Best area for 50's + old man to live (Seattle, Federal Way: credit, university)

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by PollyGlott

"Aging", I can't help you with your housing questions, but for heaven's sake, you are NOT an "old man"!!!
It says right there you are in your 50s - not your 80s! Unless the "5" was a typo!
Heck, you won't even qualify to be a "senior" for another decade! You are in the prime of your life, even if your health is not what you would like it to be.

Well now, I did get a senior discount recently at the Family Pancake House in Redmond - you only need to be 55 to qualify!

[while parked]

OMG! You're only in your 50s, and you're using phrases like "looking to find a place to live out what is left of my life" You depress the holy hell out of me. I just turned 50 this month. I thought I was young until I read your post. I just don't understand why you are so decrepid. Unlike you, I wasn't a tought guy in my twenties. I was a wussy. But things have changed. Age and experience have
molded me into a tough old guy. I feel tougher now than I ever have. I love being this age. Anyway, ironically I also live in Texas right now. I have been here since September of 2010; Houston area. I don't really care for it much. Although I am fickle, and don't know what the hell I want. I am leaving at the end of this month (February). I want to return up North. I like the rugged feeling of living on the High Plains, or in desert country. I used to live in
Denver, Colorado, and liked it (in retrospect). Have you considered the living East of the mountains in Washington?
Seatte seems to so... lame for a 50s something guy.. Go out to where it is rugged and open, sparse and dry. I don't know how Seattle's
climate could possibly be better for your health than a semi-arid climate like Bend, Oregon or East Washington. What part of Texas do you live in? I am considering going to Lubbock (college town on
the Panhandle), or Midland/Odessa. But like you I don't like heat. And this is some serious heat
in Texas.
I hope you make a great decision. Like you I am excited about finding a new place to live. Keep me
(us) posted.

[ryanmm]

I highly recommend looking into social/non-profit and public housing--you being on formal disability will give you some options. Preferably non-profit, they tend to be run better and have more stringent tenant standards. Expect to pay from $400 to $800 (depending on location & whether you get a market-rate apartment or a subsidized one) for a reasonably nice one-bedroom in a fairly close-in neighborhood. Generally more if you want to live closer to downtown.

Most private apartments in that price range will be dismal, run down, and in undesirable parts of town. Even then, there won't be all that many available especially at the lower end of that price bracket.

[aginggracefully]

Originally Posted by while parked

OMG! You're only in your 50s, and you're using phrases like "looking to find a place to live out what is left of my life" You depress the holy hell out of me. I just turned 50 this month. I thought I was young until I read your post. I just don't understand why you are so decrepid. Unlike you, I wasn't a tought guy in my twenties. I was a wussy. But things have changed. Age and experience have
molded me into a tough old guy. I feel tougher now than I ever have. I love being this age. Anyway, ironically I also live in Texas right now. I have been here since September of 2010; Houston area. I don't really care for it much. Although I am fickle, and don't know what the hell I want. I am leaving at the end of this month (February). I want to return up North. I like the rugged feeling of living on the High Plains, or in desert country. I used to live in
Denver, Colorado, and liked it (in retrospect). Have you considered the living East of the mountains in Washington?
Seatte seems to so... lame for a 50s something guy.. Go out to where it is rugged and open, sparse and dry. I don't know how Seattle's
climate could possibly be better for your health than a semi-arid climate like Bend, Oregon or East Washington. What part of Texas do you live in? I am considering going to Lubbock (college town on
the Panhandle), or Midland/Odessa. But like you I don't like heat. And this is some serious heat
in Texas.
I hope you make a great decision. Like you I am excited about finding a new place to live. Keep me
(us) posted.

I got some energized by your contributions I'm in San Antonio, TX. Has to move last year to the Medical Center area because of my health. There are 8 hospitals (sounds crazy) within 400 yards of where I rent. (VA hospital, UTSA Health Science, Methodist, Children's, University Hospital, etc, etc)

Everyone that have posted here have scared me in moving to Seattle. I have lived in NY, PA, NJ, VA, in the past but in military installations. I'm leaving on the 20th of March to Seattle for one week just to visit. Although I don't know of anyone living there I will make the best of 7 days visit.

BTW, at 50's I consider myself old because of my health and the 32 + year traveling around the world which for me is equivalent to 80 y.o. Life on the road is not easy...I give a lot of credit to our Truckers out there working 24/7 on the road.

