Don't forget Alabama. It's coastal area is tiny in comparison to Florida, but it has beautiful beaches around the Gulf Shores area. No, the hurricanes did not wipe the Gulf Coast out. In fact building is booming in Alabama and the Panhandle of Florida and property values continue to climb a lot each year. Pretty soon, this real estate will all be hard if not impossible for a retiree to afford.
One comment on Florida taxes--the state has been runniing a surplus the last several years and one way they have reduced taxes is to slash the rate of their intangibles tax. Plus, the Governor has asked the legislature (again) this year to eliminate the tax.
Thinking and thinking doesn't always work...
Consultant N/A Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:06 AM
The advice here is good, and we repeatedly hear how we really must look before we leap.
True enough, but in the final analysis you just have to make the best decision that you can, and make the plung and see how it works out.
Although it would be wonderful if research and reason could forecast what we will think of our decision in 5 years, that really is not realistic.
We must choose, or remain paralyzed by the complexity of the choice...which is a choice too.
If it doesn't work out, then we make another choice, or learn to be happy with the one that we've already made.
There is no utopia on this earth.
Go ahead retire to Florida
HR Specialist USDOJ Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:08 PM
My wife and I have already bought the land where we plan to build our retirement castle in a few years. Please head South to Florida. I'm not going to say where we bought, because we don't want the crowds of fellow retired Feds moving in around us. I'll just say that it's not back to New England, because my blood has thinned out after 30 years in DC. However, we'd like to see you head to Florida because we want the space to breath.
how about arizona?
Claims Rep Social Security Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:59 AM
I'd love to see this type of column about Arizona and the different aspects of that state.
Re: how about arizona?
Tax Examing Technician IRS Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:21 PM
I checked that out, still can't afford living year although that climate would be the best for me. Going to Austin, Texas, cheaper housing.
Re: how about arizona?
Physician Dept. of Veterans Affairs Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:19 PM
Bad choice. Arizona's real estate prices are skyrocketing to unaffordable levels and the state is getting more and more crowded with consequent jambed roads, air pollution, environmental desecration with madcap development-gone-crazy. State and local politicos are bought and paid for by real estate developers, so the suburbs sprawl like cancers without check. Gangs are ascendent with drive-by shootings, rape and murder rates hitting national highs. The state is dead last in the nation in terms of public support for education and Guam is better at providing public funding for child and adult mental health services. Extreme malpractice liability is driving more doctors from the state and getting health care needs met is more and more difficult, costly. What's more, the state is running out of water and the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas may soon be drinking treated sewage effluent! Avoid Arizona for retirement at all cost. Minnesota would be better.
Re: how about arizona?
Purchasing Agent Forest Service Wed Feb 1, 2006 2:42 PM
How about El Paso Tx . The weather is good . Living is cheaper to.
Florida Retirement
Vice president Private HR consulting firm Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:02 AM
Good article on all aspects of Florida retirement. Taxes are still relatively modest compared to higher-cost cities. Above all, watch out for those Chicago Cub fans! We are a goofy lot.
Affordable (Hilo) Hawai'i
Realtor Salesperson Island Trust Properties Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:49 PM
Don't believe the misnomer that Hawaii is only for multi-millionaires! In the Puna district, homes are still start at $200k and house lots for $20k. Hilo town is charming, with plantation era history and a style of homes unique to each neighborhood. Property taxews are low too.
Re: Affordable (Hilo) Hawai'i
former employee DOD Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:23 PM
Hilo is nice if you like rain and don't require other than minimal medical services. Puna is nice if you like the company of druggies and minimal public water. sewers and the like. If you want to visit family on the mainland, it will cost you big time. In other words, price is not the only factor one should consider in moving to "affordable" Hilo.
Florida Retirement
Postal Employee USPS Wed Feb 1, 2006 8:17 AM
Good article. I just moved to Florida from California and was I surprised. You forgot to mention the high cost of automobile insurance. Not to mention the ever increasing homeowners and flood insurance. Florida is no longer a cheap place to live.
Has Anyone Considered Retiring Abroad?
Phillip Townsend Author, thegloballife.net Sat Feb 4, 2006 1:56 AM
Panama is warm, inexpensive, safe and offers the best retiree perks anywhere in the world. Plus, it's only a 2 1/2-hour flight from Florida, without the outrageous prices. There are also wonderful and affordable places in the Caribbean and north of the border in Canada (for those who don't mind cold winters).
