TOT- Best Place for Poor Guy?

4t5 · Post by **4t5** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 6:46 pm

Try ALABAMA, Dothan,Kinston area was reasonable when I was there a few years ago, if prices went up they surely have come back down. Dothan was a decent size city with it's own airport, taking smaller commercial aircraft.My brother bought a 3 bedroom home on 3 acres there for $89,000 after this subprime mess I bet there is good value there, OH YEAH TAXES WERE LOW.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:10 pm

Well Ji, FWIW if you end up anywhere near me you can use my 17' superjon anytime you want it.

crawdaddyjim · Post by **crawdaddyjim** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 7:47 pm

Just north of Rimfire, is a little piece of heaven called De Land FL. There are a lot of retirees here abouts and you are close to the river and the ocean and small town life. I bought my house and land about 5 yrs back and paid 90k for a 3/2 with a acre of sand around it. Come on we need more people like you.

Map link:http://maps.google.com/maps?q=deland+fl ... iwloc=addr

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 8:27 pm

Right on Jim, I've been through Deland many times and it is a nice place. Not too far from the St. Johns River too.

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Sat Jun 21, 2008 11:28 pm

Concern about cost of living is good, but don't forget to figure in access to health care.

Where I live in WA , there are some low cost areas, but you better drive to hospital before you have any major problem & wait there for it occur as there are very little & in some areas no medical response available.

Same w/ housing. I've known a few guys whose medical conditions worsened or had a debilitating illness & sold their homes because the house couldn't be made handicapped accessible or it was cost prohibitory to do so.

When we were looking to relocate after I retired, we considered moving to NV or WA. Since I'm retired from the USMC I can use DOD facilities as well as the VA health care system. I found the location of the VA & DOD facilities on maps, then took a compass & drew a 25-30 mile circle around ea. one & started to get info on housing, medical care, etc., in the surrounding areas.

Since you are disabled (as I am), I would really do long & hard advanced planning on relocating.

Post by **Hobie** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 8:22 am

Rusty wrote:Right on Jim, I've been through Deland many times and it is a nice place. Not too far from the St. Johns River too.

Yep, nice area. BIL lives in Green Cove Springs, I like that place, too.

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:10 am

Seems the Gulf coast has the most to offer me, good fishing fresh and saltwater, good hunting, gun friendly, affordable real estate and low cost of living, warm weather for wife. Now to narrow down between Texas, Alabama, and Florida. I guess the thing I'm concerned with is Hurricanes. Is that something I should really be concerned with?

Rimfire McNutjob · Post by **Rimfire McNutjob** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 10:51 am

crawdaddyjim wrote:Just north of Rimfire, is a little piece of heaven called De Land FL. There are a lot of retirees here abouts and you are close to the river and the ocean and small town life. I bought my house and land about 5 yrs back and paid 90k for a 3/2 with a acre of sand around it. Come on we need more people like you.

Plus ... there's AAA Pawn and Gun, home to about 4000 firearms stacked in racks, lined up on the walls, and hanging from the ceiling. I dropped by there last week, nice group of Colt Woodsmans for sale. Also, there's a full wall of older leveractions. I believe I spied a Marlin 1897 with a Hepburn sight mounted on it high up on one of the walls. Rihmfire and Duff L Bagg turned me on to the place.

Deland is also not far from the St. Johns river and only about 30 minutes from the Atlantic ocean and the various beaches as crawdaddyjim notes. I had no idea the real estate pricing was still reasonable up there. I'm closer to Orlando by just a few minutes and things have escalated sharply in my area ... Seminole county. Deland is one county north and is certainly a beautiful area. One of the major contributors to the St. John's river is near Deland right here ...

http://www.floridastateparks.org/bluespring/

I used to flop around in Blue Springs and Wekiwa Springs during summer breaks from high school.

oldmax · Post by **oldmax** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 11:58 am

You guys must have been born in The south, Florida is HOT in the summer.....
I ain't use to it, But 1 BIG PLUS

NO VEHICLE INSPECTIONS !!!!!! That I would miss,

And It's a good thread, I enjoyed all the Suggestions,
Almost makes me want to move, again...

What really killed me was all the pictures on the
Hunting spots Thread,,,, some guys are really lucky...

