Has anyone read this? WA #3 Worst State for retirement (Seattle: sales, insurance)

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

My dad's house is valued around 180-200K and his property taxes were about $2850 a year. He doesn't live in a "nice" area in the Seattle metro.

The weather is better... in your opinion. Some people just like cold freezing weather. Just as some like humidity and heat.

The tornadoes/hurricane argument is easily defeated by the earthquake/volcano issue-- and weirdly enough, there are people who say they would prefer tornadoes/hurricanes because at least there's warning. And it is not always as devastating as you're trying to paint it. Besides... you can't say WA never gets it. Vancouver, WA once got a devastating tornado that killed 6 people and injured over hundreds. The recent one wasn't as bad, but did the some damage alright. Washington certainly does get flooding to a great extent; you're conveniently forgetting the Chehalis-Centralia flooding. The lowlands in Western Wa are always at a risk in the winter.

Earthquake/volcano issue, what earthquake/volcano issue. Never had a earthquake or volcano issue where I live in Washington. Never has a single flood or tornado ever where I live.....sorry to disappoint you. I wonder if the people in Texas has any warning the other day when the tornado hit and kill six people? How prepared where the people during Hurricane Sandy and what different did it make even if they were?

I guess that is why the mid west and east have so many snowbirds is because they don't like the freezing cold and some people just like to sweat and be miserable in the summer. Fortunely people where I live don't suffer from either element.

If you notice I didn't say Washington didn't have any flooding I said and I quote 'floods to any great extent' unquote which is absolutely true in 95% of the state.

I have a feeling your dad lived in a nice neighborhood when he brought the house didn't he? Can you tell me why the neighborhood went down hill or should I guess?

[Cinebar]

Originally Posted by rantiquity

Earthquake/volcano issue, what earthquake/volcano issue. Never had a earthquake or volcano issue where I live in Washington. Never has a single flood or tornado ever where I live.....sorry to disappoint you.

I have.

Thirty-three years ago (tomorrow is the 33rd anniversary, in fact):


Mount Saint Helens Eruption of May 18, 1980 - YouTube

While I lived just south of the volcano when it blew and only got a little bit of ash, prior to the eruption, I was very much affected by road closures and detours trying to keep people out of the area, and where I worked at the time (a restaurant) was also very much affected - by all the added business from looky-loos and newspeople (I saw a number of well-known faces pass through the restaurant).

And, of course, when she blew and all the ash went to the northeast, there was a large chunk of the state that had a lot to deal with with all the ash.

I suspect where I live now was probably heavily impacted, too (although I've never gotten around to asking any of the locals), because I can actually see right into the crater from the highway that passes by my property. I imagine this area got a pretty heavy dusting of ash.

So, yes, I would go so far as to say a good portion of this state has been heavily impacted by a volcano in recent history - in recent years, more on a positive note because of tourism.

For those of us who were directly affected by the eruption, it is one of those "where were you when.....?" moments. I remember very well getting up early on that Sunday morning and turning on the t.v. and seeing what was happening in real time. It's one of those moments that is frozen in my memory - I can still picture the old console t.v. I had back then, my old homestead house, the furniture, and loading my two little boys up in the old truck I had and finding a place where we could watch the eruption clearly (with no hills or trees in the way).

If you notice I didn't say Washington didn't have any flooding I said and I quote 'floods to any great extent' unquote which is absolutely true in 95% of the state.

Actually, just in the 7 1/2 years that I've lived in Lewis County, we have been hit very hard by flooding on at least two occasions - closing down I-5 even and flooding WalMart and Home Depot right up to their rooftop (I think that only happened during one of those floods). Lots of businesses lost and homes condemned.

And I know prior to my moving up here that there were other, just as devastating floods.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by rantiquity

Earthquake/volcano issue, what earthquake/volcano issue. Never had a earthquake or volcano issue where I live in Washington. Never has a single flood or tornado ever where I live.....sorry to disappoint you. I wonder if the people in Texas has any warning the other day when the tornado hit and kill six people? How prepared where the people during Hurricane Sandy and what different did it make even if they were?

Your comment to that comment hinged on WA not having any of the "problems", not whether YOU experienced it or not.

Originally Posted by rantiquity

I guess that is why the mid west and east have so many snowbirds is because they don't like the freezing cold and some people just like to sweat and be miserable in the summer. Fortunely people where I live don't suffer from either element.

We have plenty of snowbirds who leave Washington during the winter as well.

Who says they're miserable in the summer? Just because you can't handle it doesn't mean it goes for everyone else as well.

Originally Posted by rantiquity

If you notice I didn't say Washington didn't have any flooding I said and I quote 'floods to any great extent' unquote which is absolutely true in 95% of the state.

Dumb comment. Show me a state that is @ 100% risk for flooding. And yes, there's been floods to great extent. You must not be from here if you don't know/never heard about them about them.

