Places to retire

[encorehunter]

I'm still about 8 years from retiring, but we are starting to look at places we want to relocate to. I have always wanted to move to the Kenai peninsula Alaska, but dealing with snow and long winters is not looking as inviting. I mentioned Washington to my wife, and she is all about it. She lived there for several years, talks about all the fruit trees and how green it is. She says you can grow almost anything in western Washington.
I am liking the idea of being able to fish a lot, there is deer, elk, bear and cougar hunting, along with small game. We can drive the pickup onto the ferry and be in Alaska in a day or two.
Oregon may be on the list as well, so it is an option. I am ruling out the east coast due to hurricanes and such. Texas taxes are t the greatest. My uncle has a ranch there we can go to whenever we would like. California is out as I have too many of those bad black guns that kill people. I haven't looked into moving out of the US very much.
Any suggestions to look into? We may be buying the house in the next year or two, have a management company rent it out for us to offset some of the costs.

[10x]

Oregon and Washington are green inmany areas. You will find those states as liberal as Cal with nearly as many gun restrictions. That us why we call it the left coast.

[ray1970]

The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place. I?ve spent weeks in Washington and Oregon and while they are nice places to visit I wouldn't want to live there.

There are places in Arizona that appeal to me so if I could convince my wife to go I'd probably head that way.

[longrange2]

We are about the same number of years out from retirement. We are thinking MT, WY, or ID and then spending a month or two in AZ during the winter, either RV or buy a small condo. I love Alaska in the summer but not sure I’d be in for the winters. WA is a no go for me with their gun control

[Great-Kazoo]

We are about the same number of years out from retirement. We are thinking MT, WY, or ID and then spending a month or two in AZ during the winter, either RV or buy a small condo. I love Alaska in the summer but not sure I’d be in for the winters. WA is a no go for me with their gun control

FYI: The snow birds who move to warmer parts of AZ, for retirement. Later become sun birds, moving to this area (quad cities) for the summer. The funny part is as we get towards the end of aug, 1st part of sept. They migrate back to the valley, or tucson, yuma areas. Saying it's too cold for them up here. Keeping in mind the temps start dropping to the low 70's. overnight .

[bradbn4]

Some of the best looking land I found to live in are in states I don't think I would much more than visit for a few days.
Sometimes it is finding / building the right house for the location. For example; near hurricane / tornado areas I sort of
want a cement "yurt" - that is on high ground to prevent flooding - and can shrug off high winds with ease.

Sometimes I find a place I like, just to find out zero chance for water or power. Other times too many digits. The last one
I spotted was good on price, location, infrastructure. There was just a small problem it was over 10k+ in altitude. Thin air,
with nothing you could grow with out a lot of TLC + green house.

Good choices for MT, WY, ID, and toss in maybe South Dakota as a possible choice...I am still looking at Texas as a possible option when I long for a garden.

[rondog]

Any thoughts about North Carolina?

[Linkless]

Check property taxes as you will never be able to avoid them. A coworkers parents live in western washington and about to relocate as the property taxes are sky rocketing.

[ruthabagah]

Well, I am almost to the 10 year mark where I need to make the decision as to where to retire and I pretty much eliminated every single states... Now looking at canada or Europe.... Cost and quality of Healthcare are pretty much #1 on my list, so not finding this here. I will definitely miss my life here and it will be a different experience for my wife who never lived abroad.

[Gman]

I'm curious to hear about the WA gun control that you think is so bad? In some ways it's less restrictive than CO (no mag restrictions...yet).

The lefties keep trying every year, but the 2A supporters are very organized and the right to keep and bear arms is in the state constitution.

They have managed to restrict the purchase of semiautomatic rifles requiring a proof of training certificate. Due to volunteer efforts (and poor lawmaking skills of politicians), you can watch a video online and print your certificate for free.

There are places that are less restrictive, but this isn't California.

(Edited to fix Tapatalk punctuation issues)

[eddiememphis]

I lived in Seattle for a few years. Home prices are high, property taxes high, although looking now, it seems about on par with Denver. Gas is usually a dollar more than here. Many more people, about 4 million in the area from Tacoma north.

With all the rain and high humidity, homes can have problems with mold and rot. And laundry is never, ever dry.

Sales taxes are high. No state income tax.

The weather isn't as bad as the reputation- Tampa gets more rain, although the sun rarely pops out during the winter. It gets dark very early in the winter, around 4:00, but in the summer it's light out until 10:00.

It is very lush and green. A small piece of land can feel very isolated due to all the growth.

The Cascades don't offer the same access that the Rockies do, unless you hike, since much of the area is designated Wilderness. As a dirt biker and mountain biker, plus exploring with my 4x4, the places to roam were much more limited than I was used to here.

If you have a boat, it is great. The areas to explore are vast. The only problem is the water is so cold.

[OneGuy67]

Look for places that do not tax retirement funds. Tennessee comes to mind. I've heard Arizona is the same. That's where we are contemplating.

[Gman]

King County (Seattle) is a shithole. I think that will be changing as people are reaching capacity for leftist stupidity.

I got regular gas for $3.59/gal. this week. How far off is that from CO these days?

Housing prices seem to be leveling off.

Depending on what you're looking for, this may not be a good option for you. My parents retired here from CO and my wife likes it here. When CO politics made a hard run to the left, trying to out-California California, WA wasn't so different and that's why we're here.

Would have liked to have had northern AZ and ID in the choice of options, but also needed to consider elevation. Wife was on supplemental oxygen in CO and had a diagnosis of interstitial lung disease, likely a result of chemo for breast cancer. After being here at 400 ft. of elevation and no additional O2 for less than a year, x-rays show her lungs are completely healed.

[MrPrena]

I lived in Seattle for a few years. Home prices are high, property taxes high, although looking now, it seems about on par with Denver. Gas is usually a dollar more than here. Many more people, about 4 million in the area from Tacoma north.

With all the rain and high humidity, homes can have problems with mold and rot. And laundry is never, ever dry.

Sales taxes are high. No state income tax.

The weather isn't as bad as the reputation- Tampa gets more rain, although the sun rarely pops out during the winter. It gets dark very early in the winter, around 4:00, but in the summer it's light out until 10:00.

It is very lush and green. A small piece of land can feel very isolated due to all the growth.

The Cascades don't offer the same access that the Rockies do, unless you hike, since much of the area is designated Wilderness. As a dirt biker and mountain biker, plus exploring with my 4x4, the places to roam were much more limited than I was used to here.

If you have a boat, it is great. The areas to explore are vast. The only problem is the water is so cold.

Humid area lanudry are pretty bad.
Leave the laundry inside the washer for 12 hours, it will start making weird mold smell. Many people who live there said they cannot smell it. People who live in dry climate can.

