More on Toledo Bend. Come and check it out! (Shreveport: sales, real estate)

[Kurt]

Well, I had a brief fling looking at some lakes in East Texas and am back to my land on North Toledo Bend. Honestly, you just can't beat the lake for affordibility and great views. I decided to sell some of my interior acreage away from the lake to allow me to put in some improvements. I have to build some sort of seawall or rip raff. With the state of Texas now agreeing to keep the lake up to 168 I have some erosion on the exposed bank. But that is great news because the lake should be kept permanently higher.

And I have a new appreciation for stumps. I went up to Grand Lake in Oklahoma--the other place I have been considering for retirement--and in July and August there was so much jet ski traffic zooming in close to the dock and the shore that it was nerve-wracking.

At Toledo Bend I have stumps lurking under the water--lots of them--so the water traffic stays well off shore.

The road into my place has been torn up by the timber company and needs to be bladed. Guess I have to settle for 4-wheel drive to get in there--a passenger car won't do it.

I am still working in Florida and not retired. Traffic and insurance rates here are terrible. Stay away! It is not a peaceful place to retire--unless you have money and like all of that action.

Am going to be at Toledo Bend for 2 weeks in December--nice time to walk the land and arrange surveys for the land sale.

I strongly urge retirees who want to be on the water to consider the lake. It is still largely undiscovered, but more growth is on the way. There will also be jobs here. Heck, the lake is 85 miles long and eight miles wide at some points. It is not all stumps. But those stumps are becoming my friends because they do slow down development--keep it more into hunting and fishing in many places--and more affordable. Water is up! And with the new legislation the lake should be more stable in its level in future. There is no drought here.

[Missouri2]

I am retireing soon and thinking about moving to the Toledo Bend area. I could use some suggestions about where to locate, and where not to. I am thinking about retiring to a good fishing lake. Any suggestions as to which side of Toledo Bend would be best to rent an apartment or buy a small house? Thought I would rent first and look to buy something small. Would like to be around the lake but fairly close to a small community for shopping, bowling, etc. Moderator cut: duplicate info, posts merged Plan to fish, golf, bowl and perhaps get back into horse racing. Don't know if Texas or Louisiana side would be best. Is the tax situation better in Texas or Louisiana for retirees?

[Kurt]

Originally Posted by Missouri2

I am retireing soon and thinking about moving to the Toledo Bend area. I could use some suggestions about where to locate, and where not to. I am thinking about retiring to a good fishing lake. Any suggestions as to which side of Toledo Bend would be best to rent an apartment or buy a small house? Thought I would rent first and look to buy something small. Would like to be around the lake but fairly close to a small community for shopping, bowling, etc. Moderator cut: duplicate info, posts merged Plan to fish, golf, bowl and perhaps get back into horse racing. Don't know if Texas or Louisiana side would be best. Is the tax situation better in Texas or Louisiana for retirees?

I don't have alot of time right now, as I am following the stock market--my retirement account--and am getting sorta creamed with losses. Ouch! But that does bring me to T-Bend as one of the least expensive areas of the nation to retire. There is no state income tax in Texas, but property taxes and sales taxes are higher than in Louisiana. I talked with a bank president in Hemphill, Texas, as to whether it was better to locate in Texas rather than Louisiana, which does tax income. He indicated that unless you were in a higher income marginal tax rate, it really made little difference. I told him that I might be taking in about 40K per year in retirement--sorta wishful thinking unless the market improves--and he said it was a wash--that is it would cost no more to live in Louisiana than Texas.

Land and housing prices are higher on the Texas side. One reason is that there is less land available for private development. A big hunk of the Texas side is state forest. I would concentrate on mid-lake to north lake in my search for a place--cheaper than south lake and closer to your horse racing in Shreveport. I will say that the most progressive and growing little town is on the north end of the lake on the Texas side--that is the town of Center.

Any realtor there can tell you about stuff on the Texas side. Sooo, I would check out anything around the Pendleton Bridge and northwards. Many, Louisiana, is a nice little town. Mansfield, Louisiana is rather run-down and old-looking. Hemphill, Texas is pretty small but has growth potential. As I said, the most upbeat and growing place is Center, Texas, on the north end of the lake. And that is the cheaper end. There appears to be a "horsey" set with tack shops in the area. Makes sense as it is closer to the race track and stables associated with it.

I simply don't care for south Shreveport, although I am told it has some decent areas.

You can rent a doublewide or purchase on or near the lake for a very reasonable price. Recently, a trailer with an acre of land and 100feet on the lake with a great view and good location sold for 120K. You could get a house and some land not on the lake for about that.

Keep in touch. I am thinking of staying at the new Holiday Inn Express next to the new SuperWalmart in Center on my next trip to the area this Spring.

The area is being discovered by Baby Boomers and folks for both Dallas and Houston. Don't wait too long to purchase. If the lake level is kept more stable it will enhance the value of everything. There are some really fancy places beginning to go up South and directly north of Pendleton Bridge area.

