Community Forums

cyclist922 · 11-18-2019, 04:06 PM

Hi all. I know this is a frequent flavor of question, but I’m looking for specific experiences and haven’t found them in several searches.

We currently live in Ohio. We want to retire, sell all our property here and travel for a few years. Long term, we would settle in “big sky” country, but that’s a few years off.

In the meantime we’d like to have an assured warm place to winter so we’re thinking of buying an RV lot or acreage in Arizona.

We’d rather not pay state income tax and the RV registration taxes/fees in AZ because It’s not likely we’ll end up settling there. So we’d like to make our domicile in SD, Wyoming, or MT where we eventually intend to settle.

We’re not looking for advice on what kind of property to buy. We’d just like to hear from people who declared a domicile somewhere but did not own real estate there. Yet they did own property in AZ and only stayed there 3-4 months a year.

PM me with pros or cons if you are doing this or know someone who did.

Many thanks.

TXTiger · 11-18-2019, 05:21 PM

Ownership of property does not determine domicle. I have my domicle in So Dakota, winter in AZ, (sometimes FL) but still own my house in Calif, which is rented out. I file a non-resident tax return in Calif for my rental income. I have no income in AZ or SD, (no income tax in SD) so don’t have to file a return in those states. The advantage of a SD domicle is that the sales tax is only 4%, no special liscense to drive a Class A and no inspection to renew your vehicle registration. One night stay to get a drivers liscense. If I decide later to change my domicle I won’t have to pay sales tax again. Many full timers also use FL and TX as their domicle. A major factor to consider is health insurance. If you are over 65 and on Medicare this is less of an issue.

Barbaraok · 11-18-2019, 08:22 PM

Our domicile is Livingston, TX. We vote in Texas, DL are in Tx, motorhome and car are registered in Texas. Bank accounts in Texas, etc.

We own a Park Model in Mesa, AZ that we stay in 6 months of the year, travel the other six months all over the country. We pay property taxes on the Park Model - that's it. Most Park Model owners have license plates from all over the country. AZ gives you 7 months as a snowbird before they would start looking at classifying you as a state resident.

You can own property all over the country, that does not make you a resident of those states.

RVGlen · 11-18-2019, 08:29 PM

I'm from Ohio and currently wintering in AZ. In January 2019 I sold my house in Ohio, made my domicile in South Dakota and went full time RVing. I haven't bought any property anywhere yet. When I researched what state to domicile in, South Dakota was the best for my situation. I may go the route you're asking about but I haven't done any research on it yet so I would be interested on what you learn.

AZ winter is sunny, warm and no precipitation every day. It's weird and OSU games are on at 10am. I'm currently sitting in the RV with the windows open and fans on. I'm still adjusting to it.

Barbaraok · 11-18-2019, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVGlen

I'm from Ohio and currently wintering in AZ. In January 2019 I sold my house in Ohio, made my domicile in South Dakota and went full time RVing. I haven't bought any property anywhere yet. When I researched what state to domicile in, South Dakota was the best for my situation. I may go the route you're asking about but I haven't done any research on it yet so I would be interested on what you learn.

AZ winter is sunny, warm and no precipitation every day. It's weird and OSU games are on at 10am. I'm currently sitting in the RV with the windows open and fans on. I'm still adjusting to it.

It will be light jacket/sweater at night soon, cools off fast in the desert, but they use solar snow removal in the Phoenix area.