Great places to retire?

[Supremekohrt]

We are from Northern California and are contemplating(like so many) leaving our state for Mesa, Az or Boise , Idaho for better cost of living in retirement. We are 53 with $1.7 , no debt, and expect a pretax income of $90k with winter lifestyle in Mesa and rv travel during the hot months. Anyone have advice about choosing a new state in retirement , or specifically Mesa or Boise or Rv? We like to fish and enjoy nature.

 

[MichaelB]

Hi supremekohrt, welcome to the forum. Location is a much discussed topic here. If you do a search you will find many threads on this. Here's one example http://www.early-retirement.org/forums/f29/best-places-to-retire-57968.html

 

[Midpack]

We've been doing the same kind of research. I don't find most lists very helpful as we each have our own needs & wants, and some lists don't disclose what criteria they used. Our favorite resources are:

Best Places to Live | Compare cost of living, crime, cities, schools and more. Sperling's BestPlaces

Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more

Find Your Spot | Find Your Spot (requires email to get results, but worth it IMO)

Neighborhood Search for Home Buyers and Real Estate Investment - NeighborhoodScout

After narrowing down the options with the above, you just have to visit the places on your short list, preferably several times.

Best of luck...

Two of our closest couple/friends both moved to AZ when they retired, one near Phoenix, the other outside Tuscon. They both love it...

 

[YoungSaver]

I was going to say Colorado, but I do also like Phoenix. I've never been there in the summer time though.

 

[Supremekohrt]

Thanks midpack and Michael

Thanks for the welcome and for the information midpack. I agree about the lists. I'd much rather talk to contemporaries and compare thoughts and experiences.

 

[FinanceDude]

North or South Carolina..........

 

[Midpack]

Thanks for the welcome and for the information midpack. I agree about the lists. I'd much rather talk to contemporaries and compare thoughts and experiences.

You're welcome. I found the websites useful for narrowing the choices regarding cost of living, climate, real estate costs, taxes, recreational activities, etc. Just plug in what you're looking for, and you have a good place to start your search.

 

[knucklehead 61]

i am in cal & plan to retire in oregon near eugene.
only 1 hour to the coast, 2 hrs to high desert, lakes & rivers to fish in are only a couple miles away, & cost of living is only a fraction of cal costs.

 

[Helen]

i am in cal & plan to retire in oregon near eugene.
only 1 hour to the coast, 2 hrs to high desert, lakes & rivers to fish in are only a couple miles away, & cost of living is only a fraction of cal costs.

And, it is incredibly beautiful here in Oregon . To have the time and money to travel around exporing new places with the goal of feathering your nest is a great task to have. The thought of this makes me wish I wanted to move. Enjoy your journey!

 

[photoguy]

We're also in norcal and struggling mightily with this question. There's not really enough time for us to visit all of the places on our shortlist and the more research we do, the longer our short list becomes!

I think we are falling into the paradox of having too much choice.

 

[explanade]

I'm in the Bay Area as well.

It's hard to beat the standard of living, except for the COLA.

The lower taxes and COLA in AZ is tempting but beyond the hot weather, which I like, I'm not sure what there is out there.

 

[nwsteve]

i am in cal & plan to retire in oregon near eugene.
only 1 hour to the coast, 2 hrs to high desert, lakes & rivers to fish in are only a couple miles away, & cost of living is only a fraction of cal costs.

Go a bit further North to Wash State and avoid Oregon's high income and property tax. Just as close to the ocean and high country. Also has the added benefit of not being so far left that it is starting to compete with Calif for government largeness (IMHO of course).

Nwsteve

 

[braumeister]

I was under the impression that Washington property tax rates were higher than Oregon's. True or false?

 

[Donzo]

I am also in NorCal and love it here. I'm in the foothills of the Sierra. Motorcycling, quadding, fishing, hiking and so many places to explore. I'm staying for now....but the NV side of Lake Tahoe is pretty incredible. I could see living there.

 

[Brat]

OR & WA total tax burden is about the same, it just that WA is sneakier about it. For example, don't buy a house there unless you intend to stay there forever.. the state and counties charge a significant transaction tax. Buy a new house, pay sales tax. It actually costs somewhat more in WA to construct sewer plants & water systems than in Oregon.. all these things are a part of your property tax bill.

Within Oregon the highest property taxes are in Multnomah County (grump, grump), but compare Clark County property taxes to Portland's other suburban counties - I believe they are higher.

In my circle there a couple of people who purchased winter homes in Green Valley, AZ and are happy about their snow bird life style. I know of a couple who moved to Boise and loved it - he was an over educated cow boy.

IMHO a retiree needs to consider who, and what, is important to them. Unless you are truly wealthy taxes shouldn't be the primary driver of the decision.

