Older Americans repatriating to the USA -- where is good?

[sirineou]

Speaking of Work..I have a hard time working a normal job.. but look what can be made on a 3d printer.. they also have one that can make a weatherproof guitar..made a baby a windpipe..models of the brain for students to work on..candy in impossible shapes... here's a link

http://www.npr.org/tags/170862588/3d-printing

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If it can make me a brain , I am definitely getting one of these 3d printers

[KonaRain]

lol..I have a BBC recording from a year ago.. 3D printers can make 3D printers..

science fiction? or a good business idea..aloha

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[KonaRain]

wear that dust mask..

http://www.islaearth.org/mobile/index.php?p=show&id=1398927600

if the mobile throws you off..sorry..its: isla earth/ May 1, 2013.. new study on how fine particulates are bad for hearts..

aloha..

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[NeverSure]

It really helps to have traveled a lot and actually seen and spent some time across the US to form an opinion.

Really? This from a guy who says Portland, Oregon gets "tons of snow and ice"? FYI, some winters Portland gets not snow at all. Winter temperatures, on average fall below freezing only about 33 days a year, that's only 7 more days a year than Dallas. The summers in Portland are much more comfortable than in the DFW area too.

Perhaps you should travel around the US and spend some time in the places you comment on before giving out inaccurate information too.

You are correct however, about the housing prices in Portland being much more expensive than in North Central Texas though, and Oregon has a hefty state tax whereas Texas has none.

One of the things Jingthing mentioned he was interested in was public transportation and Portland has some of the best in the country. Dallas/Forth Worth? Everybody there drives a full size pick-up.

You really don't need to come across as angry and rude. I've lived in Portland. When it gets a cross of wind from the ocean carrying rain, and a windy cold front also moving down from Canada and they mix, it can cause some nasty "tons of ice" conditions called freezing rain. One time it was so heavy on my car that it caused the springs to bottom out. Here, I googled "ice storm Portland Oregon." LINK Then googled "Portland Oregon snow storm." LINK

The temperatures are only part of the dynamics. Portland doesn't get tornadoes but Dallas might. Portland doesn't get a bad snow or ice storm every year, but it's always subject to it and I've seen some bad ones.

As for Oregon's income tax, I find that to be offset by the complete lack of a sales tax. Lower income people benefit a lot more by not paying sales taxes than they do by not having an income tax which they probably don't pay anyway due to a sliding scale and cutoff point.

[cobra]

Las Vegas has been mentioned a few times, but the reality is it's pretty much unlivable in the summer.

Temps routinely get 100'+, and as high as 118'F. It's a scorching desert, with
sand storms and the worst air quality of any city in the US, bar none.
Though it also has terrible traffic congestion and a high crime rate, so does most other metropolitan urban cities.

Now the winter months Vegas is quite comfortable, and Nevada has no state income tax.

It may be a seasonal option for some.

Edited May 2, 2014 by cobra

[NeverSure]

In no state can a full-time minimum wage worker afford a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom rental unit at Fair Market Rent.

On the 25th anniversary of Out of Reach, the report continues to demonstrate that large numbers of low income renters cannot find decent, affordable housing. As policymakers consider raising the federal minimum wage and combating income inequality, the shortage of affordable housing must also be addressed. http://nlihc.org/oor/2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/national/county-rental-wages/index.html

Minimum wage was never meant to be a lifestyle. It is intended for the very young and as a starting place from which you work your way up if you don't have an education. The idea is to start out at McDonald's at minimum wage and then work up to store manager and then district manager. Anyone who spends his life at minimum wage must not have any drive.

Young people on minimum wage including college students share an apartment and the expenses. 2 or three of them can share all of the expenses and do just fine.

If they raise the minimum wage, it will just raise prices as employers have to charge more for goods and services to pay for it. I think I see that happening in Thailand. If the newbie gets a raise, then the worker whose been there a year and earned a raise will need a raise too to keep things balanced.

Someone will always be on the bottom rung of the ladder, and if you lift the bottom rung you lift all other rungs with it.

[T_Dog]

JT... College towns should be considered on your list. I spent four months in Corvallis Oregon last summer and loved the place. Huge plates of food for ten bucks, cheap drinks, and being Oregon, a live-and-let-live attitude with the people. Everyone says hello on the street and the bus service is free.

[sirineou]

Here it another aspect to this of the USA vs. other countries for older retired expats choosing to leave Thailand:

what about EMPLOYMENT?

