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

[NancyL]

It's Oscar season and I just love the way the movie chains here bring in many of the nominated films and show them during the late-night time slots at the malls in Chiang Mai. I love seeing a good film for the first time in a big movie theater with an excellent sound system, but Hubby could care less. So some nights, after he's ready to call it a night around 9 pm, I go off to a mall alone and see one of the nominated films this time of year and return home, often around midnight. Sometimes, I travel on foot. It never dawns on me that this little nocturnal hobby might be unsafe. In how many of these U.S. cities discussed in this thread would I be able to walk around at 12:30 - 1 am at night, returning home from a midnight showing of a movie and feel completely safe -- or maybe just a little annoyed because I can't find a tuk-tuk?

[Jingthing]

It's Oscar season and I just love the way the movie chains here bring in many of the nominated films and show them during the late-night time slots at the malls in Chiang Mai. I love seeing a good film for the first time in a big movie theater with an excellent sound system, but Hubby could care less. So some nights, after he's ready to call it a night around 9 pm, I go off to a mall alone and see one of the nominated films this time of year and return home, often around midnight. Sometimes, I travel on foot. It never dawns on me that this little nocturnal hobby might be unsafe. In how many of these U.S. cities discussed in this thread would I be able to walk around at 12:30 - 1 am at night, returning home from a midnight showing of a movie and feel completely safe -- or maybe just a little annoyed because I can't find a tuk-tuk?

I can't think of any U.S. more affordable options that would be safe and accessible like that.

I didn't start this thread to diss living in Thailand, but more about the situation of those who are going back for whatever mix of complex reasons.

[Jingthing]

Living near this place wouldn't be so horrible:

http://www.phoqueen.com/

Edited February 26, 2016 by Jingthing

[NeverSure]

No way would I own a mobile in a park. Rents have gone up horribly recently pricing a lot of retired folks out of (what they thought were) their homes. Often investors buy a mobile home park based on current ROI and cap rate, knowing that the rents are below market and the plan is to raise the rents. I have nothing against mobiles if that's the budget, but I must own the land.

No way would I buy anything with common areas and a HOA. That means dues and extra costs that also can't be controlled. There's just one more way for inflation to get you, especially over a few decades. BTW those common areas such a the lawns and pool and clubhouse are on a separate tax lot that gets taxed and that is part of the dues.

A condo by definition is not a building style (common error in terminology) but is an ownership style. You may own the land exactly and only under your dwelling (that's called a "zero lot line" ownership) and everything else is probably common area. The common area is probably maintained by professional landscapers at HOA (your) expense.

Many if not most states have some kind of program for property tax relief for low income seniors. You can apply to stop paying your taxes and they pile up as liens against the property. As long as you live there you are golden. When you sell they all have to be paid, putting some people upside down. You don't want to do that unless you never plan to move, but it is an option. You can't do that if you have a mortgage because the loan docs will have an agreement that you pay the taxes. In fact you probably pay the taxes into an escrow account with each payment, and then the lender actually pays the taxes to assure that it's done.

The real answer to low cost housing ownership is a mobile on a lot or acreage. Anything in the way of a stick-built house in that price range is probably a shack in a bad neighborhood. I don't have or want a mobile but my budget allows a nice and newer home in my choice of neighborhood. If my budget didn't allow that I'd be on small acreage outside of town in a double wide. "small acreage" to me could be 1/4 or 1/2 acre but that's the way to do it to stay out of that yucky mobile park feeling. I wouldn't feel deprived if I had a double wide on small acreage and might in fact like the elbow room over a subdivision.

Cheers.

[lannarebirth]

Living near this place wouldn't be so horrible:

photo-1.JPG

http://www.phoqueen.com/

There are about 3 Pho places on every block in America now. At least in my region. Not sure what the attraction is. I've tried it a few times and it is a poor substitute for Thai Guay Tiew IMO.

[Jingthing]

Living near this place wouldn't be so horrible:

photo-1.JPG

http://www.phoqueen.com/

There are about 3 Pho places on every block in America now. At least in my region. Not sure what the attraction is. I've tried it a few times and it is a poor substitute for Thai Guay Tiew IMO.

You've got to be kidding. Proper pho broth is a work of art that takes several hours to cook. The typical Thai noodle soup broth is mostly chemicals. Also of course with the Pho in the U.S. with the great USA beef ... it's no wonder it's become so popular. I also love Viet bun with grilled chicken.

