new to the bord

[ed_teach]

well I just got back from key west. wow made me want to move to the palm trees even more.
the keys are to expensive to live as housing is triple or higher that mainland fla. but I dont have to live in the keys. or fla. for that mater.
all I would like is a nice town with a nice historic dist. and a victorian home with a nice little court yard in the back with a palm or two and maybe a guardiana bush.
I can plant the rest. some place to go and have a nice don pablo cigar in feb. while I read a book. and sun on my face. with spf 45, 8)

 

[dory36]

Living in a tiny space may not be your cup of tea, but we have friends living in the Keys aboard their boat. Costs them ~350-400 a month for a slip that is just off the beaten track enough to be unsuitable as a "tourist" slip.

Others live at anchor, for free.

We are never content beingin one spot so long, or we might be there ourselves.

Dory36

 

[unclemick]

We had one couple (jobshoppers) tell us they spent six months at anchor in the Bahamas for $300 in their well stocked sailboat(1980's). I never believed them. But they had several places along the Gulf they could park/moor the sailboat with friends for free so if one was creative - many things are possible.

 

[Skylark]

We like Michigan a lot, and we also love to travel so winter will be the time when we look for warmer places. One thing about surviving the winters, it is a lot easier if you don't need a car. When you can walk to shopping, restaurants, etc., it is much nicer than having to worry about shoveling and if the car will start. Walking helps with getting some exercise and getting rid of cabin fever. Living in a small town has its advantages. Also a good wood stove to get you through the power outages is worth its weight in gold.

I would avoid any place that has typical winter weather of about 40F and rain. I would prefer either sunshine areas or snowy winter areas, not something in between. That limits the search area in the US for a warm winter haven to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Florida. Our next trip will probably be to the Texas gulf coast, although we don't necessarily have to be on the water. We like the four corners area (Moab, UT) and the area south of there, very sunny although it can be cold. There is plenty of sun and lots of interesting rocks. In general I think the rocky mountain areas which are somewhat arid have a nice winter climate, cold but sunny.

What really gets interesting is to think about crossing the equator during the northern winter. Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, many islands, the list goes on. All very interesting places to visit and maybe rent a cottage for a few months.

 

[dory36]

Costs are amazingly low on a boat, as long as maintenance doesn't catch you. That cost is usually $500 - 2000 a year, based on my experience and the folks I have talked with, but there are lots of variables here. Add $250 - 1000 for insurance for typical cruising boats.

Anchoring costs $0/day almost everywhere. Some places have rental moorings (where the marina provides fixed anchors, and you just attach a line -- never a rope! -- to the mooring), for anywhere from $5 - 30 a night. Key West's moorings are $12/night but only $120/month. You use your onboard power for everything. Fuel used for a generator or your engine to keep your batteries charged, provide hot water for showers, and so forth, and to get back and forth to shore in your dinghy: $2-3/day.

Typical annual budgets, from an informal poll taken at Christmas were in the $15,000 to $18,00 range for couples spending full time on their boats, going up and down the east coast, and spending perhaps 1/3 time at a mooring.

Dory36

 

[Bayfield40]

That's where you'll find us! Marathon in 270 days! And those costs are right in line with what we've been budgeting. Can't come soon enough!

 

[Brat]

Dory, there is one detail you forgot to mention... most boats depreciate. That is not to say that the live-aboard life isn't attractive and inexpensive, but folks thinking about that lifestyle should factor that detail in.

One of our kids friends sailed a year using ~$100 of fuel, he purchased a solar system and it worked like a charm.

Keeping your boat well maintained is critical.

 

[dory36]

They do definitely depreciate! Market value on boats is about like cars - they drop very fast the first few years, and then stabilize and don't seem to change much.

Unlike cars, though, the critical parts of most boats don't wear out anywhere near as fast as the market price drops.

The low market price is more of a function of a glut on the market for used boats than a reflection of deterioration. Fortunately for buyers, lots of people buy boats and then don't use them as much as they thought they would.

So for those of you with a frugal streak, shop the used boat market for something mechanically sound, and cosmetically challenged.

In a long-ago thread, I described that as why I twice bought 30+ year old boats -- all the depreciation has already taken its toll, and if I had the time and patience, I could probably sell the parts for close to the price of the boat.

Dory36

 

[dory36]

That's where you'll find us!  Marathon in 270 days!  And those costs are right in line with what we've been budgeting.  Can't come soon enough!

Where is your boat now, and what is your route to Marathon? I can offer lots of anchorage info from Norfolk to Marathon via Miami (or via the Okeechobee if you can clear the RR bridge, but I doubt a Bayfield 40 can get under it...), or Florida's west coast to Marathon.

