Anyone living in Southeast?

[polloloco]

I have lived in the SE all my life, except for a year in NJ; glad to get that over with early. Got me to understand that a country boy did not want to live where it took half an hour to cross US 1. Had a chance to leave within a year and earn a Ph.D. back in the South. Have been in MS for over 25 years now. This area is an overlooked jewel for retirees. One of the biggest problems we have is people from Chicago who got transferred down here to work. They bitched and moaned for years about how unsophisticated we are, but, when it comes time for THEIR retirement, we can't drag them back up North with a 4WD and a log chain. We have some great golf courses and Yankees come down here all winter to play. Great for fishing all year round and hunting in the winter.
Cost of living and utilities is great, also. $11 per month for water, electricity less than $100, natural gas less than $50 per month.

[unclemick]

Shhhh - don't tell anyone - after thirty years in the LA swamp - I'm still a dam Yankee. More than a few have retired 'down South'.

[Tadpole]

Quote:

I have lived in the SE all my life, except for a year in NJ; glad to get that over with early. *Got me to understand that a country boy did not want to live where it took half an hour to cross US 1. Had a chance to leave within a year and earn a Ph.D. back in the South. Have been in MS for over 25 years now. This area is an overlooked jewel for retirees. One of the biggest problems we have is people from Chicago who got transferred down here to work. They bitched and moaned for years about how unsophisticated we are, but, when it comes time for THEIR retirement, *we can't drag them back up North with a 4WD and a log chain. We have some great golf courses and Yankees come down here all winter to play. Great for fishing all year round and hunting in the winter. Cost of living and utilities is great, also. $11 per month for water, electricity less than $100, natural gas less than $50 per month.

I heard that MS sales taxes are high. Do they tax retiree income now? I was raised in the Delta. Where are you located? Somewhere less humid, I assume because of the reasonable electric bill.

[polloloco]

I am in the southern part of the state. Yes, humidity is high, although I have found the same to be true from the Carolinas to East Texas. Average temperatures vary somewhat, about 5 degrees cooler in N MS vs S MS. The house is well insulated; we have natural gas for heat, cooking and hot water. Keep the thermostat set at 78-80 in the summer to keep the electricity $ lower. Sales tax here is 7% now. Sales taxes are somewhat regressive: if you don't buy much, sales taxes are less. Don't know about taxes on retirement income. My taxes in retirement should be somewhat less because of no earned income, only dividends, capital gains and some interest.