Retirement area in Texas (Nacogdoches, Tyler, Sulpher springs and ?) (Houston: sales, low crime)

[tamaralj]

We will be retiring in about 5 years from the Northern KY area outside of Cincinnati. Our cost of living rates at 90. We are looking for an area with warmer weather (basically very little if no winter) and lower cost of living. The thing about Texas that has me a little worried are the property taxes. Texas has one of the highest. However, they don't have State Income taxes and they don't tax your retirement. Also I believe the sales tax would be higher than my area of 6%. I have researched a few areas in Texas. I lived in San Antonio when I was very young, so don't remember it much. But I think my interest would be in East TX area. Although I am open to suggestions. We are not partiers, and pretty much low key, home body types I do train and show dogs, so looking to get involved in dog training clubs. We do love outdoor activities , like biking, walking, hiking and gardening. I want a friendly town, we are Christian so would be looking for a good church. Low crime and cost of living. Do you all think that the lower cost of living in Texas out weighs the high property taxes? The fact they don't tax retirement is attractive. Believe it or not, I have kept folders of the different cities to try to compare stats, and sent off to the cities of interests for relocations packets. However, they might "color" I the image of living in these cities, so as to make the area look attractive without giving you the whole story, positives and negatives. I found the best way is to go to the people directly like this forum does and ask questions.

Thank you!

[KathrynAragon]

Tyler, Longview or any place in the surrounding area in East Texas sounds like a fit for you!

I love East Texas. It's so beautiful and green and lush, with rolling hills and lots of trees. There are some beautiful neighborhoods and little bedroom communities scattered between Tyler, Mineola, Longview, and Jacksonville (though frankly, I really don't like Jacksonville much).

I've lived in Jacksonville, Whitehouse, Tyler, and Kilgore in East Texas. Actually, between Kilgore and Longview so I'm familiar with both areas. My favorites are Tyler and Kilgore, with Longview close behind. I didn't care for Jacksonville or Whitehouse AT ALL. But to each his own!

Yes, the property taxes are highish. Sales taxes vary between communities but I haven't run across any that seem onerous. But like you said, we don't have a state income tax so that makes up for a lot.

Good luck! Keep us posted on your move.

[tamaralj]

Thank you very much! I appreciate the feed back. Yes, I have kind of come to the conclusion that east would be best for me because of the greenery and trees. It's like the area I am in now. Rolling hills, green and trees. We can get mean winters here though, and that's part of the reason I'd like to find another area. I need to make a visit out that way and look around. I fly into Dallas all the time, in route to Colorado to see my folks. This last time I flew over and it was crystal clear so I was able to look around. I noticed a lot of lakes I hadn't seen from the air before.

I'll look up Kilgore as I haven't gotten information from there before. Jacksonville I had seen information on, and there is another town that sounds like that....hmmm. Jeffersonville? Might be farther south. I looked into Huntsville, which farther south too, and Lufkin. In fact, I almost know the state by heart on a map anyway, as I have done research on a lot of areas. Even looked at McAllen. For one reason or another, I always come back to the East.

Job market is flat here. Not sure how things look there?

Currently I live in a very small town in Kentucky, but about 30 miles from Cincinnati, and 40 miles from Lexington KY. I like living in a small country town, but not too far from bigger areas.

PS: I checked property taxes and the areas I am looking at are lower than most areas. It gets really high around Houston and Dallas. I figure my property tax will double to triple from here depending on the area. But I also noticed that houses cost less in a lot of parts of Texas which make is more reasonable. Looking at probably around 150,000.

[tamaralj]

Oh, I've also researched parts of Tenn, Alabama and Florida. Also Western KY. I keep coming back to Texas though. Something about it.

[Mark Senior]

You might want to look up Tyler Sub Forum on here. Click on old posts. City taxes in Tyler, with no exemptions, would be $300.00 per year rate is only .20 per 100 evaluation. School, county are just average compared to the other areas in Texas. Tyler city tax rate has been the lowest in the state for the last three years for any city over 15,000 pop. and lower than any of the others, except for those which (sit on) oil or gas minerals. Tyler is a debt free city, city is financially run very well. The city rate for most cities is an average of 3 times Tyler, so in your case the taxes would be about $900.00.

Lots of advantages to be near Tyler, much interesting to do, but not much party clubs, around like other cities. Later, since your are years away, if I'm here, lol, get back with me directly, uunless, there's something of important interest now. Glad to help if I can. Tyler, no other city, has been an interest of mine for more than 50 years. I know about other cities but not like I do about Tyler.

