What do you like about where you live?

[uplander01]

West Coast of MICHIGAN is hard to beat for climate (except for the 3 months in the heart of winter), lots of fishing, hunting up north if you know where to go, great mountain biking, and for the most part tolerable people. This is probably where I'll end up due to the wife's kids all being located here......but I'm not ruling out a 2nd place back home in NW Iowa, I have access to thousands of acres of hunting back there, and its where I'd like to spend the falls and early winter. I have to work my arse off for another 5 years minimum, then I guess I'll figure it out.

If I could just choose, I'd say one of the Dakotas, Wyoming, MT, or Idaho.

 

[Huvius]

Despite the relatively new political situation, parts of Colorado are hard to beat. I’m in Livermore, about 20 minutes NW of Fort Collins and 40 minutes south of Laramie. Fort Collins is a clean small city and has everything you might need from a city and college town and the Denver airport is 80 minutes away. There are flights to Laramie and Fort Collins as well from Denver if you don’t mind an extra flight and layover in Denver. We usually just drive to Denver when we fly.

State income tax is a fixed 4.6% and property taxes are lower than most states.

There’s fantastic fishing in the North Park area 90 minutes away and average fishing much closer. Within minutes you can see and hunt deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, mountain lions and bighorn sheep if you draw a license. Within a couple hours you can see and hunt mountain goats. You can hunt deer on the Eastern Plains if you develop a relationship with a rancher or hunt deer on public lands in the foothills and mountains. Wyoming is close and there’s good fishing and hunting within one to three hours of me in WY.

Weather around Fort Collins is moderate with fairly easy winters and the snow that does fall melts pretty fast due to mostly sunny weather. We don’t get nearly as much snow here on the eastern side of the Continental Divide as the western side of the CD and that’s why most ski resorts are west of the CD. We can get a couple weeks of very cold weather each winter and a couple weeks of very hot weather in the summer but it’s usually much more comfortable weather. Laramie and Cheyenne are quite windy, especially in the spring, so I wouldn’t want to live any farther north than Livermore because every mile further north gets more windy.

I’ve sold a few 35 acre parcels of my land but probably won’t sell any more. My neighbor has 40 acres for sale for $400k that adjoins Hwy 287. It’s a nice piece with good grass and a few good building sites for a house and barn/shop. There’s an electric power line to tap into for power. You would have to drill a well for water. We would welcome a conservative voter for neighbors.

All good points - some I missed. I guess I went with the "things I dislike" angle!

One thing I fear, and we will see if I'm right over the next few years, is that many of our hunting opportunities will be eliminated through the ballot box.
That's one of the byproducts of Leftist emigration to formerly conservative states.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

West Coast of MICHIGAN is hard to beat for climate (except for the 3 months in the heart of winter), lots of fishing, hunting up north if you know where to go, great mountain biking, and for the most part tolerable people. This is probably where I'll end up due to the wife's kids all being located here......but I'm not ruling out a 2nd place back home in NW Iowa, I have access to thousands of acres of hunting back there, and its where I'd like to spend the falls and early winter. I have to work my arse off for another 5 years minimum, then I guess I'll figure it out.

If I could just choose, I'd say one of the Dakotas, Wyoming, MT, or Idaho.

One of my good friends is from the UP Michigan. Near Marquette. He has a cabin on Lake Michigamme and has been trying to get me to visit for years. I’ll try to go out there next year to check it out. Looks beautiful at the right time of year.

Montana and Wyoming are great. I’ve got a friend in N. Dakota who has a cattle ranch in Rhame. It’s a nice place that’s set up well for hunting.

 

[TwoTracks]

We live in 2 of the best places in the world.
Wichita Falls TX is the Little Town that refuses to grow. It has had about 100,000 people for over 85 years. Pros: It’s Texas. The town has everything you need to include most the major big box stores. Great hunting for deer, hogs, turkey, waterfowl, varmints and sandhill crane. Cons: If you want to hunt, you need to get a lease or get a friend that has one. There is no fine dining but we have great diners, BBQ, Tex Mex and real Mexican food and Fort Worth is only 100 miles away. Heat: It get’s a bit warm in the summer.