[earplug]

Puerto Rico would be worth visiting and checking retirement options.
Week long vacation was nice.

[wctriumph]

We are looking at SD, ID and TN as possible locations. Possibly AZ in the mountains.

[.455_Hunter]

We will always own our family property west of Boulder, but the nice thing is that you can rent it out on a sort term basis to rich liberals and cover both the mortgage we have on it from the 2013 remodel AND pretty much pay for an alternate base of operations in the SE WY, W NE, and SW SD region.

[encorehunter]

We have been looking at Lewis and King counties. I am looking for 5 acres or more, the house is not super important as I can build just about anything we could want. I will be buying a new boat, expecting to spend $30-50k on it to have a nicer one. I like the idea of growing my own food, along with hunting and fishing for supplementing. The wife mentioned maybe buying another restaurant so we would have something to do.

[TEAMRICO]

…….who leaves laundry in a washer for 12 hours?

[MrPrena]

I left it again yesterday for about 8 hours. I put the laundry on a washer at around 10am, and came back home about 6pm.

[MrPrena]

Many are going to Las Vegas area to retire. My mother is one of many who went there.
I like everything about it, except:
- too hot during summer but drier than many CO.
-large roads and traffic lights takes too long to change.
Not too many smaller roads to take.
-odd property taxes ~3% to 7% depends on factors.
-economy not too diversified (hospitality heavy)


My mother in law moved to Kirkland WA to retire, and I am not sure I wanna move there. Biggest drawback besides cost of living is:
- I absolutely dislike their roads and their speed limits.
- I dislike their tall trees. Tall trees 🌳 really does not help ways and directional sense.
-economy not too diversified. Too tech heavy.

[Ripper]

i'm looking at just north of Little Rock.

[wyome]

San Angelo TX
Orlando Fl
Tennessee/ Kentucky

Or stay in Castle Rock and rv to warmer climate in the winter

[MarkCO]

Have to balance out the Cost of Living, access to Healthcare, safety, etc. Getting to be less and less places I'd move. My parents left Southern California when I was little and up until about 2010, I would have never thought I would leave. Our current house was supposed to be our last. We still have 2 Mom's living in CO and the youngest about to go to College in CO. We are looking, cautiously, over the next 2 to 5 years to find a place that is further away from a big city, not left wing whacko, not right wing whacko, and at least somewhat reasonably competent health care just in case. SD, NE, maybe northern KS are okay. But we also want to see where the boys end up. I know it is either close to, or lots of trips if either get married and have kids.

[Martinjmpr]

I was stationed at Fort Lewis from 89 to 91. Loved the area but wouldn't move there now. WAAAY too expensive. Home prices make Denver look cheap. Horrible, horrible traffic. Crowded. Expensive.

Beautiful area though.

We are 2+ years away from me retiring for good. Right now my 85 year old mother keeps us here for sure, and the grandkids too. If not for them I think we'd consider New Mexico or AZ. Texas is too hot and there's virtually no public land for recreation. Arkansas or eastern OK might be on the list but I'm not crazy about humidity (heat I'm OK with.) I spent 5 years in Wyoming, and as nice as it is, you couldn't pay me enough to live through another Laramie winter. South Dakota is an outlier for us but has the same severe winter weather as WY. UT is nice but too expensive. Nevada is another place we'd consider but I'm not sure how viable it'd be long term.

No way would we live in LV but Pahrump isn't bad (we camped there last year in October, it was gorgeous.)

If proximity to grandkids wasn't an issue I'd pick Sierra Vista, AZ. I did a lot of my military training there and it's pretty nice. Low cost of living, most of the population is military or works for the military. It's in Southern AZ but it's also at 4,000' elevation so it doesn't get too hot in the summer and it rarely snows in Winter. Close proximity to military medical treatment (since that's a thing I have to consider.) As a military retiree it would be my first choice.

[MrPrena]

I was stationed at Fort Lewis from 89 to 91. Loved the area but wouldn't move there now. WAAAY too expensive. Home prices make Denver look cheap. Horrible, horrible traffic. Crowded. Expensive.

Beautiful area though.

We are 2+ years away from me retiring for good. Right now my 85 year old mother keeps us here for sure, and the grandkids too. If not for them I think we'd consider New Mexico or AZ. Texas is too hot and there's virtually no public land for recreation. Arkansas or eastern OK might be on the list but I'm not crazy about humidity (heat I'm OK with.) I spent 5 years in Wyoming, and as nice as it is, you couldn't pay me enough to live through another Laramie winter. South Dakota is an outlier for us but has the same severe winter weather as WY. UT is nice but too expensive. Nevada is another place we'd consider but I'm not sure how viable it'd be long term.

No way would we live in LV but Pahrump isn't bad (we camped there last year in October, it was gorgeous.)

If proximity to grandkids wasn't an issue I'd pick Sierra Vista, AZ. I did a lot of my military training there and it's pretty nice. Low cost of living, most of the population is military or works for the military. It's in Southern AZ but it's also at 4,000' elevation so it doesn't get too hot in the summer and it rarely snows in Winter. Close proximity to military medical treatment (since that's a thing I have to consider.) As a military retiree it would be my first choice.

Everyone has a different preference, but
Pahrump has that Yucca Valley, Baker CA to near death valley vibe.
:)

[Gman]

That's not a vibe, that's a mirage.

[Jer]

I've seen a few people now suggest Nebraska as a place to retire and I would like to say this about that: The weather sucks, the property taxes are high and the economy there is tanking. Commerce is drying up like you wouldn't believe and shows no signs of ever recovering either. Source: I lived there the first 18 years of my life and we go back regularly to visit families. It's always sad how many more ma and pa shops have shuttered and nothing has replaced them. I always thought I might consider moving back in retirement but I don't see that happening now.

[Great-Kazoo]

I've seen a few people now suggest Nebraska as a place to retire and I would like to say this about that: The weather sucks, the property taxes are high and the economy there is tanking. Commerce is drying up like you wouldn't believe and shows no signs of ever recovering either. Source: I lived there the first 18 years of my life and we go back regularly to visit families. It's always sad how many more ma and pa shops have shuttered and nothing has replaced them. I always thought I might consider moving back in retirement but I don't see that happening now.

Housing. Home sales are moving so fast in NE. IF you see something, you can bet there's a 1/2 dozen others who have too. Our old friends, / neighbors. moved to the panhandle area 2 yrs ag. Houses in that area jumped from low $80K to mid $150's. They say like another friend who goes there every weekend, home sales are going liek inCO, along with rising home pricing. Due to work at home for people who can drive back to Co within a few hours.

