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Retirement: Where to Get the Best Bang For Your Buck in the USA


T&C

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recntly watched a show that said that South Dakota was the best place and New York was the worst. 

 

Live in Florida now, have since the 80's but grew up in WNY. No way we are going to stay here on a permanent basis but there is no state tax so that is a big consideration. I would  love to live back in WNY but the taxes are killers... horrible. Anyone here done the snow bird thing? Keep a residence down here and live/rent back home for 5 months out of the year?

 

Not happening right now but I'm at the edge as my property value keeps going up where I'm at. 

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New York/WNY government jobs are all unionized now.When a town trash collector takes in 54 k a year with full no co-pay health benefits...you know it's fleecing..not to mention the fact their workdays are usually 5 hours in length.That's just one example...check out the teachers pay here...Kindergarten teachers make around 70k a year in the Depew/Cheektowaga district.The taxes are insane now.....but if you are a illegal with college ready kids..come on up,we have free tuition.And yes,our governor has traveled to Puerto Rico three times,with a full staff,just to tell them all of New York is thinking about them. 

Edited by Misterbluesky
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1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Have you considered Delaware? They have tax breaks for retirees.

I know zilch about Delaware... any info?

Might be looking from NC to Penn... or, buying somewhere in Wyoming county and just leasing it out to someone who wants to put some cows on it, hence lower taxes. 

 

Early stages here but all opinions are for sure welcomed...

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1 hour ago, T&C said:

 

recntly watched a show that said that South Dakota was the best place and New York was the worst. 

 

Live in Florida now, have since the 80's but grew up in WNY. No way we are going to stay here on a permanent basis but there is no state tax so that is a big consideration. I would  love to live back in WNY but the taxes are killers... horrible. Anyone here done the snow bird thing? Keep a residence down here and live/rent back home for 5 months out of the year?

 

Not happening right now but I'm at the edge as my property value keeps going up where I'm at. 

What rationale did the show offer for ranking South Dakota number one?

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15 minutes ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

What rationale did the show offer for ranking South Dakota number one?

 

It’s not North Dakota. Everyone knows it’s cold in North Dakota! 

 

Delaware actually sounds interesting in many regards. We have to start thinking in terms of where we retire, but the wife hates hot, and I hate cold. She will win, And I know that. She has earned the right. 

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1 hour ago, ChevyVanMiller said:

What rationale did the show offer for ranking South Dakota number one?

It was on the cbs nightly news... low taxes, cost of homes, ease of living.  Don't know how they came up with this but they did. Shoot them, not me lol...

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2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

It’s not North Dakota. Everyone knows it’s cold in North Dakota! 

 

Delaware actually sounds interesting in many regards. We have to start thinking in terms of where we retire, but the wife hates hot, and I hate cold. She will win, And I know that. She has earned the right. 

I was gonna say you should look into Arizona, but I guess that's been ruled out.

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People love to B word about taxes in WNY, but you can buy a house there at a massive discount relative to most of the rest of the country.

 

That's a huge factor in considering cost of living.

 

Also, life isn't about how many nickels and dimes you saved this month, especially if you are retired and closer to the end of the ride.  Go where there is stuff to do or a place that meets your interests/lifestyle and keeps life fun and interesting.

 

I'd go out of my mind living in the Dakotas, regardless of how great it is for retirees according to some study. 

 

 

 

 

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9 hours ago, Misterbluesky said:

New York/WNY government jobs are all unionized now.When a town trash collector takes in 54 k a year with full no co-pay health benefits...you know it's fleecing..not to mention the fact their workdays are usually 5 hours in length.That's just one example...check out the teachers pay here...Kindergarten teachers make around 70k a year in the Depew/Cheektowaga district.The taxes are insane now.....but if you are a illegal with college ready kids..come on up,we have free tuition.And yes,our governor has traveled to Puerto Rico three times,with a full staff,just to tell them all of New York is thinking about them. 

 

Step 2:  the unionized trash collector takes his full pension at 55

Step 3:  because of NYS taxes (funding his pension), he moves to a low-tax state

Step 4:  he mindlessly votes for the pro-union candidates in his new state as he's done all his life, necessitating tax hikes there and turning that state into the next NYS. 

 

And thus the virus is spread.  Lather, rinse, repeat.

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I believe Texas is very tax friendly too when it comes to retirement.   IDK about Georgia but I know they are building a Villages style place there too.  So it can't be all that bad.   Georgia is actually worse weather wise IMO than Florida.   They get all the heat and the humidity, but none of the sea breeze.   Arizona has to be a good place, i mean there must be a reason retirees flock to there. 

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10 hours ago, T&C said:

I know zilch about Delaware... any info?

Might be looking from NC to Penn... or, buying somewhere in Wyoming county and just leasing it out to someone who wants to put some cows on it, hence lower taxes. 

 

Early stages here but all opinions are for sure welcomed...

 

Delaware pros: Out of the way but a close drive to several major cities. Easy pace of life. Better weather without losing all four seasons. Affordable real estate (though that is changing.)  Nice beaches with water warm enough to swim in summer.  No sales tax and social security income is tax exempt, as is the first $12.5K of investment income. Legal sports betting.

