Where is the Best Places to retire

[Francesca]

Originally Posted by Velroc

I would would like some feed back on where to retire based on Taxes, Friendliness, and Modern Churches and all the other good things. Many people say Florida as long as you have lots of money.

Bob

I'm one of those sticks-in-the-mud that is retired where I've lived for thirty years, so can't offer any move-to advice. Except to say you'd be welcome here in Hadlock!

Truth is, I'm really posting mostly from curiosity about one of your parameters- what's meant by "Modern" Churches?

[OSP1268]

We were just on a cruise and were talking to a couple that had just moved from St. Augustine, FL to San Miguel, Mexico. From what they were saying it fits everything you are looking for. Very low cost of living, good hospital, doctors, and dentists. They live in a gated community and said they felt very safe in the area they are in.
Just a thought and something to consider.

[adonh]

I am retiring 1/1/2014 and will stay here in the home we own in the Houston TX area. If I was going to move I would probably stay in Texas as well but since I have a Class A Motor Home I would have some priorities on the home and property I would look for. I would want a home with at least a couple of acres in a nice area that would allow me to built enclosed storage for the Motor Home.

[LakeKerrGuy]

Originally Posted by Velroc

I would would like some feed back on where to retire based on Taxes, Friendliness, and Modern Churches and all the other good things. Many people say Florida as long as you have lots of money.

Bob

Take your criteria point by point:

Taxes low. No state income tax. Marion County, where we live, is 6% sales tax - none on grocery food. Get away from the coasts and insurance is reasonable on a newer house,

People are as friendly as you want them to be. Most willingly accept Yankee money.

I don't know what a modern church is.

With all that said, after buying our Tradewinds last spring, I do not intend on spending another summer in Florida. Weather is great 5 months, but the 7 months of summer are rough/

[ahicks]

We did some research, then we bought a MH. We wanted to do some traveling anyway, so our plan developed into one where we traveled with a vigilant eye toward a retirement home? Our normal travel pace would slow a little as we entered places "of interest", or maybe we'd double back or make a note to revisit soon? If we found an interesting area, we'd stay a little longer than planned and do some first hand investigating! Did that for a couple of years, and found it really wasn't that hard to zero in on a place we both felt very comfortable, with what we feel are VERY reasonable housing and living expenses.

My thought is there is no way we would have been able to zoom in on a place like we have found if we had not done our homework and had something to compare this place to? In other words, we're not second guessing our purchasing decision like we might have without the experience gained by having been/seen/checked out many other places while traveling? There was no hurried decision - just one that sort of evolved/came into focus one day?
YMMV...

[myredracer]

By comparison, anyone wanting to retire to the Greater Vancouver area in BC, Canada's banana belt, we are faced with:

- 2nd highest housing prices in the world, behind Hong Kong.
- average detached home price in Vancouver over $1 million.
- average home price in areas just outside Vancouver, $550K-ish
- property taxes in the $4,000 - $7,000 range.
- prop. transfer tax when you buy, 1% to $200K & then at 2%.
- average income tax in of over 40%.
- sales tax of 12% on just about everything (PST + GST).
- highest gas taxes in Canada, approx. $1/US gal.
- tax freedom day currently June 1 in Canada.
- all taxes combined on average, 50% of person's income.
- and if I've missed anything, they will tax that too.

Clearly not a place for retirees to move to...

Here's what you get for $1.7 million in the City of Vancouver:

http://http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/03/06/vancouver-housing-bubble-absurd-prices_n_2822178.html We bought our first house near this in '79 for $74K but moved away in '81. Shoulda kept it I guess, would have been worth maybe $3 million now.

Many people in and around Vancouver simply bail out and move well away when they retire. I'd move to the US in a heartbeat if it weren't for the fact we'd lose our medical coverage. Sounds like almost anywhere in the US would be way cheaper than here. I like Oregon a lot, not too hot and not too wet & cold..

[CampDaven]

I have found all of the continental US and Canada to be perfect.

