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

[jellydog]

Not to get political, but many of these places are too redneck and the politics of last fifteen years only made issues worse. Living with an Asian wife 15 yrs younger than yourself anywhere is going to raise eyebrows.

Being married changes things up a great deal (mixed, Asian). Not just food issues, but much of the south and rural areas are quite redneck. We have traveled in much of the heart of the west, friendly but I do not know how many friends we would have if we lived there.

College towns are great money dsvers and unlike Florida, everyone is not shuffling around on their last breath.

Especially on the south, the whole Christian thing is very irratating. You can also gind this in the heartland and in eastern WA and OR.

My wife and I will just get a trailer and caravan around the country to all the beauty spots. You guys are all stuck in the here or there thinking mode. Follow the seasons and the beauty!

I would love to have a little farm, but by the time I can pull it off, I will be too old. Wife is Bangkokian, I know more about diy and gardening than her.

No one has mentioned UT and only one mention of MT. Toss in WY. Of course, you'd want to be in FL come winter but they are beautiful.

San Juan Islands

Oregon, coastal not Portland

Vegas (only as RV base and taxes). Vegas will run dry.

New Mexico (upper elevations)

Utah (pretty, but cities unappealing and alcohol high)

Arizona (possibilities but crazy politics)

Texas (doubt..SanAntonio, Austin) hot, ugly lower elevations

Florida (StAugustine and south 75 miles, Naples)

Charleston (southern politics, historic coastal)

DC (too inland, $$. DC, Arlington, not Baltimore!)

MD Chesapeake Bay (Lovely, good weather 9 mos, cheap seafood)

UT, WY and MT are all beautiful although you definately must contend with a real mix of people. Meth is a huge problem in rural US also.

If you can snowbird it, having a cabin in PA, MA, RI or MI might be your ticket. Go to FL for winter. Only trouble is as you get into your 80s, the shuttling thing is too much.

One thing I don't see discussed is taxes. Taxes on ss in many states exempt. Many states exempt other income also.

Excellent point about the polarized politics having a huge effect on rural areas. I spent three months recently in semi rural North Carolina and it was palpable. Being out of the states for a long time it was quite an eye opener. Look at the humongous increase in gun sales since Obama was elected.

Not introducing politics Jing, but Mencken makes a very serious point to consider.

[jellydog]

Virginia: metro VA is nice people wise, huge smattering of the world. Coastal VA is cheap but its dead and I mean dead. Richmond is nice as well.

VA does have a rather conservative streak I want no part of but came here to say, taxes. No one save for ex military retire in VA. Taxes rule this state out.

Maryland is not much better incidentally.

I was raised in coastal Virginia and back not long ago. Mencken is dead on. You couldn't pay me to live there. Horrendous in every aspect. Cross Va Beach off your list.

[KonaRain]

what's a dead, no action, coast like...,peaceful, ugly..wondering..

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[Jingthing]

America's best downtown?

Forth Worth, Texas?

Who knew?

http://www.weather.com/travel/driving-scenic-drives/ten-best-downtowns-america-20140323

This link reminded me of Eugene Oregon. Any impressions?

[thailiketoo]

Aging Baby Boomers Becoming the Roommate Generation

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/aging-baby-boomers-roommates/story?id=23570035

[Jingthing]

Aging Baby Boomers Becoming the Roommate Generation

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/aging-baby-boomers-roommates/story?id=23570035

For sure.

[thailiketoo]

I knew a number of men who died in Thailand from falls in their homes all alone. One of the reasons I got married was to have another person around. Dizziness at my age is common. I take pills to make sure I don't get dizzy again. They're like seasick pills. And I have put plastic protectors on the sharp corners like one would do for children. My mother lived alone when she had her first stroke. It was just lucky I happened by to see her that day and got her to the hospital or she would died.

[mania]

Man reading this thread makes one hope for an early death

[Jingthing]

Man reading this thread makes one hope for an early death

That's a solution. My impression is that a huge percentage of baby boomers are screwed as far as their dreams of comfortable golden years.

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[thailiketoo]

Man reading this thread makes one hope for an early death

That's a solution. My impression is that a huge percentage of baby boomers are screwed as far as their dreams of comfortable golden years.

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Nah, no problem. Come to Thailand. Learn the language. Get out of the tourist areas. Live happily ever after. Through facebook I keep track of classmates and fraternity brothers and so on from my youth. They are all rich guys and I live just as well here on half the income.

[Jingthing]

Yes problem. Medical expenses. Like I said in the OP my feeling also is the US government and the banking system is making being an expat anywhere more of a hassle. I feel like a suspect rather than a valued citizen living abroad.

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[AnotherOneAmerican]

Yes problem. Medical expenses. Like I said in the OP my feeling also is the US government and the banking system is making being an expat anywhere more of a hassle. I feel like a suspect rather than a valued citizen living abroad.

