another state added to the short list (gorgeous, hubby, benefits)

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by newt

"...an occasional deer as of late (ugh - if *they* develop a taste for my plants - *I* will have to acquire a taste for venison)..."

If they're anything like the deer I encountered while living in Oregon, they WILL develop a taste for your plants. When I first moved there, I thought it was wonderful having those cuddly creatures with big brown eyes resting on my lawn. By the time I moved 8 years (and many demolished plants) later, I came to regard them as large rats with hooves.

I think that discharging firearms in my neighborhood is illegal - but I will have to look into it. My BIL hunts deer with a bow and arrow - and - if I get really PO'd - I'll have to offer him a Florida vacation to get rid of them. Robyn

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by golfingduo

We are doing like you. We are looking at the Summerville and Fort Mill areas as well. We like what we have read about in the lifestyle there but have concerns on the resale of the home should we need to leave there.

In general - if you're looking at a property or community that isn't unique - you will always have resale problems outside dense urban areas.

For example - when it comes to Sun City Hilton Head - there's about 15 miles of generic land between Hilton Head and I-95 that hasn't been developed. If the area proves to be popular - there will always be newer and nicer communities than the one you bought in. OTOH - if it isn't popular - no one will want to buy your place either.

On the third hand - why do you care about resale (I know there are some legitimate concerns here - but I'd like to hear yours). Robyn

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

My husband is the same as you are (although he's 67). Takes 2-3 times as long to do things. FWIW - we still do the windows in our house. Takes longer than it used to - but it's not unpleasant playing with hoses when it's hot outside .

If you're on Medicare with a top of the line Medigap policy - or have really good health insurance - go to Mayo (reckon Rochester is closer to you than JAX). And get worked up. I don't think Mayo is the best at doing everything - but it's really excellent IMO in terms of digging into the causes of various conditions that are difficult to diagnose. Breathing problems are nothing to sneeze at. Robyn

I'm going to try the windows this year. The east and west sides are about 20 feet up, but I now have good extension rod that should reach.

Fed Blue Cross with Medicare next month.

Mrs. Tek had threatened to haul me to Mayo for problems that have disappeared since I quit taking statins. Now she has a new reason to drag me up there and have every orifice probed. Jeez! The next thing on my list is a biopsy next visit.

I noticed your comment about living on a golf course and that is not an option for us. 5:30 am Sunday morning golf carts are a nothankyouverymuch.

We'll be looking for a lagoon or forest out our back window, and on a cul-de-sac if possible.

[Tek_Freek]

This is one heck of a post and I'll answer as best I can

Originally Posted by Robyn55

No problem - I didn't take what you said as a personal attack (probably because I've had a lot worse directed at me). But appreciate your sensitivity.

OTOH - let me tell you what I'm talking about. Correct me if I'm wrong. My impression is you're basically a middle class white person who is kind of middle of the road politically and perhaps a touch to the right socially.

Liberal. Voted Democrat my entire life. I think a better description is a bit tetched socially.

I'm much the same (although perhaps with a little more money and perhaps a touch to the right politically and a touch to the left socially). Most people here on the Retirement Forum are kind of the same as us for the most part (which is one reason we don't often have flame wars). There are "types" from the south that are foreign to people like me who grew up in the NE (even though I've lived in Florida for 40+ years). There are the "white society type" people from cities like Savannah (and even JAX - where I live - MIA used to have people like this too). The "house proud" "Scarlett O'Hara" types. With great pedigrees. Then there's "white trailer trash" (even if they have a little money and don't live in double-wides). Confederate flags - racist - very right wing. FWIW - the "white society types" tend to be racist and right wing too.

We have similar types here, but I think the extremes are not as strong in our area.

Black people (and there are many more of them in the south than the midwest) are highly variable. A lot are lower to middle income conservative (in terms of "family values") and church going. Some are not. Church is a big deal in the south - both for most black people and most white people.

People in the south (maybe everywhere in the US?) tend to be divided along racial and ethnic and socioeconomic and religious lines. The last time I had dinner with a black couple here was very uncomfortable. We met the guy (an insurance agent about 10 years younger than us) at an athletic event - and invited him and his girlfriend out to dinner. She was about 45 - and had never dined or socialized with white people before. We tried whatever we could think of to make her feel comfortable - but she obviously wasn't.

