Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Current location is CA - no way I could retire here unless I move to somewhere in the boondocks, Real estate prices near any metro in California is defined in one single word - FRIGHTENING!
For someone who wants the following which is the best bang for the buck?
- Mild weather (sunny, limited cold, no snow!)
- Low property taxes
- Low acquisition cost for Real estate ($150-200k for 1200sqft Townhouse w/2 car garage is the criteria), plan is to spend 8 mos. here in the US, 4 mos. overseas so looking for low running costs
- Low or no tax on investment income (Qualified dividends or interest)
- Tier 1 or Tier 2 metro area
TX and FL have very high property taxes although other aspects are good, property prices have sharply increased in recent times and may be in a bubble, FL is known for bubbles - FL suffered a spectacular crash in 2008. Also FL is subject to hurricanes and insurance for flood damage can be extremely expensive. TX has issues with floods and hail (Dallas, Austin)
South Carolina seems to be hitting most of the points here - weather is good, real estate is cheap, taxes are low, what are the cons? Greenville and Charleston seem like pleasant locations.
GA seems like a candidate but income and property taxes may be higher and property prices in the ATL area seem to have skyrocketed in recent years.
Be sure to check the utility costs. Don't assume they are about the same where ever you go. You can even have different suppliers in different parts of the same community.
I disagree with your description of Fl problem's, but as I type these you could be correct if you live in a beach community. Suggest you relook at the interior. I think you will find lots of options in your budget.
I lived in nearby Auburn, Alabama for a few years in the late 1990s. I liked the area a lot, and it is literally in the Heart of Dixie as the AL state motto says. Auburn is around 30 minutes drive from Columbus. Auburn has a healthy economy thanks to many suppliers for nearby auto manufacturing plants and the big Auburn University. The University means access to good sports, music and culture events. No traffic issues, access to ATL airport 90 minutes via I-85. Beautiful gulf coast beaches are 3 hours south, many large lakes in the area, golf courses galore, almost no snow, and a good medical center in town. Huntsville, Birmingham, Mobile, Chattanooga and Montgomery are all within reasonable driving distance. Late May to mid or late September are hot and humid, pretty typical of almost anywhere in the southeastern region, but not as brutal as central Florida or the Texas gulf coast.
In CA you have a lot of amenities paid for by your taxes.
Move to a "cheap" state and there may be things you took for granted that are now non existent.
There's a lot more to it than just monetary. What are you willing to forego for less taxes and lower cost of living ?
Things like mass transportation, cultural venues, public services, etc. should be taken into account.
In CA you have a lot of amenities paid for by your taxes.
Move to a "cheap" state and there may be things you took for granted that are now non existent. Things like mass transportation, cultural venues, public services, etc. should be taken into account.
No one takes mass transportation in SoCal unless they got a DUI and lost their license, are a drug addict, hapless tourist or mentally ill. Too dangerous. Poor people take Uber when needed. Even the illegals drive cars now that they have been given licenses.
If you go to the theater, symphony and museums regularly then you might miss it. Most people don't go that often so could make it a part of their vacation or weekend away in other places.
Current location is CA - no way I could retire here unless I move to somewhere in the boondocks, Real estate prices near any metro in California is defined in one single word - FRIGHTENING!
For someone who wants the following which is the best bang for the buck?
- Mild weather (sunny, limited cold, no snow!)
- Low property taxes
- Low acquisition cost for Real estate ($150-200k for 1200sqft Townhouse w/2 car garage is the criteria), plan is to spend 8 mos. here in the US, 4 mos. overseas so looking for low running costs
- Low or no tax on investment income (Qualified dividends or interest)
- Tier 1 or Tier 2 metro area
TX and FL have very high property taxes although other aspects are good, property prices have sharply increased in recent times and may be in a bubble, FL is known for bubbles - FL suffered a spectacular crash in 2008. Also FL is subject to hurricanes and insurance for flood damage can be extremely expensive. TX has issues with floods and hail (Dallas, Austin)
South Carolina seems to be hitting most of the points here - weather is good, real estate is cheap, taxes are low, what are the cons? Greenville and Charleston seem like pleasant locations.
GA seems like a candidate but income and property taxes may be higher and property prices in the ATL area seem to have skyrocketed in recent years.
It's either higher property taxes or state income tax + higher sales taxes. Property taxes are preferable because they are fully tax deductible up to about $10k for 2019, or thereabouts. Check whether sales taxes where you live will include taxing in any way groceries and medication. Those are necessities over which people have little control; you do NOT want those things taxes. If you hear of an area with low property taxes, high sales taxes, and the taxing of necessities, esp if there is also a state income tax, that is an area set up to favor the wealthy. Unless you are wealthy, you don't want to live there. (The wealthy pay politicians to keep property taxes low, since it's hard to fenagle that. They can play around with income tax deductions & exemptions and sales taxes, but property tax on their multiple assets is hard to get around.)
Texas is a huge state with a below-national-avg cost of living. Dallas comes to mind. You said there is hail threat there. Dallas has low homeowner's insurance. That reflects the low impact (you should pardon the pun) of hail in Dallas. I'm in south La. right now; we have hail here, too. But we also have major rainstorms, hurricans, and tornados. HO ins. is DOUBLE what it is in Dallas. So is auto ins.
Dallas does have snow and/or ice once or twice a year, so it's minimal. But it does have a bit of a winter season, which is nice. And that kills off bugs. The worst thing about Dallas is the summer, which is prone to droughts and extreme dry heat. But it's very clean, very economical for a big city, diverse economy. But there are other cities in the huge state to check out. That's where I'd go. There are prettier states, but there's always something about them. Higher cost of living, natural disaster zones, state income tax that doesn't exempt social security and such, high cost insurance, high crime, whatever.
I'm a native of TN and mostly lifelong residence aside from about four years in the Midwest and roughly a year total in MA on business.
While most of TN is obviously cheaper than most coastal areas and major cities, the best areas of the state in Nashville, Williamson County, Farragut outside of Knoxville, are not exactly inexpensive. Property taxes run about 1% of the current valuation annually in the cities as a back of the napkin guess.
The rural areas and cities that are cheap are cheap for a reason. I grew up in Kingsport. Crime is much higher than average than the rest of the state, which is itself high crime compared to national averages. There are multiple polluting factories and the housing stock is dated. The town smells from the factories. Retail, restaurants, and cultural opportunities are moving elsewhere.
Sure, the housing is cheap. It's a bad place to live.
Greeneville is extremely rural and not very open to outsiders, but it does have some of the best farming land in the state.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
