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My wife and I are retiring in spring 2016 and, while we're pretty sure about our plans to build a home in southwest MT and winter south in a motorhome, I often find myself thinking about other options for where to have a home. We don't think full time RV living is in our genes, but have done plenty of camper travels during our 30 years of marriage to feel confident in seasonal travel... in fact that part sounds really fun.

 

We're partial to the western states as we love the Rocky Mountains and our families are all in CA (which is absolutely not an option...lived there, done that). We've lived in WA (south of Seattle) for the last 30 years and we no longer want to live in the wet. Eastern WA has popped in/out of our options list... decisions, decisions.

 

I often look at the forums members avatar info and what rigs they have and where they call home... though quite a few do not. I'd be interested in hearing about folks who, like us, contemplated places to retire, where you finally ended up and how you like it (or not).

 

Thanks

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We were completely happy with our S &B in Northern Ohio so did not have to search for a place to call home. We snowbird in the winter and travel as much as we want to.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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We have a "home base" (what Kirk would call a "barndominium") in Moses Lake, WA. Close enough to get to ID, OR, Puget Sound (in summer) and good fishing lakes but no income tax and low real estate taxes (but values as well). Being along I-90 makes access easy even in inclement weather. Very low electricity rates (4-cents per kw/hr at this time). Lots of sun (300 days a year or so) and good fishing, golfing, trail exploration in our Jeep, etc.

 

WDR

1993 Foretravel U225 with Pacbrake and 5.9 Cummins with Banks

1999 Jeep Wrangler, 4" lift and 33" tires

Raspberry Pi Coach Computer

Ham Radio

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The term S&B means "stick & bricks" or a permanent home structure.

 

There is a great deal to consider in this and much of the right choice will depend upon the person making the choice. If you intend to move to a new area the next question is what it is that you seek and will you want the same things when you reach the age that you stop all RV travels and will the place that you pick today for summers be satisfactory when you stop traveling and age overtakes you?

 

At some time in live most of us find that we need to be in somewhat close proximity to one of our children for the last years of life so that could be a consideration. Many of us also find that we prefer to live in a senior community with all of the amenities and activities of such communities and we also eventually need major medical care available. If you are looking for a place to summer now but expect to change that location eventually, then marketability might also be considered.

 

We have not stopped RV travels but we did reach the point of leaving the fulltime lifestyle and now have a home-base once more. We chose a retirement community based upon common interests and it is made up mostly of former fulltimers which was a major attraction to us. Ours is also less than 2 hours travel from one of our sons, yet in a pretty rural community. Our choice of what we wanted and where we wanted it to be have both changed multiple times over our 12 years of living real estate free. We chose TX over the locations of our other two sons because of the minimal winter weather. There was a time when we believed that we would build our retirement home in WY, but that was before our bodies reached our age where cold bothered as much as it does today. We also considered KY and WA where our other two sons live.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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We're from Michigan and other Midwest areas. We full-timed for 16 years and found ourselves loving the west. We could never return to the Midwest. RV winters were spent in Arizona. We recently bought a small townhouse in Arizona and are selling the motorhome. Our plan is to rent something (cabin, park model, etc.) in the Arizona mountains for a couple months during the summer to escape the early season heat. We figure that renting and not having to drive far in the car will offset RV travel for longer distances. We'll return to our home during late monsoon season and are looking forward to experiencing those monsoon storms and cooler temps. We bought in an awesome 55+ unincorporated community with lots and lots of activities and hiking nearby. So far, 23 fellow SKPs whom we RV-wintered with have bought here also so we have an instant helpful and fun group of friends.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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We were fulltime RVers for 12 years. When it came time that we decided to come off the road, we bucked the common practice and bought a house in Spokane where we'd lived before. We really like the area... large enough to have all the shopping we need, small enough not to have the horrendous traffic of larger towns (like Seattle) and excellent medical and hospitalization.

 

We also like western Montana, but Montana has a high personal income tax which would put it on our "no" list.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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We live in southern Alberta in the summer and being that it is next door to Montana I can appreciate what you are saying. Montana is an absolutely gorgeous State and If I were an American it would be on my short list. Aside from what ever taxes are, there are a lot of freedoms in Montana that I dont see in many other states.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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We lived in Florida for over 50 years and when we retired in '06 we sold everything, moved aboard our boat and spent the next seven years wandering the east coast, from the Keys and Bahamas in the winter to Canada, Lake Champlain and the Chesapeake in the summer. Then this year we bought our motorhome and spent the summer in Maine and Nova Scotia. All the while, we kept asking ourselves if we would want to live "here".

