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Thread: Retirement Relocation Advice - Please Remember the No-Politics Rule

  1. #1
    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    Retirement Relocation Advice - Please Remember the No-Politics Rule

    Hi everyone,

    I've been on here since FFR started this forum and have grown to appreciate the advice and wisdom of the many members from around the country. I'm turning to all of you now for a little more personal advice - not the automotive sort.

    I'll start with the admission - I live in Illinois.... there, I said it. So as to not run afoul of the no-politics rule, I'll just say that I don't feel very represented in this state, even in my semi-rural location an hour west of Chicago. I was born and raised here, and once-upon-a-time I would have considered myself to be happy with things here... at least in general. But, these days, I find myself counting down to departure day, as I know that there is no way I will retire here for all the reasons many of you have probably read about in the news.

    So, that said, my wife and I have been looking at locations where we will someday retire. There are so many great places that we've visited and found to be a possible new home, but we haven't found that perfect mix yet. Being that we're both from the Chicago area originally, we're hoping to replace some of the positives of this area when we relocate.

    In no particular order, here are some things I still like about Illinois and would like to find in a new area.....

    1) Transportation access - we are conveniently located near two major airports, rail service to the city, and numerous interstates, including old Route 66 and the Lincoln Highway.

    2) Fresh water - seems funny to mention this, but it's often something that concerns us when we consider southwest locations.

    3) Healthcare - we're still young-ish, but we know that someday it will be helpful to be as close as we are now to some really good hospitals.

    4) Faith community - we're faithful Catholics, so having a strong community is a very positive part of our lives.

    5) Race tracks - I'm spoiled by the fact that anywhere from one to a few hours, I can be at places like Road America, Autobahn Country Club, Blackhawk Farms, Gingerman, Grattan, and Putnam Park.

    6) Quaint small towns - we live just on the outskirts of one of the few remaining touristy small towns this close to the city and we find it a very pleasant place to hang out. In addition, future plans call for a retail venture that will require access to this type of place.

    Things I definitely don't like about my home state anymore.....

    1) High taxes - need some relief on this, especially from high property taxes and fees.

    2) Weather - getting a little tired of winter, although they are sometimes mild, shoveling snow and bitter cold seem wasted in the flatlands... not an issue if we go with a mountain setting, though.

    3) Insolvency - fiscal responsibility for the state, county, and local governments is a must for any location that we consider. Even better if there is much more consolidation to government instead of the incredible number of taxing bodies that we face around here.

    4) Flatlands - would like a little geographic diversity, some hills, forests, streams, and lakes would be nice.

    So, with all that, I'm open to your opinions and welcome your advice.

    Thanks!!!!!
    Last edited by Gumball; 07-17-2017 at 10:24 AM.
    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

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    Chris,

    I'm originally from N.J. but have also lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia, San Diego, CA and now am retired and living in Huntsville, Alabama. I am also a Catholic. Huntsville, also known as "The Rocket City" is home to the Redstone Arsenal and the Marshall Space Flight Center. Because of the military presence here, the city is more cosmopolitan than most southern towns. Having lived in California, I am now happily residing in a red state. Huntsville is worth checking out for retirement. It meets many of your criteria. The cost of living is 70% of that in San Diego. It worked for me.

    Good luck on your search.

