Future retirement location?

[Farmer17]

I'd stay in OK, and I'm hard-core Texan. Besides the LONG tornado season and weak 3.2 beer, OK has fewer negatives than Texas. Texas folk love OK - just look at any parking lot at any casino and you'll see.

We've had 6 point beer for decades and there are casinos everywhere here if that's a turn on.

I've lived in OKC most of my life and I could never live in blue area, the world is crazy enough the way it is, I sure don't want to make my life worse. The problem with OKC is that the traffic is starting to get awful in certain areas, a LOT of folks have moved here in the last few years and more are coming! People are still very friendly but with new people moving here I sense it getting a bit worse. Tornadoes don't bother me, with my full coverage home insurance if I loose everything I'll get a check for about 40-50% more than it's all worth. With some of the negatives of living here I don't want to move anywhere colder or hotter or more liberal, so I guess I'll just stay here and continue to take a lot of trips and vacations to other places.

 

[Autonomous]

Look into the available Medicare supplement plans for the counties you are considering.
For example, in my county I have half a dozen to choose from and a couple of them are pretty good. In the next county a few miles away they only have one available plan, and it is a poor one.

 

[Oldengineer]

I like Arizona. Easy on guns, great climate in central part, mixed politics, and very rare natural disasters. Phoenix and Tucson are way too hot in summer. An added benefit is that it’s very dry and guns don’t rust!

If you’re looking for more definitive information, please email me.

Tom H.

 

[MetalMan]

After 14 moves in my career across the country and overseas (Norway), we've settled in Central Ohio. Four seasons, easy access to interstates allowing movement within and outside of the state. Access to great hospitals (Ohio State and others...yes, we're at "that age") and sports (Buckeyes, Crew, Blue Jackets, myriad golf courses). Can live in/near the city/cities or out in the country. Many local gun ranges and clubs. Ohio concealed carry license has reciprocity in 32 states. Only downside are the property taxes in Columbus and surrounding areas but the schools are great.

 

[quikdraw67]

Come to southcentral PA. You have the 4 seasons but the Appalachian mountains stop the lake effect snows from the Great Lakes. The gun laws are pretty fair and the state doesn't tax retirement income. There are lots of State Game Lands and State Forests for hunting. Real estate prices here are reasonable and for traveling the PA Turnpike, I-81 and I-70 are close by.

That is our goal. Hopefully sooner than later. Depending on the housing market here and there, and the job market there.

I want out of the Scranton area in the worst way. Ditto Mrs. QD67.

 

[GaryS]

It's not quite clear to me why you want to move. You seem to like what you have in OK.

Is it that you want to live near a forest?

As others have said, East Texas is nice. I don't know if it's technically East Texas, but on our trip down here my wife and I stayed in Longview, TX. The only thing about it is that it's not particularly close to any major medical facility. Like you, proximity to a major hospital system was one of our considerations. Which is why we ended up in Williamson County, TX. Close enough to Austin, but also far enough away from Austin.

Currently am in Oklahoma but considering other locations. What I like about OK is that it's solidly red. Our governor thumbs his nose at the liberals in DC and has pledged support for TX.

We've also got some of the best laws for private ownership of firearms.

I'd like to stay in a solidly red state. Forests are nice. Plains not so much.

Close to medicine since, well, retirement.

I lived in TN for ~13 years for college and work. East TN is possible. But not much housing meets my criteria. (4 BR/3 bath; >1/2 acre sort of thing)

Suggestions?

 

[Huskerguy]

Lots of factors go into making this decision. I just turned 70 and a few years ago, my bride and I were at the same crossroads.

I was determined to move to Tennessee, the eastern part, trees, fishing, hills, remote, get a few acres, burn wood, grow our own food, animals, no people or not many anyway. I even planned a trip to scout it out but never got around to doing it.

We live in north central Kansas and taxes are high and the scenery isn't that great. There are several things we have learned as we looked at the perfect place to move to. We eliminated some of them immediately.

We had no interest in the humidity of Florida. Daughter did an internship there said it was the hottest, most humid place she had ever been. She later lived in Bentonville, AR and it was plenty warm there, now she and her husband and living in Breckenridge, CO for a year. I am from Nebraska and have relation still there around some beautiful areas of trees, hunting and fishing but taxes are way too high there. South Dakota looks great, some fun things to do and lots of places to go, taxes are great but it is COLD. Same with Wyoming and Montana. Thought briefly about Utah but it just doesn't grab us. Idaho was talked about but we never got interested. Colorado has favorable taxes but the cities rule the roost there and are way too liberal for us. So here we sit several years later in north central Kansas with to high of taxes and a lib governor.

When we get the urge to think about moving we start looking around and putting pluses and negatives down and there are always plenty of them. If a person can sell their home and move to where houses are less expensive that is a plus. I would suggest doing some google searches on which states are the cheapest to live. Oklahoma is one of the best in that regard but comes in low for health care which is always a bigy for us older set. Arizona is out of water so that is a factor there and going more purple all the time.

