftermath of September 11.
• Trump confirmed the construction of a new military complex beneath the planned White House ballroom.

When people see the White House for the first time in person, they often remark that it looks small from the outside.

Matt Costello, chief education officer and director of the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History, told Business Insider that appearances can be deceiving.

"There's a lot more to the White House than meets the eye," he said. "It has six floors, about 55,000 square feet. There are two sub-basements underneath the house that were part of the Truman renovation. And then, of course, you've got the Presidential Emergency Operations Center. So there's a bigger apparatus, so to speak, for the president and their safety and security than you might expect when you first see it."

The existence of a secure facility beneath the White House, known as the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, the PEOC, or simply the "White House bunker," is something of an open secret, inspiring portrayals in film and TV such as "White House Down" and "24." However, details about its protective and operational capabilities remain classified.

The PEOC has undergone various expansions and transformations through different White House renovations, including the ongoing construction of President Donald Trump's new ballroom where the East Wing once stood.

"I would imagine, like many White House spaces, it's evolved and changed, and it's been updated to have the most advanced telecommunication systems, secure lines, everything that a president or vice president or first family or Cabinet members might need in the event of some kind of national catastrophe or emergency," Costello said. "It is considered the safest place to go on the White House grounds."

Here's what we do know about the PEOC.

The first iteration of the Presidential Emergency Operations Center was built in 1942 to protect President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, a temporary bomb shelter was built in the Treasury Department in 1941.

When Roosevelt expanded the East Wing and added a second story in 1942, a new presidential bomb shelter was built beneath it. It featured a bedroom and bathroom, as well as ventilation masks, food, and communications equipment, all fortified behind concrete walls.

"The best time to construct something underground is when you're building something above ground, especially when it comes to the White House," Costello said.

During these White House renovations, Roosevelt also converted a cloakroom in the East Wing into a movie theater.

The bunker was expanded as part of President Harry Truman's extensive White House renovations from 1948 to 1952.

The four-year, $5.7 million renovation was required to reinforce the entire White House structure, which had begun to sag into the ground. The Trumans temporarily moved to Blair House as workers hollowed out the White House.

"When they do the Truman renovation, where they essentially gut the inside of the house and then rebuild it from the inside out with concrete and steel, they really are fortifying the White House to serve as a bomb shelter," Costello said.

As the world entered the age of nuclear weapons, the PEOC was also expanded and updated during this renovation.

"As there are these wider changes around the world, they impact how presidential security is revisited, reassessed, and then adapted as needed," Costello said.

The PEOC largely remained a theoretical precaution until the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

When the first plane hit, Cheney turned on the news in his office at the White House. After the second plane hit, his lead Secret Service agent burst in to escort him to the PEOC, Cheney said in an interview with the American Enterprise Institute in 2011.

Cheney said the Secret Service agent "put one hand on the back of my belt, one hand on my shoulder," and "literally propelled me out of my office."

Cheney was joined in the PEOC by staff members, including National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, and Presidential Counselor Karen Hughes. He advised President George W. Bush, who was in Florida at the time, not to return to Washington, DC, marking the first time in US history that the continuity of government operations plan was implemented.

The PEOC served as a command center in the aftermath of the attacks.

Rare photos of the PEOC on September 11 were released by the National Archives in 2014 as part of a Freedom of Information Act request, offering a glimpse inside the top-secret space.

"As far as I'm aware of, I think those are the only publicly released ones, and they were publicly released because they were forced to be released," Costello said of the images.

The photos showed a conference room with phones, video call capabilities, television screens playing news reports, world clocks, and a map of the United States.

Former first lady Laura Bush wrote about her time in the PEOC on September 11 in her White House memoir, "Spoken from the Heart."

"I was hustled inside and downstairs through a pair of big steel doors that closed behind me with a loud hiss, forming an airtight seal," she wrote in "Spoken from the Heart" of her experience on September 11.

"I was now in one of the unfinished subterranean hallways underneath the White House, heading for the PEOC, the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, built for President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II. We walked along old tile floors with pipes hanging from the ceiling and all kinds of mechanical equipment."

Upon returning to Washington, DC, on September 11, President George W. Bush was brought to the PEOC.

Laura Bush wrote in her memoir that George W. Bush arrived at the PEOC at 7:10 p.m. on September 11.

When the Secret Service suggested that she and her husband spend the night in the secure bunker, Laura Bush wrote that they declined because the foldout bed "looked like it had been installed when FDR was president."

In 2020, President Donald Trump was reportedly rushed to the bunker as demonstrators protested the killing of George Floyd outside the White House.

It was widely reported that Trump was taken to the PEOC as a precaution when protesters breached temporary fences outside the White House. Trump told Fox News Radio that he had visited the bunker to inspect it, not to take shelter there.

"I was there for a tiny, short little period of time," Trump said. "They said it would be a good time to go down and take a look because maybe sometime you're going to need it."

When Trump returned to the White House in 2025, he demolished the East Wing and began building a new ballroom, leaving the future of the PEOC below uncertain.

The White House announced that the new ballroom would measure 90,000 square feet, seat around 1,000 people, and serve as a "much-needed and exquisite addition." Trump and other "patriot donors" will fund the $400 million project, the White House said.

Trump confirmed that a "massive" new military complex was under construction beneath the ballroom after the National Trust for Historic Preservation filed a lawsuit to halt the project.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation's lawsuit alleged that Trump had no legal authority to demolish the East Wing and replace it with a ballroom.

In March, a federal judge's ruling halted above-ground construction until Congress approves the project, but allowed work related to "the safety and security of the White House" to continue.

Trump then confirmed what the lawsuit had alluded to: a new and improved PEOC was in the works.

"The military is building a big complex under the ballroom, which has come out recently because of a stupid lawsuit that was filed," he told reporters on board Air Force One on March 29.

He added that the ballroom would essentially function as a "shed" for the secure facility below.

"We have bio defense all over," he told reporters on March 31. "We have secure telecommunications and communications all over. We have bomb shelters that we're building. We have a hospital and very major medical facilities that we're building. We have all of these things, so that's called: I'm allowed to continue building as necessary."

A federal appeals court allowed construction to continue temporarily while it reviews the case more closely, with a formal hearing scheduled for June 5.

• Tax proposals in California and New York are pushing billionaires to Florida.
• Aside from the tax benefits, lifestyle perks are also fueling the trend.
• Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin have all recently purchased homes in the city.

Move aside, Wall Street and Silicon Valley: Miami is vying to be the new epicenter of US business, tech, and wealth.

The city has long been seen as a gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, but recent developments in its business landscape are helping turn it into a larger American business hub.

Finance firms, tech companies, and consumer brands have expanded their presence in the city, from opening new offices to relocating headquarters.

And their executives have joined the wave.

Ken Griffin recorded Miami-Dade County's first-ever nine-figure home sale after Citadel announced its relocation in 2022; Jeff Bezos spent $147 million on two Indian Creek homes after leaving Seattle for Miami; and Palantir CEO Alex Karp quietly bought a $46 million mansion on the Venetian Islands ahead of the company's headquarters shift to Aventura.

