Join Early Retirement Today
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-11-2007, 11:37 PM   #21
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Pasadena CA
Posts: 3,340
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Barstow, California??
__________________
T.S. Eliot:
Old men ought to be explorers
yakers is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 04:39 AM   #22
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
saluki9's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,032
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldbabe
Please, not TEXAS. Remember the word "progressive."

Austin isn't Texas. Go ask any other native Texans.

saluki9 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 08:17 AM   #23
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Leonidas's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright
Posts: 2,847
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by saluki9
Austin isn't Texas. Go ask any other native Texans.
You got that right. I think a popular t-shirt slogan kind of sums up Austin's role in the state:

Quote:
Keep Austin Weird
Anyplace that has a major street named "Cesar Chavez Blvd." should make the average "progressive" feel all gooey inside.

Of course liberals progressives from other states would no doubt feel uncomfortable when the annual rattle snake and scorpion roundup and parade takes place
__________________
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it. - Andrew Jackson
Leonidas is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 08:24 AM   #24
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 58
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

The thing about really large states, like Texas, California and Alaska, and Florida to similar but lesser extent, is that you really can't generalize like this: Texas is ___, California is ____. If the OP wants to think all of Texas is redneck, it's fine with us but it is not true.
dt123 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 08:29 AM   #25
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,004
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Leonidas

Of course liberals progressives from other states would no doubt feel uncomfortable when the annual rattle snake and scorpion roundup and parade takes place
Yeeehaaa!! Giddyup, ya little reptiles and arachnids...

__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 09:18 AM   #26
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
TromboneAl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

You're thinking too big, as in big town. Smaller towns are more affordable -- car and house insurance lower, house prices lower, alarm system unnecessary, etc.

Think about whether you need a big town. Remember, you no longer need a job. Only things I can't get in my area are things like regular opera, big league sports, big league plays. I don't care about those things. If you don't either, think small.
__________________
Al
TromboneAl is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 11:21 AM   #27
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,898
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Oh dear, the Texans are arising. I know Texans are not all rednecks just like not all Coloradoans are ranchers, not that there's anything wrong with either. But I lived in a RED state for 18 years and do not want to spend the rest of my life trying to be an inconspicuous liberal and feeling insulted all the time by conservatives who assume I'm one of them. I know that Austin is a liberal enclave of Texas. I have heard great things about Austin.

Thank you all for your input, esp. Brat for your lengthy take on Oregon!

It is zero degrees today in Denver. :P
Zoocat is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 11:46 AM   #28
Moderator Emeritus
Martha's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: minnesota
Posts: 13,228
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldbabe

It is zero degrees today in Denver. :P
Here too, and windy. Spent two hours this morning pushing snow.

I feel more and more like snowbirding somewhere south but coming back north in the winter.

I like having friends around but am kind of shy so it takes me a while to make friends. It would be nice to know if a community is friendly but that is hard to judge. Small towns and rural areas can be very friendly if you are like minded in politics and religion. So I am with you Oldbabe in finding a place that is politically compatable.
__________________
.


No more lawyer stuff, no more political stuff, so no more CYA

Martha is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 12:13 PM   #29
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 4,898
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

[
I like having friends around but am kind of shy so it takes me a while to make friends. It would be nice to know if a community is friendly but that is hard to judge. Small towns and rural areas can be very friendly if you are like minded in politics and religion. So I am with you Oldbabe in finding a place that is politically compatable.
[/quote]

Martha,
Smaller towns are the most difficult social environments, IMHO. You have to live there for years and years before people start to think of you as one of them. It's best to move someplace where people are used to transplants. You will find lots of others who are new as well.

I, too, am dreaming of becoming a snowbird. Maybe I should start a new thread on affordable and compatible places to snowbird.
Zoocat is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 01:34 PM   #30
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 4,005
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Chapel Hill, NC. Progressive (think Boulder, not quite Berkeley).

