Would most likely be the north east portion of South Carolina with fairly easy access to the northern portion of Myrtle Beach.

Currently live in Kentucky and we have it fairly good. Cost of living is decent, taxes are decent (except for paying property taxes on vehicles every single year). Have a nice house with a ton of equity in it. I see we would be able to get a very similar house to what we currently have minus a basement in the same price range. It being new construction with nice finishing than what we currently have
Kentucky is quite nice in Spring and fall but late summer is typically brutal with little reprieve except for the neighborhood pool. Winters can be brutal with lots of ice very cold and nowhere to ski.

I would retire and have a pension and health care and I understand that South Carolina is more friendly to retirement income tax wise than Ky. I’d still work part time at least for awhile and likely work full time to build even further on my individual investing retirement. So that way eventually we would have my pension her well funded retirement account and I would also have a nicely funded retirement account.
Wife is in the medical field with multiple specialty certifications and would have no issue find a job.
I have always wanted to do something in the fish and wildlife/biology world. Seems like that would be fairly easy to do down here and having the pension would not really need to make a ton of money doing it.
Also would not mind being the dude that stripes the beach each morning.

We have 3 boys in elementary school. They have some buddies but no real life long buddies. Most everyone we hang out with is from our small parish/school and they play sports together.
We’d do the same down here by enrolling in a Catholic school and have them involved in sports. They are fun kids and don’t have much trouble making friends and are pretty out going.
Elementary seems like a better time to move kids than middle or high school in my opinion.

We spend 3 weeks a year down there currently and highly enjoy the area but also realize visiting and living are two different things.

I moved to Ky 20 years ago sight unseen and got lucky with that.

For folks that live in SC what are your thoughts.
My biggest concerns are insurance costs, not sure how to compare that exactly, and hurricanes. They seem like a problem.
We have tornados and ice storms frequently in KY. So may just be swapping natural disasters.
Need to look at utility cost differences.

Gas is usually about .30 cheaper a gallon than what we see at home.
Groceries are about the same.
Eating out is more but when we go we are in the touristy hotbeds.

Full disclosure, I lived further South, about 20 miles north of Charleston, and I particularly dislike heat so...

The Summers are brutal, and start in May. Heat and humidity are off the charts, or at least were for the 3 years I lived there.

Winters are actually pretty nice with snow being a rarity.

Pests, particularly fire ants and venomous snakes, were an issue in that locale.

I like both of the Carolinas and would happily live there.

I live in the Charleston area after moving from NoVa in 2020. I purchased a home just before the pandemic hit. Once Covid hit home prices and availability went crazy, so find a good real estate agent who can help you learn the realities of the market today. Compared to Virginia, the property and income tax picture is much better, as you note. That said, take a look at the sales tax in your area (it varies by County). Costs for insuring your home may be significantly higher if you live near bodies of water. Auto insurance is higher because SC is not a "no-fault" insurance state. Driving has become much more congested (due to the significant population increase and the inability of state and local infrastructure to keep up (this too may vary by locale). With respect to hurricanes, you may want to review the history of hurricane landfalls in decades gone by. Businesses are always looking to hire people. As has already been noted, heat and humidity start in late May and continues into early September--but not as bad as Florida. Yes, wildlife can be a consideration: snakes, alligators, fire ants, bats, and now coyotes. Best of luck with your search and relocation!

When I retired (early...not my choice) from Indiana, I didn't want to become a resident of my original state of Massachusetts, so I looked south at both conservative and tax-friendly states. With that in mind, I chose SC and bought a small condo in Hilton Head Island. I also have a place in Mass right near the Cape Cod Canal...I still have family there.

As PH said, SC is hot and humid in summer, but cool and sometimes even cold in winter. If you have a place near the coast, you'll feel an ocean breeze and that definitely helps with summer heat. Be aware that night temps don't cool a hell of a lot, so the AC is always on. Thankfully, my electric bill is very reasonable being part of a co-op. I'm fortunate to be able to rent both places at different times of the year and can mostly pick and choose when I want to be where.

I think SC would be good choice for you, especially since you've spent a fair amount of time there. Knowing it's conservative and tax friendly...and more so as you get older is a big plus.

To address your insurance cost concerns; I don't see my rates being higher than they were in Indiana and in fact car ins. is a bit less.

Hurricanes. Last season I experienced a pretty strong tropical storm that had been a hurricane. Saw a few broken trees, but that was it. Anyone's guess as to how strong they'll be, how often they occur and where exactly they track. Prepare as best you can. My place isn't super close to the ocean and lots of buffers between the water and me.

Being in a resort area can be trying traffic-wise, but getting out early to run errands and knowing the local spots helps. Tourism is a double edged sword. And who am I to talk being the "transplant". I'm assuming being near Myrtle Beach will have similar tourist issues.

Not sure if that helps, but feel free to ask anything specific and I'll try to answer. Email in my profile if you care to talk off the forum.

ETA, after reading uvahawk's reply, I see that coincidentally, we bought at right about the same time...July 2020 for me. As he points out, prices have gone crazy, but I also see lately that people are lowering their prices in order to sell. Maybe more of that on the horizon?

Weather wise Kentucky sucks from middle of June-September, balls hot, humidity out the wazoo, not much wind, and dry as a bone. I’ve worked the last 19 years outside in a dark blue uniform and 32 pounds of gear so, loosing all that makes the equation a little better.
December to February is balls cold with more ice than enjoyable snow. Lots of downed trees and power lines.
So I see it as swapping a crappy winter for a bit of a longer summer that we are used to but it is easier to escape the heat and still have fun than escape the cold and still have fun.
Also my wife has some circulatory issues so she does much better in the warm.

