ABC News: Austin is the top place to retire and "Austin is not only vibrant, but inexpensive." (Houston: for sale, house)

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by llkltk

Wow, you are a major downer. My Great Grandmother lived until 94 and took care of herself fine! Not all older people are bed ridden. Geesh!

I would like to see some stats on this, but I bet your Great Grandmother is in a small minority. My guess would be that most 94 year olds, while perhaps not bed ridden, are not able to live independently and "take care of themselves."

[JayBrown80]

Originally Posted by llkltk

Wow, you are a major downer. My Great Grandmother lived until 94 and took care of herself fine! Not all older people are bed ridden. Geesh!

So? Not everyone is as lucky as your grandmother. The majority of people who are thinking of retiring DO need to consider such eventualities like the ones mentioned by the poster who you say is "gosh, like a major downer and stuff, fer sure, um yah...."


Although I am sure your grandmother danced the tango day in and day out right up until she dropped dead at 94, that is not the situation many older Americans face.

[buffettjr]

Originally Posted by passionatearts

Austin's housing costs are only "inexpensive" if you're used to East Coast or West Coast housing costs.

I don't think this is true...Austin has some of the lowest housing costs in the nation assuming you want to live around a city and not out in a rural area. The median sold price in 2010 was $190,000 and that is in the metro area. That means half the homes purchased in Austin (8,868 of the 17,737) were for less than $190,000. As another poster once wrote on another thread, "in most U.S. real estate markets, a "Luxury Home" is considered a home that sells for a price in the top 10% of that market. In Austin, the "top 10 %" cutoff is below $450K. We are one of the cheapest luxury home markets in the country."

Just because houses right downtown are expensive to most people doesn't mean Austin is an expensive place to live -- it's like that in every city. I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and it is like that there!

Austin is cheap to anyone not coming from a rural area, statistically speaking.

[Trainwreck20]

If I move when I retire, it will be to where I want to retire, not where I plan on becoming incapacitated....if I end up moving again or dropping dead from lack of nearby family, so be it .

That said, retiring near family will probably be a big factor in the equation. My in-laws retired to Texas partially because of family.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by buffettjr

I don't think this is true...Austin has some of the lowest housing costs in the nation assuming you want to live around a city and not out in a rural area. The median sold price in 2010 was $190,000 and that is in the metro area. That means half the homes purchased in Austin (8,868 of the 17,737) were for less than $190,000. As another poster once wrote on another thread, "in most U.S. real estate markets, a "Luxury Home" is considered a home that sells for a price in the top 10% of that market. In Austin, the "top 10 %" cutoff is below $450K. We are one of the cheapest luxury home markets in the country."

Just because houses right downtown are expensive to most people doesn't mean Austin is an expensive place to live -- it's like that in every city. I grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and it is like that there!

Austin is cheap to anyone not coming from a rural area, statistically speaking.

It's the property tax that gets folks..not the price of the house.

[buffettjr]

Originally Posted by HappyTexan

It's the property tax that gets folks..not the price of the house.

A fair point.

[sanmiguel]

Don't forget that after reaching age 65, you can simply stop paying property taxes after notifying the county. Any outstanding tax balance, plus interest, becomes due and payable upon death of the owner or the property is sold whichever occurs first.

[ImOnFiya]

I am reading this article with horror. My parents are retirees and all they do is give hell to anyone within ear shot! Always into other people's business. They're the first to greet you and first to talk behind your back! They don't know how to leave things alone! And do I have mention driving...!

Austin, we're in trouble!!

[llkltk]

Originally Posted by JayBrown80

So? Not everyone is as lucky as your grandmother. The majority of people who are thinking of retiring DO need to consider such eventualities like the ones mentioned by the poster who you say is "gosh, like a major downer and stuff, fer sure, um yah...."


Although I am sure your grandmother danced the tango day in and day out right up until she dropped dead at 94, that is not the situation many older Americans face.

Wow you are rude! Seems like a lot of you Austinites don't welcome the retirees. I saw let them come. You will be old someday too. Wonder if anyone will be around to take care of you.

[ImOnFiya]

Originally Posted by llkltk

Wow you are rude! Seems like a lot of you Austinites don't welcome the retirees. I saw let them come. You will be old someday too. Wonder if anyone will be around to take care of you.

That's what my parents say!