I find the Vietnamese restaurants are better when most of the customers are ... Vietnamese.

I do like Tom Yum. It's easy to cook yourself.

Anyway, it's was kind of a joke post with the Pho so no intention to divert into a debate about noodle soups, so sorry about that!

Edited February 26, 2016 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

No way would I own a mobile in a park. Rents have gone up horribly recently pricing a lot of retired folks out of (what they thought were) their homes. Often investors buy a mobile home park based on current ROI and cap rate, knowing that the rents are below market and the plan is to raise the rents. I have nothing against mobiles if that's the budget, but I must own the land.

No way would I buy anything with common areas and a HOA. That means dues and extra costs that also can't be controlled. There's just one more way for inflation to get you, especially over a few decades. BTW those common areas such a the lawns and pool and clubhouse are on a separate tax lot that gets taxed and that is part of the dues.

A condo by definition is not a building style (common error in terminology) but is an ownership style. You may own the land exactly and only under your dwelling (that's called a "zero lot line" ownership) and everything else is probably common area. The common area is probably maintained by professional landscapers at HOA (your) expense.

Many if not most states have some kind of program for property tax relief for low income seniors. You can apply to stop paying your taxes and they pile up as liens against the property. As long as you live there you are golden. When you sell they all have to be paid, putting some people upside down. You don't want to do that unless you never plan to move, but it is an option. You can't do that if you have a mortgage because the loan docs will have an agreement that you pay the taxes. In fact you probably pay the taxes into an escrow account with each payment, and then the lender actually pays the taxes to assure that it's done.

The real answer to low cost housing ownership is a mobile on a lot or acreage. Anything in the way of a stick-built house in that price range is probably a shack in a bad neighborhood. I don't have or want a mobile but my budget allows a nice and newer home in my choice of neighborhood. If my budget didn't allow that I'd be on small acreage outside of town in a double wide. "small acreage" to me could be 1/4 or 1/2 acre but that's the way to do it to stay out of that yucky mobile park feeling. I wouldn't feel deprived if I had a double wide on small acreage and might in fact like the elbow room over a subdivision.

Cheers.

I've had good luck with condos and I'm not into home maintenance, so horses for courses, buddy. I know all about the common risks with condos but it's still less risk than mobile home parks. Also, owning your regular home is not without risk either, but yes with condos it's more collective.

Edited February 26, 2016 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

This map seems useful for looking at different areas. You can see the level of economic health or distress for each U.S. zip code:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/02/eig-distressed-communities/471177/?utm_source=SFTwitter

[craigt3365]

Living near this place wouldn't be so horrible:

photo-1.JPG

http://www.phoqueen.com/

There are about 3 Pho places on every block in America now. At least in my region. Not sure what the attraction is. I've tried it a few times and it is a poor substitute for Thai Guay Tiew IMO.

We've eaten at several in Vegas, which has a very large Asian community. Not very good, in our opinion. Kinda like Thai food in the US. Expensive and not that great.

Our best luck with good Asian food was in the heart of the Asian community in Vegas. Some pretty good restaurants there. Quite a few were Chinese.

[tonray]

One thing to keep in mind is renting a place in the US is not like here. Credit checks, minimum income requirements, if you are not working or have a large pension...most landlords will not rent to you. Another option is a mobile home park. We all know the term trailer trash but in reality in many parts of the US there are beautiful mobile (semi permanent) parks which are established neighborhoods with trees, shops and the whole ball of wax. Many like this in Washington/Oregon area.

You could always buy a nice unit (anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000) and rent the location in the park where the income requirements for renting the land would be much less than an apartment. If I end up returning home, this is definitely the path I will take. If you don't mind gloomy winters, there are many places like this near the Oregon coastline with beautiful and affordable options. Also many over 55 senior parks where facilities and services are designed for the older set.

Ok...you just started me thinking.....Oregon coast....hmmm

[craigt3365]

One thing to keep in mind is renting a place in the US is not like here. Credit checks, minimum income requirements, if you are not working or have a large pension...most landlords will not rent to you. Another option is a mobile home park. We all know the term trailer trash but in reality in many parts of the US there are beautiful mobile (semi permanent) parks which are established neighborhoods with trees, shops and the whole ball of wax. Many like this in Washington/Oregon area.

