Retirement VS working

[Boatboy24]

I loved living in Williamsburg, and sometimes wish we had never moved. I sometimes get in discussions with folks here about that and they say, "Well, Virginia is a very high tax state." To which I reply, "Virginia is also a very high median income state." I think people who focus just on the tax side of things miss out on the true equation. Yes, taxes are lower in TN or AL, but the median income is also lower.

Interestingly, because Huntsville, AL (nearby me) has a large federal presence, it is well-known among Virginians working for the federal government. They often retire here, where their house sale in Virginia can fund a similar size or bigger house with a BIG chunk of change left over. That's the best of both worlds – earn the big bucks there, then move here where it is cheap to live for retirement. It's one reason this area is exploding with growth.

We moved here in 1990. The sale of our 1,100 SF Williamsburg house on a quarter-acre lot funded the purchase of the small farm we live on here.

I've worked with more than a few people over the years who retired in/near Huntsville and paid cash for their new homes with the proceeds from their Metro DC homes.

 

[VinesnBines]

Virginia has sales tax, income tax AND (county) property tax. They certainly get their $$.

Each county in Virginia sets the property tax rates. On our County real estate is taxed at 63 cents per $100 however since we have a land use tax rate on the farm land and vineyard we pay 6.3 cents per $100. Our farm is 19.12 acres and the annual property tax is $47.88.

Location, location, location.

 

[ibglowin]

How you feeling about that aborted move to FL now? Especially in light that Ian basically hit Naples/Bonita Springs dead on.......

We are in the process of preparing for a move to "God's Waiting Room," Florida. Our plan is to put the house on the market in early April, hope for a reasonably quick sale and be in Florida in the June-July timeframe. We know where we want to move, a small golf community in Bonita Springs, but there is nothing for sale at this time. However, properties come and go fairly regularly because of the age of the residents so we plan to rent until something is available. There are a number of things motivating us: this house is too big and the yard is too much work, the real estate taxes in this area, state income tax, the winters. We are just looking to enjoy the last few years restfully.

 

[Rocky]

How you feeling about that aborted move to FL now? Especially in light that Ian basically hit Naples/Bonita Springs dead on.......

Mike, every day we say to each other, "I love it here in boring old Ohio!" Very few things happen out of the ordinary and at our ages, we like it that way. We dodged a bullet for sure.

 

[bstnh1]

Mike, every day we say to each other, "I love it here in boring old Ohio!" Very few things happen out of the ordinary and at our ages, we like it that way. We dodged a bullet for sure.

I only went to Florida once - years ago for a work-related meeting. About 6 am I walked out onto the balcony of my second floor room. I stood there in my pants and undershirt thinking what a great morning - it was sunny and a very pleasant 68 degrees. I looked down at the sidewalk and people were walking by with heavy coats and gloves on!!

 

[Rocky]

I only went to Florida once - years ago for a work-related meeting. About 6 am I walked out onto the balcony of my second floor room. I stood there in my pants and undershirt thinking what a great morning - it was sunny and a very pleasant 68 degrees. I looked down at the sidewalk and people were walking by with heavy coats and gloves on!!
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I know just what you mean, Brian. We occasionally go to Bonita Springs from just after Christmas to the end of February. The place we stay is in a gated golf course community and it has lots of safe walkways. I used to walk every morning and I had a 4- and a 5-mile course mapped out. I would wear shorts and a tee shirt and be walking past "eskimos" in parkas, gloves, hats, sweats. They would look at me like I was from Mars and the temperature was a very comfortable 65-70 degrees. I guess it is all what one is used to doing and what temperature tolerance one has.

 

[winemaker81]

I only went to Florida once - years ago for a work-related meeting. About 6 am I walked out onto the balcony of my second floor room. I stood there in my pants and undershirt thinking what a great morning - it was sunny and a very pleasant 68 degrees. I looked down at the sidewalk and people were walking by with heavy coats and gloves on!!

When I lived in Rome NY, we had a co-worker who was from GA. We nicknamed him "Snowman", as his tolerance to cold was not good. He would wear a parka when temps dropped below 50 F. Another coworker would go outside in just a shirt at 0 F to smoke ...

I've lived in central NC for 30 years, and while my blood has thinned out, I'm still cold tolerance. In what passes for winter here, I'll go out wearing shorts and a t-shirt, while others are wearing long pants and jackets. OTOH, summers still get me, but I got really good at sweating!

 

[joeswine]

And so the World Turns

 

[jswordy]

When I lived in Rome NY, we had a co-worker who was from GA. We nicknamed him "Snowman", as his tolerance to cold was not good. He would wear a parka when temps dropped below 50 F. Another coworker would go outside in just a shirt at 0 F to smoke ...

I've lived in central NC for 30 years, and while my blood has thinned out, I'm still cold tolerance. In what passes for winter here, I'll go out wearing shorts and a t-shirt, while others are wearing long pants and jackets. OTOH, summers still get me, but I got really good at sweating!

Same here in south TN/north AL. People will be walking past me on the sidewalk here grumbling about the cold with heavy coats and gloves on, I am in a long-sleeved dress shirt, going, "What? It's 60 degrees!"

But when I go back to northern Illinois in January, I am like, "Oh my GAWD, even my LUNGS are frozen!"

 

[winemaker81]

But when I go back to northern Illinois in January, I am like, "Oh my GAWD, even my LUNGS are frozen!"

I went to college in Potsdam NY. Growing up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of NY, I thought I knew what cold was, until I got to Potsdam. It was the wind -- there was a constant, biting wind. Walking between campuses, I wore my father's 1950's police coat (wool, ankle length, buttoned up to the ears) and a heavy hat.

When walking into the wind, I kept my nose and mouth inside the jacket, breathing not-frozen air, as the wind-whipped air burned. I haven't thought of this is years. Thanks!

