Where do you call home?

[2gypsies]

You don't have to have the Texas inspection unless you're physically in Texas then you have three days to obtain the inspection.

[Kirk W]

Like you, I think, I am looking to relocate to a new home (domicile) in 2015 or 16........ 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.

 

 

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.

Are you a fulltimer who is just looking for a place to use as domicile, or do you plan to physically move from CO to the new chosen state? If you plan to actually move physically, I suspect that WY might be a good choice for you, since it isn't that far from where you now are and if you choose the right part the weather will be similar to what you are used to now. WY has no state income tax, which would also be true for TX. We moved from WY to TX but it was before I was retired so the health care issues were not applicable as yours are. Since you seem to be thinking of a summer home, I doubt that TX is a suitable choice unless you want to RV fulltime or stay home winters and travel in summer.

 

Most states have very similar health coverages available through the Medicare site so I suggest that you may want to explore through it, but just get the zip code for the area you are considering and then walk through the process as though you were selecting the new location to get coverage. It is really pretty easy to see exactly what is available in each location and what it costs.

 

One of the reasons that there many states which you rarely see discussed as states of domicile for RV fulltimers is that very few will accept a mail service as your permanent home address for getting a driver's license, vehicle registration, and assorted other needs. Since most fulltimers don't have any physical address, anywhere that can be a problem. I think that you might find it helpful to take the time to read this article about domiciles which was printed in Escapees Magazine.

[Bill w/bus]

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!

 

think carefully before committing to Maine as a residence. Taxes are high. There is an excise tax of all vehicles and boats. Vehicles decay, after 7 years, to $4/$1000 based on vehicle MSRP. So $200,000 motorhome new retail price would be $800/year in tax plus plate at $100+ depending on weight. Plus income tax. And there is tail of why we are Florida residents.

 

Bill

[Wheeldog]

We live in a S&B in Alaska and snowbird in AZ. We keep a 5th wheel in a park and fly back and forth......costs too much to drive. We are not retired yet, but don't see ourselves leaving Alaska in the summer.

 

Spent a winter wandering around the SW till we found a place we like.

[Wheeldog]

 

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.

 

I don't know much about sailing, but had a friend get killed by pirates a few years ago.

http://danieldrydenincidentdetails.blogspot.com/

[b-mused]

Thanks for replies. I stated in first sentence of my first post that Intend to relocate in 2015 or 16. Reason is because I have several real estate properties to sell and a huge collection of "stuff" to dispose of. Yes, I pack-ratted too much because of hobby and rental property repair materials, but I see from SKP postings others have faced the same issues. I have "snow-birded" (mostly to AZ) off and on for over 10 years. I intend to relocate, or I may expatriot - both are away from my current "domicile" as soon as I can.

 

I have read and re-read the domicile articles in SKP magazine and the 'REAL TEXAN" booklet. From my real estate and tax law experience the key word is intent. Again, I intend to relocate as soon as I can divest myself of current property and issues (in 2015 or 16, as stated previously). I further intend to have a home base - either in summer, like WY, or winter, like TX or AZ, and RV or even buy a "vacation?" residence? in the other location. I believe that's called following the good weather which most SKPs practice. That is exactly what I want to do. If one of them is Texas I am interested only in the "hill country", with possible RV? trips to Padre Island for times when the hill country gets cold.

 

I do understand from closely examining the SKP magazine that there is new Texas law requiring vehicle inspection before license plates will be issued or renewed. If so that is the straw that breaks the camel's back for me as I have several vehicles and already know there is a $90.00 fee for each first-time vehicle registration in Texas, plus the inspection and license fees. None of the SKPs want to disclose the $90.00 fee on the forums.

 

Since my earlier post I have reviewed the Medicare rules and re-affirmed my desire and probable necessity to keep my Medicare C coverage as opposed to the Medigap route. Some of the politically-motivated and Medicare-unknowledgable postings I have seen about this issue are flat out wrong!

 

I also recently received information about an RV group who apparently call themselves Rubber Tramps where-in I found a statement that mail-forwarding is available in many places in nearly all states. Exact locations/addresses of such was a question I specifically asked in my previous post.

 

Comment to Wheeldog: Having spent a few nites on the "red-eye" (the easiest way) back and forth to Alaska, I understand your travel plan. I'll bet, for a specific reason that you and I know about, your "domicile" is Alaska. I considered AK domicile (once you've been there, you never - - - - -) but ended up telling myself the distance between AK and ?? would be too great.

[Barbaraok]

 

 

I do understand from closely examining the SKP magazine that there is new Texas law requiring vehicle inspection before license plates will be issued or renewed. If so that is the straw that breaks the camel's back for me as I have several vehicles and already know there is a $90.00 fee for each first-time vehicle registration in Texas, plus the inspection and license fees. None of the SKPs want to disclose the $90.00 fee on the forums.

 

That problem has already been worked out - you will just self-certifiy that you are out of the state and will get the inspection done within 3 days of returning to the state. We have friends who have not been in Texas since 2009. Also, as far as I know, most everyone mentions the $90 fee if you have had the vehicle (RV/truck/car) registered in another state. If your other vehicles are garaged elsewhere, they don't have to be registered in Texas but can be registered where they are garaged. Lots of people do that with vehicles in snowbird areas - leave a car, registered in that state, at their snowbird place and fly in each year and use it while in the state.

 

I am sorry that you feel that those of us with a lot of years on the road using Medicare are wrong. But that doesn't mean that we are wrong. For most RVers, traditional Medicare with a supplemental is the way to go to get the most flexibility while traveling. I would venture to say that we may have more experience than you think and that you will find that those of us with opposite political ideas have found out what works.

 

It isn't that mail forwarding isn't available in all states - I think that there are UPS Mailbox stores everywhere. It is whether or not that address is recognized as a valid address for dl, vehicle registration, voting, etc. Mail forwarding companies that specialize in servicing RVers have gone to lengths to make sure their clients retain that right.

 

Barb

[skp51443]

 

It isn't that mail forwarding isn't available in all states - I think that there are UPS Mailbox stores everywhere. It is whether or not that address is recognized as a valid address for dl, vehicle registration, voting, etc. Mail forwarding companies that specialize in servicing RVers have gone to lengths to make sure their clients retain that right.

 

Barb

 

Don't forget banking and investment services, I keep seeing folks having issues with these when folks try to use something not designed for RVers as a domicile address. It is not fun to have your brokerage threaten to send you a check for your account balance because you haven't given them an address they are happy with!