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We are both retired and live just outside of Boston (Newton/Auburndale actually). I am 61 and lets just say Sandra is younger ;-). We both retired early and are looking to make a move since we don't retain our Massachusetts jobs any longer. Our main goal is to relocate closer to Sandra's family in the Bloomsburg area.......at least in the 2-3 hr drive range. We also want to stay within an hour of a major airport (Philly) since our goal is do some traveling during our retirement years. That being said, we hope to find an area that is less expensive, outdoorsy, friendly, politicly middle of the road, and less congested with traffic.
We've checked out a few areas SE New Hampshire, CT, and Western MA. NH and CT are nice. We love to hike the White Mountains in NH with the pups. Sandra is from CT so we also checked out the Farmington Valley area. However we didn't like the property taxes nor did we get a good vibe thats it’s a place that we would want to call home. PA seems somewhat more tax friendly and a better fit for us.
So here are some specifics that I would love feedback on:
*We are looking to move within an hour or so to the airport. We've had some friends (Sandra use to have an office in Philly) that suggested some town's in Chester, Bucks and Montgomery County.
*We are looking in the $400-$700's range so hopefully we can find a home a little newer with a two car garage. Love to have a nice yard with a fence for the pups. We also ride a motorcycle so less restrictions would be nice.
*I was wondering also if anyone is on Medicaid? I currently don't have income so I have my healthcare paid for. I also have had some past medical issues so maybe some feedback on healthcare would be nice.
*We don't have children so schools are not important. We are more interested in a small town feel that is safe, lower taxes and people are friendly.
*Close (5-15 min) to a nice grocery store and restaurants. We also like to take in a show or concert every now and then.
*Peaceful and quiet is a plus. We currently have the train and interstate in our back yard. I can wave to conductor...ugh. I would like to hear the birds in the morning instead of trucks and trains :-)
I appreciate all informative reply's on areas/towns that may be a good fit for us. Please ask any questions for more specifics. I probably have left out lots of information.
PS: We are visiting family in PA during Thanksgiving. We are going to spend a few extra days staying outside Philly at a B&B to check out some towns.
Lived in rural NJ, with few restaurants and entertainment and retired in 2015 and moved to West Chester Borough in Chester County, we love it. People are very friendly, the town has a community spirit, downtown is alive with always something going on, tons of places to explore, live theater, 75 plus restaurants and many shops. The Halloween and Christmas parades are amazing and not to be missed. It seems they always have something going on downtown where they shut down the streets and have a great time. Here is the Borough Parks and Recreational web site to give you and idea of the things happening.
If you love gardens Longwood Gardens is 20 min drive, amazing place a must see. We are members and visit many times during the year. https://longwoodgardens.org
Just a short drive away are more gardens are in Delaware
With a tradition of horticulture going back 300 years, Philadelphia is America’s Garden Capital.
Visit more than 30 public gardens, arboreta, and historic landscapes, all located within 30 miles of our landmark city.
Delaware the place with no sales taxes(think liquor, stoves, tv, washer/dryer, etc.) is 20 mins away. Train service to Philly is 15mins away in Exton, local train you are in center city in 55 minutes . You can be in the country in 10 mins. Schools are rated very high. Tons of shopping nearby, King of Prussia mall is 20 mins away, largest mall in the east. Many others malls in the area. The Philadelphia Airport is 40 minutes away.
West Chester is a university town, West Chester University with about 13K students on and off campus, if that bothers you may not like it. You have to be careful not to live near student housing, this website from the borough lists all student housing http://www.west-chester.com/DocumentCenter/View/34
With that said we have had no problems living near the university. We take advantage of the many free concerts, lectures, etc the university has to offer. The University has a large music program with many talented students. We attend quality concerts 2-3 nights a week, all for free.
The local police and campus security keep close tabs on the students and pretty much do not put up with a lot of stuff. Our encounter with students have been great, we were moving in a couch and struggling when all of the sudden it got lighter, a few big guys saw us and stopped and helped and would not take anything for their time.
Some streets parking can be a problem so look for homes with off street parking or where parking is not restricted. They love to give out $25 parking tickets! Here is a map http://www.west-chester.com/DocumentCenter/View/764 of where parking is controlled.
Homes can come on the market and be gone in a few hours or a day or so.
When we were looking to move out of NJ,we looked at Media, Chestnut Hill, Phoenixville, Doyestown and several places in Delaware and settled on West Chester a decision we do not regret at all.
Can you fill out the sticky at the top of this forum (questions for future residents)? You've answered many of the questions but it still would be helpful.
I'm not getting how you can afford a house in the $400-700K range but be on Medicaid. Don't they take assets and/or the spouse's income into consideration? As a taxpayer, I would not appreciate my taxes going to pay for the healthcare of a person who can afford a $400-700K home.
I wonder if the Lehigh Valley area may make more sense for you. It would be less expensive, closer to Bloomsburg, closer to more outdoor activities, have more rural/quiet areas, yet still have many of the amenities of a larger metro area. Bethlehem's downtown is particularly nice, for example. Jim Thorpe is a nice small town in the area you could check out. It will have better access to more "outdoorsy" activities such as the Lehigh Valley Gorge, Delaware Water Gap, and Pocono Mountains. There is a smaller airport right in the area (Lehigh Valley Airport) which would offer direct flights to some cities, and Newark Liberty is only about an hour away.