Good Luck...

66GTO · Post by **66GTO** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 12:23 pm

GANJIRO wrote:Seems the Gulf coast has the most to offer me, good fishing fresh and saltwater, good hunting, gun friendly, affordable real estate and low cost of living, warm weather for wife. Now to narrow down between Texas, Alabama, and Florida. I guess the thing I'm concerned with is Hurricanes. Is that something I should really be concerned with?

I am 60 years old and have lived in Northwest Florida all of my life. I've been through many hurricanes, and survived several direct hits. But until Ivan put three feet of Escambia Bay into my house in 2004, I had never had any real damage. The biggest hassle (other than the recent increase in homeowners insurance rates) is the days after the hurricane. You have no electricity (air conditining

), stores and gas stations are closed, and until the downed trees are removed, many roads are impassible.

But contrary to the news reports, that is not an every year occurrence. Sure, someone will get hit somewhere every year, but it usually isn't where you are. The law of averages eventually catches up with you, plus every time a storm pops up in the Gulf of Mexico you have to be on high alert.

As we say around here, "that's the price of living in paradise." With you sitting on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, you must have to deal with cyclones or the threat of them every summer. That can't be that much different than living on the Gulf Coast.

One other thing. It may not be a consideration if you are living on disability retirement, but Texas and Florida do not have a state income tax. They do have what we think are substantial property tax rates, though not as high as the Northeast and West Coast. Alabama has a modest state income tax, but has low property tax rates. This may be more important to you living on a modest income as the state income tax on your income would be very low as compared to property taxes in Florida which don't take into account your income.

If you are thinking of coastal Alabama (and there isn't a lot of coastline in Alabama), I would suggest looking at Baldwin County. Do some research online for more information-- http://www.city-data.com/city/Bay-Minette-Alabama.html . This is the eastern most coastal county in Alabama, between Mobile, Al. and Pensacola, Fl. Property close to the Gulf is pricey, but the farther inland you go, the cheaper it gets. The northern part of the county is close to Mobile Bay and the river. It is also heavily wooded. I would suggest looking around the town of Bay Minette, which is the county seat. Major hospitals are nearby in Mobile and Pensacola, about 20 to 30 miles away and Bay Minette has a small hospital.

TomD · Post by **TomD** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 1:31 pm

Just as a different way of looking at it, what about a big city somewhere? There are places with cheap housing, city based bowhunting, river fishing, hospitals etc... Pittsburg comes to mind though I suppose it's expensive. I used to travel there a lot when my sister lived there, and it was depressed at the time. I suppose it is cold, though compared to Canada, I travelled there once at Xmas, and it was shirt sleeve weather.

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 2:50 pm

I really wasn't going to bring this up BUT... since it's for Ji I'll go ahead and say it.

People gripe about the hot weather down here. Well, to tell you the truth, it really isn't that hot. I don't mean all that stuff about the humidity and all. I mean if you look at the National Wx reports check out the temps everywhere durring the summer. A lot of days go by in the summer and I'll see hotter temps in northern cities than I do down here.

Now I wouldn't want that to get out so y'all please keep it quiet, but like I said, since it's for Ji I'll let it out this far. Our AVERAGE temp is a lot higher because of what we don't get in the winter. IIRC I had two days last year where I had frost, and I'm trying to give the cold the benefit of the doubt. I know I wear shorts all year round and I think I only broke out the long pants one day to go to work.

Hurricanes are nothing if you're prepared and as long as you don't live in a trailer, mobile home, double wide or whatever you want to call it. You prepare for it lay in a weeks worth of everything and you're pretty much good to go. But then I don't live on the bay either. Shop for a house during the rainy season so you'll know where the problems are.

Post by **Hobie** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:34 pm

A lot of my wife's family came through Bay Minette. They've lived in that part of FL or AL since 1830 or so and done very well! I like the folks down there but then I'm a bit prejudiced. My son lives in Cantonment, FL. He's been through 4 hurricanes, in a trailer!

505stevec · Post by **505stevec** » Sun Jun 22, 2008 7:45 pm

New Mexico!!! We have great weather and great country. The rural areas are still great bargains also.