Re: Has Anyone Considered Retiring Abroad?
Program Assistant VA Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:30 AM
Also consider Costa Rica, stable government, good health care, reasonable prices, many National Parks.
I have even heard of India as a retirement destination for English people although it is open to anyone. Not sure location.
Appreciation information about any foreign destination, especially Europe, Central America, India.
What about Tennessee (Nashville)?
Program Analyst USACE Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:21 PM
Does anybody have pros/cons about retiring in the Nashville or Clarksville, Tennessee areas?
Penna. retirement ??
H. R. Asst. USDA Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:05 AM
What about retirement in Pa. They too do not tax federal retirement, but what about property taxes, etc. Thanks for the assistance !
Not Keen on FL
Contract Specialist DLA Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:43 AM
Florida is Hot folks, I mean like Hot. The sun destroys everything, along with the humidity. Property taxes are getting up there as people with kids still send them to school. Most of those kids end up taking care of you in your old age so you really do not want to short change them. On the otherside the winters are nice, just make sure you have someplace cool to go in the summer. I grew up in FL and saw many people move back north. Places in New Mexico are actually nicer and reasonably priced.
Florida's intangible tax
Colonel Jerry White Retired Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:31 AM
Just a note. Florida abolished their intangible tax a year ago. I lived there 20 years before moving to Alabama and you are right about the property tax. When I first moved there, the taxes on my house were 246.00. Now the same house, which is 50 years old is taxed at 3200.00. The equivalent tax in Alabama would be about 800.00, if that.
Alabama
Colonel Jerry White Retired Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:42 AM
Consider coming to Alabama. I moved to Florence, Alabama(located in the Northwest corner of the state) seven years ago and love it. The Tenn river is the South border of the city and the boating and fishing is wonderful. The University of North Alabam is located here and has an enrollment of around 7,000. Homes are very reasonable and property taxes minimal. You can buy a 3000 sf house with 1/2 to 1 acre lot for 260-350k. Nice homes in the 1500-2200sf sell for 175-200k. The crime rate is very low and the people are fantastic.Homes on the river are of course more expensive because they are not making any more waterfronts. Y'all come.
Retirement locations
Benefits Counselor (Retired) VA Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:45 PM
Time magazine did a piece maybe 8 years ago re the "halfback States" for retirement. Many who retired from NE US to Fla. found it was too far from family. They moved "half way back" to North Carolina. Spoke of low taxes for retirees. One couple found a small town next to a National Forest and with a small college. Had access to classes and cultural events at the school. Did hiking, fishing and camping in the Forest. Some towns laughingly (I hope) found the "damn Yankees" deeply involved in the running of the towns after a time.
Coastal Alabama
NASA
Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:23 AM
Don't forget Alabama. It's coastal area is tiny in comparison to Florida, but it has beautiful beaches around the Gulf Shores area. No, the hurricanes did not wipe the Gulf Coast out. In fact building is booming in Alabama and the Panhandle of Florida and property values continue to climb a lot each year. Pretty soon, this real estate will all be hard if not impossible for a retiree to afford.
One comment on Florida taxes--the state has been runniing a surplus the last several years and one way they have reduced taxes is to slash the rate of their intangibles tax. Plus, the Governor has asked the legislature (again) this year to eliminate the tax.
Thinking and thinking doesn't always work...
N/A
Wed Jan 25, 2006 11:06 AM
The advice here is good, and we repeatedly hear how we really must look before we leap.
True enough, but in the final analysis you just have to make the best decision that you can, and make the plung and see how it works out.
Although it would be wonderful if research and reason could forecast what we will think of our decision in 5 years, that really is not realistic.
We must choose, or remain paralyzed by the complexity of the choice...which is a choice too.
If it doesn't work out, then we make another choice, or learn to be happy with the one that we've already made.
There is no utopia on this earth.
Go ahead retire to Florida
USDOJ
Wed Jan 25, 2006 12:08 PM
My wife and I have already bought the land where we plan to build our retirement castle in a few years. Please head South to Florida. I'm not going to say where we bought, because we don't want the crowds of fellow retired Feds moving in around us. I'll just say that it's not back to New England, because my blood has thinned out after 30 years in DC. However, we'd like to see you head to Florida because we want the space to breath.
how about arizona?
