Why do seniors move to Florida and Arizona? (2014, tax, costs)

[ysr_racer]

Originally Posted by TwinbrookNine

FL is an overcrowded dumpy place and nauseatingly humid for 5+ months. AZ has those neurotoxic scorpions that are everywhere. Both are too hot from May - October. Wouldn't consider living full time in either place.

I'm guessing the the residents there are grateful?

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by bpollen

Isn't Maine expensive?

There are parts of Maine [about 1 ~ 2% of the state is expensive].

The city of Portland, and along the coast are a bunch of tiny tourist villages that are all extremely expensive.

The other 99% of Maine is the opposite.

We bought land for $350/acre. Our property taxes run $1.05 an acre. Our house is 2400 sq ft and its taxes run $600/year.

On a pension of $19,000/year I can support my family here in Maine.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by k7baixo

... Plus, cooling a home is easier than heating a home, all other factors equal.

Umm, no.

To cool a house usually requires grid electricity. How do you do that when the grid is down?

Grid power in my town is not reliable. It goes down every month. Summer or winter makes no difference.

My house has solar power, which is nearly impossible to use for A/C. But to assist in home heating requires very little electricity.

My annual home heating expenses run around $700/year.

[blueherons]

Originally Posted by ReachTheBeach

In the NC Piedmont, a white Christmas is very rare. I think I have see 2 in 25 years, one a light dusting and the other snow from a few days before that wasn't quite gone yet. There have been some warm ones, some nasty ones (like 40, raining and windy) and most seem to be in the 45 to 55 range without significant precipitation. A lot of the country is like that. Most people get their white Christmas on the Hallmark channel. I think this idea that it isn't Christmas like on the beach is largely baseless.

Christmas in warm weather is a lot more fun than Christmas in the cold.

[Marv95]

When it comes to retirement income these states are friendly. Also seniors are entering their final run so hot weather/hurricanes don't factor in.

[harpoonalt]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

Because one of the things that evidently happens to us when we get older, is we want it to be 90 degrees all the time.

I can't imagine that now... but it seems to happen to people older than I. I volunteered with my dog at a retirement home, and as soon as we'd enter, he'd get so hot he'd start shedding everywhere, and I started wearing shorts, even in winter! I swear it was at least 90 in there. These little ladies with sweaters on and knitted afgans on their legs would say "oh dear you're going to catch cold!"

"Hardly!"

lol. My MIL lives in a nice senior apartment complex. I can only visit for about an hour at a time so I don't turn into a puddle on the floor. When we visited their Florida condo, every night I would sneak out and turn the air down and then back up in the morning. I still slept with no covers and with little on. They'd wake up and wonder why it was so cold. .

[ReachTheBeach]

Originally Posted by blueherons

Christmas in warm weather is a lot more fun than Christmas in the cold.

And you can get the Hallmark channel on cable for your white Christmas fix if you need it. Crank up the AC, make some cocoa, get under a blanket and watch a couple of movies. That really is all the white Christmas most of us get.

[Giesela]

Taxes can be so complicated, sales, property, state income tax. Add in pharmacy laws that may impact costs, gas taxes/price of gas.
Sometimes I wonder if people just look at AZ no income tax and NM, income tax and go to AZ. Or do they do all the calculations. Otherwise why not NM? Or UT? Or TX?
FL is full. AZ has no water.

[Mikala43]

Originally Posted by Giesela

Taxes can be so complicated, sales, property, state income tax. Add in pharmacy laws that may impact costs, gas taxes/price of gas.
Sometimes I wonder if people just look at AZ no income tax and NM, income tax and go to AZ. Or do they do all the calculations. Otherwise why not NM? Or UT? Or TX?
FL is full. AZ has no water.

I had a loose spreadsheet of income tax, sales tax, and property tax, food tax.

I never could figure out how to quantify and compare the respective cost of housing so used online COLA calculators.

[Tall Traveler]

Originally Posted by Giesela

Taxes can be so complicated, sales, property, state income tax. Add in pharmacy laws that may impact costs, gas taxes/price of gas.
Sometimes I wonder if people just look at AZ no income tax and NM, income tax and go to AZ. Or do they do all the calculations. Otherwise why not NM? Or UT? Or TX?
FL is full. AZ has no water.

I always do the cost calculations....it's not the number 1 driver in my final decision but it's a big factor that I will consider. Saying "AZ has no water" is not factually correct. Factors I consider are:

1. Distance to my kids, grandkids and siblings
2. Climate
3. Cost of living including taxes
4. Scenery
5. Access to things we (wife and I) enjoy
6. Political atmosphere
7. Crime rate
8. Natural disaster probability and risk

Arizona comes out on top on our calculations of these factors.