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 2:40 am

Here in the islands we have a hurricane season from June to November but this is more for awareness reason than actual threat our last hurricane happening in 1992, and before this in 1982. We mostly get the occasional winter SE wind storms, and high winter swells on the north shore, great for surfers.
As far as heat and humidity we have it year around but that's what beaches and streams are for. If I can't have the sea nearby a large lake would be a close second, I do need to get in a natural body of water on a regular basis to survive.

How's the sea temps in the Carolinas, and Georgia, too cold to jump in without a wetsuit in summer?

Triggernosis · Post by **Triggernosis** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:57 am

Depends on what your family situation is, but how 'bout a motor home? Find the cheapest piece of property in the U.S. to use as your "home base" and official "residence" for tax purposes, etc. and live life on the road. 6 months here, 3 months there....heck, just follow the wild game seasons...

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:04 am

Triggernosis wrote:Depends on what your family situation is, but how 'bout a motor home? Find the cheapest piece of property in the U.S. to use as your "home base" and official "residence" for tax purposes, etc. and live life on the road. 6 months here, 3 months there....heck, just follow the wild game seasons...

That would be fine if he owned Exxon... or converted the motorhome to run on U238...

Post by **Hobie** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:19 am

We know a couple of little old ladies who cruise all the time. They don't even have a "home" per se, just a mailing address as mentioned above (FL, I think). Cheaper than a house, meals paid, places to visit, new folks to meet, comfortable digs, and now they have friends among the various crews! Always on the water with stops next to water. Might not fit you but it does point out that things can be very interesting if you're innovative and I know you are that.

Hillbilly · Post by **Hillbilly** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 9:29 am

I moved to the greater OKC area ..but I had a job offer here. A "thin coat of oil" makes the area a little recession retardant. No big water but a lot of lakes and easy travel to much of the Ozarks and West from here.

There is work around OK... housing is cheap to whatever you would care to spend. The military bases have a ton of contract work ...Enid, Lawton Altus or South side of OKC.

If your are disabled and not able to bust hump anymore go back to school and take up someting that lights your fire, Gi. just about every little town here is short school teachers..
Jeff

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:02 am

Hobie wrote:We know a couple of little old ladies who cruise all the time. They don't even have a "home" per se, just a mailing address as mentioned above (FL, I think). Cheaper than a house, meals paid, places to visit, new folks to meet, comfortable digs, and now they have friends among the various crews! Always on the water with stops next to water. Might not fit you but it does point out that things can be very interesting if you're innovative and I know you are that.

RE: Cruises...

I once read a financial article that said that so long as you are phisically able &/or have a personal attendnt it is cheaper, (and a hellovalot more plesant) to skip the retirement home and just live on a cruise ship until you die... and have a "burial at sea" codicil in your will as well.

mklwhite · Post by **mklwhite** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 8:46 pm

Harrison Arkansas is located at 36°14′14″N, 93°6′49″W
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,152 people, 5,259 households, and 3,260 families residing in the city.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,850, and the median income for a family was $34,009.

High crime though:
"The Harrison Police Department has had two officers killed in the line of duty, both by gunfire and both within a year of one another. The first was officer Ed Williams, killed on a disturbance call on May 25, 1934. The second was Chief of Police Burr Robertson, killed while arresting a murder suspect at the railroad station on March 27, 1935."
Well, maybe not so high.

The info is from Wiki. The picture I took myself. Southwest of town looking east-southeast.

Charles · Post by **Charles** » Mon Jun 23, 2008 10:15 pm

Here in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas we have a warm tropical climate and living is as cheap here as you will find in the Country. The culture is about 95% Mexican and Mexican American. If that bothers you, the best go elsewhere.

I will second the idea of taking a look at Costa Rica. I lived in San Jose for a year while attending Language School and it is a wonderful country, that is very Gringo friendly.

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:37 am

Charles wrote:Here in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas we have a warm tropical climate and living is as cheap here as you will find in the Country. The culture is about 95% Mexican and Mexican American. If that bothers you, the best go elsewhere.

I will second the idea of taking a look at Costa Rica. I lived in San Jose for a year while attending Language School and it is a wonderful country, that is very Gringo friendly.

Actually if it was 95% white people, now that would bother me.

