How to retire in USA being citizen.

[olfu]

This opus is opinion based on my personal life experience.

When I hit legal age I was completely lost as my dick and stomach dictated

my behavior. So I look around and everybody seems to be having family, kids and private life--my first mistake.

Took me a while to figure out that in US one entity called money dominate and depending on your luck and mental abilities you make it or sleep under the bridge. With my IQ below 38 I was drifting between gfs and wives but finally reached the age when retirement was on menu and in US you have 3 age points for consideration--62,66 and 70.

I rejected 62 as I thought working will make me reasonably rich--my second mistake point being if you work all your life you plainly slave and idiot and don't comprehend having fun and freedom very important as you are getting older and closer to point of no return and I see it clearly as my health deteriorates.

So, how much anybody need at 62?--200 000$ in bank plus 3000$ monthly income before taxes will make a cut.

 

[Relocated]

Do you know any place on the globe where you don't have to sleep under the bridge even you have zero money to live?

Please let me know in order to move to that place. 

 

"How much money do you need?"

It depends on how many 6 packs you consume a day.

 

[bkk6060]

You can live off that sure in many places.

California, New York mostly not.

Las Vegas/Nevada, Arizona, on and on and many other places with warm weather yes.

 

 

[bwpage3]

If you are still working into your 60's in corporate America, then you have probably earned 4 to 6 weeks of annual vacation and a couple weeks of sick leave.

 

This is plenty of time to have fun.

 

Most I know took social security at 62 and continue to work full time.

[ChouDoufu]

texas, new mexico, arizona.   buy a house in a small town for $25k.

 

in texas, no state income tax, homestead exemptions to limit property taxes.

[Pedrogaz]

My ex has a $60,000 after tax income in NJ and cannot make ends meet....she has no mortgage or car to pay for either so I think $3000 monthly income is way too little.

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, Pedrogaz said:

My ex has a $60,000 after tax income in NJ and cannot make ends meet....she has no mortgage or car to pay for either so I think $3000 monthly income is way too little.

Or maybe that's the reason she is your ex?

[rumak]

7 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

texas, new mexico, arizona.   buy a house in a small town for $25k.

 

in texas, no state income tax, homestead exemptions to limit property taxes.

I lived for many years in a small town in Texas.   Nice weather and pretty nice people.

Might even consider going back.  BUT       health care costs will KILL me.  

Those of you ( americans)  that have average savings will never make it ( except veterans or those very few who have health insurance and can afford a lot of co pays. )

Read up on it......   or ask Sheryl  ( she knows that medicare and other plans leave a lot of money to be desired)     

So,  back to plan one.   Thailand  

Note:  I am almost 70 and have had hardly any health costs over the years.  But, one mishap

or diagnosis and the States will take all i have.

[ThailandRyan]

I retired in California at the age of 53, and thanks to many investments throughout my adult years, I managed to put 3 kids through the University Systems, paying as they went so that they never ended up with Debt.  Luckily, I also have a defined benefit pension, and have been fortunate to not live under a bridge, or become homeless.  With the State of California being run into the ground, I moved to Thailand permanently.  I consider myself to be fairly fortunate. If I were to try and live in the US, and based upon income, States such as Ohio, Tennessee, Arizona, Texas, and even Florida would be very doable to sustain the life I live.....However, I have no intention of moving back to the US.

[muffy]

I retired at 46 ,31yrs ago, and make more doing nothing .

[ChouDoufu]

29 minutes ago, rumak said:

I lived for many years in a small town in Texas.   Nice weather and pretty nice people.

Might even consider going back.  BUT       health care costs will KILL me.  

Those of you ( americans)  that have average savings will never make it ( except veterans or those very few who have health insurance and can afford a lot of co pays. )

Read up on it......   or ask Sheryl  ( she knows that medicare and other plans leave a lot of money to be desired)     

So,  back to plan one.   Thailand  

Note:  I am almost 70 and have had hardly any health costs over the years.  But, one mishap

or diagnosis and the States will take all i have.

yes, weather was nice.  southwest texas had mild winters, used a gas heater a couple weeks in january, mild summers as well.  swamp cooler effective, cheaper than ac.

 

if you have v.a. benefits, there is a good selection of hospitals and clinics.  not much work available outside the big cities, so you have to be retired or work online if you need to make a living.

 

i might consider moving back some day, but then i'd want some land to build my end-of-days bunker.  i like cactus and tumbleweeds, wouldn't mind building a cabin on a square mile of scrubland. 

[TGIR]

8 hours ago, ChouDoufu said:

texas, new mexico, arizona.   buy a house in a small town for $25k.

 

in texas, no state income tax, homestead exemptions to limit property taxes.

"buy a house" for @25k????   Get serious.

[ChouDoufu]

1 minute ago, TGIR said:

"buy a house" for @25k????   Get serious.

yes.  serious.  many small towns losing population.  kids head to the big cities for school or career, don't come back.  many houses empty.  expect more to pop up when the full effects of the oil bust are felt.

