When moving on actually includes moving

North Carolina ranked as the top destination people were migrating to in 2007, according to United, followed by Nevada, Washington, D.C. and Oregon. Alabama, South Carolina, West Virginia, Wyoming, South Dakota, Arizona, and Tennessee also were popular destinations.

States in the Great Lakes region were among those that most people were packing up and leaving, with Michigan at the top of the list. North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Ohio also were on the list of states from which residents were departing.

Bill Humphrey, senior vice president of Xonex Relocation Co., says he’s seeing more and more employees living in temporary housing when they move to a new town for a new job because they either can’t sell their homes or can’t afford to buy a new one.

Another problem he’s noticed is some workers who sell their homes still owe money because they took out a second or third mortgage on the property.

In any of these scenarios, Humphrey’s recommends that employees negotiate for relocation assistance from their employers. New hires can negotiate for temporary housing, lost home equity, a cost of living adjustment or even for help with a down payment on a new house.

Carson of Southern Polytechnic made sure a relocation package was part of her offer, and she used a big chunk of the money to scout out the area.

She’s optimistic her husband Christopher will find a job in the area soon because his background is in technology and there are a lot of opportunities in Atlanta.

“Right now, we see each other a couple of times a month,” she says. “It’s working for us.”

Yumi Choe and her husband Dan Jones, who both live in Athens, Ohio, want to relocate but haven’t quite decided on where.

Choe recently lost her purchasing job and has been unable to find work, and Jones is employed but not in academia, which is his goal given that he just completed his Ph.D. and is qualified to teach college-level film, art history and English.

“We've always been frugal, though, and have a six-month savings cushion in the bank that allows us a little bit of flexibility,” Choe says. “But the economy here is especially grim, and I am unlikely to find another position that will pay anywhere near my former salary. Thus, my husband and I are contemplating moving to another city or another state entirely.”

The couple, who don’t own a home or have children, have heard great things about Baltimore and Denver, but beyond that they don’t know how to decide on a new town.

Dan Deren, a career consultant and founder of LifeBoat Group, suggests asking yourself: “Where do I want to live? What do I want to do?”

You’ll need to spend time in the area you’re considering, he adds — a long weekend at least to drive around and get a feel for the place. And set up informational meetings with employers and the chamber of commerce, not for a particular job but to scope out opportunities.

He also advises people to read articles in magazines such as Money or Kiplinger’s and check out Web sites about the best places to live. You might want to investigate the cost of living, schools, quality of life, etc.

“You should marry where you’d like to live with where you can afford,” he says. “And don’t be afraid. Go with a sense of enthusiasm and adventure.”

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