Cheapest place to live in retirement

[Happy Smitty]

Well not Lake Havasu anymore...

 

[boatpi]

We have to go buy it right and buy 2 acres with a mobile home. Doesn’t cut it when it’s 100+ degrees but there are a lot of very decent houses in Pahrump for 350 to 400,000 on 1/3 to a half an acre.
You don’t live in something with a 2 inch thick insulation roof when it’s gonna be 105 or 10 out or actually freezing in the winter my two cents. Prom is coming around a lot from the little shit hole it used to be.

 

[lakemadness]

FWIW……..

I really like the concept of “The Villages” in central Florida. The largest retirement community in the U.S.

It has a lot to offer. Especially as you get older and older.

I like that it has over 3000 clubs and activities. There is always something to do.

Just remember…….. The older you get, the younger your neighbors seem to be. Lol

To me, it is just as important to have something to do, during the day to keep busy. At the villages, this is not a problem. There is too much to do.

Groups I would join if I lived at The Villages. (In no particular order)

Cruise Travel Group
Precision Golf Cart Parade Team
Woodworking Club
Bowling League
Probably many more that I am unaware of.

The housing is reasonable too. However, you are not buying a home…… You are buying a lifestyle. One that will keep you filled with activities, friendship, and camaraderie of the shared experience.

For me, the negative about the villages is that it is not on the Florida coast. I wish it had ocean access with intracoastal front homes.

For those with Hulu, you should watch this documentary on The Villages. My wife and I found it very entertaining. Especially the guy living in his van, while he tries to meet a rich widow. It’s called “Some Kind of Heaven”

Here is a preview

STD capitol of the world lol.

 

[samsah33]

What is this "retirement" thing that you speak of...?

(daughter is starting UCSD next month and another off to who knows where in another 2 years...)

 

[CLdrinker]

TN is a very good option as they do not have income tax and property tax. Houses are expensive right now though.

AL has no property tax after 65yrs old. So you will have zero housing costs. They do not tax retirement funds.

I’m have a few houses on my radar incase my long shot deal works out

 

[Ducksquasher]

Slab City.

Ha!

Very true!

 

[CLdrinker]

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3121-Cathedral-Caverns-Hwy-Grant-AL-35747/121153073_zpid/.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/285-New-Market-Rd-New-Market-AL-35761/350123401_zpid/

I have my eye on these for possible houses to go look at.

 

[clarence]

It’s a real thing for some reason it was on my YouTube feed a year or two ago about all the swingers in those Florida retirement communities

 

[Aces & Eights]

About 35 years ago I was fishing up in the Eastern Sierras, I saw several 1 acre lots near Gardnerville NV for sale at around 10 grand per lot. I loved that area, I should’ve bought one or two of those lots. Nothing like the serenity at the base of the High Sierras.

 

[Hammer]

6’ under…

 

[rmarion]

I grew up in Palm Desert and know that place like the back of my hand. Lots of people move to the desert to retire...so much that my brother was the Sheriff that worked Indian Wells and pretty much all he did was occupancy checks. He would have to find people in their homes dead and notify their families! He did it so much that it kind of messed him up a bit.

One other fact is that the Costco in Palm Desert sold more alcohol than any other Costco in the US...at least it did in 2007. The reason being is all these people would move to the desert with the grandiose vision that they would golf and play tennis which does happen until the first summer sets in. Once that first summer heats sets in, they end up drinking themselves to oblivion and not getting out much. It's really sad! I'm going to move where I can do my hobbies and interests all year round. I think the Florida boating is pretty awesome, but I think I would need a second home in a cool climate up north.

a Buds Mom... had two homes... Minnesota and Palm Springs..

best of both worlds... she played golf to a 15 hcp...

 

[Smupser]

So funny this came up. I have been getting a lot of interest in older folk looking to downsize in an affordable fashion. Yes, many leave California, but many hate the weather change. I have this new listing in North County San Diego in a 55+ community with an HOA of $165. Everyone is really cool in this little pocket neighborhood and it's in the north-west side of Escondido which is really nice and close to so decent shopping. $549,999 and this has been completely renovated and move in ready.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1716-Toyon-Gln-Escondido-CA-92026/82933206_zpid/ View attachment 1398664

View attachment 1398665




View attachment 1398666

I live in the same zip code and have delivered in this park. It’s not bad, there’s nicer ones. There’s one of the street where some of the houses go for less than 250k and it’s a decent park. The whole 55+ restriction really drops the prices depending on the park

 

[Ducksquasher]

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3121-Cathedral-Caverns-Hwy-Grant-AL-35747/121153073_zpid/.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/285-New-Market-Rd-New-Market-AL-35761/350123401_zpid/

I have my eye on these for possible houses to go look at.