As for taxes. I'll echo what jer said. ANy and everything NE can tax you on, they will. Have a few out buildings, taxed. etc

[bradbn4]

My understanding of Nebraska lasted only 4 years. I would have pegged it as fun and action packed as a bowl of oatmeal.
I could see from I can garden here as a place to live. Not that I would do so with the tax rates, etc. I only spent time outside of
oh-my-gosh Omaha metro area. From a land perspective I could see some good areas to live, but having a garden is only
one of many punch list items I have for a retirement location.

[.455_Hunter]

I've seen a few people now suggest Nebraska as a place to retire and I would like to say this about that: The weather sucks, the property taxes are high and the economy there is tanking. Commerce is drying up like you wouldn't believe and shows no signs of ever recovering either. Source: I lived there the first 18 years of my life and we go back regularly to visit families. It's always sad how many more ma and pa shops have shuttered and nothing has replaced them. I always thought I might consider moving back in retirement but I don't see that happening now.

What area of NE? I know that many more remote ag-only areas are suffering from population loss due the fact that one family can farm many more acres than previous generations due to increased technology and efficiencies.

[Martinjmpr]

Commerce is drying up like you wouldn't believe and shows no signs of ever recovering either. Source: I lived there the first 18 years of my life and we go back regularly to visit families.

That's pretty much a description of 90% of the Midwest/plains states right there. Wife and I do a lot of camping all over the West and those trips require us to drive through quite a few small towns. With very few exceptions most of them are dead or dying.

When I drive through some of these small towns in Eastern CO, Eastern NM, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska, SD, WY, etc, I'm not surprised by the boarded-up main streets and vacant businesses. I'm more surprised by the few that are still struggling to survive as if the next recovery is "right around the corner" and they just have to hang on until it does.

Meanwhile the high school kids are just counting the days until they can put that city limits sign in their rear-view mirror and nobody new is moving in. I can't decided if their stubbornness should be admired or pitied.


It's always sad how many more ma and pa shops have shuttered and nothing has replaced them.

Oh, something's replaced them all right:

Wal Mart and Dollar General.

Though of course, those towns that get the WM or DG are the lucky ones. The towns too small for even a DG are basically out of luck.

[BushMasterBoy]

I have been looking at places like this. Big enough to grow whatever you want, oranges, apples, etc. Close enough to the ocean to use my Boston Whaler. Inland enough, hurricanes won't flood. So many high tech jobs with Spacex, Terran Orbital, etc. and still some reasonable home prices.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5220-Calamondin-Ave_Cocoa_FL_32926_M53826-78495

[Martinjmpr]

Continuing my thought from above … that's really the double-edged sword of a retirement community, isn't it?

Go to a place that's thriving economically and it's likely to also be (a) crowded and (b) expensive.

Go to a place that is uncrowded and cheap and it's likely to be economically stagnant.

It's kind of like the weather: Do you prefer bitter cold winters and pleasant summers, or mild winters and blistering hot summers?

I've often thought that it makes more sense to be a "sunbird" than a "snowbird." i.e. live someplace warm and then travel Northward in the Summer months when everything is open and accessible, vs. live in a cold climate and travel in Winter when much of the country is still closed down.

But there's no "perfect" place, you just have to pick your poison and hope you made the right choice. [Dunno]

[encorehunter]

I have been looking at places like this. Big enough to grow whatever you want, oranges, apples, etc. Close enough to the ocean to use my Boston Whaler. Inland enough, hurricanes won't flood. So many high tech jobs with Spacex, Terran Orbital, etc. and still some reasonable home prices.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5220-Calamondin-Ave_Cocoa_FL_32926_M53826-78495

I don't like the looks of those stairs. I had a knee replaced already. I'm looking for single level basic house. I'm not overly concerned about a booming economy. My wife brought up going to British Columbia for moose hunting and deer hunting. Being near an ocean has me wanting to go camping and sea fishing.

[battlemidget]

I have been looking at places like this. Big enough to grow whatever you want, oranges, apples, etc. Close enough to the ocean to use my Boston Whaler. Inland enough, hurricanes won't flood. So many high tech jobs with Spacex, Terran Orbital, etc. and still some reasonable home prices.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5220-Calamondin-Ave_Cocoa_FL_32926_M53826-78495

I spend time in Melbourne. Cocoa is thought of as a rough neighborhood with high crime. Cocoa Beach is nice.

[Martinjmpr]

WRT housing prices, one thing you can do on realtor.com (and probably on other platforms as well) is "build" your desired house (for example, 3br/2ba, 1750 - 2750 sq ft, 2+ car garage, single story, lot size 1+ acre for under $350,000) and then use the "map" tool to show listings that match all of that. You can then scroll around the country and see what your "sample" house would cost in various areas.

Obviously, housing price is just ONE of MANY considerations, but it can be a good way to focus your search.

After all, if you can't even afford to live in a specific place, it doesn't really help that it has a low crime rate or good schools.

[Jer]

What area of NE? I know that many more remote ag-only areas are suffering from population loss due the fact that one family can farm many more acres than previous generations due to increased technology and efficiencies.

I did 18 years in the Panhandle before ex-filling here. My wife did the same 18 in the same town and then relocated to Lincoln for a couple of years.

Summary: both sides of the state suck for different reasons and property tax is equally high in both.

(if you're still reading, I put together a short list of the things I hate about that state off the top of my head: Tornados, Ice storms, Soccer ball size hail, Bugs, 10-15 degrees hotter in the summer months and 10-15 degrees colder in the winter months than here, Way more wind, more snow, No commerce or future, Shit hospitals and healthcare. On top of all of that if you pick a small town thinking you'll escape the liberal cesspool and traffic all you will get is a bunch of room-temperature IQ having people who will assume they know everything about you, talk about you nonstop and never truly accept you for being an outsider. Pass.)

[Jer]

Continuing my thought from above … that's really the double-edged sword of a retirement community, isn't it?

Go to a place that's thriving economically and it's likely to also be (a) crowded and (b) expensive.

Go to a place that is uncrowded and cheap and it's likely to be economically stagnant.

It's kind of like the weather: Do you prefer bitter cold winters and pleasant summers, or mild winters and blistering hot summers?

I've often thought that it makes more sense to be a "sunbird" than a "snowbird." i.e. live someplace warm and then travel Northward in the Summer months when everything is open and accessible, vs. live in a cold climate and travel in Winter when much of the country is still closed down.

But there's no "perfect" place, you just have to pick your poison and hope you made the right choice. [Dunno]

That's the beauty of Nebraska: Bitter cold in the winter with tons of snow and blistering hot in the summer w/tornados and hail to cool you off. You can have the best of both worlds!

[BushMasterBoy]

I don't like the looks of those stairs. I had a knee replaced already. I'm looking for single level basic house. I'm not overly concerned about a booming economy. My wife brought up going to British Columbia for moose hunting and deer hunting. Being near an ocean has me wanting to go camping and sea fishing.

