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Old 02-12-2015, 08:08 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,283,365 times
Reputation: 38564

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Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl View Post
Could you address the earthquake factor? And the tsunami thing?



www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20110314/us-california-tsunami-magnet/
Sure. There are earthquakes in CA. I've lived in CA most of my life and I'm 58. I've never been hurt in an earthquake. I've never suffered any losses due to damage.

Tsunamis - well, there was one that wiped out downtown Crescent City in 1964. There have been 2 since that caused damage at the harbor. The crab fishermen have lost boats.

The current tsunami evacuation route includes several blocks downtown. That's all. I live downtown, and I'd have to go about 4 blocks away to be out of the danger zone.

Sooooo, don't live downtown or in the harbor.

I do, because I love being able to walk to the ocean. If the tsunami sirens go off, I'll take my dog, my laptop and my emergency backpack and trek up the street to the elementary school where we will be housed.

If that ever happens.

Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit View Post
no water shortage here... 100+ inches of drizzle / yr.
more moderate temps than NC, seldom snow (3-4x/ yr, gone by noon)

not hot in summer (excellent summers, can't be beat except AK (Longer daylight than our 5am until 10 pm))
Fresh wild berries, fresh salmon and steelhead. 20 min to Portland if you need a food truck, cultural event, or Airplane (or tax free shopping).
https://www.google.com/search?q=cape...w=1140&bih=701

I have not had AC in House or car for 30 yrs.

Many can tolerate the wet winters... You can drive 1 hr east for dry, or jet to a dry spot.

I jet to San Diego (2.5 hr direct) for $23.10. Or to Austin TX, Colorado (my ex-home), or Many parts of CA (each for under $100).

You can buy a very nice little acreage with a fixer home for under $150k (I got my last one for $100k, 3 acres with shop, barns, house, gardens, RV sites...)

I eat and entertain on <$100/ month
Heat / power is $70
gas is ZERO (WVO burner)
Car was $35 (gets 50 mpg)

Fairly inexpensive and good quality of life.

Property taxes... another story. in my nice new $100k place = <$1200/ yr
in my main home 1 mile away... $14,400 / yr ($100k cost basis to build it) Assessor really likes it! (different county)

Colorado is a 'battleground state' with LOTS of problems (including Water). Political divide will destroy the QoL.
It was spoiled about 40 yrs ago.
I love this post, but have no idea where you are. Your "location" is too confusing. Reading the clues...you're 20 minutes from Portland? Or is that by space ship from Thailand?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Linda_d View Post
I have friends who retired to East Tennessee, and they like it. They're near Greeneville, TN which is in very close to the mountains. Chattanooga and Knoxville are the big cities in the area. COL is supposed to be low there, with low real estate taxes, no state income taxes on SS or pensions, etc.

Another area that you might like is western Virginia, especially the Shenandoah Valley. If I were to ever move South, I think the Shenandoah would be on my short-list. Western VA is not anything like the crowded DC suburbs further east, and as you go south, it becomes much less crowded. I love Winchester which is at the northern end of the Valley, but there's lovely little towns strung out all along, and then there's Roanoke just to the east. It's pretty country.
I moved to Tennessee for 5 years for a job many years ago. I loved many things about TN - except the weather. It's horribly humid all year round. In winter, that translates to horribly icy roads. The culture was also too difficult to assimilate into, being from the west. I made good friends - with people who were from the north or west.

I miss the fireflies, though. I loved the lightening storms and the fireflies.
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Old 02-12-2015, 08:20 PM
 
415 posts, read 602,664 times
Reputation: 378
Quote:
Originally Posted by PeaceOut001 View Post
brokensky: I have six decades under my belt, too. Yes, we looked at Black Mountain (love the senior center by the small lake just outside of the main town). Boone may be a possibility. My next door neighbor is from there. I suppose we can look. We’re right down the road from Arden – five miles and it’s getting crazy here with new apts. going up.

We’re also concerned about taking the driving test every five years. We’ve both always passed them the first time and age is affecting both of us. So, we have some concerns about that. In NY you take the test once and remained young in your photo on your license forever.

PhxBarb: Yes, that’s the problem. There is no one size fits all area in which to live. AZ concerns us both for many reasons. We considered AZ and UT on our short list before moving here.

Happy in Wyoming: I think you’ve come the closest. It’s beautiful and still a bit peaceful. I like the stats on the cost of living and we’re aware of what the weather is like. Thanks so much for looking at the data first. That was really nice of you.
Isn't it just the signs test that you have to retake?
This is the info I found online about renewals:
In order to renew your North Carolina driver's license, you will need to take the vision and traffic sign recognition tests every time your license is up for renewal. The behind the wheel driving test isn't required, but may be administered at the discretion of the testing examiner.
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Old 02-12-2015, 08:42 PM
 
Location: Asheville NC
2,061 posts, read 1,949,061 times
Reputation: 6258
Default NC driver's license

Quote:
Originally Posted by Metairie View Post
Isn't it just the signs test that you have to retake?
This is the info I found online about renewals:
In order to renew your North Carolina driver's license, you will need to take the vision and traffic sign recognition tests every time your license is up for renewal. The behind the wheel driving test isn't required, but may be administered at the discretion of the testing examiner.
Yes we only had to do the vision and road sign test. It was fast and very easy. The license is good for 8years not 5. If someone can't pass a driver's license test they shouldn't' be driving.