Remember I grew up when whites were a minority in the islands before Mainland WASP yuppies discovered us, and made property values skyrocket, and made us locals a minority. When my wife and I lived in Idaho back in '81 my wife and I, and one adopted black kid were the only non whites in town and we could feel the eyes constantly.

Crossed Costa Rica off the list since I can't bring my guns.

Grizzly Adams · Post by **Grizzly Adams** » Tue Jun 24, 2008 6:20 pm

morgan in nm wrote:If you don't mind the heat and drought, New Mexico has many areas that are reasonably priced. Gun friendly laws are still present and there are a few areas that are still old west. I bought a house about 10 years ago in a small town for $2000 that was livable(1500 sq/ft) on 6 lots. Fairly low crime at the time(meth heads started stealing things recently in the area). Taxes cost me $1.28 a year. Sold it a couple of years ago for $4k. There are places where the people never heard of drugs and the crime rate is very low if nonexistent but you have to drive 70 miles to get to a grocery store. It really depends on what your looking for.

+1 on New Mexico. Still a lot of places that fit your list of needs.

.........and then, of course, there is Thailand! $1400 will set you up fine there.

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:36 am

Grizzly Adams wrote: .........and then, of course, there is Thailand! $1400 will set you up fine there.

I think of Thailand as being the "Sodom & Gomorrah" of Asia, best to stay away from before the fire & brimstone starts falling down upon her from heaven.

Any decent sized lakes in NM?

PS. I do love spicy Thai cooking though...

20cows · Post by **20cows** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:29 am

Any decent sized lakes in NM?

Not that I recall.

It sounds like you're looking for an out of the way spot on the southern Atlantic/Gulf Coast. The climate is right, the water is there and if you scout around a little, the economics are right.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:57 am

Ji,
Elephant Butte & Caballo.
I caught a pretty big pike in E.B. when I was 20 or so.

jengel · Post by **jengel** » Wed Jun 25, 2008 10:04 am

Ji, I was going to say that you can live in Kansas. The real estate market in NW is CHEAP for what you get. We bought our 6 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 living room house a few years ago for about $75,000. The catch is that there is not much water here. If we want to go fishing, we have to travel at lease 30 miles to get to water. If you want a bigger lake, you gotta go about 2 hours. Weather here will get to over 100deg in summer and well below 0 in the winter. The wind isn't too bad though. They don't put out high wind warnings until it gets to 45mph or so. I have seen wind gusts off of collapsing thunderstorms and gust fronts approaching 100mph. Over 70-80mph is when things start getting interesting.

KCSO · Post by **KCSO** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:22 pm

RAPID CITY SOUTH DAKOTA!!!!

He's from the islands! He wouldn't last through Fall! Yeah we are gun friendly here and yeah there are good folks and low crime, but this SURE ain't a mild climate. Last nighht here it was 50 degree's and now it is 88 with about 60% humidity and a severe thunderstorm watch. By tomorrow it could be 60 or it could be 95. This winter I watched the weather go from 50 degrees to -10 in just under 24 hours. That ain't the weather for an island boy, you got to be stone tough to live here.

On the other hand 3 out of 4 ain't bad!

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 3:19 pm

KCSO wrote:RAPID CITY SOUTH DAKOTA!!!!

He's from the islands! He wouldn't last through Fall! Yeah we are gun friendly here and yeah there are good folks and low crime, but this SURE ain't a mild climate. Last nighht here it was 50 degree's and now it is 88 with about 60% humidity and a severe thunderstorm watch. By tomorrow it could be 60 or it could be 95. This winter I watched the weather go from 50 degrees to -10 in just under 24 hours. That ain't the weather for an island boy, you got to be stone tough to live here.

On the other hand 3 out of 4 ain't bad!

I "lasted" thru a Idaho winter 20 below zero with 10 feet of snow. I used to walk a block and back thru snow wearing just my rubber slippers, shorts, and a tee shirt while these macho "stone tough" Idahoans wouldn't take a step out the front door without their wool long-johns and goose down jackets on. I'd jump into the COLD Payette River and catch Kokanee Salmon by hand, didn't know I had a shoreline audience, they thought I was Nez Perce. I earned the affectionate moniker "Crazy Hawaiian" by my neighbors and friends. If you read the thread more thoroughly you'd see the "mild climate" need was for my wife.
Don't judge people you don't know.