Which brings me to our other town, Apia Colombia. It is 70’s in the day and 50’s in the night year around. It’s a coffee town so the entire economy depends on it. Very low crime, the cantinas seldom close and the cost of living is low. Pros: It’s a coffee town in Colombia and the others pros are listed above. Beautiful mountains and wonderful people. Cons: It’s a small town in Colombia and the big city is 1.5 hours away. Colombia can be challenging at times and most foreigners cannot adapt. If you don’t speak Spanish it will be even more of a challenge. Biggest con: no hunting and gun ownership is limited. Having said all that, we love it there and I call it my Fortress of Solitude.

Good luck and safe travels.

I initially read your other town to be Apiai, the place east of Bogota…. Good to know there is a nicer and calmer version on the other side of the mountains.

 

[Velo Dog]

Greetings fellow retirees and soon to be retirees,

Perhaps I am made of wax.
I begin to melt when other people are happily laying out under the blazing sun, like crocodiles on a sand bar.
Hot weather is my mortal enemy.
Therefore, I choose to live in coastal Alaska, including for retirement.

Sadly, the Communists are taking over Alaska, inch by inch.
This has caused the price of everything to climb quickly.
Tax Payers of course have to pay for all the Communist “free” programs + the self serving politicians fat lifestyles.
USA Communist’s self-authored and self-applied tag, is to call themselves “Liberals”.
Liberal is the last thing they might ever be.
Indeed they are by definition, Communists.
They are ruining Alaska, just like everything else they touch around the world.

But, there remains yet many of my fellow Constitutionalists, here in Alaska.
So the Commies have not won yet.
Likely they will*** as time ticks along, just not quite over night.
***To quote PT Barnum, “There’s a sucker born every minute”.

Aside from the high cost of living here and that we are apparently within easy missile range of that megalomaniac running North Korea, Anchorage is my favorite place to live.
My wife is from here and is not especially interested in moving away.
I’ve lived here 42 years now and I would probably stay, even if I was not married to such an interesting and beautiful local woman here.

Our freezer is full of wild caught fish (rockfish, salmon, halibut, clams, crab and shrimp) plus game meat (moose, caribou, deer, even sometimes rabbit, grouse and duck).

The fish we primarily catch ourselves.
The big game is all given to us these days. as I don’t hunt large animals in Alaska any more.
I’m getting too old to enjoy waking up in a wet tent.
And, the boys are grown men now (both in their 40’s) so, my wife and I cannot eat a whole caribou, not to mention a huge moose by ourselves.
We are truly blessed to have good friends giving us a few packages of much appreciated game meat each year.
It is the right amount, all of it consumed before each hunting season begins again, with not even a pinch of it wasted.

Despite the steady infiltration of Communism within and the real threat of a nuclear strike from Communist N. Korea (China & Russia as well), we love it here.
It’s where most of our long standing friends live and my wife has family members here as well.
And although I don’t hunt big game in Alaska any more, I still love to fish here, as does my wife.
As well, I do still sometimes hunt rabbit (snowshoe hare) and grouse here.
Our local grouse are primarily spruce grouse, but I’ve shot my share of ptarmigan at times, over the years.
I haven’t bagged a duck in Alaska in several years but, I do enjoy eating them.
So perhaps I’ll get back around to it again one of these years.

Cheers,
Velo Dog.

 

[Wyatt Smith]

Another example of loving where I live.
This morning I was out for a walk, and the school bus stopped and asked me if I wanted a ride.
I said no thanks I’m just out for a walk.
I love a small town!

 

[Rare Breed]

Both my wife and I have moved around a bit over the years.. we were both raised in the South East (Tennessee).. I spent time in a variety of places via the army.. then lived in Northern VA / DC for a while.. then back to TN (the other side of the state).. and we've now been in North TX for the last 10 years or so..

What I like about DFW is also what I dislike in many ways...

