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

[Jingthing]

It's definitely in the discussion but the reality is that the vast majority of affordable housing in the USA is in locations with poor public transportation. 

[Kim1950]

1 hour ago, Kim1950 said:

There is a trend for older people, the half empty nesters, to rent out rooms, usually by referral or connections only.

Don't underestimate this trend of "half empty nesters, renting out rooms, usually by referral or connections only." I am not writing about boarding houses. Some of these houses are large and have been renovated for dual occupancy. The owner wants to remain in the house and needs the extra income rather than having to move and downsize. For sure, their first tier options are relatives, than they move to people by referral or connections, or simply with someone with common interests, compatibility, and have comfort or companionship. However, these opportunities are not advertised. Like ole school, it's who you know.

[amvet]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'm not a believer in the red state / blue state worldview. There are blue areas of red states and red areas in blue states. Atlanta is very blue. 

 

I viewed a video about Huntsville and they said a large portion of the people moving there are from Washington, D.C. (attracted to the housing prices?). 

 

Before here there were some posts about Gulfport, MS being an interesting place.

 

Just keeping an open mind as housing prices are rising, my realistic options if I repatriate may be narrowing. 

 

That said I know very little about Alabama except for the "redneck" stereotype. I drove through Birmingham once  which hardly counts. 

 

Montgomery might be interesting. Off the coast so don't have to worry about Gulf storms. 

The number of hate groups in Alabama has increased for the third straight year and is at its highest since 2012 . The Year in Hate and Extremism 2016 report noted that hate groups from Alabama increased from 23 in 2013 to 27 last year (Maybe because of people moving from Washington DC).   Members of the Ku Klux Klan protested a Sunday pride event in Florence, Alabama, thought to be the first ever LGBT pride parade in the northwestern part of the state.

 

Might be a good retirement activity protesting against KKK it that's your bag Alabama would be a good place.  Money usually talks and I feel there is a reason why the cost of living is lower in some places - primarily because no one wants to live there. 

[craigt3365]

13 hours ago, connda said:

I'm thinking that buying a pickup with either a trailer or a camper.  Pick a place to reside, such as Texas.  No income tax.  But then travel.  You'll meet people and get to see parts of the country you may have never seen.  Want a change of scenery?  A 6 to 12 hour drive and you're somewhere completely different.  

I was a full time RVer for several years.  My father was for about 8 years.  It's a great lifestyle, but best when you move around.  It's hard to find that perfect climate.  And in an RV tin can, climate is everything.  Texas doesn't have perfect year round weather for RVs. 

 

There are some fantastic places to visit in North America and Mexico.  I've spent many winter months having a blast right on a beach in Mexico.  Lovely.

 

I keep a PO box in Nevada.  No income tax there.

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, amvet said:

The number of hate groups in Alabama has increased for the third straight year and is at its highest since 2012 . The Year in Hate and Extremism 2016 report noted that hate groups from Alabama increased from 23 in 2013 to 27 last year (Maybe because of people moving from Washington DC).   Members of the Ku Klux Klan protested a Sunday pride event in Florence, Alabama, thought to be the first ever LGBT pride parade in the northwestern part of the state.

 

Might be a good retirement activity protesting against KKK it that's your bag Alabama would be a good place.  Money usually talks and I feel there is a reason why the cost of living is lower in some places - primarily because no one wants to live there. 

There are strong negatives in any choice, particularly lower cost choices. It's really a matter of pick your poison.

 

I found this an interesting comment (even though I'm not really interested in living in Baltimore but do love cities, big and small):

 

Quote

 

...

 It also lent credence to a theory of mine: that America’s smaller cities are usurping their larger, more expensive counterparts in providing compelling urban experiences. 

...

 

 

http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/city-vacations/baltimore-sagamore-pendry-rebirth

 

On that note ... you're going where?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/lifestyle/vacation-ideas/things-to-do-in-birmingham/

 

 

Quote

 

Birmingham

With revitalized neighborhoods and a ramped-up food culture, Alabama’s largest city boldly returns to the stage and sings to a bigger audience

 

 

The comment section on that article is hilarious.