    Damien

  3. #3
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    Texas has a lot of what you are looking for, low taxes, solvency, and is a conservative state. We have a lot of CA people moving here as well as a lot of new corporate offices. The hill country around the Austin area has a rural atmosphere, lots of green hilly country side, fresh water, etc. Any of the larger cities Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and the Dallas-Ft Worth area have the transportation, exceptional health facilities, race tracks, etc. Drive 30 miles from the center of any of these places and you can find the small towns. We have short winters with only a few days with ice/snow on the roads and I drive my open car about year round here in the Dallas area. But you will have to trade you low winter temperatures for some hot summer days and find cooler clothes. But once acclimated, you may find it very comfortable and you can bring your gun.
    King
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    Senior Member wareaglescott's Avatar
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    Might be outside what you would normally consider but I'll tout my hometown of Auburn,Al. It checks all the boxes you mention and consistently ranks in the top 10 places in America to retire in magazines like Forbes, and many others. Give it a look.
    We love the small town feel and proximity to Atlanta and Birmingham for big city needs!
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  5. #5
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    Prescott (elevation 5,367), Sedona (elevation 4,326) or Flagstaff (elevation 6, 906) in Arizona. The elevation tamps down the blazing Arizona heat, and the scenery is world class.

    My wife and I still live in Kali, but only for a few more years. We're having the same discussions right now.

    Da Bear
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    Vancouver, Washington........The bad: liberal left leaning west coast government, and traffic is starting to suck in the Portland metro area. The good: no state income tax, (Oregon across the river has no sales tax so you live in Washington and shop in Oregon), mild weather, not to hot and rarely snows, lots of water (the mighty Columbia runs right between Portland and Vancouver), great scenery, green all year, two hours to the mountain peaks and two hours to the beach (Pacific Coast), 6 race tracks within several hundred miles, (Portland International Raceway, Portland, OR., Pacific Raceway, Kent, WA., The Ridge, Shelton, WA., Spokane County Raceway, Spokane, WA., Oregon Raceway Park, Grass Valley , OR,. Mission Raceway, Vancouver, BC.) No place has it all but this is a thought for you.

  7. #7
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    I know where you're coming from. We just moved from Deerfield, IL to Amelia, VA (central Va just west/southwest of Richmond). Big factors for us were taxes, weather (yes there really are 4 seasons, not just winter & pot hole repair), and proximity to family. In central VA we have access to fresh water lakes, churches everywhere, a lot of great small towns, good healthcare & access, and track opportunities (VIR, Summit Point, Carolina Motorsports Park). The local transportation is limited but proximity to Northern VA/DC area via auto or rail opens that (Reagan & Dulles). Example of tax differential is Deerfield, 2,000 sq.ft, 1950's house on 1/4 acre; tax was $12k/yr; Amelia new 2400 sq ft on 2 acres is $1400/yr. An added benefit is proximity to the ocean, Va Beach, Outer Banks, NC. The one thing you didn't note was any family consideration. For us; weather and taxes were priority factors, proximity to son was the tie breaker among a number of states considered including as far south as FL and southwest including Tx & Az. Good luck!

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    I've lived in North Carolina my whole life. First in Charlotte, then in the Raleigh area for college and beyond. Look into Cary or Apex. Both have a small town feel - Apex more so than Cary. Both have a "downtown" area that is quaint. Cary is in the process of revitalizing theirs. I'm not Catholic, but a coworker is. There is a large (10,000 or so member) Catholic church in Cary, and the Diocese is building a really big cathedral in Raleigh to replace their downtown (Raleigh) cathedral. Several other churches all over the area. Minutes to RDU and Amtrak has a station in downtown Cary. We're located 2.5 hours to the beach and 3.5 hours to the mountains. Tail of the Dragon is 5.5 hours away (NC is a rather long state east to west). VIR is 1.5 hours away.

    EDIT: Forgot to mention that NC has reasonable taxes (flat). Health care is great - top notch hospitals in Raleigh, Durham (Duke), and Chapel Hill (UNC). Jordan Lake is a recreational lake that is Apex and Cary's drinking reservoir. Falls lake is as recreational and serves as Raleigh's reservoir. Both have a buffer of no development on the lake. Lake Gaston isn't far. Lake Royale (45 minutes east of Raleigh) is a smaller lake with gated community development on the lake. Lake Wheeler is in Raleigh. It's small but fun to paddle on and plenty of nooks and crannies for fishing.
    Last edited by jceckard; 07-17-2017 at 12:40 PM.