Its a huge city.. with everything you could possibly want/need from a city.. theres always something going on, somewhere to go, something to do, etc.. and tons of options... want to go out to eat? pick a type of food, and then pick from 20 different places all within a 10 mile drive of you... want to listen to live music? pick a genre, and then pick from 20 places within a 10 miles drive.. etc..etc..

theres also lots and lots of work opportunities (very secure job market), lots of social opportunities (if you cant find a friend or two to spend time with in a city with 7.5M people.. the problem is probably you lol)... lots of faith options (wasnt hard finding a church here that we really liked for example..)...

and its TX.. so as a rule people are friendly, gun laws are not insane, its reasonably affordable, etc...

but... its a huge city.. that brings all of the problems that all huge cities have... traffic is horrible.. crime can be very bad in certain areas.. I dont find large cities very "pretty".. in fact parts of it are downright ugly, dirty, and poorly maintained.. while you have a hundred options for anything you might want to do.. sometimes lots of options are a bad thing.. it certainly doesnt make things "simple" or easy..

and while lots of people creates lots of social and work opportunity.. it also creates lots of hustle, bustle, and chaos..

TX is also not the tax haven a lot of people think it is.... while its true there is no state income tax.. sales tax is on the high side.. and property tax in the urban areas is absolutely out of control.. wheel taxes are higher than most other states.. etc..etc.. TX definitely gets its money out of you...

While it is "hunter friendly" in many ways (disabled vets get free hunting licenses.. we dont have silly cartridge restrictions like "straight walled only" or "shotgun only", etc.. and there is a wide variety of game here.. its actually hunter unfriendly in many ways... there is almost no public land at all in the state and hunting is a big "business" here... youre going to pay a small fortune for a lease or access to private land if you are not a land owner yourself.. or youre going to pay fairly large sums for a guide/outfitter to hunt on private property..


We're (wife and I) now starting to look at what retirement is going to look like... we're empty nesters now.. and while she still works in an office setting, I've been working from an office in my home for the last 16+ years... we're looking at properties in several different areas.. but are primarily considering western AR, northern TX, eastern OK (where those 3 states all intersect).. and are also looking at some options in the Western US (but Im not convinced the cold winters wont get them eliminated from consideration)...

Our primary requirements are:

Affordable acreage.. that isnt "scrub" land... our intent is to buy +/- 100 acres... somewhere like the TX hill country where land can easily be over $10K an acre really isnt in our price range..

Low property tax rates (with 100 acres and a house and some additional buildings on the property, etc.. we dont want to get killed each year when the tax bill comes due..

We want to be rural.. but not out in the middle of nowhere.. in short, I dont want to see or hear another human if I dont make an intentional effort to do so... but at the same time I dont want to have to drive 45 minutes to get a gallon of milk or have to go 65 miles to get to a doctors office or a hospital or a dentist if I need one.. we dont plan on going "out" regularly.. but having shopping options, dining options, etc within a reasonable driving distance is important (we dont need a Macy's or Nordstrom 2 miles away.. but at least having access to a walmart without burning a half tank of gas would be nice)...

Since we'll both still be working.. and my work in particular requires a bit of travel.. we're going to need to be within reasonable distance (an hour?) of at least a national airport...

hunting/fishing/gun friendly is important... we wont consider anywhere thats going to make those sort of activities difficult..

Weather is a consideration... but only in the interest of avoiding extreme weather.. we'd like 4 seasons.. anywhere that is under snow 6 months out of the year.. or is blistering hot 6 months out of the year.. or gets an outrageous amount of rainfall.. etc.. is out of the question.. but if the area is known to be a little on the hot side, or cold side, or humid side, etc.. its not really a big deal..

I lived in TX for 9 years and your description completely mirrors mine. I lived in Mckinney and ran marketing for Dr Pepper in Plano

 

[Andrew62]

In wv, def planning on staying once I retire. The list of reasons I love it here would cause irreparable damage to my fingers if I tried to type them all

What part of WV are you from?

