Wish to locate to SE in a town that is easy to navigate (for sale)

[Cherron]

I am looking to retire to the southeast, preferably somewhere scenic near the mountains. Ideally it would be in a safe small town with decent doctors and hospital, yet not too far from a major medical institution that is EASY TO ACCESS and park. So far the ones I've checked out are an absolute nightmare to get to. Cost of living must be low, as I will be living on a fixed income. Other things I would hope to find would be good air, good water, good soil to garden in, nice parks and perhaps even a nature center. A decent shopping district would be beneficial as well so I wouldn't have to travel all over the city to get what I need. Does such a place exist?

[Cosmic]

Originally Posted by Cherron

I am looking to retire to the southeast, preferably somewhere scenic near the mountains. Ideally it would be in a safe small town with decent doctors and hospital, yet not too far from a major medical institution that is EASY TO ACCESS and park. So far the ones I've checked out are an absolute nightmare to get to. Cost of living must be low, as I will be living on a fixed income. Other things I would hope to find would be good air, good water, good soil to garden in, nice parks and perhaps even a nature center. A decent shopping district would be beneficial as well so I wouldn't have to travel all over the city to get what I need. Does such a place exist?

Yup, I kind of think I would like that too.

But the post office should be near. Lots of lil shops but a big grocery store or two. Got to have a good dentist. Good cheap barber. Low housing costs, with low taxes. Close to a big city, say within 50 miles. High speed web available. Not a lot of humidity. No / very low crime. Some decent social services, maybe free meals at a church every so often. Good places to fish. Good car services like a dealer or two, repair, etc. Hardware, lumber or building supply store, good place that sells beer, wine. Nice lil coffee shop. A very nice library system is a must. More than one gas station. I don't like to have to deal with car inspections. Junk shops and places that sell surplus stuff are nice. Would want good roads in / out in both east - west and north - south directions, hopefully not to far off major freeway, do not want to feel trapped in that small town. Very little traffic both in town and on connecting roads. Most everything it takes to live should be in that town. Being the county seat would be nice to have all the local government functions in that same town. Not much petty regulation on things like permits, messing with the government over small things. No speed traps or ways the town attempts to make money when it can't raise taxes. All local taxes should be controlled via the ballot box.

Say under 10,000 population. I really want a small farm just outside of town but close enough to sort of feel like I am part of the town. Kind of laid back but not too redneck. A type of place where the jobs are a bit thin and not everybody is trying to move there. Not looking for some dusty lil abandoned place. A good mix / balance enough to keep it stable. Not too hot in summer, not too cold in winter. It can freeze but not lots of snow. Probably got to be south of Virginia.

Cherron it could be around Sebring, FL lots of Ohio folks moving there. Probably hot as blazes in summer tho. Nice in winter. Avon is a bit of a dirt ball town but cheaper. Lake Placid is sort of nice, it is just another town with all Ohio expat's. Food is also too expensive in FL.

Maybe up somewhere in northern GA. I really would not want the Carolina's again. Maybe the exact right spot in NC, not in SC. Most of FL probably is not going to fit. Not a joke, too bad Ohio is not 300 miles further south. If you want something go for the moon, ask for it in detail.

Actually most of that is available in SE Ohio. To really be ideal should be a bit warmer in the winter. Got to be better medical outside of the major population centers.

[Cherron]

Cosmic, I like your way of thinking! As for FL, I'm not a fan. My parents lived there, and now my sister lives there. She enjoys "parking" as she refers to Disney World and other amusement parks in the area. But I don't. I just don't like anything at all about FL other than my sister lives there. My husband has family in southern North Carolina and northern South Carolina, so I've got my eye on Greenville SC and Asheville NC. I'm also considering Blairsville GA as I heard it has a good hospital, but I would hate to have to drive in Atlanta for a major hospital trip. AL, the extreme northeastern quadrant, is attracting my attention too. I've heard AL is very affordable. AL taxes the food, but that's not a great deal to worry about for just the two of us. TN doesn't have any state income tax, like FL, and that worries me. I figure they have to get their money somewhere and so the other taxes are probably sky high. I think I might actually be better off living in a state that does have income tax. As a retiree without an income, it wouldn't affect me unless they tax my pension heavily. But the state would be getting monies from it's workers and not have to raise all the taxes that would affect me. Just my way of thinking, but I'm not sure.