This comes as states like New York and California are considering or proposing policies aimed at increasing the taxation of the ultrawealthy. This includes California's proposed Billionaire Tax Act, which would impose a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of California residents and certain trusts worth at least $1 billion, and New York's pied-à-terre tax bill, which would impose an added tax on certain non-primary New York City homes, including second homes owned by people whose primary residence is elsewhere.

But beyond the tax benefits, the ultrawealthy are flocking to Miami for the lifestyle.

"You can't beat the lifestyle," Manny Varas, a luxury homebuilder who works with billionaire clients in South Florida, told Business Insider.

Varas, who has built and renovated homes for the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Lil Wayne, and the Bezos family, said that the city's "pro-work and creative environment," as well as its culinary, hospitality, arts, and events scene, are among the biggest drivers of billionaires' decisions to move to Miami over other tax-friendly states.

Some of these leaders have officially announced they or their companies will be moving to the Sunshine State, while others have quietly snapped up property in the city in recent months, signaling a potential expansion of their presence there. While some have cited business interests, others have publicly shared factors such as family proximity and Miami's culture.

Here are some of the most notable people and companies that have recently relocated or bought up property in Miami.

Ken Griffin

Leading Miami's billionaire migration is Ken Griffin. In June 2022, Citadel and Citadel Securities announced they would move their global headquarters from Chicago to Miami.

In April 2022, an entity tied to Citadel paid a then-record $363 million for a waterfront Brickell office development site.

Citadel now lists Miami as its global headquarters, and its new Brickell location is expected to have 1.2 million square feet of office space, according to its plans.

Meanwhile, Griffin purchased the $107 million, 4-acre Adrienne Arsht Estate in Coconut Grove in 2022, setting a Miami-Dade record at the time and becoming the first nine-figure home sale in the county's history.

While Citadel's permanent Brickell tower is still in development, Griffin has been one of the biggest figures betting on Miami as the next center of US commerce.

The company told Business Insider that the city was home to about 400 Citadel-affiliated employees, including some senior executives.

Jeff Bezos

In 2023, the Amazon founder announced via an Instagram post that he was leaving Seattle for Miami

That fall, Bezos bought neighboring mansions in Miami's Indian Creek Island for $79 million and $68 million, in what was one of the highest-profile moves in Miami's billionaire era.

Bezos cited Blue Origin's operations in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and his parents' relocation back to the city as reasons for his return to Miami, where he attended high school.

Peter Thiel

On December 31, 2025, Thiel Capital — Peter Thiel's private investment firm — announced that it had opened a Wynwood office, saying the space would complement its Los Angeles operations.

The firm also said Thiel has maintained a personal residence in Miami since 2020, when he purchased an $18 million mansion in Miami's Venetian Islands.

In 2024, Thiel moved his voter registration to Florida, further formalizing his move to the state.

Michael Ferro

In March 2025, Michael Ferro Jr., chairman of the private equity firm Merrick Ventures, bought a 2.5-acre estate on Star Island for $120 million, setting what was then a record for a home sale in Miami-Dade County.

He also moved Merrick Ventures to Florida. The investment firm Ferro, founded in 2007 and previously based in Chicago, is now described on its website as a Florida-based private equity company focused on technology.

FC Barcelona

Along with Miami's influx of billionaires, the city has also become the American capital of soccer, with international figures like Lionel Messi and David Beckham investing in the sport's presence there.

In April 2025, FC Barcelona announced it would relocate its North American division's commercial offices from New York to Miami's One Biscayne Tower after receiving an incentive grant from the Miami Downtown Development Authority, an autonomous city agency focused on economic and business development.

Galderma

Galderma, the parent company behind brands like Cetaphil and Differin, announced in June 2025 that it would establish its new US headquarters in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The company said it expects roughly 150 employees to be based there by 2028.

The skincare company cited the concentration of med spas and dermatology clinics in the Miami metro area, the rapid growth of aesthetic procedures in the region, and the size of the Miami Health District as drivers behind the move.

Playboy

In August 2025, Playboy announced it would relocate its global headquarters from Los Angeles to Miami Beach. At the same time, it announced plans for a new Playboy Club in Miami Beach and new content studios in the city.

The company hopes to open its offices by September 2026.

"Miami Beach is among the most dynamic and culturally influential cities in the country, making it the ideal home for Playboy's next chapter," Ben Kohn, CEO of Playboy Inc., said in the statement.

MSC Cruises

In January, MSC Group's cruise division opened its new North American headquarters in downtown Miami.

The 130,000-square-foot office, located near PortMiami, is a roughly $100 million investment that will house more than 400 employees across MSC entities under one roof, MSC said in its announcement.

Palantir

In February, Palantir announced it had moved its headquarters to Miami.

Regulatory filings placed the company's principal executive office at 19505 Biscayne Boulevard in Aventura, about 17 miles north of downtown Miami.

The address, which is also home to an Industrious coworking space, is located across from the sprawling Aventura Mall and sits above a Sweetgreen, a Starbucks, and a Lego store.

Months before, CEO Alex Karp quietly bought a $46 million mansion in Miami's Venetian Islands.

Howard Schultz

In March, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said in a LinkedIn post that he and his wife were leaving Seattle for Florida after more than four decades in the city. He wrote that they had moved to Miami for their "next adventure together."

The announcement followed Schultz's purchase of a $44 million penthouse at the Four Seasons Private Residences, a waterfront residential tower in Surfside.

The executive, who had long-established ties in Seattle — the city where the coffee chain was founded — is one of the newest neighbors in Miami's high-profile circles.

Mark Zuckerberg

While the social media tycoon has not formally announced a relocation to Miami, Mark Zuckerberg made Miami history in March when he and his wife, Priscilla Chan, purchased a $170 million property on the appropriately nicknamed "Billionaire's Bunker," Indian Creek Island — the most expensive home sale in Miami-Dade County's history.

The still-under-construction property spans about 2 acres on the exclusive island, where Zuckerberg will be neighbors with Jeff Bezos, Ivanka Trump, and other notable figures.

Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin

Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin have both made major moves into South Florida's luxury real-estate market in recent months.

Page, who has long been based in Palo Alto, California, spent roughly $173.4 million on two Coconut Grove properties — including a 4.5-acre waterfront compound on Biscayne Bay — in December and January.

In March, Brin, who has also been a longtime California resident based in the Bay Area, purchased the former Allison Island home of LVMH CEO Michael Burke for $51 million.

• Turning 50 led Arinjay Jain to rethink how he wanted to spend the next few decades of his life.
• He traded his IT sales career for early retirement in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
• He now lives in a one-bedroom apartment that costs about $425 a month.

When Arinjay Jain turned 50, he was sitting in yet another meeting when it hit him: "What am I doing here?"

Jain hadn't always questioned the grind.

He had moved from India to Singapore in 2013, when the IT company he worked for opened a local office. After changing jobs a few times, he cofounded a small IT services startup in 2016.

He originally planned to build the company, sell it, and cash out. But as the years passed, the finish line felt increasingly distant.

"I thought, this is looking like several years away still, and I will have to work very hard to make it happen," Jain, now 53, told Business Insider.