Maybe we'll see you along the way!

Dory36
(Should really change this name -- Dory was our previous boat, and was a 36' Grand Banks. Now we have a 35' Bristol yawl, currently Raggy Waltz and destined to be changed to Erin if the admiral has her way.)

 

[Brat]

Smart shopping Dory.

BTW, son & wife are CMA grads (Deck Officers) and have a boat yard.

It is amazing how many dream of the live aboard life but don't do their homework. There was a do-it yourself customer who when his boat was launched commented that the leaks would self seal when the STEEL hull swelled!

 

[Bayfield40]

Dory- Currently we're land-locked in the midwest. Missouri to be exact. We plan to have the boat shipped down to the gulf coast, probably Pensacola area and taking the trip around the west coast to Marathon. We also are interested in any areas on the east coast to ride out the hurricane season. Not sure I feel ready to make the run to Trinidad yet... altho you never know once we get there. 8)

Any info is greatly appreciated! We'll keep an eye out for you once we get there. (Or maybe you should keep one out for us.... we'll be working on our anchoring skills... )

 

[dory36]

A couple of thoughts. If you can't come down the Tenn-Tom Waterway from near St Louis due to the wrong season, then there's not much reason to launch at Pensacola. Fom Pensacola to Clearwater, you have to go outside -- no shallow water within miles of shore, and the channels are so long that you'd spend half a dayjust getting to an anchorage and back out. So you start with a ~30 hour crossing. Better to just launch at Clearwater or St Pete and have protected waters with anchorages every 10-20 miles.

From Clearwater, you are inside all the way to Ft Myers Beach, with lots of good stops for either quick overnights or stops with shore attractions. Then outside with easy entrances to anchorages all the way to Marathon.

Before I bore all the non-cruisers to death, I think I will create another section for these topics. There seems to be several folks interested in these things, but it is far enough off the ER topic that I should allow those not interested to easily skip them... So let's continue this discussion in the new section "Retirement Afloat".

Dory36

 

[ed_teach]

I have always loved the idea about taking a thirty foot sail boat and staying on it for six months. but I know nothing about boats ie. sail boats. but myself and my wife are thinking very seriously about buying a twenty five foot trailer and going to louisiana then mississippi then fla. next winter. finding a town in each and see if we can find one that feels like home. we stayed in mt. home arkansas a couple of times. believe me you, it is like or better than north michigan with only an yearly snow fall of 4 inches, property prices are low and so are taxes. the only problem is if you are going to go south then I am thinking about palm trees and warmer weather, I do not want to go through all the headake of moving then in a few years do it all over again. the other problem I have is i live on 72 acres and have one rental left. and in north michigan property prices have droped. we used to joke that you could put a bird house on a mud puttle and call it lake front and get asking price. I just listed the back twenty and we will see how that goes. my plan is this. my wife keeps working this summer. she has a ok job with good insureance, next fall late or early winter she askes for a leave of 4 months. and we go south with the trailer, look around and see what we can do. right now I have been semi retired for about 3 years taking on smaller floorcovering jobs to finance my hobbys, [gun collecting and german war medal collecting] my wife has paid all the bills on appx, 30k a year with lots of money left over as our home I built myself and it and all the land rental ect is paid for. we only owe 9k on our car. and truck is paid for. after I sold my other rental on a land contract with balloon [which I will extend for the nurse that bought it as where can I get 7% on 86k in any market] and I have 25k put away for one years living in a accesable account, the bulk of our funds are in cds bring in an avarage of 4 and a half % which I make appx 28k a year pluss my last rental that is paid for and brings in between 5 and 550 a mo. so I think we could shut down the house and close it up and take off for 4 month south and see what we think. then come back and eather sell our home or do the same the next year. we found a keystone 04 w queen ben sterio micriowave overn double door fridg, couch just a nice lay out. as the queen bed is accesable on both sides so one person can get out with out crawling over the other to go to the bath ect. for 11 500 and that is tax title plates and all ele. brakes and weight transfer bars installed ready to go, btw in mich now that is liftime plates. it is just a little uneasy having my wife leave her job security and insurance, but she has been in the title insurance business for the last 10 years and just got transferd to a town closer to home 16 miles instead of 30 to a management posistion, but as most people she does not like her job, always dealing with some a$$ hole that does not understand why this or that and trys to take it out on the messanger. that asside, I figure that if I can live on my intrest income for the next 20 years I will be 62 and I have appx 55k in stocks and mut. funds, so this should be worth much more and would be available for a cost of living increase, then a few years after that ss would be there for a final increas to off set inflation and give a little more. all I know is I hate the snow and we just got another 6 inches and I had to abandon my circle drive as there is no place to put it, I know it is the end of feb but, I am so sick of crap weather, those of you who like it you are welcome to my share. if I cant or dont want to move compleatly at least I need to get out for the winter. going crazie in north mich.

