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Retire to where you are happy, comfortable and content. Everything else will take care of itself.
Exactly! We considered a number of possible retirement places for a number of reasons over the course of a couple of years and at every turn we seemed to end up with the Missouri Ozarks so we packed our bags, left California and here we are.
I wasn't really thinking Puerto Rico for myself, although it's probably worth a look as I do enjoy the Caribbean; I just wonder why I don't see it mentioned often here on C-D or in the MANY articles I read about retirement spots. Ecuador, for a long time Mexico (until the past several years), Panama, Belize....but you don't see Puerto Rico come up much. Since this thread is about the best "state" and PR is a US territory, just thought I'd ask--whatsamatta with PR? Expensive maybe?
For me, despite its territorial status it isn't America. After living in and mostly enjoying three other countries (thank you Uncle Sam) I simply like this one best.
Shouldn't there be a white hood on that smiley face?
Actually sounds rather appealing to me after living in NM for near 40 years. It would be nice to be around a conservative, hardworking population where most aren't on welfare. I just wonder how I'd adapt to the winters.
If you are equating those two with welfare then you're barking up the wrong tree. Notwithstanding Congressional proclivity for "borrowing" funds from every available source, I seem to remember 45 years of payroll deductions earmarked for those purposes.
Are you even retired and if not, when the time comes are you going to opt-out of those two programs?
Lots of NC beach homes for sale right now. The insurance picture is changing as the feds are pulling out of subsidizing flood insurance, which many homes require, and home insurance is going up every year, in some areas as much 10+% a year.
We were at the beach earlier this month and it seemed like every third home had a for sale sign.
Yes, this uncertainty is the reason we are thinking this might be our (last) chance to get into a beachfront home (or close to it). It's interesting that even folks in real estate and insurance are not sure what is going to happen with rates (either that or they just don't want to say, lol), and this has been coming for awhile now.
I think we have our arms around the insurance situation, but we're proceeding with caution (which will probably cost us the opportunity, lol--we are overly cautious!!).
The new flood insurance rates are wreaking havoc all over the country, not just in coastal areas btw. We have a river cabin here in MT that was potentially affected. Luckily my husband had the foresight to build it with some freeboard and on a slab. I'm a Realtor as well, and we are seeing the combination of the actuarial correction plus redrawn flood maps create unexpected issues for homeowners, buyers, and sellers all over our valley area.
For retirees, even those planning to buy a home with cash, it's something to be aware of! You might choose not to insure (or to "self-insure") the property, but you might have a much harder time selling and see values stagnate or even decrease depending on the new cost of flood insurance. For the coastal area we're trying to understand how storm insurance is calculated as well.
Sorry for the tangent! So many things to consider once one decides just exactly where one's heart is....
If you are equating those two with welfare then you're barking up the wrong tree. Notwithstanding Congressional proclivity for "borrowing" funds from every available source, I seem to remember 45 years of payroll deductions earmarked for those purposes.
Are you even retired and if not, when the time comes are you going to opt-out of those two programs?
I am, though not yet eligible for these programs. If they still exist I'll probably join the party.
If you are equating those two with welfare then you're barking up the wrong tree. Notwithstanding Congressional proclivity for "borrowing" funds from every available source, I seem to remember 45 years of payroll deductions earmarked for those purposes.
Are you even retired and if not, when the time comes are you going to opt-out of those two programs?
Thank you!
Free association is something many of us still charish in this country and intend to fully enjoy that choice in retirement. We earned it and paid for our benefits.
Dare Bing that subject and you'll be overwhelmed with articles and "best of" lists. I'd rather we be practical about the choice. Each retiree or person soon to retire will have their own sets of priorities as they search for the perfect place to spend those years in the autumn of life. I'll start by laying mine on the table:
1) Climate-I've lived in various parts of the country including Iowa where I spent childhood, then California where I began and ended a 30 year career in radio broadcasting, then moved into a motorhome and traveled throughout the U.S. and the Maritimes for 3 years. About a decade ago I landed in MN just south of the Twin Cities. Having lived in various climates I know for sure I want no part of humidity or severe storms such as tornados, hail, blizzards.
