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Old 04-09-2009, 05:59 PM
 
6 posts, read 28,944 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by memariah View Post
Well, cross out Florida...housing is high and so is the crime level. People are always taking advantage of the elderly here with scams and robberies. Alot of our friends are moving to central Georgia...not too cold and cheaper living.
Wow...if you can stand the cold weather and the unemployment lines...the restaurants are always busy around welfare check day. Sorry...this may be great for retirees but yound people can't even find a job! It's sad I know but I've been there. At one time New Castle was a thriving place to live back before Reagonomics took over and destroyed all the industry. They are trying I guess but it will take years and years. Move somewhere nearer to the suburbs of a big city if you have children, or grandchildren so they can have a future and then one day maybe they can all move back to New Castle when the economy really picks up. It has a lot of great history and archetect...no doubt.
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Old 04-10-2009, 12:51 PM
GLS
 
1,985 posts, read 5,370,562 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by memariah View Post
Wow...if you can stand the cold weather and the unemployment lines...the restaurants are always busy around welfare check day. Sorry...this may be great for retirees but yound people can't even find a job! It's sad I know but I've been there. At one time New Castle was a thriving place to live back before Reagonomics took over and destroyed all the industry. They are trying I guess but it will take years and years. Move somewhere nearer to the suburbs of a big city if you have children, or grandchildren so they can have a future and then one day maybe they can all move back to New Castle when the economy really picks up. It has a lot of great history and archetect...no doubt.
The post you replied to was about 18 months old. So although your assessment may be accurate, it probably has more to do with the disasterous crash of the national economy more than it does location. As an aside, do you really think "Reaganomics" did this, or was it the collective greed for power and money of the banks, hedgefund traders, irresponsible buyers, and most of all the morons in Congress?
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Old 05-14-2009, 01:11 PM
 
Location: DC Area, for now
3,517 posts, read 13,241,674 times
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Looks like we are under an assault from this spammer. I reported him so hopefully a mod will come along soon.
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Old 05-16-2009, 10:51 AM
 
103 posts, read 395,013 times
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Default Might as well toss La Junta, CO in the mix

Quote:
Originally Posted by gregandvicky View Post
Where are some good retirement areas in the U.S.?
Criteria is:
New housing under $175000.
Reasonable weather, never extreme hot or cold.
Reasonable property taxes and cost of living.

La Junta, Colorado might be a consideration for some folks. We certainly don't have the extreme hot or cold of some, however we do top 100 degrees in the summer...but then cool to the 60's/70's at night.

You can buy new housing for under $175,000, however, there are some great older homes in the 80-100's that are awesome. Cost of living is considerably lower than the national average and property taxes are very reasonable.

We have a great retirement community called Casa Del Sol. Their website can be viewed at: http://www.casadelsollj.org/

Some other information about our friendly little community.

We are a town of about 8,000 in the Southeastern part of Colorado. We are on historic (3,073 miles long, coast to coast) US Highway 50, have great schools, friendly people and a great place to raise kids. Have been here 38 years, 3 grown daughters, two have come back to live, brought spouses and grandchildren, all but grandchildren (3 yrs and 3 months) have found good jobs!

Just for an outside opinion, it might be worth checking out what used to be the oldest paper in Colorado, (Rocky Mountain News..Denver...no longer printing), ran on Friday, Feb 6 about La Junta. http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2009/feb/06/griego-economys-down-but-la-junta-isnt/

Plenty of open spaces for horses, etc., and just general enjoying the view and being able to see for 100 miles!


We are not surrounded by mountains, but my wife and I have property in the Sangre de Cristo range (Cuchar) about 1 hour and 40 minutes from our house. Great mountain views, etc....AND we don't have to put up with the winter snows.

For more about parades, small town activities, etc., check out www.lajuntaevents.com and check out this past summer. Also, you might look at www.musicatthejunction.com (Foghat was here last year)

We just had a business announce that they will be moving most of their operation here in the next two years....www.liqcrytech.com.

Another major business www.bonnieplants.com just opened a facility at our 1500 acre industrial park.

Please feel free to check out www.lajuntaeconomicdevelopment.net and www.VisitLaJunta.net


We are in the Arkansas River Valley...irrigated farm land and great crops.

We have 2 museums in town, Ben'ts Old Fort Historic Site, dinasaur tracks and historic petroglyphs within 45 minute drive. One of the museums (Koshare Indian Kiva and Museum) is home to a Scout Troop that has more Eagle Scouts than any other troop in US! Plus a multi-million dollar native American Museum.

You can drive to Trinidad, CO(quaint historic coal mining town...1 hour away...pop about 8000) via highway 350 and then take the scenic Highway of Legends (Colorado Highway 12 )through the beautiful southern range of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains....(Cucharas Pass, Cuchara, La Veta).

We don't get as much splash as the touristy areas of Colorado....but we are certainly a much more welcoming area of the State.

Just a thought....would be glad to share more about other areas if you want information from an objective Colorado native.

We are 2.5 hours from Denver....have Bronco tickets...don't miss a tailgate or a game (2.5 hours to Invesco from house). Air Force Football is an easy ticket about 2 hours away.

Plenty of concerts, etc in Pueblo (1 hr), Colorado Springs (2hrs) and Denver (2.5 hrs.).

Have an awesome junior college system in Colorado and Otero Junior College (www.ojc.edu)
We have a great community theatre and a wide variety of artists in the area.

If I can be of help, please feel free to contact me. Even if if is about another area of Colorado....I am a very objective native of this Great State.
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Old 05-16-2009, 12:36 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,316 posts, read 61,125,189 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by la junta econ devel View Post
La Junta, Colorado might be a consideration for some folks. We certainly don't have the extreme hot or cold of some, however we do top 100 degrees in the summer...but then cool to the 60's/70's at night.

