Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2015 18:45:36 GMT -5
My house is for rent. It is on 8 acres of woods in a rural county in Missouri.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Apr 14, 2015 18:56:16 GMT -5
According to Kiplinger, CA and OR are among the 10 least tax friendly states for retirees to live in. And WA doesn't make the 10 most tax friendly states for retirees list either. You have to take those articles with a grain lump of salt and do your personal math. If you have a paid off house you have a paid off house regardless. Our property taxes are limited by Prop 13. Because our income is < $100k our state income tax is minimal. Food is about the same but since so much is grown with 100 miles probably fresher. Gas is more expensive but we don't drive that much except when I go off on one of my property trips and then it's effectively written off. Clothing-occasional items from Land's End, LL Bean, Target or a Thrift shop. Not enough to worry about.
On the plus side our utilities are low because we're in a very temperate climate. We rarely even reach 80 degrees or go below TAnd we can't forget that wine is cheaper.
Agree about the personal math. That's how we ended up in a lower cost of living area than CA. Well, the cost and the weather. The first consideration was getting kind of close to So Cal weather. But with seasons. Not sure I can agree with you about the price of wine, though. All we've got to do is amble cross the border. Then my wine cost is the same as yours. Lessen you're growin your own. In which case I'm comin over to check out your latest release.
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moneymaven
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Post by moneymaven on Apr 14, 2015 18:59:40 GMT -5
I think the best place to live is somewhere in the middle. I live 20 minutes (highway driving) outside the city. I have about 2.5 acres, but could easily buy the field behind the house and get a horse. So I have the best of both worlds - my neighbours are far enough away that I dont' see them and work is close enough for an easy commute. This! We are moving to an area exactly like this. Arterial but removed enough from the city. The roads were dirt until about 5 years ago in this area.
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Bonny
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Post by Bonny on Apr 14, 2015 19:02:29 GMT -5
You have to take those articles with a grain lump of salt and do your personal math. If you have a paid off house you have a paid off house regardless. Our property taxes are limited by Prop 13. Because our income is < $100k our state income tax is minimal. Food is about the same but since so much is grown with 100 miles probably fresher. Gas is more expensive but we don't drive that much except when I go off on one of my property trips and then it's effectively written off. Clothing-occasional items from Land's End, LL Bean, Target or a Thrift shop. Not enough to worry about.
On the plus side our utilities are low because we're in a very temperate climate. We rarely even reach 80 degrees or go below TAnd we can't forget that wine is cheaper.
Agree about the personal math. That's how we ended up in a lower cost of living area than CA. Well, the cost and the weather. The first consideration was getting kind of close to So Cal weather. But with seasons. Not sure I can agree with you about the price of wine, though. All we've got to do is amble cross the border. Then my wine cost is the same as yours. Lessen you're growin your own. In which case I'm comin over to check out your latest release. LOL we have two "cheap" sources. I can head down to Half Moon Bay with my empty bottles and fill them for $5.50. I'm pretty sure this is pretty close to growing your own.
Then a new wine shop opened up which specializes in Table Wine with decent wine at <$10 and some very good ones at <$20. It's less than 1 mile away. That may be a little too convenient.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2015 19:34:12 GMT -5
Yep, we've been preparing for it for the past few years, after buying a foreclosure (Jan.'08) as a vacation/weekend escape, we have grown to love it so we've decided to retire there in another 4 yrs. (if everything goes according to plan) It's a small coastal town with other small towns every 10 or so miles in any direction. We're a mile inland on just over 3 acres, it's perfect for us. It's 90 min. from our main (waterfront) home that we plan on selling, having owned it 17 yrs. this year. We got serious in the Fall of '10 and paid off the last of our debt, the mortgages, in the Spring of '13. We've been remodeling the property (1400 sf ranch; circa '75) and land since buying it, all new plumbing, water softener, tiling of the land, new/upgraded electrical in and around outside, walls removed, hardwood installed, new carpet, insulation, whole house attic fan, new window panes, etc., etc. Dh had a 40x40 polebarn constructed and insulated it last Fall. He's outfitted it with woodworking shop tools of all manner, his tractor, h2o, propane corner fireplace (that we had bought for the house just because it had at one time had one, but was taken when prior owners left). We replaced the propane fireplace with a woodburing fireplace last year. We're remodeling the kitchen this year, nothing crazy; gonna paint the oak cabinets white and replace the counters and sink/backsplash. Property has an original smaller 20x20 barn, no electricity but we put a concrete floor in (had housed 3 horses prior) 150 yards inside the property lines, (total property is 350'x 450') in long rows, were planted blue spruce and green spruce trees on 3 sides, about 20 yrs. ago. They're tall and private (not that we need more privacy..only have 2 neighbors within sight of home) and the home to hundreds of birds, aka,, birdsong all day. The trees were planted as a wind blocker from the lake winds. There are a couple of apple trees. We garden and will plant a few more fruit trees. May get some chickens, but knowing me...they'll remain pets, so still thinkin' on that one... Dh plans on making 'stuff', and I want crown molding throughout the home, new trim, bookshelves, interior doors, etc. so he'll keep busy. We like the small town life...and our own piece of paradise...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 1:02:10 GMT -5
When we moved here property sold for $1500 for 2.5 acres. Today it is over $20K per parcel and that's for land without water or power.