But my address is in PA.
They dont tax my pension or SS.
MH and toad tags are $107.

[mr300ce]

Well, here's my story: I lived for ever in California, the Mojave Desert, Space Shuttle and other aircraft. I have also been an ASE Master Tech since 1984. In 1990 I bought my first NEW car, having always had used ones because I can repair anything, and you save a ton of $$ buying used.
The tags were $283, and full coverage insurance with State Farm (excellent discounts) was just over $900 yr.

2 months later I got trandfered down to the Kennedy Space Center, and moved to Merritt Is, Fla. The tags were $40 yr. The insurance was just over $600 yr. My property taxes on a house of the same size but with a huge pool was $800 yr (1/3 of Ca.)

6 yrs later the budgets were slashed, so I took the lay-off and severance package.

I moved to Asheville, NC. The tags were $20 yr. The insurance was $300 yr. I rented a 2800 sf mansion built in the 20's for $800 mo.

2 yrs later I moved back to the Mojave Desert, and the higher cost of living.... only because my parents were here, and getting old.

Now they are gone, my kids are grown and moved away, and soon I will be a full timer, and out of here.

I will be transferring all my vehicles to AZ, where my friend lives, and use his address as a permanent residence. I will set everything up to automatic, and use the Good Sam Mail Service.

[CampDaven]

Originally Posted by mr300ce

Well, here's my story: I lived for ever in California, the Mojave Desert:

Why AZ? They soak you on car and RV tags big time.

[SeabeckS]

Originally Posted by frankdamp

Having seen the absolutely awful weather east of the Rockies this year, and being unwilling to put up with high humidity and bugs on the eastern seaboard, we chose Anacortes as our retirement community, before we even became RVers.

Summer highs are around 75F, winter daytime highs low to mid 40's, winter overnights rarely drop below 35F. Long summer days at 48 degrees north latitude (sunset after 21:00 for a couple of weeks). Summer humidity is usually in the 30% range.

The only real drawback is that, mid November to early March can have a lot of days with "500 broken, 1000 broken, 2500 overcast, 2 miles visibility, rain and fog", but after being born and raised in the NW UK, this is not unusual for us!

No income tax in WA (yet), sales tax around 8.4% but not on food. House prices not too bad - our 15 year-old 1700 square-foot 3-bed, 2-bath rambler, across the street from a salt-water marina is appraised at about $240K.

If you don't want 95F with 90% humidity, it's worth considering.

SHHH! Don't let out the secret!

[Crasher]

Our legal residence is still in WI where we have always lived and where our family is. We no longer like the winters, so we spend six months at our home in AZ. Why AZ?? We enjoy rock crawling (with our Jeep buggy) and the desert mountains of SE AZ. It's a small town of 4500 people and they recognize and know us. Makes us feel at home. We have a great church fellowship in our park and there is so much history and things to see in this state. We've become kids again. :-)

[hooverbill]

Some place warm with no taxes...Florida, Texas and Tennessee come to mind.

[Glenn and Kathy]

Originally Posted by CampDaven

Why AZ? They soak you on car and RV tags big time.

Our car insurance and registration both went up when we moved to AZ.

Glenn

[Gadget63]

If I may add my two cents, We lived most of our adult lives in NYC. Retired to the Golden Corner of SC and absolutely love it. We still get four seasons of weather, but winters are short and usually snow free. The summers although long, are no worse than NYC (most likely due to the higher elevation here). Real estate taxes are a joke compared to NY, as is home and auto insurance. In NY I paid 2400.00 a year for full coverage on one car (Cadillac). Down here I pay 1300.00 for a 2011 Ford Expedition, 2012 KIA RIO, and a 2004 Bounder MH! It's true we have an Ad-Velorum tax on real property, but it's deductible come tax time. Housing is cheaper, gasoline is cheaper, the general cost of living is cheaper. When I turn 65 (I am only 57) my school tax will be gone, personal income tax will be lowered, and property and Ad- Velorum will be cheaper too! In conclusion I am so happy to be here and cannot see being retired anywhere else.