Places you are considering for retirement

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

rms977,

Cyprus caught my eye last year. (I worked with some very pleasant Turkish colleagues at the time.)

What do you think of the Turkish side? I understand that it is cheaper and less crowded. Maybe for a reason?

As a part of the EU, what would be the tax situation for US expat retirees on the Greek side?

By the way, I would personally not consider buying property there (or anywhere outside of the US or Canada--and maybe not even Canada). Too many bear traps for my taste. Simplify, simplify.

Thanks.

Gypsy

 

[Mr._johngalt]

rms977,

By the way, I would personally not consider buying property there (or anywhere outside of the US or Canada--and maybe not even Canada).  Too many bear traps for my taste.  Simplify, simplify.

Thanks.

Gypsy

And yet more common sense from north of the border.

JG

 

[ctech]

I think that Hawaii's "good" outweighs the "not so good", especially the weather & amenities.

Retirement location is such a highly personal situation with so many "right" answers that it's darn near impossible to make your choice by others' recommendations.  You have to make a list and visit the options to make your own decision.  Even then you may not have enough compelling reason to decamp from friends & family...

I too think that Hawaii is a great place to retire. I'm about halfwy to retiring but looking forward to staying and retiring in Hawaii. It could be that the only other place I've lived in was California but the cost of living does not seem as large as most people would believe. I know my grandmother enjoys it here mostly because of the weather and easy access to things (being on a small island means most things are within 15 to 20 minutes of you if not less). Changes in Hawaii weather is enough to trigger some sore bones or arthritis so they can't imagine weather swings elsewhere. You can usually find a happy group of people to hang out with and cheap/free activities (cultural, commercial, or just nature related) as well which helps relax you from a hectic day, or in retirement, live out your days.

 

[Danny]

One place I definitely will not be:

Scientists were monitoring a slow-growing, 100-square-mile bulge in eastern Oregon that was discovered by satellite. Although the geologic feature is not considered an immediate threat to the area, seismologists seek to determine whether it's the beginnings of a volcano.

 

[MJ]

One place I definitely will not be:

Scientists were monitoring a slow-growing, 100-square-mile bulge in eastern Oregon that was discovered by satellite. Although the geologic feature is not considered an immediate threat to the area, seismologists seek to determine whether it's the beginnings of a volcano.

Yeh, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near there in about a 50,000 or so years.

 

[Danny]

Yeh, I wouldn't want to be anywhere near there in about a 50,000 or so years.

Well, then I guess I have about 5 other reasons for not being there.

 

[Martha]

We are staying in Minnesota. Well, for part of the year at least. Tomorrow we are going down to St. Paul and look at a house. We haven't lived in a house for a number of years, living in the last remaining apartment building we own.

 

[Danny]

We are staying in Minnesota. Well, for part of the year at least. Tomorrow we are going down to St. Paul and look at a house.

Good plan and St. Paul is a neat city...you might be going to the Fitzgerald on Sat nights?

 

[Martha]

DanTien, the only draw back to St. Paul are the housing prices. Not happy, but at least they seem to have stabilized somewhat. Looking at the Como area.

The Fitz on Saturday? Sometimes. I like the stories but could live without the singing.

 

[JPatrick]

We are staying in Minnesota.  Well, for part of the year at least.  Tomorrow we are going down to St. Paul and look at a house.  We haven't lived in a house for a number of years, living in the last remaining apartment building we own. 

Just by chance, is the "Prom Center" still in St Paul?  If not, have you heard of it?

 

[Martha]

Just by chance, is the "Prom Center" still in St Paul? If not, have you heard of it?

You mean the Prom Ballroom? I think it is long gone.

 

[Danny]

The Fitz on Saturday? Sometimes. I like the stories but could live without the singing.

Amen...give me more Noir, Barb & Jim and the natural mellowing agents of ketchup, Cafe Boeuf and lives of the cowboys...

 

[Martha]

Amen...give me more Noir, Barb & Jim and the natural mellowing agents of ketchup, Cafe Boeuf and lives of the cowboys...

These are the good years, in the golden sun,
A new day is dawning, a new life has begun
Love is flowing, like ketchup on a bun.

Ketchup....for the good times

 

[Brat]

Scientists were monitoring a slow-growing, 100-square-mile bulge in eastern Oregon that was discovered by satellite. Although the geologic feature is not considered an immediate threat to the area, seismologists seek to determine whether it's the beginnings of a volcano.