The 1st one is really bitchin'!

 

[CarolynandBob]

TN is a very good option as they do not have income tax and property tax. Houses are expensive right now though.

AL has no property tax after 65yrs old. So you will have zero housing costs. They do not tax retirement funds.

I’m have a few houses on my radar incase my long shot deal works out

This, but in TN the property tax frezzes at your curent amount at 65 I believe. In AL I think it goes away.

If we were not so ingrained in FL we would have moved somewhere else in TN or AL.

 

[CLdrinker]

The 1st one is really bitchin'!

It’s on a somewhat busy hwy. But it does sit back pretty far.

Other than that it checks most of our boxes.

 

[17 10 Flat]

Want to be cheap or happy.
I'd rather eat Bologna sandwiches 7 days a week as opposed to living anyplace that gets snow.

 

[ChiliPepperGarage]

I think a lot depends on what kind of lifestyle you are going to have in retirement. I could never live in a retirement community. It would drive me nuts! I'm 68 (since yesterday ) but still love my cars, off roading, boating, motorcycling, etc. I'm in a rural area on 5 acres with a big shop and several garages that I built. I'm outside doing stuff every day.

I couldn't imagine living in a place with no elbow room and neighbors right on top of you but I guess some people like that. That Villages place in Florida would be hell for me.

 

[Xstream]

I think a lot depends on what kind of lifestyle you are going to have in retirement. I could never live in a retirement community. It would drive me nuts! I'm 68 (since yesterday ) but still love my cars, off roading, boating, motorcycling, etc. I'm in a rural area on 5 acres with a big shop and several garages that I built. I'm outside doing stuff every day.

I couldn't imagine living in a place with no elbow room and neighbors right on top of you but I guess some people like that. That Villages place in Florida would be hell for me.

ME too.

 

[BabyRay]

What are the most and least affordable states to buy a home in?

Buying a home in the U.S. has continued to get more expensive this year as home values have climbed despite high interest rates holding back demand.

komonews.com

 

[bonesfab]

Prison

As long as it is club fed.

 

[DILLIGAF]

FWIW……..

I really like the concept of “The Villages” in central Florida. The largest retirement community in the U.S.

It has a lot to offer. Especially as you get older and older.

I like that it has over 3000 clubs and activities. There is always something to do.

Just remember…….. The older you get, the younger your neighbors seem to be. Lol

To me, it is just as important to have something to do, during the day to keep busy. At the villages, this is not a problem. There is too much to do.

Groups I would join if I lived at The Villages. (In no particular order)

Cruise Travel Group
Precision Golf Cart Parade Team
Woodworking Club
Bowling League
Probably many more that I am unaware of.

The housing is reasonable too. However, you are not buying a home…… You are buying a lifestyle. One that will keep you filled with activities, friendship, and camaraderie of the shared experience.

For me, the negative about the villages is that it is not on the Florida coast. I wish it had ocean access with intracoastal front homes.

For those with Hulu, you should watch this documentary on The Villages. My wife and I found it very entertaining. Especially the guy living in his van, while he tries to meet a rich widow. It’s called “Some Kind of Heaven”

Here is a preview

One correction....alternative lifestyle. Lol

Better be ready to swing that thing

 

[yz450mm]

 

[DRYHEAT]

I think a lot depends on what kind of lifestyle you are going to have in retirement. I could never live in a retirement community. It would drive me nuts! I'm 68 (since yesterday ) but still love my cars, off roading, boating, motorcycling, etc. I'm in a rural area on 5 acres with a big shop and several garages that I built. I'm outside doing stuff every day.

I couldn't imagine living in a place with no elbow room and neighbors right on top of you but I guess some people like that. That Villages place in Florida would be hell for me.