 

[nwsteve]

I was under the impression that Washington property tax rates were higher than Oregon's. True or false?

Braumeister,
Unfortunately, your question does not have an absolute answer largely because property taxes are locally driven both in terms of rates and quality of administration. You really do need to make community to community comparison for a home of a given value. My original comment was based largely on living here in Wash State and the many comments from my Oregon friends.
Here is where you can get some facts about Oregon: http://www.oregon.gov/dor/STATS/docs/303-405-12/property-tax-stats_303-405_2011-12.pdf
This resource will tell you rates for each county as a ratio of rates per $1000 of RMV (real market value). Eugene is in Lane Co and the rate is 10.67/1000 RMV. In Oregon the range is from 6.45/1000 to 13.54/1000.
The area around Portland being in the top tier. So as you can see almost a 100% difference in Oregon and that is before you try to account for different quality of administration between counties. Metropolitan counties will have the strongest and most "aggressive" assessors who will stay on top of valuations, especially in a rising market. More rural counties, much less so and often have no interest in pushing the valuation until forced by their respective state's Dept of Revenue.
I lived in the Puget Sound area (King Co) for 26 years and can tell you that the Assessor was amoung the most aggressive in the state. Why does this matter--he would "reassess" annually. In contrast, I now live at the Eastern edge of the state, and the assessor has not changed values on our home in the 7 years we have lived here. I have bought rental property in the area and found I can call the assessor and have the value changed to reflect our purchase price immediately (usually at a discount to about 90% of purchase). In King Co, you would have had to file a protest of your assessment and have the Board of Equalization reduce your value--does not happen often and only for the most serious situations-eg major damages or structural change in neighborhood.
One other difference between Oregon and WA true statewide--Oregon caps annual increases in total property tax at 103% while WA is 101%--note this is total property tax revenue and NOT for an individual tract.
You might find this conversation from a City-Data Forum of interest:
Real Estate Taxes (Seattle, Olympia, Port Townsend: sales, real estate market, rental) - City-Data Forum

To get a firmer handle on specifics, I suggest you find similar properties in communities that would interest you in WA & Oregon and then check the actual taxes being paid. Info is all public and often will show in Trulia and Zillow.

Hope that helps you a bit.
Nwsteve

 

[Brat]

Keep in mind that most property taxes paid by a particular property are a % of the total tax burden. If the relationship of the property values within a taxing district don't change the % won't change so why go the the expense of re-assessment? Property owners whose value is lowered, and those whose is increased, are both unhappy even when adjusted at the margins.

What Nwsteve omitted is that in Oregon not only is the total capped but the individual % increase, except for bonds approved by voters, is capped. Basically older properties are taxed on a significantly reduced % of market value. Oregon, and likely Washington's, property tax system is Byzantine. There is a total $ which is apportioned by the assessor's office for the typical cost of operating a city+county subject to limitations, plus bonded indebtedness. Add that to the fact that there are taxing sub-districts within a county, nothing is simple.

It isn't as distorted as 'grandfathered' residential property taxes in the Bay Area where you are starving your schools. [Daughter lives in Los Altos, SIL teaches at 'Tino HS.]

 

[meierlde]

The lower taxes and COLA in AZ is tempting but beyond the hot weather, which I like, I'm not sure what there is out there.

If you don't need a big city Flagstaff is not as hot as Phoenix and Tucson, since it is over 6000 in elevation. It does however snow there and there is winter as well. So consider Flagstaff, as well as Prescott if you want somewhat cooler than Phoenix.

 

[Kimo]

Aloha Nui Loa!!!!!!

Aloha from Hawaii!!

I moved here in 1980 and decided I was going to find a great job and live here, I loved it here. It now 2013 and I am 61 and still here in Hawaii retired and living happily....I retired about 9 months ago so I am now just finishing up the to do list that we all have while we are working....

I haven't decided what I am going to do now that I am retired, probably go boogie boarding if the wife lets me!

I don't miss the meetings, that's for sure....

Aloha to all!!!!!

Kimo

 

[Supremekohrt]

Aloha

Which island? We are going and are regular visitors to Maui and Kauai, but Maui Noka OI!

 

[Kimo]

I live on Oahu, in Makakilo....My work used to take me to Maui and Kona regularly and I almost decided to live on an outer Island but I decided as long as I wasn't near town/Waikiki I actually liked Oahu...you really can't make a bad choice though....LOL!

 

[grasshopper]

Unless you are thinking East Mesa, wide open country and the Usery Mountains, I would look at Gilbert or Queen Creek for a cowboy feel. Better still Cave Creek, above North Scottsdale. I also like Tucson/Oracle, and Green Valley.