Ok, after 23 years in Law Enforcement in California my wife and I are retiring next March 31st. (We are both 49 with NO Kids! Just 2 big dumb dogs!) We are selling our current house in the Bay Area and need a good place to land. We are looking at tax friendly states in warm (or very moderate climates), with decently priced health care and good gun laws.

So far, we like S. Carolina (Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island Area).

Tennessee (Nashvlle area) Georgia (Savannah area) Although Hurricanes scare the crap out of me!

We need to be close to a city (but not in it) for my wife's sanity (and mine if the wife is not happy, )

We are looking for a new or newer house for about 200k to 225k.

So far, I like some of the suburbs of Nashville. Smyrna, Murfeesboro, Pleasant View, Hendersonville and Bartlett look very nice.

We know to stay the he'll out of Memphis!

What says the SF collective?

Cheers
Jaycat

Savannah is a great place, but the humidity can be oppressive (not sure if you have ever experienced southern humidity). I work there a couple of times a year and in the summer it has the Florida Panhandle beat on oppressive heat / humidity.

Nashville seems very nice, I've worked around the area but haven't lived there.

Congrats on the great escape! You'll be surprised at all of the enjoyable California Felonies the rest of the country does on a daily basis as a "normal way of life". I know for a fact I did 3-4 or for this morning alone!

You don't have to go that far. Metro Las Vegas could work. No state or local income tax. Vastly more reasonable housing prices than SoCal.

Just have to be willing to deal with the desert climate.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
You don't have to go that far. Metro Las Vegas could work. No state or local income tax. Vastly more reasonable housing prices than SoCal.

Just have to be willing to deal with the desert climate.

Yeah but its Vegas and you still have to deal with all the California morons - especially the drivers.

I live about 60 miles from Myrtle Beach. I wouldn't want to live in MB, but Pawley's Island is a lot quieter. A fair amount of shopping in MB area but it is definitely not a big city, and very touristy in the summer, and always seems to be a ton of traffic for its size.

Charleston reminds me a lot of Savannah, lots of history in both, but you would need to live 30 miles or so outside ( east west)of Charleston to get a decent sized house for your stated budget.

The main thing I dislike about South Carolina, as a Texas native, is paying personal property taxes every year just to register your vehicles, on top of 7% state tax.

If my kids weren't locked into Charleston I would move back to Texas in a heartbeat.

Gun laws are good. Prepare for humidity!

This message has been edited. Last edited by: BigWhup,

My hometown is kind of a retirement area. Paris, TN. You get the benefit of being in a income tax free state and Murray, KY is only 30-40 minutes away to do your grocery shopping as groceries are tax free in KY.

Kentucky lake is 40 minutes away. Hunting is good. Good gun laws. Nashville is 2 hours away for concerts and such.

Then you can tell all your buddies back in Cali that you've moved to Paris.

But if Paris isn't big enough for your wife then I like the Franklin and Brentwood areas but those are the posh suburbs of Nashville.

quote:

Yeah but its Vegas and you still have to deal with all the California morons - especially the drivers.

Is that where those taxi drivers come from!??

Kentucky is nice. The weather is moderate, cost of living low, and retirement income is not taxed. We moved here from the Bay Area.

I wouldn't consider SC or TN warm.

I'd recommend the west coast of FL. Lot's of places on that coast where you could get a house in your price range.

The wife and I are going to sell the house (and everything in it) and purchase a pickup and fifth wheel and travel full time for a few years. This will let us see all the places we're considering settling down.

We are in preparation mode now (still a few years off).

As a native of Kentucky, I agree on it being a good place for retirement, but stay out of Metro Louisville (Jefferson County) and Metro Lexington (Fayetteville County); both run by Democrats.

quote:

Originally posted by LBTRS:
The wife and I are going to sell the house (and everything in it) and purchase a pickup and fifth wheel and travel full time for a few years. This will let us see all the places we're considering settling down.

We are in preparation mode now (still a few years off).

When you come to SC, GA, or FL, be sure to come during the summer months...
you need to experience the humidity levels before making a decision, especially being compared to the SF area.

RHINO is correct (IMO) about the heat/humidity being worse here - low country SC - than FL panhandle. Savannah weather is the same as SC for temps and humidity.

EDIT: Wasn't paying attention and thought I was quoting the OP. But the info applies to both of you.

We liked Carlsbad, NM when we lived there. We left Carlsbad to seek better financial opportunities. We didn't like the weather in Champaign, IL or Springfield, IL. We got tired of the tornado warnings when we lived in Norman, OK. We relocated to the Cincinnati area decades ago where I worked until retirement. One of the reasons we stay here is the access to excellent medical facilities. We enjoy the many well maintained parks. The Cincinnati Zoo is excellent. Numerous educational opportunities are available for those who are interested.

We get some snow but the various communities do a good job clearing the streets.

I don't recall Cincinnati advertising itself as a Retirement Mecca. It works for us.

Going from CA to someplace in the SE is a big leap, not only culturally but, weather and societal attitudes...for better or, worse.

I visited the Tampa/Sarasota area and came away impressed. Maybe I just went to the nice areas but, Clearwater and a handful of other parts I liked. Hurricanes rarely hit that area and if so are kept at bay with all the mangroves, enough beaches and waterways to satisfy the water needs, enough cultural touch points to keep things enjoyable. Check it out.

If you're trying to stay West, perhaps Boise, Bend/Sun River. I'm leaning towards the CA Central Coast someplace between Paso Robles and Santa Barbara.

Murfreesboro. Love it. Lived there 7 or 8 years over two different periods. Has everything a big city has and still has a smaller town feel.

Why not consider Arizona? Prescott is nice and cooler in Summer than Phoenix or Tucson.

If you are in TN, come over to East TN and visit. Weather typically more moderate in the summer, you live close to Knoxville and you have the convenience of a city, a university town along with the Smoky Mtns being right there, lakes, rivers, bike and walking trails, much better cost of living than in the Nashville metro area. With a 200-225K budget you could buy a small farm on the outskirts or a nice size house and lot in a subdivision.

Check out East Tennessee. Low cost of living, mountains, good weather.

Have you considered my home town in East by golly Tennessee? Knoxville or its surroundings is perfect in many ways.

quote:

Originally posted by 2BobTanner:
but stay out of Metro Louisville (Jefferson County) and Metro Lexington (Fayetteville County); both run by Democrats.

Don't give them any slack, not just democrats, but Dirty Democrats. Fools if there ever were any. Of course the OP here is used to really dirty democrats, so might feel ours are only pretenders.