Choosing new warm, lower cost-of-living, place to move

[RockyMtn]

Sales Tax is high in CA (8-10%) but lots of other states have rates that are close. I paid ~7% in Iowa, 8-9% in Colorado, 8% in santa fe. It came as a total shock to me, but I actually had to pay sales tax on groceries in Colorado.

The State of Colorado does not have sales tax on groceries. Some cities do, but the major cities of Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Colorado Springs do not.

 

[neihn]

If it were up to me, I'd go to Portland, but the spouse says "no". You can always rent for a year or two (or more!) and see how you do.

Too many people moved to Portland recently. The roads are very crowded, the Portland councils refuse to extend the urban boundary, housing skyrockets last couple years.

Portland is a very nice town with very nice people. Still, I am not so sure why people choose to move to Portland, perhaps, because we have more dispensaries than Starbucks.

 

[photoguy]

The State of Colorado does not have sales tax on groceries. Some cities do, but the major cities of Denver, Aurora, Lakewood, Colorado Springs do not.

Yeah I was in Boulder and I think the rate was around ~3%. Came as a complete surprise to me as I haven't had to pay tax on groceries anywhere else in US/Canada. I think I also had to pay in some of the surrounding cities and Fort Collins too.

 

[Big_Hitter]

Portland is a very nice town with very nice people. Still, I am not so sure why people choose to move to Portland, perhaps, because we have more dispensaries than Starbucks.

it's one of the only places you can retire in your 20s


plus it has some of the best golf on the planet even though it rains all the time

 

[photoguy]

it's one of the only places you can retire in your 20s

Why does Portland have this reputation? and is it a real effect, a euphemism for unemployment, or just a meme from the show?

It doesn't seem like a particularly inexpensive place to live (Zillow says median home value is $340k). Asking because Portland is one of the places on our list to check out (I've visited briefly but no extended stays).

 

[Big_Hitter]

Why does Portland have this reputation? and is it a real effect, a euphemism for unemployment, or just a meme from the show?

I'm not sure, there are a lot of unemployed 20 somethings all over the place

from what I understand it is relatively easy to get "handouts" there plus there is a huge meth problem

go check it out - last time we visited we got nervous walking down burnside and I'm 6'2" 260 - maybe it has changed, this was 2005

don't let that scare you, PDX is a nice spot

we were going to move there as well but it never came to fruition - have you checked out Idaho?

 

[neihn]

I'm not sure, there are a lot of unemployed 20 somethings all over the place

from what I understand it is relatively easy to get "handouts" there plus there is a huge meth problem

go check it out - last time we visited we got nervous walking down burnside and I'm 6'2" 260 - maybe it has changed, this was 2005

"where young people retire" reputation is from the Portlandia show. I am not so sure about the "handouts", I think most city in the US have about the same % of people get "handouts".

Burnside is not a very good street to represent Portland (it is homeless hang out place, and most of them not in the 20s

One thing for sure, I know lot of young people in Portland don't own car, they use public transportation and/or bicycle.

Found this today

What's so great about Oregon? Everyone's moving there - Jan. 8, 2015

"Portland, one of the most innovative cities in the U.S. for being ahead of the curve in terms of urban planning. It was one of the first to build a light rail, instead of a highway, in 1986."

 

[Big_Hitter]

well they were in their 20s 10 years ago

 

[neihn]

One thing I'd like to add
Where do you can drive 55 mph on the highways and don't get honked? Portland

If you are a fast driver, don't move to Portland. There are plenty of people driving 50-55 mph on the highways

 

[friar1610]

What do you like about MA compared with VT?

Property taxes in NH are high- but not any higher than here in NY.
In NH, at least there is no income tax or sales tax. And- they only tax interest and dividends over $5000. Overall- better than NY and VT- especially adding in the political atmosphere where we feel we fit more. (we have joined the FREE State Project).

Again, I can't deal with the fact that VT taxes SS.
I love Vermont, but just like most Vermonters that are leaving in droves, I don't think it makes financial sense to live there. Plus, the politics in the state does not align with ours- except for maybe the northern areas.

1. Proximity to family (2 adult daughters and grandkids). One daughter and grandkids lived in VT when we first moved there but subsequently left and is now in MA.
2. Proximity to the ocean. Can't afford (nor do I want the risks of) oceanfront but we live close enough to walk the dog on the beach whenever we want. Lake Champlain almost filled that bill, but not quite.
3. Access to the benefits of a major city (Boston) and a minor one (Providence) with all the cultural and athletic advantages (while still living in a relatively laid-back area, the South Shore.)
4. Not really related to the states, but made the decision to give up on a multi-acre piece of land for an over-55 townhouse community where someone else does the grunt work.
5. As you have mentioned, no state income tax on SS in MA. Also none on my military pension. VT taxed both.
6. A lot of things are just easier here - decent internet access, finding stores close by, getting pizza delivered (not the most important thing in life but we were too rural in VT to be able to get one).
7. Marginally milder winters here. (Maybe.)

I still love VT and it has a lot of advantages, the main one being the lack of miserable traffic. Hiking was better in VT, foliage prettier, people often more interesting (in a Vermonty kid of way.) I may not be as conservative politically as you are, but VT was still a bit too fringy for me. All-in-all a good move for us. Others may feel differently about things, so it's good we have 50 states to choose from.

Good luck with your decisions.