This one just sold with 5 offers. On the the Indian River Lagoon. 4 car garage in back. And certain parts of Cocoa are million dollar homes with private boat docks. Cocoa Beach sucks when there is a space launch, traffic is horrendous. And crime is bad in Cocoa Beach, too.( it is drugs)

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/2707-N-Indian-River-Dr_Cocoa_FL_32922_M55059-14218

Prices have gone through the roof~ I remember seeing this one for way less!

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1760-Britt-Rd_Cocoa_FL_32926_M64110-56912

[battlemidget]

It’s worth a mention that there is a higher than average rate of Hansen’s disease (Leprosy) in Brevard county.

[brutal]

If you can handle the weather - I couldn't take a steady diet of it - my kids love it in San Antonio. Cheap housing, no state income tax (though prop taxes are high).


My pipe dream is to live between GK and OBC in AZ, but that's not likely to happen...

[MarkCO]

The grass is always greener comes to mind.

I don't know about anyone else, but I do want to be within an hour drive of good sporting clays and someplace I can shoot out to 1000 if I can't do it on my own land. I pistol berm is an absolute necessity. Maybe it is just get far enough away from the 1-25 corridor. I am still liking SD though. :)

[colorider]

All I know is that when I retire, snow is not going to be in the picture. Neither are the cold ass months.

[Great-Kazoo]

All I know is that when I retire, snow is not going to be in the picture. Neither are the cold ass months.

Same thing the spouse said. Which ruled out Emmet ID and other surrounding small ID towns.

SO we moved down here,.

New Years Day 3 years ago. Light snow fall, lasted all day, and night. Woke up to 2-3+ ' of snow. With 3+ drifts along out buildings. It's windy like WY, has 4 seasons and same altitude as it was in NoCo. BUT...I'm not tripping over dope smoking, freeloading bums every 5'. Inundated with leftist mentality, tolerant & diverse hypocrites

10 min tops i'm off road, hunting in the state, from southern border to UT.

Multiple recreation spots for anything. Regarding fishing, not my wheelhouse, BUT Havasu is 3ish hrs from us. Powell 3.5 hrs, too.

Lic plates are paid for in either 1-3 or 5 yr increments. Trailers are a 1 time lic plate purchase. 3 vehicles & 1 trailer cost us less than 1 vehicle in CO.

Gun sales are FTF, same at shows. A CCW gets you in & out of a ffl in under 10 min, if not less. Depending how busy they are.

We live in a small town with minimal amenities. However that's what we looked for. We wanted small town, minimal freeloaders, some space between neighbors (1ac + lots) gun friendly. WIth a hospital within a 30-45 min drive.

Is AZ or some other state for you, who knows? I've found you gravitate to like minded people wherever you go. The only thing that changes is the accent and lic plates.

I suggest one does their homework before relocating. What is the tax rate, how's property taxes, schools, if you have kids, how far away are emergency services, when needed. Water supply, are you on city water & sewage, or well & septic. How deeps the well and what's the recovery rate? We're at 60 gpm, others 10gpm, requiring storage tanks.

. If a small town, how mechanical are you, as compared to someone who's lived in a townhome all their life, with other people for fixing things.

We needed a new well drilled. Learned a lot about the working of it and different pumps. BUT i'm mechanically knowledgeable as the wife, who also picked up a few things too.

As we've seen here. City / urban folks move to rural areas. Expecting paved roads and all the amenities they had in LA, Denver etc. OR buy acreage then wonder. Does anyone know someone who will mow my property?

[.455_Hunter]

We are looking at SD, ID and TN as possible locations. Possibly AZ in the mountains.

I see you are listed as NW of Fort Collins. Roughly how far- 287/Laporte suburbs or back in the hills? Beyond the normal Colorado issues (magazines, UBC, etc.) what is specifically negative about your current area?

[BushMasterBoy]

Last years trend. If it wasn't for the volcano and poison gas, I'd be in Hawaii!

89393

[Gman]

Is AZ or some other state for you, who knows? I've found you gravitate to like minded people wherever you go. The only thing that changes is the accent and lic plates.
Isn't that the truth. In our legislative district, our state senator and both reps are Republicans. Doesn't mean much in the overall scheme, but you know you're not alone.

[Aloha_Shooter]

I have been looking at places like this. Big enough to grow whatever you want, oranges, apples, etc. Close enough to the ocean to use my Boston Whaler. Inland enough, hurricanes won't flood. So many high tech jobs with Spacex, Terran Orbital, etc. and still some reasonable home prices.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/5220-Calamondin-Ave_Cocoa_FL_32926_M53826-78495


Bear in mind that the further inland you go, the less you will get ocean breezes to cool off in the summer. Of course, you're spared the problems of being trapped on the barrier island if/when the bridges are closed. There is a reason that house is on stilts and it's not to give you a great view of the surrounding countryside. Having said that, I liked the attitude of the local sheriff when I was living in Brevard County (NOT to be confused with Broward which was a s--t show) and the afternoon rains helped keep the place cooler than Orlando.

[BlasterBob]

We retired in 1995 and moved from Naperville (Chicago area) to southern Colorado - Trinidad. Back then Trinidad was still a VERY friendly little town where meeting someone on the sidewalk down town, they?d almost always greet us with a smile and a ?Hi?. Had a little 35 acre ?Ranchette? outside of town with NO close by neighbors and CO was very gun friendly back then. After exactly 20 years of real happiness out there, we moved back to Central Illinois (NOT) the Chicago area. Sure glad we got out of Trinidad with all their current crime, Pot shops and Hobos/Panhandlers. Moved back to Illinois (rust belt of the Nation) for health reasons and to be real close to our offspring. Upside here is that we have plenty of excellent medical facilities that Trinidad did not have to offer.and that is important as I am coming up on 86 years old. Another plus of that southern Colorado location was being only 20+ minutes from NRA Whittington Center. WE DO MISS COLORADO.

[MarkCO]

Let's see, a world class range, great medical, a Buc-ees, always between 20 and 70F, 4 seasons, no income tax, moderate cost of living and low crime. [dig]

[Ah Pook]

As we've seen here. City / urban folks move to rural areas. Expecting paved roads and all the amenities they had in LA, Denver etc. OR buy acreage then wonder. Does anyone know someone who will mow my property?
Just switch out mountains and you have the same situation.

[theGinsue]

Upside here is that we have plenty of excellent medical facilities that Trinidad did not have to offer.and that is important as I am coming up on 86 years old.

Whoa, not so fast there mister.

