Best Place for an Old Car Guy to Retire?

[Zimm63]

Generally speaking, the lower the taxes, the lower the service level.  Look carefully at road maintenance, medical response,  hospital quaility, law enforcement, and especially schools.  If the schools suck, that usually means a bunch of young people with few prospects. Few prospects can lead to increased drug use, crime, and general aggravation.  

 

Taxes would be low on my list of considerations.  Not ignored, but I put quality of life higher and am willing (and thankfully able) to pay for it.  

 

 

[Locomobile]

3 minutes ago, Zimm63 said:

Generally speaking, the lower the taxes, the lower the service level.

 

It can also be said and is known that high taxes are indicative of generous social programs which are an attraction to those who wish to receive those benefits and not work, and bring the associated social ills along with them. Think LA, New York, Newark, Baltimore, Detroit, Chicago etc.

 

Lower taxes overall are a definite consideration to companies looking to relocate, those same companies provide jobs. Michigan has made little effort to attract new business, in the past few years they switched to a right to work state and that didn't really change much, generally speaking companies aren't relocating here, there are more leaving. Same with the population, the baby boomers are retiring now and getting out of the frozen north, and moving for better weather and lower cost of living. Although the population is unchanged, those fleeing boomers are being replaced by immigrants.

 

-Ron

[edinmass]

I tend to agree with what Ron is saying above..........I think almost anywhere you pick is a compromise to some degree. In Southern Florida I can fly to Paris for 325 bucks round trip right now......from Boston.......975-1100. Lots of things to consider when making a move. My only regret is I didn't get out of Western Mass sooner. Love the people, the place, and the lifestyle choices. The pay is low, cost of living and taxes are high. I have found If I can get out of the cold for 5 or 6 weeks just after New Years, living up North isn't too hard to take 90 percent of the time.......some years its a long, cold winter. Most are not.

[Pfeil]

1 hour ago, keiser31 said:

No sales tax in Oregon and lots of great old car roads.

Yes, but you have high property taxes. They're going to get your money one way or another.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

14 hours ago, Spinneyhill said:

Tauranga, New Zealand. No snow. Few frosts. Nice summer. Lots of beaches. Lots of nature. Lots of old cars. Lots of avocados and kiwifruit.

All of it, North and South sitting on a huge Caldera. You forgot to mention earthquakes.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

19 hours ago, alsancle said:

Different states have different levels of bureaucracy, welfare,  boondoggles as well as the actual services they provide to the residents.  

 

That's what I said!

[Spinneyhill]

43 minutes ago, Pfeil said:

All of it, North and South sitting on a huge Caldera. You forgot to mention earthquakes.

Taupō is in the caldera. Lake Taupō fills it. And Rotorua. Nowhere else I am aware of. There are EQs, but not often. The further one is from the plate boundary, the fewer EQs there are.

 

 

[JamesR]

2 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

 

Taxes, government and regulations: Most of us who complain about those things don't hate those things, we hate the abuses of those things, which always seem inevitable when the people who love those things get in charge.

 

Excessive taxes, excessive government and excessive regulations are not the things that keep the US from becoming Somalia, as the cartoon's author seems to imply.

Edited September 19, 2019 by JamesR (see edit history)

[JACK M]

2 hours ago, keiser31 said:

No sales tax in Oregon and lots of great old car roads.

 

 

SSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!

You probably don't remember Governor Tom McCall.

He suggested that this might be a good place to visit but don't move here.

 

There used to be a joke poster of NB I5 taking a Right at the Cal border over to Idaho then running north and then back west thru Washington. So as to avoid Oregon.

 

Some of us here got an attitude about all those Californians that were moving up here.

[MCHinson]

Well, I am sure that a case can be made for both Pennsylvania and North Carolina, as well as many other states. Personally, I can say that there are a lot of AACA events throughout the year in North Carolina. If you like snow, western NC is an option, If you hate snow, eastern NC is an option. If you want something in between, central NC might work for you. I have lived in eastern NC all of my life and have no desire to move elsewhere. There are many AACA Regions and Chapters in NC. 

