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I defer to the experts who've been there! Mesquite is off the list. We've not been overly impressed with Carson City based on YouTube videos. Looks a bit "plain" and unremarkable
I live in Carson City if you have any questions...and I recently traveled around CDA and ID as well as WY, UT and MT. After traveling in N ID, I liked Bonners Ferry the most.
My husband lived in Las Vegas for a number of years and also Reno and he LOVES Carson City, says it's the nicest city he has ever lived in. Hated LV and says he was lucky to be alive after going to public high school there. Henderson can have some nice retirement communities although I wouldn't want to live in Clark County. Maybe check out Pahrump..it's in Nye County and similar in weather.
I can tell you Carson City has the best city management and the community has great spirit. If you want to be a snowbird, you want to winter outside of Carson in Dayton or Fernley or Fallon...smaller communities with less snow and proximity to Reno and/or Carson City. Northern Nevada has winter and wind, but it's SUNNY alot and it melts pretty fast. If you want a similar environment to CDA as in forest cover, there are some neighborhoods in Carson like that, also the west side of Washoe Valley and Genoa in Douglas County and Mount Rose Highway in Reno. These are more expensive areas. It is beautiful here.
Anyway, best of luck on finding what you are looking for!
Thanks for the input ChrisMT. Based on your suggestions its probably good if I add a bit more context:
*We have both lived in very big cities, especially me (Central downtown of Chicago, Denver, Seattle, San Francisco). In retirement we DON"T want that again to be sure, BUT, we also don't want to overshoot and plunk oursleves down anywhere we would feel isolated or too distant from services, entertainment, restaurants, etc. I've read too many stories of retirees who romanticize the "small town environment" only to grow restless and bored and move away after two years back to a bigger town/city. That would be us. I want smaller (relative to a big city), but not Mayberry. CDA at 51,000+ and being a resort-oriented city would be a good summer-getaway option for 3-4 months. It's neighbor, Sandpoint, might be OK, but I'd need to check out what it offers since it's population is less than one fifth at ~8,000.
*As for the primary residence location (it won't be CDA due to winter), I am focusing on NV or AZ for two main reasons: very favorable tax advantages for seniors, and a contrasting climate to CDA so we can be in a warmer environment when not on "summer sabaticals in CDA." But lets face it, NV is a vast desert wasteland except for the few populated city centers such as LV, Carson City, Reno....ummmm....guess thats it. Not a lot to choose from. And if this is where we will to have our "primary" residence," things like big health systems, intnl. airport, more entertainment options, active senior population all become more important.
*Having said that, I'm well aware the Vegas "persona" can be like "Uncle Eddie" from the National Lampoon Vacation movies (Crass, unsophisticated, white shoes after Labor Day). So we started looking at Carson City as an alternative. The proximity to Tahoe and Reno are great. Big enough population-wise. But...seems like we wouldn't be getting far enough away from winters. A small, occasional dusting or a few inches is no big deal. But if I have to buy a shovel, winter boots, etc., thats a non-starter. If we have to endure winters, we might as well stay in CDA full-time. Since you live in CC, you're objective, realistic input on winters will be very appreciated.
*I like the idea of the contrast of two environments. A primary residence near (not in) a big city (and all the benefits that come with that), intentionally interrupted each summer by an extended, laid-back summer on the big lake, hiking, boating (but not too remote)....it's a balancing act designed to get the best of both environments (while avoiding the unrelenting heat of summer and the snowdrifts of winter). Just as its starts getting too warm in one place, we head to the cool environment, reversing that migration when that summer place skies become gray, and before the snow returns, because now the warm place is going into its cooling phase.
*If it weren't for 70 inches of snow a year, we'd probably be full time in CDA.
Northern Nevada would not be a snowbird place to flee from winter. We have winter, not as much as N ID, but we have winter for sure and it can last from late October thru April and sometime longer although it tends to go in spurts and not be a constant. The difference would be quantity of snow and how fast it melts because it is really sunny here most of the time and also wind. We have wind. Reno has the mildest weather of this area if you want to be near the Sierra's and view them, Sparks has gated HOA senior type of communities and not as much snow. Carson City gets plenty of snow and is windier because we are right below Tahoe and up against the Sierra...you have everything you want in N NV, except no winter From what I can tell, Boise has similar winter weather as Reno, but probably not as much wind.