I contest that lack of medical facilities statement. For the longest time Trinidad was known as the place to go in the U.S. for certain surgical procedures. You could have stayed and taken advantage of their services....you might look good in a skirt & blouse. [Muaha] [I know; I'm going to hell]

All joking aside, we miss having you here too.

[encorehunter]

They just spent $32 million building us a new hospital. It has a dialysis facility and cancer treatment facility. Too bad no one is employed there that knows how to use it, so everything still has to be shipped out. That is around $4100 per person to pay for it in the city with their tax bond.

[DDT951]

There is a reason that house is on stilts and it's not to give you a great view of the surrounding countryside.

Because alligators cant walk up stairs?

[BushMasterBoy]

Because alligators cant walk up stairs?

Admittedly the house is in the jungle. Keeping it off the ground will help with predators and insects. I lived in that area for 10 years. A possum got in the house and was eating tomatoes of the kitchen table. I got blamed for that.

I'll probably end up in a place like this, has water view, boat dock, etc.

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/200-Forest-Hill-Dr_Cocoa_FL_32926_M67799-46454

[Great-Kazoo]

Regarding the OP's need, or wants to have a garden, etc. Down here we've had a garden going since we moved in. The sellers moved out mid summer, so we had a nice size crop of red potatoes.

There's 2 apple, 1 pear, cherry and apricot tree on the property. We had so much lettuce year 1, we donated 10+ pounds of it to the food bank. Carrots, beans, lettuce, onions, garlic and cukes, are a few of the crops we have each year.

[ray1970]

I?d just move to Scottsdale and start a rock garden. Or maybe cactus.

[encorehunter]

I?d just move to Scottsdale and start a rock garden. Or maybe cactus.

I have a rock garden now with cacti. It been so dry, even the cacti are dying. Plenty of sandstone growing, every time I dig a whole, I find more clay and rocks.

[Great-Kazoo]

I?d just move to Scottsdale and start a rock garden. Or maybe cactus.

Scottsdale passed an ordinance , took effect 01/2022. All rock gardens must be done with the consent of said rocks, used. Cacti must be free ranging, with the requirement to be microchipped.
This way if bert actually does shove one up someone ass. It can be proved it wasn't a straw purchase..

[theGinsue]

That post was golden!

[Bailey Guns]

I moved here to Oklahoma simply because I was looking for a low cost of living place to retire. When I say I've never lived anywhere I liked more, I'm completely serious. I honestly can't believe how much I like it here. I liked Idaho, too. But it's a much friendlier atmosphere here...southern thing, I guess. The one downside is, like Texas, there isn't much public land like there is in CO and many of the western/Rocky Mtn states. I know that's huge for a lot of people. But there are many, many under-utilized state parks all over. That hasn't been a big issue for me...even though I liked that about Colorado.

It's inexpensive, housing is still cheap, taxes are very low, roads are great with very little traffic, low population density, people are friendly, gun laws are great. I started out in the very SW corner. I'm in the process of moving to the south-central part of the state, near Ada. We got a very nice little property for $200k...1330 sq ft house is only 4 years old, 900 sq ft steel shop, tractor shed, two nice chicken coops on 18.5 fenced acres. Tons of pecan, peach, oak and cedar trees. 1 neighbor. Very private.

I know people shake their heads when someone brings up Oklahoma, but a guy could do a lot worse.

On the other hand, the fewer people move here, the better.

Oh...and I just read an article out of OKC. Latest voter registration shows republicans gained about 114,000 new voters in the state. Democrats lost 42,000. Not a single county voted blue in 2020...not even in the bigger cities. So there's that...

[encorehunter]

8944389444

We mostly have dirt with high levels of clay. Yes I have tested it, it is around 20% clay. I have amended the soil a lot in the pastures to grow grass, but with the decades of drought, it stays mostly dirt still.
I think these pictures do show the grass is greener over there.

[Great-Kazoo]

If WA floats your boat, go for it. Myself. Never gave Wa a 2nd glance, after all their politics. I've run in to people down here, who moved from there, saying it was just as bad, as the Ca they left years before that.

With that said. If this is a place to retire, you should consider travel time to hospitals, along with general medical services.

[eddiememphis]

Washington state legislature passed a 10 round magazine limit.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20220210/washington-10-round-magazine-ban-legislation-passed-out-of-the-senate

"Senate Bill 5078, bans the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, importation, etc., of magazines that "are capable of holding," or hold more than, 10 rounds of ammunition. This includes conversion kits or parts from which any such magazine may be assembled. "

[encorehunter]

Washington state legislature passed a 10 round magazine limit.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20220210/washington-10-round-magazine-ban-legislation-passed-out-of-the-senate

"Senate Bill 5078, bans the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, importation, etc., of magazines that "are capable of holding," or hold more than, 10 rounds of ammunition. This includes conversion kits or parts from which any such magazine may be assembled. "

Ouch. I have a few of those. I don't see how we, conservatives, basically have no where we can move to the coast and not be overwhelmed by liberals and their hate for us. I wish we could spread the "love" as easily as they spread the "hate."

[Gman]

Washington state legislature passed a 10 round magazine limit.

https://www.nraila.org/articles/20220210/washington-10-round-magazine-ban-legislation-passed-out-of-the-senate

"Senate Bill 5078, bans the manufacture, possession, sale, transfer, importation, etc., of magazines that "are capable of holding," or hold more than, 10 rounds of ammunition. This includes conversion kits or parts from which any such magazine may be assembled. "

Passed the Senate. The fight is still on.

I do plan on acquiring some magazines for firearms I hope to acquire in the future, just in case.

[GeorgeandSugar]

I'm still about 8 years from retiring, but we are starting to look at places we want to relocate to. I have always wanted to move to the Kenai peninsula Alaska, but dealing with snow and long winters is not looking as inviting. I mentioned Washington to my wife, and she is all about it. She lived there for several years, talks about all the fruit trees and how green it is. She says you can grow almost anything in western Washington.
I am liking the idea of being able to fish a lot, there is deer, elk, bear and cougar hunting, along with small game. We can drive the pickup onto the ferry and be in Alaska in a day or two.
Oregon may be on the list as well, so it is an option. I am ruling out the east coast due to hurricanes and such. Texas taxes are t the greatest. My uncle has a ranch there we can go to whenever we would like. California is out as I have too many of those bad black guns that kill people. I haven't looked into moving out of the US very much.
Any suggestions to look into? We may be buying the house in the next year or two, have a management company rent it out for us to offset some of the costs.

A lots depends on what you are looking for. Eastern WA is nice. Typical 4 seasons. Wenatchee is a nice area. I grow-up outside Spokane. The areas north of Spokane are nice. Wooded.

Eastern Oregon is nice too everything from trees, mountains and plains. Bend is nice. Nice summer weather. Cold in winter. I have relatives in West Stayton. Detroit Lakes area was nice. Hit hard by last year fires.