  9. #9

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Slidell Louisiana!

    1. To the East you have 30 miles of beaches that you can cruise in your Factory Five plus great places to eat and gamble from Bay St. Louis all the way to Biloxi. In addition, every Wednesday night you can traverse the 1/4 mile at Gulfport Dragway for only $25.00, as many times as you'd like I must add. Drive a little further and you've got Gulfshores Alabama and a tad further and you are now in Florida so you can be in Pensacola (Home Of The Blue Angels), Navarre, Ft. Walton, Destin and Panama City, which are all part of the Redneck Rivera.

    2. To the South we have New Orleans (Need I Say More) so there is always something going on there, plus we've got a couple of cruise ships that sail from the city as well. In addition we have NOLA Motorsports Park and No Problem Raceway on that side of the pond (Lake Pontchartrain That Is). What we don't have near NOLA is Chicago Style Pizza so bring your Pizza skills South as quickly as you can. in addition, if you move here, you can still Love Da-Bears, but you'll have to love the Saints as well.

    3. To the West we have Baton Rouge and the best College foot ball tailgating in the land at Death Valley, home of the L.S.U. Tigers.

    4. To the North, well there isn't much above I-10 that is worth seeing, sorry guys, other than Hub-City Dragway just South of Hattisburg, but that's okay.

    5. Everywhere We Have Hunting, Fishing, Eating & The Festivals Can't Be Beat Down Here; However, We Had To Build Bridges To Give Us Hills To Drive Over!

    Come down for Cruising the Coast in October and check us out because you won't be disappointed, plus all faiths, colors and creeds get along, and we've got tons of Catholics down here too, myself included.

    https://cruisinthecoast.com/

    Steve

    PS: Property Taxes Are Super Low By Your Standards!
    Last edited by GoDadGo; 07-17-2017 at 12:48 PM.

  10. #10
    Senior Member mach'er's Avatar
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    I'll second what Da Bear said. The higher elevation stuff in AZ. It's either that or way up north in Wisconsin for my wife and me, but we're a decade away.

    I go to the Phoenix area at least once a year, with time in Flagstaff each trip. Driving through Prescott, Chino Valley, Jerome, Sedona, etc. It's beautiful, not Phoenix hot, kind of gets four seasons (depending on the elevation), and has plenty of curvy roads. But it doesn't have lakes. Or muskies.
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    Quote Originally Posted by 2bking View Post
    Texas has a lot of what you are looking for, low taxes, solvency, and is a conservative state. We have a lot of CA people moving here as well as a lot of new corporate offices. The hill country around the Austin area has a rural atmosphere, lots of green hilly country side, fresh water, etc. Any of the larger cities Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and the Dallas-Ft Worth area have the transportation, exceptional health facilities, race tracks, etc. Drive 30 miles from the center of any of these places and you can find the small towns. We have short winters with only a few days with ice/snow on the roads and I drive my open car about year round here in the Dallas area. But you will have to trade you low winter temperatures for some hot summer days and find cooler clothes. But once acclimated, you may find it very comfortable and you can bring your gun.
    +1 for Austin. Lots of water in rivers and lakes, lots of green, no income tax Austin itself is a little manic traffic-wise as it's grown, but there are some lovely little towns on the outskirts. But it's hot. It's taken me 6 years to finally not mind the 100deg days in the garage.
    James

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    Senior Member UnhipPopano's Avatar
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    Austin/ Hill Country and Southern DFW would not be bad, but have you considered Mexico? This city has a race track and plenty of road to travel - http://www.mexicoretirementguide.com...ies/puebla.htm

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    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    Hey guys - thanks for all the quick responses... this is great.... keep 'em coming.