Henderson has some great senior communities, buying in a gated area would be safer, it's not 'Uncle Eddie' you need to be concerned with. More like high crime in LV, crooked politics/government in Clark County and a boom-bust cycle that can be extreme....but if you want a swimming pool in the backyard that is the place to be plus Lake Mead for boating. Pahrump is in Nye County and not that far from LV, don't know much about it beyond that. St George UT isn't that far from LV, not sure about winters there though...S AZ like the Scottsdale area might be a good option for winter.
I understand the snowbird life, Lake Tahoe has that in spades... many million dollar homes up there are empty in the winter.
Thanks Chris, but a few of your comments seem to contradict themselves a bit, like:
Northern Nevada would not be a snowbird place to flee from winter. We have winter, not as much as N ID, but we have winter for sure and it can last from late October thru April and sometime longer
and...
Carson City gets plenty of snow and is windier because we are right below Tahoe and up against the Sierra...you have everything you want in N NV, except no winter
I'm not comparing NV winters to CDA. CDA quualifies as extreme in my book, so of course Carson City/Reno would be less, but they are probably similar to Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit. I'm comparing it to North Carolina, where we get maybe 3-5 days with just a dusting, and maybe 2-3 times we get a few inches...thats it. No need for a shovel, snow tires, street salt Maybe you're at the driving range a few days later. THAT'S the kind of "winter" I'm comparing N NV to....
as for the rest:
Henderson has some great senior communities (Recently reading that Summerlin is more upscale than Henderson so we're looking checking that out. It's also about 10 min further from the LV strip)
Lake Mead for boating (a definite plus).
St George UT isn't that far from LV, not sure about winters there though (We gave St. George a good long look, but UT taxes both social security and retirement account withdrawals at regular tax rates. Also, LDS residents can be less than welcoming of other faiths, and ST. george is apparently 50-60%+ LDS, so....")
Scottsdale area might be a good option for winter (too hot; wife lived in Scottsdale and would NEVER go back to that heat; lack of green, everything beige or brown, no nearby lakes) Upon scanning the AZ map, I think Sedona is the only place that might qualify, although my tolerance for aging hippie nonsense is low...lol
yes, I'm trying to be tongue-in-cheek aboout the above but still think most of it is true.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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I do the 2+ USA homes for climate reasons.
I prefer a small / desirable vacation town / rural, but <20 min to a College / medical / shopping and <1 hr to a major airport.
We have rural view homes in each location (Important in retirement when you finally have time to stay home and enjoy your view)
Each main homes are rented FT and there is a separate living space + workshops via casita / cabin & RV site for us & visiting friends. They cash flow very nicely (10%+ net) and the travel between them is deductible against active rental income.
Depreciation offsets most income (until sold, then depreciation is recaptured)
Equity gain is ~17% in PNW and 10% in our other areas.
Expect to sell all rental homes by age 70, and if wanting to continue to sunbird, will have condo type space (paid maint), or more likely a LT rental cabin at a friend's farm / ranch, or youth camp (Off Season). By age 80, plan to reduce sunbirding to trips.
We have friends / churches / volunteer positions at each location.
We fly between locations and keep a cheap and versatile car at each (<$1000 Minivan)
Rural properties come with a lot of maint, but very peaceful, tho similar condo could be found (on golf course / greenbelt).
Consider doing this in areas where you can get a direct flight! (each of our investment homes are in income tax free states)
SRabbit - great specifics about how you're managing the snowbird lifestyle. Our plan would be significantly simpler, only two places, no rentals (well, maybe if we get a small condo near a CDA/Sandpoint ski area that we can rent during winter). We're not getting into it to produce revenue - personal benefit only.
<20 min to a College / medical / shopping and <1 hr to a major airport seems to put you pretty close to a city, not rural (depending how yoou define rural)
I assume you're referring to NV and AZ as your tax free states?