And it's not only "black and white". It's Catholic and Protestant. Or Christian and Jewish. We recently had a message on the JAX board asking to find the "Irish/Italian" neighborhoods here (we don't have any). Is this is what the country has come to in areas that aren't homogeneous?

FWIW - I've always thought of Iowa as pretty "white bread". And I guess it is according to recent census statistics. 93% white - 3% black - 5% Hispanic (either white or black) - the rest other. It's probably mostly different flavors of "medium Protestant" too (no foot washing charismatics). There are only 6k Jewish people in Iowa.

True. It's that "other" that is interesting. Governor Ray started a program to bring refugees here from Laos in the 1960's and Iowa has been welcoming refugees ever since. It makes for a wonderful diversity and a wide variety of great restaurants. The diversity is amazing for a city of this size and we are all the richer for it. We like it and will miss it if we move to a more homogeneous area.

Judging from what you've said - you're not into "church stuff" now - but seem to have some pretty strong social/religious beliefs (like what you said about drinking). Perhaps that's because a state like Iowa isn't church-oriented. Or maybe it's because everyone lives 20+ miles away from a church - here you'll find one every mile or two. Based on what you've said - your beliefs would fit in pretty well here in the south when it comes to most middle class white/black people in a variety of churches. I would encourage you - if you think you might like the south - to look into various churches. Being Jewish - I can't recommend any in particular . Robyn

I will never be into church, ever. I have no use for organized religion. Long story; obvious ending.

Trust me, Iowa is church oriented. There are 17 churches within a 2 mile radius of our house. As for drinking, I come from a family with more than it's share of alcoholics and I had enough of it to last a lifetime a long, long time ago.

And in case you missed it I have a tendency to speak my mind. I am quite often too blunt, but I also recognize it and try, try mind you, to control it. Sometimes I fail miserably... And when I'm tired I should never post on a forum.

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

I'm going to try the windows this year. The east and west sides are about 20 feet up, but I now have good extension rod that should reach.

Fed Blue Cross with Medicare next month.

Mrs. Tek had threatened to haul me to Mayo for problems that have disappeared since I quit taking statins. Now she has a new reason to drag me up there and have every orifice probed. Jeez! The next thing on my list is a biopsy next visit.

I noticed your comment about living on a golf course and that is not an option for us. 5:30 am Sunday morning golf carts are a nothankyouverymuch.

We'll be looking for a lagoon or forest out our back window, and on a cul-de-sac if possible.

We've been doing our windows since we built this house 16 years ago - but none is as high as yours. Be careful using those extension poles. They can really mess up your shoulders/rotator cuffs. Note that we have a single story house. And there is only one window on one side of the house that we can't reach from the ground or from a step stool/ladder on concrete using a modest extension pole. That one window gets sprayed with a hose - that's about it .

Depending on what you mean by a "lagoon" or a "forest" - well if you know what to expect in the particular area you're interested in - ok. Wrote a long message about that above.

Sounds like I would like Mrs. Tek. She has her head screwed on straight when it comes to dealing with health care issues. Reckon she doesn't want you to screw up your joint retirement as a result of health care issues that might be caused by your being an obstinate old coot when it comes to figuring out what might be going on in the early stages of something that might be significant.

FWIW - women are quite used to having orifices probed from an early age. We do it to avoid dying from preventable causes of death. And there are lots of kinds of biopsies (everything from skin to bone marrow). Most are pretty painless (except in terms of inflicting potential pain on your wallet). Robyn

[Robyn55]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

...I will never be into church, ever. I have no use for organized religion. Long story; obvious ending...

Then you will really have to explore places in the south in depth. And understand what you might be getting into. And see how you feel about it. Most of the south - and many many people in the south - are *very* religious. Even if you're not very religious (and I'm not very religious either - but it sounds like I'm more religious than you are) - you have to be prepared not only to tolerate it grudgingly - but to accept it - and be *gracious* about it. For example - when someone tells you to "have a blessed day" (which happens all the time) - and - when you have a sick family member - someone tells you they'll make a special prayer for that person in church on Sunday. The south is not the best place to act out your inner HL Mencken.

FWIW - the religious stuff here doesn't bother me. I'd rather have someone I know say they'll pray for a sick family member than to ignore the situation altogether (which was pretty much the case when I lived in Miami). And people here are usually very mannerly and polite as well. When my elderly father moved here from south Florida after my mother died - well he noticed that and marveled at it right off the bat (and still does). How people would call him "sir" and hold doors open for him. Things that wouldn't happen in a million years in south Florida.