Social Security
Thu Jan 26, 2006 8:59 AM
I'd love to see this type of column about Arizona and the different aspects of that state.
Re: how about arizona?
IRS
Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:21 PM
Re: how about arizona?
Dept. of Veterans Affairs
Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:19 PM
Re: how about arizona?
Forest Service
Wed Feb 1, 2006 2:42 PM
Florida Retirement
Private HR consulting firm
Thu Jan 26, 2006 9:02 AM
Good article on all aspects of Florida retirement. Taxes are still relatively modest compared to higher-cost cities. Above all, watch out for those Chicago Cub fans! We are a goofy lot.
Affordable (Hilo) Hawai'i
Island Trust Properties
Thu Jan 26, 2006 12:49 PM
Don't believe the misnomer that Hawaii is only for multi-millionaires! In the Puna district, homes are still start at $200k and house lots for $20k. Hilo town is charming, with plantation era history and a style of homes unique to each neighborhood. Property taxews are low too.
Re: Affordable (Hilo) Hawai'i
DOD
Fri Jan 27, 2006 12:23 PM
Florida Retirement
USPS
Wed Feb 1, 2006 8:17 AM
Good article. I just moved to Florida from California and was I surprised. You forgot to mention the high cost of automobile insurance. Not to mention the ever increasing homeowners and flood insurance. Florida is no longer a cheap place to live.
Has Anyone Considered Retiring Abroad?
Author, thegloballife.net
Sat Feb 4, 2006 1:56 AM
Panama is warm, inexpensive, safe and offers the best retiree perks anywhere in the world. Plus, it's only a 2 1/2-hour flight from Florida, without the outrageous prices. There are also wonderful and affordable places in the Caribbean and north of the border in Canada (for those who don't mind cold winters).
Re: Has Anyone Considered Retiring Abroad?
VA
Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:30 AM
I have even heard of India as a retirement destination for English people although it is open to anyone. Not sure location.
Appreciation information about any foreign destination, especially Europe, Central America, India.
What about Tennessee (Nashville)?
USACE
Fri Feb 10, 2006 2:21 PM
Does anybody have pros/cons about retiring in the Nashville or Clarksville, Tennessee areas?
Penna. retirement ??
USDA
Fri Mar 31, 2006 11:05 AM
What about retirement in Pa. They too do not tax federal retirement, but what about property taxes, etc. Thanks for the assistance !
Not Keen on FL
DLA
Tue Aug 22, 2006 10:43 AM
Florida is Hot folks, I mean like Hot. The sun destroys everything, along with the humidity. Property taxes are getting up there as people with kids still send them to school. Most of those kids end up taking care of you in your old age so you really do not want to short change them. On the otherside the winters are nice, just make sure you have someplace cool to go in the summer. I grew up in FL and saw many people move back north. Places in New Mexico are actually nicer and reasonably priced.
Florida's intangible tax
Retired
Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:31 AM
Just a note. Florida abolished their intangible tax a year ago. I lived there 20 years before moving to Alabama and you are right about the property tax. When I first moved there, the taxes on my house were 246.00. Now the same house, which is 50 years old is taxed at 3200.00. The equivalent tax in Alabama would be about 800.00, if that.
Alabama
Retired
Mon Feb 11, 2008 11:42 AM
Consider coming to Alabama. I moved to Florence, Alabama(located in the Northwest corner of the state) seven years ago and love it. The Tenn river is the South border of the city and the boating and fishing is wonderful. The University of North Alabam is located here and has an enrollment of around 7,000. Homes are very reasonable and property taxes minimal. You can buy a 3000 sf house with 1/2 to 1 acre lot for 260-350k. Nice homes in the 1500-2200sf sell for 175-200k. The crime rate is very low and the people are fantastic.Homes on the river are of course more expensive because they are not making any more waterfronts. Y'all come.
Retirement locations
VA
Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:45 PM
Time magazine did a piece maybe 8 years ago re the "halfback States" for retirement. Many who retired from NE US to Fla. found it was too far from family. They moved "half way back" to North Carolina. Spoke of low taxes for retirees. One couple found a small town next to a National Forest and with a small college. Had access to classes and cultural events at the school. Did hiking, fishing and camping in the Forest. Some towns laughingly (I hope) found the "damn Yankees" deeply involved in the running of the towns after a time.
Florida
N/A
Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:21 AM
One word - HURRICANES!!