At that point, he was no longer sure the stress of running his own company justified the reward. Around the same time, several real estate investments Jain had made in India appreciated significantly, giving him the financial security to consider stepping away.

"So then, why am I wasting my years?" he said.

Soon after, he began researching where he might want to spend the next chapter of his life. He knew he didn't want to go back to India.

While researching where to retire in Southeast Asia, a friend encouraged him to check out Chiang Mai, a city in northern Thailand he'd never visited.

In April 2023, five days in the second-largest Thai city sold him on the idea, and he threw himself into research about retirement visas and living costs.

By October 2023, when his lease was up for renewal, he decided against staying in Singapore.

Jain spent a couple of months visiting family and traveling around Asia. In February 2024, he arrived in Chiang Mai.

A new base in northern Thailand

February is often considered the start of the burning season in Chiang Mai, where farmers burn agricultural waste to clear their fields, often causing haze to drift into the city.

"I landed here in the worst possible time, but I still loved it," Jain said.

Thailand offers several long-stay visa options, and Jain holds a retirement visa.

While the Thai government publishes overall foreign resident figures, it does not appear to release a regular public count of retirement visa holders.

The latest civil registration data shows that 163,036 foreigners — not just retirees — lived in Chiang Mai in 2024, a level broadly comparable to a decade ago. That amounts to about 9% of the province's roughly 1.8 million residents.

Jain connected with a real-estate agent through Facebook and viewed several units before choosing his current one-bedroom condo near Nimman, a trendy, cosmopolitan neighborhood known for its café scene, chic boutiques, and international restaurants.

Rent is 14,000 Thai baht, or about $425, each month. His apartment building comes with a pool and a gym.

Jain says he tries to keep his monthly expenses between 40,000 and 45,000 Thai baht. In months when he travels, his expenses can reach around 60,000 Thai baht.

"For a lot of people from Western countries, the cost of living is a major attraction," he said. "For somebody from India, it's two or three times what I spent back home."

Still, Jain said his decision was driven more by lifestyle than money. He's grown comfortable with Chiang Mai's slower tempo, its sense of safety, and what he describes as a culture of respect and patience.

"Everybody likes to avoid stress, right? I'm very happy not to have stress living here," he said.

Life after the grind

That slower rhythm now shapes his days as a retiree.

Jain starts most mornings at the gym, then prepares a quick breakfast at home and does some household chores. Some afternoons, he plays golf at a nearby driving range. On other days, he joins a hiking group and heads out to explore waterfalls and trails around Chiang Mai.

In the evenings, he enjoys going for walks at nearby Chiang Mai University, whose scenic campus is a popular spot not just for students, but also locals across the city.

While he enjoys being around people, building deeper connections with locals has been more challenging, in part due to the language barrier.

Even though the city has a thriving expat scene, many tend to gravitate toward others from their own countries or from similar backgrounds.

Jain says he occasionally joins activity groups to stay social.

"But ideally, what I would like to do is become part of the local communities," he said. "That takes time, and the effort has to come from my side in terms of learning the language, but it's not easy."

Jain said he expects to stay in Chiang Mai for the foreseeable future, but he knows there are variables he can't control.

Visa rules can change, and retiring early means planning for decades ahead in an era of longer life expectancy.

"I have to plan for like 35 to 40 years," Jain said. "Look at all the changes that have happened in the last 20 years. It's difficult to imagine what might happen in the next 20 years."

For now, he said, he's content where he is.

• The Property Brothers guide buyers in a tough housing market on "Property Brothers: Under Pressure."
• The Scotts said they noticed buyers now have less strict wish lists and tighter budgets.
• Below, they give buyers their tips for breaking into the market.

After renovating over 1,000 homes and filming more than 600 episodes of television about their exploits, Drew and Jonathan Scott — also known as the Property Brothers — have seen a lot of changes in real estate.

In their latest HGTV series, "Property Brothers: Under Pressure," the Scotts guide buyers through the process of purchasing a home and help them navigate all of the decisions that come with it — from renovating to adding other revenue streams like rentals to make payments more affordable.

"We didn't want anyone with grand budgets that could do anything," Jonathan told Business Insider of the type of buyer they chose to focus on. "We're showing relatable stories of every kind you can possibly imagine."

With record-low inventory and prices still falling slowly, the current real-estate market is tough. The Scotts want to show that the reality of homebuying these days comes with a lot of compromise.

"With these budgets, people have the dream look, or the dream function in their home — they're not getting that," Drew told Business Insider. "We're trying to make the best that we can with what they have, and we don't want people to feel they're settling. We want people to still love where they're going to live."

Below, the Scotts give homebuyers tips on what to consider when buying a home in a brutal market.

Consider what home features are the most conducive to your lifestyle.

For the Scott brothers, a home isn't simply a place to rest your head; it should also be a space that complements your lifestyle.

"Take a few minutes to actually sit down and think through your lifestyle," Drew said. "Where are the friction points within your day? Are you finding that you're getting tripped up when you're getting the kids ready for school or organizing their play area? Is it laundry? Is it the kitchen? Think through what would actually make life easier, because your home should work to make your life easier. We always reverse engineer from there."

It's not just about being in a neighborhood that's closer to your work or having a dedicated parking space. What you spend your money on outside of your home should also be a huge deciding factor in if you're ready to become a homebuyer.

"Do you want to travel with your family, do you need extra money for different things?" Jonathan said. "If that's the most important thing, maybe renting is better for you at this time. But if we can help people into home ownership, we obviously love to do that."

Don't assume you can handle a fixer-upper on your own.

Getting into DIY with a fixer-upper can be an exciting and rewarding project. But the Scotts say it's best to consult with professionals first, not only to protect yourself in the event of safety concerns, but also financial ones.

"If you don't renovate houses for a living, you probably shouldn't do your own renovation," Jonathan said. "I think a lot of people are trying to save money anywhere they can, but what they try to do is they save money in areas where you need someone to protect you to make sure you're not overspending. We see that all the time."

The brothers warned that not everyone who posts a renovation video online is a professional, and social media is littered with inaccurate information about the specifics of home-renovation projects.

"Just be careful what you try and tackle yourself," Drew said.

"The internet may be good for you finding a date, maybe not so good if you're trying to redo your electrical — that's dangerous," Jonathan added.

Be more realistic with your wishlist.

A common trope of homebuying starts with a wishlist: prime location, under budget, and with plenty of space. But more often than not, you won't end up in a place that checks every box.

The brothers said they've been asked countless times over the course of their careers to make miracles happen, but if you're serious about buying a home, you need to be more realistic.

"Sometimes people ask for stuff that is crazy and we're like, 'There's just literally no way this is going to be within your budget,'" Jonathan said. "And a lot of times that ends up being location based. They'll ask for a location that we just know the inventory's so low, the prices are so high. It's going to mean you'll find the place and you'll have zero money to customize it."

The tough current market also means buyers may have to revisit some of the things they considered dealbreakers.