Summer location will not have a direct flight -- but within an hur from an airport - likely.
Yea, sorry...when I use my phone to post it can get really sloppy.
N NV gets winters, cold, wind all of those things for around 6 months off and on. This is a real winter season, not a dusting of snow although some areas outside of Reno and the Dayton area would mostly only get a few inches, no guarantees. This is not a place to get away from winter at all. It's just a different kind of winter than CDA. It's sunny (unless we get an 'inversion') and the snow melts within days usually, it's dry cold and rarely goes below 0. This snow is often location specific, Carson City usually gets 6 inches or more of snow several times a winter and sometimes over a foot depending on elevation. My home is in the hills and can get close to 2 feet of snow in a storm system occasionally, but each winter is different. We have snow plows that clear the roads or put down that new pre-saline stuff before a storm, use shovels and snowblowers...although you can get by without a snowblower in town (some winters the snow is never deep enough to use them).
Here is a link to a tool to compare cities, so you can see the difference in climate: Moderator cut: link removed, competitor site
Sometimes the stats are off on that site I have noticed, so check the figures....Reno rarely gets more snow than CC despite what that website says lol...
All of your other wishes are here as far as medical care, shopping, travel and access to outdoor recreation with desert and alpine lakes in the area.
Going to add that S AZ in not much hotter than the Las Vegas area, it's a similar climate. Correct me if I am wrong....
If you draw a line from Reno to Las Vegas to Salt Lake, and assuming the ideal weather lies somewhere therein (maybe
smack dab in the middle of that triangle), the problem is, there's absolutely nothing there. No big cities, no airport, no lakes, no forests, no bigger healthcare, no frickin anything, besides snakes, tarantulas, scorpions, buried bodies, leftover radiation.
There are big / very good forests around Ely and a few small lakes. Thick conifers some places, aspen groves, meadows, many high, mostly bare alpine summits, open range. More diverse than most would think. Few know the area. Town of 4k in a county of 9k. Only for a small town person / willing to think outside the norm.
Elko just outside your lines is a small metro of 50k. Some national box stores. A small college. High income gold mining employees as neighbors and, for some, customers. Gorgeous Ruby Mountains with lakes nearby. And the Jarbridge wilderness to the north. Within reach of lots of other wilderness. Yeah long drives thru high desert / "nothing" to other urban places is a deal breaker for almost everybody but Reno, Vegas or SLC within half day. 2 daily flights to SLC and anywhere from there.
Some winter but not bad compared to where I am at. Unlikely for you. I have considered / still consider Elko and Ely, on and off. Sorta like Idaho past. Elko is kinda like a junior Twin Falls. Ely, a little bigger than Salmon.
Other even more remote spots for the very few. Austin, Eureka, Tonopah and Pioche, or a bit further north Jackpot.
Richfield UT, a moderate distance outside these boundaries, is in a gorgeous valley surrounded by forest, mountains and a good number of big pretty reservoirs and not far from desert / canyons and SLC. A very popular ATV spot. Supermajority LDS community. Cedar City is too but has large, fast growing university and lots of events (including a big Shakespeare Festival).
Bishop CA is another option just outside the boundaries. Or the bigger, fancier Mammoth Lakes area.
I wonder if Springdale UT might be worth considering. It's the gateway to Zion NP. Very busy during the prime summer months, but that's when you'd be in CDA. Some interesting hiking opportunities in and around Zion that would be more enjoyable in the off season. I haven't been thru there in quite a few years, so I don't know if it's changed mich since then.
It's also the mecca for the sport of canyoneering, which is the adventure of descending canyons, usually involving rappelling down waterfalls (sometimes wet, sometimes dry). BTW, my screen name is a mnemonic for Canyon Rat, which I adopted back when my wife and I were very active in that sport.
I can see why St. George would be worth considering, but honestly in our travels thru there it's never stuck me as an attractive place to live. You gain the amenities of a larger town, but trade away too much natural beauty and proximity to the outdoor recreational opportunities up the road near Zion.
Dave
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