I?m in AZ. You cannot beat the weather, if you are tired of the snow and cold. Summers are hot and can get humid with monsoon. We received 11 inches in 10 weeks. We plan on getting out of here for 6-8 weeks this summer.

In each case there is the question of the political environment. Wa and OR is run by the democrats capturing just a hand full of counties. The large urban areas dominate the state. The east side of both states are conservative. They would like to secede just as parts of CO would like to do.

AZ is still conservative although we have 2 Democratic senators. The state could turn purple one day. That does not make me happy given we came here to be amongst conservatives. My beef is taxes, regulation and the 2A.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[earplug]

One thought is check out a drought map. Water is a huge issue now and its not getting better in the near future.

[encorehunter]

My wife's father lives in Wenatchee, and according to her, we will not live anywhere close. She has backed off of moving up to the northwest. We are going to Florida in two months, so we will check it out down there. It sounds like she wants to travel some and check out places, so that will broaden locations. She does still want to be near the coast. I figure we can do a couple trips a year for the next three years, which should help us decide where to look more into. Hurricanes still concern me, but we may look at a mountain cabin the the Carolinas or somewhere in there.

[Gman]

That sounds like a good idea. Good luck in your quest!

[Wulf202]

Wa native.

Seattle and Tacoma politics control the state. They tried to burn down my home town once...

Then theres the tribes. Dont fucking trespass.

Then theres the Gov agency that is telling you what to do. Theres always one. Dept of L and I is a big one.

Water falls from the sky west of the cascades. It doesn't east of them. The resulting weather is shitty 9 months of the year.

If you live close enough to the or border you can make purchases there and save taxes because wa may have no state income tax on paper but they will tax you.

Stay far far away from Tacoma and Seattle. Check out registration with the light rail taxes...

Having a business in WA is also full of red tape and taxes and politics.

[Wulf202]

One thought is check out a drought map. Water is a huge issue now and its not getting better in the near future.

Oh yeah. Check out some of the barons of Yakima county. The hops growing families have shut down adding any wells. And they even stopped people with existing wells from being able to use them.

[Wulf202]

Isn't that the truth. In our legislative district, our state senator and both reps are Republicans. Doesn't mean much in the overall scheme, but you know you're not alone.

Yup. Check out some of the voting maps. Blue around the Puget sound. The rest of the state votes red and always has. Doesn't matter

[Bailey Guns]

Eastern WA was very conservative for the most part...except Spokane. Eastern WA was a lot like Idaho. But the west side still controls everything. Just like the front range in Colorado. If you're looking up in that area, why not northern Idaho?

[Gman]

I love the Idaho panhandle. Had to consider the elevation. Living near sea level with good air quality has allowed my wife's lungs to heal almost completely.

Not much difference between Spokane and CDA. Could live in Idaho and work in WA.

[encorehunter]

Puerto Rico would be worth visiting and checking retirement options.
Week long vacation was nice.

Well, I made a quick change to our plans of going to south Texas this year. We are headed to Puerto Rico in two weeks to look around. Several small properties for very decent prices. My wife informed me we will be buying a small restaurant when we retire so we won't be bored, and we will have something for the boys to learn in. Some of the small farms have orchards, but I like the one that is growing coffee.

[Hummer]

Fun thread to revisit. Given the extreme hot weather we're seeing in southern states from CA, AZ, through TX and east, and that this is part of a growing trend, I wouldn't move to any of those areas. I once thought I might retire in the outskirts of Patagonia or Sedona, AZ, but we're better off where we are.

Long ago I decided to never again live in a city or suburban area. That's what we have in our mountain home, and the farm outside Palisade. A big plus is that we have good water on the properties. On East Orchard Mesa, we have senior water rights to the Colorado River that flows through a canal that meanders through the property and is pumped to and around the house. Our mountain properties enjoy a private spring that produces 29 gallons a minute and can be drawn from tap by gravity. Water security.

Throughout the southwest, water is drawing down the underground aquifers such that riparian areas have shrunk and are dying. What happens when the Phoenix area with ~ 5 million people dries up and can no longer support the population? Much of the southwest is coming to a critical tipping point.

[ray1970]

Speaking of Phoenix, the water is only a small piece of why I couldn?t live there.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230714/b19200d91ba60e1988cc793bb8c5071d.jpg

[Great-Kazoo]

Speaking of Phoenix, the water is only a small piece of why I couldn?t live there.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230714/b19200d91ba60e1988cc793bb8c5071d.jpg



The valley considers a 112 day to be a cooling trend. WTF. A 2 deg difference is cooling?

[arbol]

You live just north of Pheonix, right?

-John

[arbol]

While Puerto Rico is moderated by the seas, I am heading North, as a landlubber.

-John

[Great-Kazoo]

You live just north of Pheonix, right?

-John

No. We're about the same distance from the valley, as Ft. Collins is to Denver. Or as the folks down there say, We're up the hill.

Have all 4 seasons 1.5 hrs from almost every tourist / scenic area of the state. Prescott reminds us of Ft Collins, when it was a small town with no freeloading, dope smoking, give me give me, fuktard liberal.

[Ah Pook]

Prescott reminds us of Ft Collins, when it was a small town with no freeloading, dope smoking, give me give me, fuktard liberal.

Are you talking about me?? [LOL]

This is a fun area. Lots to do, ya just have to look a little harder.

[Great-Kazoo]

Are you talking about me?? [LOL]

This is a fun area. Lots to do, ya just have to look a little harder.

Yeah, i'm talking to you .

94272

[Aloha_Shooter]

I have little choice as the family expects me to return to islands. In fact, my mother is increasing the pressure to make the return soon as she's feeling her age and I guess wants me back while she's still able to enjoy it. I guess that means I'm going to have to trim the collection and store the standard capacity magazines somewhere.

[Ripper]

I've been looking seriously at the Little Rock Area.

[.455_Hunter]

I have pretty much determined that I won't do consistent over 100 temps and/or elevated humidity. That eliminates a pretty big chunk of the country. I also like being within reasonable distance of a metro area. Once again, that puts the SE WY, SW SD, Western NE region in good focus.

[BushMasterBoy]

I've been looking seriously at the Little Rock Area.

Little Rock has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. I lived there from the late 70's to the middle 80's. A lot of my high school friends died violently. I'd stay out of the city limits.

[Jer]

I have pretty much determined that I won't do consistent over 100 temps and/or elevated humidity. That eliminates a pretty big chunk of the country. I also like being within reasonable distance of a metro area. Once again, that puts the SE WY, SW SD, Western NE region in good focus.