"In multiple episodes this season, there was a train right behind the property thundering by multiple times a day," Jonathan said. "Most people have been like, 'Absolutely not,' but for one couple on the show, they couldn't afford a house that was big enough on a quiet cul-de-sac. People are definitely changing what their must-haves and no-gos are."

Watch out for shoddy work in quick flips.

While Drew and Jonathan mostly advise against tackling large renovation projects without consulting professionals, some people do it anyway.

Not all home flips include bad work, but some do — and sometimes, you may not notice that until it's too late.

"We see this in LA all the time. It's a flip market where people do a really terrible lipstick-on-a-pig kind of a renovation job," Jonathan said. "To the average homeowner, it looks amazing — new materials, this is awesome. It's not until they move into it that they realize how completely un-functional it is."

The Scotts acknowledged shows like theirs may have had the unintended effect of making viewers think they could do their own renovations.

"Networks like this have given some people a false sense of confidence to say, 'I know what this needs, I know how to do this project,'" Drew said. "I've had people walk up to me on the street and say, 'Hey, I'm a general contractor, and by the way, thanks a lot. You're making it real tough because now people think they know everything.'"

• To invest in real estate without having to fork over a big down payment, some investors are using the BRRRR method.
• It involves buying a property with potential, renovating it, and renting it out.
• Then, investors can use a cash-out refinance to help fund their next purchase.

Real estate investing can be an effective way to build wealth, but it's not as simple as selecting an index fund, contributing money, and letting it grow.

Successful real estate investing requires time, strategy, and money — often a significant amount, especially for investors looking to build multi-property portfolios.

To scale without having to save for a new down payment and closing costs for each deal, some investors use a strategy known as "buy, rehab, rent, refinance, repeat," or BRRRR.

The approach involves buying a property with potential, renovating it, and renting it out. Once rented, the next step is to refinance, allowing investors to pull out their original investment, plus any equity they've built, to help fund their next purchase. Banks typically lend up to 70% to 75% of a property's value in a cash-out refinance.

Scaling quickly by recycling capital

When buying an investment property, "you're really looking at at least 20% down," Pieter Louw told Business Insider. He and his childhood friend, Connor Swofford, used the BRRRR strategy to scale from zero to 24 units in 12 months. "Even with a $300,000 or $400,000 property, with closing costs, you have to come up with 60 to 80 grand, which is not very scalable."

Their first deal was a duplex with a carriage house in Buffalo. Two of the three units were ready to rent, while the third required renovations. They said they bought it for $295,000, put about $40,000 into it, and by the time they refinanced, it appraised for $430,000.

"That really kick-started us," said Louw.

They've financed their deals with hard money loans (short-term loans secured by a "hard" asset, such as real estate), sometimes layering in private money for the down payment or renovations. Working with hard money lenders allows them to move faster than traditional banks, though it does come with risk, Swofford said: "It's a big balloon payment, you have to personally guarantee the loan, and there's a bit more paperwork and harder compliance hurdles to clear."

Thanks to Louw's construction background, they can confidently predict their rehab costs and timeline, which is critical for a successful BRRRR.

"The two biggest things are making sure that your construction budget is reasonably accurate," said Louw, "and knowing your purchase price and what the value would be afterward: the ARV."

Carolyn Yu has used the BRRRR method to scale to five properties in two years.

Her strategy centers on buying below market value, improving the property, allowing it to appreciate, and then tapping into the built-up equity to help finance another purchase.

"My strategy is basically to use every property to fund the next one," said the 27-year-old investor seeking early retirement.

A slower, more flexible version of BRRRR

There's more than one way to execute a BRRRR. Financially independent investor Dion McNeeley has experimented with a "live-in BRRRR," and Mike Newton, a Washington State trooper who owns more than 20 rental units, uses what he calls a "slow BRRRR" strategy to reduce risk.

"One of the main concerns with the BRRRR strategy is, what if I don't get the appraisal I want? What if I don't get it remodeled as quickly as I thought I would?" said Newton. "All of a sudden, as I take longer, it now costs me way more money."

His "slow BRRRR" strategy works like so: First, he secures private money from individual investors in his local real estate community. There's nothing unique about that step; the key is how he structures the loans. He sets up a five-year interest-only loan term. For example, on a 2025 triplex purchase, he borrowed $60,000 at 10% interest, meaning he owed the lender $6,000 per year, or about $500 a month, with no principal payments.

He'll eventually pay the loan back in a lump sum after he rehabs and refinances the property, but he has plenty of time to do so. He includes a clause that allows him to extend the loan for up to three additional years if the appraisal doesn't meet a specified threshold. He also includes a no prepayment penalty clause.

"If we had some crazy recession or the value didn't come back, I can wait longer and continue to cash flow," he said. "Even though 10% is not a great interest rate, if you're not paying any principal, the actual payment I'm making of $500 a month is less than what a principal and interest payment would be."

When the timing is right, he refinances, pays back the private lender, and moves on to the next deal.

Why some investors are shifting to BRRRR now

For Louisville-based investors Mike Gorius and Kevin Hart, BRRRR is becoming more attractive as market conditions change.

The business partners have primarily focused on house flipping since they started buying real estate together in 2019, but they're leaning more heavily into BRRRR projects in 2026.

A cooling market has made quick resale profits harder to rely on.

They know the strategy isn't risk-free. You still have to make sure your numbers work, and you can hit the value you're expecting, Hart said.

"From the get-go, you still have the risk of rehab and the risk of running correct costs to make sure that you can actually get a good appraisal."

However, compared to flipping, BRRRR offers a more predictable exit.

"You're taking out the risk of the market," explained Hart. Instead of worrying about a flip sitting for months while you're paying interest, "you know that at the end of the rehab you can get a tenant in there and you can immediately refinance with the bank."

It may not yield quick cash like a successful flip, but they're playing the long game.

• Scott Scovel moved to Miami in his 50s, hoping to benefit from lower taxes and cheaper living costs.
• But those costs didn't make as much of a difference as he anticipated, especially after he retired.
• The biggest benefit of Miami was unexpected — he bought a much cheaper home and retired early.

In 2021, at age 58, I followed one of the hottest relocation trends in the US: I moved from New York to Florida.

I'd accepted a new job in Miami that I intended to be my last, and wanted to see what it would be like to retire in Florida. I was drawn by Miami's warm winters, lower taxes, and supposedly cheaper living, but I also loved New York, so I was torn about where I'd have a better retirement.

Now that I'm here, I love Miami's glorious weather and cultural diversity, but I've only found modest benefits from Florida's lower taxes and living costs when compared to my life in New York.

Miami hasn't met all my expectations, but it surprised me in one very important way, and I'm glad I moved here.

Housing costs were dramatically cheaper in Miami, but they're on the rise

During my first few weeks in Miami, I was lured in by the bike rides I could take through lush parks and along glistening blue waters. In the neighborhood of Brickell, I could enjoy a pedestrian lifestyle similar to Manhattan's. By my sixth month, I was ready to commit to living here permanently, so I called a realtor.

I bought a two-bedroom condo in cash for $727,500, using the money from the $1.65 million sale of my two-bedroom Manhattan condo in 2019. With no mortgage, my monthly expenses fell significantly. I suddenly realized I could afford to retire years earlier than I expected, relying on my savings, so I left full-time work in 2022 at age 60.