We would sit down and do some research and one day my wife made a comment about us moving to Tennessee. She said we would get moved down there and I would die leaving her all alone. True possibility. No relatives around. Here we have a nice but not extravagant home, a couple rental properties, lots of friends but most of all a great church. Lots of factors to consider, decide which is most important to YOU!

 

[Golddollar]

That is our goal. Hopefully sooner than later. Depending on the housing market here and there, and the job market there.

I want out of the Scranton area in the worst way. Ditto Mrs. QD67.

Can't help you with the job market because I'm retired, but for housing get a road atlas and go the the Realtors Association of York and Adams Counties web page at Rayac – Realtors Association of York & Adams Counties. Where I live a whole new subdivision is coming up.

 

[hivel37]

I don’t encourage anyone to move to
Central Texas. We’re facing a serious
water shortage. You’ll not hear that from
real estate folks or politicians who are
interested in increased taxation. With
more newcomers legal and otherwise,
Texas will soon be blue. Rant over.

 

[URIT]

My wife and I visited my sister-in-law on OK City a few years ago, and checked out several state parks in Oklahoma. Plenty of water and trees in those areas along with entertainment and medical.

I'd first check out my own state before venturing beyond. No need to take a DL test -- just a change of address LOL. Seriously, an in-state change may allow you to keep the same insurance and medical companies.

North Carolina has much to offer, but there are a few blue streaks.

John Howells book Where To Retire may give you some insights you hadn't considered.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I, too, love NM. I used to come to Santa Fe to fly fish in the Pecos River. Great fun. But I observed things changing for the worse.

Every state in the nation has a virus. It's called "Californians."

Not Louisiana
We are second in the nation in people moving out-followed by New York state.

 

[charlie sherrill]

Caje, I know what you're doing...trying to hide a good thing, keep other folks from coming, and keep it all for yourself. If I wasn't already living in nearby Ms. Louisiana would be my next choice.

 

[5-Shot]

I think your first inclination was right. I moved here (Sevier County, Tennessee) 20 years ago from Central Oregon and am convinced it was the best move I ever made. Everyone I know who moved here from all over the country agrees with me 100%. I talked once to a nurse who moved here from Chicago. She had just observed that she had accumulated more friends in the couple of years here that she had over a lifetime in Chicago.

East Tennessee is a completely red state. We have constitutional carry. We have no state income tax. Sevier County gets over 12 million guests a year and they pay most of my property taxes. There's a nice hospital here and several bigger ones in Knoxville. Bears, deer and turkeys run through my property regularly. Come on down.

Ed

 

[glenwolde]

After dreaming and looking around we realized that for us, we have to retire where the family is (kids and grandkids). It's too much of a pain traveling all the time to see them. Instead of spending all that time and money traveling to see them, we spend it traveling with them.

A townhouse in Houston is not a mountaintop in east Tennessee, but we can go there anytime we want. Together.

 

[Bald1]

This thread is interesting. OP lives in Oklahoma and when he wants to relocate people give him suggestions and invite him to come to their state. I recently posted that my wife and I have a place in Florida and are looking for land to build a home where we would spend 7 months a year…… I am from NY and got a very different response. Hmmmmmmm

 

[Model52guy]

I live in north Texas. If I could get the wife to agree, I would move to Oklahoma, probably in the Eufaula area.

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Caje, I know what you're doing...trying to hide a good thing, keep other folks from coming, and keep it all for yourself. If I wasn't already living in nearby Ms. Louisiana would be my next choice.

Charlie let's split the difference and move to St. Tammany Parish.
Gary

 

[alwslate]

Maybe if enough people move out of Louisiana it will lighten the load on the state and keep it above water

 

[Muley Gil]

This thread is interesting. OP lives in Oklahoma and when he wants to relocate people give him suggestions and invite him to come to their state. I recently posted that my wife and I have a place in Florida and are looking for land to build a home where we would spend 7 months a year…… I am from NY and got a very different response. Hmmmmmmm

That's because you're a Yankee!

Seriously, I just had a friend, who has spent 69 years living 20 miles south of Baltimore, come down here to Old Virginny to live. And I'm trying to talk another friend, who was born and bred in Brooklyn NY, to move here as well.

The problem is that we don't know one another other than through this forum. I'll bet you are a good, conservative God-fearing soul who would fit in wherever you land. Don't take it personal; you're just an unknown quantity to most of us.

Of all of the Okies I've known, only one was a liberal Democrat. I can't say that about the New Yorkers I've known.

 

[Bald1]

GIL that sounds right. Perhaps I shouldn’t expect to be “accepted” just because I love S&W handguns. We are actually looking for land not far from you in Greenbrier County WVa. Thought we found one back in August but deal fell through. The search goes on.