[alsancle]

I spend a lot of quality time in the high desert states,  Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, etc.   I can tell you summer comes late and winter comes early.   Last week I had to wait while my windshield defrosted, it was 38 degrees and dark at 7:30 AM.

[Ronnie]

20 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

What's the sales tax in Tennessee?

 

State sales tax-7% + 2.5% local tax=9.5% total - Tiered tax rate for items over $1600 like vehicles results in lower sales tax.

Annual auto registration=$29  ($0 for antique cars)

No state income tax.

No personal property tax 

 

[60FlatTop]

Almost anywhere in western New York, like within 150 miles of my house, we can be driving in the car and I will ask my wife "Want to stop for lunch?" and within 20 minutes we find a little restaurant. Places where taxes are low and jobs are sparse there isn't enough discretionary money to support those little businesses. When I travel I pay attention to things like that. It seems like a small thing, but it makes a big difference in lifestyle.

My work has put me in 65 school districts across the state and in some areas you can't find lunch, a motel, or cellphone service. Don't leave Watertown hungry and head up Rt 11.

 

Best to pick an area you might like and buy a $30,000 house, live there a while as you look for the good spot to live. The cost of a used car spent wisely.

Bernie

[Locomobile]

A few summers ago we took the Tug up the Champlain canal 63 miles from Waterford up to Whitehall, the Whitehall area is really nice and one place I would consider moving to. Very old historic region, nice scenery. Whitehall is where the US Navy was founded.

 

-Ron

[Locomobile]

6 hours ago, edinmass said:

would like to put my skills to use at a museum somewhere.

 

When I received the info pack this year for Greenfield Village Old Car Festival, there was a little note thing in there and they are looking for Model T mechanics to keep their fleet running. Not sure if it was a paid gig or not.

 

-Ron

Edited September 19, 2019 by Locomobile (see edit history)

[edinmass]

Ron...It's ironic that I have a 15 T and have arranged for a T mechanic to service it.........I'm so busy with the big stuff I never get to it. I'm at least ten years out from my next move.

[mercer09]

 

Best to pick an area you might like and buy a $30,000 house, live there a while as you look for the good spot to live

 

or better yet, just rent.

[1912Staver]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

Almost anywhere in western New York, like within 150 miles of my house, we can be driving in the car and I will ask my wife "Want to stop for lunch?" and within 20 minutes we find a little restaurant. Places where taxes are low and jobs are sparse there isn't enough discretionary money to support those little businesses. When I travel I pay attention to things like that. It seems like a small thing, but it makes a big difference in lifestyle.

My work has put me in 65 school districts across the state and in some areas you can't find lunch, a motel, or cellphone service. Don't leave Watertown hungry and head up Rt 11.

 

Best to pick an area you might like and buy a $30,000 house, live there a while as you look for the good spot to live. The cost of a used car spent wisely.

Bernie

 

If only Bernie, if only. Here in Canada the only thing you are going to buy for $30,000.00 is a mobile home pad . And that is going to be so far North a loaf of bread or a dozen eggs are going to be at least  $10.00 - $12.00. Around here OK apartments / Condo's are $425,000.00 and well up. Even in the middle of nowhere around $100,000.00 is true bottom for a house, with all the disadvantages and high cost of living that comes along. Most of the people who live in the sticks in Canada do so because of a resource industry job with a fat income to balance the outrageous cost of everything {except land}.

 When I was a High School teacher years ago I took a first teaching job in a small town. I lived just down the road from the school so I could walk to work, one of the other teachers had a very nice acreage about 10 miles outside of town. He kept his John Deere 350 crawler right out at the road so he could plow his driveway when he got home from work. 10 - 15 feet of snow in an average winter, and that was a town in roughly the geographic center of British Columbia. Still nearly 500 miles to British Columbia's Northern border. The biggest reason for high land prices in British Columbia , even in remote rejoins is the government still owns nearly 90% of the land. About the lowest percentage of privately owned land in North America. We are as big as Germany , France and the Netherlands combined. So in order to move to somewhere else it is quite a big move.

 

Greg in Canada

Edited September 19, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

2 hours ago, JACK M said:

 

 

SSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!

You probably don't remember Governor Tom McCall.

He suggested that this might be a good place to visit but don't move here.