Inside the city limits the property is pricey (for North Carolina) and property taxes are high, but step across the town limits into Durham city/county or Chatham county, and you'll find much cheaper homes and lower taxes and still be a couple miles from downtown.

Warm/hot part of the year (and humid in the summer), moderate in spring/fall, "cold" for 2-3 months in winter. Snow maybe 1 time a year.

I lived there 3 years while attending Univ. of North Carolina from 2001-2004 so I can answer any Q's you might have.
justin is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 08:28 PM   #31
Moderator Emeritus
Nords's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,856
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldbabe
Anyone have a suggestion for a progressive (i.e. Democratic leaning) town in a warm climate that is "affordable", i.e. not coastside California, that would be good place for an old babe to retire?
I mentioned this thread's answers to my spouse and her comment was "It sounds like country Hawaii..." what about Ewa Beach on Oahu, southeast on the Big Island, or upcountry Maui?
__________________
*

Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."

I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
Nords is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 08:47 PM   #32
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 159
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

I'm really disappointed!!!! Maybe I'm just out of touch, but isn't there somewhere in Florida that could be considered an affordable place to live? I'm not talking Miami or living on the coast or on the Keys, just a nice little town where life is good and the cost of living is reasonable and the winters are mild.

The Professor
education is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-12-2007, 10:15 PM   #33
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 188
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe


Texas scorpions and snakes are not much of a problem if ya get yerself an emu to run around the yard. I haven't seen a rattler in a couple years since getting emus.

In warmer dry weather, the scorpions in the house get trapped in the sinks or bathtub. Even though they can run across yer ceiling upside down, they can't get a grip on porcelin. All you have left to do is smash them with the heel of your boot before you put dishes in that sink or bubble bath in the tub.

Never found but one on the bed. But no matter how well you close up the house a couple of them buggers will get in. Most of them are very conservative so we all get along real good, ya hear now?

Yee Haw!
__________________
Ol&#039; Rancher<br /><br />I wake up in the morning with nothing to do, and by the end of the day, I feel lucky if I&#039;ve gotten less than half of it done.
Ol_Rancher is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-13-2007, 08:26 AM   #34
Gone but not forgotten
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Sarasota,fl.
Posts: 11,447
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

My favorite town in Florida is Venice .It's on the west coast .Small town atmosphere but close to Sarasota for cultural activities.Beautiful beaches,friendly people,good medical care,cute downtown .The prices have gone up but it's worth it ! I lived there for six years and would move back in a heartbeat.
Moemg is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-13-2007, 08:41 AM   #35
Dryer sheet wannabe
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 18
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Professor
I'm really disappointed!!!! Maybe I'm just out of touch, but isn't there somewhere in Florida that could be considered an affordable place to live? I'm not talking Miami or living on the coast or on the Keys, just a nice little town where life is good and the cost of living is reasonable and the winters are mild.
All of North Florida from Jacksonville west to Tallahassee and further west to Pensacola is very affordable relative to the rest of the state. House prices in those parts are 1/2 of their south Florida equivalents.

Here are some median prices (000s) in late 2006...
Tallahassee - $170.2
Pensacola - $173.7
Jacksonville - $196.1
Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice - $320.7
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach - $365.1
Targeting40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-13-2007, 09:02 AM   #36
Moderator Emeritus
W2R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

After observing the effects of Hurricane Katrina on seniors here in New Orleans, I think Oregon is a great idea for Oldbabe. Hurricanes don't affect northwestern states. Also, Oregon is not as cold as some areas. Eugene is well known for its liberal/democratic leanings, so it does sound like a good place for her. There's probably a lot to do, with the university being there and all the activities and mental stimulation of living in a university community. I think she would enjoy spending a few weeks driving around Oregon and particularly Eugene, to "check it out".

