U.S. D list towns & cities revisited as low budget repatriation options (rent under 1000)

[impulse]

21 minutes ago, John Drake said:

Just did a quick look at house rentals in Goliad, Texas, because I happened to have Goliad on my mind. Several houses around $1000 or less listed on rental dot com. Goliad strikes me as a pretty good place. South Texas, warm, picturesque in places. https://www.goliadtx.net/

 

We used to call it Gonad Texas, and I'd happily retire there...  Coleto Creek was a favorite fishing spot when I lived in Corpus Christ and in Sugarland.  But it's like dozens, maybe hundreds of small towns.  Hard to find work (Oilfield was big in Gonad, with the ups and downs), and I don't think I'd educate my kids there.  Not that they're Goliad'ners are dumb.  Just that it would be a small district with limited resources.

 

To jingthing's comment on crime and decay, that's why I love the redneck culture.  We look after our neighbors.  And, to be clear, there are tons of black and Latino rednecks.  It's a culture, not a race.  In Galveston, a lot of the rednecks are Vietnamese and Filipinos, too.  Speaking of Vietnamese, look at Palacios, Texas.  Lots of Vietnamese fishermen settled there after the war and raised up a great community.  Right on the bay, but pretty remote.  And affordable.

 

 

[John Drake]

36 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Tiny place but a bigger city in the vicinity is Victoria TX and that's well within D list  boundaries.

 

 

Goliad has less than 2000 people I think. Victoria, too, seems okay. A place with 80,000 or more, just a little bit over Victoria, is Mission, Texas. It's right along the border in the Rio Grande Valley. Might be even more options there.

[John Drake]

27 minutes ago, impulse said:

 

We used to call it Gonad Texas, and I'd happily retire there...  Coleto Creek was a favorite fishing spot when I lived in Corpus Christ and in Sugarland.  But it's like dozens, maybe hundreds of small towns.  Hard to find work (Oilfield was big in Gonad, with the ups and downs), and I don't think I'd educate my kids there.  Not that they're Goliad'ners are dumb.  Just that it would be a small district with limited resources.

 

To jingthing's comment on crime and decay, that's why I love the redneck culture.  We look after our neighbors.  And, to be clear, there are tons of black and Latino rednecks.  It's a culture, not a race.  In Galveston, a lot of the rednecks are Vietnamese and Filipinos, too.  Speaking of Vietnamese, look at Palacios, Texas.  Lots of Vietnamese fishermen settled there after the war and raised up a great community.  Right on the bay, but pretty remote.  And affordable.

 

 

 

Limited opportunities to work often time means lower prices for rent for retirees. I like Goliad a great deal. It's majority Hispanic and 40 percent Anglo. But I like Hispanic ways, especially those from Mexico. 

[John Drake]

44 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Tiny place but a bigger city in the vicinity is Victoria TX and that's well within D list  boundaries.

 

BTW, also several places at $1000 or less. But the quality of similarly priced houses in Goliad seems a lot better.

[BKKKevin]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Tucson seems like a great place to retire to me as well but it's above D list.

 

In the outskirts of the city there are a number of older 55+ parks that are definitely D list 555... You can get a older park model for $39-40k with a lot rent of around $5-600 a month...

 

https://silverkingco.com/communities/desert-pueblo/

Edited April 20 by BKKKevin

[impulse]

2 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

In the outskirts of the city there are a number of older 55+ parks that are  definitely D list 555... You can get a older park model for $39-40k with a lot rent of around $5-600 a month...

 

Gotta watch out for those...  Private Equity firms are buying up trailer parks around the country and jacking up lot rents.  And not just the 55+ parks, nor just trailer parks.  They're also buying up apartments, duplexes and single family homes. 

 

That may be slowing down now that interest rates are higher, but I'd still look for land to own and not to rent.  75 Years old isn't a great time to have your rent jacked up beyond your budget.

 

[Jingthing]

Smaller towns rural areas etc  may not have typical apartment rentals or very little anyway.

[BigStar]

Can't beat Baltimore. Low as $100:

 

https://hotpads.com/baltimore-md/affordable-apartments-for-rent

 

[Jingthing]

49 minutes ago, BigStar said:

Can't beat Baltimore. Low as $100:

 

https://hotpads.com/baltimore-md/affordable-apartments-for-rent

 

Umm. No.

