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Why not live just north of the Florida border in [URL="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Thomasville,+ GA&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=25.484783,54.931641&ie=UTF8&hq=&hne ar=Thomasville,+Thomas,+Georgia&z=12"]Thomasville, Georgia[/URL]?
A 30 mile drive gets you to the north side of Tallahassee if you like the big city.
Property taxes and homeowners insurance is half or less what it is in Florida.
Weather is the same.
Look at what you can by for $139,900 [URL="http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/128-Shortleaf-Place_Thomasville_GA_31792_1110206749"]3 Bed, 2 Bath | 1,462 Sq Ft on 0.41 Acres[/URL]
I bet you can buy it for $125,000.
The link still works! Just sold in 2014 for $82,000.
Just keep in mind that cheaper is not always better. We all need to live within our means, but people need to consider safety, convenience, social activities and medical facilities.
The link still works! Just sold in 2014 for $82,000.
Just keep in mind that cheaper is not always better. We all need to live within our means, but people need to consider safety, convenience, social activities and medical facilities.
And that place was built in 2006. The thought of getting an eight-year-old house of decent size with a large lot for pocket change just boggles the mind! No wonder people retire to small towns. Housing expense is normally the largest item, or close to the largest, in a household budget. There will still be property taxes, insurance, and some maintenance, but the latter will still be minimal after just eight years.
But as you point out, small town living will not be everyone's cup of tea. Personally, I would not give up the Los Angeles Master Chorale, L.A. Philharmonic, and L.A. Opera for a free house. Quality of life means different things for different people. And indeed certain elements of small town living are attractive - the friendliness, the lack of traffic congestion, and more. People who like the small town life are truly blessed in the financial sense.
We retired to Greenville, SC almost a year ago. We love it. We moved here from Oklahoma. We lived in Oklahoma 13 years. We have been married 31 years, and have lived in California, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Our son and daughter-in-law live here, so this was a draw. With that said, we have decided even if they move, we are staying put. There are a lot of transplants here. Our social life is more vibrant than ever. They have many, many "senior groups". Housing is very affordable here. We do not have a very high retirement income, and there is a lot of opportunity here for us.
People who like the small town life are truly blessed in the financial sense.
It depends. There are plenty of small towns all over the country where the cost of living is well above the national average.
If you are specifically talking about retirees who relocated from a more expensive area, then they should be better off financially. For people who still need to work, the job opportunities can be very limited and the wages are very low.
It depends. There are plenty of small towns all over the country where the cost of living is well above the national average.
If you are specifically talking about retirees who relocated from a more expensive area, then they should be better off financially. For people who still need to work, the job opportunities can be very limited and the wages are very low.
Good point. Indeed, I should have specified that I had in mind people who retire from a big city and move to a small town. For retirees, the job market and the prevailing wages in the small town they move to are irrelevant, which is exactly why retirees find a financially favorable situation in small towns (in general).
That house for $82,000 is a powerful case in point. I'm still bowled over by it.
BAH, I know Columbus pretty well. First time was 40 years ago when I completed Army paratrooper / jump school training at Ft Benning. In the late 90s, a job assignment took me to a town just north of there, and I lived in Auburn, AL. The biggest thing in Columbus is still Ft Benning, and second biggest is probably AFLAC insurance HQ.
Columbus is not my first choice in the southeast, in fact, it would be down the list. I like Charleston & Columbia SC; Wilmington, Charlotte & Winston-Salem NC: Savannah & Augusta GA; Dozens of smaller towns all over north GA and northeast SC are also pretty nice.
Aiken, SC, is charming, with a very attractive downtown area. Lots of cute restaurants, coffee shops, microbreweries. It's very horsey, with lots of people buying acreage for stables and paddocks. Peeps from the NE bring horses down for the winter. Lots of good shopping. with Augusta next door. Very popular with transplants from the northern states. I was there a few weeks ago, and find it a delightful medium sized town. Very reasonable house prices and prop tax.
Interesting to revive a 4 year old thread and find a link to a house sale. Great find justNancy. I am interested in just this type of thread and that is what brought me to the forum. I am nearing retirement and from a northern state. DW and I are planning a move south in a few years so I came here to talk and ask questions. See what people like and dislike. Then make a few friends in areas that interest me and take a look at them. When we find that place move in and enjoy the fruits of our labors over the years.
But as you point out, small town living will not be everyone's cup of tea. Personally, I would not give up the Los Angeles Master Chorale, L.A. Philharmonic, and L.A. Opera for a free house. Quality of life means different things for different people. And indeed certain elements of small town living are attractive - the friendliness, the lack of traffic congestion, and more. People who like the small town life are truly blessed in the financial sense.
One of the things that I was "warned about" when I was moving from Chicago, was that I would be "bored to death" with the "lack of culture" in Tucson. I am not going to say that there is as much to do in Tucson. However, there is no lack of cultural opportunities in most smaller cities. The variety and quantity may not be as much and you may have to do a little more research.
The only thing that I really miss is good small college football and basketball during these months. The University of Arizona does not cut it.
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This boggles the mind.