You could always buy a nice unit (anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000) and rent the location in the park where the income requirements for renting the land would be much less than an apartment. If I end up returning home, this is definitely the path I will take. If you don't mind gloomy winters, there are many places like this near the Oregon coastline with beautiful and affordable options. Also many over 55 senior parks where facilities and services are designed for the older set.

Ok...you just started me thinking.....Oregon coast....hmmm

I love the Oregon coast, but winters are tough. You can go a month or more with no sun and rain every day. Summers are great though....

I've got a friend in Vancouver right now. He said it's cold and dreary.

[T_Dog]

One thing to keep in mind is renting a place in the US is not like here. Credit checks, minimum income requirements, if you are not working or have a large pension...most landlords will not rent to you. Another option is a mobile home park. We all know the term trailer trash but in reality in many parts of the US there are beautiful mobile (semi permanent) parks which are established neighborhoods with trees, shops and the whole ball of wax. Many like this in Washington/Oregon area.

You could always buy a nice unit (anywhere from $25,000 to $100,000) and rent the location in the park where the income requirements for renting the land would be much less than an apartment. If I end up returning home, this is definitely the path I will take. If you don't mind gloomy winters, there are many places like this near the Oregon coastline with beautiful and affordable options. Also many over 55 senior parks where facilities and services are designed for the older set.

Ok...you just started me thinking.....Oregon coast....hmmm

Credit checks are common with rental agencies, but don't overlook craigslist. Lots of folks renting out houses, rooms or basements these days. I am doing contracting in the Spokane area and found a beautiful 1500 square foot basement to rent for 500 dollars a month, month to month. No credit check, no lease, just pay each month.

Trailer parks for 55 and over are quite refined these days. Worth the look as you point out. Most of the dwelling look like houses, not trailers.

[T_Dog]

To add, for me getting older I would still look at St. Pete as a retirement destination. Overall, the demographic of the area is trending younger but there is still lots and lots of (well established) over 55 housing complexes, and as the younger can't live there, there appears to be a favorable supply and demand situation in those complexes, at least for now. Compared to Tucson I still think if spending 75K you can get a nicer place than in St. Pete, but not that much nicer. You can definitely get a liveable place in that range, and if desperate, a basic roof over your head small place for 30K. There are lots of mobile home parks as well, of course, but the idea of living in one in a hurricane region doesn't sound so good.

The HOAs in such complexes are sometimes very high, but sometimes not so bad. Yes, there is shuffleboard.

In St. Pete living in or near downtown would now be expensive, but there appears to be lot of budget options in the area between downtown and Madeira Beach (10 minute drive to downtown) and also north of St. Pete in the Pinellas Park area (another city), which interestingly includes one the largest concentrations of Asian people in the Southeast.

Another surprise, Pinellas County (where St. Pete is) is the most densely populated county in Florida.

If I was wealthy, sadly not, I'm pretty sure Tucson wouldn't be on my radar. But St. Pete might be.

I was in St. Petes for a boat show a while back. Fantastic town! Only problem is that Florida is now the third most populated state in the USA so traffic is Thailand-like.

[craigt3365]

To add, for me getting older I would still look at St. Pete as a retirement destination. Overall, the demographic of the area is trending younger but there is still lots and lots of (well established) over 55 housing complexes, and as the younger can't live there, there appears to be a favorable supply and demand situation in those complexes, at least for now. Compared to Tucson I still think if spending 75K you can get a nicer place than in St. Pete, but not that much nicer. You can definitely get a liveable place in that range, and if desperate, a basic roof over your head small place for 30K. There are lots of mobile home parks as well, of course, but the idea of living in one in a hurricane region doesn't sound so good.

The HOAs in such complexes are sometimes very high, but sometimes not so bad. Yes, there is shuffleboard.

In St. Pete living in or near downtown would now be expensive, but there appears to be lot of budget options in the area between downtown and Madeira Beach (10 minute drive to downtown) and also north of St. Pete in the Pinellas Park area (another city), which interestingly includes one the largest concentrations of Asian people in the Southeast.

Another surprise, Pinellas County (where St. Pete is) is the most densely populated county in Florida.

If I was wealthy, sadly not, I'm pretty sure Tucson wouldn't be on my radar. But St. Pete might be.

I was in St. Petes for a boat show a while back. Fantastic town! Only problem is that Florida is now the third most populated state in the USA so traffic is Thailand-like.

Traffic is what's keeping me out of Southern California also. I lived there for many years, but the traffic kept getting worse and worse...no fun!

