Retiring, WHICH State? - Page 3

SPF2245 · #1 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 11:15 PM

My last house in California (Cotati - just south of Santa Rosa) was a small 1700sq.ft dump on a postage stamp lot in a nice "hispanic" neighborhood where I got the deal of a lifetime...$510K. I would have liked to cried or screamed the first time my neighbors had a baptism...there were cars in the street, front yards and sidewalks everywhere (which really wasn't abnormal from any other day) and the only thing to save me was ear plugs from eating my gun after 10 hours of Mariachi music. Oh well, got to love Mexifornia.

Portoman · #2 (**permalink**) 04-23-2008, 11:32 PM

How bout Washington state? Get mild winters, warm summers and if you go inland more you barely get much rain... I am a BC boy and their climate is very similar to ours...

Excaliber · #3 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 01:46 AM

I was going 'home' to Oregon, plenty family up there. I just can't deal with the constant rain and mud anymore. The unemployment rate gets depressing after while as well. My hometown, Cottage Grove, was/is strictly a logging community and now a ghost town. It's been bitter sweet watching "Ax Men" on TV. That pretty well did it for me, guess I've gone soft.

Whats thats saying, "You can't go home", comes to mind.

Scott S · #4 (**permalink**) 10-23-2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Excaliber

I was going 'home' to Oregon, plenty family up there. I just can't deal with the constant rain and mud anymore. The unemployment rate gets depressing after while as well. My hometown, Cottage Grove, was/is strictly a logging community and now a ghost town. It's been bitter sweet watching "Ax Men" on TV. That pretty well did it for me, guess I've gone soft.

Whats thats saying, "You can't go home", comes to mind.

I got a empty apartment at the end of my shop I would rent you, you gotta cut your own firewood though..

How about Bend? The best of eastern Oregon and we could use the extra 9% of your income/IRA funds....

Excaliber · #5 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 01:15 PM

Ron, do you live outside the city limits? Rumor has it property tax goes down a bunch if you do. $3700 a year for prop tax? I know your place 'aint that big', whew, the horror!

Ron61 · #6 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 01:29 PM

Ernie,

No, when they incorporated here they took Central Valley, Toyon, Project City and a chunk down the East side of I-5 into the city limits. That $3700 was before I went on Prop 13 and they had to roll it back. I sent you an e-mail telling you what I paid last year. If you never received it let me know and I will send all the particulars again. And yes my place is just 1258 Sq. Ft. with approximately 3/4ths of an acre. The house plans say 1567 Sq. Ft. but I left off the sunken den and made it a back porch which they can't tax and they came out about 5 times to measure and check to be sure that I wasn't lying. Also I had an asphalt driveway put in and they can't tax that. I can ask some friends of mine what their taxes are if you want. That could give you a good base of what they run up here now.

Ron

wtm442 · #7 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 01:32 PM

Northern Mexico. Do not laugh. A lot of people are moving there.

On the other hand, western parts of Virginia and North Carolina are nice.

If you want low taxes and some snow during the winter, southern NH is fantastic.

If you can stand slightly higher taxes, less snow and the crazy K twins (Kerry & Kennedy), move to the historically rich Boston area. That is especially true if you want to go back to college for anything. No better concentration of higher education in the world. Also, if you get sick, there is no better concentration of top notch hospitals anywhere in the world. My real estate taxes are less than $5K for a 1/2 million value.

Of course, if you are a sports nut ...
Red Sox Nation
Patriots
The Boston Marathon
BC Hockey won the Frozen Four this year
Revolution soccer team came in second this year
Bruins (Ugh), but getting better. Took Montreal to 7 games before losing.

The Atlantic Ocean is nice too.

Ron61 · #8 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 01:36 PM

Warren,

Why did you leave the Celtics out? I watched them last night and they are playing great. So are the Lakers. Lakers over Boston in 5 for the title.

Ron

wtm442 · #9 (**permalink**) 04-25-2008, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron61

Warren,Why did you leave the Celtics out? I watched them last night and they are playing great. So are the Lakers. Lakers over Boston in 5 for the title.

