Vernita Patterson
What Is It About Georgia? Maybe The ...
What Is It About Georgia? Maybe The Peaches?
Vernita Patterson
Delaware, ...
Delaware, Will You Be The One?
Vernita Patterson
I'm Retiring and Relocating to California

I’m Retired And Relocating to California

When I was a little girl, I always wanted to visit Hollywood, California that is.  I wanted to be a movie star and live the lavished life. My life has been lavished but not in the way I thought that I wanted as a little girl. I am an educator and think of myself as a movie star. In 2013 I was able to go to Hollywood California and I have gone every year since. Now that I am Retired&Lovinit, the San Diego California is one of the cities that I am thinking about relocating to.

This is the first of the ten places that I will be researching and writing about in my bi-weekly blog series’ “Retiring Soon? Where Will You Relocate?” First I will consider how I want to live, compare the places that will best facilitate my desired lifestyle and then I will choose a place. The place that I choose needs to be near the beach, I don’t have to be on the beach I just want to see it often. The weather needs to be warm most of the year. I need affordable housing, low crime, low taxes and no state tax on my pension. My new city must be near a major airport hub, because I like to travel. Now I know that won’t get all of my must-haves, but I will use this list as the main basis for determining the best place for me.

California is a large state with more than thirty-eight million residents. Yes, California’s cost of living is higher than average in the United States. However, there are several affordable places to live on a retirement income in California. For example, Redding which is in Northern California and Eureka, which is near beaches. But of course I would want to live in San Diego or the Los Angeles area. These areas are among the most expensive places to live, but can be affordable for some retirees.

I fell in love with Coronado, California three years in a row. I would love to relocate there. Coronado Island is a resort city located in San Diego County. The population is over 30,000. Coronado Island is known for its beautiful beaches that sparkle. Crime is lower than the national average. Coronado Island has that small town vibe. There is a Starbucks, but there are also Mom & Pop shops. I found the people to be friendly. Coronado Island has stunning views of the San Diego skyline. The scenery is beautiful and the architecture of the buildings is fantastic! I was definitely sad when it was time to go.

 The weather in Coronado Island is great. The average temperature is 66 degrees. The annual low is 59.2 degrees and the annual high is 72.8 degrees. No snow and the annual amount of rain are 9.49 inches. The air conditioner is needed some parts of the year and a light jacket the other part of the year.Okay, I have just told you about all of the good qualities of Coronado Island and my reasons for moving there.  

 Yes, California cost of living is higher than average in the United States. However, there are affordable places to live on a retirement income in California. For example, Redding and Eureka are two, but neither is where I want to live. So I will not mention them again. The average rent in San Diego County for a two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment is $2400 with many good amenities. I was able to find a 1000 square-foot two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment with a nice size deck for $1620 in San Diego City. No, none of these include gas and electric. If I wanted to buy there are several affordable active adult communities from low $200’s to high $800’s. I don’t think that I would buy if I decided to relocate here.

 The state of California taxes pensions but not tax Social Security. The state of California has the fourth largest tax burden behind New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Coronado sales tax is 8%; this is a combination of state, county and city tax. The state of California sales tax is 6.25%.

The question is, would the love of the small town, beautiful beaches and wonderful top the high cost of living? Oh, I forgot San Diego does not have a major hub airport; I would have to fly into LA then to my destination. Great medical facilities were not on my must-have list it should have been. As you get older you definitely want to be near great medical facilities. San Diego has great medical facilities.

 Leaving the West coast and on to the East coast.  Time to research the next place on my list, Delaware. Check back in two weeks to see what I have to say about relocating to Delaware. 

I'm Retiring and Relocating to California
Vernita Patterson
...

California Here I Come

 

My Significant Other (SO) and I took our annual trip to San Diego, California. I love going to San Diego, California! But I do not like flying for five and a half hours, but that is the quickest way to get there. My SO son moved out there a few years ago. We go every August to visit him.

 

My SO is a Coast Guard veteran and he flies for free. He had to drive to Washington DC from Philadelphia. There he took a flight to Las Vegas. He spent the night in Las Vegas. He then took Greyhound Bus to San Diego. That was his free flight. Sometimes he gets a straight flight, sometimes he doesn’t. For him it is about saving money not too much about convenience. It is about convenience for me.

 I use Expedia.com to book my trips. I recommend booking your hotel and flight together, it is usually cheaper. I booked my flight in February because I only needed a flight. My round trip flight cost $357.39. I flew out of Philadelphia on an American non-stop flight to San Diego. My SO picked me up in a rented car. I flew Jet Blue on my return flight. I flew to Boston, sat there for three hours and then on to Philadelphia. I won’t do that again, trying to save money. My time is worth much more. The flight going was freezing cold. The return flight was much better. But why is my departure gate always at the end of the airport? The gates at my terminal were numbered 1-26, and my gate was 26.