We love Asheville. But everyone's experiences and needs are different. I think that where peace lives is the most congested area in the vicinity- that too is relative. A 2 while, DC would be a 10.
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Old 02-12-2015, 08:58 PM
 
1,978 posts, read 1,544,007 times
Reputation: 2737
No matter where you all go, you are always there.
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Old 02-13-2015, 12:38 AM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,596 posts, read 57,546,778 times
Reputation: 46013
Quote:
Originally Posted by chronic65 View Post
No matter where you all go, you are always there.
exactly! & that is where I am tonight! (Hill Country, TX)

Was in PNW yesterday (20 min from Portland, but on WA side of Columbia River).

I will be in Colorado tomorrow for Valentine's Day.

Thailand I am avoiding at the moment (full of Europeans on Medi-vacations Oct - Apr). I am also at 182 Days 'visiting' Thailand this rolling 12 months. (+183 days and I pay double taxes).


OT.. : But WHERE to retire?... who knows?
, all these locations work well for the time being. I expect some more will crop up next yr. (Planning to do a 1 yr RTW trip, Southern Hemisphere.)

Several friends are VERY happily retired in USA Protectorates. (not often mentioned here, but some are quite close to SE USA, and pretty decent weather!)

Some retiree friends stayed put (mostly in Colorado, NE, WY, SD, KS, OK, IA, MN) I think people are pretty content living there. And... many, very contented people live there.! (these are MUCH different things)

Paul Harvey's acknowledgement of 70th+ wedding anniversaries were often from 'the great plains States'.

God & I KNOW it is not ez living THERE!!!! "Hello Toto!, goodbye Auntie Em".

You get a great GARDEN GROWING, and the Hail or Grasshoppers arrive the day before harvest!

The blizzards arrive JUST IN TIME for calving and lambing!.

Cut your hay, and the only cloud in the sky comes and rains on it and spoils the crop.

BTDT... 'bout anyplace on Earth seems greener to many 'prairie farm kids'! Poof, they are GONE!

But... they too will return! (likely, to celebrate Arbor Day!).
https://www.google.com/search?q=nebr...w=1140&bih=701

Last edited by StealthRabbit; 02-13-2015 at 12:47 AM..
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Old 02-13-2015, 07:15 AM
 
Location: Wake Forest, NC
2,438 posts, read 2,843,408 times
Reputation: 2242
I will put in another vote for Greenville, SC. Summers can be hot and humid but that's what AC is for; the rest of the year you can be outdoors almost every day. Not to mention, the mountains are only an hour away; you can escape their in the summer.
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Old 02-13-2015, 08:35 AM
 
685 posts, read 715,912 times
Reputation: 1009
brokensky: We love the city and the surrounding areas. But, it's growing and the cost of living is going up.
I understand lumping Black Mountain in with Asheville and they're different towns with different politics. We prefer
it here.

We intend to explore other options. Brevard may not be a bad idea. I'm a little concerned about the isolation there.
But, you've given me more options to check out.
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Old 02-13-2015, 08:41 AM
 
685 posts, read 715,912 times
Reputation: 1009
Quote:
Originally Posted by funisart View Post
Yes we only had to do the vision and road sign test. It was fast and very easy. The license is good for 8years not 5. If someone can't pass a driver's license test they shouldn't' be driving.

We love Asheville. But everyone's experiences and needs are different. I think that where peace lives is the most congested area in the vicinity- that too is relative. A 2 while, DC would be a 10.
We'd know when our driving time was up. We know that will occur at some point. This just complicates the situation even more. I sent an email to the DMV yesterday confirming what you've said - as I read it on the DMV website. I know someone my age who said we have to take the test every five years. The catch is she's on the Buncombe/Madison line, so I don't know where she went.

DC is a zero in our books. It's too congested and since I lived in its burbs as a kid, I know we cannot go back there and the cost is astronomical.

Thanks, funisart.
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Old 02-13-2015, 08:48 AM
 
Location: TN/NC
34,847 posts, read 30,914,378 times
Reputation: 47158
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drift Away View Post
Have you looked into East Tennessee or possibly the Greenville, SC area? In doing some pre-retirement research, so far both of these areas look pretty good. They have a nice combination of lakes, mountains, mild seasons and a fairly low COL.
I would also look into Greenville, Roanoke VA, and Lexington KY if you want a fairly low cost of living and gorgeous locations.
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Old 02-13-2015, 08:49 AM
 
Location: Asheville NC
2,061 posts, read 1,949,061 times
Reputation: 6258
Default i agree

Quote:
Originally Posted by PeaceOut001 View Post
We'd know when our driving time was up. We know that will occur at some point. This just complicates the situation even more. I sent an email to the DMV yesterday confirming what you've said - as I read it on the DMV website. I know someone my age who said we have to take the test every five years. The catch is she's on the Buncombe/Madison line, so I don't know where she went.

DC is a zero in our books. It's too congested and since I lived in its burbs as a kid, I know we cannot go back there and the cost is astronomical.

Thanks, funisart.
Also used to live in Fairfax County. DC area is the worst. Didn't you get a new licence when you moved here??
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