I was lucky because I took Manhattan money with me to Miami, after nearly 40 years of working in the financial services industry. For other Americans moving from lower-income areas, the "Miami dream" may not be as affordable. House prices in Florida aren't what they used to be: evidence shows Miami condos cost over twice as much as they did 10 years ago.

Lower taxes and living costs didn't make as much difference as I expected

When I received my first paycheck in Florida, I rejoiced because there's no personal state income tax here. New York State and City taxes cost me nearly $40,000 some years.

Now that I no longer have an income from a job, I'm not benefiting in the same way. Lower taxes initially drew me to Miami, but I hadn't properly considered that this factor would lose significance when my income fell in retirement.

I also assumed everything would be more expensive in NYC than Miami, but I've been struck by how comparable many costs are. I still buy clothes from online retailers and household goods from Amazon, meaning the prices don't fluctuate significantly based on where I am.

My weekly grocery bill is perhaps a little cheaper in Miami, but some things were unexpectedly cheaper in New York, most notably transportation, as the subway system beats having to own a car or pay for Ubers to get around parts of Miami.

Miami has great weather, but it can't beat New York's cultural abundance

I absolutely love the Florida weather. I grew up with four-month winters in Minnesota, and during my first year in Miami, I'd brag to friends up north that I now wear shorts 360 out of 365 days. I worried that the summer heat would get oppressive, but it actually hasn't been that bad. I wake up at dawn to exercise, avoid the midday sun, and reappear outdoors in the cooler evenings.

I like that Miami has a diverse population and is a major hub for Latin American and Caribbean cultures. However, I sometimes miss the broader global culture in New York, where I could effortlessly eat great Thai food just blocks from home, take in an African art exhibit at the Met, or attend a European film festival. Miami can be proud of its restaurant and cultural scene, but almost no city can compare to New York's abundance.

I was shocked housing in Miami was so much cheaper than New York

Though I came to Miami expecting to make significant tax savings and benefit from lower day-to-day expenses, I've found that my retirement living costs are pretty similar to what they would've been in New York.

The biggest benefit, however, was unexpected. I was shocked to learn that Miami housing could be so much cheaper than New York. I bought a comparable condo for less than half the cost of my Manhattan home, which eliminated my need for a mortgage and enabled me to retire early. For that, I'm extremely grateful to Miami.

Retiring early means I'm young enough to fully enjoy my golden years. I bask in the Miami sunshine on walks and bike rides, travel extensively to other countries, and have time to pursue all sorts of hobbies, from improv classes to museum trips.

One of the most enduring myths about Florida's history is that European explorer Ponce de León came here in search of the fountain of youth in the 1500s. I'd like to think I've found my own fountain of youth by retiring early in Miami — something that means more to me than a lower tax rate.

Do you have a story to share about moving to Miami? Contact the editor, Charissa Cheong, at ccheong@businessinsider.com

• Seven years ago, Matthijs van der Ham won a lottery to rent a tiny home in the Netherlands.
• One of the main reasons van der Ham has stayed is the village feels safe for his 13-year-old son.
• Instead of complaining about noise, his neighbors turned his son's birthday party into a mini festival.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Matthijs van der Ham, 44, an architect and woodworker. For seven years, he and his 13-year-old son have lived in Minitopia,'s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. This piece has been edited for length and clarity.

Seven years ago, when our landlord told me the apartment on a farm where I lived with my seven-year-old son was coming off the rental market, I needed to find somewhere else to live.

Around the same time, a tiny house became available at a Minitopia village in 's-Hertogenbosch, the first of several in the region. I was already familiar with this particular village because, earlier that year, I'd helped a friend build a home there.

The Minitopia Foundation held a lottery for the rental and hundreds of people applied. With a bit of luck, I won. Within three weeks of losing our apartment, I had the keys to our tiny house in 's-Hertogenbosch.

Living in a tiny-home village has been liberating

When I first moved here in 2019, it was common for tour groups to walk through the site and for drones to fly overhead to film life here. That's less common now. There are many more projects like this around the world, and tiny homes are becoming increasingly normal.

Back then, the site was mostly concrete. Over the course of my time here, however, it has become much greener. Every year, I plant trees along the street and invite the neighbors to join. They often do. On a typical street, the local government would probably remove trees like that or make you go through a long approval process. Here, if I want to plant trees, I can.

In my spare time, I like to create art from wood. On a normal residential street, if someone saw a man walking around with an ax, they might call the police. Here, people ask what I'm making and tell me how nice my art is.

In a place like Minitopia, the entire street feels like your living space, unlike in normal neighborhoods where everything is clearly defined: fenced gardens, parking spaces, a road, a pavement.

Here, there are no fences and no strict boundaries. It's much more fluid. When you live in a space that is less rigid, it becomes easier to think that way, too. Living like this has been liberating, and I feel freer than I used to.

Minitopia is a fantastic community for raising children

I've always been happy here, especially when it comes to raising my son. It's a great place for kids to grow up. It feels safe, and there aren't many cars passing through.

My son is always strolling around outside before returning at a set time. It's really nice that children have the opportunity to explore here. That's one of the main reasons I've stayed.

Another reason is that the people are really great. A few years ago, I threw a party for my son's birthday. At first, I only invited his classmates. Then we ended up inviting their families and everyone at Minitopia. There are more than two dozen homes here.

It turned into a small festival. We had a food truck, music, and neighbors lending chairs and helping out. In a normal neighborhood, we'd have received noise complaints, but at Minitopia, everyone just wants to have fun.

We do a lot together as a community, which is special. Every Tuesday, we have a get-together where we make art, eat, and talk. On New Year's Eve, we had a big party.

You can keep to yourself if you like, but I love that there are so many opportunities to do fun things together.

I've never been tempted to move

Though I rent this house, it feels like my home. I handle most of the maintenance, and I'm free to change it as I see fit. For example, I've made some improvements, such as adding a roof over the porch.

While my dream is to one day live on a piece of land with better soil so I can garden more, at this point in my life, living in a tiny home village works well for us.

In my seven years here, I've never once been tempted to leave.

• My husband and I thought Sweden would bring us our dream life, but logistics made it hard to stay.
• We ended up settling down in a small city in Maine, and surprisingly, we love it even more here.
• The most special part of our new home is the tight-knit, extremely supportive community.

We spent New Year's Eve wearing paper crowns at a cozy New England restaurant that felt like a living room. The owner stopped by our corner booth while he worked the room; our friends, who run their own bakery, slipped away to say hi to some regulars.

My husband leaned over and said, "I love this."

The year before, we had been wall-to-wall at a roller-rink club in Brooklyn. Although we had a good time, sitting in that small-town restaurant — watching fireworks over the river — felt like exactly where we were meant to be.

There was no line, cover fee, or wild countdown. The night that often disappoints simply didn't.

This wasn't where we thought we'd be on the last night of 2025. In June, we'd moved from New York to Sweden, but just four months later, we found ourselves leaving for Maine.

