Prescott just hit our radar screen. Very inexpensive (comparably to CA). Some friends just moved to a house in Prescott Lakes. It's up over 5,000 feet and a four seasons area. Couple snow flurries a year, but it doesn't stay. Lot's of golf, a couple fishing lakes close by, a quaint little western downtown with bars and art galleries. The only drawback is access to quality healthcare. .

Been in NC all my life.

Myrtle Beach is a tourist trap. Unless all you do is golf, then Pinehurst area is a bazillion times better. I wouldn't go on an all-paid vacation to MB even if you paid me.

NC, in general, is great. Wife is a NC native also and we tried to do as much traveling as we could before we decided that there was no reason to leave. Four temperate seasons, mountains and the beach, great people (other than Concentrated Areas of Relocated Yankees: Cary ;)), conservative (bathroom issue is BS), guns good, etc.

Western half is rolling hills (up to the mountains), hardwoods, and pork shoulder BBQ. Eastern half is flat, pine trees, and whole hog BBQ....the BBQ thing is important :).

Lots of other things to consider.....Loris, Long, and Conway are kinda no go...

Happy to talk to you anytime.

Surprised no one has mentioned Charleston. Would be my top pick in SC, hands down.

Charleston is my wife's hometown. We've looked all over the area...Mt Pleasant, John's Island, East Ashley, etc. We considered it our retirement location until just recently. The issue is Charleston is getting very crowded, bad traffic, and isn't really cheap anymore (due to Yankee transplants).

Bluffton (near Hilton head) is also a great option. 30 minutes to the Savannah airport, decent healthcare, a little over an hour to Charleston.

What do you like to do? Do you prefer mountains, beach, city or open country? Do you have family in that part of the country? How is your health?

Piney Woods of East Texas is nice, open country, greener than you would think, it is the part North of Houston, East of I-45. High property taxes, no income tax. Area around San Antonio is also nice. Idaho, Montana and New Mexico are beautiful country, not sure on viability of retiring there though. Arizona or Nevada would also be high on my list. It seems like retirement income would be lower, hence income tax less of a concern.

Agree.

Wherever my wife and I end up eventually, my criteria is pretty much:

- Mountains or water, would prefer both.
- Smallish town, intact downtown.
- College or university within an hour drive.
- Zone 5 or 6 Climate. I like defined seasons, hate humidity.

We stayed at Prescott a few days. Pleasant community but a bit too cool in winter compared to say Palm Springs. Would like to go back there though....:)

Rhode Island? good for the life of the rich and famous?. Maine? beautiful country side. Lobster anyone?. Cali? It might suit you life style? Washington, Oregon? Lots of big ol' trees there. The list goes on. Have fun....

Congrats Will on your upcoming retirement.

Will you are in an enviable position. From what I perceive from up here you have many choices. No doubt you want to get away from brutal winters. You have so many choices.
If it was me I would rent a house or condo in a few different areas that you are interested in. Or perhaps buy or rent a motorhome and look at different parts of the US.

Once you buy a home then moving is not so easy anymore especially as you get older.
I am sure you will figure it out!:)

Paul - You still considering Cashmere, Wa? That would be my vote for about anywhere in the PWN.......

Absolutely.

Your area as well. I am going to bring my wife out this coming summer to look around.

Hope all is well!

These are all great suggestions. No doubt *at one level*....this will be easy. Why? Because in almost any "category" of quality of life ( taxes, weather, etc, etc)..... NYS pretty much always ranks anywhere from 47th to 50th. No kidding. That means almost anywhere will be "better" ( this is all subjective of course, as those "of means" and wanting things like nightlife, opera, etc....won't consider anything except New York City...the Big Apple. Ahhh ...nope...not for me).

Without tipping my hand too much on financial needs or wants.... and also not giving too much away as to the humble lifestyle we lead, we need a place with good weather, good politics, gun friendly, small yet *newer* housing availability in the $100k-$150k range comparable to Buffalo-area home values....property taxes under $1000/yr, of course close to medical facilities. Favorable pension and/or social security taxation is a plus...as well as homestead provisions that allow a big real-estate tax break after age 65. So far....SC looks pretty darn good on most all these points. I would guess Florida, Texas and a few other states mentioned here look good too.

I like the comment to rent first close to where one has an interest. No doubt buying something and lamenting the decision later, is a big damper...and hard to change later.

Thanks all for the hints and suggestions. If there are things you feel are better said in private, feel free to follow up using email ( phonetically < ferch dot wil at gmail dot com >.