The Asians appear to be buying up tons of land here for their new adventures in green crop growing, and it is driving up the prices.
Might get a decent price for my house in a couple years if it continues.
Moving rural? Expect meth problems. Expect poverty/theft issues. Some people move rural because they enjoy the atmosphere, others do it because they have no choice and will live in a bus and make drugs for a living.
Anywhere along I5 is very, very big for cartel heroin these days. Yreka has completely gone to shit in the last couple years.
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NastyWoman
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Post by NastyWoman on Apr 15, 2015 1:32:51 GMT -5
You couldn't pay me enough to go live in the boonies! A long time ago when I was young (that right there is telling enough) I thought this living of the land and being one with nature was what I really wanted. Well, turns out that what I really want is being close to everything: a short drive to get out of the crowds, a short drive to SF, close to friends, stores, and any facility I would like to use is just perfect for me. In another 10-15 years I might want to live even more central than I do now. Or I may want to live close to family (this is the only thing I truly miss, but with my family spread out over 3 continents i'll never be able to be close to them all). And how can you beat the weather here? As for wine-> as long as there is a TJs near, I know where to go
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skubikky
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Post by skubikky on Apr 15, 2015 5:50:11 GMT -5
We live the life you're aspiring to. We built a small ranch(1232 sq ft.) house on 5 acres in a very rural farming part of upstate NY over 25 years ago when the kids were very young. Absolutely love it still. DH has been brewing beer for over 30 years. He has an annual Brewfest out back. You and Loop and the kids are welcome to come visit. We also do an annual summer party that has turned into a Burning Man festival. Out here you can do just about whatever you want. Bon fires, fireworks, etc. I've done and still do varying degrees of vegetable gardens. Being surrounded by 750 acres of farm land, I get a lot of stuff from farmer V. We do have apple, cherry trees and raspberry bushes(you don't have to live rural to have these things, many people who live just about anywhere there is a bit of space can and do grow fruit/veg/whatever). DH has also been growing hops for the last 4 years to use in brewing. We have a skating rink, dirt bike track, and a bit of a Christmas tree "farm". DH buys trees from the Cornell Cooperative Extension each year. DH built the deck, the shed, landscaped 4 acres(it was washboard farmland when we moved in), finished most of the downstairs of the house, and re-forested a lot of the property. I do board my horse at a friend's farm as they have the infrastructure that we were not willing to build here. Truth is, here in upstate NY, you could probably find a nice home on 5 acres for about $150k. We have plentiful water which is cheap as well. Taxes aren't great but homeowner's insurance isn't too high. Come and visit...... ETA: Dark, sorry, I just read your aversion to the white stuff. Scratch my suggestions then......but the invitation is still open.
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skubikky
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Post by skubikky on Apr 15, 2015 5:54:08 GMT -5
I'd love to... I think my closest rural area would be Michigan's UP, but I wouldn't mind moving to Northern MN near Superior. I keep telling MrSroo that once he has his 20 in at the dept, he needs to start looking for a chief/asst chief job in some little town. I have wanted to visit the UP for a long time. I suspect it is similar in many ways to the south shore of Lake Ontario here in Western NY, but probably bigger waves..
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skubikky
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Post by skubikky on Apr 15, 2015 5:58:19 GMT -5
I used to live in Petaluma (actually in the city) - wasn't a fan. Two Rock valley is really pretty but mostly chicken farms.
I would love to move to the country. Years ago contemplated moving to TN. The smell of chicken farms could knock a buzzard off a s%$t wagon.
