Not sure where to go! (pension, federal, retired, respect)
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I lived in Woodland and Davis for many years, and looked at buying at the Clearlake area many times, because it's affordable. And I figured one day, Santa Rosa will grow out to that area, and the real estate values would go up.
But, no matter how cheap or the possible future value, I could not make myself like the area enough to move there. I chose to continue renting instead. That's how much I didn't like the "vibe" of that area.
It just seems really poor, and depressed. There's just something sad or almost creepy about that area. That was my take.
Thanks for your insight on the vibe in the Clear Lake CA area. The vibe of an area is an important factor. Someday, I will visit there, but its off my list of retirement locations.
I could be very wrong, but the more I investigate the Portland/Vancouver area, the more I run across reports of constant wetness, except for the summer. Clouds and cold make me happy, but days on end of wetness do not. Any further insight would be appreciated.
I'm thinking about the Reno area because the favorable tax environment, the four seasons, and the relative closeness to the northern CA coast, which is where I'd ideally like to live. I haven't been to Reno for about twenty years and the downtown area was in sad shape and the surrounding areas were pretty bare. But I understand that much has improved during this time span.
Unfortunately, unless you have many dollars to spare, you're going to have to make compromises!
What about some mountain towns? Missoula and Bozeman, Montana are beautiful, artsy, and have mild summers. Walla Walla, Washington? (Might get too hot.) Spokane, Washington? Bend (great healthcare and 12 inches of precipitation per year, unlike Portland //www.city-data.com/forum/bend/...re-thread.html) or Medford, Oregon? Medford is adjacent to Ashland, which has the Shakespeare festival and many artists. Hood River, Oregon, is a scenic town on the Columbia River and has less rain than Portland/Vancouver. Summers are relatively mild in these states and are not humid. With your enjoyment of winter, there are lots of northern states for you to consider. The western states will be much sunnier and will have more benign winters than New England states, if that's important to you.
I could be very wrong, but the more I investigate the Portland/Vancouver area, the more I run across reports of constant wetness, except for the summer. Clouds and cold make me happy, but days on end of wetness do not. Any further insight would be appreciated.
That's why I suggested the Port Angeles / Sequim area of WA. Parts of that area are in the "Rain Shadow".
Thanks for your insight on the vibe in the Clear Lake CA area. The vibe of an area is an important factor. Someday, I will visit there, but its off my list of retirement locations.
You're welcome! Look into the Chico area. Paradise is outside of Chico and seems to be fairly affordable. Even Chico isn't that bad, and there's a university in town, lots of trees. WAY better vibe.
Quote:
Originally Posted by slsl6
That is correct--hot and humid are out!
I could be very wrong, but the more I investigate the Portland/Vancouver area, the more I run across reports of constant wetness, except for the summer. Clouds and cold make me happy, but days on end of wetness do not. Any further insight would be appreciated.
I'm thinking about the Reno area because the favorable tax environment, the four seasons, and the relative closeness to the northern CA coast, which is where I'd ideally like to live. I haven't been to Reno for about twenty years and the downtown area was in sad shape and the surrounding areas were pretty bare. But I understand that much has improved during this time span.
Unfortunately, unless you have many dollars to spare, you're going to have to make compromises!
What do you think is more favorable tax-wise about Nevada? I honestly don't know, which is why I'm asking.
In CA, depending on the city, county the sales tax really varies. And the property taxes here are regulated, so they can only go up something like 1% as long as you own your home. Taxes in CA are not as bad as people assume.
My recollection of Port Townsend, while living in WA state for about 18 years from the bottom to the top on the west side, is that the understanding was the Port Townsend had really cloudy rainy foggy weather.
I just recently discovered this nifty weather tool, where you can get a month's worth of actual data on a town. I wanted to see how hot it was back in April and May here in Redding. People keep saying, it's only hot for a couple of months, but my memory was telling me we had 100 degree days as far back as April. I wasn't far off. Anyway, this is the tool:
So, go here, and put in a city, state or zip code:
The desert is not always hot if you are at a higher elevation. I live at 5,800 feet in NM and don't have or need air conditioning. I use a swamp cooler whish costs about $20 a month to run....maybe. If you like overcast clouds, NM would not be right because we have so many sunny days.
I haven't seen anyone mention Grand Junction CO. It is a small city but has a lot going on and a lot of services. I was considering Grand Junction at one time. It has an interesting micro climate that allows wineries and peach orchards but skiing and fishing are close by on Grand Mesa. It's a four seasons place but not extreme. It might be too sunny for you. My wife vetoed the move at that time -- she liked NM better.
Bend ranges in temperature from 39H/22L in the beginning of January to 43/24 at the end of January.
Boston ranges in temperature from 38H/27L in the beginning of January to 36/23 at the end of January.
There is a 17% chance to have snow on the ground in Bend at the end of January versus a 39% chance in Boston.
And compared to areas farther north, like Vermont and New Hampshire, Bend's weather seems downright balmy ;-).
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