Where to retire?

EdFred

EdFred

Taxi to Parking
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Feb 25, 2005
Messages
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Michigan
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White Chocolate
Yes, I fully expect this to go like the "which plane should I buy?" threads, which is why I am asking.

Retirement is in the not too distant future (5ish years) if things go like I hope.

Why is your state/area the best to retire in?

Factors in my decision making:
Housing costs
Land availability
Real Estate/Recurring property Taxes/Sales/Income Taxes
2A Friendliness
GA Friendliness
hangar availability and costs
runway construction​
Property rights friendliness (minimal ordinances)
Other considerations not mentioned?​
 
Move South if the temperature is lower than your age.
 
The southern US is typically going to be what you want. I'd suggest putting together a comprehensive list of "have to be's" and "would like it to be's" and rank them. Then select based on that and then take some time and vacation for a bit throughout the next few years check out each area. One you select, rent for 6 months before you decide to buy...
 
If you see this as your truly-final home area, then you also should be looking at what medical care is available, including long-term care options, should they be needed. Another consideration is whether you want you new home to be all single-story, or at least have the kitchen and master bedroom on the first floor, in case you have a temporary or permanently-disabling event that makes mobility difficult.
 
Grandchildren might be a big consideration not yet mentioned. My parents retired to a beautiful property in Jupiter, FL. However, all the grandchildren were a flight away which meant roughly once a year visits. About 15 years in, there was tremendous tension between my parents b/c my mom wanted a 2nd property closer to the grandchildren and she and my dad couldn't sort through it. This is less of an issue w/ you being a pilot but I imagine is still a factor.
 
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MICHAEL MAHN said:
Grandchildren might be a big consideration not yet mentioned.
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That point is worth bringing to the forefront of things to consider.

Had a friend that lived in PA and retired and moved near to where I am. Four years later, after hearing his wife constantly berating him over not being near enough to the grand children they sold their home and moved to Ohio. His wife was much happier but I'm not certain that he was. He passed away a few years ago so he didn't get to enjoy much of his retirement years.
 
Retired the Hudson Valley NY, but I think it meets zero of your criteria ;)
 
Daleandee said:
That point is worth bringing to the forefront of things to consider.

Had a friend that lived in PA and retired and moved near to where I am. Four years later, after hearing his wife constantly berating him over not being near enough to the grand children they sold their home and moved to Ohio. His wife was much happier but I'm not certain that he was. He passed away a few years ago so he didn't get to enjoy much of his retirement years.
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Which brings up the old joke about "Why do men die sooner than their wives? " A: "Because they want to."
 
Given the state of the SS system and my expensive habits, I’ll never be allowed to retire…


But if that were my list of criteria, I’d say central/west Texas.
 
Daleandee said:
...He passed away a few years ago so he didn't get to enjoy much of his retirement years...
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Ditto. My parent's debate was cut short when my mom contracted renal cancer and died shortly thereafter. I won't go so far as to say she didn't enjoy her retirement. She certainly did not enjoy the last ~5 years.
 
You’re from MI?

Please don’t move to FL, TX, etc unless you share its values, we have too many people coming from the more unfortunate states who will try to vote for the same failures they ran away from.
 
BladeSlap said:
You’re from MI?

Please don’t move to FL, TX, etc unless you share its values, we have too many people coming from the more unfortunate states who will try to vote for the same failures they ran away from.
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You realize not all of Michigan is Detroit and Flint, right? If you reread my criteria, that should give a better idea of where I stand.
 
EdFred said:
You realize not all of Michigan is Detroit and Flint, right? If you reread my criteria, that should give a better idea of where I stand.
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fair enough, just had to say that to protect my state :)

Iguanas are not the only invasive pests we have lol
 
BladeSlap said:
You’re from MI?

Please don’t move to FL, TX, etc unless you share its values, we have too many people coming from the more unfortunate states who will try to vote for the same failures they ran away from.
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2-4% property taxes in the liberal states is maddening.
 
Shifting to the lighter side of things :), I'm 3-5 years behind you. I've always been partial to the concept of two properties: one more enjoyable in the winter months and another to escape the summer heat. Something like a FL property coupled with a mountain or something well north. The Canadian snow birds have this figured out. I've not yet started to run numbers. I imagine when I do I'll be disappointed w/ what I can afford.

Now back to my apparent obsession with the negatives of retirement, another thing to consider not yet mentioned: allergies. I know several who had to move. My sister chose to retire in the mountains of North Carolina partly b/c it's easier to breath.
 