Note that I don't know how this works if you live in a big 55+ community in the south where almost no one is from the south (because I don't live in one). Robyn

[Umbria]

Most of my windows can be washed from the inside - it is wonderful. You just flip a latch and swing the window around to get both sides. Only the LR windows are stationary and I need a short ladder to wash the 6 sections - no big deal. I highly recommend them - saves tons of cash. My neighbor pays something like $25 per window and that is the cheapest she could find.

P.S. It's 70F today Many flowers are starting to poke their heads up and the trees & bushes are budding. Tek Freek will understand how exciting this is.

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by Robyn55

We've been doing our windows since we built this house 16 years ago - but none is as high as yours. Be careful using those extension poles. They can really mess up your shoulders/rotator cuffs. Note that we have a single story house. And there is only one window on one side of the house that we can't reach from the ground or from a step stool/ladder on concrete using a modest extension pole. That one window gets sprayed with a hose - that's about it .

Depending on what you mean by a "lagoon" or a "forest" - well if you know what to expect in the particular area you're interested in - ok. Wrote a long message about that above.

Sounds like I would like Mrs. Tek. She has her head screwed on straight when it comes to dealing with health care issues. Reckon she doesn't want you to screw up your joint retirement as a result of health care issues that might be caused by your being an obstinate old coot when it comes to figuring out what might be going on in the early stages of something that might be significant.

FWIW - women are quite used to having orifices probed from an early age. We do it to avoid dying from preventable causes of death. And there are lots of kinds of biopsies (everything from skin to bone marrow). Most are pretty painless (except in terms of inflicting potential pain on your wallet). Robyn

I've learned what I can and can't do regarding my rotator cuff. Doesn't mean I don't do those things, just means I know I shouldn't.

Mrs. Tek is amazing. Super smart, won't let me get away with stupid stuff, keeps me on the straight and narrow. I am the luckiest guy on the planet.

I got used to being probed early. Polio and a number of other problems. And I am fortunate. To see me you'd never know I had it.

Old coot, huh. I resemble that remark.

And lagoon or forest will be interesting. I will need to ask about the upkeep on lagoons and narrow down the definition of forest. Perhaps windbreak would be a closer description.

Originally Posted by Robyn55

Then you will really have to explore places in the south in depth. And understand what you might be getting into. And see how you feel about it. Most of the south - and many many people in the south - are *very* religious. Even if you're not very religious (and I'm not very religious either - but it sounds like I'm more religious than you are) - you have to be prepared not only to tolerate it grudgingly - but to accept it - and be *gracious* about it. For example - when someone tells you to "have a blessed day" (which happens all the time) - and - when you have a sick family member - someone tells you they'll make a special prayer for that person in church on Sunday. The south is not the best place to act out your inner HL Mencken.

FWIW - the religious stuff here doesn't bother me. I'd rather have someone I know say they'll pray for a sick family member than to ignore the situation altogether (which was pretty much the case when I lived in Miami). And people here are usually very mannerly and polite as well. When my elderly father moved here from south Florida after my mother died - well he noticed that and marveled at it right off the bat (and still does). How people would call him "sir" and hold doors open for him. Things that wouldn't happen in a million years in south Florida.

Note that I don't know how this works if you live in a big 55+ community in the south where almost no one is from the south (because I don't live in one). Robyn

I'm only bothered by over pushy religious types and then rarely. Our best friends are really religious (He claims to speak in tongues ) and they aren't pushy about it. We get along just fine. And we are very good about thanking people who bless us or pray for us. Why should we complain when someone is clearly trying to help in some way?

You would be surprised at how much religion plays a part in life here. I think people don't realize that it's probably as much a part of most peoples lives here as anywhere in the states. Take this guy for example. He's not as extreme as one might think for these parts. He had a hand in unseating judges who allowed gay marriage in Iowa. Personally I think he should crawl in a hole and never come out, but there's this constitution thing...

Originally Posted by Umbria

Most of my windows can be washed from the inside - it is wonderful. You just flip a latch and swing the window around to get both sides. Only the LR windows are stationary and I need a short ladder to wash the 6 sections - no big deal. I highly recommend them - saves tons of cash. My neighbor pays something like $25 per window and that is the cheapest she could find.