 

There used to be a joke poster of NB I5 taking a Right at the Cal border over to Idaho then running north and then back west thru Washington. So as to avoid Oregon.

 

Some of us here got an attitude about all those Californians that were moving up here.

 

 There is somewhat the same sentiment these days in Arizona about Californian's, but most realize when they see the big picture of why they moved away. As long as they remember why they moved away they will not be a threat. 

Edited September 19, 2019 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

2019 is almost over I would have thought Canada was feeling the wealth all the Hollywood celebrities brought with them after the US 2016 elections. In fact, when I first heard there was a crisis at the border I thought it was the celebrities jammed up on their way to Canada.

 

Least, that's what I heard they were going to do.

[1912Staver]

You are absolutely right Bernie. The one thing we are not short of around here are multi - millionaires. As often as not from somewhere other than Canada. Pretty hard to make anything near that sort of an income in Canada with our high tax rate and generally lack luster wages..  Not really an advantage to the other 85 % of us who are to one degree or another just getting by. They have bought up so much of Canada that the middle class and lower are in a true housing crisis. For me to make the move I wanted for years to make , my 1 acre and a pretty so - so house up to say 2 1/2 acres and a similar house in the semi rural, 1 hour east of Vancouver  place where I live is now a 1 million $ upgrade. With a decent house  / shop a 1.5 million $ step up or more.  And not  usefully cheaper right up to where the mountains start to the East or North. To the South is Washington State and to the West is the ocean so not many choices. 

 

Greg

Edited September 19, 2019 by 1912Staver (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

31 minutes ago, 60FlatTop said:

2019 is almost over I would have thought Canada was feeling the wealth all the Hollywood celebrities brought with them after the US 2016 elections. In fact, when I first heard there was a crisis at the border I thought it was the celebrities jammed up on their way to Canada.

 

Least, that's what I heard they were going to do.

WARNING!   Do yourself a favor and stay well clear of anything that might appear political. It doesn't matter if it concerns the  hobby as far as it's future, What certain legislation effects us , and who is authoring it, availability of fuel, type of fuel . In short anything the politicos control in or out of the the automotive realm.  Stay away from naming political parties, names of political figures or inferring who they may be,   no matter how they effect our lives or our hobby. 

I got this for saying  less.

 

Warning issued by Peter Gariepy

May 19

---

Penalty

 

• Given 10 points which will never expire.
• Content moderated - 29 days and 23 hours

---

Note for member

you broke the forum rules with your political comments. 

Do it again and you'll be banned.

Edited September 19, 2019 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[tom_in_nh]

How about travelling the country in an antique motorhome / travel trailer?

Should be a super cool way to live, for at least 5 years...

You would fit in at any antique car show.

 

[Buffalowed Bill]

Daunting task trying to find the best place for an individual. I guess that finding the best place is a very personal decision based on one's individual situation. It is somewhat like the Hagerty piece that tried to vet the states for vintage car ownership. That survey tried to give equal weight to things as diverse as taxes, weather and length of touring season, ease of transferring and titling a vintage car, and perceived road conditions. IMO things like weather and touring season, and ease of a one time transfer of title simply can't be judged the same, when one is considering twenty five years of vintage car ownership. That's why I found that survey to be a waste of effort. There are plenty of great places to live, and enjoy-just figure out what's most important to you.

[alsancle]

Find me this:

 

1.  Within 1 hour of a major airport

2.  Within 30 minutes of a real hospital

3.  Moderate climate

4.  Low to moderate tax state

5.  Limited number of frequent natural disasters.

 

I'm thinking Ashville NC.

[MCHinson]

16 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Find me this:

 

1.  Within 1 hour of a major airport

2.  Within 30 minutes of a real hospital

3.  Moderate climate

4.  Low to moderate tax state

5.  Limited number of frequent natural disasters.

 

I'm thinking Ashville NC.

 

I would suggest Wilmington NC rather than Asheville NC, but I admit I am biased. You would need to define "Moderate" climate. Wilmington is often hot and humid, but we don't get Asheville's snow or landslides. Regarding natural disasters, we do occasionally get tropical storms or hurricanes, but they typically cause us less problems than snow would. If you split the difference, you could probably find a few other cities more centrally located in NC to consider. 