Supposing you want (OR NEED) to continue to do some work in your older years?

If you've been retired in Thailand a long time, it's quite likely you're completely UNEMPLOYABLE in the USA. Firms generally don't even look at resumes now with six month gaps. Try over 10 years and have a good laugh! Not even considering age discrimination which is real even in great economic times.

So you might be interested in starting a small business then.

Well, the USA would generally be a very HIGH COST place to do that.

That was one reason I was looking at countries like Nicaragua (which has a long list of negatives as well). It seems to me you could start a small business in such a place with much less capital than the U.S.

Of course this thread is about USA choices. Just mentioning it as a possible negative to go back there for those interested in making income.

First, as retired and collecting social security, you can only work and make up to a certain amount.I believe it is $15,000

One thing a retired person can do to earn extra money is Drive a truck, Easy to find work with a CDL licence.

an other option is selling real-estate. Many retired people I know get their licence and sell real-estate

[NeverSure]

Here it another aspect to this of the USA vs. other countries for older retired expats choosing to leave Thailand:

what about EMPLOYMENT?

Supposing you want (OR NEED) to continue to do some work in your older years?

If you've been retired in Thailand a long time, it's quite likely you're completely UNEMPLOYABLE in the USA. Firms generally don't even look at resumes now with six month gaps. Try over 10 years and have a good laugh! Not even considering age discrimination which is real even in great economic times.

So you might be interested in starting a small business then.

Well, the USA would generally be a very HIGH COST place to do that.

That was one reason I was looking at countries like Nicaragua (which has a long list of negatives as well). It seems to me you could start a small business in such a place with much less capital than the U.S.

Of course this thread is about USA choices. Just mentioning it as a possible negative to go back there for those interested in making income.

First, as retired and collecting social security, you can only work and make up to a certain amount.I believe it is $15,000

One thing a retired person can do to earn extra money is Drive a truck, Easy to find work with a CDL licence.

an other option is selling real-estate. Many retired people I know get their licence and sell real-estate

It's a little more complicated than that. You can start receiving ss at age 62, but you'll receive about 25% less for life than if you waited until full retirement age. That age is 66 or70 depending on the year you were born.

But after you start collecting, if you work up until age 70, your monthly ss benefits will reduce by $1 for each $2 you earn. However, that additional pay in will increase your monthly ss pay beginning at age 70. You can increase your monthly ss pay by about 25% by delaying your ss income from age 66 or 67 and working until age 70 and collecting nothing until 70. The details are HERE.

After age 70 you can earn as much as you want without affecting ss payments.

[KonaRain]

A friend of mine moved to Eugene Ore..loves it. 3D printers can print horrible food..if they improve, my driving job may become obsolete..

Portland can have black ice..scared me good..never saw_slid on_ any though..

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[KonaRain]

Real Estate..!!

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[NeverSure]

Back to weather, please. You can't just look at charts for annual rainfall or temperatures to tell how it "feels" to be there. San Francisco and Portland Oregon and even Seattle get a lot of light drizzle from the ocean air blowing in. So although it might not add up to massive inches of rain per year, it does add up to a very depressing excess of cloudy, drizzling days.

Another place with equal annual rainfall might get big storms and lots of rain from them, and be sunny the rest of the time.

Montana on the charts would look to be very cold. But it's not humid and it's sunny. it gets only 13 inches of rain per year while Portland gets more like 40. And again Portland's can be a depressing cloudy drizzle.

I do better in the cold of Montana which has low humidity and lots of sun that I'd do in San Fran which is cloudy, drizzly and depressing.

[thailiketoo]

I used to live in San Francisco. Some streets get fog and others don't. Same day, same weather but varies by street and the prices of the homes on the street would be more expensive if you had a house that didn't fog as much. I liked San Francisco it has had a building code that prevents most tall buildings so the population will always stay small and the homes just get more expensive. Of course there is the earthquake thing.

[thailiketoo]

In no state can a full-time minimum wage worker afford a one-bedroom or a two-bedroom rental unit at Fair Market Rent.

On the 25th anniversary of Out of Reach, the report continues to demonstrate that large numbers of low income renters cannot find decent, affordable housing. As policymakers consider raising the federal minimum wage and combating income inequality, the shortage of affordable housing must also be addressed. http://nlihc.org/oor/2014

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/national/county-rental-wages/index.html

Minimum wage was never meant to be a lifestyle. It is intended for the very young and as a starting place from which you work your way up if you don't have an education. The idea is to start out at McDonald's at minimum wage and then work up to store manager and then district manager. Anyone who spends his life at minimum wage must not have any drive.