Just imagine the heart attacks you would cause when you started up one of your toys with loud exhaust. I am sure the HOA police would be at your front door shortly there after.

 

[Redracer1090]

FWIW……..

I really like the concept of “The Villages” in central Florida. The largest retirement community in the U.S.

It has a lot to offer. Especially as you get older and older.

I like that it has over 3000 clubs and activities. There is always something to do.

Just remember…….. The older you get, the younger your neighbors seem to be. Lol

To me, it is just as important to have something to do, during the day to keep busy. At the villages, this is not a problem. There is too much to do.

Groups I would join if I lived at The Villages. (In no particular order)

Cruise Travel Group
Precision Golf Cart Parade Team
Woodworking Club
Bowling League
Probably many more that I am unaware of.

The housing is reasonable too. However, you are not buying a home…… You are buying a lifestyle. One that will keep you filled with activities, friendship, and camaraderie of the shared experience.

For me, the negative about the villages is that it is not on the Florida coast. I wish it had ocean access with intracoastal front homes.

For those with Hulu, you should watch this documentary on The Villages. My wife and I found it very entertaining. Especially the guy living in his van, while he tries to meet a rich widow. It’s called “Some Kind of Heaven”

Here is a preview

St, Marys, GA. Great Retirement Community . Coastal Access>>>>>

 

[C-Ya]

Where in America is a place that is not too hot, not too cold, with no natural disasters?

I don’t know either….. LOL

 

[17 10 Flat]

Where in America is a place that is not too hot, not too cold, with no natural disasters?

I don’t know either…..lol

For me below 70F its too cold. Kinda narrows it down. Hot is over 120F

 

[River918]

We did extensive research on this before moving out of California a few months ago. For us it came down to Tennessee or Missouri. We tried hard to get to Missouri (LOTO), but kept getting outbid on the lakefront houses we fell in love with. When it came to cost, here’s what we discovered between the two:

Tennessee: no state income tax (pension and 401k’s included), utilities are half what we paid in California, vehicle registration is $29.00 per vehicle (no matter the make, model, or year), insurance is about a 3/4 of the cost of California (homeowner’s and vehicle), property tax is about 1/4 of what we paid in California on a bigger/newer house (around .4%), gas is well under $3.00 a gallon (Paid $2.66 a few weeks ago). Financial cons: lower wages (I’m retired so it doesn’t affect me), sales tax on food, groceries are about the same cost as California.

Missouri: no income tax on government pensions (they do tax regular income and 401k’s), low property tax (Missouri is a non-disclosure state so they tax based off accessed value. There’s really no timeline as to when they reassess, but they try and get you to disclose what you paid for a property by sending a notice requesting the info. I was told that most people throw it in the trash since there’s no legal obligation to fill it out. There are some million dollar houses at LOTO that are paying minimal property taxes because of this), homeowner’s insurance was very high (they said it was because at LOTO the fire departments are “foundation savers” since it takes them a while to get there, and there not a lot of FD in the area), low gas prices (not near as low as Tennessee). Financial Cons: they have a yearly ”personal property“ tax on all vehicles, recreational vehicles, boats, etc. that costs around 1% of 1/3 of the assessed value of the property (I was told this also applies to boat docks), food is about the same price as California, lower wages.

As far as financials, we found out it’s important to look at everything and don’t get sucked in by the “no state income tax” vacuum that some people do. Texas has crazy property taxes to offset the no state income tax and we’ve met a lot of folks that have left a Florida due to their insurance premiums going up 2-300% over the past few years….some were paying premiums as high at 15k a year, and other cost of living expenses have gotten out of control.

 

[PlanB]

Where in America is a place that is not too hot, not too cold, with no natural disasters?

I don’t know either….. LOL

San Diego is pretty damn good. Too bad it's in California.

 

[CLdrinker]

Since I’m sure a few realtors are tracking this conversation.
What kind of percentage would I be paying to sell my home. House should go between 460-500k?

Also what kind of payment would I be looking at if I finance 200k on my next house?

 

[Joker]

While Arizona is not ideal, I think we should be by our kid should something happen to either of us. There’s no way my wife is going to want to be alone that far away from our daughter and to be completely honest, what am I going to do should my wife pass before I do. Rot away in a house is my first thought.
This is a really tough decision that is approaching us faster than I wish.