[Jingthing]

Took me awhile, but as promised, I have started a new separate thread going DEEP into the technical details of income used for calculating whether you enter the Obamacare minumum threshold and if so, the SUBSIDY levels.

Before, I made a huge error (I think) to focus on EXPANDED MEDICAID destinations as I hadn't considered that the income I would have as an "early retiree" would likely put me into the Obamacare zone (with subsidies) so wouldn't be eligible for expanded medicaid anyway even if living in states offering that. In my case, the income I'm referring to that would put me into the Obamacare zone would be social security and IRA withdrawals, both apparently are COUNTED in the calculation.

Here is the link for the new thread:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/900198-issues-around-eligible-income-for-calculating-obamacare-subsidies/?p=10493223

As far as destinations, my top choices still are Tucson AZ and St. Petersburg FL. But now theoretically I can consider anywhere else and not think about the expanded Medicaid aspect.

Cheers.

[Jingthing]

As far as traffic in St. Pete ... is it really that bad if you avoid RUSH HOURS?

[craigt3365]

As far as traffic in St. Pete ... is it really that bad if you avoid RUSH HOURS?

The problem is, rush hour typically last from about 7am till at least 9am. Then from about 3pm till 7pm. That really cuts into your ability to go around and enjoy things.

[Jingthing]

Tangentially related to this thread.

Most people in my age group (older, under social security age) will not have private or public pensions to rely on, but only social security and 401K/IRAs, and many don't have much of anything in those either.

Another reason why for many owning their own home outright can be very important.

Nearly half of all working-age families have no money in retirement accounts at all. The median family has $5,000 saved. Even for people between the ages of 56 and 61, the median retirement account savings is a paltry $17,000. While the top 10 percent have at least $274,000 saved, the bottom 50 percent have next to nothing. “We are moving toward a retirement system that magnifies inequality instead of just reflecting it,” Morrissey said on a conference call Thursday.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Columns/2016/03/04/Retirement-Revolution-Failed-Why-401k-Isn-t-Working

[NeverSure]

I'm having a bit of a problem understanding how you're going to get much if any SS if you don't work and pay in until retirement age.

I talked to a woman the other day who gets just $700 per month in SS. She has no savings, no car and doesn't own a home. She's 72. She rents a room and a shared bath in a home, pays $200 per month rent which is really hard for her, and does work in the home to earn the balance of her rent. She basically does housekeeping and laundry and some child care.

How is she going to do that when she's 90?

I know a guy who gets just $200 per month in SS. He lives with his children or he would be on the streets.

It's expensive for me to own a home free and clear. My cable TV and internet package is $170 per month. I have property taxes and homeowner's insurance and yard maintenance and all the rest of my utilities not limited to gas and electric. I'm pretty sure I need a new gas hot water heater and I got a quote of $800 installed. My car insurance with a perfect driving record is almost $1200 per year.

I dunno.

[Jingthing]

It's not going to be easy, that's for sure.

Like I said, I'm probably unemployable at my age now with such a long gap.

So as they say, it is what it is. No guarantees.

That's one reason I'm looking to buy a big enough place that could attract decent rent from a roommate, and of course rents go up over time.

St. Petersburg is especially interesting because for some reason the HIGH cost of renting seems way high out of whack to the cost of buying.

Different than Tucson where the rents vs. sales looks more rational.

If I was the type buying a separate investment rental might be good, but I don't trust my skill level on that one.

Another alternative which may or may not mix with that tactic is that there are many, many over 55 places there where you can get a condo or small single story bungalow thingie for between 30K to 70K. Sometimes the HOAs are not high either. If it was big enough, could also rent out the second bedroom, assuming that was OK with the rules of the complex. Something I need to check out.

I've never said I'm expecting lifestyles of the rich and famous.

I don't think I'm actually doing much worse than typical for someone my age without a non-SS pension. I think even better than typical but this is still grim.

I should be able to buy a home outright, some extra liquid savings at least at first, an IRA that's fairly substantial (under the top 10 percent but not horrible either), and a low/modest social security because I used to make a lot.

In theory, part time work might be a possibility. But it would be low paid work. I think part time work is easier to get ... employers don't have to pay any benefits.

Sure like many older people I could easily run out money before running out of life.

That's tragic of course and I'm sure it's happening to many Americans, every day.