 

i bought mine in 2000 for $10k.  small house, 10 years old, 900 sq.ft, in good shape.  i know of two for sale now for $20k.  checked a few websites last night, cause why not, found 250 acres and a cabin (probably a dump) with well and electric for 100k.

[ThailandRyan]

Sisters brother in-law just bought 40 acres and a nice house in Jackson, Tennessee for $110,000.  Paid cash and is building a large barn on it.  Cheap to live back there, gas and food are cheap....

Edited April 6, 2020 by ThailandRyan

[moontang]

17 minutes ago, TGIR said:

"buy a house" for @25k????   Get serious.

how about 14,900....https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/337-E-Maxwell-Ave-Raton-NM-87740/121548127_zpid/

[bkk6060]

1 hour ago, rumak said:

I am almost 70 and have had hardly any health costs over the years.  But, one mishap

or diagnosis and the States will take all i have.

Your post is a false statement if a person has Medicare.

It is available to anyone over 65.  I guess you did not or forgot to sign up for it?

I pay about $170 US a month and get 100% coverage, no co pay, great hospitals, etc.

It is very good insurance for an extremely low price.

Edited April 6, 2020 by bkk6060

[Pravda]

9 minutes ago, moontang said:

how about 14,900....https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/337-E-Maxwell-Ave-Raton-NM-87740/121548127_zpid/

 

Yes, great bargain for a non functional house in the middle of nowhere and property tax over 10,000 US dollars.

 

House and land values are normally based on infrastructure and jobs. Otherwise it's just like buying a used condom.

 

[lopburi3]

4 minutes ago, Pravda said:

property tax over 10,000 US dollars.

Assessment (not tax) over 10k - tax $256.

[moontang]

5 minutes ago, Pravda said:

 

Yes, great bargain for a non functional house in the middle of nowhere and property tax over 10,000 US dollars.

 

House and land values are normally based on infrastructure and jobs. Otherwise it's just like buying a used condom.

 

Taxes are less than 250 per year..Here is one in Phoenix, that I bought while sitting in an internet shop in Chiang Rai...paid 18,500.  The guy I sold it to just got 185,000 for it.  https://www.zillow.com/homes/3831-N-8th-St-Phoenix,-AZ,-85014_rb/7534344_zpid/

[moontang]

I like this 130 year old garage, with apartment above it.  Walk to the oldest brewery in America (1829)....27,500...they might take 20K.  https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/713-W-Arch-St-Pottsville-PA-17901/2080795105_zpid/

[Mac98]

For warm weather year round go to inexpensive state like South Carolina. Mountains or seaside. But if you still want to travel, look to buying in the upper peninsula of Michigan on the Great Lakes sand dunes or hundreds of small lakes and rivers. Very cheap housing. Cold winters, so close up and go to Thailand Jan-Feb-Mar.

[The Theory]

1 hour ago, TGIR said:

"buy a house" for @25k????   Get serious.

He is actually right. There are some one bedroom manufactured houses + own lot. There are cheap houses in CA as well, but I definitely won't fit that kind of neighborhoods. 

Edited April 6, 2020 by The Theory

[Pravda]

45 minutes ago, lopburi3 said:

Assessment (not tax) over 10k - tax $256.

 

interesting.

 

I stand corrected. 

[rumak]

1 hour ago, bkk6060 said:

Your post is a false statement if a person has Medicare.

It is available to anyone over 65.  I guess you did not or forgot to sign up for it?

I pay about $170 US a month and get 100% coverage, no co pay, great hospitals, etc.

It is very good insurance for an extremely low price.

You may be right.  I am not taking my chances.  https://www.kiplinger.com/slideshow/retirement/T039-S001-7-things-medicare-doesn-t-cover/index.html

Part A deductible of $1,340 before coverage kicks in, and you’ll also have to pay a portion of the cost of long hospital stays -- $335 per day for days 61-90 in the hospital and $670 per day after that. Be aware: Over your lifetime, Medicare will only help pay for a total of 60 days beyond the 90-day limit, called “lifetime reserve days,” and thereafter you’ll pay the full hospital cost.

 

I know, i could pay for Part B .... and what that doesn't cover add Part D..... and what that doesn't cover get additional Medigap coverage.     I am happy if you are comfortable with the system, but

I still stand by my belief that there will be a lot of out of pocket expenses.  And even a band aid

costs a lot at the hospital .  I do not trust the system one bit, and there are many testimonials from people who were misled as to costs.        

 

From your posts i am sure you feel you have made a great choice.   It is not mine.   I feel my statement is correct ,  but accept that you disagree

[olfu]

Ok. Lets see more closely at USA. As money dominate as independent entity public life adjust accordingly and scams proliferate. For example mortgages. Look very inviting and if you have good credit score you're in a rat race same day. What's the catch? When you buying house on mortgage you not buying house you buying mortgage and you rent from bank. Second catch--percentage. Average fixed advertised rate is 3-6% so you innocently have monthly bill to pay say 1000$. So, where is the scam? The scam is hiding in plain view in yearly statement from bank. You sign papers with for example 5% fixed rate for 30 years--don't need much education to figure out 5% fixed rate for 30 years. Instead you see you paid 90% interest and 10% principal which means you paying variable rate starting from 90%.