 

Well, after eight years we think we have made a decision...Maine...at least for the summer months. So we are going to buy a place in Maine and will run from the snow and satisfy our wanderlust simultaneously by wintering in the south aboard the boat or motorhome (or both).

 

My point is this. Is there any reason to rush out and buy or build a place before you go exploring? You might just find some place that really blows your hair back, a place you want to live. At the very least, if you wander about for a bit first it will validate your decision to live in SW Montana.

 

That's my view from the cheap seats! Good luck!

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Since a main reason Dave wanted to come off the road was to get back to his tightly knit community we are back in Minnesota. And I've been snowbirding as my way of (not) dealing with winter. Yesterday we took my RV to the place that will sell it for me so snowbirding is going to have a new definition--not everyone who snowbirds does it in an RV, you know.

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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We lived in S. CA until 2003 when we moved to Henderson NV. We sold our house there and have been traveling since 2010. Most of our travels have been in the western states and we often ask the question while in an area if we want to live there. Then we start thinking that that will leave us stuck in one place and what would we do with our time. But I digress. So far we plan to settle in Pahrump NV until we find some other place we like better. We would go back to Henderson again, but may not be able to afford it anymore. Our plans would be to head north and rent a place for the summer. As a note, our answer may change by next year or any time after that as we continue to explore.

Full time since August 2010

2002 Itasca Horizon

 

One fur kid - a Shih-Tsu rescue

Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd

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We lived all our lives in Wi. We now snowbird in our RV and like the desert SW. Usually we leave in the fall and return in April. For us it works out well. We don't miss the midwest winters at all and like to say we enjoy the 3 seasons in Wi. Also it seems that we have so many new experiences when we travel. For us we will continue to travel until our health no longer allows it. Good luck, dave.

2006 Coachmen Aurora 36ft. Class A motor home. 2009 Honda CRV toad. "Snowbirds" apprx. 6 mos. each year. Travelling to the SW each winter than returning to Wi. each summer. Retired and enjoying our travels along with Buddy the cat.

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Watch your time and spending while in CA. Make sure you have receipts for 6 months plus out of CA every year.

 

Enjoy your travels; FT 13+ years; the best place to be is where we are at the moment (too many factors to pick one spot).

David & Marilyn

Living Our Dream

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X2 on being careful about California. Be very careful about working or staying at one place over 30 days. the 6 months mentioned above is also something to be aware of.

 

I know, I know, many folks have not had a problem with any of this--But I can tell you if CA decides that you have/are doing something that they can construe as you should be a CA citizen or pay CA taxes you are in for a lot of grief.

 

Dave O

 

 

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Since a main reason Dave wanted to come off the road was to get back to his tightly knit community we are back in Minnesota. And I've been snowbirding as my way of (not) dealing with winter. Yesterday we took my RV to the place that will sell it for me so snowbirding is going to have a new definition--not everyone who snowbirds does it in an RV, you know.

 

Linda Sand

Nice Linda....good for you. So where. Are you goi g to spend your winters now and what sold you on it? I am askng because we are kinda thinking along the same lines.

<p>....JIM and LINDA......2001 American Eagle 40 '.towing a GMC Sierra 1500 4X4 with RZR in the rear. 1999 JEEP Cherokee that we tow as well.

IT IS A CONTENTED MAN WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE SCENERY ALONG A DETOUR.

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We call Polson, MT home. I was born and raised in western MT, then left for an Air Force career after graduating from U of M in Missoula in 1968. We bought 30 hilltop acres near Polson in the late 90s and have developed it (still no house). We love our views of Flathead Lake and the Mission Valley, but we remain fulltimers, heading south in early October. Since our inome is mostly pension (not taxed in MT) our income taxes are reasonable. Our property taxes are about $160/year. Permanent tags on four of our five vehicles. No sales tax. Missoula and Kalispell have excellent medical facilities. It is the western lifestyle that suits us.

 

We are MT residents because its where we want to be not because of any financial considerations.

2005 Safari Simba 37PCT

Fulltimer - resident of Polson, MT

Mostly in CO, MT, NC & KW FL

USAF Retired

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Nice Linda....good for you. So where. Are you going to spend your winters now and what sold you on it? I am askng because we are kinda thinking along the same lines.

I have not picked a place and will probably not settle on just one since I got so spoiled by RVing. This winter I will be going to North Carolina, which is not usually considered a snowbird spot but has a facility that is helping me get healthier so I can better enjoy wherever I am. We will probably go to the Gulf Coast of Texas next as that is a good location to drive from Minnesota. Might fly out to Phoenix since I have family there and that would let us visit with some of our SKP classmates but don't know what we'd do for local transportation if we did that. I'd snowbird on cruise ships if I could afford to do that but Dave no longer likes cruising, either--says they want him to dress up too much. :)

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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We are originally from Michigan and are in our 4th year fulltime. We have not even begun to see all that is out there. We plan to travel for some time to come but will eventually find a place for summer and winter. If we were to buy a property, it would be in the south somewhere with travel north in the summer.