 

[iac1003]

My first winter in Central Texas we had several days where it was 9 degrees (that's Fahrenheit) and did not go above 26 up in Temple where I worked in a converted unheated, uninsulated barracks that had been turned into the PTSD clinic at the VA Hospital. That winter we all saw our patients wearing our winter coats in our offices. Plus we all had illegal electric space heaters under our desks. One woman had icicles hanging from her window. We gerry-rigged all the vents that were blowing in cold air and spent considerable time putting plastic wrap on the windows.

Cold enough for you?


Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

 

[Big_Hitter]

sounds balmy

 

[braumeister]

Others may feel differently about things, so it's good we have 50 states to choose from.

This is one of the most wonderful things about North America as opposed to other continents. We have such a remarkable variety of climate and geography, while still maintaining a pretty similar culture and language.

 

[kramer]

I feel the same way about the choices. We just had the first snowfall here and I wasn't able to get to it until it was soaked with rain. Miserable shoveling. And I'm thinking, wait a minute, WHY do I have to live in a place with hard winters? I can live anywhere. Next thought - how in the world to you choose between the anywheres?

I can totally relate! I used to travel to various places in the USA for my job and often in winter. I would be in what I considered to be a cold, miserable place and see all these people and would often wonder to myself . .. "why are these people here? What makes them all decide to stay in this place?". And it made me feel real disconnected from places like that.

 

[kramer]

Problem with this thread is the definition of cold. Seems to be anything with high below 70 & low below 40. Me, I think high of 50 low of 30 is nice jacket/sweatshirt weather & 40/20 ain't bad if sunny & not too breezy.

+1.

I love to take walks on a calm sunny day with temps in the mid 30'. Very refreshing. Unfortunately DW does not share the same sentiment. When we go to outdoor malls here she's inside the stores while I'm walking around the mall.

Lol, yes I have noticed that many Americans think like this. My definition of cold is any evening, in the middle of the night, if it gets below 65 degrees. Fortunately, where I live in the Philippines, that only happens once or twice per year

Even in the summer in the San Diego area, I feel like I can't enjoy my mom's pleasant porch in the evening because it gets too cold to sit out there without long pants and a jacket, same for any outdoor dining.

People go to places like Phoenix for the winter, but the average low in December is 44 degrees. That is certainly not for me.

Back again to the OP, I traveled a lot after retirement, and it took me awhile to figure out what I wanted in a climate (along with lots of other things).

 

[kcowan]

I'm glad we did. New Orleans has a lot of qualities that we like...

I think NO is a unique city in the US. We love it.

 

[RunningBum]

One thing I'd like to add
Where do you can drive 55 mph on the highways and don't get honked? Portland

If you are a fast driver, don't move to Portland. There are plenty of people driving 50-55 mph on the highways

That's the speed limit, isn't it? 55 on most highways, 65 on most interstates but 55 or lower in cities, from what I saw of in 10 days there. I heard they are looking to raise the highway limits, but they warned people that passing zones will be reduced and eliminated in some stretches due to less time to pass with oncoming traffic coming faster.

 

[kcowan]

We rented in PV for 12 years and we tried various places and orientations. Then bought a modest place (1750 sq.ft. rather than 2400-3300) and started developing long term relationships. It has been 7 years and no urge for next yet but we have seen many friends come and go, sometimes permanently. Many have relocated within Mexico.

But yes your advice is good. We only spend 6 months here and are ready for the change each year.

 

[OldPro]

That 7 years and still happy with 6 months per year is a good example of how it works for some but may not for others.

I have been to PV and for me it is not a place I would want to spend any real amount of time in. No offense intended kcowan, it just isn't my cup of tea. Yet you see people on TV programs like House Hunters International who go for a week and buy a condo. From my perspective, they're nuts.

I really think shows like HHI do the public a real disservice. Someone should do a show on '5 years after HHI' and see what they find. My bet, 8-9 out of 10 are gone.

 

[OldPro]

To avoid double posting no no.
http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/where-to-retire-to-80354.html

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have lived in 5 different states and it was always job related. I have lived here for 19 years and have established close friendships, etc and can't imagine moving in retirement. On a cruise we met people that had 2 homes but I can't imagine splitting my time like that. After being gone for 3-4 weeks I am ready to come home. Good thing we are not all the same or we would all be living in the same place in retirement)

 

[45th Birthday]

I have lived in 5 different states and it was always job related. I have lived here for 19 years and have established close friendships, etc and can't imagine moving in retirement. On a cruise we met people that had 2 homes but I can't imagine splitting my time like that. After being gone for 3-4 weeks I am ready to come home. Good thing we are not all the same or we would all be living in the same place in retirement)

For us the key is to make each home our own, even if they are different from each other. We have people we like to spend time with, but after awhile, it is a bit boring. Time to change it up. Our closest friends are actually people we don't live near, and they are pretty much all over.

Our timetable for transitioning from one place to another goes like this:

First week or two: get settled, take care of minor issues.
Third through fifth weeks: wow, we really love this place/missed it.
Sixth through 16th: visitors flow through, we leave briefly to do other things elsewhere.
17th through 22nd: settle into a routine with fewer visitors.
23rd through 26th or so: too settled and feeling itchy. Time for a change.

 

[kcowan]

I have been to PV and for me it is not a place I would want to spend any real amount of time in. No offense intended kcowan, it just isn't my cup of tea. Yet you see people on TV programs like House Hunters International who go for a week and buy a condo. From my perspective, they're nuts.

Agree completely. You cannot judge a place by a vacation visit. We know some snowbirds who spend every afternoon drinking on the beach. And others who try to rent out their places because they want to be somewhere else. Different strokes!