USA -- low budget repatriation specific locations that aren't horrible

[Langsuan Man]

A headline from today's New York Times website:

"Louisiana’s New Governor Signs an Order to Expand Medicaid."

Your choices have expanded by one.

I suppose so but I haven't found the idea of moving anywhere in Louisiana that appealing. Of course the New Orleans area is but pricey.

Also, I guess it's true that things could change a lot after the next election, if the republicans control the house, senate, and white house added to the majority of governors.

A real good reason to stay in Thailand then

[Jingthing]

I would prefer to.

[gk10002000]

Huntsville Alabama is a decent town. When working there as a contractor for Boeing, I rented a fine two bed, two bath furnished Mobile Home in a nice wooded trailer park that had a pool. $450 a month. A bit more expensive now of course. Huntsville had plenty of nice Thai restaurants. Lots of military with foreign wives there due to Army Redstone arsenal, NASA Marshall Flight center, etc. The University was of good quality. A very pretty countryside. Tennessee just a bit up the road has a slightly better tax structure.

[Jingthing]

If you're planning on repatriating in the future, here's what the health insurance situation is like these days.

If you're in the U.S., open enrollment ends soon!

http://digg.com/2016/how-to-get-health-insurance-explainer

[lopburi3]

But remember open enrollment is offered at the end of each year (to change or obtain) and life events (such as moving to another state) also allows open enrollment. So should not be an issue for someone returning to USA where coverage required from being an expat where coverage not required.

[Jingthing]

But remember open enrollment is offered at the end of each year (to change or obtain) and life events (such as moving to another state) also allows open enrollment. So should not be an issue for someone returning to USA where coverage required from being an expat where coverage not required.

I did not know that about moving to another state. Did know about annual open enrollment. Thanks!

[NeverSure]

A headline from today's New York Times website:

"Louisiana’s New Governor Signs an Order to Expand Medicaid."

Your choices have expanded by one.

I suppose so but I haven't found the idea of moving anywhere in Louisiana that appealing. Of course the New Orleans area is but pricey.

Also, I guess it's true that things could change a lot after the next election, if the republicans control the house, senate, and white house added to the majority of governors.

I have never felt creepier than I did one night not far outside of NO. I was looking for gas and I went over the big bridge into a town called Slidell. While I was pumping my gas this group of young men started circling me and looking me over. I was never so glad to get out of a place. The French Quarter itself doesn't feel like that as it is set up for tourists. But some of the streets coming into it through places like Metairie are hellholes. Slums.

[NancyL]

Today's grey, cold rainy weather in Chiang Mai reminds me that the weather is like this for months on end in places like Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh. What was I thinking when I spent some time a few weekends ago researching Cleveland? Oy, my joints are aching today.

[EyesWideOpen]

I had my fill of Thailand after 14 years, and moved back to the states.

So far loving it after 7 months here. Easy call for me was Oregon.

Calif. is too expensive, midwest has bad weather, don't like

east coast people, Florida is too hot, and don't like the bubba

factor of the deep south. Southwest like Arizona and Nevada

is just too damn hot. So there was really only one place left.

Also great medical care system here as Oregon runs its own

plan. They just paid for a $ 65,000 knee replacement for me.

Net cost to me ? Zero........

[craigt3365]

I think inland Oregon would be OK. Couldn't stand the rain on the coast. I've had many friends move up to Seattle from LA. Headed back after 3-5 years.

[EyesWideOpen]

I think inland Oregon would be OK. Couldn't stand the rain on the coast. I've had many friends move up to Seattle from LA. Headed back after 3-5 years.

Have worked in Seattle for a few months in winter. Did not like

it at all, sort of a bone chilling wet cold. No wonder they drink

so much coffee...... Yes inland southern Oregon has great

weather. The slogan for Grants Pass is " It's the climate ".

[SpokaneAl]

I think inland Oregon would be OK. Couldn't stand the rain on the coast. I've had many friends move up to Seattle from LA. Headed back after 3-5 years.

Have worked in Seattle for a few months in winter. Did not like

it at all, sort of a bone chilling wet cold. No wonder they drink

so much coffee...... Yes inland southern Oregon has great

weather. The slogan for Grants Pass is " It's the climate ".

I grew up in Seattle and have always really liked the weather there. In winter time it tends to look a lot worse than it is with its mild temps. And one sunny day makes everyone completely forget about those dark, dreary days.

Seattle is now experiencing a massive demand for housing which is driving up prices like crazy, so we live elsewhere.

And climate, like most other things, is really a personal issue, and no matter how much one tries to convince others, if they don't like it, they just don't like it.

Edited January 26, 2016 by SpokaneAl

[NeverSure]

Compared to the cheaper places we were looking at earlier, Oregon and Washington are fairly expense for real estate. Even the rural areas where it's really cold - E. of the mountains - won't have cheap prices.