I could say a Haole from North East Nebraska wouldn't last a day in these islands with the high humidity, high ultra violet rays, mosquitoes by the millions, cockroaches as large as lobsters, and locals with a low tolerance for ignorance and arrogance, but I won't because that would be stereo-typing.

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 4:21 pm

Cockroaches as big as lobsters?
Like I said, New Mexico; you'll fit right in

Marlin .35 · Post by **Marlin .35** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:11 pm

Well, I have already made my choice. Monticello, Arkansas. The housing is more than reasonable, gas at 3.67 a gal, food is cheaper, great fishing and hunting. You can even hunt Elk here. Climate typical southern, but no more hurricanes. I will be there the first part of August. Friend went to check out a place to rent, should be available by the time I get there. The owner said to tell your friend that if he gives me $25.00 he can hunt all he wants on my land. OHHHHHHHH, what a plus. I am starting to pack now. Very excited!! Art

Tristan · Post by **Tristan** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 9:20 pm

Ganjiro,

I've been poking around in eastern Tennessee, and hope to one day move there myself. There seem to be places, near the smaller towns, that might meet your criteria. The living would be rural, and I can't vouch for the availability of employment, but there are large resevoirs, rivers, hills, woods, national forests, all within a relatively small geographical area. The bigger cities and towns are (obviously) more expensive, but the smaller towns seem relatively affordable.

You might want to check it out.

- Tristan

mescalero1 · Post by **mescalero1** » Thu Jun 26, 2008 10:04 pm

Be careful with that area Ji,
a lot of those places are below TVA dams, and they are known for being in various states of disrepair.
Dam infastructure is a MAJOR concern here on the mainland.

tomtex · Post by **tomtex** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:37 pm

You should look at Jacksonville Tx to Lufkin Tx 75901 on Hwy 69 north. This is in Mid East Texas,Good luck.

Rexster · Post by **Rexster** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 4:40 pm

GANJIRO wrote:Seems the Gulf coast has the most to offer me, good fishing fresh and saltwater, good hunting, gun friendly, affordable real estate and low cost of living, warm weather for wife. Now to narrow down between Texas, Alabama, and Florida. I guess the thing I'm concerned with is Hurricanes. Is that something I should really be concerned with?

Hurricanes are always a threat, but I have only had to sit through one really bad one, and as my Dad had overbuilt the house, on high ground, it stood up quite well, with no real damage I can recall. This was Alicia, in 1983, which really slammed the Galveston-Houston area. Power was out for a few weeks, which meant no water from the well, but we could get cleaned up not too far away at my grandparents' place.

The previous really bad storm to hit the same area had been in 1961, just before I was born. That is two bad storms in 22 years, and still waiting after another 25 years for another really bad one. As we know, Katrina and Rita hit three years ago, a bit to the east of us, but even those were far enough apart that my aunt's place, in Crowley, Lousiana, was little affected, with Katrina passing to the east, and Rita to the west. So, the odds are that hurricanes will not be the huge disruptions that some fear, though if one takes a direct hit, it is not good, of course.

The key to being ready for a lot of rain is to buy property on high ground. There have been some local floods, from tropical storms or serious thunderstorm systems, that inundated certain isolated areas, but, despite media hype, caused relatively little grief for the majority.

Like Steve said, come to SE Texas. There is no state income tax, property values outside the big cities are sane, there is water all around, and hog hunting is relatively cheap. Property tax rates can be a bit steep, but that is comparing Texas to places that may have state income tax. Texas real estate prices are lower to start with, and property taxes are based on appraised value. You have a support system of friends here, of course, already in place. There is a little-used canoe in our side yard, and I while I believe my wife would not want to part with it, I bet she will let you borrow it.

To learn a bit about SE Texas wild areas, try googling Big Thicket National Preserve, Houston Canoe Club, and Galveston Bay Foundation. Those three come to mind; many more will probably pop up. I used to paddle quite a bit in the delta region of the Trinity River and parts of the Galveston Bay system. One thing that is rare here is clear water; get used to cream-in-your-coffee water; one local stream is Chocolate Bayou. It gets clearer offshore, or inland.