 

[jswordy]

I went to college in Potsdam NY. Growing up in the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains of NY, I thought I knew what cold was, until I got to Potsdam. It was the wind -- there was a constant, biting wind. Walking between campuses, I wore my father's 1950's police coat (wool, ankle length, buttoned up to the ears) and a heavy hat.

When walking into the wind, I kept my nose and mouth inside the jacket, breathing not-frozen air, as the wind-whipped air burned. I haven't thought of this is years. Thanks!

Our last year in north-central Illinois, there was 4 feet of snow on the ground, and we were sitting in our little living room in the house we rented. The thermometer read -40 and the wind chill was -90, and my wife looked at me and said, "We ain't staying here another year!" By March, she had found a job in Newport News, Va., and we were on our way in a loaded U-Haul.

That day, I got out to walk to a convenience store for smokes (I smoked back then). I had on two pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt, a sweater, a jacket and a heavy Army coat. The wind cut right through it all. I could feel the cold. It was so strange, walking downtown and no one was out at ALL. The hardware store sign was creaking in the wind. When I got back my face was frozen. There were about 2 cars and 1 wrecker running in the lil town of 5,000 where we were. Oil was just congealed, and the starters wouldn't turn them over fast enough to catch without a big boost. The only ones running were lucky enough to be in heated garages. I had an engine heater on both of ours, and neither one would turn fast enough to start.

The wind is constant in central Illinois, that's why they have so many windmill farms there.

Even though temps now are a lot warmer there than they were back then, I don't miss the winter, nor do I miss the blizzard drives for 25 miles to nearby towns we had to make to do our work. 50-degree Tennessee Christmases suit me just fine!

 

[joeswine]

Our last year in north-central Illinois, there was 4 feet of snow on the ground, and we were sitting in our little living room in the house we rented. The thermometer read -40 and the wind chill was -90, and my wife looked at me and said, "We ain't staying here another year!" By March, she had found a job in Newport News, Va., and we were on our way in a loaded U-Haul.

That day, I got out to walk to a convenience store for smokes (I smoked back then). I had on two pairs of jeans, a sweatshirt, a sweater, a jacket and a heavy Army coat. The wind cut right through it all. I could feel the cold. It was so strange, walking downtown and no one was out at ALL. The hardware store sign was creaking in the wind. When I got back my face was frozen. There were about 2 cars and 1 wrecker running in the lil town of 5,000 where we were. Oil was just congealed, and the starters wouldn't turn them over fast enough to catch without a big boost. The only ones running were lucky enough to be in heated garages. I had an engine heater on both of ours, and neither one would turn fast enough to start.

The wind is constant in central Illinois, that's why they have so many windmill farms there.

Even though temps now are a lot warmer there than they were back then, I don't miss the winter, nor do I miss the blizzard drives for 25 miles to nearby towns we had to make to do our work. 50-degree Tennessee Christmases suit me just fine!

Amen

 

[joeswine]

I retired a little over a year ago. After 47 years, last 25 in a fast pace, moderate to high pressure environment. Within one week of retiring, my wife said, "you seem so different"! I've never looked back! I've learned to slow down and enjoy the moment. The hardest lesson learned was that I wasn't in a rush anymore. I could take my time, I didn't have to multitask if I didn't want to! Life is good!

Yes the timing changes and if your smart enough to notice it , your retired

 

[joeswine]

For you who are retired , while driving your vehicle to and from work you never took notice of what the road billboards actually read , once your retirement sets in you start to notice things that were always there as the really are , timing changes and you finally see around you .

 

[jswordy]

For you who are retired , while driving your vehicle to and from work you never took notice of what the road billboards actually read , once your retirement sets in you start to notice things that were always there as the really are , timing changes and you finally see around you .

Now counting the weeks to that easier pace. There remains the outside possibility of a big work promotion, very highly unlikely, that would keep me around another 3 years. Otherwise, I have exactly 48 days. Either way, I win.

 

[sour_grapes]

I certainly wouldn't be sitting in Bordeaux, sipping a glass of Haut-Medoc at 4 pm, if I were still working!

 

[crushday]

I certainly wouldn't be sitting in Bordeaux, sipping a glass of Haut-Medox at 4 pm, if I were still working!

Today, Paul, nothing makes more happy. Congratulations!

 

[Shurt1073]

I retired just before my 55th birthday after 33 yrs as a Sergeant on the police department. Its been over 4 yrs of retirement now and retirement is the best job I've ever had! I would not go back for all the money in the world. The first couple of retired years I was still on point and very vigilant but life has slowed down. I'm learning how to relax and be more easy going ..... I really enjoy making wine and we didn't start drinking wine until 2016 so we opt for the sweet or semi sweet wines still. I do like the dryer reds if I can get past the first glass. lol. Congrats to all who have put in their time and retired!

 

[jswordy]

I retired just before my 55th birthday after 33 yrs as a Sergeant on the police department. Its been over 4 yrs of retirement now and retirement is the best job I've ever had! I would not go back for all the money in the world. The first couple of retired years I was still on point and very vigilant but life has slowed down. I'm learning how to relax and be more easy going ..... I really enjoy making wine and we didn't start drinking wine until 2016 so we opt for the sweet or semi sweet wines still. I do like the dryer reds if I can get past the first glass. lol. Congrats to all who have put in their time and retired!

My Dad retired at 50.
I said, "Dad, why do you want to retire so young?"
He said, "Son, when you finally figure out how it all REALLY works, you realize you'd rather be doing something else."
It took me an additional 30 years or so before I understood what he was telling me!

Enjoy your retirement.

 

[sour_grapes]

Today, Paul, nothing makes more happy. Congratulations!

Vous etes tres gentil!