 I prefer to have my car at the airport, that way I do not have to wait for anyone to pick me up. There is a bus that takes you to every terminal and picks you up at every terminal on your return trip. The cost is $11 for every 24 hours. I was gone eight

days, but was charged for 9, because it was past the 24-hour mark when I picked up my car. Costing a total $99, I was not happy with that.

 

We stayed at the Military Lodge on one of the Navy bases.  There is

more than one Lodge on this base. I did not take any pictures on the base. The last time I tried to take pictures on the base a MP got out of his car and came up to me. He said that I could not take pictures, so I do not take pictures on the base!

 

It is now 10:30 AM in California and time for breakfast. We went to Coronado Island. Coronado Island is beautiful with a small town vibe. We ate breakfast at a fifty-style restaurant. There were jute boxes with music from the fifties, the waitresses wore aprons and they made milk shakes the old way.  You could sit at the booths or sit at the counter. They used a cash register from the fifties. The food was delicious. Their coffee is ten cents on Wednesdays with military ID.

We took a road trip to Los Angeles. We stayed two nights at the Los Angeles Air Force Inn in San Pedro. Our room was really a one-bedroom apartment.  It had a queen-sized bed with a walk in closet, a fully equipped kitchen, a separate bathroom, a living room, two televisions with cable, free Wi-Fi and a beautiful breeze.

We ate at the famous San Pedro Fish Market and Restaurant. They catch, clean and cook the fish right there. I had the best Mango Margarita. It was Fleet Week in San Pedro, so there were plenty of sailors and ships to see. We drove to downtown Los Angeles and took in the sights. On the way back to San Pedro we drove through Watts and Compton.

San Diego and Coronado had beautiful weather. I absolutely loved the vibe. The houses looked beautiful on the outside. However, it is expensive to live in San Diego and more expensive in Coronado compared to other places. If your retirement income can handle the expenses of San Diego and/or Coronado, this would be a great place to relocate. The weather is gorgeous and the water views are fantastic. I would love to move here but I prefer to spend my retirement income on other things.

We had a great time! Oh, we did spend time with my SO’s son. We took him out to eat several times. Well, until next year!

California Here I Come!!!
Vernita Patterson
Would You Like To Go To Niagara Falls?
Would You Like To Go To Niagara Falls?

Maybe, I Should Stay In New Jersey

California, Delaware, Florida and Georgia were discussed in the last four posts of the series “Yes, I Will Relocate When I Retire”. Florida has been taken off of the list of ten, making it a list of nine possible places that I will relocate to. The places are listed in alphabetical order. Next on the list is New Jersey.  

 

New Jersey is on the list because New Jersey is where I presently live. I am originally from Brooklyn New York. Brooklyn New York will always be my home, no matter where I live. I was born and lived in Brooklyn New York up until ten years ago when I moved to Gloucester Township in Camden County. Gloucester Township is located in the southern part of New Jersey. I had house built here, which I have since sold and downsized to a two bedroom, one bath apartment in Gloucester Township.

I love living in Gloucester Township New Jersey. Yes, New Jersey real estate taxes are high. The real estate taxes on my $225,000 house were close to $7000. But coming from New York I can see where the taxes are spent here. The school system is very good. If I had stayed in New York I would have paid for private school for my son. The price of private school would have equaled to the price of my real estate taxes. The price of gas here is significantly cheaper than New York. The price of gas went up 14 cents in September. It is illegal to pump your own gas in New Jersey. I like that law. I hated pumping gas.

 Gloucester Township is near major highways, great malls, great restaurants and parks. Gloucester Township is about ten to fifteen minutes from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, about forty-five minutes from Atlantic City, about thirty minutes from No tax state Delaware and about two hours from New York City, depending on who is driving.

 With the exception of the five years that I lived in each of my houses I have moved every two years since I was eighteen. My family and friends call me The Nomad. I have had great reasons for each of my moves. Believe me, I do not enjoy packing up and moving. But I refuse to pay and stay where I am not content. I am getting older and moving is getting harder to do. If I decide to stay in New Jersey I will most likely stay in Gloucester Township.  

Philadelphia International Airport is a major hub. The airport is a twenty-minute drive in light traffic. I can fly straight to other states and countries from there. Amtrak has a major station in Philadelphia. Greyhound has a bus station in Philadelphia and one closer in Mount Laurel, New Jersey.

 New Jersey has four seasons. The weather can get very hot in the summer and very cold and snowy in the winter. It can be very windy here. The wind has knocked electrical power out and knocked trees down.

 New Jersey is one of the wealthiest states in the United States. The cost of living is the eighth highest in the country according to METRIC and well above the national average.  The sales tax is 6%, but there is not tax on clothing and shoes. New Jersey has the highest real estate tax in the country. New Jersey has both an inheritance and an estate tax. New Jersey does not tax Social Security. New Jersey does not tax Military pensions but does tax other types of pensions.