    A few more things that you may find helpful in pointing me in the right direction:

    1. No kids - just dogs. Both my family and my wife's are starting to disburse due to retirement, so that's not much of a consideration, either.
    2. Wife likes gambling now and then - enjoys her trips to Las Vegas with her mom who is still pretty active and they occasionally go to the riverboats (Illinois' version of Indian casinos).
    3. The comment of "you can bring your gun" is spot-on and one of the considerations... looking to avoid places with overly burdensome restrictions on lawful ownership and carry.
    4. Not imminent, so we have time to vacation in some of the places and maybe rent a house there for a month or so just to get real flavor before we commit.
    5. Heat is okay, but neither of us really like high humidity.
    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gumball View Post
    Heat is okay, but neither of us really like high humidity.
    Well, NC is out. We occasionally have absolutely beautiful days in the summer time, but most of the time it's 90s with 90% humidity. I would say that you'd get used to it, but I've been here my whole life and I'm still getting used to it. The winters are warm though - rarely gets to the single digits. And little snow - lots of sleet and freezing rain - but not much snow. I better stop, or else I'm gonna convince myself to start looking around.

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    I was born and raised in the midwest and moved to Raleigh NC in 2000. IMO the "Triangle" is a great place to live. Plan to stay here.
    Continues to be in the top 10 best places to live in multiple surveys. Come on down!

  16. #16
    Senior Member KDubU's Avatar
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    Been looking at NM a lot. Beautiful weather and different seasons depending on where you are. Economy is so so but if you're retiring then that is okay. I can work from anywhere so that makes it easier. Like NM for it's weather, quiet pace, beautiful places and relatively not expensive. Is it perfect, nope but neither are many other places.

    Have looked at still considering Portland, OR and have looked at Charleston, SC. Perhaps we will stay here which is really nice and go someplace warm in the Winter which opens up a lot of places outside the US.

    As for whether a place is a red or blue State/city, that's just dumb and is what is wrong with this country today. Keep this partisan crap up and China and India will be way out in front.
    Kyle

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    As a former Chicagoan, who has spent 20+ years in Kansas City, while the transition was easy, it has been living here that was the greatest pleasure. Best things are lively motorsports community, very convenient living and family values shared among most people I've met. There are 4 seasons here, but the winter is more like late fall in Chicago. However, over the last few years we've been spending more and more time in southwest Missouri/Northwest Arkansas. Table Rock lake, in the heart of the Ozarks is just about the prettiest place I've ever seen, with clear deep water and the perfect balance of amenities and low taxes. Conservative roots go deep in the midwest, you will fit in coming from Chicago. The twisty scenic roads that are meant are meant for a cobra.

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    I just retired to Winter Garden, FL. Central Florida has a lot of fresh water lakes, no state taxes and no snow. Just west of WG is Clermont with rolling hills while east is Orlando with all the benefit of a large city with all that brings. Easy access to multiple international airports, Daytona Speedway and smaller tracks as well. Central Florida also has easy access to a lot of car shows year round. Downside is that it gets hot in summer, but balanced by great winters.

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    We have been in the Black Hills of South Dakota for several years. Our place is west of Custer at 5450 ft, no A/C and none needed. No state income tax, no personal property tax, reasonable real estate tax and wonderful roads to go cruising. We spend our winters in the Rio Grande Valley in deep south Texas - best of both worlds. -- Chuck

  20. #20
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    I was born and raised in California before going into the Army. After doing tours in several places around the world: Florida, Massachusetts, Japan, Texas, Germany, Virginia, and Colorado, I settled in Colorado.

    Pros: Beautiful weather most of the year, including the winter. When it does get cold here, it is short-lived and the snow melts away within a few days when it does snow. It seldom reaches 100 degrees in the summer, and the humidity seldom gets higher than 20%. Varied terrain from wide open plains to 14,000 foot peaks in the Rockies, to lush farm lands (peaches and grapes are huge on the western edge of the state). Colorado claims to be one of the healthiest states with tons of outdoor activities year-round. For those that enjoy fine dining or performing arts, Denver has it all. We also have very little in the way of bugs to deal with, unlike places I've lived in along the East Coast.