2) topography-An old friend of mine who is a sociologist once professed the idea that cultures are born from the land in which they live. His claim was people in the midwest tend to be more docile and accepting, unchanging, because they live on a land that is primarily flat (with a few hills) and unchanging. Coloradans, he exclaimed, are more likely to be aggressive in life because they survive in terrain that requires aggressive efforts to move, i.e., going up and down mountains. I don't know how much truth there is to this theory but I do know that I bore easily in the midwest. I much prefer some topographical relief such as mountains or seashore.
3) Cost of Government-There's just something in my (Libertarian) DNA that prevents me from supporting high-tax governments.
4) Friends and Family-In our earlier history this would have been much more important than it is now. One can choose a location just a couple hours from family and that could be driving or flying. Given the low cost of air travel now it is easy to locate half a continent away and be as close (time wise) as it once was to stay within a two or three hour drive. This is not a major issue for me.
5) Medical Quality-We may be healthy now but when you're in your 60's, 70's and so on there's a good chance your body may need some service. I don't want to have to travel far to find a good doctor or hospital.
These are some of my first priorities in the choice I'm making for a retirement location. So here are my results:
ARIZONA is hands down the best place for retirement. I've considered other locations but Climate tends to rule them out.
Among my other considered locations were Arkansas; great cost of living, natural beauty, friendly people. The downside: Climate! Don't want the humidity, storms or bugs.
I've looked at Texas also. There's much I love about Texas starting with it's climate of self-reliance. There's something about a state that has a legislature that doesn't meet year round. No income tax! This is a big deal but there are lots of states that do not tax Social Security income. Cost of housing is pretty good but oh, watch out for those property taxes! Property taxes in some of the retirement communities more than make up for the 'no income tax' advantage of Texas. Also climate is a big negative for me here.
California has some real advantages. First is climate. I don't think there's a better climate (year round) than some parts of California. The Golden State is gorgeous with it's mountains and sea shore. But I won't even consider this as a place to live in retirement because of the insane politics and the cost that structure is placing on residents and the toll it takes on the private economy.
Looked at Nevada but I can get everything Nevada has in Arizona except gambling. I don't gamble and have no interest in being near it. My search of retirement (age-restricted) communities revealed that housing is much more expensive in Nevada than Arizona.
What are your considerations?
My considerations are the same as yours. I already live in Arizona and am quite happy here. I admit I'm biased though since I was born here, my entire family is here and I simply love the diverse qualities of my state. I can find anything I want here from where I live to where I visit/vacation. I love that, within a couple of hours, I can go from the hot desert to the cool mountains. The weather is, admittedly, very HOT during our summers but I love, love, love the Monsoons and, of course, our fall/winter/spring. I can endure the summers. I have lived in different states over the years...CA, OR, MI, ID, AK, NV...and AZ always has my heart.
I am VERY fortunate to not have health issues but if I did I'd be very confident of the care I can get here. We have an excellent hospital and every type of 'specialist' you can think of.
GeneR your selection of AZ is interesting. The weather you are accustomed to in MN is very different in AZ. Also there is no sea shore and relatively few mountains there as well. Culture will be very different too with many people from lands south of there.
Back to climate there was a huge dust storm and that might be trouble if you are not ready for it.
If you have never lived through one it can be quite unnerving and driving is impossible.
You have got to be kidding! Arizona if FULL of mountains! lol I can see a 7,000 foot one out my kitchen window! No sea shore but who cares? We've got plenty of lakes and rivers here as well.
The "people from lands south of there"...hmmmmmm. This state belonged to the Mexicans and Indians LONG before the white man ever set foot in it. Yes, we've had a problem with illegal immigration and we may always have that problem but it's something you deal with. I have half Mexican cousins whose family was here long before my white family came. And you can't tell by looking who is, and isn't, 'legal'. Having said that I believe ALL the illegals need to be sent back to wherever their 'home' is/was.
The dust storms can be hard because they cause a lot of destruction but the people who live here know what to expect. They generally don't come past Phoenix and it seems like between Phoenix and Tucson get the worst of it. It's not like they happen every day though and we have plenty of warning when they do.
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