Split time is a great idea. Too bad GA friendly isn’t a global term, I’d be outta here if so.
 
EdFred said:
Yes, I fully expect this to go like the "which plane should I buy?" threads, which is why I am asking.

Retirement is in the not too distant future (5ish years) if things go like I hope.

Why is your state/area the best to retire in?

Factors in my decision making:
Housing costs
Land availability
Real Estate/Recurring property Taxes/Sales/Income Taxes
2A Friendliness
GA Friendliness
hangar availability and costs
runway construction​
Property rights friendliness (minimal ordinances)
Other considerations not mentioned?​
Click to expand...
Prioritize that list. That'll make it easier to give recommendations. What don't you like about where you are now? As far as my State/area goes, Vancouver, WA has lots going for it. No income tax. Property tax isn't bad. Right across the river from Oregon where there is no sales tax. Lotsa GA airports that don't seem to be on the chopping block, don't know of any new ones being built though.. Hangar availability, I dunno, haven't looked in awhile. I had no problem finding one about 10 years ago. Property values and rents don't seem to be as outta control as in some other places that get in the news a lot, although 'californication' is kinda an issue. Not as bad as like say Idaho for instance. I don't feel hemmed in by 'ordinances.' What kinda ordinances don't you like? There are friendly people and there some not so friendly people. You didn't mention weather. Four seasons, not to brutal summers or winters. It has the usual 'metropolitan area' issues, homelessness and stuff like that and it's pretty bad in Portland. There are places up and down the river that get away from that though and you still get the good qualities
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
Shifting to the lighter side of things :), I'm 3-5 years behind you. I've always been partial to the concept of two properties: one more enjoyable in the winter months and another to escape the summer heat. Something like a FL property coupled with a mountain or something well north. The Canadian snow birds have this figured out. I've not yet started to run numbers. I imagine when I do I'll be disappointed w/ what I can afford.
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My answer is always 'walking distance from the grandkids'. I will probably have a second place somewhere different, either snowy or warm.
 
BladeSlap said:
You’re from MI?

Please don’t move to FL, TX, etc unless you share its values, we have too many people coming from the more unfortunate states who will try to vote for the same failures they ran away from.
Click to expand...

Great point. We'll need to include Idaho on this list!
 
what is '2A friendliness'?

EDIT: and why isn't "world class bowling" on your list?
 
EdFred said:
Other considerations not mentioned?
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One of the things I noted in looking into my retirement 7 years ago is that the people I talked to were in 3 distinct groups: stay put, split time, and move away. The numbers of the split time group were 50% of the total whether a snow bird or a "heat bird." As mentioned family/friends have or had a bigger influence on their decisions than they originally thought. The happiest seemed to be the split group as they appeared to check more boxes in overall scheme of retirement. Texas and Florida are the biggest areas for "birding" with a lot of upper midwest in south TX. For the reverse in my area of the GOM, Montana/Idaho seems to be the popular places to commute during the hot summer months with grandkid visiting being part of their lives whether going north or south. Some either kept their original home or downsized in the same area as a home base and bought/leased in their destination state. Others keep the house and bought an RV/camper until they found the place they wanted and either upgraded to something nicer or bought local. Being an aviator, both TX and FL offer many options and would make for a nice flight from MI. SInce you're 5 years out I'd start the adventure now and give it a test drive. Rent an RV if that is your thing or fly to snow bird country for a couple weeks. Supposedly there are a number of websites that cater to older folks who snow bird in the south.
 
I presume Ed will always have a place to go in the UP in the summer, but having been there on a cold rainy labor day, I don't think I'd want to winter there myself.

I'd like to be out of Illinois, but that won't happen until my farming career is at an end, which could be next year or could be 20 years. I'm thinking TN, GA, AL. Some place with 4 seasons, but the average Jan. low is above freezing.

One thing to consider on the GA friendliness score is taxes. IL taxes 6.5% on the purchase price with basically no exceptions, which gets to be significant, especially if i ever want to upgrade from what I've got. I'm also aware that some states tax a percentage of value annually, which is even worse.
 
EdFred said:
Yes, I fully expect this to go like the "which plane should I buy?" threads, which is why I am asking.

Retirement is in the not too distant future (5ish years) if things go like I hope.

Why is your state/area the best to retire in?