    Cons: Not much in the way of large lakes to play on if you like to spend time on a boat. Water can be an issue and is expensive depending on how you get it. Water quality is great, however. Most of the year is pretty dry with our rainy season in the mid-summer. Housing costs are getting pretty high with double-digit increases in home values year-after-year. The further you get from Denver, the cheaper the home prices unless you are looking for a mountain home.

    Taxes are higher in the cities and lower in rural areas, so you could see a range of just under 4% to nearly 9% for sales tax and about 1 to 1-1/2% for property tax depending on the area you live in. I've lived in Colorado for 22 years now and still love it.
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  21. #21
    Seasoned Citizen NAZ's Avatar
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    I retired in Arizona after looking at and visiting many states across the nation. Arizona is the most gun friendly of the lower 48 with open or concealed carry without a permit. As a private citizen you can own machine guns, suppressors, and artillery pieces if you can afford them. It's probably the most misunderstood state for those not living in the west. Folks think AZ is like the Sahara Desert; void of life and water but nothing could be further from the truth. Pick up several months worth of Arizona Highways magazine at your local library and you'll see a plethora of varying landscapes from the Saguaro covered Sonoran Desert to alpine forests with rivers and lakes scattered about. Some of these photos you'll swear were taken in Hawaii not AZ. Look at the outlaying areas near Prescott which is fairly centrally located in the state. You get mild four seasons with small town country charm or inside Prescott you get more of the big city feel with all the big city conveniences. You'll be an easy drive to the Valley of the Sun where you'll find world class race tracks, autocross events, drag racing, and even racing schools. An equally easy drive to Flagstaff and you'll be in the world's largest Ponderosa Pine forest and cool temps. There are no humid places in AZ. Having lived in Huntsville, AL (and been to Huston in summer) I know what humid is. And in areas that get snow it evaporates faster than it melts with our low relative humidity so no sloppy winters like you folks get in the east. If you like the outdoors and activities like boating, hiking, hunting, fishing, horseback riding, skiing, motorcycles -- you'll find it easy to pursue these activities in Arizona. And here you can license and drive your sand buggy or ATV on the highway. Hot rods, modified cars & bikes are easy in AZ as you won't find the restrictive laws like our California neighbors to the west. I moved from CA to AZ (the land of the free) and never looked back. If cost of living, quality of living, beautiful scenery, and freedom are important you need to take a close look at AZ.

  22. #22

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    I'm with Pap. The military moved me all over the world. After all that moving around, I stayed right here in CO. At the moment, I'm spending the week in Estes Park, and Rocky Mountain NP, one of the most beautiful little corners of the galaxy I'v ever come across.

    The cost of living here is reasonable. Not cheap, not expensive. Just reasonable. Same thing with taxes. About middle of the road I suppose.

    The only real down side of living here is that all the hippy crunchy Californians escaped and came here. Of course, the first thing they want to do is turn CO in to CA. They're working real hard in to turning it into a liberal cesspool. And that's a problem.

    Traffic around the Denver area and I-25 corridor is just stupid. I don't go there for much of anything. It's a big city, with the usual big city problems. Colorado Springs is getting there. The rest of the state is pretty much wide open spaces. Mountains and trees to the west, and flat grassy plains to the east.

    The weather here on the Front Range is pretty mellow. 5-20 days of snow a year, and that's about it. A few hot days during the summer. Low humidity year round. I never put the cobra or harley up for the winter, as I drove them both year round. I own a float charger for the race car, but not for anything else.

    There are a couple of race tracks near by, but nothing like where you're at, or the coastal areas. Auto racing is not a big deal here.

    But, The best driving roads in the country are right here; The Million Dollar Highway, CO-141, Chief Joseph Pass. People talk about the Dragon, or highway 1, or Hocking Hills. I'v driven those roads, and they don't even come close. Imagine the Hocking Hills that lasts for 2 full days, has an elevation change of 6,000 feet, and a view that stretches out for 75 miles. To do these roads in an open car or on a two wheels is just heaven on earth. If you're a car guy, you want to live here.