Bit off topic.

You mentioned "being a suspect", ever been faced with some really strange questioning by border officials when trying to get back in? One re-entry I had made me feel like an illegal of some sort.

[thailiketoo]

The biggest expense is housing. Thailand wins by a large margin in most areas and a gigantic margin outside of tourist areas. The second largest expense is transportation and since the majority of people in Thailand don't have a car; mass transportation is also cheap and readily available. So the thread is actually about medical expenses; leaving off the rumors and innuendo about political and financial disasters . The only advantage I can see in living in the USA is Medicare/Medicaid. I know one person who has moved back to the States and that was because of his Thai job failing. All of the old guys I know are happy and staying here. Of course I don't know everyone. I have never heard of anyone saying with a straight face that housing was cheaper in the States accept in a slum or place where one would not want to live. Of course I'm not talking about families with children as education figures in the equation and that makes it a completely different ballgame.

[jellydog]

The biggest expense is housing. Thailand wins by a large margin in most areas and a gigantic margin outside of tourist areas. The second largest expense is transportation and since the majority of people in Thailand don't have a car; mass transportation is also cheap and readily available. So the thread is actually about medical expenses; leaving off the rumors and innuendo about political and financial disasters . The only advantage I can see in living in the USA is Medicare/Medicaid. I know one person who has moved back to the States and that was because of his Thai job failing. All of the old guys I know are happy and staying here. Of course I don't know everyone. I have never heard of anyone saying with a straight face that housing was cheaper in the States accept in a slum or place where one would not want to live. Of course I'm not talking about families with children as education figures in the equation and that makes it a completely different ballgame.

That says a lot in a nutshell.

I used to be flabbergasted when I would hear some Americans talk about how Thailand really isn't all that less expensive than the states. But after hearing it for a while, I began to understand that this idea was some sort of illusion they were hanging on to for whatever reason. It doesn't jibe with reality at all.

[Jingthing]

The medical issue is hardly trivial. Some things are more expensive/riskier in Thailand and some things are more expensive/riskier in the USA. We all have to measure these priorities for how they fit or don't fit our own situations, and our own situations tend to CHANGE. Who has said housing overall is cheaper in the USA? That's absurd of course. Cars of course are cheaper and some expats feel they need them in Thailand depending on where they live, and some don't. Also of course it's not only about which is cheapest but which works better both for survival and pursuit of happiness (how American is that, ha ha) ...

If anyone imagined this thread was about persuading everyone they should go back to the USA ... NO!

I am considering backup plans based on some writing on the wall that I see in my situation. We know for a fact many Americans have gone home or to other countries for whatever reasons and more will go later. You might not think you will ever want to ... but ... YOU MIGHT.

[thailiketoo]

The medical issue is hardly trivial. Some things are more expensive/riskier in Thailand and some things are more expensive/riskier in the USA. We all have to measure these priorities for how they fit or don't fit our own situations, and our own situations tend to CHANGE. Who has said housing overall is cheaper in the USA? That's absurd of course. Cars of course are cheaper and some expats feel they need them in Thailand depending on where they live, and some don't. Also of course it's not only about which is cheapest but which works better both for survival and pursuit of happiness (how American is that, ha ha) ...

If anyone imagined this thread was about persuading everyone they should go back to the USA ... NO!

I am considering backup plans based on some writing on the wall that I see in my situation. We know for a fact many Americans have gone home or to other countries for whatever reasons and more will go later. You might not think you will ever want to ... but ... YOU MIGHT.

You wrote, "We know for a fact many Americans have gone home or to other countries for whatever reasons and more will go later." Link?

I would say, We know for a fact that few Americans have gone home or to other countries for whatever reasons and less will go later. But I can't prove my statement. Maybe you can?

[NeverSure]

America's best downtown?

Forth Worth, Texas?

Who knew?

http://www.weather.com/travel/driving-scenic-drives/ten-best-downtowns-america-20140323

This link reminded me of Eugene Oregon. Any impressions?

Who writes these lists? Bellingham Washington? Rainy, rainy, windy and cold. Eugene a great area for biking? I suppose when it isn't either raining or cloudy and drizzling. i'd stay clear out of the Pacific Northwest just due to high rainfall and potential ice and snow storms.

Scratch all of the ones that are in the Northeast. It's expensive and the winters can be horrible. It's cold and stormy.

Fort Lauderdale Fla? These people obviously aren't on a budget. Same is true for their choices like Providence R, Frederick Maryland and Alexandria VA.

They got Birmingham, Alabama and Fort Worth Texas right, but you'll still live in the suburbs and you need to buy because housing prices are right but rents are high.

The only way to do the US on a budget is to get away from these cities.

