We get a few weeks of great summer weather here (Minnesota). Spring and fall are nice too. Bad thing here is social security is taxed but the new Governor is talking about changing that. Property taxes are pretty low. There is state tax and sales tax but not on clothing, food, medicine, etc. So don’t buy “hunting boots”, buy “work boots”.
Mikey, sounds like heaven to me. Wife wants a condo. She doesn’t want to deal with property. I hate condos. No one is going to tell me I can’t work on my car or fly an American flag. There would be a war. That will come to a head some day.
Need to deep dive the charts inputs. Travel to see and spoil grandchildren could be a large ticket item for the Mrs. How much do they allow for old car hobby expenses, might cut time the $$$ lasts down pretty quickly. All kidding aside, my biggest uncertainty now will be health insurance cost between retirement and loss of employer provided and qualification for medicare. Might be as long as 7 years.
I feel the same way about condos and housing associations. I'll paint my house the color that I please, fly whatever flag that I want, choose the color of the drapes that I want, and plant growing stuff where I want. I absolutely will not pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to be told what I can and cannot do.
Have lived in the Northeast and Midwest and have traveled every other state, FL checks more boxes than most for us. Yep, hot in the summer, but I would rather live with the AC for 4 months than the heat for 8. I find taxes reasonable, and insurance is what it is. My company asked me if I was interested in a promotion a few years ago, the catch, a relo back to NY or MA. It would have been a significant increase so I considered it, got about six words out to my wife about it and she said never! I agree with her, for us it just feels right.
I am in the same boat. Live outside Chitcago, taxes are high and are only going to get worse with Pritzker and Madigan. We are sick of the six months of winter. I love Tennessee, haven't totally sold the wife as of yet. Missouri and Texas are options. Kentucky may come into play also. It's a personal choice that should not be taken lightly or made quickly.
That is one good thing about MN, lots of high quality medical care which becomes more important with each year of age I guess. But some winters can be tough.