The mountains of North Carolina aren’t too far away for a long weekend or two to break up the summer and sneak up in the winter for a ski weekend.
Allergies, Kentucky has to be the worst for allergies and sinus infections. I never had a sinus infection prior to moving to Ky and I have 2-3 a year now.

We have ticks and copperheads out the wazoo. So just trading critter for critter.

Kentucky is also a no fault state for insurance. Our home owners rates and vehicle rates have jumped recently.

A quick perusing of the housing market. We’d essentially be able to go straight across. We’d lose a basement but gain much newer and nicer amenities all I have looked at have much nicer kitchens.
With a few of these only being a little golf cart trip to the beach.
Would like to be north as we love going to the point of North Myrtle Beach where you have the regular ocean, then the intercoastal waterway on the backside, and I guess you call it an internal area where those two meet and you can go way off the shore and just still be knee deep water.
Great location for some Hobie kayaks.

Sales tax is more but retirement income is not taxed as much.
The Catholic School would be less as they give a 10% discount for the 2nd child and 20% discount for the 3rd child.
Our current school gives no discount for multiple students.

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
(except for paying property taxes on vehicles every single year).

I don't understand this. How does this work?

I believe NC is the same way.

Black, your plan sounds solid.

There is almost an hour difference in the sunrise / sunset between KY & SC. It's not a big deal, but those long Summer nights are one of the things I miss about living in Louisville.

South Carolina is a fine state. I'm from NC but have friends that live in SC. The coast you have to worry about hurricanes and gators. Its a pretty cheap place to live overall.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
(except for paying property taxes on vehicles every single year).

I don't understand this. How does this work?
I believe NC is the same way.

You get a personal property tax bill from your county of residence in the mail every year for your vehicle. The assessment ratio is 6% of value of the vehicle. The counties typically levy additional taxes such as the school district, roads, etc.

When you pay your tax bill, the county tells the SC DMV and the DMV sends you get a little sticker that goes on the bottom right of your license plate with the month your taxes are due--my sticker has a 6 for June. The stickers change colors every year so you can tell at a glance if a car's property tax has been paid and the registration is current.

Failure to pay the property tax means your vehicle registration isn't renewed and your license tag is no good.

quote:

Originally posted by cheesegrits:

You get a personal property tax bill from your county of residence in the mail every year for your vehicle. The assessment ratio is 6% of value of the vehicle. The counties typically levy additional taxes such as the school district, roads, etc.

When you pay your tax bill, the county tells the SC DMV and the DMV sends you get a little sticker that goes on the bottom right of your license plate with the month your taxes are due--my sticker has a 6 for June. The stickers change colors every year so you can tell at a glance if a car's property tax has been paid and the registration is current.

Failure to pay the property tax means your vehicle registration isn't renewed and your license tag is no good.

6% every year?!?

That’s $2400 on a $40K car

The tax decreases each year because the value of the vehicle decreases. Still sucks. Virginia is the same.

I'm currently in SC, near Augusta GA, working a long-term project there. I've been here 6 years or so, before that I was in the Spartanburg SC area. As mentioned, it's hot. I'm a Yankee (PA) who lived 25 years in CO. When I retire, it will be westward (UT is top of the list at the moment). Having said that...

People are nice. Skiing at Beech Mountain or Sugar Mountain is decent, at least midweek (like anywhere), but nothing else close is really all that big. I went to Appalachian Mountain once last winter and was sorely disappointed. I'm more of a mountains guy than a beach guy, so the upstate SC would be my first choice. Good hiking, mountain biking, etc.

Hope that helps a bit.

Personally, I hate it. Moved from AZ a year and a half ago.
Upstate SC. Growing like crazy but their not regulating it in any form. Build a house and then they allow another dollar general next to you. County only looks at tax revenue, not use or long term planning.

Drivers! Highest vehicle fatalities anywhere. Every day is a episode of Dukes of Hazard. Schools are poor, but on par with everyone else.
Counties are starting to get greedy tax wise. Greenville had a 8% across the board increase last year.

Moved because I thought it was cheaper than divorce, but regret it now.

If you are a golf cart ride to the beach check out your homeowners and hurricane insurances prices carefully.

If you’re close enough to the coast to take up surfing I say it’s a good move. It’ll change your life man.

My in-laws went down in the winter because my wife's aunt and uncle had moved down there. They finally couldn't deal with the summers (lived in Leesville) and moved back to New England

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

quote:

Originally posted by Black92LX:
(except for paying property taxes on vehicles every single year).

I don't understand this. How does this work?

NH has that and it's 1.8% of MSRP first year of a brand new car. Decreases .3%/yr (1.5 - 1.2 - .9 - .6 - .3) until it reaches .3% floor and stays at that percentage. It's a town level tax.

While I can’t weigh in on the Carolina’s , I moved from the northeast to Arizona and couldn’t be happier. Not all of AZ is fry an egg on your car hood heat. I live in north central AZ ( Prescott region) and it is Goldilocks in regards to weather. Rarely gets above 100 and with 10-15% humidity 95 is downright comfortable. Mild winter with a few weeks of cold and a couple dusting of snow. Cost of living and real estate has gotten expensive, mostly due to the influx of California refugees buying up properties for many thousands over asking price in a lot of cases. But still pretty conservative, taxes are tolerable, and the best legal environment for gun owners I know of

Other than heat and humidity in summer, SC northeast seems like a nice area of that state to retire to. Comfortable winters, lots of lakes and ocean shore if you're a boater, property values from affordable to "luxurious", mostly conservative, and average overall taxes.

https://worldpopulationreview....iving-index-by-state