 

[NicPaus]

Since I’m sure a few realtors are tracking this conversation.
What kind of percentage would I be paying to sell my home. House should go between 460-500k?

Also what kind of payment would I be looking at if I finance 200k on my next house?

2-2.5% on each end so 20-25K plus closing costs. 200k mortgage at current rates 1400 month plus minus a hundred.

 

[Smupser]

San Diego is pretty damn good. Too bad it's in California.

It’s like I tell people, I love San Diego county, but absolutely l hate the rest of California

 

[Ducksquasher]

This, but in TN the property tax frezzes at your curent amout at 65 I believe. In AL I think it goes away.

If we were not so ingrained in FL we would have moved somewhere else in TN or AL.

So in TN...who can shed some light on Knoxville and Chattanooga areas? Goal is to be about 30-45 min. out of the city...just far enough to be somewhat rural but close enough for medical, some entertainment, etc. I have been to Nashville a couple times and I have checked out some suburbs around there.

 

[CarolynandBob]

So in TN...who can shed some light on Knoxville and Chattanooga areas? Goal is to be about 30-45 min. out of the city...just far enough to be somewhat rural but close enough for medical, some entertainment, etc. I have been to Nashville a couple times and I have checked out some suburbs around there.

Unfortunatly I do not know anyone in those areas. I did stay the night in Knoxville once. They have a great Boubon bar downtown. LOL

 

[nameisbond]

Maybe not the cheapest. But Wenatchee in Washington State checks a lot of retirement boxes. Good healthcare. Low utilities (amongst the least expensive in the US), no state income tax. Nice River in the Columbia. Good Lake close drive in Chelan.

 

[CLdrinker]

Maybe not the cheapest. But Wenatchee in Washington State checks a lot of retirement boxes. Good healthcare. Low utilities (amongst the least expensive in the US), no state income tax. Nice River in the Columbia. Good Lake close drive in Chelan.

But you must own a Subaru.

 

[BabyRay]

But you must own a Subaru.

Wrong side of the state for that.

 

[nameisbond]

But you must own a Subaru.

East side of the mountains is all conservative. Should have pointed that out in my post.

 

[beerrun]

We did extensive research on this before moving out of California a few months ago. For us it came down to Tennessee or Missouri. We tried hard to get to Missouri (LOTO), but kept getting outbid on the lakefront houses we fell in love with. When it came to cost, here’s what we discovered between the two:

Tennessee: no state income tax (pension and 401k’s included), utilities are half what we paid in California, vehicle registration is $29.00 per vehicle (no matter the make, model, or year), insurance is about a 3/4 of the cost of California (homeowner’s and vehicle), property tax is about 1/4 of what we paid in California on a bigger/newer house (around .4%), gas is well under $3.00 a gallon (Paid $2.66 a few weeks ago). Financial cons: lower wages (I’m retired so it doesn’t affect me), sales tax on food, groceries are about the same cost as California.

Missouri: no income tax on government pensions (they do tax regular income and 401k’s), low property tax (Missouri is a non-disclosure state so they tax based off accessed value. There’s really no timeline as to when they reassess, but they try and get you to disclose what you paid for a property by sending a notice requesting the info. I was told that most people throw it in the trash since there’s no legal obligation to fill it out. There are some million dollar houses at LOTO that are paying minimal property taxes because of this), homeowner’s insurance was very high (they said it was because at LOTO the fire departments are “foundation savers” since it takes them a while to get there, and there not a lot of FD in the area), low gas prices (not near as low as Tennessee). Financial Cons: they have a yearly ”personal property“ tax on all vehicles, recreational vehicles, boats, etc. that costs around 1% of 1/3 of the assessed value of the property (I was told this also applies to boat docks), food is about the same price as California, lower wages.

As far as financials, we found out it’s important to look at everything and don’t get sucked in by the “no state income tax” vacuum that some people do. Texas has crazy property taxes to offset the no state income tax and we’ve met a lot of folks that have left a Florida due to their insurance premiums going up 2-300% over the past few years….some were paying premiums as high at 15k a year, and other cost of living expenses have gotten out of control.

Would you tell us where in Tennessee you moved to?

