OK, this should be entertaining

[Roguish Lawyer]

Many of you have been trying to talk me into leaving California for many years, and it's looking like you will get your wish. Maybe not immediately, but soon enough. The wife just decided we need to go ASAP! So, now we have to decide where.

Kindly recommend alternative places to live and explain both the advantages and disadvantages. This is a serious question, but y'all have fun! I will tell you that the leading (but not only) candidates right now are Texas, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Florida.

[PSM]

I will just warn you not to be wooed by the "no income tax" siren. Income eventually goes away or is greatly reduced, property taxes NEVER go away and go up. Remember the purpose behind Prop. 13, retirees could not keep up with rising property taxes. My sister and BiL loved to brag about "no income tax" in Texas, but now that they are retired, with little income, their property tax is still climbing.

Just my dos centavos.

[SF_BHT]

Stay away from NM. Just a low populated little brother to CA.

[JJ_BPK]

I lived 50yrs in South Florida

I love the weather but hate the politics of the Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade counties.

The outdoor life is the best bar-none but tends to be youth concentric. After I reached 60 the knees did not cheer when I left the dock. Neither a day poling the flats nor trowling 30 miles off-shore. BUTT, hunting from tree stands? OK

Hurricanes are kinda personal, some people hate them, others just grin, get their shi$$ together and have a party. Additionally, flood & windstorm insurance can be a major part of a budget. The physical key is understanding FEMA's flood zones. If you live in an evac area, you need a relly point out of state.

If I were to return, I would look at something within 50 miles of Disney, along the I4, Tampa to Orlando corridor.

Down side: Hurricanes, Pythons & Gators, and too many Democrats..

My $00.00002

[Silver Eagle]

Oklahoma

[mojaveman]

I'm right behind you RL.

I'm in the Inland Empire but can't wait to get the hell out of the People's Republik of Kalifornia. I'm finding that location though is going to be a tough decision.

A dry climate with warm weather leaves me with basically west Texas, New Mexico or Arizona. I've also read a few articles about serious water shortages in this region in the coming decades because of climate change and domestic migration.

Still have a few years to think about it.

[NurseTim]

NC is infested with surly new yarkers and jerseyites, or is that jerseymites?

It is pretty solidly blue. If you do not have a concealed carry permit, you have to beg the sheriff, ok ask, for permission to purchase a handgun or rifle.
No private sales of firearms, all must be conducted through FFL. I had popped smoke before that lil beauty came to pass. Freedoms are shrinking fast in NC.
But the eastern half of NC has the best BBQ. It is a beautiful state.
They say the state flower is the dogwood, they lie, it is in fact the mold spore.

[NurseTim]

Originally Posted by JJ_BPK

I lived 50yrs in South Florida

I love the weather but hate the politics of the Palm Beach, Broward, and Dade counties.

The outdoor life is the best bar-none but tends to be youth concentric. After I reached 60 the knees did not cheer when I left the dock. Neither a day poling the flats nor trowling 30 miles off-shore. BUTT, hunting from tree stands? OK

Hurricanes are kinda personal, some people hate them, others just grin, get their shi$$ together and have a party. Additionally, flood & windstorm insurance can be a major part of a budget. The physical key is understanding FEMA's flood zones. If you live in an evac area, you need a relly point out of state.

If I were to return, I would look at something within 50 miles of Disney, along the I4, Tampa to Orlando corridor.

Down side: Hurricanes, Pythons & Gators, and too many Democrats..

My $00.00002

Yeah, but hunting pythons and feral pigs could occupy one’s time nicely.

[7624U]

Tennessee is the worst state in the Union! No Advantages here "Move Along"

[sg1987]

Originally Posted by 7624U

Tennessee is the worst state in the Union! No Advantages here "Move Along"

Good luck with that one.... many Texans are sending similar messages, but it’s not working for them. "If you build it, they will come." - urban sprawl on a grand scale. Perhaps many decades from now pioneers from over crowded red states will head into the wilderness of former blue states that have imploded, to re-settle the new frontier.

[doctom54]

The Ozarks. SW Missouri or NW Arkansas. In AR property taxes are frozen when you reach 65.

[Badger52]

Not as a pejorative but how self-sufficient do you see yourself and what, if any, current "amenities" do you anticipate foregoing? Just asking because a rural or semi-rural lifestyle may have some attractions for some, but often they don't realize what isn't going to be automatically done for them. If the answer is that you want to swap a CA city for some other city that's Ok too, just wondering.

It may not all be about the obviously naked economic factors.

[Sohei]

Originally Posted by doctom54

The Ozarks. SW Missouri or NW Arkansas. In AR property taxes are frozen when you reach 65.

That's the areas we were recently looking at. We love the area around Eureka Springs northward into Missouri. We are still contemplating it now that I am retired. I was unaware of the property taxes being frozen at 65...that's great to know.

[Golf1echo]

Come and join us. Just look how happy the locals are

We always joked about the necessity for a “ Deliverance II” to stem the new growth. The irony is many people aren’t up for living year round in a rain forest or a seasonal town, the Realtors like reselling the same house every 3 years though.

Many locales have a “homestead” clause or something similar in place, if they are decent. This freezes or reduces your property taxes at a certain age. Several States don’t have State income tax as well however some make that up with sales tax or other fees. I imagine Cali. Is similar to what Colo. has become, fees for everything ie. DMV, Utilities, construction/development, usage, etc...I recommend calling a tax professional in the area your considering to ask specifics. Reviewing local news for the jist of politics, crime, and general priorities can help gain insights.

Another concern that should be on your radar are POAs ( property owners associations). An example in Colorado is that they were written to encourage out of state development and protect the associations. They can take your house , property, impose fines if you are not in their compliance. RL I’m sure you are aware of this double edged sword.

Growth can change everything...when your new neighbor builds a 10 million dollar home, guess what happens to your taxes?

[JJ_BPK]

Originally Posted by NurseTim

Yeah, but hunting pythons and feral pigs could occupy one’s time nicely.

and put vittles on the BBQ