The value of living in a big city has diminished in the covid era. If I can't congregate with friends or go to events the way I normally would, I would rather live in a less expensive place.

Three years ago we moved from NYC to Asheville, NC for a lifestyle change. Recently we decided we are ready to upgrade from our 1bd condo into a house closer to work. Even working with a realtor, the day a new home is listed there are multiple offers by the end of the day, often site unseen. For many these are second (or third) homes or investments. It would appear more people are trying to escape their COVID cities only to pollute fresh mountain air.

We have been building a tiny house on my father-in-law's property in Pennsylvania while living in Baltimore. My wife and I both got support from our bosses to move to full-time remote position in our engineering firms, which gives us the freedom to move without having to job search at the same time.