[BigStar]

17 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Umm. No.

 

Big city, very historic, some nice architecture still around, and best of all it's the perfect expression of your progressive politics, no? Walk the walk.

[Jingthing]

6 minutes ago, BigStar said:

 

Big city, very historic, some nice architecture still around, and best of all it's the perfect expression of your progressive politics, no? Walk the walk.

Go somewhere else to troll. 

[BigStar]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Go somewhere else to troll. 

 

Just tryin' to help. Probably need to cultivate better manners if you move to a small town in the USA.

[BKKKevin]

On 4/19/2024 at 12:07 PM, Jingthing said:

Here are some more possibly D list towns and cities with maybe one bedrooms under 1000 to consider:

 

Johnson City TN

Brownsville TX

South Bend IN (I've been interested in Fort Wayne but it's over D list)

Huntington, WV

Ames IA

Toledo OH

You also need to consider more than jugaste price…

Do you really want to live in a cheap place in the middle of the Bible Belt?…

Again to promote Tucson… Check out this group of retirees to the area…

 

https://www.facebook.com/Bears.of.the.Old.Pueblo

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, BigStar said:

 

Just tryin' to help. Probably need to cultivate better manners if you move to a small town in the USA.

Says the troll that attacked me for what he thinks my politics are. Go away. 

Edited April 20 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

22 minutes ago, BKKKevin said:

You also need to consider more than jugaste price…

Do you really want to live in a cheap place in the middle of the Bible Belt?…

Again to promote Tucson… Check out this group of retirees to the area…

 

https://www.facebook.com/Bears.of.the.Old.Pueblo

Yes.

Understood. 

But the older I get the less I care about such things. However, I did note that Lafayette LA has a famous gay scene surprising for a small city and even a reform temple. 

But you bring up a great point really.

D list towns and small cities are very likely to be very red state experiences.

On the other hand I would probably love living in places like Asheville NC or Austin TX but there is no way I could afford to. 

Edited April 20 by Jingthing

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

10 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Yes.

Understood. 

But the older I get the less I care about such things.

I did note that Lafayette has a famous gay scene and even a reform temple. 

But you bring up a great point really.

D list towns and small cities are very likely to be very red state experiences.

Some red states have low costs of living but have quite lively university towns (small cities, actually) that offer diverse dining options and cultural activities disproportionate to their size. These are mostly in the Midwest and South. Worth a look.

[Jingthing]

9 minutes ago, Etaoin Shrdlu said:

Some red states have low costs of living but have quite lively university towns (small cities, actually) that offer diverse dining options and cultural activities disproportionate to their size. These are mostly in the Midwest and South. Worth a look.

Very good point which I am well aware of.

College and uni towns often have a lot to offer although most of the better ones are above D list level.

Madison WI is often listed as one of the best places in the country to live and/or retire but it's too freakin' cold for me.

It's very true that very few states are solid blood red.

There are always blue or mixed islands within them.

But again these D list "dumps" are mostly red. 

Edited April 20 by Jingthing

[BigStar]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

Says the troll that attacked me for what he thinks my politics are. Go away. 

 

You're starting up a bickerfest. I don't have time for this, sorry. Content yourself with my good advice and take heed. Find your perfect little patch of paradise right there in Baltimore, USA.

Edited April 20 by BigStar

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, BigStar said:

 

You're starting up a bickerfest. I don't have time for this, sorry. Content yourself with good advice.

Good. Ba-Bye!

[Jingthing]

It seems to me that Fort Wayne IN which I consider a rather desirable place to live (except the weather) fits in the D list financial category.

 

That's kind of the ideal, D list prices with higher list amenities.

 

 

[Jingthing]

Youngstown, Ohio?!?

 

 

[Hanaguma]

How about safe and scenic Regina Saskatchewan? Lovely one bedroom here for $1,050 in Canadian rubles. That's about $750 USD.

 

https://www.apartments.com/2275-lorne-st-regina-sk-unit-20/dzdhrsl/

[Hanaguma]

Here is another in sunny and beautiful Lethbridge Alberta. Close to the Rocky Mountains! Same price as above..

