I am curious where you are located. Hubby and I live in the ‘burbs of Buffalo, NY. We like it here. New York State is pretty darned beautiful.
I have traveled to 49 states, and have yet to find better weather anywhere else between May and October. I was talking to Sonny-boy the other day, and he asked when we were coming home (we’ve been at our Florida condo since January), and I told him, “Why would I come home!? It is 85° out and beautiful!” To which he replied, “I know you! That is too hot for you! You don’t like it above 75°.”
And I couldn’t disagree. I love it in the 70s, and the western New York weather provides a very pleasant summer, seldom getting above 85° out.
I have family in western New York, and so we stay. Hubby’s mom lives in Vegas, and we aren’t going to live there. Frying an egg on my car in July isn’t my idea of a good time. The one time we went in August, it never got below 100° (morning noon or night). I felt like I was standing in an oven with sand pinging off my face. No thanks. And no, “dry heat” just doesn’t cut it; 115° is 115° (and the heat isn’t that dry anymore (compared to when she moved there 20 years ago) with all the swimming pools and other man-made builds).
I figure Hubby is going to push hard the next few years for a full-time move to Florida. He likes the no-state-income-tax thing. Problem is there are no other tax advantages I can see right now. Our condo and HOA fees are insane, and combine that with the real estate and school taxes… well, we are no better off in Florida tax-wise. At least we can deduct our NYS taxes from our tax rate, we can’t deduct HOA fees. Looking at all the other little taxes and fees give me a headache to compare, and I have a feeling it isn’t going to end up as favorable as Hubby thinks. Toss in 90° heat and … well, let’s just say he’ll have to do some fast talking to get me there year round.
I think many people like to live where they have family and friends, all things being equal. Since we are retired, where we live isn’t dependent on employment, and we can choose to live anywhere. We choose to live in western New York.
Where do you live?
Shell says
I live in the Missouri Ozarks, about 30 miles from Arkansas. We live on 70 acres in the woods. We have no family here at all, even both my kids are no longer here. I do love it here but it here, but it is remote. The closest mall is 100 miles away. Hubby and I met and married in New Orleans. I was born and raised in Ill and he in Miss. We moved to Ill after Louisiana and then after 8 years we moved here, nearly 19 years ago. If anything ever happened to him, I would likely go back to Louisiana. It is hot yes, but at least it doesn’t have a cold winter and we still have lots of family there.
Ann says
Wow, that is fascinating, Shell. I am assuming a job or farming prospect brought you to MO?
Ann
Shell says
We just wanted to live in the country and that would have been too expensive in Ill. Hubby is a contractor. He got a job here for us to move here, but then he started his business after about a year. It is beautiful here and affordable, but not a lot of jobs really. We bought a house, outbuilding and the first 60 acres for $40,000.
Ann says
WOW! That is crazy-cheap, Shell. I understand the IL-expensive thing – Hubby was born in Chicago, and until he passed away, Hubby’s brother lived most of his life in the Chicago-metro-area (but the ‘burbs or further). I’ve never seen real estate taxes like he paid. Never. He paid 50% more than we do (and we live in an excellent school district), and his house was worth half of ours. It was nutty.
Ann
Stephanie B says
I live in the city of tonawanda (WNY) about a five minute walk from the Niagara River. I love that there is so much to do within minutes of our house. I don’t live on a busy street so it’s a quiet neighborhood (except during canalfest). There are three playgrounds we can walk to and we are less than 10 minutes to all kinds of shopping and entertainment. My husband is from Clinton NY (just outside Utica) and he moved here for me five years ago. His parents live in a rural area with lots of land. My husband is endlessly talking about how he hates the city because of all the parking rules and lack of trees and open land. Since he moved here for me, I promised that if an opportunity ever arose for us to move near his family that we would, but I would be sad over having to drive twenty minutes to the grocery store lol. I would like to live somewhere like Florida. This past winter was really hard on my hands and feet.
Ann says
Stephanie why don’t you look up in Porter or around somewhere around there for land? If you stay off Lake Ontario, the prices are quite reasonable. Hubby got his hunting land for about $1K an acre – no house though.
Ann
Stephanie B says
Thanks for the info!! I bet my husband would love something like that, even if we only use it for camping until we could build 🙂
Ann says
I asked him again, and he said most of rural Niagara County was fairly inexpensive for land purchase (up to $2K an acre for apple orchards or other farm land). Since it isn’t a city, the school taxes will be higher than what you are paying in the City of Tonawanda, so that is something to watch out for. He was NOT allowed to buy below route 20 (no way on the snow), so confined his search to Niagara, Orleans, Erie and Genesee counties.
Ann
Stephanie B says
Thank you (and hubby) for the info 🙂
Ann says
Good luck, Stephanie!
Ann
Tami Lemons says
I live in the center part of North Texas. As far north as you can get before crossing the river into Oklahoma. Hubby and I were both born and raised 8 miles away from where we live now. I was raised on our family Wheat and cattle farm. He was raised just up the road, by his Contractor dad. We have known each other our entire lives, but I was 23 and he was 25 before we realized we should be together. We have always stayed close to home, as our families are here, and getting older. But, we have dreamed of moving a bit farther north when we retire. Now that we have grandkids though, we will probably stay put 😉 We love our little farm (10 acres) and really couldn’t ask for anything better. It is just big enough to have our space, but small enough to manage on a part time basis. He is the Sheriff here, and I have a home based business, so we are too busy these days for any more land! lol
Ann says
Tami that is a wonderful story.
Ann
Tami Lemons says
well, we always hear that we should write a book… I guess maybe one day I should slow down enough to do that 😉
Ann says
Start putting it on tape now so you will have the stories ready to edit when you get the time!
