Looking to re-retire. Need suggestions

[gimpy]

I've spent the majority of my adult life in the Midwest; a great place overall but I want veteran-friendly taxes, warm weather most of the year, and a strong sense of community paired with great schools, all at am affordable price. I'm currently working on contract through 2015 and believe I could relocate shortly after that. Currently looking at the Carolina's, Tennessee, Florida, but open to monolithic-ish options. Social environment in the state is valuable to me and raising my family.

I have my 100% rating from the VA to fall back on If i can't find employment right away in the price range I'm accustomed to earning. Based on my criteria, where would you recommend looking at? Oh, and I love high quality food (never seem to find it on vacation).

Thanks,

Brian

 

[Delta4-3]

Come on out brother.

 

[997/2man]

FL is ok, fairly gun friendly, lots of water related activities, warm weather (Other day, 95 in TX, 88 here with a sea breeze), getting a little crowded, couldn't recommend SE FL, taxes fairly cheap, my electric bill last month for a 5000 sq ft house was $231, I keep it cold.

No industry, many oldsters, but some very nice old FL areas. Avoid the Miami/Ft Lauderdale/Orlando/Tampa congestion. The Keys are the Keys, one road and pricey, but gin clear water, shorts/polo shirt official uniform 365 days a year. Mostly water with a little land.

Flat as Gwenyth Paltrow's chest, some very nice woods in north central FL (Ocala), not too crowded in the Big Bend area. If you could get into boating, fishing, sitting on the beach in February drinking a cold one, bring it.

State bird is the mosquito. Deer average 90 lbs, but some of the best hog hunting around. Two seasons, hot and wet, cool and dry. Typically 6% sales tax, avoid the congested areas, not bad.

No state income tax.


150 miles wide, 780 miles from Key West to Pensacola.


No snow/ice/salted roads/layers of clothes, but no change of seasons, rains often in the summer (like every other day), Jan to April, best weather in the country.

Good Luck wherever you go.

 

[pawprint2]

Tennessee is very Veteran Friendly, and we have ZERO STATE INCOME TAX. Tennessee is a very gun friendly state, along with some of the best hunting and fishing in the country, you may also notice we are a very "red" state, popular with most gun owners and believers in the Constitution. Visit Nashville for a week, get to know the area a little bit, there's a good chance you'll never leave.

 

[Rthur]

I would suggest doing it with a very large sum of money......

Illinois isn't the state for guns ect or shooting sports in general


R

 

[jrassy]

I'd look at Arkansas, Mountain home area, fits your requirements with great fishing, outdoors, beautiful country. Good luck.

 

[Coldfuzion]

Tennessee, unfortunately I've traveled my fair share and then some across the US and I'll always come back to Tennessee.

1: a great place overall but I want veteran-friendly taxes: As stated no state income tax, we are the volunteer state so Vets before all else around here.

2: warm weather most of the year: fairly warm, we do get all 4 seasons here so you have to watch out for the leafers but the winters are really mild with the occasional flukes.

3: a strong sense of community paired with great schools: East TN has this in spades. When I first moved here I got a flat tire on I-26 and had about 5 people stop to help, 2 helped and the rest flagged traffic away from the shoulder. The stuff I see around here sometimes makes me still have some faith in humanity.

4: all at an affordable price: very reasonable around here and you can also get FDA backed rural development loans that are 0$ down loans for homes or farm land.

Around here it really is religious so if your for that its a really nice place to live, even you and the family are not its still a swell place to live. It took me awhile to assimilate because we moved here from West Palm about ten years ago, a drastic change of pace, but I wouldn't trade this area for the world now. In East TN you have the pick of the litter, rural small towns, urban areas, two commercial airports, access to Knoxville, Morristown, Johnson City, Bristol, Newport as fairly decent cities and the Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg/Sevierville area for tourists rides and fun. Your also close to Cherokee to get in some gambling too and driving distance to Atlanta if you need international flights or better air accommodations.

As for gun laws, well we're fine in that department. Beretta is coming as well so you should too!

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Spent a number of visits in the Orlando area, and I can testify to some decent 'Hide members thereabouts. I can't handle heat and humidity, and coming from hill country, my skin sorta crawls a bit in the absence of anything solid to look up at.

If I had to, I could probably afford central A/C, and as for VA hospitals, I hear they are thicker on the ground there than lots of other places. The moderate Winter makes it far easier for me to get out to walk and otherwise stay fit. Winter here in The Great White North for my Wife and I is essentially an exercise in endless cabin fever.

My money would be on FL, and being retired, no state income tax seems neither here nor there to me. My concern is about Veterans' tax abatement of property taxes. How's FL on that subject?