 

[haha]

I know it is the end of feb but, I am so sick of crap weather, those of you who like it you are welcome to my share. if I cant or dont want to move compleatly at least I need to get out for the winter. going crazie in north mich.

Amen, Brother Ed, I feel your pain. Overall, I have a really poor ability to remember just how awful I felt under some unpleasant condition, as soon as that condition is removed. But winters in the northeast are different- 30 years later I still can remember how terrible I felt trudging home in the dark from the MTA stop, cars splashing me with the dirtiest coldest nastiest slush they could find, slipping on the ice, my nose running..... Then I would look up at some billboard with a nice looking woman all tanned and sleek looking, lying on the sand in the Bahamas. Unfortunately. I was a student and didn't have the money to join her.

Then I graduated and moved to So Cal. Yahoo! Now I was on the beach, all year long! I made it a point to swim in the surf every week all year long, and every day in the summer and fall-as long as there were no jellyfish.

Then I got married, and our long migration north started. First Northern Cal, then finally up here in Washington. What I will say is that 48 degrees north is dark wherever you are, but it isn't near as nasty in the West as it is in the Northeast. One sunny day a week will reset my clock, so I never get that "I gotta get the H outta here feeling".

Still, I have to agree with you, there is no tree like a palm tree. I love to watch them bend almost to the ground in a storm, and pop up unharmed when it is over.

Mikey

 

[wabmester]

Mikey, I just have to note that you decided to make that post on one of the few days of the year that we have beautiful weather in the NW while it's raining in SoCal

 

[ed_teach]

Well a clasic end of feb. and march beg. here, one day it is 10 below and the next it is forty, I am working on a one point five mil. home of a chrystler ex. in a place called bay harbor, a new town made for the ultra rich, and guess what ice dams are everywhere, leaking and snow drifting in the throught the 2 grand doors. makes me lol. but it also makes me hate the north, I need the sun, and I just got my property tax for next year, get this, I have 80 acres and on the 80 I have my home and 2 rentals. I sold one rental a stone house that I remodeled and a pole barn for 96k and in the proses I have axed off the other rental by default of the property lay out. this is what pi$$s me offf about michigan, my property tax for the whole lot was 2136, a year kind of high for the north. but I though when I seperate it all my home should be about 800 to 900 not the case, they hit me for 1400 and my single wide for 400 and the stone house for 1400 so the dam state gets an extra grand. I will tell you that dam grandholm, the blond bimbo this stupid state elected is grubing for every dollar thay can get. any way, I was looking at alabama and an 80k home property tax is 156 and that is for a year I need to find a town in mississippi, lousiana, arkansas or florida, and get the hell out of dodge.

 

[Skylark]

It was Headlee that got you. Your property taxes are capped at the original value when you bought it plus the rate of inflation until you sell the property. Oops, you split your lot and uncapped the property tax.

In Michigan the strategy is buy and hold. Over time your property tax will likely drop.

Newly sold properties are taxed at their current value. Properties held for a long time are taxed at their previous sale value (actually the assessment at that time) plus inflation (plus improvements).

Many municipalities, schools and other jurisdictions are limited to increasing property tax revenue at the rate of inflation. So the total tax revenue for a jurisdiction is limited, its just a matter of how the burden is distributed between all the property owners in a jurisdiction. When your neighbors sell and the new owners get hit with taxes based on current value, your property taxes could well go down.

Its not fair, it was intended to help out poor old people from losing their homes to taxes. Blame Headlee.

In Michigan, when it comes to property, BUY AND HOLD!

 

[ed_teach]

the problem is that selling is not the only way they can reasses your property, if you improve it ie addtion or polbarn gradge ect. they can reassas you value. michigan is just not tax friendly. my personal opinion there should be a tax [property] exempt status for your primairy home in the amount of the median state housing cost. so if the state avrage home is 169k then no one pays taxes on that amount. and the rich do not get to deduct on second and foruth homes. if the state needs to take up the tax on second homes fine. when you work in bay harbor and I am standing in one five mil. condo looking across the harbor at the owner of king foods home that is valued at 10 mil. with its own gradge for the boat that you can drive the sail boat in from the water and shut the door. this is were I feel that the rich can make up for the less affluante