I don't have expensive vices, so maybe there's hope.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jingthing

[NeverSure]

I'll tell you where room rentals are almost impossible to find and expensive while home prices are reasonable. That's anywhere that 420 has recently been made legal. I. Can. Not. Believe. the numbers of low income younger people who are pouring into Oregon and especially Portland from other states. Most of these people don't have enough sense to pour piss out of boot. They just rock up and post "HELP I'M HOMELESS" on Craigslist and think that someone will give a damn. They can of course afford 420 and there are now stores everywhere.

I've mentioned that I'm in Salem, about 40 minutes S. of Portland. Home prices are much more reasonable here but the demand for room rentals is still through the roof. People who have good jobs, a clean background, good credit, a clean driving record etc. don't need to rent a room.They might want to rent one for a couple of months while they buy a house.

The only people I see who would make good dependable renters and are low enough income to need to rent a room are retired people or disabled people on SSI. These are people who would stay for a long time and give dependable income.

Forgive if I repeat - these are loooong threads. Many people wanting to rent a room can't rent through normal channels because they can't pass a background check including criminal, credit, references, etc. You can, however, run that yourself online for a reasonable fee. And you must.

[NeverSure]

It's not going to be easy, that's for sure.

Like I said, I'm probably unemployable at my age now with such a long gap.

So as they say, it is what it is. No guarantees.

That's one reason I'm looking to buy a big enough place that could attract decent rent from a roommate, and of course rents go up over time.

St. Petersburg is especially interesting because for some reason the HIGH cost of renting seems way high out of whack to the cost of buying.

Different than Tucson where the rents vs. sales looks more rational.

If I was the type buying a separate investment rental might be good, but I don't trust my skill level on that one.

Another alternative which may or may not mix with that tactic is that there are many, many over 55 places there where you can get a condo or small single story bungalow thingie for between 30K to 70K. Sometimes the HOAs are not high either. If it was big enough, could also rent out the second bedroom, assuming that was OK with the rules of the complex. Something I need to check out.

I've never said I'm expecting lifestyles of the rich and famous.

I don't think I'm actually doing much worse than typical for someone my age without a non-SS pension. I think even better than typical but this is still grim.

I should be able to buy a home outright, some extra liquid savings at least at first, an IRA that's fairly substantial (under the top 10 percent but not horrible either), and a low/modest social security because I used to make a lot.

In theory, part time work might be a possibility. But it would be low paid work. I think part time work is easier to get ... employers don't have to pay any benefits.

Sure like many older people I could easily run out money before running out of life.

That's tragic of course and I'm sure it's happening to many Americans, every day.

I don't have expensive vices, so maybe there's hope.

I know that in Oregon you can own a home free and clear and still qualify for food stamps if your income is low enough. You can also get Medicaid. If you're 65 or older you can also stop paying your property taxes and let them pile up as a lien never to be collected until you die or the home is sold.

There are some angles but I don't know how to game them because I don't qualify for anything like that and I don't study them.

JINGTHING: Have you gone online to see what your SS benefit would be if you retire at 65 by today's standards? SSA has that available.

[Jingthing]

Just checked Zillow for Salem. Doesn't seem to be a fit but maybe someone else would be interested.

As I've explained I don't expect to be destitute enough for classical Medicaid anywhere, hopefully not, and I'd only have to make it to age 65 before Medicare.

Classical Medicaid generally disallows any significant LIQUID assets such as bank accounts. Not sure if they look at IRA funds.

The Medicaid I've talked alot about here is about EXPANDED MEDICAID, a new Obamacare thing. That doesn't look at assets at all but you need to be UNDER the minimum Obamacare threshold and live in a state that offers it.

Food stamps I think allow home and car ownership anywhere.

I think a lot of states have property tax breaks for elders. That's definitely worth looking into for any locality.

I think that might even be county by county in some states.

The places I'm looking at are so cheap that the property taxes are laughably low anyway ... except when I was looking at Cleveland.

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jingthing

[craigt3365]

I get my annual SS statement and it shows getting the full amount due to how much I paid in. Some 2k/month. I quit work early, but my SS payments stopped before that. Guess I reached the max???

FYI. A friend is in from Colorado. Apart from his stories about legalized pot (which are very interesting), he's getting health insurance via obama care for only $1 co pay...because of his low income. He's pretty clued into what's happening in the states and feels obama care is going to crater in the next year or so. But, that's his opinion!

[SpokaneAl]

I get my annual SS statement and it shows getting the full amount due to how much I paid in. Some 2k/month. I quit work early, but my SS payments stopped before that. Guess I reached the max???