Edited August 1, 2017 by Jingthing

[amvet]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

There are strong negatives in any choice, particularly lower cost choices. It's really a matter of pick your poison.

 

I found this an interesting comment (even though I'm not really interested in living in Baltimore but do love cities, big and small):

 

 

http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/city-vacations/baltimore-sagamore-pendry-rebirth

 

On that note ... you're going where?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/lifestyle/vacation-ideas/things-to-do-in-birmingham/

 

 

 

The comment section on that article is hilarious.

Alabama Earns a D-Plus, Finishes 45th in National Education Rankings (August 1, 2017 Education Week)

 

[Jingthing]

Bless your heart. 

OK, I think we all get it.

"Rednecks" are an easy target to make fun of.

But I assume some of them are good people. 

I know something about the South.

The accent doesn't necessarily mean they're dumb. 

Plenty of dumb Yankees as well. 

Anyway, if I move down there and get lynched, I get lynched. 

Everything's a crap shoot! 

Edited August 1, 2017 by Jingthing

[ubonjoe]

8 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

Texas doesn't have perfect year round weather for RVs. 

You would not think so if you ever saw all the snowbirds flocking to south Texas every winter.

[Kim1950]

Some Companies in Huntsville, Alabama are SAIC, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon. Huntsville, for sure, would attract skilled and professional people. Many of the top Goverment Contractors have businesses in Huntsville, so the D.C. Types. They, in turn, would create a decent and interesting ecosystem of 'thing-and-places to go'. Though, I imagine there might be very varied economic communities. Then again not much different than in other US cities. 

[craigt3365]

3 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

You would not think so if you ever saw all the snowbirds flocking to south Texas every winter.

Vegas has thousands of snowbirds every year. All gone by late April or so. Same with most other places. Mexico is dead after April. Texas gets really windy part of the year. Really tough if you are in an RV!

[SpokaneAl]

The unfair advantage of owning property, even a mobile home or anything, is you can deduct your property taxes and mortgage interest. In a state like Massachusetts after 65 and if you own property you get further state tax relief. Typically, towns or cities with higher property taxes also have the better services for the elderly. That's the way it works. Even people who have paid down their mortgage, they are still stuck with  property taxes which in my case exceed my mortgage payments. However, then a good piece of that is still deductible, plus being over 65 I get the further state relief. Property anywhere in Massachusetts is steep, except for few older towns that are being gentrified by dual income younger professionals. The system favors capital investment, and keeping and growing the capital. There is a trend for older people, the half empty nesters, to rent out rooms, usually by referral or connections only.

You can deduct your mortgage interest provided your total tax deduction amount exceeds the standard deduction. I was a tax preparer for a few years and many have worked down that mortgage so that the resulting interest to too low to meet the minimums.

As for us, we maintain a paid off home and have stayed debt free for the past twenty years or so, and as a result claim the standard deduction each year.

You can keep those high interest payments and the resulting tax deduction that so many seem over enamored about. Debt = slavery, IMO of course.


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[Kim1950]

In my case my total tax deduction amount exceeded the standard deduction and I was in a high-income bracket. Also in Massachusetts decent rentals typically might exceed or equal mortgage payments and you receive no extra deductions and no property appreciation. I would agree if your window to own property is short after realtor fees and closing costs you might be in a financial disadvantage. However, this would wash after some years

 

Renters do indirectly pay property taxes to the property owners. For a property owner local property taxes are deductible and in Massachusetts you receive further deductions for low income people over 65. I am not suggesting a paid off mortgage is a better deal than having a mortgage though more advantageous than renting. Interestly, high-income communities have higher property taxes with fewer rental options. Freezing out low income people from better schools and services. My case property taxes are $700 per month, no matter where I am at with my mortgage, so in reality, I will not ever totally own my home.

 

Debt = Slavery, not so much, when buying your first home or rental property, when you have little upfront capital. Some of us have to start someplace, and that requires debt, debt that many young people can not afford. Maybe never will. Home ownership is out of reach for many people.