From a west coast resident: Much of the west coast was built by volcanos. There is evidence of lava flows not only in Oregon but in Washington and Idaho.  The Rocky Mountians and the Olympic Mountians were created by uplift of the contentental plate.  The earth on which all of us stand is dynamic, thwarting human efforts to manage as reflected by the flooding in NO.  

The issue for me is the evaluation of risk which has several elements: likelyhood in my lifetime, availablity of warning of danger, likely loss to person or property.  

The uplift that you have just discovered is in an area where volcanic activity is well recognized in a National Forrest.  The risk may be heat under a snow pack and a resulting mud flow, thus I would not build in an area down stream from that location.  Risk to person is very low because lava flows slowly and people can easily get out of the way.  The Mt. St. Helen's loss of life was the result of people not recognizing the risk, or in the case of Harry Truman (not the Prez) knowing action.

Perhaps we locals should not only talk about the rain, we should talk up volcanos as another reason to not move here.  

 

[Danny]

Perhaps we locals should not only talk about the rain, we should talk up volcanos as another reason to not move here.

Brat - are the "thanks for visiting now go home" billboards being put up again?

 

[Brat]

Brat -  are the "thanks for visiting now go home"  billboards being put up again?

Not until we have cleaned out their bank accounts as they pay unreal prices for our realestate.

 

[Sheryl]

Not until we have cleaned out their bank accounts as they pay unreal prices for our realestate.

They are welcome to stay if they hire me to design and build their $1m retirement homes, and pay outrageous sums of property taxes for them into our local coffers.

The volcanic eruption ranks pretty low on my scale of worries, I don't know how far Mt. Baker's Lava flow might make it, but probably would follow a river valley, and not come through town??

Earthquakes are the biggest issue for us.

 

[Brat]

Earthquakes indeed!!  I will walk briskly past Alaskan Way.  Frankly, I am not sure that a tunnel will be safer as the 'big one' will probably result in some liquification.

 

[Danny]

I bet the state of Oregon is behind these stories to keep the southerns moving east.

Danger lurks below in Oregon

http://tinyurl.com/abt6e

Bulge in Central Oregon may be a volcano

http://tinyurl.com/do6wr

 

[Brat]

The bulge may well become a volcano but the odds that it is a risk to humans are small.  Now that I look back there is a risk that I overlooked.. forrest fire.  It has been a hot dry summer.

There are also hot springs all along the cascades as evidence of volcanic action.  In my youth Bagby had tubs made of hollowed trees. 

The likely risk from a volcano developing is more tourists

 

[Martha]

Down in St. Paul, Minnesota for a few days looking at houses. Saw a very cute one for about $215,000: http://tinyurl.com/eyloa

Seems so expensive. Far more than we have ever paid for a house and a much smaller house than we ever have purchased before. The kitchen needs work. On the other hand, it is charming, in a good neighborhood near a great park.

Any of you twin cities people have an idea where the market is going down here?

 

[Danny]

Martha - not knowledgeable about Como, but hear good things about it. House looks pretty sweet with the hardwood floors and woodwork..like the living room.

The price is below August's median price for the metro
http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/12628713.htm

Ramsey County had the smallest sales gain from August 2004 — about 1 percent...price increases remained strong in August in the east metro area. Ramsey County, which had a median price of $222,900, saw the biggest percentage jump (11.5 percent) from August 2004.

The average number of days on market for homes was about 55 days, which was faster than February to April when homes averaged 70 days on the market before selling. Still, it's not the fast-paced market of previous years.

"Yes, the market seems slower than last year, but we are not seeing a significant drop-off in home buying as the closed sales tell us — it is just taking longer," said Colleen Ratzlaff LaBeau, president of the Southern Twin Cities Association of Realtors.

The healthy August sales were a good sign for Realtors because July's sales were down from the previous year. Now, real estate agents are bracing for the traditional fall slowdown. They're expecting fewer sales and a rising inventory of homes.

"Sales will start dropping and it's a seasonal drop," Roeglin said.


Here's a link for a rental cottage we're selling and will give folks a comparison of what you can get in a place that has boring weather(2 seasons-wet/cool & dry/hot) and a place like Martha's prospective home that has some weather that makes you feel you have really lived(the 4 seasons you studied in school-although one is longer than it has a right to be):

http://tinyurl.com/a2uko

Martha & DH Greg - Good hunting and I hope you find a house that feels like home.