We thought Sweden would be our new home, but circumstances made it temporary

Moving to Sweden in June, I was following a simple idea: When things feel scary in America, the best course of action is to leave.

For a while, it worked. Life felt gentler.

We fell into a mellow rhythm, going to the beach, visiting the many well-maintained conservation areas — including some that go directly through cow pastures — and eating affordable, healthy food from the grocery store.

Although Sweden delivered in real ways, staying required logistical planning and more time than we had. Leaving didn't feel like failure, but choosing something more permanent.

Back in the US, we weren't looking for another major metropolitan area, but a real community. That search led us to a small Maine city just south of Portland, where some of our friends were already living.

With a population of under 23,000, it sounded like a great fit. Friends helped us secure an apartment before we even arrived.

The community here immediately felt unlike anywhere else

We had a rich community in New York, but our friends were more spread out around the city. As soon as we got to Maine, though, we realized we could walk almost anywhere: from our apartment to a friend's place, the pharmacy, a grocery store, and the river.

As a result, our city really feels like home. Now, our friends' bakery isn't just a place to get delicious treats and coffee; it's where we run into — or make — friends in line, and chat about how their winter is going.

We've also seen the way Mainers support each other firsthand. When our moms came to visit, we took them for a coastal drive in our brand-new Volvo and slid straight into a ditch.

We were inches from doing damage and bracing for a tow when a woman and her kids came outside and jumped in to help push us back onto the road.

Within minutes, we were free. They waved while we drove off as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Our community shows up for people in larger-scale ways, too. When a major fire hit the Old Port this winter, destroying boats and fishing equipment, the owner of a local seafood restaurant started selling T-shirts, with proceeds going to the fishermen affected.

More recently, amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)'s enhanced presence in Maine, residents responded immediately. Businesses put up "No ICE" posters, a hotline was established to provide help and resources, and crowds gathered downtown to protest the occupation.

It reaffirmed what I already knew about Maine: When people here think their neighbors are at risk, they take action.

Maine is exactly what we needed

One night, before grabbing cocktails, a group of our friends went to a live storytelling event in a small church.

I was surrounded by new and familiar faces: A former theater kid in his 30s told a story about the state spelling bee. An 80-year-old talked about soapbox racing in Camden.

My own creative work is taking shape here, too. I'm querying a novel, having found a steadier practice and supportive writing scene.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to live abroad, but I'm even happier that I landed in a small US city where people live year-round and expect to see each other for decades.

Sitting in that booth on New Year's Eve, I understood why people here claim this place, and why I'm excited to do the same.

• At 35, I decided to leave Texas behind to live in Madrid. I didn't have much of a plan.
• After moving, my life changed. I felt inspired by the women I met abroad and started a business.
• Life hasn't been perfect, but I'm still glad I'm here a decade later.

At 35, I left my comfortable life in Texas and bought a one-way ticket to Madrid to teach English.

On paper, everything in Austin looked fine: I had a job at a tech startup, a condo, and a steady routine. My days were predictable, comfortable, and deeply unfulfilling. I felt like I was sleepwalking through them.

I'd studied in Spain and had attempted to move there three times during my 20s. By my mid-30s, I assumed I had missed my opportunity.

Despite being single and childfree, walking away from everything without a plan felt like recklessly blowing up my life.

However, I always had a nagging feeling that there was more to my story. So, I pushed past the voice in my head that said I was "too old" to start over and packed my bags.

Ten years later, I'm still abroad. This move reshaped my life in ways I couldn't have predicted. Breaking with society's norms and taking a chance on myself led me to build the life of freedom I truly wanted.

Here are three things I've learned since leaving the US for my new life in Spain with me, myself, and I.

Age isn't as limited as I'd been taught to believe — especially for women

In the US, we are repeatedly reminded of the typical "path of success": Get married, have children, climb the corporate ladder, buy the house — and do all of this before you get too old.

In my early 30s in Austin, I had a built-in social circle where everyone my age was coupled (or wanted to be), and many had children. As a woman who wasn't prioritizing marriage or motherhood, I felt strangely behind, despite not wanting the same things. I felt like an outlier.

That changed when I moved to Spain. Most women I met didn't follow conventional timelines, and I no longer felt subtle judgment about my life choices. I met countless women my age and older, without kids, and many of them were unattached.

No one ever asked me why I wasn't married. For the first time in my life, I felt like my life choices were normal.

I was also surprised by the number of women over 30 I met who had moved abroad. In Texas, I only knew of students and retirees making the leap, not people in the middle of their careers.

Most people my age were chasing stability, not a total life shake-up. Having no one who understood to turn to for support made me feel even more anxious about my decision.

However, I soon realized that moving in my 30s was actually an advantage. I had more financial stability, better self-awareness, and the wisdom to navigate challenges with perspective.

One of the biggest lessons from my past decade abroad is that there's no expiration date on reinvention. My 30s and 40s have been full of new beginnings, from moving abroad at 35 to starting a new career at 37 to building a thriving business at 40.

Rather than conforming to a path, I created one that fit.

Changing where you live can radically change your life

When you move somewhere new, you gain something very powerful: the ability to choose who you want to be. Distance from past identities, histories, and assumptions about who you are can be very freeing.

And that's the real gift of moving abroad, it's not just a change of scenery, it's a change of context. You can try, fail, pivot, and evolve without an audience.

Before I moved to Spain, my life in the US was characterized by serial job-hopping. I struggled to find my way in the corporate world, while everyone else seemed to move through it with ease.

I felt like something was wrong with me, and I constantly wondered why I couldn't just conform. In the US, work feels like it equals your worth, so what did not thriving say about me?

At 35, I knew teaching abroad wasn't my long-term plan, but I also didn't move across the ocean to chase the conventional path of success. For the first time, I felt free of societal expectations, family pressures, and cultural norms. That anonymity coupled with downtime was the catalyst for self-discovery.

I started asking myself questions that never fit within the conventional definition of success: What do I really want? What excites me? What kind of life do I want to create?

Outside the 9-to-5 grind, I found creativity and clarity. In Madrid, I started blogging, organizing events, and exploring ideas without knowing where they would lead.

Within a year and a half, they led me to start She Hit Refresh, a community and company that helps women over 30 move abroad so they can stop stressing over logistics and build a life that feels aligned with who they are internally.

If I had stayed in Texas, I'm not sure that this version of me would have surfaced. I used to think that I needed to become someone different to thrive in the US.

It turns out I didn't need to change who I was; I just needed to be in a place that allowed me to become myself.

Moving abroad isn't a cure-all

It would be easy to frame a move abroad as a fairy tale, but it isn't.

Navigating visa stress and bureaucracy (particularly in a foreign language) can feel impossible some days. Even easy tasks like grocery shopping or taking the bus can be hard at first and leave you with a stress headache.

I've suffered anxiety from navigating my first office job in Spanish, and it took me years longer than expected to build close friendships.

There were many times when I felt lonely, isolated, and financially uncertain. There were even moments when I doubted whether I had made the right decision. However, I've come to learn that all this is normal.

Life abroad will have its highs and lows, because life abroad is still life.