I would encourage you to look elsewhere. Source: I grew up in Western Nebraska and the moment I graduated high school I couldn't get out of that area fast enough. It's far more humid than you might think, it gets hotter in the summer and colder in the winter with nowhere near as many nice weather days in between.

If that weren't already enough there's the added excitement from hail, tornadoes and mass snow storms. On top of that, there's zero commerce. I often thought I would move away, make my money and then move back to a patch of land on the lake. Now, I don't see that happening.

The reality is that whenever we go back it's just a painful reminder of why we left in the first place. We don't even visit often due to how crappy it is. The crime rate is far higher than you would expect for such a low population and density.

SE WY is just as bad but with much more wind. If you're not too far from Cheyenne at least there's some commerce but outside of that it's pretty desolate pretty quickly, which may be what you want.

(I started having deja vu while typing this so I scrolled back and sure enough, said roughly the same thing a year and half ago minus the additional meteorological & crime info)

We considered Arizona (Scottsdale area was the front runner) up until very recently but had begun having concerns. This continuing trend of increasing temps and real estate prices there coupled with the water situation that could get dire as soon as 2 years (depending on what experts you believe) has kind of moved us off of that position.

I tell you what, the more places we travel around the US to interview different locations to buy land/real estate we end up appreciating Northern Colorado more and more. We may just end up moving up in house here and calling it good w/o having two places in different areas to snow bird. We're perfectly content to wait it out where we are and see how things play out and if that takes us up to our final days (hopefully) decades from now... I think that would be alright.

[def90]

I've been travelling a lot for work lately to places I haven't been to before.. a few places I've liked that still have reasonable home prices and enough to do in the local area to be worth it.. Augusta Ga, Jensen Beach Fl, Edgewater Fl, the smaller cities along the I35 San Antonio to Austin corridor such as Kyle, Uhland, and Lockhart Tx.. The Boise area in Idaho and if you like it a little more rural anything on the eastern side of Idaho.

[Ripper]

Quote Originally Posted by Ripper View Post
I've been looking seriously at the Little Rock Area.
Little Rock has one of the highest violent crime rates in the nation. I lived there from the late 70's to the middle 80's. A lot of my high school friends died violently. I'd stay out of the city limits.

I agree looking at some of the "burbs to the north of the metro area that have pretty good crime stats.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

I was thinking about a tent in City Park.

[Jer]

I was thinking about a tent in City Park.

The tent lyfe in Hawaii is bomb cuz!

[OneGuy67]

We are contemplating mid to eastern Tennessee for a retirement move. Cost of living is cheaper, cost of land/housing is more affordable, pace of life is a bit slower, disabled veterans get % off property taxes, no state taxing of retirement payments, and as one of my co-workers put it, they are "our" kind of people, meaning, more conservative in their political views.

Any thoughts from the crowd on this?

[Jer]

We are contemplating mid to eastern Tennessee for a retirement move. Cost of living is cheaper, cost of land/housing is more affordable, pace of life is a bit slower, disabled veterans get % off property taxes, no state taxing of retirement payments, and as one of my co-workers put it, they are "our" kind of people, meaning, more conservative in their political views.

Any thoughts from the crowd on this?

I think that's a really solid option. A good friend of mine lived there for a number of years and we just went out and visited again relatively recently. It made our short list of potential states but the deal breaker for us is the humidity. As long as that doesn't bother you though I think it's a great choice.

[Sawin]

We are contemplating mid to eastern Tennessee for a retirement move. Cost of living is cheaper, cost of land/housing is more affordable, pace of life is a bit slower, disabled veterans get % off property taxes, no state taxing of retirement payments, and as one of my co-workers put it, they are "our" kind of people, meaning, more conservative in their political views.

Any thoughts from the crowd on this?

That is 100% my plan as well.

[HBARleatherneck]

But it's 40% the size of Colorado and has 7 million people.

[encorehunter]

We are headed to Puerto Rico tonight. I am looking forward to fishing this week. Gun license is required, but reasonable. Plenty of iguanas to shoot. My 6 year old wants to go fishing, my 7 year old wants to shoot iguanas. Down near Ponce, we can do both at the same time.

[theGinsue]

We are contemplating mid to eastern Tennessee for a retirement move. Cost of living is cheaper, cost of land/housing is more affordable, pace of life is a bit slower, disabled veterans get % off property taxes, no state taxing of retirement payments, and as one of my co-workers put it, they are "our" kind of people, meaning, more conservative in their political views.

Any thoughts from the crowd on this?

Just stay as far away from Nashville as you can. Predominant Democrats, too many people, crime that comes from any city, too many people, growing homeless problem (as with everywhere), too many people, and an urban attitude. Oh, and did I mention too many people?

I had an occasion to stay overnight in Knoxville back in 1997 and to this day I still say EVERYONE I met and interacted with were the nicest people I've ever experienced. Of course, you could always consider further East and go with Johnson City, or thereabouts.

[Aloha_Shooter]

We are contemplating mid to eastern Tennessee for a retirement move. Cost of living is cheaper, cost of land/housing is more affordable, pace of life is a bit slower, disabled veterans get % off property taxes, no state taxing of retirement payments, and as one of my co-workers put it, they are "our" kind of people, meaning, more conservative in their political views. Any thoughts from the crowd on this? I have a cousin who moved with her family from Honolulu to Mt Juliet, TN. I don't think she's ever going back to HI except to sell her townhouse (if she ever does).

[William]

I would encourage you to look elsewhere. Source: I grew up in Western Nebraska and the moment I graduated high school I couldn't get out of that area fast enough. It's far more humid than you might think, it gets hotter in the summer and colder in the winter with nowhere near as many nice weather days in between.

If that weren't already enough there's the added excitement from hail, tornadoes and mass snow storms. On top of that, there's zero commerce. I often thought I would move away, make my money and then move back to a patch of land on the lake. Now, I don't see that happening.

The reality is that whenever we go back it's just a painful reminder of why we left in the first place. We don't even visit often due to how crappy it is. The crime rate is far higher than you would expect for such a low population and density.

SE WY is just as bad but with much more wind. If you're not too far from Cheyenne at least there's some commerce but outside of that it's pretty desolate pretty quickly, which may be what you want.

(I started having deja vu while typing this so I scrolled back and sure enough, said roughly the same thing a year and half ago minus the additional meteorological & crime info)

We considered Arizona (Scottsdale area was the front runner) up until very recently but had begun having concerns. This continuing trend of increasing temps and real estate prices there coupled with the water situation that could get dire as soon as 2 years (depending on what experts you believe) has kind of moved us off of that position.

I tell you what, the more places we travel around the US to interview different locations to buy land/real estate we end up appreciating Northern Colorado more and more. We may just end up moving up in house here and calling it good w/o having two places in different areas to snow bird. We're perfectly content to wait it out where we are and see how things play out and if that takes us up to our final days (hopefully) decades from now... I think that would be alright.