    There is no perfect place. But this is just about the best compromise you're ever going to find.
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  23. #23
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    I'll put my 2 cents in for the Black Hills of South Dakota. It doesn't meet all your requirements but it does lots of them. Yes we have winters. Much milder than Minnesota where I lived for over 40 years. Not unusual to have 50's or even an occasional 60 in January. Canyon Lake in Rapid City is never completely frozen over. Summers are dry, Humidity is very low. Taxes are low, no income tax. Access to healthcare is good. The state is fiscally responsible. We stay within our means. The scenery is bountiful. This is definitely a faith based area. Water is a precious commodity and the climate is considered Semi Arid. However there is a rather large reservoir that serves Rapid City. There are plenty of quaint towns. We live Near Custer, a town of 2000 about an hour SW of Rapid City and at an elevation of 5290. There's a strong community feeling here. The area is heavily based on tourism. June through September there's a strong presence of tourists. Especially August with the Sturgis Rally. After the season is over it's a quaint lazy town.
    So what are the negatives relative to your requirements? There's a quarter mile dirt track, no major racing. We have a regional airport but it's not cheap to fly from here. Rapid City is on I90 though.
    Google best places to retire and South Dakota is frequently in the top 2

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gumball View Post
    Hey guys - thanks for all the quick responses... this is great.... keep 'em coming.

    A few more things that you may find helpful in pointing me in the right direction:

    1. No kids - just dogs. Both my family and my wife's are starting to disburse due to retirement, so that's not much of a consideration, either.
    2. Wife likes gambling now and then - enjoys her trips to Las Vegas with her mom who is still pretty active and they occasionally go to the riverboats (Illinois' version of Indian casinos).We've got Deadwood
    3. The comment of "you can bring your gun" is spot-on and one of the considerations... looking to avoid places with overly burdensome restrictions on lawful ownership and carry.Open carry and concealed is $10 unless you want enhanced which will be $120
    4. Not imminent, so we have time to vacation in some of the places and maybe rent a house there for a month or so just to get real flavor before we commit. Check out Vacation Rental By Owners.com
    5. Heat is okay, but neither of us really like high humidity.
    Again, very low humidity
    Harney Peak (now Black Elk Peak) is the highest point east of the Rockies all the way to Europe. There are 7 other peaks in the area above 7000 feet. Fantastic roads in the hills to drive with a FF. Lots of off road trails for Side X Sides.
    Last edited by adubbelde; 07-18-2017 at 06:52 AM.

  25. #25
    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    Wow - thanks for all the advice and great comments. This is the kind of local detail that I can't get from a general list of top retirement cities. It's also a nice feeling to know that through this community we can reach out to each other for personal thoughts on stuff like this and not just rely on those articles in magazines and on-line.

    Please keep 'em coming, though, as we still have time this summer / fall to take a couple road trips and this info will help us in our planning.
    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

  26. #26
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    I can help you narrow it down.... Mark california off the list, the state has alot of nice places, but the gov does not want you to own a gun or use gas!
    Mk3.1 347 AFR 205cc Heads A9L EFI siemens deca 60lb injectors MSD 6AL ignition Vortech V-3 3 Link PS/PB

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  27. #27

    Steve >> aka: GoDadGo
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    Quote Originally Posted by Just puttering View Post
    I can help you narrow it down.... Mark california off the list, the state has alot of nice places, but the gov does not want you to own a gun or use gas!
    J.P.

    Or Drink Water Either From What We Hear Over In My Oil Pumping, Gas Producing, Gun Toting, Gumbo Eating, Bourbon Street Boozing, Fun Loving, God Fearing State!

    G.D.G.
    Last edited by GoDadGo; 07-18-2017 at 02:01 PM.