God Bless.

[Missouri2]

Hi Kurt,

Thank you very much for your reply to my inquiry. I would have gotten back to you sooner, but I have an unfortunate habit of forgetting my passwords (among other things), so I had to wait until today to get a new one.

I feel your stock market pain, because my small 401k mutual fund has taken quite a drop since the middle of December. I decided to park it in the Money Market account for awhile, but today put it on all the Goldman Sachs Big Caps in hopes Bernekke will have something positive to say in his speach Thursday that might help the situatuion. The Fed isn't scheduled to meet again until the end of January, but it sure would be nice if they held an emergency meeting and dropped the rate by 50 or 100 basis points.

If a person purchases property on the lake I take it a septic system is required? If so how close to the lake can you locate? I am also curious about TV. Is cable TV available? If not, I would imagine satellite TV would be.
Any jobs available for seniors? I take it roads to lakefront property are mostly non-existant?

I plan to take a trip down to the Toledo Bend area (also my ladyfriend if she can get off work) the week of March 10th. I live in St Louis and will stop in Hot Springs for a day or two. Think I may spend maybe two days in the Toledo Bend area on both the Louisiana and Texas sides just looking for an apartment, or potential property to purchase later. I probably won't retire until early 2009. Sure want to get out of these Missouri winters, and find a place where it is possible to get outside some days in the winter and do some golfing and fishing.

Don

[Kurt]

Howdy, Missouri2:

When I wrote about the 4W drive road I was writing about the far north end of the lake where things are still pretty wild. Of course, there are lots of fish camp areas that have dirt roads but many are oiled, iron ored or blue rocked so they do not wash out or have big ruts. There are also paved roads, of course.

You really have to make that trip. I suggest you take a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Center, Texas. That is a brand new place in a very upbeat little town. It will be less expensive than staying at the Cypress Bend Resort. You can then drive down the lake to the Pendleton Bridge area. You will want to look at places that are at mid-lake or north lake for better prices.

There is a motel at Toledo Town, but it looks like it is more geared to bass fishermen who are not too picky, but it is probably ok. I just like to have clean sheets and carpets.

I have rented a nice lake cabin from Bo Dowden Real Estate in Toledo Town for about 80 dollars a night. But it is sort of primitive and prone to ants, but it does have a great view.

You folks echo my sentiments exactly. I have a lake place at Grand Lake in Oklahoma and the ice storms are scaring me off. Also, property taxes are shootin up and I could live so much cheaper on T-Bend. It is no fun being the poorest guy in the neighborhood. On T-Bend most everyone is of more modest means. But it is starting to change. When I was out there over Christmas I saw some McMansions going up in some new subdivisions that are starting up. So don't wait too long to buy in.

Go to the Converse, Union Springs, and Zwolle area of the north lake on the Louisiana side for some of your best buys on the lake. You will have to drive 20 miles to a Walmart, though, but it is much cheaper. And wait a few years and development will follow you up there.

I tell you, the boomers are coming. And Houston and Dallas people are discovering the Bend as well. Not to mention Florida folks that are tired of crowds, taxes, high insurance and hurricanes. God Bless. Keep in touch.

p. s.: The lake level is to be kept higher by agreement with the state legislators and the power authority at the dam. Oh, you asked about the lake front area itself. Toledo Bend is a river authority lake. They will let you build boat docks, put in boat houses, and cut most trees that might block your view. You own down to a "lease back" area that consists of land that can be inundated up to a high water take line if they have to hold water back in the dam. But lake levels will hold quite steady for the most part. You pay a small fee for the lease back in Texas, it comes with the land in Louisiana.

Many people even dredge or fill in land on the lease back, but you cannot put a permanent residence on the lease back. I heard about people that have boat houses with beds and toilet that is chemical and a line running back to the septic. But that still puts you right on the lake. If you are on higher ground, your house can be perched on the lake edge as the lease back is part of the vertical bank.

Trust me, the restrictions are minimal compared to most other lakes. Corps lakes are really strict. Sam Rayburn is a Corps lake and I would not consider building there.

I don't think there is any cable yet. I see lots of satellite dishes. Cell phone coverage is very good.

[Missouri2]

Just wanted to mention that AARP was kind enough to give me an estimate of the Louisiana state tax. They estimate that based on an income of $51,000 the Louisiana state income tax would be $250.00. I don't know how close to actual that would be, but if fairly close to accurate I would think (but am not certain) that the tax situation might be better in Louisiana.

[Kurt]

Omigosh! Only $250! If that is the case Louisiana is most definitely a better idea. That is really cheap. No wonder the banker in Hemphill made no big deal of the Louisiana income tax.

Originally Posted by Missouri2

Just wanted to mention that AARP was kind enough to give me an estimate of the Louisiana state tax. They estimate that based on an income of $51,000 the Louisiana state income tax would be $250.00. I don't know how close to actual that would be, but if fairly close to accurate I would think (but am not certain) that the tax situation might be better in Louisiana.