Factors in my decision making:
Housing costs
Land availability
Real Estate/Recurring property Taxes/Sales/Income Taxes
2A Friendliness
GA Friendliness
hangar availability and costs
runway construction​
Property rights friendliness (minimal ordinances)
Other considerations not mentioned?​
Click to expand...

Avoid massachusetts: not GA friendly, not 2A friendly, really high housing costs,excise taxes on cars

However, there are a lot of good healthcare facilities in the state... which might be important to us old retired guys

of course there is the Patriots vs Lions...
 
luvflyin said:
Prioritize that list. That'll make it easier to give recommendations. What don't you like about where you are now? As far as my State/area goes, Vancouver, WA has lots going for it. No income tax. Property tax isn't bad. Right across the river from Oregon where there is no sales tax. Lotsa GA airports that don't seem to be on the chopping block, don't know of any new ones being built though.. Hangar availability, I dunno, haven't looked in awhile. I had no problem finding one about 10 years ago. Property values and rents don't seem to be as outta control as in some other places that get in the news a lot, although 'californication' is kinda an issue. Not as bad as like say Idaho for instance. I don't feel hemmed in by 'ordinances.' What kinda ordinances don't you like? There are friendly people and there some not so friendly people. You didn't mention weather. Four seasons, not to brutal summers or winters. It has the usual 'metropolitan area' issues, homelessness and stuff like that and it's pretty bad in Portland. There are places up and down the river that get away from that though and you still get the good qualities
Click to expand...

That list is more or less the priority. Weather isn't a huge consideration, I actually like the 4 seasons, but in 5-10 years I may not want white stuff.

Odinances that grind my gears that are near/where I live:
No outdoor camp/cook fires
Only one outbuilding
Outbuilding may not be larger than a certain percentage of main house.
No secondary dwellings on property.
Vehicles may not outnumber drivers in the house
No discharging of weapons (even if you have 160+ acres)

Granted a lot of those are local municipality specific and 300 yards to the N/E/S/W could change any of these.

States that are out:
Ones that have a yearly property tax on vehicles. Eff that, I already paid a sales tax on car boat truck plane atvs etc, I'm not paying taxes on that ish year after year.
 
Bob Noel said:
Avoid massachusetts: not GA friendly, not 2A friendly, really high housing costs,

However, there are a lot of good healthcare facilities in the state... which might be important to us old retired guys

of course there is the Patriots vs Lions...
Click to expand...

LOL I'm a Saints fan, although after this year, the paper bag is probably coming back out.
 
We moved to the Charlotte NC area six years ago due to a job offer but primarily as a preemptive retirement move. When we moved here, we were somewhat certain that this would either be our last move or next to last move. That remains the case. We love being fairly close to both the mountains and the beach, and the climate is nice. We will likely move after retirement but mostly it will just be to get out of a house and into a condo. We will not change our geographic area to any large degree. Our choices will be western NC or SC, or maybe even eastern TN. Those are the areas that we spend most of our time though we also can occasionally be found on the beach.

As with any state, NC has multiple cities and towns of various sizes. The local ordinances and taxes vary just as they do everywhere. Real estate prices vary quite a bit. There are deals to be had but it is easy to overpay as well. You can find a property with little to no restrictions and you can find ones with real tight ass HOAs. You have choices.

It is GA friendly but many airports are short on hangars and have waiting lists. However, I have heard many stories of people on a list passing when offered a hangar as they were airplane poor at the moment. They just like to maintain a place on the list. All depends on which airport you want to get into. As you have no doubt seen, the southeast POA folks get together as often or more than other locales.

Not sure what you are looking for in regards to second amendment friendly. Many people hunt and there are plenty of deer if that is your thing. Getting a concealed carry requires not much more than not being a felon and being able to fog a mirror. I found the required course to be stupid simple. But if someone wants to play Kenosha Kyle, they’d most likely meet with far more resistance.

The only big downside to this part of the country is that you will run into the confederate flag waving rebel types who hate outsiders, especially if you are different than them. Some are unabashedly more open than others about displaying their ignorance, but it eventually always bleeds through whatever veneer they might have on the surface.

I would recommend the area to anyone from up north who wants to move to a warmer climate without going all the way into the Florida heat, which I personally am not averse to but I know many are.

And pay no mind to the folks who say to check your personal beliefs and values at the door. They are quickly losing their grip and are scared of change.
 
