The farm house is the most remote of the four groups with permanent bases, however it is also the most ideal in terms of self-sufficiency. Most of the animals have died out, but there is enough food to go around and then some. Work on the farm is hard but rewarding and the people who stay there are often very protective of each other. Space in the farm house is limited, so earning a permanent place for them takes time. A recent fire compromised some of their stockpile which has increased tensions between the hotel and the farm house groups, though there is no solid evidence that the hotel or any other group in the area was responsible for the fire.
the shopping mall
The shopping mall might not seem like the best place to live, however it was the first group formed in the area. Already old and mostly forgotten by the majority of the locals, it was an easy haven for those who didn't really have anyone else to look out for them. Using a lot of what was left from the few stores still in business as well as things left behind by long gone businesses, the people who found their way to the shopping mall soon made it a place that felt like home. However, there have been quite a few people who have left for other groups or moved on for other areas altogether. What's left today is a mix of old and new. They're usually the first to welcome newcomers.
the hotel
Still in the process of being renovated when the zombie shit hit the fan, the hotel has some nice rooms, some not so nice rooms, and some that are more or less unusable due to them not being finished. While it is the easiest place to live in terms of privacy and personal space, it is also the hardest group to earn trust with and often the first group to cause issues with other groups. The people who have been in the group the longest tend to get the nicest rooms in the hotel, though they often have rooms set aside for visitors who are willing to train.
the hospital
At one point the hospital was overrun with zombies leaving a small group of survivors trapped inside. When they ran out of supplies, they fought back and reclaimed the hospital as their own. They still had a doctor and a couple of nurses back then, causing other groups to work hard to earn their trust and gain their favor so they would have access to medical help and supplies. Subsequent raids from traveling groups depleted most of their supplies and robbed them of their doctor, however the hospital remains a pretty good place to ride out the apocalypse.
the wanderers
The wanderers don't have an official home and while they do seem to welcome others to join them, most don't last all that long. Others come and go as they please, staying with other groups or going off on their own for whatever reason before returning to the group. Most of the members are self reliant and carry enough emotional baggage to know better than getting attached to people again. It isn't a requirement to be great with a gun in this group, however if someone plans on lasting long in the wanderers, they should have the guts to deal with the uncertainty and unpredictability of constantly being on the move.