Where Is The BEST Place To RETIRE?

[CarriBrown]

Quote:
Oooo yeah... Payson is beautiful. I haven't been there in 100 years, though. I'm sure it's grown a lot.

 

[Ginger Chic]

Actually Mt Airy, where Andy Griffith was born and raised, and was the inspiration for Mayberry is just north of here in NC.

 

[k0xxx]

When I was forced to retire on medical disability at age forty, my wife and I did a lot of research on where to retire to. For us, the hands down winner was northern Arkansas.

Mild winters - We sometimes get 3 - 6 inches of snow, and I have been told that once, about 15 years ago, the area received 14 inches.

Good hunting - We have plenty of deer, turkey, hogs, some elk (recently reintroduced), and plentiful small game.

Young bucks, taken from our front porch.

Good gardening - Rural, lots of room for gardening .

Good for livestock - same as Gardening.

Nice people - As with most rural areas, great people.

Mountains, lakes, streams and good fishing - Unfortunately, no mountains, but nice hills. We have some premier trout fishing streams/rivers, and reservoirs for small mouth bass and larger game fish. Do a Yahoo or Google search for "Spring River" and Trout fishing.

Fog on the spring river, taken about 10 miles from my home.

Reasonably priced - Yep, Real Estate prices are low and extremely affordable.

Low taxes - our property taxes for the last year on 15 acres and a 1350 sq. ft. home was $65.00 (it would have been $365, but you get a $300 reduction if it is you primary residence, and not a 2nd home).

 

[ticks]

Quote:

Good hunting
Good for livestock
Nice people
Mountains, lakes, streams and good fishing
Reasonably priced.

It depends what you're hunting

Up north a little bit (franklin county and NE kingdom) there are more deer and bigger dder thanks to the new laws. There was a 211 pound 8-pointer that was dragged out of the woods near my house.
Livestock-it all depends where you are. There are some pretty big farms in VT.
Nice people- look at me for example

Mountains- they don't call it the greenmountian state for nothign

Lakes- Lake Champlain?
Streams and good fishing- the Brewster river in smuggler's notch is one of many streams with fish in it.

But I will agree that we do get pretty harsh winters and it can be tough.​

 

[spatcher]

Am retired already! Moved from NY to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mtns of Virginia in 06. Vermont may be #2 in taxes but am sure NY is #1 - PM me and I'll fill you in!
Tim

 

[shelleyd2008]

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I live in southern Kentucky.
WINTERS: We very rarely get snow, although it does get somewhat chilly. When we do get snow, it melts off usually the next day, or will be down 2 days at most. We usually get ice, but it doesn't get cold enough in the day for it normally, just at night, and it melts in the morning. I'd say it stays in the upper 30's and 40's for a few months, but coming from Vermont, you might consider that mild? I know it is much warmer than were I grew up: northern Indiana.
HUNTING: There are turkey, squirrel, rabbits, deer, and who knows what else here for hunting. I believe there is even a groundhog season, as well as racoon, of course. <EDIT> I forgot about the frog season, if you like frog legs!! If it can be cooked, it will, and most usually is here!
GARDENING: Just about every house you drive by that is not 'in town' (and some that are!)has a garden.
LIVESTOCK: Just about everyone around here has at least one cow, (except me

), and there are quite a few that have very large cattle farms. It seems like there are chickens everywhere, if you consider that livestock, as well as sheep, goats, and horses/donkeys.
NICE PEOPLE: Of course, being a 'southern' state, the people are very friendly it seems. I was surprised when i first moved here, cause just about everyone will wave to you when you drive by, whether they know you or not.
MOUNTAINS, LAKES, STREAMS, GOOD FISHING: In the area I live, there are more 'hills' than mountains, but they looked like mountains to me when I first moved here! There are two lakes within an hours drive at most, the Green River Lake, and Lake Cumberland. There is also the 'Land between the Lakes' area, that is in the western part of the state.
The Green River runs within walking distance behind our house. We go there quite often in the summer to fish. As far as the fishing, there are many different places to fish, as well as a number of different species here. My dad usually goes for the channel cats, but I get whatever I can catch. The drums put up a pretty good fight, and they get big too. I think they are a bluegill/perch cross, but I'm not sure on that.
REASONABLY PRICED: My brother bought 44 acres of land here about 5 years ago, that he paid $20,000 for. There are two 'lots' in the immediate area right now that I know of, that were priced at $100,000 the last I knew, and that was for 100 acres, and a house.

Tennessee also has similar situation with these things, tho I'm not sure of the pricing.

In my opinion, Kentucky or Tennessee would be the places I would pick for my retirement! The most beautiful countrysides I've seen, and I have been all over the midwest.

 

[MagsC]

Sigh. I just want to go someplace rural and quiet where the cost of living isnt sky high.

 

[Dar]

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lol dont even get me started on my winter stories...we just had friends here from Australia and they could not believe some of the pics i took last winter..they thought that i was showing them pics of a snow bank when it was my driveway after a snow storm ...well next time you are heading this way send me a note and we can get together for coffee....There is a Tim Hortons on every corner here...lol..

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Wow, lots of really great responses! Sounds to me there are going to be several good choices out there. My property taxes rose $1200 this year. If that happens next year I will lose my home. Property taxes are 3X what I paid in Michigan. I do not make that kind of money.

For my 17.5 acre home with no barn I pay $4000 in taxes, $3500 goes just to the schools. The only municipal service I pay for is the road to get the snow plowed and they grade the gravel ONCE a year. Oh and to help pay for the town clerk to run their office, etc. I had snow from early November until the second week of May this year.

What bums me out about the schools is it seems education is not #1, team sports and other means of recreation are. Then I see the school buses stop at EVERY driveway. You ever seen 40 cars piled up behind a school bus? It is an ugly sight! What ever happened to walking to the bus stop?

I have noticed there are a lot of run down properties here with trailer homes in very, very bad condition. Now I know why.

So now I am in survival mode to retirement! Now there is a new TV theme program!

mjsdhs- I'll probably be passing through in either November for US Thanksgiving or around Christmas or New Year's. Let's get some coffee and chicken wings! Does Tim H's have wings?

 

[speckledhen]

My 15 yr old stick-built house with bsmt on 2.22 beautiful, wooded acres in the N. Ga. mtns has property taxes that are about $290/year. Can't much beat that. I own 3.15 acres that adjoins the original property that is currently for sale, but the taxes on that is $60/yr.