Originally Posted by rantiquity

I have a feeling your dad lived in a nice neighborhood when he brought the house didn't he? Can you tell me why the neighborhood went down hill or should I guess?

I never said it went downhill. It simply never was a desirable place to live, it is a simple blue collar area.

[rantiquity]

Your comment to that comment hinged on WA not having any of the "problems", not whether YOU experienced it or not.

No I am saying 95% of the people in Washington have not experienced them.

We have plenty of snowbirds who leave Washington during the winter as well.

That is true but not in the numbers as in the mid west or East.

Who says they're miserable in the summer? Just because you can't handle it doesn't mean it goes for everyone else as well.

Sure if you like to freeze in the winter and sweat in the summer.

Dumb comment. Show me a state that is @ 100% risk for flooding. And yes, there's been floods to great extent. You must not be from here if you don't know/never heard about them about them.

The different is that most Washingtonian are smart enough not to live in a flood zone.

I never said it went downhill. It simply never was a desirable place to live, it is a simple blue collar area.

Having lived in Washington (from Spokane to Seattle and on) for nearly 50 years should qualify me in know about the state and its weather.

Mind telling me which neighborhood your dad lives? I lived in a blue collar neighborhood in the South Seattle area (East Hill) for 34 years and only until recently has the overall area gone down hill. Mostly from the minorities moving south bringing their intercity blight with them.

[Ultrarunner]

Originally Posted by Jalhop

The ongoing maintenance of those things may be many times the initial cost during their lifetimes. I like to see older people get a break on property taxes but only when there's a lien on their house to recoup that eventually. I see Prop 13 becoming ever more untenable. Eventually newcomers will be paying 50 times the taxes of their neighbors. There's no limit to the disparity since the 1% is less than inflation and CA gov't spending rises faster than inflation.

Just a point for reference... Prop 13 annual inflation factor is 2%...

I suppose if a person bought a home and lived in it for 65 or 75 years the possibility exists the value could reach 50 times...

The home I previously owned was bought new by my seller in 1922 for $2800

In 2012 the identical home next door sold as a foreclosure for 115k...

In 90 years the home value increased 41 times...

When I bought it the assessed value was 43,000 and I paid 56,000

Having Washington's voter approved I-747 certainly has impacted my future plans... just having the experience of my Thurston County assessment increase 80% from what I paid for the home the previous tax year shook me to my core and I never want to be that vulnerable again...

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by rantiquity

Thank you!

I've heard that people from Seattle are cold and distant, but I hadn't heard they were rude and insulting.

[Inkpoe]

Originally Posted by rantiquity

No I am saying 95% of the people in Washington have not experienced them.

That is true but not in the numbers as in the mid west or East.

Sure if you like to freeze in the winter and sweat in the summer.

The different is that most Washingtonian are smart enough not to live in a flood zone.


Having lived in Washington (from Spokane to Seattle and on) for nearly 50 years should qualify me in know about the state and its weather.

What does knowing WA weather have to do with anything? You're acting like WA doesn't have its own set of realities when it does. You were plain wrong when you said that WE (as in WA) don't have tornadoes and (serious) floods-- except it does and did happen in WA.

Originally Posted by rantiquity

Mind telling me which neighborhood your dad lives? I lived in a blue collar neighborhood in the South Seattle area (East Hill) for 34 years and only until recently has the overall area gone down hill. Mostly from the minorities moving south bringing their intercity blight with them.

McMickens Heights

[Cinebar]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

. You were plain wrong when you said that WE (as in WA) don't have tornadoes and (serious) floods-- except it does and did happen in WA.

We're not exactly "Tornado Alley," but yes, they do occur in this state and they can be deadly:

The tornado of April 5, 1972 | The Columbian

While I didn't live there at the time of the tornado, in the fall of 1975 I did move just a few miles from where the damage occurred and I shopped and bowled at the rebuilt Waremart and bowling alley - where people had lost their lives.

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I've heard that people from Seattle are cold and distant, but I hadn't heard they were rude and insulting.

You're calling me rude and insulting when you make some stupid comment about Washington was the first state you marked off your list for retirement. Give me a break....

[rantiquity]

Originally Posted by Inkpoe

What does knowing WA weather have to do with anything? You're acting like WA doesn't have its own set of realities when it does. You were plain wrong when you said that WE (as in WA) don't have tornadoes and (serious) floods-- except it does and did happen in WA.

A grand total of six people have died in Washington State in tornadoes from, now get this, six since 1880 to the present present. The few tornadoes that have touched down in Washington have only caused minor damage. Like I said most people in Washington don't live on a flood plain and the floods we do get every few years cause minor damage mostly to pasture and farm land.

McMickens Heights

McMickens Height is not in Seattle its in the city of SeaTac. Its quiet neighbor located between I-5 and the Airport.