We're number three: best states for retirement

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Steve Ruch

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I suppose "best" has different meanings to different people. Is the biggest factor taxes? Healthcare? Weather? Grandkids? Access to salt water oceans?

For me, knowing the factors used is as important (or more) as the rankings, and not just here, but in all such lists.
 
I lived in Vincennes, Indiana for about 5 years. I liked the place. Weather wasn't real bad.
 
Steve Ruch said:
My mortgage on a 1244 square foot house in Fort Wayne is $545. What can I get in Eugene for that?
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Not much, but I would not trade what we have here for what you have there. We fortunately paid off our first home in SoCal, then lived mortgage free for another 7.5 years. The sale of that home allowed us to buy our Eugene home outright, with plenty left over. Living mortgage free is a huge benefit.
My wife and I are lifelong West Coasters, and that won’t change in this lifetime. From our home, we can be at the coast in just over an hour, and in about the same time we can be in the heart of the Cascades. Our city is very friendly to walkers and bike riders, and there is almost too much good beer to drink. And our tap water is among the best in the country!
 
Herm brews said:
Not much, but I would not trade what we have here for what you have there. We fortunately paid off our first home in SoCal, then lived mortgage free for another 7.5 years. The sale of that home allowed us to buy our Eugene home outright, with plenty left over. Living mortgage free is a huge benefit.
My wife and I are lifelong West Coasters, and that won’t change in this lifetime. From our home, we can be at the coast in just over an hour, and in about the same time we can be in the heart of the Cascades. Our city is very friendly to walkers and bike riders, and there is almost too much good beer to drink. And our tap water is among the best in the country!
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Good for you, but most people aren't as lucky as you. We tried to stay west before deciding on Fort Wayne, but just couldn't swing it.
 
Steve Ruch said:
Good for you, but most people aren't as lucky as you. We tried to stay west before deciding on Fort Wayne, but just couldn't swing it.
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My wife and I made good decisions, especially in buying our first home. We stayed well within our means, settling for a newer condominium in a desirable neighborhood, getting it paid off in 17 years. I am glad we did not fall into the trap of buying bigger and more expensive. We had a good run there, living within driving distance of family, friends and our favorite outdoor attractions. Unfortunately, we could not afford to stay local without taking on a mortgage - our goal was and will continue to be living mortgage free. Here in Eugene, we are making new friends, finding new favorite attractions, and making the best of our early retirement years.

Make the best of where you are, which I believe you are doing. Best of luck to you, Steve.
 
Herm brews said:
My wife and I made good decisions, especially in buying our first home. We stayed well within our means, settling for a newer condominium in a desirable neighborhood, getting it paid off in 17 years. I am glad we did not fall into the trap of buying bigger and more expensive. We had a good run there, living within driving distance of family, friends and our favorite outdoor attractions. Unfortunately, we could not afford to stay local without taking on a mortgage - our goal was and will continue to be living mortgage free. Here in Eugene, we are making new friends, finding new favorite attractions, and making the best of our early retirement years.

Make the best of where you are, which I believe you are doing. Best of luck to you, Steve.
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I got laid off at the height of the great recession in Aug 2009 just two months before I turned 60: S O L right from the get go. By the time I hit 62 I had no choice except to start collecting S S. If I'd been able to work to 65 like planned I might have been able to afford to stay on the west coast.
My wife grew up mostly in Portland and says Fort Wayne of today is very reminiscent of Portland back then.
 
Herm brews said:
My wife and I made good decisions, especially in buying our first home. We stayed well within our means, settling for a newer condominium in a desirable neighborhood, getting it paid off in 17 years. I am glad we did not fall into the trap of buying bigger and more expensive. We had a good run there, living within driving distance of family, friends and our favorite outdoor attractions. Unfortunately, we could not afford to stay local without taking on a mortgage - our goal was and will continue to be living mortgage free. Here in Eugene, we are making new friends, finding new favorite attractions, and making the best of our early retirement years.

Make the best of where you are, which I believe you are doing. Best of luck to you, Steve.
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We also bought, stayed in, and paid off a small house. Thank God because they are a hell of a lot more expensive now and the rents here are insane for the wages being paid. That said, I can be at the beach in an hour too.
I bet Oregon is beautiful, but I hate being cold. I also like to actually get in the ocean once in awhile .We don't have anywhere near the beer scene. but we do have enough of one. We have a few places where they recognize me.
They have some very nice people in the midwest, but again, I hate being cold. We don't have to worry about retirement being taxable because we don't have a state income tax on individuals or pass throughs. Getting homeowners insurance is a different story. I'm damn lucky I got grandfathered in and live one county inland from the coast.
 
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Herm brews said:
My wife and I made good decisions, especially in buying our first home. We stayed well within our means, settling for a newer condominium in a desirable neighborhood, getting it paid off in 17 years. I am glad we did not fall into the trap of buying bigger and more expensive.
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Oh yeah.....living within your means is key...it 's how you can pay off a 30 year mortgage in 11years!
And they used to call Pennsylvania the Florida of the north....maybe 20 years ago...the little $ I'm saving in taxes goes in my gas tank...all the well paying work is down in the DMV...DC, Maryland and Virginia where a comparable property with a 30 minute commute goes for $1.5 M!
 
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Ohio lands right in the middle of most of those lists.
Every state or place has it's own set of good and bad attributes. Otherwise everyone would just land in the same spot.
I'm a firm believer that the grass isn't greener on the other side, it's what you have and what you make of it. A little fertilizer goes a long way!
I can vacation and travel anywhere I choose to, but when I do, I always appreciate what I have and where I live, just a little more each time I return.
We choose family, faith and community, 4 seasons and beautiful sunrise's, to name a few and couldn't be happier with our choices.
I hope you all have green grass under foot, and if it's not perfect, add a little fertilizer!
Cheers,
Brian
 
The Brew Mentor said:
Ohio lands right in the middle of most of those lists.
Every state or place has it's own set of good and bad attributes. Otherwise everyone would just land in the same spot.
I'm a firm believer that the grass isn't greener on the other side, it's what you have and what you make of it. A little fertilizer goes a long way!
I can vacation and travel anywhere I choose to, but when I do, I always appreciate what I have and where I live, just a little more each time I return.
We choose family, faith and community, 4 seasons and beautiful sunrise's, to name a few and couldn't be happier with our choices.
I hope you all have green grass under foot, and if it's not perfect, add a little fertilizer!
Cheers,
Brian
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The nice thing about Ohio is that it's round at both ends and hi in the middle...
 
I spent several years in West Lafayette, Indiana doing my Ph.D. as a collaborative thing with my home university in Switzerland.

I enjoyed Indiana, with the people being the best part, and the weather being the worst. I still have bad memories of the wind and cold of winter, and I'm from Switzerland. There were winter mornings that reminded me of my time in the army attached to the mountain infantry.
 
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