[amvet]

I have a lot of gay friends whom I respect and who often visit me.  So perhaps I'm more conscious of gay rights than most people when looking at places to live.  I found this article in Rolling Stone.   "Along with Mississippi, Alabama is one of eight so-called "No Promo Homo" states. .....homosexuality is not a lifestyle acceptable to the general public and that homosexual conduct is a criminal offense .....has five cities, including Birmingham and Mobile, that rank as among the worst for LGBT people, all scoring below a 10.... is also continues to be one of the most racist states in the nation ...has the nation's sixth highest rate of hate crimes"

 

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-5-worst-states-for-lgbt-people-20141124

Edited August 2, 2017 by amvet
sp

[Jingthing]

Yeah, feeling comfortable in your surroundings is definitely a consideration.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/realestate/what-to-do-when-youve-picked-the-wrong-suburb.html

 

 

Quote

 

Dr. Florida once knew someone who evaluated suburban towns based on the availability of fresh mozzarella. This may be as good a measurement as any. Are you looking for a Whole Foods and a farmers’ market? Do you want to see pickup trucks or Volvo S.U.V.s? A spinning studio or a Planet Fitness? Trump bumper stickers or “Resist” signs?

“These are useful signals because they help you answer the question: ‘Are there people like me here?’” Dr. Florida said.

 

 

[PhuketSarah]

On 11/14/2015 at 0:40 PM, 55Jay said:

Deja vous.

I'm from California but I've often thought Florida might be someplace I would like to try.

I've heard some folks put it in the "horrible" category though, but some folks seem to like it there. That's how it goes I guess.

Fla is a big long state and varies from the ultra expensive coastal resort cities Miami, Key West, Naples to  some real poverty stricken  southern cracker towns in the middle of the north part of the state. All unlivable in the summer. 

[Kim1950]

4 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Yeah, feeling comfortable in your surroundings is definitely a consideration.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/28/realestate/what-to-do-when-youve-picked-the-wrong-suburb.html

 

 

 

I live in a suburban fresh mozzarella enclave. Plenty of Fusion Restaurants, two car garages with two Volvo SUVs, top rated public schools, plenty of nature trails and average home prices at $550K and property taxes that average $800 per month. There are nearly no rentals or apartments. Bounded by a virtual economic border. No homeless, no low-lifes, or hang-outs The supporting worker class are bused into the community via mass transit from a neighboring city. Any night of the week, meetup and catch a glass of wine at $8.00. This is your 'Resistence' Class in Metro Boston. Not to say they aren't good folk. 

[amvet]

On 8/2/2017 at 4:23 PM, PhuketSarah said:

Fla is a big long state and varies from the ultra expensive coastal resort cities Miami, Key West, Naples to  some real poverty stricken  southern cracker towns in the middle of the north part of the state. All unlivable in the summer. 

I spent 20 summers in Florida and lived quite well.  I have also spent 20 summers in Thailand and except for the three smoke choking years I spent in Chiang Mai and environs Florida were cooler in the summer than Thailand.  The reason I stay in Thailand is the people are much more to my taste and cultural background than the people who have invaded Florida from the Northern States.   

Edited August 3, 2017 by amvet
sp

[Jingthing]

Another off the mainstream idea.

Shreveport-Bossier City , Lousiana.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shreveport,_Louisiana

Separated by a river. Like Budapest. (Ha ha.)

In the NW part of the state, near Texas and Arkansas.

North of Cajun country although they still have gators.

Definitely a foodie draw as good southern, Texan, Cajun and Creole food available. 

Lots of festivals, shopping, and cultural things for a smaller sized city.

Interesting real estate history. Always lower cost but didn't experience the nationwide crash most places did. But now some problems, not enough jobs, people are leaving for jobs, their governments are actively seeking retired people to move in. 

A lower cost alternative to California movie/tv production scene. 

A funky neighborhood, Highland, that reminds people of New Orleans. 

