Where do we live?

[RobbieB]

Central Valley of California. Same house 28 years. Not moving, but spending a lot of dough improving the place.

Nice location, nice weather, lots of activities, not so expensive.

[Cobra9777]

We live in suburban North Texas, outside of DFW. Jobs are plentiful, not that I care anymore... but the overall economic situation is stable and growing, which is good. COL is quite low. Taxes overall are reasonable, although local property taxes are high to compensate for no state income tax. Weather is extremely hot in July and August. Otherwise quite mild and enjoyable, except for the thunderstorms every Spring that bring hail and tornadoes.

We both get subsidized health insurance from our former employers. Our particular area has a vibrant music scene plus great restaurants, breweries, and other quirky local traditions. So we are comfortable here. Other than that... frankly, it's a little boring. We like staying in the Hill Country and would consider moving there at some point. We also like Costa Rica. But we have lots of family in the DFW area so that's unlikely at the moment.

We're fortunate to have the financial flexibility to live pretty-much wherever we want. But the overriding criteria is family, including some aging parents and in-laws. And we want to be close enough to the grandkids to be an integral part of their lives on a daily basis. So yeah... family overrides everything else.

[gayl]

Sm town in Diablo Valley which is 20 miles east of SF

[steadystate]

Hello W2R,

We'd love to visit your town sometime (we're Seattleites), what time of year do you recommend given we don't like huge crowds and Mardi Gras? Also don't like extreme heat. Being from the NW, a little rain is OK! --Thanx

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R Many of us list our location in our profile, so that it shows up on each post. As you can easily see, I live in New Orleans. When we first retired, we had planned to move to southern Missouri to get away from the crime and hurricanes. But, at the last minute we decided to stay put. We do love it here. As for the factors you mentioned - - 1. Cost of living is moderate to low here. 2. Climate - - most people HATE the hot, humid climate here, but I love it. It's good for my skin, and I have a nice new HVAC system for times when it is just too hot outside. 3. Health insurance: the insurance situation in Louisiana is apparently awful. I have federal retiree health insurance and do not rely upon ACA insurance. 4. Other factors: the entire town is in deadlock during Mardi Gras. We used to leave, like most locals, but lately we have just been staying at home and not going out. We live 1/2 block from a major parade route so we are in the middle of all of it. One of the interesting things about living here, is that there are almost no new planned communities since the population has not been increasing. No HOA's, no uniform housing with uniform people doing uniform things, and so on. Instead we have a lot of historic housing that is hundreds of years old and has not had any but the most minimal updating. Living here we are surrounded by history and to me that is fascinating. We have more than our share of unique, creative, and unusual residents, too; lots of artists and musicians, for example. Another nice thing about New Orleans is the antiquing (if you like that sort of thing). The antique shops here are better than anywhere I have ever lived. Some of them are very expensive, but we go to the lower end ones. There is always something to do in New Orleans. There are lots of festivals, and lots of tourist attractions here. We don't drink and haven't been down to Bourbon St. in many years, but we are still never bored.

[steadystate]

It's pretty clear from my name we live in Seattle. We've both lived here for 40 years plus. Our town used to be an undiscovered gem; beautiful setting and wonderful neighborhoods, a walker's paradise. Now we've been conquered by the Amazombie hordes, traffic is stupefyingly bad and house values are increasing the most of any US city. Not to mention the numberless homeless encampments with their strewn garbage, needles, urine, and feces. It's ironic that the mass in-migration is coincident with the decline of specialness of the place. We're here for the duration of mother-in-laws life, she's 92 in a nice supported living place.

[daylatedollarshort]

We have lived in the SF Bay Area for years and stayed here during retirement. We bought a house a long time ago, have low property taxes due to Prop 13, and manage our income for ACA subsidies so expenses are fairly reasonable for us. We live near a BART station and make good use of the train system, especially during non-commute hours, so the traffic isn't too much of an issue for us. So far it has been a nice place to be retired with pleasant weather most of the year and lots to do. Friday we took the train into the city for a San Francisco Symphony performance and yesterday went to Treasure Island for the flea market, sangria and pretty views of the bay and skyline of the city.