 

[sestoppelman]

Washington state. Mild weather. Politics suck. No state income tax, but do have sales tax that varies a bit by county. 8.6% where I am, but not on food.
High gas prices, but if an Initiative passes next month, we might knock about 50 cents off it. Fingers crossed.
Love being near salt water, San Juan Islands, Puget Sound.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Washington state. Mild weather. Politics suck. No state income tax, but do have sales tax that varies a bit by county. 8.6% where I am, but not on food.
High gas prices, but if an Initiative passes next month, we might knock about 50 cents off it. Fingers crossed.
Love being near salt water, San Juan Islands, Puget Sound.

I’ve been looking at houses/property in Sequim and Port Angelas.

 

[Tanks]

I was ready to retire, but Covid and then people kept throwing projects at me. Another "emergency board meeting" yesterday and we got sole sourced in that will keep us busy through 2026 with all the other business.

I guess I will wait until I get fully vested in SS at 70.

I have been looking at TX especially Spicewood (just outside Austin). I also came across this house on 16 acres. Would need some work to modernize, but if I can convince the girlfriend to look at it, it might be worth picking it up and take the next two years to renovate. I would have to do due diligence regarding the area as well. Gun laws are better than CA and unlike a lot of Eastern states no permit is required for purchase or ownership. Taxes at first glance are not bad either.

2444 Ballahack Rd, Chesapeake, VA 23322 | MLS #10558095 | Zillow

This 9075 square feet Single Family home has 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. It is located at 2444 Ballahack Rd, Chesapeake, VA.

www.zillow.com

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

I was ready to retire, but Covid and then people kept throwing projects at me. Another "emergency board meeting" yesterday and we got sole sourced in that will keep us busy through 2026 with all the other business.

I guess I will wait until I get fully vested in SS at 70.

I have been looking at TX especially Spicewood (just outside Austin). I also came across this house on 16 acres. Would need some work to modernize, but if I can convince the girlfriend to look at it, it might be worth picking it up and take the next two years to renovate. I would have to do due diligence regarding the area as well. Gun laws are better than CA and unlike a lot of Eastern states no permit is required for purchase or ownership. Taxes at first glance are not bad either.

2444 Ballahack Rd, Chesapeake, VA 23322 | MLS #10558095 | Zillow

This 9075 square feet Single Family home has 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. It is located at 2444 Ballahack Rd, Chesapeake, VA.

www.zillow.com

Texas has more White-Tailed deer than any other state…

Was looking at properties in Hill Country today, and northern Arkansas, and southern Missouri.

 

[Tanks]

Texas has more White-Tailed deer than any other state…

Was looking at properties in Hill Country today, and northern Arkansas, and southern Missouri.

Well, true though I haven't hunted deer since I divorced my first wife whose father had a ranch in Llano county in Texas. Kept my freezer full every year.

At this time my basic priorities for location are:

• Tax and gun policy.
• Acreage (minimum 6 preferably more).
• Close to a body of water (lake or ocean).
• Close to an international airport.
• Within a 2-3 hour flight from NYC.
• Close to first class medical care.
• No extreme temperatures.

 

[Flipper Dude]

I was ready to retire, but Covid and then people kept throwing projects at me. Another "emergency board meeting" yesterday and we got sole sourced in that will keep us busy through 2026 with all the other business.

I guess I will wait until I get fully vested in SS at 70.

I have been looking at TX especially Spicewood (just outside Austin). I also came across this house on 16 acres. Would need some work to modernize, but if I can convince the girlfriend to look at it, it might be worth picking it up and take the next two years to renovate. I would have to do due diligence regarding the area as well. Gun laws are better than CA and unlike a lot of Eastern states no permit is required for purchase or ownership. Taxes at first glance are not bad either.

2444 Ballahack Rd, Chesapeake, VA 23322 | MLS #10558095 | Zillow

This 9075 square feet Single Family home has 7 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. It is located at 2444 Ballahack Rd, Chesapeake, VA.

www.zillow.com

7 bedroom 8 baths. 9000 sq ft. Needs some work. You are completely tone death, or just really don’t give a shit. I suspect I know. I have bit my lip so many times on your posts, but you really are a special POS. Tango your happy ass to Virginia.