 

[SLT Kota]

So in TN...who can shed some light on Knoxville and Chattanooga areas? Goal is to be about 30-45 min. out of the city...just far enough to be somewhat rural but close enough for medical, some entertainment, etc. I have been to Nashville a couple times and I have checked out some suburbs around there.

I live in Chattanooga and went to school in Knoxville. There are plenty of small communities that are around both cities that sound like what you described. I had some family come look extensivly for something rural but not too far away. They ended up buying in Dayton, TN. It is big enough to have everything but small enough where everyone stops for friday night highschool football.

Nashville is quickly becoming a full time traffic nightmare/little Calfornia with the prices to match.

If you have any questions, just ask.

 

[calkid]

FWIW……..

I really like the concept of “The Villages” in central Florida. The largest retirement community in the U.S.

It has a lot to offer. Especially as you get older and older.

I like that it has over 3000 clubs and activities. There is always something to do.

Just remember…….. The older you get, the younger your neighbors seem to be. Lol

To me, it is just as important to have something to do, during the day to keep busy. At the villages, this is not a problem. There is too much to do.

Groups I would join if I lived at The Villages. (In no particular order)

Cruise Travel Group
Precision Golf Cart Parade Team
Woodworking Club
Bowling League
Probably many more that I am unaware of.

The housing is reasonable too. However, you are not buying a home…… You are buying a lifestyle. One that will keep you filled with activities, friendship, and camaraderie of the shared experience.

For me, the negative about the villages is that it is not on the Florida coast. I wish it had ocean access with intracoastal front homes.

For those with Hulu, you should watch this documentary on The Villages. My wife and I found it very entertaining. Especially the guy living in his van, while he tries to meet a rich widow. It’s called “Some Kind of Heaven”

Here is a preview

Just be careful what color loofah you hang on your golf cart in there

 

[Ducksquasher]

I live in Chattanooga and went to school in Knoxville. There are plenty of small communities that are around both cities that sound like what you described. I had some family come look extensivly for something rural but not too far away. They ended up buying in Dayton, TN. It is big enough to have everything but small enough where everyone stops for friday night highschool football.

Nashville is quickly becoming a full time traffic nightmare/little Calfornia with the prices to match.

If you have any questions, just ask.

Thank you...that is kind of what we are looking for. Goal is to split time between CA and somewhere back East. We will likely have kids on both coasts and I like the "ease" getting to the Carolina's from Tennessee. For some reason I am always drawn to Tennessee and/or Alabama. I have a friend who moved to Pell City, Alabama and he is enjoying it.

 

[2Driver]

“Cheap place“ or cost of living depends on what specific costs you are stradeld with in retirement.

Housing, if not paying cash
state tax
property tax
energy
Insurance
HOA fees

Everything else doesn't move the needed that much.

 

[Elway]

We just pulled the trigger and bought in Knoxville after looking in that area for almost 5 years. After visiting numerous areas within a 1 hour radius of Knox proper, we decided that as much as a lakefront house would be nice up in the Norris/Tellico/Watts Bar areas, we needed to be closer to what the city has to offer in terms of restaurants/sports/medical. So we paid more to be closer to the city, but ended up in the neighborhood we wanted and it checked all our boxes for retirement. House is small - 1300 sq. ft one story, 3bd/2bath not including an unfinished basement sitting on almost 3/4 an acre corner lot on block from the TN river. So plenty of room for what I'm envisioning in terms of adding on a great room and then a large detached garage/man cave.

 

[baja-chris]

An option might be to find a place where you like the weather "most" of the time and get a nice rv to travel when the bad weather hits.
This could be desert southwest and travel north in summer or up north or in the mountains then travel south in winter.
In general the weather is always nice somewhere in the big ole usa.

I have a BIL who moved from San Diego to Iowa, way cheap even with acreage and barn etc., much higher quality of life for the $.

San Diego coastal is nice year round, best in the country, but $$$$. But inland San Diego is $$$ and very hot summers, you may as well be in Arizona.

 

[havasuhusker]

My wife told me she wants to try living in different states to see what else is out there. We're thinking of maybe doing a month long rental to kind of feel out different places. We have friends in Indiana, so might try that first. I told her I have to be on, or close to a lake. I loved TN each time I've gone there, so I'd like to try that. LOTO area, maybe Idaho, or AL area. I'm kind of all over the place at the moment. We shall see what 2025 holds for us.