As you guess it right I don't take mortgages anymore. 

[bwpage3]

4 hours ago, rumak said:

I lived for many years in a small town in Texas.   Nice weather and pretty nice people.

Might even consider going back.  BUT       health care costs will KILL me.  

Those of you ( americans)  that have average savings will never make it ( except veterans or those very few who have health insurance and can afford a lot of co pays. )

Read up on it......   or ask Sheryl  ( she knows that medicare and other plans leave a lot of money to be desired)     

So,  back to plan one.   Thailand  

Note:  I am almost 70 and have had hardly any health costs over the years.  But, one mishap

or diagnosis and the States will take all i have.

Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65+ or under 65 and have a disability, no matter your income. Medicaid is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have a very low income. ... They will work together to provide you with health coverage and lower your costs.

[bwpage3]

34 minutes ago, olfu said:

Ok. Lets see more closely at USA. As money dominate as independent entity public life adjust accordingly and scams proliferate. For example mortgages. Look very inviting and if you have good credit score you're in a rat race same day. What's the catch? When you buying house on mortgage you not buying house you buying mortgage and you rent from bank. Second catch--percentage. Average fixed advertised rate is 3-6% so you innocently have monthly bill to pay say 1000$. So, where is the scam? The scam is hiding in plain view in yearly statement from bank. You sign papers with for example 5% fixed rate for 30 years--don't need much education to figure out 5% fixed rate for 30 years. Instead you see you paid 90% interest and 10% principal which means you paying variable rate starting from 90%.

As you guess it right I don't take mortgages anymore. 

This is how the entire mortgage systems works.

 

Your not renting anything from the bank and you can do what ever it is you want with YOUR property while you are paying for it.

 

In less than 2 years, our property appraisal has gone up $100,000.

 

Here is a tip? When you take out a mortgage, make double principle payments.

 

If you don't take out mortgages, what do you do rent?

 

Renters do nothing more than pay the mortgage for the owner.

 

[moontang]

40 minutes ago, olfu said:

Ok. Lets see more closely at USA. As money dominate as independent entity public life adjust accordingly and scams proliferate. For example mortgages. Look very inviting and if you have good credit score you're in a rat race same day. What's the catch? When you buying house on mortgage you not buying house you buying mortgage and you rent from bank. Second catch--percentage. Average fixed advertised rate is 3-6% so you innocently have monthly bill to pay say 1000$. So, where is the scam? The scam is hiding in plain view in yearly statement from bank. You sign papers with for example 5% fixed rate for 30 years--don't need much education to figure out 5% fixed rate for 30 years. Instead you see you paid 90% interest and 10% principal which means you paying variable rate starting from 90%.

As you guess it right I don't take mortgages anymore. 

That makes almost no sense.  15 year mortgages are under 3%, and you will often be paying less than rent.  Adjustable mortgages?  Had one on a fixer home I bought in 2001.  Fixed for three years, then it adjusted, and went down to 4.125, but in that three years, the home value nearly doubled.  And that was my fourth home..bought six more since and paid cash, but if you live in a high col area, most need a mortgage.

Edited April 6, 2020 by moontang

[ChouDoufu]

3 hours ago, Pravda said:

 

Yes, great bargain for a non functional house in the middle of nowhere and property tax over 10,000 US dollars.

 

House and land values are normally based on infrastructure and jobs. Otherwise it's just like buying a used condom.

 

why would you think non-functional?  no indication of that in the ad.  in an established neighborhood with municipal utilities.

 

looks like an awesome place to retire if you're interested in outdoor activities.  just off the interstate on the colorado border, close to parks and hiking.  only 7000 in town, hopefully safe from the virus apocalypse.  easy drive to pueblo or santa fe or albuquerque, and has an amtrak station.

 

the one drawback for me is the elevation of ~6700'.    i don't do snow.  come to think of it, pretty sure i got trapped there one night, driving to denver when the blizzard hit....

 

https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/regions/northeast/raton/

 

 

[moontang]

4 minutes ago, ChouDoufu said:

why would you think non-functional?  no indication of that in the ad.  in an established neighborhood with municipal utilities.

 

looks like an awesome place to retire if you're interested in outdoor activities.  just off the interstate on the colorado border, close to parks and hiking.  only 7000 in town, hopefully safe from the virus apocalypse.  easy drive to pueblo or santa fe or albuquerque, and has an amtrak station.

 

the one drawback for me is the elevation of ~6700'.    i don't do snow.  come to think of it, pretty sure i got trapped there one night, driving to denver when the blizzard hit....

 

https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/regions/northeast/raton/

 

 

That elevation would pay a nice dividend around June, when it is 118f in Phoenix.  Daily train to Chicago or LA.  Was looking in a small town in Colorado, and they recorded a -61f one Winter..kind of hard to smoke legal weed if the bong water freezes solid.