Young people on minimum wage including college students share an apartment and the expenses. 2 or three of them can share all of the expenses and do just fine.

If they raise the minimum wage, it will just raise prices as employers have to charge more for goods and services to pay for it. I think I see that happening in Thailand. If the newbie gets a raise, then the worker whose been there a year and earned a raise will need a raise too to keep things balanced.

Someone will always be on the bottom rung of the ladder, and if you lift the bottom rung you lift all other rungs with it.

I think I agree. Minimum wage is only a dream for a lot of Americans. Report: More Than 92 Million Americans Remain Out Of Labor Force.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/05/02/report-more-than-92-million-americans-remain-out-of-labor-force/

[NeverSure]

Minimum wage was never meant to be a lifestyle. It is intended for the very young and as a starting place from which you work your way up if you don't have an education. The idea is to start out at McDonald's at minimum wage and then work up to store manager and then district manager. Anyone who spends his life at minimum wage must not have any drive.

Young people on minimum wage including college students share an apartment and the expenses. 2 or three of them can share all of the expenses and do just fine.

If they raise the minimum wage, it will just raise prices as employers have to charge more for goods and services to pay for it. I think I see that happening in Thailand. If the newbie gets a raise, then the worker whose been there a year and earned a raise will need a raise too to keep things balanced.

Someone will always be on the bottom rung of the ladder, and if you lift the bottom rung you lift all other rungs with it.

I think I agree. Minimum wage is only a dream for a lot of Americans. Report: More Than 92 Million Americans Remain Out Of Labor Force.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/05/02/report-more-than-92-million-americans-remain-out-of-labor-force/

Here's the problem with that. If a single person with a child or two goes to work at minimum wage, they take a cut in pay compared to government benefits. If they don't have a job, they can get welfare, housing, free medical (Medicaid) and food stamps for themselves and their kids. The more kids they have, the more money and food stamps they get so it actually pays to just stay home and have more kids.

Ever hear of "Octomom" who had 8 kids by artificial insemination when she already had 6 kids, all on welfare and with multiple fathers for the kids? She then had 14 kids with herself and the kids on welfare. LINK

All of this going on while I see "help wanted" signs at fast food places as I go in.

Edited May 4, 2014 by NeverSure

[thailiketoo]

Minimum wage was never meant to be a lifestyle. It is intended for the very young and as a starting place from which you work your way up if you don't have an education. The idea is to start out at McDonald's at minimum wage and then work up to store manager and then district manager. Anyone who spends his life at minimum wage must not have any drive.

Young people on minimum wage including college students share an apartment and the expenses. 2 or three of them can share all of the expenses and do just fine.

If they raise the minimum wage, it will just raise prices as employers have to charge more for goods and services to pay for it. I think I see that happening in Thailand. If the newbie gets a raise, then the worker whose been there a year and earned a raise will need a raise too to keep things balanced.

Someone will always be on the bottom rung of the ladder, and if you lift the bottom rung you lift all other rungs with it.

I think I agree. Minimum wage is only a dream for a lot of Americans. Report: More Than 92 Million Americans Remain Out Of Labor Force.

http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/05/02/report-more-than-92-million-americans-remain-out-of-labor-force/

Here's the problem with that. If a single person with a child or two goes to work at minimum wage, they take a cut in pay compared to government benefits. If they don't have a job, they can get welfare, housing, free medical (Medicaid) and food stamps for themselves and their kids. The more kids they have, the more money and food stamps they get so it actually pays to just stay home and have more kids.

Ever hear of "Octomom" who had 8 kids by artificial insemination when she already had 6 kids, all on welfare and with multiple fathers for the kids? She then had 14 kids with herself and the kids on welfare. LINK

All of this going on while I see "help wanted" signs at fast food places as I go in.

I know. Census: 49% of Americans Get Gov’t Benefits. http://cnsnews.com/news/article/terence-p-jeffrey/census-49-americans-get-gov-t-benefits-82m-households-medicaid

[Jingthing]

Destinations not politics please.

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[watcharacters]

.

Not happening for me but if so inclined I I'd consider North or South Carolina.

[thailiketoo]

Destinations not politics please.

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What is the minimum rent for a decent 1 bedroom apartment in a non slum area of the USA where one does not need a auto?