You mentioned your family's intolerance for cold; SE Texas was very popular with Vietnamese refugees back in the day because the climate was close to Vietnam. Port Arthur and Houston became major population centers for Vietnamese immigrants.

The boating industry is huge here; that may be a place to find employment, at least when the economy picks up. As someone else mentioned, teachers are in high demand in this region; I am not sure of your educational background, but you seem highly articulate, and compose some of the most interesting posts here.

Medical care is better overall in Texas than Lousiana, and the Houston Medical Center, which is not one business entity, but a cluster of facilities, is world-class and world-famous.

This is just off the top of my pre-caffeinated head.

HATCHETTJACK · Post by **HATCHETTJACK** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:51 pm

Marlin .35 wrote:Well, I have already made my choice. Monticello, Arkansas. The housing is more than reasonable, gas at 3.67 a gal, food is cheaper, great fishing and hunting. You can even hunt Elk here. Climate typical southern, but no more hurricanes. I will be there the first part of August. Friend went to check out a place to rent, should be available by the time I get there. The owner said to tell your friend that if he gives me $25.00 he can hunt all he wants on my land. OHHHHHHHH, what a plus. I am starting to pack now. Very excited!! Art

you know about the 9 percent sales tax dont you

HATCHETTJACK · Post by **HATCHETTJACK** » Fri Jun 27, 2008 11:54 pm

Rexster wrote:
GANJIRO wrote:Seems the Gulf coast has the most to offer me, good fishing fresh and saltwater, good hunting, gun friendly, affordable real estate and low cost of living, warm weather for wife. Now to narrow down between Texas, Alabama, and Florida. I guess the thing I'm concerned with is Hurricanes. Is that something I should really be concerned with?
Hurricanes are always a threat, but I have only had to sit through one really bad one, and as my Dad had overbuilt the house, on high ground, it stood up quite well, with no real damage I can recall. This was Alicia, in 1983, which really slammed the Galveston-Houston area. Power was out for a few weeks, which meant no water from the well, but we could get cleaned up not too far away at my grandparents' place.

The previous really bad storm to hit the same area had been in 1961, just before I was born. That is two bad storms in 22 years, and still waiting after another 25 years for another really bad one. As we know, Katrina and Rita hit three years ago, a bit to the east of us, but even those were far enough apart that my aunt's place, in Crowley, Lousiana, was little affected, with Katrina passing to the east, and Rita to the west. So, the odds are that hurricanes will not be the huge disruptions that some fear, though if one takes a direct hit, it is not good, of course.

The key to being ready for a lot of rain is to buy property on high ground. There have been some local floods, from tropical storms or serious thunderstorm systems, that inundated certain isolated areas, but, despite media hype, caused relatively little grief for the majority.

Like Steve said, come to SE Texas. There is no state income tax, property values outside the big cities are sane, there is water all around, and hog hunting is relatively cheap. Property tax rates can be a bit steep, but that is comparing Texas to places that may have state income tax. Texas real estate prices are lower to start with, and property taxes are based on appraised value. You have a support system of friends here, of course, already in place. There is a little-used canoe in our side yard, and I while I believe my wife would not want to part with it, I bet she will let you borrow it.

To learn a bit about SE Texas wild areas, try googling Big Thicket National Preserve, Houston Canoe Club, and Galveston Bay Foundation. Those three come to mind; many more will probably pop up. I used to paddle quite a bit in the delta region of the Trinity River and parts of the Galveston Bay system. One thing that is rare here is clear water; get used to cream-in-your-coffee water; one local stream is Chocolate Bayou. It gets clearer offshore, or inland.

You mentioned your family's intolerance for cold; SE Texas was very popular with Vietnamese refugees back in the day because the climate was close to Vietnam. Port Arthur and Houston became major population centers for Vietnamese immigrants.

The boating industry is huge here; that may be a place to find employment, at least when the economy picks up. As someone else mentioned, teachers are in high demand in this region; I am not sure of your educational background, but you seem highly articulate, and compose some of the most interesting posts here.

Medical care is better overall in Texas than Lousiana, and the Houston Medical Center, which is not one business entity, but a cluster of facilities, is world-class and world-famous.

This is just off the top of my pre-caffeinated head.

texas is alright if you like black widow spiders and brown recluse spiders and killer bees

new mexico is where im retiring to

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