[Reddog53]

Good evening,

I retired in April 2020 at FRA of 66. My husband will be able to retire at FRA in 2 years. We have talked about moving to Florida from our current home in Tehachapi, CA. We love Tehachapi for the peaceful atmosphere and four seasons, but are tired of the taxes and crazy rules in CA. My daughters and families live in Fl, one in Indialantic and one in West Melborne, and my son and family in CA.

We have talked about moving for FL for two years and now my husband is balking due to risk of hurricanes, humidity, and close neighbors. We live on 1.4 acres and do not have neighbors. I would like to be close to my kids and grandkids and start pulling out of my 401k in a state with no state taxes.

So a little more history. Husband is 64 and still has a couple more years in the aerospace industry. I retired at 66 after 23 years in the aerospace industry. All 3 kids are in the aerospace industry and the 2 daughters moved for a nice promotion in their career fields. My son is in Palmdale with the same aerospace company. They have 2 college-age boys and a 6 year old daughter. My DIL's mother is a germaphobe, helicopter mom and we were not ever allowed to babysit any of the grands. We keep to birthdays, recitals, and some holidays. On the other hand, I am very close to my daughters. Helped with oldest granddaughter while my daughter got her Masters. Youngest daughter is newly-married and very career minded. I doubt that they will have children. So no overreaching with any of my kids/grands.

I am surprised that so many of you are familiar with Tehachapi, CA. It really is "on the edge of Paradise" as the sign coming into town says. Another consideration are the differences in my husband and my personality. He is more on the quiet side, like to bike and fish. Would definitely want a boat if we moved to FL. I am in the middle of intro/extrovert. When in FL, my oldest daughter and I love to go shelling. Walking and jogging on the causeway, some shopping with my youngest daughter is fun. We all miss holidays and birthdays together and the girls routinely text "Miss you. Wish you were here".

Perhaps splitting time in both CA and FL would work best. We have 2 Papillons that require a schedule and daily exercise. My husband loves them, but does pay as much attention as is needed to ensure that they are taken care of properly. We just scheduled 2 weeks in FL at Christmas, so during that time we will talk with a realtor. Bottom-line, even with a packed motorhome ready to leave in case of a hurricane evacuation, do we really want to be concerned every year when hurricane season comes around? Too old to worry about rebuilding at our ages.

This has become quite a bone of contention. Your thoughts on resolving a conflict in retirement plans and on retiring in FL are very much appreciated.

Best,

Reddog53

[Racer46]

Originally Posted by Reddog53

Good evening,

I retired in April 2020 at FRA of 66. My husband will be able to retire at FRA in 2 years. We have talked about moving to Florida from our current home in Tehachapi, CA. We love Tehachapi for the peaceful atmosphere and four seasons, but are tired of the taxes and crazy rules in CA. My daughters and families live in Fl, one in Indialantic and one in West Melborne, and my son and family in CA.

We have talked about moving for FL for two years and now my husband is balking due to risk of hurricanes, humidity, and close neighbors. We live on 1.4 acres and do not have neighbors. I would like to be close to my kids and grandkids and start pulling out of my 401k in a state with no state taxes.

So a little more history. Husband is 64 and still has a couple more years in the aerospace industry. I retired at 66 after 23 years in the aerospace industry. All 3 kids are in the aerospace industry and the 2 daughters moved for a nice promotion in their career fields. My son is in Palmdale with the same aerospace company. They have 2 college-age boys and a 6 year old daughter. My DIL's mother is a germaphobe, helicopter mom and we were not ever allowed to babysit any of the grands. We keep to birthdays, recitals, and some holidays. On the other hand, I am very close to my daughters. Helped with oldest granddaughter while my daughter got her Masters. Youngest daughter is newly-married and very career minded. I doubt that they will have children. So no overreaching with any of my kids/grands.

I am surprised that so many of you are familiar with Tehachapi, CA. It really is "on the edge of Paradise" as the sign coming into town says. Another consideration are the differences in my husband and my personality. He is more on the quiet side, like to bike and fish. Would definitely want a boat if we moved to FL. I am in the middle of intro/extrovert. When in FL, my oldest daughter and I love to go shelling. Walking and jogging on the causeway, some shopping with my youngest daughter is fun. We all miss holidays and birthdays together and the girls routinely text "Miss you. Wish you were here".

Perhaps splitting time in both CA and FL would work best. We have 2 Papillons that require a schedule and daily exercise. My husband loves them, but does pay as much attention as is needed to ensure that they are taken care of properly. We just scheduled 2 weeks in FL at Christmas, so during that time we will talk with a realtor. Bottom-line, even with a packed motorhome ready to leave in case of a hurricane evacuation, do we really want to be concerned every year when hurricane season comes around? Too old to worry about rebuilding at our ages.

This has become quite a bone of contention. Your thoughts on resolving a conflict in retirement plans and on retiring in FL are very much appreciated.