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skubikky
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Post by skubikky on Apr 15, 2015 6:00:54 GMT -5
When I said garden I meant fruit and veggies, not pot. LOL, they're both green?
One thing that you'll need to be prepared for is a lot of those rural inexpensive areas have drug (meth) problems. Basically if there is no industry that IS the industry.
If you're really serious as the time comes closer I'd consider renting out your house and renting in an area you think you'll like. It may not be as quaint as you think it will be.
Actually the meth labs have migrated into the cities where they do greater production and sales.
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yogiii
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Post by yogiii on Apr 15, 2015 6:30:07 GMT -5
We do the beer brewing and veggie gardening on a half acre lot close to the city. DH has been brewing for about 10 years, he has a beer kitchen in the garage and a few years ago fit an opening into our basement so he can flow large batches down there directly into barrels. It's a little scary at our house!
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Apr 15, 2015 8:01:05 GMT -5
I already live in the sticks! We're not as remote as we were in our last house (9 acres, 1 neighbor within a mile).
But we're on an acre with corn fields around us, and it's a pretty sweet deal. 15 minutes to the nearest town (Walmart, gas stations, movie theater, university), but we are only 2 minutes from the highway (and by highway, I mean a four-lane, nothing insane) so getting everywhere is much easier. About 10 minutes from the school (for when DD actually goes). I drive about 40 minutes to a larger town (city?) for work.
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Formerly SK
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Post by Formerly SK on Apr 15, 2015 9:33:19 GMT -5
Oh great, another damn Californian coming our way. I would choose WA over OR. The OR income tax is horrible. It's basically a flat 8-9% of your income with very few deductions. I would also find a middle ground - a couple acres 30 minutes from a city. You are really young so you'll need income for a couple decades. When you are older, you'll need access to medical care. Living 2-3 hours from a city REALLY sucks when you need an oncologist or other specialist for frequent care. Living 2-3 hours from an airport can also be a PITA depending on where your daughters end up.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Apr 15, 2015 10:43:17 GMT -5
RIght now we live in a rural area and commute 30 minutes to a smallish city to work.
The downside of living in a rural area - we're at least 30 minutes from everywhere - Home Depot, movie theaters, restaurants (other than fast food and cheap mexican food). The closest mall is about 45 minutes away. Closest hospital about 40 minutes away.
Also, I don't like how everyone knows everyone else in a small town, and if you're not from there, you don't ever really 'fit in.' I've lived here almost 20 years and I'm still an outsider.
And in my particular rural area (North GA) we have a lot of red necks. I live in a fairly nice subdivision but the zoning is not enforced, and we have two red neck families. Usually about 5 - 10 cars and trucks always parked on the front and side yards, kids riding their ATV's in the yard and on the subdivision roads (illegally) - no leash law, and the red necks tend to believe their kids and dogs ought to be able to run free through the neighborhood. One of them has a yippy white dog that comes over and tries to bit my socks and my shoes whenever I try to work in the yard. Same neighbor keeps an old 18 wheeler tracker parked in his front yard, I assume for extra storage.
I think this was a good place to raise DS but when DH and I get closer to retirement age we're moving to an urban area where we have no yard work and are within walking distance of stores/movies/restaurants, and where, if we can't drive anymore, we can take a taxi or public bus.
I will miss the very clear skies with the million stars you get in a rural area at night, but don't want to have to worry about the maintenance on our home and our 2 acre lot during retirement.
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Apr 15, 2015 11:00:20 GMT -5
I would be more scared living in the boonies than a city. No thank you... but good luck!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 11:10:12 GMT -5
I'm not sure there's more advantages to being in a "REALLY rural area" (as in 100 miles from anything) opposed to a rural area outside of a town or city. I mean, if you're 20 miles away on a dead end gravel road with no neighbors within a mile or two, you may as well be completely out in the boonies, but medical emergencies and running out of toothpaste aren't a big deal either.
That's kind of how we are. Not on a traffic route, very quiet, but only 8 miles to a hospital (actually only 45 miles to Mayo Clinic). If I didn't have to go to work, I could go for long stretches without seeing a person if that's what I wanted, but if I have a hankering for Papa Murphy's pizza that's a 20 minute round trip drive.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 15, 2015 11:13:35 GMT -5
Property taxes in Oregon are very high for very little property. Probably because of no sales tax.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Apr 15, 2015 11:20:20 GMT -5
Agree about the personal math. That's how we ended up in a lower cost of living area than CA. Well, the cost and the weather. The first consideration was getting kind of close to So Cal weather. But with seasons. Not sure I can agree with you about the price of wine, though. All we've got to do is amble cross the border. Then my wine cost is the same as yours. Lessen you're growin your own. In which case I'm comin over to check out your latest release. LOL we have two "cheap" sources. I can head down to Half Moon Bay with my empty bottles and fill them for $5.50. I'm pretty sure this is pretty close to growing your own.
