Early Retirement & Financial Independence Community - View Single Post - Best Places To Live in Retirement? Our View

LEX · 11-02-2004, 08:09 PM

I currently live in the suburb of Pardise Valley, Arizona, nestled between Scottsdale and Phoenix. *Housing is expensive for Arizona in this area. *Lots are large, and houses range from the mid-400's up to the seven figures. *I moved here about ten years ago before much of the real estate went up. Great place, nice desert mountains, short drive to one of Mayo Clinics primary medical centers in Scottsdale (did you think that a senior Mayo Doc was going to spend their winters in Minnesota?!?) However, there is still plenty of affordable (this is a relative term) housing in the Phoenix area, with a decent three/two in a nice neighborhood available on the growing permiters of the valley for 150-200 K. *Plenty to see and do, but it is a large urban situation, with traffic, growth, and a seemingly endless Ad Valorem Tax increase each year to give the county an advanced payout from my estate to reflect the higher real estate values.

I moved here from Denver, great place, but nowdays I go back to visit I wimp out at the sight of snow. Theres much to like about Denver, but I prefer the metro Phoenix area overall.

On the plus side for the Phoenix Metro Area: no big winter snows, no earth quakes, no long grey weeks without sun, unbeatable winter weather, still relatively affordable housing, primarily decent working folks, newer infrstructure (the city is so new that anything built in the 50's is almost considered for historical designation! *I guess I should have a bronze plaque attached to my butt

)

On the minus side: Nuclear heat from May through September, with highs of 110 not uncommon, as a result even though I own my home outright, I still have to pay what many would consider the equivalent of rent from the local power company for air conditioning for nearly half the year. The best way to deal with this is to travel during the summer, which I and my wife like to do. *Otherwise the cost of living is not all that high. *I lived in San Francisco from 1985 - 1990 and I thought I was never going anywhere but into bankruptcy paying for housing and basics. *I lived on Russian Hill in a flat, went in hock buy it, and *sold it for an obscene amount and had a great time. *SF is truly a world class city, but budgets get smashed to bits living there.

11-02-2004, 08:09 PM	#16
LEX Recycles dryer sheets Join Date: Oct 2004 Posts: 325	I currently live in the suburb of Pardise Valley, Arizona, nestled between Scottsdale and Phoenix. Housing is expensive for Arizona in this area. Lots are large, and houses range from the mid-400's up to the seven figures. I moved here about ten years ago before much of the real estate went up. Great place, nice desert mountains, short drive to one of Mayo Clinics primary medical centers in Scottsdale (did you think that a senior Mayo Doc was going to spend their winters in Minnesota?!?) However, there is still plenty of affordable (this is a relative term) housing in the Phoenix area, with a decent three/two in a nice neighborhood available on the growing permiters of the valley for 150-200 K. Plenty to see and do, but it is a large urban situation, with traffic, growth, and a seemingly endless Ad Valorem Tax increase each year to give the county an advanced payout from my estate to reflect the higher real estate values. I moved here from Denver, great place, but nowdays I go back to visit I wimp out at the sight of snow. Theres much to like about Denver, but I prefer the metro Phoenix area overall. On the plus side for the Phoenix Metro Area: no big winter snows, no earth quakes, no long grey weeks without sun, unbeatable winter weather, still relatively affordable housing, primarily decent working folks, newer infrstructure (the city is so new that anything built in the 50's is almost considered for historical designation! I guess I should have a bronze plaque attached to my butt ) On the minus side: Nuclear heat from May through September, with highs of 110 not uncommon, as a result even though I own my home outright, I still have to pay what many would consider the equivalent of rent from the local power company for air conditioning for nearly half the year. The best way to deal with this is to travel during the summer, which I and my wife like to do. Otherwise the cost of living is not all that high. I lived in San Francisco from 1985 - 1990 and I thought I was never going anywhere but into bankruptcy paying for housing and basics. I lived on Russian Hill in a flat, went in hock buy it, and sold it for an obscene amount and had a great time. SF is truly a world class city, but budgets get smashed to bits living there. __________________ "TEMPUS FUGIT"