 

[CLdrinker]

An option might be to find a place where you like the weather "most" of the time and get a nice rv to travel when the bad weather hits.
This could be desert southwest and travel north in summer or up north or in the mountains then travel south in winter.
In general the weather is always nice somewhere in the big ole usa.

I have a BIL who moved from San Diego to Iowa, way cheap even with acreage and barn etc., much higher quality of life for the $.

San Diego coastal is nice year round, best in the country, but $$$$. But inland San Diego is $$$ and very hot summers, you may as well be in Arizona.

The property tax in Iowa will make Texas blush. I was looking at a 550k in Fayette tax was 9k.

 

[Taboma]

very hot summers, you may as well be in Arizona.

"very hot summers, you may as well be in Arizona."

Sure it is San Diego county "Inland" is comprised of numerous micro-climate zones. I've lived in one since 1978 ---- it's 11:44 AM and currently 77 degrees here, last night it was 64. 10 day forecast is an almost unbearable mid-80's forecast .
It's also 11:44 AM in Havasu and 109 degrees, last night it was 95, Havasu projected high is 117.
Sure there some inland areas that get warm, Ramona is 90, projected high of 95, nightly low of 60, --- yup, that's the same alrighty.

 

[angiebaby]

My wife told me she wants to try living in different states to see what else is out there. We're thinking of maybe doing a month long rental to kind of feel out different places. We have friends in Indiana, so might try that first. I told her I have to be on, or close to a lake. I loved TN each time I've gone there, so I'd like to try that. LOTO area, maybe Idaho, or AL area. I'm kind of all over the place at the moment. We shall see what 2025 holds for us.

That's a great plan. Our first road trip was in 2005 to eastern Kansas. Saw Utah and Colorado. Loved both Moab and Glenwood Springs. Eastern Kansas is beautiful. This began our love affair with road trips. We went in 2007 north to Montana and saw Logan, UT, Jackson, WY, Tetons and Yellowstone. Drove up Paradise Valley into Bozeman and later Whitefish area and spent 3-4 weeks there, returning several times including during the winter. As much as we loved the Whitefish area in 2007-10, we still wanted to explore places to escape living in California. We road-tripped to the Ozarks and South Dakota on separate occasions and have been all over Utah, Colorado, and Idaho.

When we got the motorhome, the goal was to see if there was any place that we liked better than Montana. We stayed for 3 months at my parents' in Upstate Idaho, 1 month in Ennis, MT (kinda near W. Yellowstone/Bozeman), a month in Moab (on our short list), 3 weeks at Zion/Hurricane, then Havasu for 5 months, 3 weeks in Cortez, CO, 4 weeks in Durango (also on our short list), 4 months at Flathead Lake, MT, back to Havasu, and then St. George for a month. We had plans to go to Rapid City, SD and Taos, NM each for 3 weeks, but motorhome issues squashed those plans.

All of these were places we had visited for a night or two and always wanted to return to spend more time. We were looking for some place we liked better than NW Montana so we could be sure that was the place. We really loved Durango, but the lack of a nearby airport, limited water supply, and severely unhealthy forests ended that idea. Spending 7 weeks in the area will reveal those sorts of things. But it also allows for you to really get to become a little more intimate with the area. You can visit a great restaurant more than once and order something different. Do they carry your favorite items in the grocery store? You have time to go to a couple different supermarkets to see. What are the liquor laws and can you live with them (state owned liquor stores and not open on Sunday or after 6 pm, for example)? Ennis had the coolest meat market I've ever seen and we loved the charming town, but the wind blew every single day. Is the wind an anomoly for the weekend you are there, or is it more of a constant? You can see that in a 3-5 week period. They are also having trouble keeping help at the small hospital in Ennis due to housing issues. Very understaffed. You don't find that out in a weekend or even week-long visit.

So, that's a long winded way of saying that I think it's great that you plan to rent a place for an extended period in various potential new locations. I've done it for the same reasons and I would highly recommend that route.

 

[riverroyal]

We thought st George and surrounding areas was a great place to consider. Plenty of medical, big enough town but still open space.
Cost was good, it's a candidate