 New Jersey does not seem like a very retirement friendly state. My pension is taxed and real estate taxes are high. Many retired residents who have lived here all of their lives relocate out of New Jersey because they can not afford to live comfortably because of the real estate taxes. Coming from New York ten years ago I do not see that the cost of living is that different. It all depends on what your retirement income is like.

 New Jersey beaches are known to be some of the best in the world. Living in towns like Cape May, Manahawkin and Ocean City would meet one of my must-haves of being near the beach. Depending on where you live in New Jersey the crime rate is low.

 In Gloucester Township there is crime, but not a high rate. There are many farms so that you can get your fruits and vegetables fresh. I am very close to a major hub airport. I am near two major cities Philadelphia and New York City. The weather is not warm year round. I am not very close to the beach. The cost of a two- bedroom apartment averages around $1400 a month.

 I have gotten comfortable here. At this time I am still not sure as to where I will spend my retirement life. Come back in two weeks, I will be looking at North Carolina.

 

What Is It About Georgia? Maybe The Peaches?

 I am so Retired&Lovinit!!! I am ready to relocate. But where? 

Okay, I still am looking at California and Delaware as maybe relocation spots. I deleted Florida from the list because it is too hot, there are reptiles where I don’t want them to be and the hurricanes can cause a lot of damage. Georgia is next but was fourth on the list of possible places for my relocation. Since I have gotten rid of Florida, Georgia is third on the list of nine.

Just a reminder of my must haves;

·      nice weather year round

·      on the beach or a great view of the beach

·      near a major airport hub

·      low cost of living

·      does not tax pensions

·      low crime rate

·      low taxes

·      low retail taxes

·      affordable housing

I know that it will not be easy to find one place that has everything that I am looking for, but I must have most.

Georgia is located in the southeastern region of the United States. The city of Atlanta is the capital of Georgia. Atlanta, Macon, Augusta and Savannah are popular cities in the state of Georgia. Georgia is the last of the original thirteen colonies. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788. Georgia was one of the original seven Confederate states. Georgia known as the Peach State.

Georgia is bordered by Florida on the south, Atlantic Ocean and South Carolina on the east, Alabama to the west and to the north by Tennessee and North Carolina.

The majority of the state climate is mostly a humid and subtropical. Hot and moist summers are the norm. Depending on where you are at in Georgia, the average temperature in December is around 54-63 degrees.  Not all of Georgia has the weather that I want during the winter months. The Atlanta area received snow a few years ago and the city was shut down.

According to Kiplinger.com, Georgia is ranked fifth on the most-tax friendly state behind Alaska, Wyoming, Nevada and Mississippi and immediately ahead of Delaware. And if you have been following this blog series, you know that Delaware is one of my relocation maybe states. Georgia has no state inheritance or estate tax.  Social Security is not taxed. If you are sixty-four or over there is a deduction of $6500 on your retirement income. Income tax is 6.00% and Sales tax is 7.00%. Real estate taxes are very reasonable. But taxes is not the only criteria on my must have list. 

Welcome to historic St. Mary's

I have chosen St. Mary’s as a maybe city in Georgia my maybe state for relocation. St. Mary’s is located in Camden County. St. Mary’s is on the coastal city.  The south of St. Mary’s is bordered by Florida. Jacksonville, Florida is about a thirty-minute drive away from St. Mary’s. The average high temperature in December is 65 degrees, but it has been known to get colder. On December 12, 2016 the temperature was 70 degrees. The closest major airport is Jacksonville International Airport about twenty to thirty minutes away. Jacksonville International Airport is not a major hub. I would have to fly somewhere else to get many places. The cost of living in St. Mary’s is lower than the average cost of living for the United States. I was able to find several three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments between $549 and $1200. Of course I will rent first to make sure that is where I want to be.  There is some information that says the crime rate is low. When and if I decide to visit I will speak with the residents to make sure.

I have visited Marietta, Georgia every June for the last few years. The weather is lovely and I like the vibes. Marietta is not a coastal city so I did not choose it as a maybe relocation spot. I did not choose Atlanta, which is a very popular retirement relocation spot. Atlanta is too busy for me and the cost of living doesn’t meet my criteria. St. Mary’s meets most of my criteria.  However, it is not warm in St.Mary’s all year round and it is not close to a major hub airport.  As of now St. Mary’s is a place that I will visit to see if I would want to move there permanently.

Make sure you come back in two weeks to see what I have to say about New Jersey. New Jersey is on the list because New Jersey has been where I have lived for the last ten years. Sometimes you might want to stay where you are living. Come back in two weeks to see why and/or why not.