[Xander Wildeisen]

23 hours ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

Margaritaville.

 

[padgett]

" in Florida it is just a matter of time " Costal that is, along the Central Highlands everything most people think about Florida is different. Two large airports (MCO and Sanford) within an hour. No state income taxes. Home tax has been about $2.5k for thutty years. Look into Clermont, two hours to beaches on either coast, lots of events, Turkey Rod Run, Webster flea market, & Rennengers ginormous flea markets.

 

The only perfect climate in the US I have found is Santa Monica.

 

Last time I checked, emigration to NZ required $250k per person.

[keiser31]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

Find me this:

 

1.  Within 1 hour of a major airport

2.  Within 30 minutes of a real hospital

3.  Moderate climate

4.  Low to moderate tax state

5.  Limited number of frequent natural disasters.

 

I'm thinking Ashville NC.

Phoenix, Oregon is all of those. International Medford Airport 10 minutes away, TWO major hospitals within 10 minutes, moderate climate, no sales tax and low property tax, NO natural disasters except an occasional rumble of an Earthquake.

Edited September 20, 2019 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Pfeil]

2 hours ago, alsancle said:

Find me this:

 

1.  Within 1 hour of a major airport

2.  Within 30 minutes of a real hospital

3.  Moderate climate

4.  Low to moderate tax state

5.  Limited number of frequent natural disasters.

 

I'm thinking Ashville NC.

Prescott az.

Airport: direct flights to L.A and Denver. 1 1/2 hrs Drive to Skypark Phoenix

10 minutes to a real hospital

moderate climate- High desert, snows a few times a year, rarely over 95 degrees in summer and low humidity.

Low tax state

Natural disasters?? what's that?

Low car registration fees

no car inspections

no smog testing

lots of antique cars here and car clubs

large retirement population-large retirement population of car collectors.

A town that says don't bring with you the reason of what you left behind for. Sometimes we will get someone from someplace that want's to make our place like the place they came from--Don't try to do that here.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Pfeil (see edit history)

[nick8086]

I was looking into moving in the next ten years..

 

Here are a few of my picks..

 

Paradise Valley, AZ
Fountain Hills, AZ
Prescott AZ
Prescott valley AZ
Kingman AZ

 

I did the math will I save any money.. I found out the houses are not as nice or what I want.. It cost more to get a nice house..  the taxes are lower..

I would not save any money..

 

So I started to look into renting a time share.. This way I can pick Florida , Hilton Head, Las Vegas.. etc.  They are nice condos.. Just like home..

Time share annual maintenance fee is around  $660 . for a week.. You can find someone that wants you to just pay for their maintenance fee to break even.. Win for you..  No tax just 94.00 a night for 7 days..

 

 

 

 

[Dynaflash8]

On 9/18/2019 at 4:46 PM, mercer09 said:

Look at Delaware, NH and Florida

 

no state sales tax

 

any place is better then DC

You must mean state income tax because every county in Florida has whopping sales tax.  Also insurance makes up the difference in Florida and unless you're on the coast, old car activity is awful.  Best places in Florida for old cars is Lake City in the North and Miami all the way in the south.  When it comes to hurricanes, Lake City wins and the weather is much like eastern Virginia near the Chesapeake Bay and that is God's Country.

[Dynaflash8]

On 9/18/2019 at 8:50 PM, Robert G. Smits said:

I lived in Florida for 8 years after I retired.  Loved the state except for evacuating 5 times.  After I left, Panama City didn't have a Hurricane for 10 years until 2018 when it was wiped out.  In my opinion if you live in Florida it is just a matter of time.  Consider Texas although I do wish I was closer to Hershey.

Lotta floods in Texas?