You can buy new housing for under $175,000, however, there are some great older homes in the 80-100's that are awesome. Cost of living is considerably lower than the national average and property taxes are very reasonable.
You get over 100 degrees?

I would not have thought so, it never gets that hot here.

What are your property taxes per $100k?
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Old 05-16-2009, 07:14 PM
 
103 posts, read 395,013 times
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Default Temp and taxes

Thanks for asking about temp and taxes in La Junta.

We do in the summer...in fact quite a bit...but it is a dry heat and cools down so nice at night. Perfect climate for great produce.

Son in law and daughter live in a 5 year old house that is assessed at about 180,000 (4 bedroom, 2car, stucco, huge patio...etc.). Their taxes were $967. So figuring that per $100k comes out about $537 give or take a few bucks.
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Old 05-16-2009, 08:31 PM
 
Location: Forests of Maine
37,316 posts, read 61,125,189 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by la junta econ devel
... So figuring that per $100k comes out about $537 give or take a few bucks.
I see, so why do you suppose their property taxes are so high like that?

I am not familiar with that area, just wondering.

When you consider a place you need to look at the cost-of-living.

After I retired we moved here and bought a farm, largely because of the lower taxes. Also due to the low cost-of-living though.

Though from what you say, it does sound like your area is nice, even if it does have such high taxes.

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Old 05-17-2009, 11:46 PM
 
Location: Earth Wanderer, longing for the stars.
12,406 posts, read 18,929,900 times
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I was once seriously considering the suburbs of Pittsburgh. The area has a great teaching hospital and University and low cost of living with a pretty good lifestyle.
They also, in retirement age, have a large religious population (probably the largest concentration in the country), mostly Catholic. That could be good or bad and it is just what I've read.

I guess you know about these, but two search facilities I've used are:
Best Places to Retire Search - US News and World Report
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed

Here are some more that could be of interest:

http://www.about.com/citiestowns/
Best retirement communities – Topretirements.com
Best Cities for Seniors
Best Places to Live - Find Your Own Best Place to Live in America
Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitors sites is not allowed
Every Day : The Perfect Cities to Live in America : Fine Living
Cities Unlimited, Inc - US City Websites (http://www.localcities.com/ - broken link)
Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site

I found a listing of crime data: Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Yahoo offered stats here: Find Neighborhood Profiles and City Information on Yahoo! Real Estate

MONEY Magazine: Best places to live 2006: Cicero, IL snapshot
House & Home - Netscape Home & Living

Property taxes: http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html...PHIC/data.html
I would check property, income, and sales taxes.
Some places have both state and local income taxes.
They do not publicize much, and I know you do not like snow,
but New York State has a STAR program for seniors with LOTS of perks.
I think it might be one of the best in the country.

Pollution: World Environment News - Study Links Air Pollution Particles, Heart Disease - Planet Ark
also: Pollution Locator: USA

REALTOR.com Nationwide Real estate listings & homes for sale
State Government Offices, Local US Government, City Government and Federal Government

We hope to move to Seattle, Wa.
We hate the heat, they do not get bad snow.
If we can tolerate all that drizzle, we think we'll like it.
We have a deal on a condo, otherwise the cost of living is high.

I would pick a city (for the amenities) and find places in the burbs: what the crime and taxes and property values are there. There are small cities in states with great cost of living and they are just across the border of a state with great facilities/entertainment and medical.

I have heard that some states where there is a LOT of snow have it cleared much faster than some with less.

I hate the humidity and bugs and heat of the south.

In desert, dry heat areas you have poisonous spiders and scorpions and snakes (we have a cat). In some areas people actuall hose down the base of their homes in the morning becuase it is so hot and dry the foundation will crumble.

You might think in terms of earthquakes and tornadoes and fires, too.

We thought some towns around Rochester NY might be nice.

Delaware, the two southmost of its three counties was written up as the overall least expensive for retirees to live in (I think it was an old issue of Fortune Mag).

The income tax is sometimes low in many states if you meet certain qualifications. Some will not touch a pension (but I think all will hit a 401k - what a shame)

I have a list of areas by tax comparisons:

State retirement income tax breaks
State Comparisons
CCH Financial Planning Toolkit | State Estate Taxes
Interactive map: States income, personal and sales taxes

This is a good source, trying to give the full tax picture, but if you see something you like go to that stat's web page and make sure it is the most current info:
Taxes by State

The Tax Foundation - State and Local Tax Burdens: All Years, One State, 1977-2008
old info: Tax-friendly places 2006

You can find teaching hospitals around the country here - they usually have the most up to date equipment and methods and many doctors in an area - plug in the state you are interested in:
New York Teaching Hospitals

Good luck.

Last edited by Yac; 09-12-2018 at 06:50 AM..
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Old 05-18-2009, 02:29 PM
 
5,139 posts, read 8,825,987 times
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Could you expand on what the STAR program is in NY State?
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Old 05-18-2009, 06:30 PM
 
Location: Earth Wanderer, longing for the stars.
12,406 posts, read 18,929,900 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by loveautumn View Post
Could you expand on what the STAR program is in NY State?
Sorry. I have nothing immediatelly available. I worked with some people who had lived in NY. At one time I dug out info. I think if you search the net and make a few phone calls you will get what you want.
Part of the program freezes property taxes after you live there for a certain period of time, I think.
But I was amazed and it was one of the things that led me to considerting the Rochester area or maybe Ithica. I like a good hospital nearby as I age.
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