P.S. It's 70F today Many flowers are starting to poke their heads up and the trees & bushes are budding. Tek Freek will understand how exciting this is.

I feel your joy. I planted two evergreens the day before yesterday and four more showed up today. They're all in, fertilized and watered, and I think I've got me a sunburn!! The ajuga is coming up all over, Christmas geranium is up (some of that is moving with me), roses are budding, naked lady lilies are up and have been for a month, I spotted the tiger lilies today (about 4 inches tall) and the Viburnum is blooming (the scent of cinnamon is strong out front ), and most trees are budding with the exception of the coffee bean - it's always late. I'm waiting for Mrs. Tek to ask if it's dead - a yearly ritual. I saw neighbors that I haven't seen all winter today and found out there's two new babies on the block. The air smells, well, springy. It's a smell that non-seasonal areas miss, I think. You probably get it, too. The soil has a lot to do with it and it's hard to describe to anyone that has never experienced it. Spring has sprung!

I find myself standing in the kitchen bay looking out the window thinking of things to do, which is an absolute joy. For the past few years I had no "desire" to do much of anything. I'm glad I decided to stop the statins... I've trellises to build, edging to replace, more bushes to plant, acid-loving plants to research for softening the new evergreens, mulch to put down - I am in Iowa Boy heaven!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Tek_Freek

... The air smells, well, springy. ... it's hard to describe to anyone that has never experienced it. Spring has sprung!

...- I am in Iowa Boy heaven!

Got Rhubarb ? I can't believe how much I am missing THAT today. Mine was just coming out 4 weeks ago when I left home headed to Asia for a couple months. I will get back before June, but will miss the prime season of rhubarb.

Coming from a prairie kid... gotta have my rhubarb. I did the villages of Van Buren on my last trip to IA. They were very nice. I had met locals at a Co-op training in WI, so we got together, and I stayed in several farm homes of Mennonites. It was a great time, and in May, so you KNOW what I was eating for dessert.

Can't say I will add IA to my own short list, but I can understand why it is on many's, and yes, spring should have extra meaning this yr, as you see what can recover from the late snows. And seeing your favorite stuff POP through the snow / soil. As a fruit grower, I hate losing my blossoms to heavy snow, frost, mildew, hail, wind... (farming is SUCH an adventure ). But losing Blossoms saves a lot of future Maint / spray / thinning / harvest / storage / selling.

States on my current short list (for residency in USA if some miracle occurs in my health or healthcare...)
1) WA (SW near Portland, OR...investment prop + summers)
2) CO (Northern Loveland - investment Prop + winters)
3) TX (Hill Country- investment prop + When winter is too long in the Above)
4) TN (NE, JC - investment prop + Fall and Spring)
5) SD (Spearfish - Domicile)
to some extent all of the above (Investment props have apartment or RV for me)

In reserve I hold:
10) WV (Central)
9) NH (Meredith)
8) CA (only non-populous area around Lassen NP)
7) MT (NW)
6) ID (North - Sandpoint, or Moscow, west)

When I get to age 80+ or loose sight, or Drivers license, and need to settle down...
it will be MSP - Enjoy Active, Independent Senior Living in Minneapolis at Becketwood

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by pnwretired

Another state to ponder over LOL. Hubby thinks Tennessee would be better than SC. I disagree. We have ruled out NC. I was really looking forward to NC but it really is quite expensive for housing at least in the area we are looking at. The COL is higher than the other two states also.

We are also looking at over 55 communities (Del Webb). Hubby wants to have all the amenities. Me - can take them or leave them. We are not golfers.

Anyone on this board in TN. We are looking at the Nashville area do to a Del Webb community there in Mount Juliet. I'm concerned about the air quality there in TN. Hubby says it is only a few days and we could stay inside during those days. Yea, right!

We are not in TN, but we did think about retiring there and spend several days visiting the small towns between Nashville and Memphis. I think there are a lot of benefits to living in TN. We are happy here in NWA but I think we would have been happy in TN as well. Good luck, remember, the good thing about retirement: if you pick the wrong place, you can always relocate, you don't have jobs to worry about. I do agree with you as for amenities. Yes, it is nice to have them at your finger tips, but having your own, private lot, a little away from your neighbors gives you a little more freedom and flexibility. For us, what we have is perfect right now.