Kind of my plan but in southern co/mountains. A lot to like still in Colorado.

[colorider]

I would encourage you to look elsewhere. Source: I grew up in Western Nebraska and the moment I graduated high school I couldn't get out of that area fast enough. It's far more humid than you might think, it gets hotter in the summer and colder in the winter with nowhere near as many nice weather days in between.

If that weren't already enough there's the added excitement from hail, tornadoes and mass snow storms. On top of that, there's zero commerce. I often thought I would move away, make my money and then move back to a patch of land on the lake. Now, I don't see that happening.

The reality is that whenever we go back it's just a painful reminder of why we left in the first place. We don't even visit often due to how crappy it is. The crime rate is far higher than you would expect for such a low population and density.

SE WY is just as bad but with much more wind. If you're not too far from Cheyenne at least there's some commerce but outside of that it's pretty desolate pretty quickly, which may be what you want.

(I started having deja vu while typing this so I scrolled back and sure enough, said roughly the same thing a year and half ago minus the additional meteorological & crime info)

We considered Arizona (Scottsdale area was the front runner) up until very recently but had begun having concerns. This continuing trend of increasing temps and real estate prices there coupled with the water situation that could get dire as soon as 2 years (depending on what experts you believe) has kind of moved us off of that position.

I tell you what, the more places we travel around the US to interview different locations to buy land/real estate we end up appreciating Northern Colorado more and more. We may just end up moving up in house here and calling it good w/o having two places in different areas to snow bird. We're perfectly content to wait it out where we are and see how things play out and if that takes us up to our final days (hopefully) decades from now... I think that would be alright.

The water situation in Scottsdale is real. I happen to live next door to a head honcho that is pretty much the expert regarding the Colorado River Basin. He?s been on the national news about has been hired out of retirement to work on the issue. Let?s just say, the Government doesn?t listen and keeps doing things that are a temporary fix. At best. Kind of like Biden and the oil reserves.
Back to retirement. Recently took a trip to St Joseph Missouri and also Lake Of The Ozarks. St. Joe is sleepy and ?historic?, and cheap as hell. Lake of the Ozarks is fun as hell and also not expensive. Hell, gas at the docks is cheaper than Colorado gas stations! Both places are pretty much 95% like minded. The lake is pretty much solid right leaning. Super nice people in both places. We are looking to get a house in St Joe for winter, and a lake house at Lake of Ozarks for the summer.

[earplug]

I'm looking at nations in South America. Even Central America is looking good

[encorehunter]

94402

I found this little place. It can't be too bad of a place if it is a Boutique.

[MED]

I'm moving to my retirement place soon, about three years from now. If the state went blue in 2020, it is automatically removed from my list. I will not live in a blue shaded congressional district either. If the state is trending blue, I'm going to avoid it....no desire to experience a repeat of Colorado. I want a property with land, at least 20-40 acres in a rural area far away from populations centers. I can't live in high desert dry climates anymore because of health reasons nor do I want to so Wyoming is out. Not much left in the western states because of the political trends. I would love to go back to the Pacific Nothwest where I went to undergrad, which was by far my favorite climate; but no way I'm putting up with the political BS up there. I'm looking at northern Idaho, South Dakota Black Hills, Utah,, Ozarks, Smokys, Kentucky, West Virginia, losing interest fast in Montana. I can't handle the heat in any of the southern states so those are out.

[encorehunter]

While puerto rico is nice, it is not for us. The mountains We're very steep, almost unclimable and raised until about 3500 feet.
For having 3 million people on the island It seems like everyone had 3 cars and drove all 3 at once. We saw very little damage left over from the hurricane. Most everything fixed an operating conditions. The beaches were beautiful, but they don't make up for the rest of the area. Prices were hit or miss, mostly being very reasonable. Milk was $6.50 a gallon, which we expected. Beer was $6 a six pack.

[Great-Kazoo]

While puerto rico is nice, it is not for us. The mountains We're very steep, almost unclimable and raised until about 3500 feet.
For having 3 million people on the island It seems like everyone had 3 cars and drove all 3 at once. We saw very little damage left over from the hurricane. Most everything fixed an operating conditions. The beaches were beautiful, but they don't make up for the rest of the area. Prices were hit or miss, mostly being very reasonable. Milk was $6.50 a gallon, which we expected. Beer was $6 a six pack.

My tio y tia lived there from birth - death. Nice place to visit, live, never. We left NY close to 45 yrs ago, since there were only 3 bridges to get off the place, not counting the tunnels. To be stuck anyplace where you're dependent on sea, or air to GTFO. A hard pass.

[Martinjmpr]

I know y'all are going to call me crazy but we are looking at Pueblo West.

Gets us out of the Denver metro area but still 90 minutes away from our kids and grandkids. We can get a decent house on 1+ acre for $500k or less, which means if we sell our Littleton house for enough, no mortgage. Warmer weather, no HOA, no yard to mow, no sprinklers to tend to and room for a big-ass garage if the house doesn't already have one (many do.)

I know Pueblo doesn't have the greatest reputation but this is Pueblo West, North and West of the main city. Mostly new-ish developments on large lots. I don't plan on going into the city very often anyway (it's not like we've been to downtown Denver much either - I think it's been literally years since we were there.)

We like to camp and PW is a good jumping off point for destinations West, South and East. The weather is milder in the winter (although blistering hot in Summer - I'm prepared for that if it means no snow to shovel.)

Wife was born and raised in Colorado and she doesn't want to be too far from her kids and grandkids, and I get that. If it was me by myself I'd be looking at Sierra Vista, AZ (about 70 miles SE of Tucson) where I did a lot of my military time. Gorgeous area, it's at 4,000' so it doesn't get as hot as Tucson or Phoenix. Military town (Fort Huachuca) so it's a place I'd feel comfortable. But it's just too far from the rest of the family for my wife.

[BushMasterBoy]

I live in Pueblo West. Zoned for horses on a acre. 3/2 with a attached garage. Lots of junkies from Pueblo like to raid the area for unsecured goodies. It was fairly quiet when I bought this place in 2006. Now it has become like a big city, new fire department and hospital nearby. I hope you like wind! You can cool a whole house with a swamp cooler. I can heat in winter with two cords in a wood stove. Lots of potential for solar. You have to run a humidifier when you sleep. Humidity level was 7% in the bedroom. Pollen levels can go through the roof. I paid 130K, comparables value the place at $330k now.
My location is the north side of hiway 50. The house will shake when the Army fires artillery. Lots of military aviation activity if you like free airshows. If I had to do it again, I would have stayed in Cocoa Beach due to sinus problems.