[Jingthing]

The medical issue is hardly trivial. Some things are more expensive/riskier in Thailand and some things are more expensive/riskier in the USA. We all have to measure these priorities for how they fit or don't fit our own situations, and our own situations tend to CHANGE. Who has said housing overall is cheaper in the USA? That's absurd of course. Cars of course are cheaper and some expats feel they need them in Thailand depending on where they live, and some don't. Also of course it's not only about which is cheapest but which works better both for survival and pursuit of happiness (how American is that, ha ha) ...

If anyone imagined this thread was about persuading everyone they should go back to the USA ... NO!

I am considering backup plans based on some writing on the wall that I see in my situation. We know for a fact many Americans have gone home or to other countries for whatever reasons and more will go later. You might not think you will ever want to ... but ... YOU MIGHT.

You wrote, "We know for a fact many Americans have gone home or to other countries for whatever reasons and more will go later." Link?

I would say, We know for a fact that few Americans have gone home or to other countries for whatever reasons and less will go later. But I can't prove my statement. Maybe you can?

More will go later means what do you think?

Some ADDITIONAL persons will go later.

I did not express any opinion on rate of increase of decrease either way and I don't have one.

That's settled.

That isn't interesting.

It's not about trends or rates.

This is about OUR LIVES.

Whatever we do, that's 100 percent for us.

Some people will still come.

Some people will stay for life.

Some people will go to third countries.

Some people will go back to the USA.

This thread is NOT about telling people what is best for them.

It's simply about the destination choices and things to consider when choosing them when considering moving back to the USA.

Edited May 5, 2014 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

America's best downtown?

Forth Worth, Texas?

Who knew?

http://www.weather.com/travel/driving-scenic-drives/ten-best-downtowns-america-20140323

This link reminded me of Eugene Oregon. Any impressions?

Who writes these lists? Bellingham Washington? Rainy, rainy, windy and cold. Eugene a great area for biking? I suppose when it isn't either raining or cloudy and drizzling. i'd stay clear out of the Pacific Northwest just due to high rainfall and potential ice and snow storms.

Scratch all of the ones that are in the Northeast. It's expensive and the winters can be horrible. It's cold and stormy.

Fort Lauderdale Fla? These people obviously aren't on a budget. Same is true for their choices like Providence R, Frederick Maryland and Alexandria VA.

They got Birmingham, Alabama and Fort Worth Texas right, but you'll still live in the suburbs and you need to buy because housing prices are right but rents are high.

The only way to do the US on a budget is to get away from these cities.

In fairness that list wasn't about best budget retirement destinations for expats returning from Thailand, but rather best downtowns. Not the same thing.

[Jingthing]

Food for thought --

a map showing the relative desire to stay or move from each state:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/residents-wish-they-lived-in-another-state_n_5240717.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

[mania]

Man reading this thread makes one hope for an early death

That's a solution. My impression is that a huge percentage of baby boomers are screwed as far as their dreams of comfortable golden years.

Sent from my Lenovo S820_ROW using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Funny coincidence is literally a few minutes after posting that my wife & I were running down many flights of stairs as our

condo in ChiangMai was swaying due to the 6.3 earthquake

lol

Better watch what I post

Edited May 5, 2014 by mania

[KonaRain]

I'm gonna figure out hiow to post oics of Kona..when I got here, condos were half the price of a townhouse on Sunset beach..Calif. On the beach on Maui.,$65,000 ..1978..now Kona is in the two hundred thousands..

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Edited May 5, 2014 by KonaRain

[slipperylobster]

Arkansas, near the Texas border (Texarkana) or Little Rock

Probably the best and most popular nowadays....and far enough away from the hot and humid florida climate, especially during Hurricaine Season. For military retirees, Little Rock has plenty of free lift for ya on their C-130's. Don't forget the amenities on the base. Plenty of Nature..Ozarks..lakes and such...nearby.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Food for thought --

a map showing the relative desire to stay or move from each state:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/residents-wish-they-lived-in-another-state_n_5240717.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

So folks in Texas and Oregon are, in the first case, happy as pigs in sh**, and in the second case, too stoned to know what they're answering...

But what gives with Nevada? Sure, I can understand Las Vegas life isn't for everyone. But that's not the whole state nor does it reflect the lifestyle everywhere there. What's everyone there trying to get away from? The bad economy?

[NeverSure]

Food for thought --

a map showing the relative desire to stay or move from each state:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/30/residents-wish-they-lived-in-another-state_n_5240717.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

So folks in Texas and Oregon are, in the first case, happy as pigs in sh**, and in the second case, too stoned to know what they're answering...

But what gives with Nevada? Sure, I can understand Las Vegas life isn't for everyone. But that's not the whole state nor does it reflect the lifestyle everywhere there. What's everyone there trying to get away from? The bad economy?