[Scuba]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cathy63 One thing I would say is to figure out what your COL would be if you don't relocate, assuming you are otherwise happy where you are. You may be find that it's not much cheaper to move, whether in or out of the state. - If you own your home in CA and have for a while, your property taxes will likely be higher if you move. - If you won't have much income in early retirement, your CA state income taxes will decrease from what you pay while working. - If you stay in coastal CA, you have less need for home heating and cooling, and therefore lower energy costs than in most other places. - Commuting costs disappear when you retire. - You already have the appropriate summer and winter clothing, but you may have to make an investment in that if you move. Likewise, you may have annual costs for winterizing homes and vehicles in other locations that you don't have in CA. - Overall grocery costs don't seem to vary that much within the continental U.S. Some foods are cheaper here, some more expensive, but the totals seem to be about the same no matter where we travel. (Hawaii excepted.) - The health care situation in urban areas of CA, both by price and quality, is better than in a lot of other places. - Travel costs increase when you move somewhere more remote. - The main thing that I find we spend more on at home than in other states is restaurant meals. Minimum wages here are high, which drives up costs, and more restaurants are also passing along surcharges instead of rolling them into their pricing. This is an individual analysis that is going to vary a lot depending on your own expenses and priorities, but I think it's worth doing it in order to have a real idea of the costs or savings you would get from relocating.

This is very good advice. We did this when we considered relocating from So CA to other areas. While it was less costly to live in most other places, the difference wasn't as big as we had thought.

[street]

Rural MT.

[Stormy Kromer]

DW and I moved as far north in MN as we could when we sold our business in 2016. There are no roads between our house and Canada, lots of lakes though.

We live on 20 acres a mile off a tar road and love it. We're both introverts and enjoy the solitude after 31 years of working with the public. A good wood stove, stack of books and a well stocked pantry (and a modest bar) make life very pleasant.

The nearest town is 20 minutes away (population 3,500) and has everything anyone really needs, plus a lot of character you can't find in a big town. If you want more, the nearest Walmart and box stores are about an hour away. There's a hospital in town and if needed a helicopter ride can get you to a trauma center in Duluth in 45 minutes. I can fish 100 lakes within an hour drive (or paddle), some world class fishing too. Lots of wildlife right here on our property.

There are a TON of ER folks here that have moved from all over the country, they stay til they can't walk anymore. We're an active community, most find a way to enjoy the outdoors everyday all year. I met a retired marine at church yesterday, he moved here from San Diego 5 years ago and built a log cabin. There are folks like that everywhere, makes it interesting. It's not for everybody, but it is for some of us.

[ShokWaveRider]

NE Florida

[Major Tom]

I live in the SF East Bay. I don't fully agree with folk who say it's expensive here, with the obvious exception of housing costs. If you bought your place a while ago, you're in a good place. I don't own, but have particularly low rent. The gentleman who owns my converted house is in his early 80's, and it's not the kind of property that is likely to remain as a rental, so at some point, I'll most likely be moving out of the Bay Area.

Other than the cost of housing for newer residents and renters, this area offers a wide variety of things to do that are not expensive. If you like to do expensive things though, those options most definitely exist too . The weather in my part of the East Bay (Oakland) is the most pleasant climate I have ever lived in. We're a bit warmer than our neighbors in the city of SF. If the weather gets too hot in the summer, we only have to wait a few days, in the knowledge that the weather will break, and we'll get some cloudiness and cooler days. There's just enough variation in the climate to keep it from being dull, yet not enough to actually make life hard . Now if only I'd bought a house here some time ago.......!

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffInSeattle Hello W2R, We'd love to visit your town sometime (we're Seattleites), what time of year do you recommend given we don't like huge crowds and Mardi Gras? Also don't like extreme heat. Being from the NW, a little rain is OK! --Thanx

Well, late June, July, August, and September are out because of the heat. Mardi Gras 2018 is on February 13th, so there will be huge crowds and carnival parades in January and February up until then. Other than that, I don't know what to suggest. Usually October has the best weather of the year. But then, from what I understand, most tourists don't come here for the weather....

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by daylatedollarshort We have lived in the SF Bay Area for years and stayed here during retirement. We bought a house a long time ago, have low property taxes due to Prop 13, and manage our income for ACA subsidies so expenses are fairly reasonable for us. We live near a BART station and make good use of the train system, especially during non-commute hours, so the traffic isn't too much of an issue for us. So far it has been a nice place to be retired with pleasant weather most of the year and lots to do. Friday we took the train into the city for a San Francisco Symphony performance and yesterday went to Treasure Island for the flea market, sangria and pretty views of the bay and skyline of the city.

(Bolded emphasis mine)
Low property taxes can make a BIG difference!

When I moved from my old house to my Dream Home only 3 miles away, my annual property taxes went from $956 to $1,701, the amount that I just paid earlier this week. Ouch.

That hefty property tax increase was because I paid more for my Dream Home in 2015, than I paid for my old home back in 2002. The assessment here has always been the purchase price, for me. The millage increases can be around $20-$30 or so each year, but are trivial here compared with the effect of assessment values.

It is definitely worth the increase in property tax to be living in my Dream Home. Also I am saving money on some other aspects of home ownership, so overall my guess is that the cost is maybe a little bit more but probably in the same ballpark.

Now that I have moved (in July 2015), and now that my huge 2016 landscaping project is behind me, 2017 will be the first "normal" year of home expenses in my Dream Home. When 2017 is over I am looking forward to comparing these 2017 expenses to my 2014 expenses before I moved.