If it were only me, I'd move to Tennessee. Probably somewhere like Collegedale. Cost of living not bad. 3rd lowest overall tax burden (by state). More than 200 sunny days per year. Not quite as hot/muggy as south Georgia/north Florida, where I grew up.

But, wife will never move away from kids/grandkids. So, I'm stuck in western Washington, where we lead the country in gray days and number of radical leftists in local government.
 
wilkersk said:
If it were only me, I'd move to Tennessee. Probably somewhere like Collegedale. Cost of living not bad. 3rd lowest overall tax burden (by state). More than 200 sunny days per year. Not quite as hot/muggy as south Georgia/north Florida, where I grew up.
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Funny you mention Collegedale - that’s where I am! It’s a great place to hang your hat. As someone from the PNW, I’m curious how Collegedale got on your radar of all places? :D
 
EdFred said:
That list is more or less the priority. Weather isn't a huge consideration, I actually like the 4 seasons, but in 5-10 years I may not want white stuff.

Odinances that grind my gears that are near/where I live:
No outdoor camp/cook fires
Only one outbuilding
Outbuilding may not be larger than a certain percentage of main house.
No secondary dwellings on property.
Vehicles may not outnumber drivers in the house
No discharging of weapons (even if you have 160+ acres)

Granted a lot of those are local municipality specific and 300 yards to the N/E/S/W could change any of these.

States that are out:
Ones that have a yearly property tax on vehicles. Eff that, I already paid a sales tax on car boat truck plane atvs etc, I'm not paying taxes on that ish year after year.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you have more off a Rural than an Urban wish. Being able to plink around with your guns in a City I don't think is common in any State. Anyway, you asked about where we are, so I'll continue. Secondary dwellings are becoming a thing in all kinds of places. People are out pacing housing just about everywhere. Hence, homelessness. Here, they passed an Auxiliary Dwelling Unit law a few years ago. I built one already. It was a pretty good one compared to other places. The owner does not have to occupy either the Mother House or the ADU like lotsa places. We may be in a situation soon where we want to rent them both out, so that's cool. There is the half the size of the main house, not to exceed 800 sq ft thing though. No limits on number vehicles other than you can't take away any existing off street parking. Auto registration isn't to bad. No separate property tax thing. However, some of the registration fee is kinda like a de facto tax. A matter of semantics I guess. Aircraft I don't know about. I hangared mine in Oregon where registration was really cheap. Washington came after me for Use Tax and i had to spend some time proving I had never hangared or tied down in Washington. No burn days happen from time to time during fire season/bad air quality days, and yeah, they will enforce if they catch you having a weenie roast.
 
We are toying with the idea retiring near the ocean and near the Georgia/Florida border. Maybe St Simons on the Georgia side or Fernandina on the Florida side. Unless you need to live on the ocean or right across the street from the ocean, housing isn't crazy expensive. Personally, I think Fernandina has better restaurants, which is attractive.
 
SkyDog58 said:
...And pay no mind to the folks who say to check your personal beliefs and values at the door. They are quickly losing their grip and are scared of change.
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I was with you 100% w/ everything you said until this :) Seriously, I could care less where people move. One liberal moving to a traditionally conservative area means the traditionally liberal area now has one less vote. It all evens out. My neighborhood has been overrun w/ north eastern transplants over the past 10 years. I don't fault their politics but, among other things, we're now a gated community w/ 3X the HOA dues. Some people retired here. Some of those people have now been forced to move. It's not just about being scared of change.
 
MICHAEL MAHN said:
Grandchildren might be a big consideration not yet mentioned. My parents retired to a beautiful property in Jupiter, FL. However, all the grandchildren were a flight away which meant roughly once a year visits. About 15 years in, there was tremendous tension between my parents b/c my mom wanted a 2nd property closer to the grandchildren and she and my dad couldn't sort through it. This is less of an issue w/ you being a pilot but I imagine is still a factor.
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That’s where I am at. Close to the kids and grandkids. We dealt with my 90 yo mother-in-law and all the issues. Luckily we were close enough that my wife was able to help her siblings. There is something about being close to the family. We can always rent in warmer climes during the winter months.
 
RyanB said:
Funny you mention Collegedale - that’s where I am! It’s a great place to hang your hat. As someone from the PNW, I’m curious how Collegedale got on your radar of all places? :D
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Easy: Southern Tennessee, not too far away from a metropolitan area. But, far enough that property values aren't through the roof, and still small enough to give that small town vibe.
 
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