ERE City (US)

All the different ways of solving the shelter problem. To be static or mobile? Roots, legs, or wheels?
Hoplite
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:03 am

Post by Hoplite »

@Jacob,

Nothing like a good nuke to improve the neighborhood :)
Yes, prices increase towards the southern border because of the MA commuters escaping taxes and other obligations. Otherwise, prices drop the further north, until you reach the ski destinations like N. Conway. Still, you pay for proximity to the larger cities to the south, including Boston and Logan Int'l Airport.
As far as I know, for individuals, only interest and dividends are taxed (and decedents' estates), not capital gains and not, to KevinW's point, retirement distributions.
And be calmed on the beer front; wine and beer are still freely available outside of the liquor stores; only the hard stuff is under the state monopoly.


JohnnyH
Posts: 2005
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:00 pm
Location: Rockies

Post by JohnnyH »

I thought capital gains were taxed as income? So, no state income tax = no capital gains tax?...
Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas = no state income tax
New Hampshire, Florida, Tennessee = no state income tax, but caveats (dividend/interest taxes).
... I'm thinking Wyoming is the place for me. Land and property taxes are not low, and winters cold. Would like Washington, but I don't like the politics and property taxes are very high. Would be nice to live coastal simply for the easy climate.


KevinW
Posts: 959
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 4:45 am

Post by KevinW »

Thanks. So you could avoid the 5% tax by holding everything in IRAs, subject to all the usual stipulations.


jacob
Site Admin
Posts: 15908
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
Contact:

Post by jacob »

Free State Wyoming has focused on Crook, Weston, and Hot Springs counties.
One argument against Wyoming is the absence of high tech employment(?) in bigger cities for those who are pre-FI.


Hoplite
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:03 am

Post by Hoplite »

Jacob,

Snow is a problem in all NH cities and towns but on the plus side, they deal with it better than anywhere I've seen. Even the asphalt is an arctic blend to resist the usual potholes (though there are signs warning of "frost heaves").
Southern cities like Nashua and Salem certainly get snow, but I found that it's the sudden changes that occur in the north that are worse than the amounts; sudden drastic changes. I was driving through the mountains to visit friends in Laconia, and got caught in a sudden blizzard in early fall (it came out of nowhere and I think it fell in inches per minute). Waited for one of the arctic snow plows to go by and followed it into town with no problem.
Odd fact; until fairly recently, the top recorded land wind speed was at the top of Mt. Washington in NH; the measuring device broke at 212 mph. That type of situation happens very suddenly and it's not uncommon for hikers to be sweating in a t-shirt and an hour later be slogging through blizzard conditions.


jacob
Site Admin
Posts: 15908
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
Contact:

Post by jacob »

In favor of "small cities". A population of 10k is walkable. Once populations start hitting 100k, distances begin to approach an hour. 1M and it likely has a diameter of 10 miles.
The argument against is that small cities don't have the transportation infrastructure for obvious reason (they don't need it). Also, they don't have as many 'services', 'shops' (<- not that we use these anyways), ...


Hoplite
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:03 am

Post by Hoplite »

KevinW,

Yes, as far as I know it's a way to accrue interest and dividends and withdraw them without NH state tax. This is an important point for another reason; it seems to me that there is too much anxiety about accessing retirement accounts early. It's hard enough getting an adequate amout of money under the tax umbrella in the first place, and the tax-deferred money should be left for last IMO, even until required minimum withdrawals kick in at 70 1/2 (another point for the Roth; it's the only vehicle I know of that does not carry required minimum distributions).


KevinW
Posts: 959
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2010 4:45 am

Post by KevinW »

@Hoplite

Yeah I'm pro-deferral as well.
It would be nice to be on the East Coast Greenway ( http://www.greenway.org/index.shtml ). It looks like your best bet in NH would be Portsmouth, which also has a train station.


Hoplite
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:03 am

Post by Hoplite »

@KevinW

Portsmouth is also a bit expensive as both a southern town and it's proximity to the water and to Maine beaches as well. I like the Greenway; I didn't know it had progressed that far. Maybe gives the AT some competition?


jacob
Site Admin
Posts: 15908
Joined: Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:38 pm
Location: USA, Zone 5b, Koppen Dfa, Elev. 620ft, Walkscore 77
Contact:

Post by jacob »

Or Seabrook, my new crush :)
"The NH spine route will total 17.2 miles, and we anticipate virtually all of it will use the corridor of the Boston and Maine Railroad from Seabrook to Portsmouth."