[tamaralj]

Thank you Mark. I've seen your posts on here before, lots of helpful information. I think I'm going to take a trip to East Texas and look around. I'd like to spend some time in the areas of interests. I wrote to the city of Tyler for a relocation packet. Also Longview. Nacogdoches is of interest too. I've seen on the news that to survive the Obama taxageden, its important to move to a no state tax state. The no state tax states are the states with the most growth.

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by tamaralj

Thank you very much! I appreciate the feed back. Yes, I have kind of come to the conclusion that east would be best for me because of the greenery and trees. It's like the area I am in now. Rolling hills, green and trees. We can get mean winters here though, and that's part of the reason I'd like to find another area. I need to make a visit out that way and look around. I fly into Dallas all the time, in route to Colorado to see my folks. This last time I flew over and it was crystal clear so I was able to look around. I noticed a lot of lakes I hadn't seen from the air before.

I'll look up Kilgore as I haven't gotten information from there before. Jacksonville I had seen information on, and there is another town that sounds like that....hmmm. Jeffersonville? Might be farther south. I looked into Huntsville, which farther south too, and Lufkin. In fact, I almost know the state by heart on a map anyway, as I have done research on a lot of areas. Even looked at McAllen. For one reason or another, I always come back to the East.

Job market is flat here. Not sure how things look there?

Currently I live in a very small town in Kentucky, but about 30 miles from Cincinnati, and 40 miles from Lexington KY. I like living in a small country town, but not too far from bigger areas.

PS: I checked property taxes and the areas I am looking at are lower than most areas. It gets really high around Houston and Dallas. I figure my property tax will double to triple from here depending on the area. But I also noticed that houses cost less in a lot of parts of Texas which make is more reasonable. Looking at probably around 150,000.

I think you're referring to Jefferson, which is north of Tyler. Not much of a job market there from what I know, though the town itself is cute.

Personally, I would stick with the Tyler/Longview area (they are about 35 miles apart, both on or just off of Interstate 20, so that makes getting to all sorts of interesting places easy).

[An0nym0us88]

Keep in mind that Tyler will only be 97 miles to Downtown Dallas and 120 miles to Ft. Worth (Combining 6.7 million people) and 97 miles to Downtown Shreveport (POP 200K). Downtown Houston (POP 6.1 million) from Tyler will be 200 miles.

My good friend recently moved from Akron, OH which is not far from Cincinnati (Might be for you) and she is loving Texas because of the weather and she also said that the people here are friendly.

Average high temperature in January (Coldest month) in Tyler is 58 and the average low is 32. Not bad at all, huh?

Good luck!

[tamaralj]

Originally Posted by KathrynAragon

I think you're referring to Jefferson, which is north of Tyler. Not much of a job market there from what I know, though the town itself is cute.

Personally, I would stick with the Tyler/Longview area (they are about 35 miles apart, both on or just off of Interstate 20, so that makes getting to all sorts of interesting places easy).

I'm kind of thinking that will be the plan. Then I can make a visit to the area and look around.

[tamaralj]

Originally Posted by An0nym0us88

Keep in mind that Tyler will only be 97 miles to Downtown Dallas and 120 miles to Ft. Worth (Combining 6.7 million people) and 97 miles to Downtown Shreveport (POP 200K). Downtown Houston (POP 6.1 million) from Tyler will be 200 miles.

My good friend recently moved from Akron, OH which is not far from Cincinnati (Might be for you) and she is loving Texas because of the weather and she also said that the people here are friendly.

Average high temperature in January (Coldest month) in Tyler is 58 and the average low is 32. Not bad at all, huh?

Good luck!

Sounds excellent. Wow, that would be a big transition from Akron which is actually up closer to the "mistake by the lake" Cleveland. I'm sure your friend likes TX a lot better. Northern KY where I am is more or less a burb of Cincinnati even though it's a different state. It's very influenced by the area. People can be friendly if go further south, but when I first moved here, there was a reserve that was hard to get past. (I am originally from Alaska, they are friendly people up there.)

I've heard and experienced that the people of Texas are some of the best folks around. I was a little kid when we lived in San Antonio. But my sister lived there later on for a time, and we went back to visit.

Temps sound very good.

I like a town off a major highway so I can get to things easily. We will probably look at getting some land to build on. We raise Shetland sheepdogs.

I will make a visit to the region and look around.