As for North/South, I don't think anybody won The War Between The States, or that anybody didn't lose it. As it's said in War Games, the only reasonable first move is 'not to play; shall we play a nice game of chess...'.

I know I'm supposed to keep up the good fight, but New York just seems to suck a bit more than us gunowners can rightly tolerate, or should rightly have to. That SAFE act is really nothing but deliberate offense against the Second Amendment, and I think it would not have been possible without a huge helping of good old Albany corruption. At least in FL, I'll be at home among all the Ex-Pat New Yorkers.

I like Georgia for vacations, but it would be even more reachable from FL than it currently is from NY. I'd be thinking of it as a small relief from the dead heat of peak Summer in FL.

Dang, now I'm gonna have to start thinking about selling the house...

A fresh start might be getting more and more attractive as time piles up.

Greg

 

[shane45]

Greg, I'm with you brother. Its no longer just living in restrictive states. They are indeed out to get us at this point. Jersey has been doing a great job manufacturing felons instead of catching the real ones!

 

[pawprint2]

Tennessee, the first $175,000 property tax for 100% ratings, also it continues to your spouse as long as you and she were married at the time of your death, and continues for her life as long as she does not remarry. Some don't care about State Income Tax, but most do, Tennessee has Zero State Income Tax. The way the system works, you must pay your tax, fill out a form and the State of Tennessee reimburses you for the cost, net zero, hope this helps.

 

[DarnYankeeUSMC]

See the Gun laws in TN thread. Good info there. I know it got a little side tracked with the dog thing but still good info.

 

[gimpy]

Tennessee, the first $175,000 property tax for 100% ratings, also it continues to your spouse as long as you and she were married at the time of your death, and continues for her life as long as she does not remarry. Some don't care about State Income Tax, but most do, Tennessee has Zero State Income Tax. The way the system works, you must pay your tax, fill out a form and the State of Tennessee reimburses you for the cost, net zero, hope this helps.

I assume that is the first 175,000 of equalized assessed value, not market value. If so, that would actually cover almost twice the EAV in terms of actual value.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Yes, TN is good too, but my tax question (still...) is about FL.

Greg

OK Fuggeddaboudit. The Bride just nixed FL.

 

[pawprint2]

I assume that is the first 175,000 of equalized assessed value, not market value. If so, that would actually cover almost twice the EAV in terms of actual value.

That is correct, in fact many counties only assess once every 10 years, so in true market terms, your tax is usually shrinking for each year prior to the new assessment, then, as you have pointed out it, the tax is based on a fraction of actual market value.

 

[Sharpsman]

Those AH in DC are gonna keep on printing money as long as the paper holds out so I'd suggest robbing about 5 banks before retiring!

The 'powers that be' have never read about the German economy back in 1923 which helped bring Hitler to power!!

 

[hankpac]

Texas not only has NO state Income Tax, Veterans who are 100% are also exempt from property tax as well. THAT is Vet Friendly by my definition.
Any vet over 60% gets a free hunting and fishing license with all the tags.
Oklahoma also has the same structure, AND also exempts ad valorum taxes, and sales tax.
Do a Google search for veteran tax exemptions + the state, and you should get the info you need. I was amazed at Oklahoma's arrangement, and almost decided to relocate there. They also have lots of public lands, which Texas does not.
Good luck.

 

[gimpy]

I've looked at Oklahoma in the past. Not to mention their job market is great. Not knocking Texas, I've never quite been able to fall in love with it.

 

[Maggot]

Gimpster, Id look off shore. Ive looked into Belize and Panama. Stable gub'mints, good economies (better in Panama)You can keep firearms up to 308/357 caliber, wheel guns and bolts only, no semi autos. The advantage is that snow is just a rarely used four letter word. The healthcare in Panama is free to all citizens and retirees. In Belize the native tongue is English and it is widely used in Panama. Cost of living is much cheaper, you can raise food all year long. You can live like a king for what you just get by with here. Im looking at it seriously.

 

[pawprint2]

Forgot to mention hunting and fishing license in Tennesee, for Vets:
HUNTING & FISHING LICENSE FOR WAR-TIME DISABLED VETERANS

Authorizes issuance of a sport fishing and hunting license with a one-time $10 fee to residents of Tennessee who are 100% permanent and totally disabled from service connected cause, or by reason of service in any war are 30% or more disabled.


TCA 70- 2-104 – http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/misclisc.pdf

 

[Delta4-3]

I'd look at Arkansas, Mountain home area, fits your requirements with great fishing, outdoors, beautiful country. Good luck.

That is exactly where I am, and I agree.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

The 'powers that be' have never read about the German economy back in 1923 which helped bring Hitler to power!!

...Actually, I'm kinda thinking they have, and that a lot of current policies are using that slice of history as a model...

Greg