Then a new wine shop opened up which specializes in Table Wine with decent wine at <$10 and some very good ones at <$20. It's less than 1 mile away. That may be a little too convenient.
Not sure you can grow your own in the back yard for $5.50 a bottle. But, my SIL used to buy some wine making kits, juice and yeast, and make her own cause grapes don't grow that well in AK. Might be able to get that down to close to $5 a bottle.
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Apr 15, 2015 12:20:46 GMT -5
I'd move to Colorado. $575k. 6 acres. Or if you want more land... 15 acres. $449k. Or, if these are too expensive, this one has 35 acres, $320k (view from the house shown).
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Apr 15, 2015 12:27:16 GMT -5
I would be more scared living in the boonies than a city. No thank you... but good luck! What's so scary about the boonies?
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Apr 15, 2015 12:32:26 GMT -5
I would be more scared living in the boonies than a city. No thank you... but good luck! What's so scary about the boonies? Really! It is fun to look out your window, see a bear eating your hanging flowers, and go out to chase it away to save them.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 15, 2015 12:40:35 GMT -5
Ok. I'm all country and not much freaks me out critter-wise, I can be out with coyotes howling all around and not give it a second thought, but I did kind of get the willies the other night. I was out for my walk. Pitch dark, no moon. I start hearing the sound of something running on the blacktop. Something with claws. Like a dog going across the hardwood floor kind of sound. Running. Fast. Towards me. I figured whatever it was didn't know I was there, so I turned around and yelled "GO HOME". Whatever it was went away.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Apr 15, 2015 12:46:31 GMT -5
What's so scary about the boonies? Really! It is fun to look out your window, see a bear eating your hanging flowers, and go out to chase it away to save them. Forget about getting decent online access in certain areas. One of the other students in my class lives about 20 miles from town. Her only available service is a dial up modem, which makes downloading anything almost impossible.
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billisonboard
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Post by billisonboard on Apr 15, 2015 12:50:51 GMT -5
My bear actually has a story. Our neighbor of about a mile away foolishly liked to collect animals that were semi-domesticated and being displaced. One day he pulls up and asks, "Seen my bear?". The next morning I look out and there was a bear on its hind legs munching away. I told my ex I was going to go talk to it and ask if it was Steve's bear. She said, "What if it isn't?" I responded, "I am sure it will let me know." (It was.)
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lexxy703
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Post by lexxy703 on Apr 15, 2015 12:55:09 GMT -5
Those pictures of Colorado are gorgeous HBBQ. I think I could happily live there.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Apr 15, 2015 13:00:08 GMT -5
Really! It is fun to look out your window, see a bear eating your hanging flowers, and go out to chase it away to save them. Forget about getting decent online access in certain areas. One of the other students in my class lives about 20 miles from town. Her only available service is a dial up modem, which makes downloading anything almost impossible. I've lived 20 miles away from town most of my life, and I've never had trouble getting Verizon high-speed. Now, any other option is pretty much unavailable, but we do have Verizon! As for the bears - we had a tonat our old house - mother/3 cubs, gigantic bear, a bear with a bad leg that we affectionately called Gimpy, etc. They never bothered us. One time I did let our dogs out without realizing a bear was up at the neighbor's bird feeder - the bear didn't care but I got my dogs back inside pretty quickly after I saw him walking along behind the trees!
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Apr 15, 2015 13:01:39 GMT -5
Nope - I don't do bears or extreme isolation. It's all too "The Shining" for my tastes.
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Apr 15, 2015 13:12:41 GMT -5
Those pictures of Colorado are gorgeous HBBQ. I think I could happily live there. Near Steamboat Springs. Skiing in the winter. Hiking, mountain biking, kayaking in the summer. Love it there.
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Apr 15, 2015 13:13:22 GMT -5
Nope - I don't do bears or extreme isolation. It's all too "The Shining" for my tastes. On a related note, I did get chased by a bear at steamboat springs. I was mountain biking and almost hit her two cubs. She was not pleased.
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