Ask HN: Relocation and new jobs

As an IT professional in the Northern-Midwest with a few years of experience under my belt I am feeling ready to move on with my career and to somewhere I'd rather live (east or west coast, somewhere where winter doesn't last 5-6 months) with a company I'd be interested in working for.

My question to you all - as I imagine there are many in this position or who have gone through this: What are the best steps for preparing/applying for a job across the country? (How to minimize costs for travel, minimize time off from current job for interviews, questions to ask the potential new employer, etc)

Thanks for any input! :)