Overall, though, my day-to-day stress is significantly lower. I walk everywhere. Healthcare is affordable. Travel is accessible and affordable.

My social life is richer and full of friends whose stories are similar to mine. Most importantly, my life feels aligned with who I am.

Moving abroad did not magically solve any of my problems, but it did give me the psychological space to reimagine who I could become. By changing where I lived, I changed how I saw myself and what I believed I was capable of doing.

I took risks I wouldn't have taken back home, and over time, those choices compounded.

What started as a one-year Hail Mary became a new career, a business, and a life that fits me far better than the one I left behind.

• My friends and family thought I was making a mistake when I moved states for a new relationship.
• At first, I felt homesick, but my partner supported me in a way that validated my decision.
• Now, we're married with kids, and I'm so glad I took a risk on love.

When I was 21, I fell in love for the first time.

Tim and I met online before it was cool. An avid fisherman, sports fanatic, and gifted salesman, he wasn't my usual type — but he was charming, funny, awkward, and sweet. I fell for him, hook, line, and sinker.

There was only one problem. Tim lived in Minneapolis, and I lived in Chicago.

We made long-distance work for as long as we could. On the rare weekends I wasn't waitressing, I traveled to Minnesota for ice fishing and bar hopping. When Tim's schedule allowed, he visited me at my parents' house for family dinners and nights out with friends.

Our time together was fun and exciting, but after seven months of constant travel, we knew we had some decisions to make.

When Tim and I decided to take the next step, I moved to Minnesota

After a four-year collegiate stint in Michigan, I'd sworn to myself that I'd never leave Chicago again. Not only were my family and friends there, but it was comforting and familiar. It was home.

Tim understood my love for Chicago from the moment we met. He was early in his dream career as a salesman, and I hadn't yet decided what I wanted to do professionally. Even so, he reassured me that I would never have to move — that, instead, he would find a way to relocate for me.

The more reassuring he was, though, the more I began seriously considering moving to Minnesota. Logistically, it just made sense.

My family and friends were just as charmed by Tim as I was, but they were skeptical, too. They cautioned me against moving, reminding me that Tim and I hadn't known each other that long.

The more I thought about beginning a new chapter, though, the more right it felt. Whether or not Tim and I lasted, maybe an adventure was exactly what I needed to kick off the adult chapter of my life.

Despite their warnings, I began searching for a job in Minneapolis. When I found a new job and a new roommate in the same week, it felt like fate.

I struggled with homesickness at first, but Tim supported me

My life in Minnesota wasn't what I had imagined. Living away from home was difficult, and I was miserably homesick for weeks. I was also adjusting to life in my first apartment, along with a new, very demanding job.

I was thrilled to be closer to Tim, but the struggles I was experiencing overshadowed much of my joy. Despite these difficulties, Tim remained patient, sure of our relationship, even when my confidence wavered.

On Halloween, my family's favorite holiday, Tim dressed up as a giant piece of pizza to cheer me up. When the first snow fell that season, Tim was waiting in my new apartment with a Christmas tree in tow.

By the time Valentine's Day rolled around, bringing with it chocolate-covered strawberries and three dozen white roses (my favorite), most of my homesickness had faded.

I realized that Tim was my future, wherever we lived

After six months, I finally began to find my footing. My roommate and I developed a strong bond, and I began to branch out into new social circles.

I fell in love with Minnesota in the summertime. I even learned to fish! Turns out, Tim was an excellent teacher.

Tim was my constant, in good times and bad. As the months continued to pass, I began to realize that maybe, this wasn't just the beginning of a new chapter — maybe it was the beginning of forever.

One evening, eight months after I first arrived in Minnesota, Tim invited me out for a casual dinner. I accepted, thinking nothing of it, not even questioning the fact that he wanted us to explore an antique store 15 minutes before our reservation.

I was sifting through a pile of old postcards when I realized that Tim was nowhere to be seen — until I rounded the corner and there he was, on bended knee, a tiny box in his outstretched hand.

We were married that December in Chicago. We spent another year in Minnesota after that, before returning to my hometown for good, putting down roots a few miles from my childhood home.

Thirteen years and six children later, I'm forever grateful that I ignored well-meaning warnings from my friends and family. I may have risked it all on love, but in the end, it was worth it.

• Developer Chad Dale and a small group of his friends bought a vacation home to share together.
• Ultimately, the experiment was a bust, but it sparked the idea for something bigger.
• In 2023, Dale, his family, and friends opened Shared Roof, a 35-unit co-housing community in Seattle.

Nearly a decade ago, real estate developer Chad Dale made a purchase that changed the way he thought about how people live together.

Dale and a small group of his friends had decided to pool their money to purchase a vacation home on Whidbey Island, about an hour from Seattle. With five families with young children cycling in and out of the four-bedroom, one-bath farmhouse sharing meals, splitting chores, and weathering the inevitable frictions of living in close quarters, Dale realized that sharing property was a great idea in theory, but not sustainable in practice.

"There were a lot of people sharing an intimate space — it was a little too intimate," Dale told Business Insider. "There were lots [of things] about that place that were great, and lots that weren't great."

The vacation home experiment's shortcomings sparked an idea for something bigger and more permanent.

For years, Dale turned over the same question: What would communal living look like if it were designed to last?

He found his answer in co-housing, an arrangement where people have private homes but share amenities and collectively manage common spaces. Not to be confused with co-living, which is when people have private rooms in shared homes, co-housing is unlike a typical rental setup in that residents also often have an ownership stake or governance role in the housing community. It's a housing model that is gaining traction as people seek more sustainable, community-oriented housing.

An 'adult version' of a co-op community

Dale is the developer behind Shared Roof, a 35-unit community that opened in 2023 in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood.

Dale financed the project with the help of 13 other friends and family members, each of whom invested in the building. Contributions ranged from $50,000 to $5 million, and ownership stakes in the building's LLC are proportional to each person's investment. At Shared Roof, there are no HOA fees; residents still pay monthly rent, but it goes directly to the LLC rather than a traditional landlord.

"It's a business model that you see sometimes in office buildings, but I'd never seen one done in a mixed-use building," said Ray Johnston, who helped lead the project as a founding partner of Johnston Architects. "The things that Chad and his friends came to the table with were exciting."

Designing the building took careful planning

Shared Roof is meant to feel more like a European block than a typical new build in Seattle. Dale points to places like Amsterdam, where design encourages neighborly interaction and sustainability, as sources of architectural inspiration.

The five-story building wraps around an interior courtyard, with underground parking below. No two units are alike; residences range from about 2,000 to 5,000 square feet.

"One of the more interesting challenges in the project came on the fourth and fifth floors, where many of the long-term investors live, and the units were highly customized to serve the needs of different families," Johnston said. "It required thoughtful, more detailed spatial planning than in typical multifamily projects to make those individualized layouts fit together under one roof, but it also presented an opportunity to create spaces that reflected how the residents wanted to live."

While residents have private homes, they share a suite of amenities, including a library, an art room, and a rooftop greenhouse. Street-level retail — such as a café, a brewery, and several restaurants — help keep the community connected to the surrounding neighborhood.