Another aspect that you brought up, is your very high level of personal satisfaction and happiness with your retirement location, which comes through in many of your posts and is a delight to read about. These aspects of where we live are SO important for most of us, and it's hard to put a dollar value on them.

[harllee]

We live in Chapel Hill, NC (great college town--home of the University of North Carolina, lots of interesting things to do and great medical facilities) from November to May. In the hot summer (May through October) we live in the mountains of North Carolina in Linville, NC. We have the best of all weather. Wonderful cool summers in Linville (4000 feet altitude) and mild winters in Chapel Hill (snow is very rare in Chapel Hill, maybe a few inches once every couple of years). North Carolina is overall a very low cost of living state, but Chapel Hill is pricier than most of NC. Our summer home in Linville is in a resort area, but it is in a fairly low cost of living neighborhood.

We love both places.

[daylatedollarshort]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R It is definitely worth the increase in property tax to be living in my Dream Home. Also I am saving money on some other aspects of home ownership, so overall my guess is that the cost is maybe a little bit more but probably in the same ballpark.

It is nice you have found your perfect place. It seems like the extra property tax is well worth it for you. We're probably not in our perfect house for retirement, especially with our kids grown now, but the location suits us.

[Carpediem]

For you country livin' folks, did you build or buy existing? Seems a lot easier in my area to find land compared to a decent house on acreage. But the cost to build is too much imo.

[MRG]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R (Bolded emphasis mine) Low property taxes can make a BIG difference! When I moved from my old house to my Dream Home only 3 miles away, my annual property taxes went from $956 to $1,701, the amount that I just paid earlier this week. Ouch.

+1
Our last home in a LCOL area our property taxes were over $6500 yearly. In a higher COL area it's $1700! The properties were 50k difference in price.

We're very happy in this location, SW Colorado, it's not for everyone. Small town in a remote area has pros and cons. Healthcare and insurance are not cheap. There's also millions of acres of public land around our home.

I can walk from my house into a national forest in a minute. I took DW to see a specialist today and it was an hour drive each way. There's a game trail that splits around our house on the canyon rim, deer, turkey, fox and bear frequently travel the area.

It took us ten years to figure out where we wanted to live.

Point is(OP) I don't know what makes you tick, you don't know what makes me tick. It's all good.. Best wishes on your journey.

ETA: The biggest waste of our time and money was reading "the top 15 places to retire to" that everyone sees in one form or another. Perhaps it was good in that we learned we didn't want to retire to Winslow Arizona.😂

[Dreamer]

We live in Morgantown WV. We have lived here since 1986 and it is home to us. It is a college town, West Virginia University, is here. We get 4 seasons and the winters have been a bit milder the last few years. It would be nice to get more sunshine though. Have many friends and relatives that live within 25 miles. I am originally from PA (from Morgantown WV to PA is approximately 9 miles). We have thought about moving to PA, for tax purposes, and to Charlotte NC area, since our daughter's family lives there (our 3 grandchildren are there). We are pretty settled here and spent around $100,000 having our house remodeled the end of 2014. Probably will be staying right where we are.

[street]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carpediem For you country livin' folks, did you build or buy existing? Seems a lot easier in my area to find land compared to a decent house on acreage. But the cost to build is too much imo.

I bought land and built my own home from ground up. I also have a ranch and built a cabin there and that is where I spend most of my time. Both are very rural in MT.

[Alex The Great]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Major Tom I live in the SF East Bay. I don't fully agree with folk who say it's expensive here, with the obvious exception of housing costs. If you bought your place a while ago, you're in a good place. I don't own, but have particularly low rent. The gentleman who owns my converted house is in his early 80's, and it's not the kind of property that is likely to remain as a rental, so at some point, I'll most likely be moving out of the Bay Area. Other than the cost of housing for newer residents and renters, this area offers a wide variety of things to do that are not expensive. If you like to do expensive things though, those options most definitely exist too . The weather in my part of the East Bay (Oakland) is the most pleasant climate I have ever lived in. We're a bit warmer than our neighbors in the city of SF. If the weather gets too hot in the summer, we only have to wait a few days, in the knowledge that the weather will break, and we'll get some cloudiness and cooler days. There's just enough variation in the climate to keep it from being dull, yet not enough to actually make life hard . Now if only I'd bought a house here some time ago.......!

It is great to know, that you are happy in SF Bay Area. But Prop 13 can be changed some day (though it seems unlikely as of now). Also, county may impose additional tax due to the loss of revenues. For my house in San Jose, property tax went up 12% each year in 2013 and 2014. Currently I pay >$12K annually. Did someone here say $6K is high enough? But otherwise, this area is very nice and I completely agree on that.