Best,

Reddog53

I am familiar with Tehachapi. Nice area, but CA has a lot of problems with the Cost of Living.


While a Hurricane can be deadly, they are actually pretty rare. In addition the East Coast above Melbourne rarely gets one and if a new house the building standards are great. You get plenty of warning and they are not a major issue. Just check this year, that was supposed to be bad and ... no hurricanes hitting FL yet. The East coast and inland to near the middle also has virtually no sink hole problems which you will hear about. Again sink holes are everywhere including in CA. No Income tax and while the property tax is higher, the cost for a home is much lower and FL has a tax arrangement like Prop 13.


Over all worst thing is no mountains and humidity. Humidity can be dealt with by most people. The older you get the better it is for you and ... far better air quality than anywhere in CA.

[BNBR]

Why did you start a new thread for the same question?

[beach43ofus]

Rent in Florida a LOT before you decide to move here and buy anything. It's a lot different than California, in many ways.

I would not buy anything here until you have spent at least 12 months here, maybe split into 2 or 3 different stays at different times of the year.

Summer is brutally hot and humid in Florida, and coming from CA, I think it would make you miserable.

Hurricane's...some people stress out every time a tropical storm forms in the Gulf of Mexico, and others discount it almost totally (my Dad for instance). It's about how you emotionally process risk. California has wild fires, and Earthquakes.

[WRnative]

A major hurricane striking a Florida population center might cause a negative financial cascade impacting all of Florida.

https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2019/...mpacts-worsen/

One of Florida's top sea level rise experts warns of the onslaught of ocean sea level rise, but such warnings largely fall on the deaf ears of the several outspoken and IMO disingenuous climate change deniers in this forum. Be very conscious of the elevation of any property that you purchase in Florida.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion...620-story.html

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...elizabeth-rush

Atmospheric warming also is an issue in Florida, especially as the Gulf Stream slows in the years ahead.

https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2019/...-temperatures/

[BNBR]

Originally Posted by WRnative

A major hurricane striking a Florida population center might cause a negative financial cascade impacting all of Florida.

https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2019/...mpacts-worsen/

One of Florida's top sea level rise experts warns of the onslaught of ocean sea level rise, but such warnings largely fall on the deaf ears of the several outspoken and IMO disingenuous climate change deniers in this forum. Be very conscious of the elevation of any property that you purchase in Florida.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion...620-story.html

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...elizabeth-rush

Atmospheric warming also is an issue in Florida, especially as the Gulf Stream slows in the years ahead.

https://www.theinvadingsea.com/2019/...-temperatures/

Lol.

[Corrie22]

Originally Posted by WRnative

One of Florida's top sea level rise experts warns of the onslaught of ocean sea level rise, but such warnings largely fall on the deaf ears of the several outspoken and IMO disingenuous climate change deniers in this forum.

...you mean like people that actually live here.....

Florida was supposed to be under water 50 years ago...what happened?

The rate of sea level rise in Florida is 0.81 feet per century......0.81 feet in 100 years...less than 1 inch a decade/10 years

...the rate has not changed in over 120 years.....it has been exactly the same

Climate change/global warming has had no effect on sea level rise in the state of Florida....zero

Florida sea level history +120 years > https://tamino.files.wordpress.com/2.../flannual.jpeg

Relative sea level trend +100 years > https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sl..._meantrend.png

[Fredesch]

It sounds like you want to move and your husband doesn't and you would like justification for moving close to the grandkids. OK here goes-

If you are in a high COL area, you will save money.
If you like beaches, there are affordable beaches in Florida. The beach 1000' from my front door is 45 miles long.
You can swim in the ocean year round. In my area the record low for the year is 60 degrees or so.
If you like biking, you can ride all year round.
If you like fishing, there are more kinds if fishing in Florida than you can imagine. Fresh, saltwater boat, surf...
There are more marinas and put ins than you shake a stick at. Guaranteed to have one close by. Some folk's homes back to a canal and they dock their sailboat a few feet from their pool.
If you are a veteran you can get 25% a state park yearly pass. There are over 90 state parks and they aren't usually crowded.
If you homestead your home, guaranteed taxes will rise very slowly.
If you homestead your home, you will get a break on real estate taxes.
You already know, we have no state income tax.
Your grand kids are here what more incentive do you need?

[snuffybear]

@Fredesch (or anyone), can you explain how the Homestead works in FL?

Thanks!

[jghorton]

We moved to Florida 45-years ago (from MidWest), thinking, 'Why wait another 30-years to retire, before moving to Florida?' We've never regretted the move and have lived in three Central Florida cities: Tampa, Kissimmee, and Satellite Beach - We now live in Destin, Florida (near the grandkids).

Hurricanes, like alligators, snakes, mosquitoes and humidity are vastly over-played by folks who don't live here. I far prefer the weather in Central Florida, because it gets quite cold in Destin (Fl. Panhandle) in the winter; and would move back to Satellite in a heartbeat, if not for the grandkids.