[lovethebigcity]

Asheville is nice. Maybe even Hendersonville, NC. Or if you don't want to live in the mountains of NC there are small little towns along I-26 from the SC state line up to Asheville. Even along the I-40 heading up to Asheville are some cute towns that aren't too expensive.

[Cosmic]

I have looked at Asheville on and off over the years. It may be too big, maybe to expensive for housing. Don't want to be that house poor. I've also heard the economy around Asheville maybe a bit down, lot of houses for sale.

Johnson City just over the mountains in TN is probably the better deal. Same house is half or less. Not that far away from Asheville, they are suppose to build a tunnel, don't know if it got started yet.

One of my brothers was looking to move to MT from NW of Chicago. I think I finally convinced him that is a bad choice. Duh, not the same in winter as summer. He goes there as a tourist in summer.

He was supposed to come for a look at SE Ohio last summer and then down into that general Asheville - Johnson City area over into TN. Never made it, maybe this summer. I know folks that live in Johnson City.

Something in the $130K range should start to get you a decent house in the Johnson City area. Lot of things to be looked at, Johnson City is a college town. I've lived in SC before, that is definitely off the table. In land is too hot, way to much pollen, do not like the culture, the coast you can get hurricanes, a big no no for me.

Maybe Cumberland, TN never been there but it was on my list from before. I have been through that Cumberland Plateau area. Going to have to be good to get me to move out of Ohio. Some of the relatives might have to go along. In no big hurry, St. Clairsville area in Ohio might be the place if I ever do move again. Where ever it can't be horribly more expensive than Monroe County Ohio.

I would like something more temperate without getting into a state with a lot more hassles than Ohio. IIRC TN taxes non-earned income and I think they may go after some pensions too. Would have to look at it again. I know they have some messed up regulations like in the cable TV / telephone rate type areas.

What is up with Blairsville, GA? Looks a bit out in the boonies. Is that red clay country?

[lovethebigcity]

I've never been to Johnson City, TN- drove through there a few years ago but I can barely remember it. I do know that I-26 now goes up to Johnson City. Asheville is a college town as well, but other than that I'm not too familiar with the economy up there except people drive up there in the summer/fall.

[Cherron]

I like living in central Ohio, but the winters are too long for this outdoor person. I don't tolerate the heat well though, so I don't want to move too far south either. As for leaving family or friends behind, there's not much to leave. Most have relocated or passed away. So I'm looking for a place where I can hike, garden, go to church and make new friends....on a budget. Those retirement villages have a lot to offer by I could never afford to live in them. I might consider full-time RVing. But I know I will have to settle down eventually, and so I am in the process of narrowing down the possibilities now.

Eastern TN would offer lots of opportunities for hiking and craft shows, both of which I love doing. But the winters are nearly as long in the Johnson City area as they are here. Also, since TN doesn't have a state income tax, I'm assuming it would tax me every other whichaway and seriously doubt I could afford to live there.

I hear NC taxes you to death. My husband has family in lower western NC and also upper SC. We were told Hendersonville is beautiful but not particularly friendly. Seems the wealthy are moving in and making life difficult for the lower income native residents to afford staying there. I thought it might be cheaper to live in SC, but can find very little information about the cost of living there around the Greenville area. I was never impressed with the rest of that state.

I don't know much about GA but it appears to be one of the cheaper places to live, according to my research. A neighbor retired to Blairsville and wrote that she likes it very much. She and her husband love fishing in the nearby lakes. They love the little hospital there. But it is a looooong way to the airport or major hospitals in Atlanta.

I've only recently begun considering northeastern AL as a possiblity. It seems to be an inexpensive state to live in, but I know absolutely nothing about it except for what I read on chamber of commerce sites, and I don't trust them to be all that truthful.

So the search is on. And I'm enjoying it. I hope to hear from others about this area.