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Old 02-13-2015, 08:22 AM
 
Location: Connecticut is my adopted home.
2,398 posts, read 3,822,973 times
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We looked around for quite a while. Like the OP I don't do heat well and we didn't want to be buried in snow often like we were in AK. We started with states that didn't tax our benefits and overall had a friendly tax structure. Then we looked at climate, crime, property prices, access to recreation, reasonable access to medical care, building materials, reasonable access to water, relative freedom from excessive pollution from industry/agriculture, a place were we would socially fit.

I won't be too helpful for much east of the Mississippi because we ruled that out having been in AK so long, we really like access to wide open spaces and culturally we are definitely "western" people. There are a few places that appealed to me when traveling there though. I really liked the rolling hills of central KY, eastern TN. The sweet agricultural spot of MI is cheap but again with the winter and Detroit sitting down there to the south might become a problem in the event of civil unrest. It all seemed cheap enough and nothing there is far away having lived in AK so long.

We really worked over the West Coast and the Rocky Mountains through NM. We loved the islands and coastal environs of WA but property is not cheap there. The rain would bother most people but I spent time in Juneau, one of the rainiest spots in the US, so I knew that I could deal with that. We also liked the area on the south end of the Okanagon Valley around Oroville in orchard country but really couldn't find the type of property that we were looking for. They do have some water issues there.

We looked all over Oregon. I liked quite a few places there and for the most part property was reasonable. The tax situation was less favorable and governmental intrusion as far as building, keeping animals, off grid power was quite high. Even though the state is reasonably wet there are water right issues there as well.

California though spectacular and suits me agriculturally and socially had tax issues that ultimately we decided not to get involved with on fixed incomes.

We loved Montana, especially the Missoula area, but we would be trading winter for winter although it was probably a shorter winter than AK. Also Montanans are sick of outsiders but we would have been more welcome as Alaskans than say California refugees. Ditto for Oregon.

Wyoming had great tax structure but again the altitude there kept it cooler than we wanted for agricultural purposes. (Trading AK winter for WY winters.) We looked at CO especially the front range area but they have water problems of their own and we either found large ranch property or in town property, nothing in between.

We ended our search when my mom needed more help to stay on the farm in KS so we settled on a rolling hills area in E. KS where everything is a bit of a compromise. We have our favorable tax structure, proximity to amenities of civilization, the property type and affordability that we were looking for (5-10 acres with cottage type of home, outbuildings, water access/storage, grazing and timber) proximity in the dead center of the USA, to recreation and wide open spaces. We are mostly in grazing country being in rocky wooded hills without major industry. We gave up on climate to a fair degree for proximity to family. Stealth Rabbit had that part right. Fortunately we are in the storm shadow of a large body of water so we don't tend to get the heavy storm weather that other areas around here get. It always breaks up before it reaches us. Just luck on our part.

OP, it will all be a compromise. I'd suggest if your health is good, get a small-medium travel trailer/RV after retirement and do a drive-about to visit targeted areas. Stay long enough to know if you would fit there and to do some rudimentary real estate research. There are a lot of threads on here about family feeling abandoned, sad, angry when their parents/siblings move away so you will have to weigh that and understand what might happen if you are too far away.

Good luck to you.

Last edited by AK-Cathy; 02-13-2015 at 09:09 AM..
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Old 02-13-2015, 10:13 AM
 
12 posts, read 19,944 times
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Rethink West Virginia. We moved here 2.5 years ago and are looking to leave quickly. The state taxes EVERYTHING and at a large rate. We have 4 kids and don't get any deductions at all. We average owing the state 1400.00 each year and we hear it again and again from our friends here. It was cheaper living in NY. They put a lien on us because we can't afford to pay the taxes and they won't respond to our repeated letters asking for a payment plan. This state is the pits. Even the people in the local Tax department said WV has no deductions for anything.

Just a little FYI I wished someone would have told us this before, not to mention the personal property tax on your cars, motorcycles, boats etc. that are twice the amount we paid when we lived in SC a few years ago. We dodged a bullet by not buying a home here at least, so our escape can be a quick one once we get the finances in order.
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Old 02-13-2015, 10:38 AM
 
2 posts, read 2,111 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PeaceOut001 View Post
I never thought I'd be posting this question here. I have about five more years before SS kicks in.
My partner, however, will be considered retired next year.

We did a massive amount of research when my last job bellied up five years ago. With no job in sight, we had to leave NY. We're in Asheville. It has culture, good restaurants, lovely views but ... We're ready to sell most of our belongings and leave. It's a tourist and hospital town (with a lack of speciality fields) and either growing too fast where it may crash due to poor planning but who knows.

The cost of living here is climbing and is over the national average, so it has to be lower. Our income is limited and will remain so until I reach retirement age.

Then we get really messed up. The South (such as South Carolina, GA, and FL) is way too hot.
The North - I won't have the ability to dig out from snow storms much longer - unless we missed
something - is too cold. The West Coast and their water crisis that's been going on for ages is out.
We almost moved to Vegas (ten years ago) but I backed out at the last minute because I was concerned about the over inflated housing market that I saw would crash and crash hard.

We considered CO but the cost of living there in various communities is as costly as here.

My father managed to live in his apt. where he eventually died. He had children (and me) overseeing him. We have no kids and are increasingly concerned about how the heck to navigate the next chapter in our lives.