Anyone spent time there or lived there? 

 

Edited August 9, 2017 by Jingthing

[craigt3365]

My brother's ex-wife is from Louisiana. She hated it with a passion. 

[Jingthing]

5 hours ago, craigt3365 said:

My brother's ex-wife is from Louisiana. She hated it with a passion. 

Well, also Shreveport has big floods sometimes. Low lying land, on a river. No wonder the Highland neighborhood is popular. 

It's always something!

But that's usually true of high cost areas too. 

[GinBoy2]

You're right, it is always something.

Nowhere is 'perfect' and sooner or later you just got to pick one and go for it. Remember nowhere is forever, and since it seems you will be renting, you're committing to nothing.

One months notice and a uhaul, and you'll be in a new city, new State

[Jingthing]

11 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

You're right, it is always something.

Nowhere is 'perfect' and sooner or later you just got to pick one and go for it. Remember nowhere is forever, and since it seems you will be renting, you're committing to nothing.

One months notice and a uhaul, and you'll be in a new city, new State

OK, that might apply to some people, but not to me really.

I'm getting older and my ideal goal if I repatriate is to buy something affordable. 

Which I'm realizing is becoming less realistic, but even so, I don't picture myself as being as mobile as you suggest. 

So the choice would matter, because that may well be it. 

[GinBoy2]

12 hours ago, Jingthing said:

OK, that might apply to some people, but not to me really.

I'm getting older and my ideal goal if I repatriate is to buy something affordable. 

Which I'm realizing is becoming less realistic, but even so, I don't picture myself as being as mobile as you suggest. 

So the choice would matter, because that may well be it. 

Thats true.

This thread has been gong so long, cant remember if this even came up.

Family? Do you have any still living?

I'm retired so time isn't really an issue, but I did want to be somewhere within 2 days driving, or a 2 hour flight, from my daughters, one being on the West cost the other on the East., so for me it was always going to be bang in the middle, helps that I love the midwest mind you, and always planned at some point to end up there, never saw dying in Thailand as a thing I wanted.

But joking aside, don't underestimate the importance of kith and kin, I think when we're young, the global gypsies among us tend to be able to blow off the importance of family, but as you age you come to realize, friends, acquaintances wax and wane. The only people you can ever truly rely on are family

So if that is in the frame for you, that would for me figure heavily in the decision process!

 

Edited August 10, 2017 by GinBoy2

[meechai]

On 8/8/2017 at 10:26 PM, craigt3365 said:

My brother's ex-wife is from Louisiana. She hated it with a passion. 

Of course she did

 

Name one place anywhere on earth that some one doesn't hate with a passion

 

[meechai]

6 hours ago, GinBoy2 said:

Thats true.

This thread has been gong so long, cant remember if this even came up.

 

This is a classic analyze till its paralyzed type topic.

 

Will likely never move for various reasons but likes the dance

[Jingthing]

 
This is a classic analyze till its paralyzed type topic.
 
Will likely never move for various reasons but likes the dance

Might be true but that is irrelevant.. The topic is not about one person. Many people do repatriate and many consider it. All that do need to choose a location.

[Jingthing]

3 hours ago, meechai said:

Of course she did

 

Name one place anywhere on earth that some one doesn't hate with a passion

 

That's very true of course. I grew up in an objectively great world class city but to me it represented a boring option. The old familiarity breeds contempt / grass is always greener elsewhere thing. Many of the people I grew up with never left. I find that weird. 

Edited August 11, 2017 by Jingthing

[craigt3365]

4 hours ago, meechai said:

Of course she did

 

Name one place anywhere on earth that some one doesn't hate with a passion

 

Have you ever been there?

[craigt3365]

4 hours ago, meechai said:

 

This is a classic analyze till its paralyzed type topic.

 

Will likely never move for various reasons but likes the dance

You don't have to participate if you don't want to.

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, craigt3365 said:

Have you ever been there?

I'll answer that. I've been to New Orleans before Katrina. I loved visiting but didn't really want to move there. It felt dangerous.