Where did you retire?

[gcgang]

Where did you decide to retire? Maui. Did you stay at the same vicinity or chose another destination and why? Moved from Montana - too cold in winter, too hot in summer.

What major city and/or small town in USA gives the best bang for your buck in retirement purely from a financial perspective? Where I grew up probably has some pretty good deals, Flint, Michigan.

 

[gamboolman]

We retired to our home in Spring / The Woodlands this year. We were transferred here in 2003 by megaoil corp and then I went overseas in latter 2003 and we kept the house.

We will look for Lake Front Property and/or afew rural acres - but we are in no rush as we are in a very nice place, especially with the housing marking being insane....

Good to have Options and be able to make discretionary choices.

gamboolman....

 

[F.I.R.E User]

We retired to our home in Spring / The Woodlands this year. We were transferred here in 2003 by megaoil corp and then I went overseas in latter 2003 and we kept the house.

We will look for Lake Front Property and/or afew rural acres - but we are in no rush as we are in a very nice place, especially with the housing marking being insane....

Good to have Options and be able to make discretionary choices.

gamboolman....

My brother has a lake house in Missouri City in Lakeshore Harbour.

 

[Car-Guy]

We retired to our home in Spring / The Woodlands this year. We were transferred here in 2003 by megaoil corp and then I went overseas in latter 2003 and we kept the house.

We will look for Lake Front Property and/or afew rural acres - but we are in no rush as we are in a very nice place, especially with the housing marking being insane....

Good to have Options and be able to make discretionary choices.

gamboolman....

If you have lived here (Southeast Texas area) for the past 18 years I'm sure you already know the area pretty well. Lake Conroe has become a zoo (IMO) but Lake Livingston is still pretty nice with good acreage. Plenty of lakes all throughout central and east Texas. Of course, it depends on what you like...

 

[Major Tom]

I have spent the majority of my adult/working life in California (31 years, out of 34 years total spent in the US so far). I was in the SF Bay Area when I stopped working, 12 years ago, and am still here. I plan to stay here because, despite the high cost of housing -

1) I like it and

2) My very best friend and key members of family are here. If I moved too far away, I would really miss them. Because I am single and have no partner or family of my own, if I moved, I would be moving on my own. I don't want to do that. Relationships are more important than places to me and, as I said in 1), as far as places go, this one ain't half bad.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

We had plans to retire to a small town in Ohio near Hocking Hills state park, but decided to stay in our house in suburban Detroit.

What suburb?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

From SoCAL to Caribbean to a Small Town 40m South of JAX in N.E. Fla. Best of both worlds. Coastal Charm, Great Beaches, close to everything, World Class Healthcare that one can actually access and is fully covered by Medicare & Healthcare plans.

I hate to harp on it, but the MOST important amenity for us is Healthcare Access. As we get older we use it a lot more, and we do not want to drive 30m to a Hospital or Specialist. You have to give that to Florida, it has it's healthcare access sorted for the most part in most of the more affluent Counties, and there are a lot of them.

I thought state doesn’t matter when it comes to Medicare?

How hard was it to give up So Cal?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Stayed in the area (Montana) from where I was born and raised. I'm an outdoor person and not sure where there would be a better place to live.

Montana is a state almost no one talks about. It’s almost never in the news. I guess it’s under rated?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

We’re in SE Pennsylvania in the Philly suburbs. Lots of family around and Pennsylvania doesn’t tax retirement income. PA weather has four seasons, but doesn’t get any really severe weather. There’s plenty of water and nature is great! We do have vacation homes in Florida and the Jersey Shore to get away when we need to.

You have to pay Federal tax on retirement income?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Born, raised and worked in Houston "but" by the time I was in my 40's, I knew I didn't want to live there once I retired... There's a lot of reasons why, but crowds, taxes and crime were near the top of my list. I moved to the open countryside of central/east Texas. Population density in my entire county now is < 15 people per sq mile, but around me it's something like ~5. (maybe).... In place of the city sounds of sirens, traffic, aircraft and screaming neighbors, I now here cows and horses. I do hear more gun shots out here in the country, but for different reasons and I don't feel the need to run for cover when shots are fired. My property taxes here are about 10% of what I paid in the big city. The list of "why" goes on.... There are different issues to deal with living in the open country but well worth it, IMO.