Much of Nevada is either very hot desert, or very cold high desert, or the Sierra Nevada Mountains which run along it. The Sierra's not far W. of Reno is where the famous Donner party event took place in the mid 1800's and about 1/2 of them died in snow over their heads. Lake Tahoe is a great snow ski and summer resort area but it snows hard and deep in the winter.

I get depressed in Nevada because apart from the Sierras which are beautiful, it's a very dull desert. I don't mind Las Vegas per se, but it's full-on desert that gets very hot in the summer and gets very little rain. There is no natural beauty in most of Nevada. We have a saying that driving through Nevada is just miles and miles of miles and miles.

[mania]

Las Vegas not to my taste personally but,

I could see why retired aged folks may like it

You can eat very cheaply as most hotels/casinos offer low priced meals

You can probably always find some employment if you wanted. Many jobs for older

folks in casinos as far as I remember....could be different with the economy these days

State Tax or lack of it

It is hot & dry though which does make the hot more tolerable ...Not being humid I mean

Many older folks prefer hot/dry to cold/wet

I once drove thru Henderson

Which was a nice green town there not far from the main Vegas area if I remember right

[thailiketoo]

Landlords want old tenants out so that they charge new ones higher rent, explains Delene Wolf, executive director of the San Francisco Rent Board. She tells ABC News she has specialized in local rent control issues for 30 years. But, she says, “I have never seen rents like this--not even during the dotcom boom. A teeny 1-bedroom can go for $4,000 a month.” The bidding-up of rents she calls a frenzy. The market, she says, "is amazing--but not in a good way.”

That's 132,000 baht a month. I used to live in SF and I can find anything in Bangkok and/or Pattaya that I found in SF except for the wine. But if I was paying 132,000 baht a month I wouldn't have any money left for wine anyway.

I live in a country area here but can be in Pattaya or Bangkok in a short period of time by van or bus. I save enough in rent in Thailand to go first class in a number of areas that would be denied to me in other places.

[Jingthing]

Yeah, San Francisco is out unless you're majorly rich.

I wouldn't even want to live in a rich ghetto like that anymore.

Money has even ruined my beloved MISSION DISTRICT.

I lived there for years paying about 150 dollars a month in rent.

Bohemian lifestyle ... you betcha!

I kid you not.

No, I wouldn't want to live in those place again ... OMG ... they were horrible but I'm sure it's not even an option anymore.

[jellydog]

Yeah, San Francisco is out unless you're majorly rich.

I wouldn't even want to live in a rich ghetto like that anymore.

Money has even ruined my beloved MISSION DISTRICT.

I lived there for years paying about 150 dollars a month in rent.

Bohemian lifestyle ... you betcha!

I kid you not.

No, I wouldn't want to live in those place again ... OMG ... they were horrible but I'm sure it's not even an option anymore.

This is a phenomenon that is occurring in many areas of the country. There was an article in the NYTimes not long ago about how quickly rising rents in many cities in the USA are essentially driving some people out. Wages are stagnant while rent is exploding. Miami is a prime example. I lived there for many years and left in 2006. I was back two years ago to look around. You can't find a reasonably priced apartment in nearly any part of the city where you would want to live. Anything under $1,400-$1,500 a month is a dump and that is a one bedroom.

A good friend of mine is an art handler in Miami who prior to 2008 was doing very well. His business has never been the same since the recession and he is now living in his small warehouse that he has fitted as a living space. Not zoned for that...but more and more people are coming up with an off the wall solution. Unless you want to live with ma and pa, or with roommates, you have to do something creative...or leave.

[thailiketoo]

Yeah, San Francisco is out unless you're majorly rich.

I wouldn't even want to live in a rich ghetto like that anymore.

Money has even ruined my beloved MISSION DISTRICT.

I lived there for years paying about 150 dollars a month in rent.

Bohemian lifestyle ... you betcha!

I kid you not.

No, I wouldn't want to live in those place again ... OMG ... they were horrible but I'm sure it's not even an option anymore.

This is a phenomenon that is occurring in many areas of the country. There was an article in the NYTimes not long ago about how quickly rising rents in many cities in the USA are essentially driving some people out. Wages are stagnant while rent is exploding. Miami is a prime example. I lived there for many years and left in 2006. I was back two years ago to look around. You can't find a reasonably priced apartment in nearly any part of the city where you would want to live. Anything under $1,400-$1,500 a month is a dump and that is a one bedroom.

A good friend of mine is an art handler in Miami who prior to 2008 was doing very well. His business has never been the same since the recession and he is now living in his small warehouse that he has fitted as a living space. Not zoned for that...but more and more people are coming up with an off the wall solution. Unless you want to live with ma and pa, or with roommates, you have to do something creative...or leave.

Maybe a realistic thread would be, "Older Americans retiring to Thailand for rents 10% of Stateside prices."