MAU MAU wrote:Another major factor to consider in retirement is taxes. Research this before committing to a particular state.

Some states are rated as best, while others are rated worst for retired individuals.

Also, property tax and sales tax can vary from county to county. Example for the Boise area. Ada County has a lot lesser property tax than Canyon County.

Don't let the whole blue state/red state thing get you hung up. There are whole counties that run counter to any state.
I've had this discussion with my wife, for now I have to go where the job's are but in the long run the arguments run like this;
"My back and arthritis won't take cold weather"....x out anywhere that snows.
"I don't like hurricanes or tornadoes".......x out anywhere from El Paso to Chicago and the entire gulf coast.
(so far I have eliminated the entire east coast and anywhere north of a Redding to Albuquerque line.)
"I need to be near good medical care". ......x out any town more than 20 miles from a hospital.
"My mom is getting old".....x out anywhere south of Los Angeles, north of San Fransisco or east of Fresno.
"I don't like Fresno"........you get the idea.

I did just fly over the area south of Grand Junction, some very pretty country around there. That area of Nevada south of Reno up against the Sierra's is a hidden gem too. Oregon away from the coast is a lot drier than you would think. At least from June to September. Pretty too. Cool/cold winters though.
Basically the whole country is a trade off between affordability and weather.
Don't let them fool you, there are no trees in North Dakota.

I dunno Kenny, after living in the mighty metropolis of Fallon (or Fallobama as the locals call it, not to be confused with Ferntucky) the vast desert wastelands of Dayton might be too bleak for you guys. Nothing but flat sand, sagebrush, and rattlesnakes.

Here's the view from the back patio last night.



Gump

As glider trash I'm completely biased, but Minden/Gardnerville NV is where a lot of aerospace people from down here in SoCal have gone (yes mostly other glider people). There are more or less 4 seasons, it's really pretty with a mix of high desert and real mountains, the view from anywhere in the town is spectacular, you've got close access to a big city half an hour away, near major transportation, and you're close to any outdoor activity you could ever want. It gets cold and snowy in winter, but not extreme compared to places further north. It gets hot and dry in summer, but not as bad as places further south. Better tax situation than many places, I understand. The difference between Minden and other western NV desert towns is that the runoff from Tahoe and high mountains nearby makes the valley fairly green, cow pastures, streams running through town, grass areas. Not all just sagebrush and rattlers. And a neat old WW2 vintage airport.

Further south, there is Tehachapi, CA, which is famous for being "The Land of 4 Seasons". A very pretty little town in the mountains, 4200 MSL, with two airports. Close enough to Bakersfield if you need any city stuff, but not sleazy and gang-infested like BFL.

I have a friend at my home 'drome who swears by Grants Pass OR. The guy cannot stop talking about how nice it is, not all wet and gray, and friendly people. I've never been there but I'm sure lots of BCP people can verify or un-verify this.

I'm in Albuquerque and loving it. New Mexico has an incredible mixture of beautiful terrain and there's probably only a handful of days during the year that you can't (probably won't want to) fly. A great closely knit flying community. I keep thinking I want to move (Colorado) to be closer to family but it would be very difficult to leave here.

Arnold

Magnet wrote:I'm in Albuquerque and loving it. New Mexico has an incredible mixture of beautiful terrain and there's probably only a handful of days during the year that you can't (probably won't want to) fly. A great closely knit flying community. I keep thinking I want to move (Colorado) to be closer to family but it would be very difficult to leave here.

Arnold

What about tornados?

NIL There is an airpark "Sunrise Skypark" just south of Boise. There is quite an active pilot base. Here is a link to what is available ] which shows a large lot with a hanger that seems to be priced nicely. It is close to a lot of the back country strips. I have been told that Boise has great medical care and that the weather is not bad in the winter. Good luck on your search for a retirement location. I have a lot here but my wife decided that she does not want to live that far from grandchildren, which we did not have when we purchased the lot. Life does change and sometimes you just can not plan well enough. One nice thing is there is a lot of places that I could live in and be happy. And if you can not tell I am not computer literate. Dan Boston

http://www.sunriseskypark.com/lots.htm

dboston wrote:NIL There is an airpark "Sunrise Skypark" just south of Boise. There is quite an active pilot base. Here is a link to what is available ] which shows a large lot with a hanger that seems to be priced nicely. It is close to a lot of the back country strips. I have been told that Boise has great medical care and that the weather is not bad in the winter. Good luck on your search for a retirement location. I have a lot here but my wife decided that she does not want to live that far from grandchildren, which we did not have when we purchased the lot. Life does change and sometimes you just can not plan well enough. One nice thing is there is a lot of places that I could live in and be happy. And if you can not tell I am not computer literate. Dan Boston

http://www.sunriseskypark.com/lots.htm

Sunrise is pretty awesome! Especially if you enjoy fishing and boating (air park is right along the Snake River. In fact, I believe all of the lots on the east side of the strip is waterfront property). And the Owyhees are right across the highway for you hunters, ATVers, offroaders and hikers. Pretty much a perfect location if your an outdoorsman.