Ron

Celtics rule this year. It will be their 17th championship when the beat San Antonio in 6 games.

Excaliber · #10 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 01:44 PM

Hey, it's not like I'm LOOKING for snow! But some within driving distance would be OK.

New Hampshire? Surely you jest!

Ron, I was just thinking what you USED to pay for property tax may be a good indication of what I would be paying now. Prop 13 don't apply to 'newbies'.

The Gestapo actually came to your house and measured it for taxes? Dam! What the heck am I getting into even THINKING about Calif?

Not to mention the tax on the Cobra, but, well it is a nice area and a lot of memories/friends there.

Reno's out, I figure overall it's just going to be to cold for me. When it hits the low 50's here in the 'dead of winter' I can barely move around the house it's so freakin' cold.

Ron61 · #11 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 02:35 PM

Ernie,

I am not so sure that property taxes would be that much more around here now that the prices of homes have dropped so much. They measured the house when I first built it because I turned it in as smaller than the blueprints showed. But they weren't nasty about it. Just wanted to see why I had turned in a smaller sq. ft. than it showed. Now you could look at Palo Cedro and live next to Merle Haggard. I don't see him around much any more but used to see him every few days slumming around. I will talk to some of my friends who live in the city and some who live out of it and see what their taxes are. Things kind of go with the economy and right now it isn't to good around here. Lots of empty houses and no buyers so you might get a good deal by offering them quite a bit less than they ask.

Ron

trularin · #12 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 02:37 PM

Why not retire first...then think about moving?

Ron61 · #13 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 02:46 PM

Tru, You have it backwards. Ask Warren. When you retire you aren't supposed to work or think.

Ron

AMF · #14 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 03:20 PM

I find that most people who actually work hard for a living and retire, end up working again within 3 years. They become bored with retirement.

So you might want to keep that in mind....you don't want to move somewhere, just to move back searching for a job.

That, and a lot of industries and companies are finding it very easy to shop talent in the retiree pool these days because of the management vacuum that's being created by the baby boomer numbers. Too many people are retiring and creating a large number of senior positions that need to be filled. A great opportunity for younger folks, but it also means a lot of retirees get lured back into the workforce.

Excaliber · #15 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 03:41 PM

I DID 'retire' a couple of years ago, for about a year. It was cool for about 6 months, got a lot of projects done, then sat and got bored no end! Basically 'retired' all ready, I just wanna drive my car.

Happy Valley area, Ron, that should be outside the city limits! Bet I could get some nice acreage out there to. One bedroom house, six car garage, works for me.

Silverback51 · #16 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 04:30 PM

My plan is to retire, sell the house and buy a 40 foot diesel pusher motorcoach. Travel around until I find a place I want to live, and then stay there.

I personally do not want a house when I retire. Don't want a yard, or the upkeep on a house. I look at my wife's parents and all the time and money they are putting into their places, and that's not what I want.

wtm442 · #17 (**permalink**) 04-25-2008, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silverback51

My plan is to retire, sell the house and buy a 40 foot diesel pusher motorcoach. Travel around until I find a place I want to live, and then stay there.

Do not forget to bring your Cobra with you, and make sure its protected better than some tow-behind trailers.

Ron61 · #18 (**permalink**) 04-26-2008, 02:03 AM

Now that is a nice motor home and you could just move any time you get tired of a place. Live out in the desert for a few month, move close to a town for a while, the possibilities are endless. And Exxon/Mobil may help you buy it as they will expect you to use their fuel.

Ron

Excaliber · #19 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 04:53 PM

Gave some serious thought to a motorhome, gas mileage and gas prices have kind of put a damper on that for me...

You make a good point about maintaining the house though. I don't want to do that either, to much.

Silverback51 · #20 (**permalink**) 04-24-2008, 05:19 PM

Here's another thought.

Buy 5 acres or so and have a metal building erected. If I remember right you can get a 60 X 120 for under $50,000. Build living quarters off to one side, and have the rest of the area for cars, bikes, and such. Leave the property as is. No landscaping.

If you have a motorhome, just lock up and leave. No yard or plants to take care of.

That's another option I'm exploring.