West Chester and other parts of Chester County, sound like a good suggestion as well, though it will definitely be more expensive, so a question of whether it's worth the additional cost to be in that location for your situation.
Thank you so much for the considerable amount of info. This will keep us busy for awhile.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TLC1957
Lived in rural NJ, with few restaurants and entertainment and retired in 2015 and moved to West Chester Borough in Chester County, we love it. People are very friendly, the town has a community spirit, downtown is alive with always something going on, tons of places to explore, live theater, 75 plus restaurants and many shops. The Halloween and Christmas parades are amazing and not to be missed. It seems they always have something going on downtown where they shut down the streets and have a great time. Here is the Borough Parks and Recreational web site to give you and idea of the things happening.
Thanks Avalon, I will complete the sticky. Medicaid/Mass Health does not care if you have a billion or 2 cents in the bank. They are only concern with your income. Believe me, I called them multiply times to make sure I wasn't scamming them. I was paying for good insurance beforehand since I have a history of health issues.....one of the reasons for early retirement. Last year I went on the Mass Health site to check out Ins plans since I was on COBRA and it was expensive. I completed the Qualifying section and submitted. I received a reply in the mail 3 days later stating that I qualified for for low income insurance. I didn't even request new insurance!! I called back to speak with a supervisor to make sure everything was in order since I have a home/401k/investments and such. Even though my COBRA was expensive, I didn't want to lose it since it was very good coverage/ I was assured multiple times that I would be covered under Medicaid.
We live in an area that is conducive to Boston. A great commuter location. That being said, our home, taxes are way above the nation's average (more than double from where were looking to buy). Buying a home in the $500K range and less in taxes will allow us to do some retirement activities without being house poor.
I really don't want to get in a debate on healthcare or my finance's. I'm not looking for a free ride but was hoping PA has something similar. I would hate to lose what I have now due to my health history. I see there is a Pennie site for PA Ins Coverage. I guess I will see what they have to offer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Avalon08
Can you fill out the sticky at the top of this forum (questions for future residents)? You've answered many of the questions but it still would be helpful.
I'm not getting how you can afford a house in the $400-700K range but be on Medicaid. Don't they take assets and/or the spouse's income into consideration? As a taxpayer, I would not appreciate my taxes going to pay for the healthcare of a person who can afford a $400-700K home.
Biker - I would make sure to fully understand the Medicaid piece of this. Medicaid is a state-run program, and Massachusetts may have different requirements than we have here in PA. In PA, they look to both your income and assets (which need to be essentially zero), though there is an exemption for home equity and there may be other exemptions as well. But you should certainly do your own research.
I'm guessing that Medicaid is defined differently in MA due to the fact that they have had government-run healthcare for much longer than the rest of the country (Mass Health is akin to the ACA/Obamacare). So, I don't think the OP qualifies for true Medicaid, which generally is for the poor and very low-income.
As for places to retire, I don't have anything to add. I think both West Chester and the Lehigh Valley are great starting points.
Thanks Angus, we will check it out. We rode our motorcycle through that area a couple of years ago and I really liked it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Angus215
I wonder if the Lehigh Valley area may make more sense for you. It would be less expensive, closer to Bloomsburg, closer to more outdoor activities, have more rural/quiet areas, yet still have many of the amenities of a larger metro area. Bethlehem's downtown is particularly nice, for example. Jim Thorpe is a nice small town in the area you could check out. It will have better access to more "outdoorsy" activities such as the Lehigh Valley Gorge, Delaware Water Gap, and Pocono Mountains. There is a smaller airport right in the area (Lehigh Valley Airport) which would offer direct flights to some cities, and Newark Liberty is only about an hour away.
West Chester and other parts of Chester County, sound like a good suggestion as well, though it will definitely be more expensive, so a question of whether it's worth the additional cost to be in that location for your situation.
When are you moving? Once we find a home. Ours is ready for the market
Where are you coming from? Newton, MA
Why are you moving? To get into a more retirement friendly location and to get a few hours closer to family.
Where will you be working? N/A
Have you been here yet? No, but staying a few days outside Philly during Thanksgiving.
Will you buy or rent? Buy
If buying, are you looking for a house or a condo? How much can you spend? House. 500-600K would be ideal.
If renting, are you looking for an apartment, a townhouse or loft? How much can you spend?
Do you prefer hi-rise or walk up?
Are you married or single? Do you have children? We are a couple with no children.
Do you prefer public or private schools?
Do you have pets? Yes, dogs and cats.
Do you want or need a yard? Yes
Are you keeping a car? Yes and a motorcycle.
Do you prefer bustling activity or calm and quiet? Calm and quiet but not too rural.
What do you want to be closest to?
Work: N/A
Shopping: 15-30 mins away
Basic services (supermarket, drugstore, etc.) Food shopping is important since Sandra is on a special diet.
Nightlife
Train or subway stations: an hour or less from the airport.
Do you want to live with people of a similar age, race, religion or sexual preference or do you prefer a diverse neighborhood? Doesn't matter. We have the league of nations in our neighborhood and we all get along great!
Phillies, Pirates or Mets? Ugh, Red Sox.....however I did become a KC Royals fan when I live in Kansas during the 90's.........so who knows ;-)
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