Crowds can easily be avoided by moving to a city like Willis or Conroe. We have very low taxes here.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

I was born in NC and lived all my life in NC and Virginia. When I retired I moved to Chapel Hill, NC, home of the University of North Carolina where I had gone to school and taught during part of my career. It is a small town with a large University and an easy drive to larger cities and an airport. I love living in a college town, so much to do for retirees and excellent health care. Cost of living is low compared to most places. The only down side to me was hot summers so I bought a cabin in the NC mountains near Banner Elk so I have the best of all worlds.

I always thought college town was for folks in 20s meaning college students and singles?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Retired in the same place we have been living since 1989. On the Connecticut shoreline. Are there cheaper places? Yes. Are there better places? No.

What about state taxes in CT?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Have lived in Texas, Arizona and here in Northern VA (DC area) where we worked and retired in place. Not exactly LCOL but manageable given the benefits.

We will move when we find some place better, we look constantly.

What about Texas?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Retired in place in SW NH. We love our property and location and lifestyle and social network. Access to the ocean (albeit 2 hours) the mountains, Boston, Maine, VT etc.etc. We also sill love the snow and hopefully always will.
I hate the heat and would rather put on extra layers in the winter than suffer in the summer. Besides we can always snowbird if necessary.
We do get humidity for several days for a few of the summer months but nothing like many other places. The new mini split A/C unit is fantastic and quiet 9 acres of total privacy yet only 25 minutes to 2 hospitals, college activities, chain stores etc. is ideal to us.
Live literally a 5-10 minute walk from 3 clean lakes and ponds. One has no houses and the loons are nesting on it right now. Kayaked to them yesterday and watched them rotating an egg on the nest. No one around. This is our idea of bliss!

Sounds like you are an outdoor person.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

SOMD, been here since Jan 1980. This is where friends and family are!!!! Love our house and location on Patuxent River. DW started the snowbird in 2019, i started last year and that is the plan on out. Will stay with dad or SIL/BIL in FLA.

Nice.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

I moved to the best kept secret in SoCal, Ventura County. Before we met, DW had found a home in a +55 park, and when we married, I moved there from the San Fernando Valley.
The temperatures are much cooler, and the topsoil is great, compared the adobe in the Valley.

Very expensive?

 

[REWahoo]

What about Texas?

Sorry, we're full.

 

[F.I.R.E User]

We lived in the San Diego area and chose to retire there. My wife and I were born and raised in So Cal. and it's hard to leave such a vacation destination.

As far as bang for the buck, one nice place that is still relatively inexpensive is North Carolina - Raleigh/Durham, Charlotte and Asheville seem very hospitable and reasonable. Asheville is quite unique. It even has a nice coast - but the weather there can be terrible during hurricane season.

Are you FatFIRE?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

Sorry, we're full.

We are?

 

[REWahoo]

We are?

Yes, definitely.

 

[rk911]

You have to pay Federal tax on retirement income?

yup.

 

[mboley]

Are you FatFIRE?

OP, you asked both commentors from San Diego, myself included, if we are FatFIRE. Being new on the forum I had to look up the meaning.

Im curious what the significance of being FatFIRE is to you?

 

[F.I.R.E User]

OP, you asked both commentors from San Diego, myself included, if we are FatFIRE. Being new on the forum I had to look up the meaning.

Im curious what the significance of being FatFIRE is to you?

None. SD is a very expensive place to live overall. I was just asking in general.

 

[street]

Montana is a state almost no one talks about. It’s almost never in the news. I guess it’s under rated?

I hope it stays that way. Lol

I had to travel from my home last week. In 93 miles of driving on black top road, I seen 3 vehicles on the road. When I hit interstate system and other state highways it was a different story. I like quite and remoteness.

 

[Dash man]

You have to pay Federal tax on retirement income?

Yes, Federal taxes follow you wherever you go.