 

[wesheltonj]

Well, true though I haven't hunted deer since I divorced my first wife whose father had a ranch in Llano county in Texas. Kept my freezer full every year.

At this time my basic priorities for location are:

• Tax and gun policy.
• Acreage (minimum 6 preferably more).
• Close to a body of water (lake or ocean).
• Close to an international airport.
• Within a 2-3 hour flight from NYC.
• Close to first class medical care.
• No extreme temperatures.

Let me suggest a few places. Lake Bastop, it meets all your requirements. Other areas more of a drive to an airport: Lakeway, Marble Falls/Horseshoe Bay, Kingsland.

 

[WyoBull]

Born and raised here in central Wyoming. Left after college and my career took to the east coast, west coast and places in between for twenty seven years.
We moved back fourteen years ago and I just retired in August. We will be here until they put us in the ground but it is not like it used to be. California, East Coast and Texas have all come here in droves to buy their piece of the west and escape where they came from. Unfortunately most of them brought their liberal politics with them and try to change things to how it was there which is the very reason they left.
We live by The Code of the West.
The code of the west, as derived from the book, Cowboy Ethics by James P. Owen, and summarized as follows, is the official state code of Wyoming. The code includes:
(i) Live each day with courage;
(ii) Take pride in your work;
(iii) Always finish what you start;
(iv) Do what has to be done;
(v) Be tough, but fair;
(vi) When you make a promise, keep it;
(vii) Ride for the brand;
(viii) Talk less, say more;
(ix) Remember that some things are not for sale;
(x) Know where to draw the line.

Fortunately, the weather here in the winter is extreme and windy which I am convinced keeps us from looking like the front range of Colorado.
We still love it here and love the outdoor way of life.

 

[Flipper Dude]

7 bedroom 8 baths. 9000 sq ft. Needs some work. You are completely tone death, or just really don’t give a shit. I suspect I know. I have bit my lip so many times on your posts, but you really are a special POS. Tango your happy ass to Virginia.

Damn. That was uncalled for. What was meant as a snarky, sarcastic post came across as just mean spirited. My apologies to @Tanks and to the reader.

Note to self; After a martini(s) and a bottle of cab, set the iPad aside.

 

[steve white]

Well, true though I haven't hunted deer since I divorced my first wife whose father had a ranch in Llano county in Texas. Kept my freezer full every year.

At this time my basic priorities for location are:

• Tax and gun policy.
• Acreage (minimum 6 preferably more).
• Close to a body of water (lake or ocean).
• Close to an international airport.
• Within a 2-3 hour flight from NYC.
• Close to first class medical care.
• No extreme temperatures.

Tanks, you will also find that south Texas rivers are cold and clear. If I lived within easy driving distance of them, I would be a true "river rat." Just know you have to be heat tolerant in general...
How long will Texas stay like it is, just given population increases and inevitable housing coverage we will have to see.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Damn. That was uncalled for. What was meant as a snarky, sarcastic post came across as just mean spirited. My apologies to @Tanks and to the reader.

Note to self; After a martini(s) and a bottle of cab, set the iPad aside.

For minute I thought you were related? Only brothers talk to each other that way...

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Well, true though I haven't hunted deer since I divorced my first wife whose father had a ranch in Llano county in Texas. Kept my freezer full every year.

At this time my basic priorities for location are:

• Tax and gun policy.
• Acreage (minimum 6 preferably more).
• Close to a body of water (lake or ocean).
• Close to an international airport.
• Within a 2-3 hour flight from NYC.
• Close to first class medical care.
• No extreme temperatures.

Sound list, similar to my baseline requirements. I've been looking at 200-300 acres. Preferably good hunting, deer on property or huntable areas near by, bird hunting to include ducks and geese nearby, retirement friendly. I'll retire at 55, so I have enough energy to improve a place, but I don't really want a huge project...

It's fun to look, but prices are so damn high everywhere! I've been debt free for several years, so I don't want a mortgage. It looks like the housing market in several states is starting to cool. In another's, new home construction sales are up... Hard to tell.