I'm open to suggestions. I apologize about the vagueness of this. I've been clearing out our house and organizing it and I know I have to move faster because my body is slowing down. I also realize it's such a huge subject with so many variables, there may not be an answer.

Funny, I live in Florida and want to retire to North Carolina. However, I'd really miss it in the winter. If you can swing it, do the snowbird thing. Summers in Asheville, winters in Florida. I live in Venice, a great town. Slow, very little crime and ten minutes to the beach.
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Old 02-13-2015, 12:30 PM
 
Location: Near a river
16,042 posts, read 21,924,417 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chronic65 View Post
No matter where you all go, you are always there.
I think we got that, back in the 60s.
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Old 02-13-2015, 12:37 PM
 
Location: Greenville, SC
895 posts, read 1,133,466 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Floridian8211 View Post
Funny, I live in Florida and want to retire to North Carolina. However, I'd really miss it in the winter. If you can swing it, do the snowbird thing. Summers in Asheville, winters in Florida. I live in Venice, a great town. Slow, very little crime and ten minutes to the beach.
We love Venice. We have dear friends there, and hope to snowbird in the area.
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Old 02-13-2015, 01:46 PM
 
137 posts, read 173,175 times
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Wow. Interesting post. Pretty much where I will soon be in a few short years, only I'm single. My wife passed away when she was only 29 and I was the older one by ten years. Keep us posted. I am interested to see if you find some good solutions so I can try them out for myself. At least you have someone. I have no one.
Just the people I see every day at work and the few relatives close to me that I rarely see since they are younger than me and have their own serious concerns struggling in this Republican economy. I wish you the best.
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Old 02-13-2015, 02:09 PM
 
685 posts, read 716,992 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mass Transit user View Post
Wow. Interesting post. Pretty much where I will soon be in a few short years, only I'm single. My wife passed away when she was only 29 and I was the older one by ten years. Keep us posted. I am interested to see if you find some good solutions so I can try them out for myself. At least you have someone. I have no one.
Just the people I see every day at work and the few relatives close to me that I rarely see since they are younger than me and have their own serious concerns struggling in this Republican economy. I wish you the best.
I will come back to address the other comments but your post touched me. I remember turning 29. I cannot imagine dying at 29. I am sorry.

I'm with someone but we have our conflicts and disagreements as any long-term couple would. Sometimes, I wish I was single.

Since we are a "we," I have to take into consideration pollution and water. It makes this ordeal tough.

Mass Transit user, I wish you a good life with someone else out there waiting for you.
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Old 02-13-2015, 02:26 PM
 
685 posts, read 716,992 times
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Floridian: We love Venice … in the winter ☺. We flew down a couple of times. Lots of people in FL are flooding Asheville. But you live in Venice and are snowbirds and we cannot afford to be.

Chascon33: I looked into W. VA and the water issues (hazardous) seem immense. We’ve been there a few times and it’s a lovely place to visit. It may be a little too conservative for us (we have to be somewhat careful). In NY, we lived 15 miles from Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant. Here, we’re miles from the coal plant. Great, huh?

AK-Cathy: I read your post ☺ . We probably looked at most of the places you listed. CO’s cost of living has gone up considerably in the last five years. That’s now off our list. We talked recently about renting our house and driving around for a few months in a van of some sort. It would allow us the ability to fix things up (simple cosmetic work) to get the house on the market. I have no issue with Oregon but my partner does – the weather. Living there would actually be better for me when dealing with end-of-life issues. My family is irrelevant. My parents are long gone and I stay in touch. Everyone is up north. My partner's family, however ... Boy, so much compromise is involved.

Since we don’t know each other, I’ll state this one more time. I retired early, so money is an issue. But, that's for my accountant to figure out how to hit the road and rent our house. That makes the most sense to me.

Thanks, folks. At least it’s getting narrowed down!
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Old 02-13-2015, 03:19 PM
 
Location: Backwoods of Maine
7,486 posts, read 10,449,334 times
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Wife and I moved to Maine this past June, which we had been planning to do for many years. But she also has family in Tennessee, and as my header shows, we are down here in TN, looking for land. Dodged some snowstorms to get here! We also have her brother with us, and drove down here.

I had never been here before...very interesting. When you hear "Tennessee" you think of Nashville and Memphis, but we are down in the rural, south-central part of the state. COL seems quite low, the lifestyle seems laid-back, and there are farms all over. Still, it does not seem isolated.

If you like the southern states (eastern), take a look at TN. I don't care for the eastern part of the state. But along the southern border of the state, it's almost like heaven. Location truly is everything! I am certain that we will find something we like here, as a second home. Think about it!
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Old 02-13-2015, 06:37 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,336,193 times
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Southern Oregon (and far northern CA) has mild temps. I don't know specifically what the weather is that your partner would object to regarding OR, but Brookings, OR, for instance, pretty much never gets snow, and is mild year round. And it's not so cloudy there, like it is in Portland, for instance.

Here's the monthly averages for Brookings, OR:

Climate Brookings - Oregon and Weather averages Brookings

Here is the current 10 day forecast, which is mostly sunny:

Brookings, Oregon (97415) Conditions & Forecast | Weather Underground

On this page, scroll down to the calendar. You can change the month and year to see what the historical weather was:

Weather History for Brookings, OR | Weather Underground

I've heard Gold Beach, OR is nice, too. It's a bit farther north. I haven't been there yet.
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