For Dale, co-housing was a way to get the community and amenities he and his friends craved without paying peak city prices or having to move away entirely.

Still, living at Shared Roof isn't cheap. Some larger units in the building have a monthly rent of $8,000. To ensure affordability, Shared Roof participates in Seattle's Multifamily Tax Exemption program (MFTE) and has set aside about 20% of units for moderate-income renters.

"It was incredibly important for us to have as much diversity — including income diversity — in the building as we could," Dale said. "We're huge supporters of infill diversity, rather than separate diversity. In my opinion, that's not the correct approach."

It's a multi-generational building

Nine of Shared Roof's investors live in the building, including Dale, who lives with his wife and their three kids in a 1,800-square-foot, three-bedroom unit.

Dale views being surrounded by a mix of younger couples and older residents as a unique plus to their living arrangement.

"There are groups of people that benefit from being together, and our model was really about a generational, family-oriented approach," he said.

"My folks and my wife's folks are all in Michigan, so my kids didn't get a lot of interaction with older people. To see my neighbor with Parkinson's interacting with my 7-year-old — they're both winning."

The kids also have plenty of other children their age in the building, and with so much to do there, from hanging out on the rooftop trampoline to playing on the 5,000-square-foot turf soccer field, hangouts are often — sometimes more than parents would prefer.

"They come home, crack the door, toss their school bag inside, and then leave because all their friends are around," Dale said. He added that "while that's really cool, and exactly what I was hoping for, it's an unintended consequence."

'I love our life here'

John Ware, a technical program manager, and his partner, Liesl Langley, had been living in a large home in Phinney Ridge, but were looking to downsize as they entered the empty-nest years. After hearing about Shared Roof through word of mouth and touring the building, they were sold.

Ware and Langley are investors in the building and were among the first couples to move in. They're in a 2,000-square-foot apartment with three bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Inside, it's finished with hardwood floors, walnut custom cabinetry, and high-end appliances, including a Liebherr refrigerator.

Fancy finishes aside, Ware said one of the biggest draws to living at Shared Roof is the community he and Langley have become a part of.

"I used to live in a building that had about 90 units, and I probably knew a third of folks, but we know every single person who lives in this building. We have a group chat on WhatsApp, so that folks can stay in touch with what's happening," Ware, 54, told Business Insider.

He and his partner have become the building's unofficial — and, in practice, official — social directors. Every year, they host an Oscars party, and in the weeks leading up to it this month, they've been holding a movie night every week.

Ware said it's little things like this that make co-housing worthwhile.

"We travel here and there, but after we've traveled for a while, I just want to be home, because of where we live — not just Seattle, but our neighborhood and community," he added. "I love our life here and love this place."

For some residents, co-housing is a lifeline in a pricey city

Mary Jo Wagner, a spa owner, fell in love with Shared Roof after visiting a client who lived there.

"I had just come to visit her one day for dinner, downstairs at one of the restaurants, and I was just thinking to myself how amazing it would be to live in a community like this," Wagner, 53, told Business Insider.

Wagner moved in with her adult son in 2024, but he has since moved out. Over the past year, she downsized from a two-bedroom to a one-bedroom unit with her dog. Her apartment is among the roughly 20% of units set aside in the building for moderate-income earners.

"The median income in the city is so incredibly high, so it drives up all the prices of the regular rental units that are available," Wagner said. "The fact that Shared Roof participates in this MFTE program is absolutely amazing because it is more affordable."

Wagner said the building's amenities, along with its retail stores, including a wine shop and a bakery, also helped seal the deal. She especially loves the building's library and the rooftop garden.

"I live in a small one-bedroom unit, but if I want to have my friends or family over for a larger gathering, there are spaces in the building to do that, which is just amazing."

For Wagner, Shared Roof doesn't feel like a typical apartment complex. Beyond the extra amenities, the connections she's made there feel genuine.

"Everybody kind of looks out for one another," she said. "It feels a little bit like being a part of a large family."

• My wife and I moved to New York City with hopes of building a vibrant community.
• When my son was born, our priorities shifted, and we eyed a house near my in-laws in Delaware.
• We left New York City behind and couldn't be happier.

Two years before our son was born, my partner, Liv, and I moved to New York City to immerse ourselves in the city that never sleeps. She was working full-time and pursuing a master's degree at Columbia, while I was figuring out what it meant to be human after I quit my tech job.

We dreamed of the community and opportunity that awaited us in that glorious place of concrete and glass. After the loneliness COVID brought, I fantasized that we'd meet other adults who shared enough of our values to create a tight community in New York City, one that was more than just friends.

But everything changed after our son was born.

We moved to New York City to live our dream life

My sister-in-law, her boyfriend, and a handful of friends already lived in New York City. The region's high population density came with the promise of new close relationships.

Within six weeks, we sold our house in suburban Maryland and moved into a New York City apartment, sight unseen.

Living in NYC is like gripping life's volume knob with both hands and cranking it up past the breaking point. The city offers an unmatched variety of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings to the privileged people who can afford it.

Some nights over the next year, I sat on our windowsill, admiring the twinkling cityscape teeming with life. I was making new friends, but I wasn't seeing a path to the fantastical relationships with other adults that I thought would come easily.

The question of whether or not to expand our biological family also hung heavily in my mind.

After an errand to the Financial District, I shared a transformative conversation with a tourist couple from rural Germany. We talked about their children, and I revealed my ambivalence about having my own.

The man's response was warm and adamant: Having children is the best. There's never going to be a right time. Just do it.

We hugged, took a selfie, and parted ways. Six months later, having learned countless lessons from the city and its people, Liv was pregnant with our first child.

Our priorities shifted after the birth of our son

Shortly after our son was born and I became a stay-at-home dad, our family reached a decision point. We could not afford to live in New York City and enjoy our preferred lifestyle. We needed more space and more help.

A house in my in-laws' neighborhood was put up for sale at an attractive price. Liv's desire burned for this home and the comfort of neighbor-parents, but I was unconvinced. Leaving my community and moving to Slower Lower Delaware felt like a massive downgrade.

As our son's eyes opened and he began to crawl, my priorities shifted toward my growing family. Whenever my mother-in-law trekked up to the city to help with childcare, I felt rested and loved. If we moved, her love and nurturing spirit would be just down the road.

I chose to be excited about the move, focusing on the reasons it felt good, like the familial help, lower financial pressure, and quieter calm.

We bought the house and moved after our son's first birthday.

An unexpected step toward a dream come true

I am fortunate enough to both love and like my family, including the family I inherited from Liv. With this type of love comes a web of commitment to the well-being of all members of our system. Societal norms make the depth of this commitment far more accessible to family than it is to friends.

In an alternate universe, there's a version of myself whose hyperlocal community consists of friends and family, where our children have sprawling chosen families and roam freely between homes. In this imaginary village, shops and services are walkable, and what we make transcends money. I thought we might make this happen in New York City. Maybe it can for others, but it didn't for me.

Perhaps that idealized universe is actually this one, only set a few years in the future. The open-door policy we happily share with my in-laws is a part of the dream made real.