Moved to Tennessee & want to see more of it!

[The Don]

I'm 62 & soon to be 63 and am considering ER soon. I have been in realestate for the past 10 yr's and now feel that my income will be substantially less. My wife is possibly going into this business to take some of the business I would have received. She will be 62 in Dec. 09 and doesn't have enough points to get her own SS. Can she start on my spousal benefit at that time?
This has been a great site to learn from!

[Retire Soon]

Congratulations on your decision to ER. Tennessee is a very beautiful state with a lot of friendly people.

I don't believe that your wife could qualify to collect SS benefits based upon your income, as only her wages would be used for establishing benefits.

[Gpond]

The 9.5% sales tax (plus some counties tack on even more) including food is a big turn off to me.

[fisherman]

Welcome to Tennessee from a life long resident.

We do have a sales tax that is 8.75% to 9.75% depending upon the county you are in however we do not have a typical income tax (There is a very minimal tax on interest income over a certain amount, See HAL tax for more info) and real estate property taxes in mosts areas are very reasonable compared to other states.Property tax on a home of $150K would average about $1000 per year again depending upon the county. We also do not have a personal property tax on cars, boats, etc. Car tags run from $20 to $70 depending upon the county and that is the total cost. Boat registration can run from $10 to $20 per year total cost.

We do however have humidity in the summer and the winters are mild now with little snow which I personally miss.

Depending upon where you life the fishing is excellent!

And the biggest plus of all some of us actually where shoes now and hopefully we all will have indoor plumbing eventually! Heck we have even started sending our kids to school upon occasion. I just hd to hit the typical stereotypes.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

TN is indeed a beautiful state with many attractions and lots of history. (Do you know about the Lost State of Franklin?) If you like bluegrass music (I do), it is all around you.

Be aware that TN is also the buckle on the Bible Belt. I found this too creepy. I was evangelized by a barber while in the chair, preached to by the guy who fixed my computer monitor and was given a really crude anti-Catholic pamphlet in the parking lot of a grocery store. And I didn't say anything. While chewing the fat in a computer store with the owners who had moved there from Houston, the lady, who was Jewish, said she was afraid to self-identify herself as such. And this was in one of the big towns.

I suggest a long visit first to see how you like it. Use your stay to scope out where you might want to live. There is a huge variety.

Did I mention the toxic waste? The pollution that beautiful state has suffered is mind-boggling.

Do your homework. TN is a very big state. You can find a good place if you try.

Been there. Done that.

Ed

[frayne]

Retired to the north Georgia/Chattanooga area almost three years ago from Ohio. Great place for anything outdoors; golf, motorcycle riding, fishing, etc. Being an agnostic the bible belt thing doesn't bother me too much and I rarely run into those people preaching the gospel. Most people are very polite and easy to get along with. I don't miss the cold or harsh winters one iota.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Ya gotta find the right place.

[FIREd]

Lived for the past 4 years in northern Alabama, near the TN border. TN is a stunning state. I was a bit concerned about moving to an area known for its hardcore republican politics and strict religious views (I care for neither), but it's been a non-issue for me.