:)

GA has favorable tax treatment for retirees as well. Unless the SS and pension income is high, there shouldn't be any state income tax. Plus, if I understand what I read correctly, age 65+ residents are exempt from property tax on the first 10 acres. More about tax friendly retirement states can be found here:

State-by-State Guide to Taxes on Retirees

City Data has lots of information as well, including charts showing political leanings, crime stats for most locations. The forums are active if one doesn't mind the liberal leaning perspectives and is aware that real estate agents troll some threads.

City-Data.com - Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, crime, house prices, cost of living, races, home value estimator, recent sales, income, photos, schools, maps, weather, neighborhoods, and more

Funny to see the different perspectives on areas - I've lived in North Texass (DFW area) since 1989, and think the climate is horrible 10 months out of the year and the "culture" is not much better than the weather.

Funny, I lived in D/FW from 1979-1990. I would go back in a heart beat if asked or required. We loved the people and thought the weather was great. Yeah, August / September can be hot, but that is a small tradeoff for short, mild winters.

I know of a couple people from CA retired there. My old Autoshop teacher just build a house there and moving from Hermosa Beach this spring (he lived there all his life, and beach bums don't like going anywhere else). I am told that in his little area, there are at least 3 people that are from socal. He claims the vibe is what socal used to like back in the early 80s. I am driving out to see him this summer. I should think about buying an empty lot and maybe build a small house to escape to for a couple months out of the year.

I just moved from California to Gallatin Tennessee (30 miles east of Nashville) and I love it here.
1. Low property taxes.
2. Very good medical hospitals nearby.
3. Low gas prices.
4. Great gun laws.
5. Super friendly people.
6. More value as far as real estate goes. I bought a 2800 sq. ft. house that is one level but with a bonus room upstairs over the garage and a walk out basement, a 40' by 45' workshop on 14 acres that have deer and turkeys on the property with a creek for under 500K. Taxes on that are 1200 per year.
7. Roads that are smooth and trash free.

I could go on but overall I love it here.

Dave

Having been to 49 of the 50 states (Alaska the hold out) I concur that Texas is one of the best states to live in.

Prescott is a nice town (I lived there from 99-07). It has grown considerably over the years primarily due to retirees, from California mostly. It is a wonderful area.

You are absolutely right about quality healthcare. When I was there I had four or five different PCPs, none of them stay and end up leaving town. My wife, who is a Nurse Practitioner, says that lots of Dr. and NPs who have tried working in Prescott end up leaving. There are several reasons, one of them being the huge influx of retirees. Medicare is a huge hassle to deal with and if they had their choice they wouldn't deal with any Medicare patients (although that is true lots of places).

I know of people who have moved there and can't find a Dr. who will accept them because they aren't taking any new patients (when I lived there I was in my 30s and had good insurance). If you are very sick and in need of a critical procedure you'll need to go to Phoenix anyway (nearly two hour drive and no major airline service from PRC).

Why haven't you been to Alaska Mike?

I liked Oregon better than Washington, though the Canada side of Washington is very not bad. Be advised, if you plan on going in that water, get yourself a drysuit, or McGyver a ghetto dry suit with duct tape at the ankles and wrists, and pour a quart or two of warm water in the neck hole right before you go in, will give you more time before you get too cold. You will want gloves too, if you want your fingers to work. Maybe go to San Diego or Santa Cruz if you want to surf. Lot of nice tide pools though along the coast. Picnic is nice on a sunny day, and Devil's Punchbowl is something to see on a stormy day too, but obviously you are not going swimming. Very dramatic coastline there, looks like a damn car commercial. Sisters is only a few hours from the coast, and is charming, but mountains equals snow, and that means someone working a shovel, and that is definitely not my jihad. Eugene and Corvallis are close enough to pretty much anyplace in Oregon if you want college town, but I am more likely to head to the hills or the coast.

In college, I knew this gal from Coos Bay, sharp as a tack and cute as a button. Were never available at the same time though, too bad. She surely did love my old bug. Could not believe how much more quiet it was than her's.

WRT the OP, you are probably going to like pretty much anywhere in the Southwest. Tax and gun laws are pretty reasonable for the most part. I already have a place in Texas where I plan to go when I retire. Can look out the window and see water, and it is about paid off. Renting it until then. I can't imagine it would be too tough to rent a place for a while, if you discover a place that looks good too you. Maybe tour the area by car or rail to scout it out first. It is not like you have to pack up all your stuff and roll out of Dodge on a particular day. Pretty big move, you want to consider it carefully.