Ann
Debb F says
Hi Ann and Friends.
I am stuck in Delaware. I don’t mind being here because my mom is here and my brother and my sister and I have kinda already lived almost everywhere. As a child we were rudely uprooted every year and some times even twice a year. I lived in California ( waaaaaaaah!!! I miss it so much and never had one pain ever there) and we drove to Missouri when I was 5, and then drove to the East Coast when I was 7. I am now almost 50 and we talk about moving in retirement. Delaware is great as far as taxes go, Ann you would love it. And it is right in the center of many cultural hubs. Baltimore, Philly, Lancaster, Atlantic City, Rehoboth Beach, Ocean City MD even NYC is all just a short drive away. But I hate the weather and so does my arthritis. My husband likes it here, he has been here his whole life and I tell him he is crazy. I am not sure if I could live In Fla, because I have never ever seen bugs as big as they get down there and the rain really hurts me. I am wanting to go west where it is dry when we retire and get a place out in the middle of no where and have like 2 dogs and 3 cats and some chickens. Hubby just wants to fish so I am not sure how this is going to work. We shall just have to wait and see.
Don’t be worried that no one has been to the blog Ann, everyone , even people in the Midwest who usually don’t have harsh winters, EVERYONE has had a long harsh winter and people are just getting outside for the first time and loving it. I live near the neighborhood park and softball fields and people are just out in drones! I cant blame them! This past winter was one for the record books. Everyone will be out and busy and then comes Easter travelers and Spring breakers and soon enough people will be hot and come inside and get on the site more as they need to sit and cool down. Life is cyclical !
Hugs from the First State!
Debbie
Ann says
I kinda figured spring fever was in full-swing, Debb. Probably why the lack of comments (although traffic has doubled this past month – go figure!).
Delaware has loads of tax advantages for businesses, that is for sure! I’m not sure where you can go to help with inflammation, Debb. My MIL originally loved Vegas due to the lack of humidity, then somewhere all the building negated that. It is still pretty low humidity in the summer months, but not in the winter or spring. Good luck with your search… maybe Arizona close enough to some water where your husband can drive to fish?
Ann
Ann says
Houston, Texas, in a century old house in a fabulous location. Love your blog.
Ann says
That sounds wonderful, Ann! I love older homes (hey, east coast up north 100 years is just “older” not old).
Ann
Marie says
Northeast TN in an area called the Tri-Cites (you’ve been here Ann, the part called Johnson City). Born in Cleveland, OH and spent summers there. Moved to Florida at 1 1/2 then Bristol, TN at 3, but I have a Yankee accent I picked up from my mother. I lived in Bristol, VA for a while. (The Bristol TN/VA state line runs straight down the middle of town. The VA side is low sales tax while the TN side is high sales tax but no state income tax or vehicle inspections.) Moved to Kingsport, TN 20 years ago and I love it. We moved here to be closer to my husband’s job while the kids were young enough to not mind being uprooted so much (husband commuted the 30 minutes for a few years). The Ohio relatives eventually migrated to Bristol. The Florida ones stayed in Florida. Speaking of Florida, my husband always wanted to go live in St. Pete but after a while he came to to his senses about hurricanes, bugs, snakes, reptiles….especially the ones who might like to have you for dinner. He does miss southern New Jersey.
Ann says
You live in a beautiful area, Marie. 🙂
Ann
KimH says
I live in an eastern burb of Cleveland Ohio… moved here almost 16 years ago when I fell for a funny guy online in a chat room.. (no dating services back then & even if there were, I wouldnt have been on one.) We “dated” long distance for 2 years then decided to make it permanent, and I’ve been here ever since. It took a little bit of talking to decide who’d move where because I lived down the road a bit from Tami Lemons up there.. in Texas speak, we were neighbors. 😉
The weather actually played a HUGE role in deciding it, though not 100%.. I cant take the heat anymore at all.. after having heat exhaustion & heat stroke several times.. I start having issues when the temps get much higher than 80°… not fun at all.. and with N Tex temps.. I was ready to run away… and so here I am in a heavenly summer place.. Winters dont usually bother me other than the fact that sometimes they seem to last FOREVER..
Ann says
Heat doesn’t do it for me either, Kim. While I am not a huge fan of winter, it is really spring (specifically March, first 2 weeks of April) I don’t like up north. Blech mud, blech uneven temps.
Ann
KimH says
I agree Ann… the Spring up here is seemly never ending… wet wet wet and cold.. hurts my bones..
I would love to be able to be a Snow Bird.. Going down South for the Winter/Spring & coming back North for the summer & Fall.. It’ll happen one of these days.. Not sure how.. but surely it will. 😉
Ann says
I wonder how many people will start snowbirding as more and more jobs become portable online? You don’t have to own something down south to snowbird, many (if not most) people rent for a month or three.
Ann
Patti says
Fun to read where readers live & why.
I am Idaho. Raised in Montana, lived in Spokane, Wa, Omaha, Ne & Boise, ID for last 26 yrs. Hubby’s home state. It is good to be close to his fam. Love them to pieces. My family is all over the west.
HATE the summers. Dry heat, but over 100 for at least a couple of weeks every summer. Last 2 summers have been miserable. My dream ( and working towards it) is winter in Boise. Summer with grandkids & some of my fam in northern Idaho on one of the beautiful lakes. Summers are much cooler in north Idaho. Close to family, especially our daughters & their families is where I am at.
I must admit Ann, I like the sound of your area for summer though. Nice!!
Ann says
One of the best hotels we ever had was in Boise. I wish I could remember what hotel — off the expressway, next to a Mormon Temple (probably doesn’t narrow it down much).
Sounds like you have a GREAT summer plan, Patti! I envy you those grandchildren.
Ann