FYI. A friend is in from Colorado. Apart from his stories about legalized pot (which are very interesting), he's getting health insurance via obama care for only $1 co pay...because of his low income. He's pretty clued into what's happening in the states and feels obama care is going to crater in the next year or so. But, that's his opinion!

Here is what SS says -

"We base Social Security benefits on your lifetime earnings. We adjust or “index” your actual earnings to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Then Social Security calculates your average indexed monthly earnings during the 35 years in which you earned the most."

if you worked for less than 35 years your income will show as zero for those remaining years that you did not work.

[craigt3365]

I get my annual SS statement and it shows getting the full amount due to how much I paid in. Some 2k/month. I quit work early, but my SS payments stopped before that. Guess I reached the max???

FYI. A friend is in from Colorado. Apart from his stories about legalized pot (which are very interesting), he's getting health insurance via obama care for only $1 co pay...because of his low income. He's pretty clued into what's happening in the states and feels obama care is going to crater in the next year or so. But, that's his opinion!

Here is what SS says -

"We base Social Security benefits on your lifetime earnings. We adjust or “index” your actual earnings to account for changes in average wages since the year the earnings were received. Then Social Security calculates your average indexed monthly earnings during the 35 years in which you earned the most."

if you worked for less than 35 years your income will show as zero for those remaining years that you did not work.

I had 7 amazing years, with some really good ones before and after those. Maybe that made the difference?

Interesting article for JT:

http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2016-03-04/the-best-places-to-live-in-the-us?mbid=nl_030416_Daily&CNDID=28594985&spMailingID=8624922&spUserID=MTA5NDU2NDA0MzcxS0&spJobID=880564783&spReportId=ODgwNTY0NzgzS0

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Noticed U.S. News and World Report has an updated list of its 100 best places to live in the U.S. I took that list, and narrowed it by setting the maximum average monthly rent amount not to exceed $1,000. Here's the top of the list that resulted:

http://realestate.usnews.com/places/rankings-best-places-to-live?sort=overall&high_to_low=true

1. Denver, CO

• 7.8 Overall Score

• 6.9 Quality of Life
• 7.4 Value

3. Fayetteville, AR

• 7.5 Overall Score
• 7.4 Quality of Life
• 9.1 Value

4. Raleigh-Durham, NC

• 7.5 Overall Score

• 7.4 Quality of Life
• 6.9 Value

5. Colorado Springs, CO

• 7.4 Overall Score
• 6.5 Quality of Life
• 7.6 Value

6. Boise, ID

• 7.2 Overall Score
• 7.5 Quality of Life
• 7.5 Value

11. Des Moines, IA

• 7.1 Overall Score
• 6.6 Quality of Life
• 8.3 Value

12. Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

• 7.1 Overall Score
• 6.8 Quality of Life
• 7.7 Value

13. Grand Rapids, MI

• 7.0 Overall Score
• 7.3 Quality of Life
• 7.8 Value

14. Sarasota, FL

• 7.0 Overall Score
• 7.5 Quality of Life
• 5.5 Value

15. Charlotte, NC

• 6.9 Overall Score
• 6.5 Quality of Life
• 7.5 Value

FWIW, the top 10 of the full list included Seattle, Austin, San Francisco, believe it or not Washington DC and San Jose. But those cities got lopped off when I set the maximum monthly rent level not to exceed $1000,

Edited March 10, 2016 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[NeverSure]

Interesting list, thanks. I see several with bitter cold winters. I also would be more interested in the price of buying a home than rents. I think renting is financial suicide for retirement.

Some people are fortunate enough to be retired for 30 years or so. I look back 30 years to what things cost - houses, new cars - and it's shocking. I bought a new Ford Thunderbird loaded out in 1991 for $9,500. I built a really nice new home in 1990 or so for under $100,000. While building I rented a really nice 2br 2bth apartment for $375. Those days are long gone but many people who retired in 1990 are still alive and well.

Cheers.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Interesting list, thanks. I see several with bitter cold winters. I also would be more interested in the price of buying a home than rents. I think renting is financial suicide for retirement.

The website at the link I posted above has a slideshow where they have one slide for each of the top 20 cities, and each slide includes the median yearly income, the median home sale price, and the area's metro population.

[craigt3365]

Several of those places are incredibly cold in the winter. Miserable. Denver has really bad traffic, and terrible air quality during the winter. Fort Collins is very nice, but winters are a bit cold.