1)Where are you living? (state)
Maryland, in the suburbs, just east of DC.
2)Is there snow? lol -- hoping never to see snow again when I retire
Yes. I've seen it snow as early as November (The Veteran's Day blizzard of '87 was notable around here) and as late as the last week in April (back in 2007 we got about 4-5" that weekend...looked really weird in contrast with the flowers, the leafed-out trees, etc). Usually though, it seems like the snowiest period is around mid-January to mid-Feb. Seems like historically, we've gotten a lot of big storms around President's Day. I'm not sure what the average snowfall is around here, but every 3-4 years it seems like we'll get a good storm that dumps a foot or more. In 2009-2010, we got three storms that did that...one in December and then two back-to-back in early Feb.
3) why do you love your location?
"Love" might be too strong of a word, but I like it here. A lot of it might simply be because it's what I'm used to. I have 4+ acres, and our neighborhood feels nice and secluded, but DC is 15 minutes away, Annapolis is 20, and Baltimore is 30 on a good day. Most of my family is around here. You can get to the mountains in a bit over an hour, or to the Atlantic Ocean in about 2.5-3, depending on traffic. And, while I'm getting less tolerant of cold weather, I do like being able to experience all four seasons. The area is building up, getting more crowded. And even though my neighborhood still feels rural, every once in awhile, a large lot gets sold and subdivided, so that won't last forever. I want to move, maybe in the next 5 years or so, but would probably stay in Maryland. Just an area where it's a bit more secluded. Oh, I'm also 2 1/2 miles from w*rk, which is nice right now, but once I'm retired will be irrelevant.
4) Is it expensive (taxes, etc.) housing costs, etc.
I have a feeling most people would say yes. I've heard it said that Maryland is a state you retire FROM, not TO, because it's expensive. Maybe it's just that I'm used to it, but it doesn't seem that bad to me. Property taxes on the house are about $3200 per year. However, the house is old and small; most of the value is in the land. Housing isn't cheap, but a lot depends on neighborhood, what you want, etc. I could go out to Davidsonville, about 10 miles away, and get a 3br 2.5ba rancher with a 2 car garage on 2.5 acres for about $450K, or for that same $450K, go get a 1-2br condo in DC with no parking.