  28. #28
    Seasoned Citizen NAZ's Avatar
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    Let me echo what Just Puttering said, if you care about owning firearms steer clear of the People’s Republik of Kalifornia as they are on a trajectory to eliminate private ownership of firearms and they pretty much don’t care what the Constitution says. When I was a reserve police officer for one of the largest cities in CA I couldn’t carry a weapon off duty. Didn’t matter that I was POST certified, past several background checks, passed a lie detector exam, passed a psychological exam, graduated top of my academy class, and was former military – no one can be trusted. But high taxes, cost of living, and quality of living should be enough to cross this state off your list.

  29. #29
    Out Drivin' Gumball's Avatar
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    Funny on those CA comments - I once mentioned to my wife that if I was going to be miserable from a regulation, tax, and general lack of fiscal responsibility on the part of the state perspective, then we should move from Illinois to California, because at least then we'd have great weather and cool geography on top of all the negatives.

    Yeah, unfortunately CA is off my list - unless my current employer relocates me there for the foreseeable future. Otherwise, there are still 48 other choices, about half of which are reasonably in the running. Long way to go to narrow this search to the best fit, but that's all part of the fun.
    Later,
    Chris

    "There are no more monsters to fear, and so, we have to build our own."
    Mk3.1 #7074

  30. #30
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    Gotta agree with Fugi about the Ozarks (Both AR and MO side). Don't love the summer weather but it's a great place for cars, bikes, guns and general outdoor stuff. I miss Chicago's food though.

  31. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chuck Sloggett View Post
    We have been in the Black Hills of South Dakota for several years. Our place is west of Custer at 5450 ft, no A/C and none needed. No state income tax, no personal property tax, reasonable real estate tax and wonderful roads to go cruising. We spend our winters in the Rio Grande Valley in deep south Texas - best of both worlds. -- Chuck
    I forgot to mention there are casinos in Deadwood and on the Reservations. -- Chuck

  32. #32
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    I moved near Austin 20 years ago and never regretted it.

    Quote Originally Posted by RoadRacer View Post
    +1 for Austin. Lots of water in rivers and lakes, lots of green, no income tax Austin itself is a little manic traffic-wise as it's grown, but there are some lovely little towns on the outskirts. But it's hot. It's taken me 6 years to finally not mind the 100deg days in the garage.

  33. #33
    Curmudgeon mikeinatlanta's Avatar
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    My career also entails pretty much all travel. While politics are off limits, it is most certainly important when deciding where to retire. I have been to some pretty nice areas that I wouldn't want to live. My priorities would be:
    1. Weather
    2. Preferred topography
    3. Political leanings of the area
    4. Economy
    5. Hobby support. (roads, tracks, lakes, etc.)
    6. Proximity to family

    For me, far north GA or the Carolinas is looking pretty good. If I wanted west it would be Texas, beach it would be south Alabama. Love Arizona, but not a chance I would retire there.
    MKII "Little Boy". 432CI all aluminum Windsor. .699 solid roller, DA Koni shocks, aluminum IRS, Straight cut dog ring T-5, 13" four piston Brembos, Bogart wheels. BOOM!

  34. #34
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    Del-web has a lot of great communities around the country... My parents live in one right outside of Hilton Head SC..... Great place, great amenities.

  35. #35
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    Go to The Villages Florida, located in Central florida. Lots of racing nearby, Every kind of car club you can imagine. There are 48 golf courses to play. An amazing place, that you must experience. 120,000 people here, homes from the 170's to over a million.

  36. #36
    BluePrintEngines's Avatar
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    Checkout the Black Hills of South Dakota:
    Hill City, Keystone, Lead, Deadwood....any of them.

    Pretty cool area to cruise in the car as well....there's a reason the bikers like going there, great riding roads
    Check out our crate engine offerings at www.factoryfiveengines.com
    Give us a call at 1.800.483.4263

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