Hoplite
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:03 am

Post by Hoplite »

@Jacob,
I have a different defintion of walkable; NYC is walkable, a town of 7,000 with no sidewalks is not walkable. NYC has a leash law; the 7,000 town will not (no one to enforce it anyways), and it won't be pugs chasing you down :) Proximity to things like food markets, post office, etc. depends more on development; many small towns are configured to depend on cars, unlike older cities that pre-date the auto. Car dependence is how the 150 person flyspeck became the 7,000 metropolis in the first place. And though I may not actually shop in shops, it's a lot more exciting to pass by them than to pass by endless low end houses on narrow roads going nowhere, with the occassional strip mall/taco bell for decoration.


Hoplite
Posts: 489
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 1:03 am

Post by Hoplite »

@Jacob,
Crush eh? You've got me thinking. Real estate prices look mixed, as expected in a border town:
http://www.trulia.com/NH/Seabrook/


dragoncar
Posts: 1316
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2010 7:17 pm

Post by dragoncar »

FYI, the back of my envelope shows around $115/mo increased utility bills by living in the northeast (Boston) vs. a mild climate (Los Angeles). This equates to around $35k-$45k in savings (4%-3% swr).


User avatar
jennypenny
Posts: 6851
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm

Post by jennypenny »

Seabrook is lovely. I had family in nearby Hampton. They loved it. But the minute my family retired (in their 50s) they started spending winters in Myrtle Beach, SC because of the winter weather. Harsh winters are expensive (heating costs, resulting home maintenance, need for a 4WD vehicle). Not a deal breaker but something to consider.


Mirwen
Posts: 170
Joined: Thu Jun 30, 2011 8:02 pm

Post by Mirwen »

I think we need a west coast city too. I'd like to propose Vancouver, WA. It right next to Portland, but has a lower cost of living and no income tax. You can commute to Portland and pay no sales taxes on purchases there. It's in a climate where you rarely need much heat or cooling. It's a great place to grow a garden. There are also a lot of green living, alternative lifestyle folks around there to relate to. The area also has a high proportion of bikers and excellent public transportation.
I currently live in Las Vegas, I've only visited Vancouver. I'd consider any west coast city. Although housing in Vegas is ridiculously cheap after the housing collapse (houses in my neighborhood are selling at 20% of what they sold for in 2006), nothing else is good about this city. I can't wait until the golden handcuffs are off and we can move.


akratic
Posts: 681
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 12:18 pm
Location: Boston, MA

Post by akratic »

I like this idea, and I like NH!
My friend who introduced me to ERE did a lot of thinking and research about what area to settle into post retirement and settled on Asheville, NC for its climate, cost of living, proximity to hiking, and general vibe. So Asheville might be another place worth looking into, this friend is usually right.


Chad
Posts: 3844
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 3:10 pm

Post by Chad »

Interesting topic. I would also suggest that college towns be heavily looked at. When I say college town I mean towns that no one would know about if the college wasn't there. Columbus, OH, for Ohio State is not a college town. Eugene, OR or State College, PA are. The college towns would have better public transportation, more and better events, and more energy than similiarly sized cites. Now some of these cities are expensive, but not all of them by any means.
I would think there would have to be a couple places fot weather preference. For instance, there is no way I'm ever living below the Mason-Dixon line. That's for a number of reasons, but one of them is heat. I see no advantage to switching the time I'm inside from winter to summer.
@jennypenny

You don't need a 4WD for the northeast. I have lived in 2 of the top 15 snowiest (is that a word?) cities in the country and easily got by without a 4WD.


rjack
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon May 23, 2011 12:58 pm

Post by rjack »

+1 for college towns
Here are some other criteria I consider important:
1) Local farms for food sources

2) Easy to bicycle

3) Warm climate (no snow)

4) Low taxes

5) Gay friendly (I have a gay son and I want him to visit. Also, I consider Gay friendly a proxy for open-minded/liberal).

6) Good soil for vegetable gardening

7) Affordable housing
I'm not sure I can find a place that meets all these criteria, but I'm considering places like Gainesville, FL, Chapel Hill, NC, Austin TX, and Tucson, AZ.


User avatar
jennypenny
Posts: 6851
Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm

Post by jennypenny »

@Chad--I live in the northeast and I really rely on my old 4wd during the winter. Maybe I just suck at driving in the snow?
@Mirwen--We just returned from a trip to Vancouver. We loved, loved, loved Vancouver for all of the reasons you mentioned. But I remember hearing while we were there that it's the 3rd most expensive city in North America (behind NYC and San Fran if I'm remembering correctly) and has a 22% unemployment rate. I think the lifestyle in Vancouver is perfect for ERE but the economics could be a problem.


S
Posts: 288
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2010 8:02 pm

Post by S »

I like the idea of living in NH, though I haven't been there yet. Pick a place and we'll try it out for a few months at least. I'm in favor of a place with 4 full seasons and naturally fertile growing conditions.


Post Reply