Pat DeJong

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rwp48, on 04 Dec 2014 - 8:21 PM, said:

We lived in Florida for over 50 years and when we retired in '06 we sold everything, moved aboard our boat and spent the next seven years wandering the east coast, from the Keys and Bahamas in the winter to Canada, Lake Champlain and the Chesapeake in the summer. Then this year we bought our motorhome and spent the summer in Maine and Nova Scotia. All the while, we kept asking ourselves if we would want to live "here".

 

Well, after eight years we think we have made a decision...Maine...at least for the summer months. So we are going to buy a place in Maine and will run from the snow and satisfy our wanderlust simultaneously by wintering in the south aboard the boat or motorhome (or both).

 

My point is this. Is there any reason to rush out and buy or build a place before you go exploring? You might just find some place that really blows your hair back, a place you want to live. At the very least, if you wander about for a bit first it will validate your decision to live in SW Montana.

 

That's my view from the cheap seats! Good luck!

 

I've always been kinda fascinated with the idea of living onboard a boat for a while. It's probably a lot like rving in a lot of ways. But I have sometimes wondered how it works if you happen to be on the east coast and decide that you'd like to travel up the west coast, say to Alaska, some spring? I also wondered about how it works when you head towards, say, Bermuda or some of the Caribbean islands as you wouldn't be in US waters anymore. (I'm not sure what would happen if you happened to navigate poorly and end up in Cuban waters. ??) And of course, I have to ask, have you ever been worried about "pirates" or other not so nice people that would do a person harm on the water?

 

Just curious.

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freestoneangler, you mentioned eastern WA as someplace you've looked at. I'm curious whether you've poked around northern ID? My ex FIL lived close to Priest River and we spent some time in that general area. Loved the area around Sandpoint as well. Didn't end up moving there but came close.

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freestoneangler, you mentioned eastern WA as someplace you've looked at. I'm curious whether you've poked around northern ID? My ex FIL lived close to Priest River and we spent some time in that general area. Loved the area around Sandpoint as well. Didn't end up moving there but came close.

 

Northern ID around is indeed nice country, but it simply does not offer the breadth of fishing in the area we have property and plan to build. One factor about where to live is tax burden. After doing some further research, the difference in total tax burden between WA and MT is only 0.8%, and I do not think that takes no sales tax into account. As opposed to the striking difference between #1 (NY) and #50 (WY), a whopping 5.7%, most of the states we're considering throughout the rocky mountain west, are not that big a delta. If I moved to eastern WA to save that tax rate, I'd more than likely spend more than that driving to/from MT to fish :lol: .

 

http://taxfoundation.org/blog/release-annual-state-local-tax-burdens-rankings

 

I'm sure we're not the only ones who have gone through this internal pro/con exercise about retirement plans and where to call home. Another option we've been considering is building in say AZ and sun-birding to MT. Thanks to all who have replied so far... I really find it interesting to hear how folks came to the decisions they did.

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When looking for a place to build, if you intend to continue RV'ing, you should look at the annual registration/licensing cost. In AZ it is very high.

 

In the late 80's we moved from AZ to TX due to work related transfer. Our motorhome went from $1200 in AZ to $120 in TX.

 

Dave O

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  • 2 weeks later...

Like you, I think, I am looking to relocate to a new home (domicile) in 2015 or 16. I am currently fed up with Colorado (high vehicle taxes and regulation, pot-smoking culture and the people? it attracts, the I-25 "parking lot", and socialistic-trending government) I am only interested in Wyoming,Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, in that order. I definitely plan on one place in the summer (the domicile?) and RVing to somewhere else in the winter.

 

Yes, I researched Oregon and Washington and they are not acceptable unless there is some super benefit that I am unaware of. Montana is just a little too far from snowbird country, as is South Dakota (both principally for the domicile, mail forwarding possibilities). Texas now has a vehicle inspection requirement before you can renew your Texas license plates? Nevada and Utah are seldom discussed by RVers, so are unknown.

 

I do want to maintain my Medicare Advantage (Medicare C) coverage. I am unsure about whether I can switch to Medigap coverage at age 72+. There are no family considerations.

 

So can anyone help me with information about Wyoming - medicare insurance, vehicle licensing, taxes, good summer weather, senior friendly location?

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