[Jingthing]

Decent and small in a very walkable place like Portland easily over 1000 monthly.

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[Jingthing]

Oh one bed over 1500.

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[Jingthing]

Generally walkable places in desirable areas carry a premium.

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[NeverSure]

We've already mentioned that Portland housing is expensive. Portland is out for those on a tight budget. Another problem with Portland is the weather. It's so danged cloudy and drizzly much of the time that it makes it hard to walk or bike. Winter storms can be major.

Small towns are walkable too. Some inexpensive places have good weather. Who needs public transportation in a very small town that has good weather?

[Jingthing]

I haven't located such a place that I'd really want to live at, that would offer inexpensive housing and lower cost. Suggestions?

Of course it can be one or two neighborhoods in an otherwise inaccessible city.

Portland is actually cheap compared to a lot of other places.

This site is informative:

http://www.walkscore.com/

I've been browsing around at some other places:

Boynton Beach, Florida

Tacoma, Washington

Virginia Beach, Virginia

College towns indeed are a draw for many. Such as Athens, Georgia.

Edited May 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[tropo]

Everything here would be cheaper than LOS except utilities and taxes, but that would be offset by consumer prices. I hope by now that most people know that consumer items from cars to TV's to computers to Western food and drink items and even gasoline are cheaper in the US than in LOS.

You're lucky. Unfortunately for me the cost of living in Australia is way higher than Thailand. If I was in your shoes I'd go straight back home, no question. The lifestyle I can afford is the only thing keeping me in Thailand.

[Jingthing]

Everything here would be cheaper than LOS except utilities and taxes, but that would be offset by consumer prices. I hope by now that most people know that consumer items from cars to TV's to computers to Western food and drink items and even gasoline are cheaper in the US than in LOS.

You're lucky. Unfortunately for me the cost of living in Australia is way higher than Thailand. If I was in your shoes I'd go straight back home, no question. The lifestyle I can afford is the only thing keeping me in Thailand.

It's not that simple for the under 65 set in the USA, Tropo. Mainly around housing and medical care, and as mentioned the most popular Sunbelt states for retirement do NOT offer expanded Medicaid for under 65s.

[NeverSure]

JT, we keep discussing places that are fairly large and well known. They are expensive. I would bet that 80 - 90% of the US population lives on the East and West coasts and in the Great Lakes region which has bitter winters.

We need to find something that you never heard of in the middle of the country - in the hearland. Yes Texas has a large population but it's huge. I think it's 900 miles across it by car.

I think many of the people who write about great places have never been there and surely have never lived there.

I would trust the ads on Craigslist for actual rentals rather than some writer.

[Jingthing]

I definitely check craigslist. I don't want to live in the sticks or some small town that doesn't have PHO! Like I said, if I move back, I except the typical American experience -- WITH A CAR. When in Rome. We all have priorities and we all make compromises, even very wealthy people can't live more than one life. Of course I'm still open to hearing about reasonable compromise places that might exist where driving isn't required, but not expecting it.

Just on my radar

Charlotteville, Virginia.

Famous historic university town.

So culture, some liberal people, etc.

Obviously not that far from Washington, D.C. (which I know really really well)

They have pho and seemingly good Chinese food which means there's got to be Asian grocery stores too.

A little north for my ideals.

Some neighborhoods very walkable.

Would probably still need a car really, it's in the USA, but still.

Superficially the rents seem not too high.

Virginia is in the news now as a possible Medicaid expansion state ... the governor wants to do it and might force it on their legislature. Maybe.

Hmmm!

Anyone here spent time in that town?

Edited May 4, 2014 by Jingthing

[tropo]

Ever hear of "Octomom" who had 8 kids by artificial insemination when she already had 6 kids, all on welfare and with multiple fathers for the kids? She then had 14 kids with herself and the kids on welfare. LINK

That's not a very good example. Octomom could quite easily be wealthy as the world's only mother of healthy octuplets. She doesn't need social welfare. She's currently under investigation for welfare fraud. She has made plenty of money - even as a porno star LOL

[tropo]

I definitely check craigslist. I don't want to live in the sticks or some small town that doesn't have PHO! Like I said, if I move back, I except the typical American experience -- WITH A CAR. When in Rome. We all have priorities and we all make compromises, even very wealthy people can't live more than one life. Of course I'm still open to hearing about reasonable compromise places that might exist where driving isn't required, but not expecting it.

I've come a bit late to this thread and haven't read through it, but are the Russians and baht buses finally driving you out of town.