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Buying Retirement PropertyYou've worked all your life. Saved, invested, and watched your nest egg grow. Purchased a home near the coal mine where you worked for 40 years which is now paid off. The home afforded access to good schools for your children, a safe environment for their development, and quick access to grocery stores. Now the home has doubled or tripled in value, but so have the school taxes. However, you notice you have no children in school. The daily trip to the daily grind in the coal mine is only a series of unpleasant memories, and the local grocery store had been replaced by a Super Wal-Mart 12 miles from your nest egg. The safety and security of your neighborhood has been replaced by strangers, who have no memories of the old neighborhood and of a time when you could leave your doors unlocked. Maybe its time to sell out and get out? But where will you go? During the daily coal mine grind, your only thoughts were...Florida. Now retirees in Florida cannot afford property taxes, cannot find insurance without tackling a second mortgage to finance it, and many do not "speak the language". Retirees on fixed incomes are now leaving Florida in droves. Where are they heading? North-but not too far North. South Georgia, Southern Alabama, and South Carolina is quickly becoming a hot spot for retirees. Why? Cheap housing prices and cheap land prices. While land prices are beginning to climb, in 2003 you could still find rural areas where you could purchase a 200 acre tract for $100,000. While these prices have increased ten-fold over the past few years, even $5000 an acre is quite attractive. Imagine 40 acres of Woodland, your own pond, a barn for horses, and a home for $300,000. Also, low school taxes, easy home insurance payments help you keep the property and you know every neighbor within 10 miles. There are disadvantages, however.
While retirees are only now beginning to discover these areas, local government and local businessmen have been slow to recognize the allure of their laid-back lifestyle. Once they begin to develop planned activities and develop facilities that cater to retirees, these areas will begin to prosper. In the mountains of North Georgia, East Tennessee, Western North Carolina retirees are flocking because of fresh air and blue skies. There are still under-developed areas to be found where property prices are affordable and vista views are still reasonable. Of course to a life-long Staten Island resident or Northeasterner prices are a bargain. However, if you are from the Northeast you must learn the lingo and learn to fit in with a good hearted nature. When you first move here you will be classified in one or two ways- a Yankee or a damn Yankee. A Yankee is a Northeasterner who comes for a visit and then returns to the Northeast; a damn Yankee is a northeasterner who comes for a visit and stays. Eventually, when you develop the same laid-back attitude of the locals, you become one of the "boys" or "girls" and they forget whether you fought with Sherman or Lee. One of the first things you must learn is never to say is "In New York we have this". Locals are very proud of where they live, and they will likely tell you "well why don't you just move back there if its so great". Some people never quite make the transition to wide open spaces and low population density These areas offer access to snow skiing, championship golf, boating, trout fishing and numerous planned senior-oriented activities. Texas, also is becoming a retirement haven. While the vision of Texas is typically what we see on the news with thousands of illegal immigrants crossing its borders each day; the reality is much different. For years, thousands of retirement age motor home caravans flocked to Texas campgrounds, where they spent winters in campgrounds specifically constructed for retirees. These retirees are now beginning to buy permanent homes in these areas. |
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Helton Genealogical DNA Project - Hilton Family Tree - http://hiltonfamilytree.com
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