I'd love to retire to Oregon, because it is such a beautiful state. I probably won't, though. Instead I'm looking at very low cost-of-living area in southern Missouri. There, I'll have a little more money available to spend on "fun things".
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.

Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
W2R is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-13-2007, 09:40 AM   #37
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Ed_The_Gypsy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: the City of Subdued Excitement
Posts: 5,588
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Hurricanes don't affect northwestern states.
There are always exceptions. We had the Columbus Day Storm when I was a kid. A bona-fide hurricane. It hit the whole northwest, but the Oregon coast got the worst. My wife was a kid there at the time. The barn blew down, etc.

BTW, Lake Chapala has scorpions. Chickens in the yard will take care of them. Cats are supposed to have a ball with them, too.

Oh, yeah. According to the Salem newspaper, West Salem in Oregon has scorpions, too. Never seen 'em, myself.

Considering all the things oldbabe has said, the Florida panhandle might be one of the better places. I really liked Pensacola. It is a Navy town, but very diverse and laid back. Many retirees of all kinds. Also kids on spring break. As I recall there was a gay week at the beach. Can't call a place like that 'Conservative', can you?

How about a 'world tour'? Pack up and visit many places for long enough to get a sense of them. If you have a connection to any affinity group (hobby, church, service organization--Habitat for Humanity?) you can use that as a way to meet people where you are going.

Good luck! Please keep us posted. Your experience will help someone else.
__________________
I have outlived most of the people I don't like and I am working on the rest.
Ed_The_Gypsy is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-13-2007, 10:14 AM   #38
Moderator Emeritus
W2R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: New Orleans
Posts: 47,473
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Ed, thanks! I had no idea that storms of hurricane-like strength had affected Oregon. After reading your post I found an article on it in wikipedia, at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day_Storm

Interesting!
__________________
Already we are boldly launched upon the deep; but soon we shall be lost in its unshored, harbourless immensities. - - H. Melville, 1851.

Happily retired since 2009, at age 61. Best years of my life by far!
W2R is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-13-2007, 12:36 PM   #39
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
Dawg52's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Central MS/Orange Beach, AL
Posts: 9,067
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldbabe
[



I, too, am dreaming of becoming a snowbird. Maybe I should start a new thread on affordable and compatible places to snowbird.
Great thing about being a snowbird, you can try something different every year. Try Gulf Shores, AL. Lot's of Canadians come down during the winter.
__________________
Retired 3/31/2007@52
Investing style: Full time wuss.
Dawg52 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe
Old 01-13-2007, 01:51 PM   #40
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
lazygood4nothinbum's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 3,895
Re: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe

Quote:
Originally Posted by Targeting40
All of North Florida from Jacksonville west to Tallahassee and further west to Pensacola is very affordable relative to the rest of the state. House prices in those parts are 1/2 of their south Florida equivalents.
generally florida gets more expensive the farther south you get and the closer to the beaches. but i would add affordability found along the east coast south of jax to daytona, cocoa and really until you get to st lucie county.

you can still find a nice house within walking distance to the beach in daytona for $200k. i drove up to watch the last daytime shuttle launch at cape canaveral and spent a few days touring titusville/cocoa area. seemed like lots of affordable stuff there. even deep waterfront houses at reasonable prices (compared to here).

an inland, affordable, retirement friendly town with excellent teaching hospital would be gainesville, home of u of f, or any of the surrounding towns. i did two years of school there but hadn't been back since then. stopped in for two days on my way to leaf peeping the blueridge mtns this past fall. i forgot how much i like g-ville. it strikes me as a very nice place to retire.
__________________
"off with their heads"~~dr. joseph-ignace guillotin

"life should begin with age and its privileges and accumulations, and end with youth and its capacity to splendidly enjoy such advantages."~~mark twain - letter to edward kimmitt 1901
lazygood4nothinbum is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
MOVED: "Affordable" town in warm climate for single old babe REWahoo FIRE and Money 0 01-11-2007 05:36 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:26 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.