 

Cons: No high end health care. No airports you can get anywhere from. Cost of living still slightly above average. 

 

But the best part about Delaware? https://www.dogfish.com/

 

Another state worth considering is Tennessee.

 

 

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10 hours ago, T&C said:

I know zilch about Delaware... any info?

Might be looking from NC to Penn... or, buying somewhere in Wyoming county and just leasing it out to someone who wants to put some cows on it, hence lower taxes. 

 

Early stages here but all opinions are for sure welcomed...

 

 

My son plays a baseball tournament every year in Rehobouth Beach, DE.  My wife loves the area.  She wants us to retire there.  The locals tells us they get a dusting of snow a year,  Says the winters a fairly mild. 

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I am hoping to retire in Chapin, South Carolina. We bought a house on a golf course, adjacent to Lake Murray, a 41 mile long lake. It was an investment that we thought our daughter would use after college since she had originally planned on staying in the area, boyfreind and job caused her to move back to Long Island. It is rented out now, but taxes for in state residents is 1,300 per year. (SC taxes on other things like cars, boats etc.) My only issue is now that our daughter is thinking about marriage, the wife is full on " I want to be around grandchildren" mode and that may mean we have to keep something here on the Island. I was hoping to do a 6 months in SC, 6 in WNY, but now the wife is pushing for the 6 in Long Island and she will probably try for 10 if she can get away with it. It's all moot until we retire, but I am trying to get a plan in place.   

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20 minutes ago, Guffalo said:

I am hoping to retire in Chapin, South Carolina. We bought a house on a golf course, adjacent to Lake Murray, a 41 mile long lake. It was an investment that we thought our daughter would use after college since she had originally planned on staying in the area, boyfreind and job caused her to move back to Long Island. It is rented out now, but taxes for in state residents is 1,300 per year. (SC taxes on other things like cars, boats etc.) My only issue is now that our daughter is thinking about marriage, the wife is full on " I want to be around grandchildren" mode and that may mean we have to keep something here on the Island. I was hoping to do a 6 months in SC, 6 in WNY, but now the wife is pushing for the 6 in Long Island and she will probably try for 10 if she can get away with it. It's all moot until we retire, but I am trying to get a plan in place.   

 

On a related note, I am absolutely flummoxed by friends of mine who are 55+ and who haven't planned for retirement at all.

 

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1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

Delaware pros: Out of the way but a close drive to several major cities. Easy pace of life. Better weather without losing all four seasons. Affordable real estate (though that is changing.)  Nice beaches with water warm enough to swim in summer.  No sales tax and social security income is tax exempt, as is the first $12.5K of investment income. Legal sports betting.

 

Cons: No high end health care. No airports you can get anywhere from. Cost of living still slightly above average. 

 

But the best part about Delaware? https://www.dogfish.com/

 

Another state worth considering is Tennessee.

 

 

 

Depending on where in DE someone lives, it's a one hour drive to PHL or BWI. 

 

The problem with DE is that it's one big long dingy strip mall outside of the shore (which is nice) and Wilmington (which is about as happening as Albany). 

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1 hour ago, Guffalo said:

I am hoping to retire in Chapin, South Carolina. We bought a house on a golf course, adjacent to Lake Murray, a 41 mile long lake. It was an investment that we thought our daughter would use after college since she had originally planned on staying in the area, boyfreind and job caused her to move back to Long Island. It is rented out now, but taxes for in state residents is 1,300 per year. (SC taxes on other things like cars, boats etc.) My only issue is now that our daughter is thinking about marriage, the wife is full on " I want to be around grandchildren" mode and that may mean we have to keep something here on the Island. I was hoping to do a 6 months in SC, 6 in WNY, but now the wife is pushing for the 6 in Long Island and she will probably try for 10 if she can get away with it. It's all moot until we retire, but I am trying to get a plan in place.   

Spend a summer in the lowlands of SC and then tell me you want to live there full time.  i hunt that area near Barnwell (or I used to, college tuition for my daughter nixed hunting season this year).  It's hot, ungodly hot until November.    Savannah is a nice place to visit I hear, but SC isn't some place I'd seriously think of retiring to.    NC/TN would be better options IMO.  

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12 hours ago, T&C said:

I know zilch about Delaware... any info?

Might be looking from NC to Penn... or, buying somewhere in Wyoming county and just leasing it out to someone who wants to put some cows on it, hence lower taxes. 

 

Early stages here but all opinions are for sure welcomed...

Move to NC. 

1 hour ago, Guffalo said:

I am hoping to retire in Chapin, South Carolina. We bought a house on a golf course, adjacent to Lake Murray, a 41 mile long lake. It was an investment that we thought our daughter would use after college since she had originally planned on staying in the area, boyfreind and job caused her to move back to Long Island. It is rented out now, but taxes for in state residents is 1,300 per year. (SC taxes on other things like cars, boats etc.) My only issue is now that our daughter is thinking about marriage, the wife is full on " I want to be around grandchildren" mode and that may mean we have to keep something here on the Island. I was hoping to do a 6 months in SC, 6 in WNY, but now the wife is pushing for the 6 in Long Island and she will probably try for 10 if she can get away with it. It's all moot until we retire, but I am trying to get a plan in place.   

Leave your wife?  Solution!

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