Wow... Farias became an airpark ! Cool ! Having Barron Hilton as a neighbor over the next hill is pretty dang cool.

Barron Hilton ain't real keen on having the likes of us, the hired help, using any of HIS stuff. The airstrips, or the 30,000 acres of leased BLM land he controls.

But, Smith Valley is beautiful, and there's a few other private strips that have cool owners. Not to mention tons of off-airport places to play.

We looked hard at Smith before buying in Dayton. Problem, with retirement age now here, is that it's an hour drive to medical and any kind of stores and such. Not a prob at 30, but pain in the ass at 60.

Gump

GumpAir wrote:Barron Hilton ain't real keen on having the likes of us, the hired help, using any of HIS stuff. The airstrips, or the 30,000 acres of leased BLM land he controls.

Awwww just mention my name and he'll... wait a minute... that was 25+ years ago, everyone we knew in common is dead, and now I'm the hired help... never mind

Isn't there also a residential airpark out at Lahontan Reservoir, or whatever they call it now... Silver Springs? Five of us almost had a cluster-f**k mid-air over that place one fine day.

Refresh my feeble mind....Some that leases BLM land has sole use of it? Can Hilton actually keep people off the land and from using it?
I could have sworn when I was living in AZ. that BLM land was still useable to everyone you just had to make sure the gates were closed when you entered/exited so the cattle wouldn't get out.

WWhunter wrote:Refresh my feeble mind....Some that leases BLM land has sole use of it? Can Hilton actually keep people off the land and from using it?
I could have sworn when I was living in AZ. that BLM land was still useable to everyone you just had to make sure the gates were closed when you entered/exited so the cattle wouldn't get out.

http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Priv ... 540976.php

And...

Terms and conditions.
(a) In all land use authorizations the United States reserves the right to use the public lands or to authorize the use of the public lands by the general public in any way compatible or consistent with the authorized land use and such reservations shall be included as a part of all land use authorizations. Authorized representatives of the Department of the Interior, other Federal agencies and State and local law enforcement personnel shall at all times have the right to enter the premises on official business. Holders shall not close or otherwise obstruct the use of roads or trails commonly in public use.
(b) Each land use authorization shall contain terms and conditions which shall:
(1) Carry out the purposes of applicable law and regulations issued thereunder;
(2) Minimize damage to scenic, cultural and aesthetic values, fish and wildlife habitat and otherwise protect the environment;
(3) Require compliance with air and water quality standards established pursuant to applicable Federal or State law; and
(4) Require compliance with State standards for public health and safety, environmental protection, siting, construction, operation and maintenance of, or for, such use if those standards are more stringent than applicable Federal standards.
(c) Land use authorizations shall also contain such other terms and conditions as the authorized officer considers necessary to:
(1) Protect Federal property and economic interests;
(2) Manage efficiently the public lands which are subject to the use or adjacent to or occupied by such use;
(3) Protect lives and property;
(4) Protect the interests of individuals living in the general area of the use who rely on the fish, wildlife and other biotic resources of the area for subsistence purposes;
(5) Require the use to be located in an area which shall cause least damage to the environment, taking into consideration feasibility and other relevant factors; and
(6) Otherwise protect the public interest.
(d) A holder shall be required to secure authorization under applicable law to pay in advance the fair market value, as determined by the authorized officer, of any mineral, vegetative materials (including timber) to be cut, removed, used or destroyed on public lands.
(e) A holder shall not use the public lands for any purposes other than those specified in the land use authorization without the approval of the authorized officer.

It was a couple guys from here on BCP who landed at Nine Mile last year if memory serves correct. Stopped on a remote dirt strip to wait out weather. Didn't take long for a patrol to find them, and tell them that it was OK for the reason they were there, but politely said, "Don't do it again, you're not welcome here."

I lived in Hawthorne for seven years when I left Kotz, just over the hill from Flying M. I got to know a lot of the ranch folk, and was able to four-wheel most of the property, except near the main ranch itself. Beautiful area, and even off Flying M property itself, there are hundreds of miles of USFS roads and trails to ride and explore. I spent two days out there last week riding up into the backside of Bodie, Aurora and Masonic.

Magical country....





Gump

8GCBC wrote:

Magnet wrote:I'm in Albuquerque and loving it. New Mexico has an incredible mixture of beautiful terrain and there's probably only a handful of days during the year that you can't (probably won't want to) fly. A great closely knit flying community. I keep thinking I want to move (Colorado) to be closer to family but it would be very difficult to leave here.

Arnold

What about tornados?

Has been some tornadoes on the east side of the state (very few), but none here.

EZFlap wrote:Isn't there also a residential airpark out at Lahontan Reservoir, or whatever they call it now... Silver Springs? Five of us almost had a cluster-f**k mid-air over that place one fine day.

Silver Springs is a great airport, but not a residential airpark. Problem is, the Silver Springs area is the meth capital of Northern Nevada. The place is infested with tweakers living in broke down double wides. And every now and then one of them blows up.

Gump

Central/northern Idaho. Places like McCall, Stanley, Couer d' Alene, etc... Are great. Couer d'alene Idaho is at the top of the list.