 

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/590-Columbia-Blvd-W-Lethbridge-AB-T1K-5N8/2055368218_zpid/

[Cryingdick]

On 4/24/2024 at 4:56 PM, Jingthing said:

Youngstown, Ohio?!?

 

 

 

[Cryingdick]

Well you seem to want to disparage any potential location you can afford as D level, 4th tier, crapholes. Trump himself would be proud. That aside, now isn't the time to come home to the USA looking for a place to try to live off of the crumbs. Do you think you are going to practice Spanish with M13 members at the Waffle House in Odessa after waiting in line for medical care for hour after hour because the clinics are overwhelmed by illegal immigrants? 
 

The policies that have been implemented in recent years make it very unlikely and at worst pretty unfavorable for an expat to move home without access to a pile of cash. You won't be able to afford a car, the gas or insurance all of which have risen sharply. You can get an apartment almost anywhere for under $1,000 outside of major urban centers or hipster college towns. However with your complete contempt for the demographic that lives there would you actually be welcomed? That would depend on you, but your posts in this topic make it clear that this is more about belittling those areas and people than it is a genuine desire to move there.

 

People are reduced to trying to avoid living in their cars , be able to eat and you have the audacity to pretend you are shopping for a place of your own choosing. Please come to live in a craphole, D level, 4th tier town like Odessa where the border problems are swelling and keep us all updated on how that works out for you. 

 

I wouldn't move back to the USA if I didn't have at least $100k and would like it to be more like $250k. 

Edited May 1 by Cryingdick

[BritManToo]

The mortgage on my her 3 bed house in Thailand  (gated community) is $250/month (10kbht).

I look at your low cost $1000 US housing and quiver in fear!

Edited May 1 by BritManToo

[Jingthing]

9 hours ago, BritManToo said:

The mortgage on my her 3 bed house in Thailand  (gated community) is $250/month (10kbht).

I look at your low cost $1000 US housing and quiver in fear!

Yeah I get that.

I would shoot for more like 700 if possible.

On a fixed income that's a big difference.

[Jingthing]

12 hours ago, Cryingdick said:

Well you seem to want to disparage any potential location you can afford as D level, 4th tier, crapholes. Trump himself would be proud. That aside, now isn't the time to come home to the USA looking for a place to try to live off of the crumbs. Do you think you are going to practice Spanish with M13 members at the Waffle House in Odessa after waiting in line for medical care for hour after hour because the clinics are overwhelmed by illegal immigrants? 
 

The policies that have been implemented in recent years make it very unlikely and at worst pretty unfavorable for an expat to move home without access to a pile of cash. You won't be able to afford a car, the gas or insurance all of which have risen sharply. You can get an apartment almost anywhere for under $1,000 outside of major urban centers or hipster college towns. However with your complete contempt for the demographic that lives there would you actually be welcomed? That would depend on you, but your posts in this topic make it clear that this is more about belittling those areas and people than it is a genuine desire to move there.

 

People are reduced to trying to avoid living in their cars , be able to eat and you have the audacity to pretend you are shopping for a place of your own choosing. Please come to live in a craphole, D level, 4th tier town like Odessa where the border problems are swelling and keep us all updated on how that works out for you. 

 

I wouldn't move back to the USA if I didn't have at least $100k and would like it to be more like $250k. 

You're making idiotic assumptions about my personal savings and I agree totally you're screwed if you don't have a significant nestegg.

But this topic is not meant to only be about my personal situation which is quite specific to me, but more general to returning expats who need a cheaper place.

I think you're out of touch if you think 1000 a month is reasonably doable in most places for your own apartment. It isn't anymore.

[Jingthing]

USA options only here.

Americans moving to Canada is NOT repatriation.

It's moving to another foriegn country.

[Jingthing]

This is an interesting option about a place I've never heard of!

As usual with "D list" options there are strong pros and cons.

As far as I can tell a strong con for me would be the restaurant situation but as mentioned before I wouldn't expect have much of an eating out budget anywhere in the U.S. as prices for eating out have become absurd there. I did some research and it's not as bad as this video says, but it's pretty bad even compared to a city like Fort Wayne.

I do like a place being warm weather over cold weather though so moving anywhere in the midwest (Indiana, Ohio, Pittsburgh which I like but may as well be the midwest) is always going to have the cold winter problem.