Again the thread title is "low budget" and I can think of a lot of places that are cheaper than the Pacific Northwest.

Those who know me know that I live in Salem, Oregon. We don't have a sales tax at the register and consumer goods are already cheaper in the US than in most countries including Canada, Europe, and Thailand. I don't have a house or car payment or any other debt so I wouldn't really need a lot of money if push came to shove.

I don't qualify for Medicaid but I still have awesome coverage with Medicare F + RX. I need it too as I have an expensive medical condition.

IMHO we're going to need to head back to some of those places we discussed earlier in the thread to find "budget" for someone who's repatriating and needs everything there is to get started.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

If you're on Medicare, you're over 65.

I agree the Pacific NW is probably out for very low budget.

I still see the appeal of Medford, Oregon and I suppose there is a chance I could make that work but I still think a better chance in the Southwest.

Yes, I've been focused on Tucson, AZ.

It's interesting in the internet age you can really get a feel.

Besides Zillow of course, you can read local newspapers and even listen to local radio.

Lots about guns and snake/scorpion checking services. Uh oh.

Did you know silencers are legal in Arizona?

Edited January 26, 2016 by Jingthing

[NeverSure]

Silencers are legal most everywhere but you need a federal license to have one. It's expensive, has a lot of hoops, and the gun has to be appropriate and the barrel machined for it. Arizona isn't the issue because it's a federal license. I don't know anyone who has a silencer and I'm a gun guy and they are legal here.

Medford, Ashland and Jacksonville are wonderful with great weather, although there are 4 seasons. Especially Ashland and Jacksonville are expensive with Medford not too far behind. You might find "low budget" with a trailer in White City, just outside of Medford. It has always been the "poor sister" of Southern Oregon.

[Jingthing]

Some grim real life stories.

Recurring themes about people getting screwed who own "mobile" homes on rented land.

She endures what is for many aging Americans an unforgiving economy. Nearly one-third of U.S. heads of households ages 55 and older have no pension or retirement savings and a median annual income of about $19,000

http://graphics.latimes.com/retirement-nomads/#nt=outfit

[NeverSure]

Some grim real life stories.

Recurring themes about people getting screwed who own "mobile" homes on rented land.

She endures what is for many aging Americans an unforgiving economy. Nearly one-third of U.S. heads of households ages 55 and older have no pension or retirement savings and a median annual income of about $19,000

http://graphics.latimes.com/retirement-nomads/#nt=outfit

I just read all of that. Thanks for the link. I kept thinking that a person must get his own land he can live on paid for first and foremost. It must be where zoning etc. regulations don't preclude living in a mobile or travel trailer if necessary. Of course getting a home paid for is better even if it's a double wide.

These people not only made the same mistakes, but they persist in making them. They are living a lifestyle they can't afford but which they want. That first woman is 79 and owns an alligator called a motorhome and a car she pulls behind it. She has $260 per month payments on the crap motorhome and $50K in credit card debt. It's apparent that she has to have insurance on both vehicles and every time the motorhome craps repairs are expensive.

They all approached retirement with home debt or park rental which caused them to lose it all. They all have no savings and no real retirement income. They all persist in their same lifestyle even though traveling the country by motorhome is usually reserved for the more affluent. Not mentioned is that they have to dump their holding tanks and refresh their water tanks and/or pay for park rent.

I'm simply stunned at the stupidity - the lack of planning and the continuation of a poor plan. I was pissed by the guy who blamed it all on banks and the government when it's so obvious he's just stupid.

When we are young we don't believe we'll ever get old and when we are old we can't understand how that happened, especially so fast.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

Interesting.

I tend to thinking staying in one place, a cheap place is usually better than all that roaming.

However, I never thought the RV life was exactly hiso either.

But they were finding nomadic seasonal work, hopefully most of the year, where in one place you'd be limited to the "opportunities" where you are if you hope to or need to work.

Sure there are costs with a roam home but there are costs with a fixed home as well, and not everyone has it together to own mortgage free by old age. Or bad stuff happens, planning or not.

I think the bigger story here, whatever happens to me or some other people I know in similar situations in the U.S., is this huge wave of aging baby boomers and based on that article many many millions of them are in really bad shape financially for retirement age living.

[SpokaneAl]

Some grim real life stories.

Recurring themes about people getting screwed who own "mobile" homes on rented land.

She endures what is for many aging Americans an unforgiving economy. Nearly one-third of U.S. heads of households ages 55 and older have no pension or retirement savings and a median annual income of about $19,000

http://graphics.latimes.com/retirement-nomads/#nt=outfit

I was unable to open your link but must disagree with your assessment of people getting screwed because they live on rented land. The very definition of renting indicates that one pays to live on another's property. Things can change - the owner has rights and options which can affect the renter. If one is concerned about the affect on him/her of those options, he/she should endeavor to buy vs. rent.