[Dynaflash8]

I moved from Glen Burnie, MD to the Virginia Norther Neck when I retired, and started an active antique auto club there.  Virginia reduced my state income tax when I became 65, auto insurance and home insurance was very low.  I was only an hour and 45 minutes from LaPlata, MD and 35 miles from Fredericksburg, VA, 75 miles from Richmond.  The weather was moderate with occasional snow or ice and even more occasional were hurricanes.  Plus, I was close to where I grew up, where I lived 32 years while on the job, and only 5 hours from Hershey.  But, I wasn't satisfied which I now know was a horrible mistake and I moved to South Central Florida, 100 miles south of Orlando.  Now I am 81 and trying to figure out how I could move all my stuff.  Yes, I do have a six car garage here (the only such in town I think), but there is no organized old car activity within 100 miles.  I hate it here.  Auto insurance and home insurance is absolutely out of sight in Florida.  They eat up more than I saved in income tax when I left Virginia.  Weather, raines every afternoon in summer.  I wouldn't recommend anybody to move to Florida.  You live in DC, so I recommend staying closer to home....the Northern Neck of Virginia....yes, taxes will get you until you are 65 but you're closer to family and what you know.  Allied told me they could move me and do all of the packing/loading and unloading....but, it would cost $14K-plus to move to Lake City and 18K-plus to move to Montross, VA.  The man who told you to look at every detail including insurance, taxes, home prices and so on was right.  I moved close to my restoration guy from when I lived in Maryland, and now he is in a nursing home and I have no friends here.  Old cars, here, is all street rods.  We are going to Lake City for a long weekend coming and then to Hershey with a four day layover in Warsaw, VA to visit old friends from the car club.  There is currently nothing for sale on the Northern Neck that I would want, and not a lot in Lake City, but we will look at a couple.  My cousin built my retirement home in Montross, and I had an eleven car garage when I left there.  The only issue with my place that it was 3/4 miles off the paved roadway, back in the woods.  It was great until we got older.  Watch what you do, because when you get to 80+ years old your options to move again become extremely limited, and Sebring, FL is the absolute end of the world.

Edited September 20, 2019 by Dynaflash8 (see edit history)

[60FlatTop]

9 hours ago, alsancle said:

Find me this:

 

1.  Within 1 hour of a major airport

2.  Within 30 minutes of a real hospital

3.  Moderate climate

4.  Low to moderate tax state

5.  Limited number of frequent natural disasters.

 

I'm thinking Ashville NC.

 

That is pretty much where I have lived since 1948, same town, 14420. Sometimes the grass just looks greener.

 

A few years ago a server company I use announced that they would be using a back up server in San Francisco. That's when it all became clear that I was in the right place.

 

Don't forget, when the whole thing seems based on taxes it is the differential between where you are and where you want to go, not the total.

[Restorer32]

If you decide to retire to PA look us up.  We might be able to find something for you to do. Enthusiasm goes a long way.

[padgett]

Sounds like what you need to do is to buy either a nice RV or a 30 foot ish trailer and just travel to all of these different places. For me it takes at least two weeks you get to know a place. Also the senior lifestyle is different in different places.

 

I was a field engineer for 40 years but overall kept coming back to Florida and Orlando is the crossroads of the state: major city with many outlying communities.

 

And then there is The Villages which like creeping Los Angeles, just keeps growing. A senior development that spans over 22,000 acres in three counties. Many three car garages (one for a golf cart).

 

As to car shows, there is something every week, usually multiple.

 

Weather ? In 35 years I have lost three shingles but that was from hail.

 

Which gets us back to the original question and best to try each area and talk to the natives. Suspect you would be surprised

[alsancle]

1 hour ago, 60FlatTop said:

Don't forget, when the whole thing seems based on taxes it is the differential between where you are and where you want to go, not the total.

Coming from Mass it would be hard to not find a state with less taxes.   But, I realize that "taxes" is a loaded word as you need to compute the full load for you in particular:   Income, sales, property, long and short capital gains, estate, school,  etc etc etc. 

[alsancle]

9 hours ago, Pfeil said:

moderate climate- High desert, snows a few times a year, rarely over 95 degrees in summer and low humidity.

 

The rarely over 95 part still seems warm, even with the low humidity.

 

As someone that grew up with lots of tall trees over my head,  I find the "high desert" is not quite right for me.   At least what I have experienced in Utah and Idaho.    Idaho in particular I find interesting,  right up until I saw frost on my windshield in the morning when we are still in Summer.

[60FlatTop]

Before you get too deep into it watch a couple of the Wishmaster movies. This guy is one of my favorite characters. He'd help your wishes come true.