[NeverSure]

^^^ True. However, so often people don't really believe they'll get older and they wait until too late to make plans for it. A woman who's too feeble to fix the roof on her junk motorhome still has to work to live. She's 79 years old. Is she still going to be driving that motorhome and working in ten years when she's 90? She has $270 per month payments on it not to mention maintenance and fuel. In ten years that motor home will be in a junkyard and then where will she live?

Does she freak out when she thinks about blowing the engine or transmission? She can't even fix a roof leak or a slow sink drain. She has $50k in credit card debt. Geez. She's already painted herself into a corner so what does she do when something goes seriously wrong with her health?

I'm stunned by the lack of long term planning and the persisting in driving herself deeper into the corner.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

She won't make it much longer. Obviously. Poverty often kills. On the mobile rent thing on fixed land the buy in for the home may look good and the rent OK but as in the story if the rent triples on you or the park is sold you may lose it all. It's such a raw deal and a trap but poorer people are still falling into it.

[Jingthing]

Here's a contrarian thought.

This article details a typical town where on of those mini Walmarts were recently closed.

It says the towns they picked were already in declining areas.

The contrarian idea.

Well, I think that in such declining areas there's probably often decent lower cost housing for sale, a bad investment of course, but perhaps not bad if just looking for a place to live. Assuming you can afford a car to get to other towns to do the stuff you need to do, like maybe shop at Walmart.

http://www.newyorker.com/business/currency/when-walmart-leaves-town?mbid=rss

“Walmart’s pulling out of places that are doing poorly,” Hicks said. “Its decision to leave doesn’t really precipitate bad times as much as it does accelerate bad times.”

Edited February 1, 2016 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

OK, in keeping with the thought, here's the full list of the sad sad towns of all those Walmart closings.

http://pix11.com/2016/01/15/full-list-of-154-walmart-stores-to-close-across-u-s/

When I feel up to it, I'll see if my theory of real estate values in those sad, sad towns is true on Zillow.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel? Could be!

[Jingthing]

Well I scanned the list and it doesn't seem promising from my POV. Some were in big high cost cities, perhaps just over-saturation of Walmarts in those areas. Oh well.

[SpokaneAl]

OK, in keeping with the thought, here's the full list of the sad sad towns of all those Walmart closings.

http://pix11.com/2016/01/15/full-list-of-154-walmart-stores-to-close-across-u-s/

When I feel up to it, I'll see if my theory of real estate values in those sad, sad towns is true on Zillow.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel? Could be!

Whether you are buying a home or investing it seems to be a reasonable move to purchase/invest as close to the bottom as possible and when everyone else is selling. I suspect that those towns you are looking at fall into that category.

[NeverSure]

Some of those towns are very affluent with expensive housing and a strong real estate market. I noticed Lake Oswego, Oregon which is about 45 minutes from me. It has a Walmart Express which I would guess is simply misplaced.

I would still be choosing a state or states and going to Zillow, putting in the parameters for property, and then using their tool to draw a line around the area that interested me.

[Jingthing]

Still focused on Tucson though it has some strong downsides as do all my possibilities.

[craigt3365]

Still focused on Tucson though it has some strong downsides as do all my possibilities.

Interesting to follow this JT. Great thread.

[craigt3365]

OK, in keeping with the thought, here's the full list of the sad sad towns of all those Walmart closings.

http://pix11.com/2016/01/15/full-list-of-154-walmart-stores-to-close-across-u-s/

When I feel up to it, I'll see if my theory of real estate values in those sad, sad towns is true on Zillow.

Scraping the bottom of the barrel? Could be!

I read an article explaining these closings. Wouldn't read too much into this other than a reshuffling of stores. Walmart has over 5,000 stores in the US. Closing these, but opening up many more. From that article:

The company said 95 percent of the stores impacted are within 10 miles of another Walmart.

Walmart announced plans to open at least 50 Supercenters and at least 85 Neighborhood Markets over the next 13 months. In the same period, Sam’s Club plans to open at least seven new stores.

[Gecko123]

Maybe outlying areas of Puget Sound WA or greater Portland, OR area. Snoqualamie type towns in Western WA, maybe even Bellingham or even smaller towns south of Canadian border. Maybe 1-2 hours outside of Bangor, ME or Portland, ME. Santa Rosa, CA?

To tell the truth, first suggestion that comes to mind for Jingthing was Merida, Mexico. Meets low cost of living, access to health care (good reputation/English speaking doctors), and has diverse ethnic food options. Also has large gay expat community. Have two relatives who have bought old colonials outside of downtown area there who seem to like it there. Progresso on the coast less than 1 hour away.

Edited February 13, 2016 by Gecko123