[Hemlock140]

I don't think anyone wanted to scare you off, just to help you realize that it's a different world here on the west coast. I just read that our home values have gone up slightly in the last year, average is close to $550,000. I think the big salaries by the top level people working at Microsoft, Amazon, Boeing are propping up home prices, and all of their middle and lower level people are keeping rental prices high.

Don't come here too soon, we have a heavy snowfall right now, currently about 5" just in the last 3 hours here in Sammamish. Here's a traffic cam pic over by Microsoft in Redmond.

[Vinylly]

Seattle's great if you can stand the continuous cold weather, rain, snow and no sunshine for nine months out of the year. Politically, Texas is considered a conservative state. You will be coming into one of the most liberal states in the union and Seattle is one of the pinnacles of liberalism, just like San Francisco. Like all the most liberal cities in the nation, it is also one of the most expensive cities to live in. As a retired person on social security, you just won't be able to afford Seattle. Most new people coming to Seattle are young professional people. Older people here are looking for states they can afford to live in that are warmer, --like Texas.
Geeze, it snowed last night and I'm stuck here at my computer, waiting for things to warm up enough where it will melt.

[Hemlock140]

Originally Posted by Vinylly

Seattle's great if you can stand the continuous cold weather, rain, snow and no sunshine for nine months out of the year. Politically, Texas is considered a conservative state. You will be coming into one of the most liberal states in the union and Seattle is one of the pinnacles of liberalism, just like San Francisco. Like all the most liberal cities in the nation, it is also one of the most expensive cities to live in. As a retired person on social security, you just won't be able to afford Seattle. Most new people coming to Seattle are young professional people. Older people here are looking for states they can afford to live in that are warmer, --like Texas.
Geeze, it snowed last night and I'm stuck here at my computer, waiting for things to warm up enough where it will melt.

Do you think the liberalism has anything to do with the prices, or just that the west coast is expensive, and despite that attracts liberals?
We have about 6-8" of snow and I wouldn't count on it melting any day soon, as it's still 32 even with the sun out.

[aginggracefully]

Originally Posted by bisjoe

Do you think the liberalism has anything to do with the prices, or just that the west coast is expensive, and despite that attracts liberals?
We have about 6-8" of snow and I wouldn't count on it melting any day soon, as it's still 32 even with the sun out.

Thanks to all for your sincere replies! Its too late to cancel my 1 week stay in Seattle, WA the last week of March 2011. I will stay put here in Texas until another recommendation comes up where I dont have to suffer the summer heat.

Let me share with you what $1,200 is in San Antonio, TX.

$600.00 - monthly rent in a 900sq' Condominium. 1 bdrm, porch, security gates, free hot and cold water, no worry about mowing or watering the lawns, and a private parking space. The Condo is in the Medical Center area of town where young professional work & study and people are civilized In the medical center there are multiple hospitals, clinics, teaching hosptial, the veterans hospital, and a children hospital.

$27.00 - monthly for electric. We run the dishwasher daily, wash one load 4 times per week, have a fan on all day.

$247.00 every six month for car insurance.

$20.00 - for a post office box rental. I don't trust FedEx or USPS leaving packages in front of our door so all mail go to the post office.

$200- tithes and offering

$35 - for gasoline

$40 - a month for two visits to the local "Golden Corral" all you can eat including thick steaks

$150 - month savings account for those rainy days

And the rest is petty cash as people call it

The food hear in San Antonio is very cheap compared to NY and NJ. There is even a "Tortilla" assembly line in the local supermarket called HEB where 2# of Tortillas are sold for $1.69.

THe only expensive item here now is gasoline $3.19 current price. The bus system is great for i think $1.50 with transfer ticket one can go from north of city line to south city line. When we want to save on gasoline we just hop our bikes infront of the bus, pay the bus fare and spend the day at the River Walk and the infamous 'ALAMO'

I have realized, and thanks to all the members that contribute here to my questions, that I rather stay put in San Antonio resisting the heat. For us that means spending more time in the local malls inhailing the cool air just to save a few pennies on the AC.

I hope to have the previledge to meet some of you in person for a coffee at starbucks in my one week visit to Seattle. Thanks to all.

[Jimrob1]

You could try Portland while your out this way. Its somewhat less expensive that Seattle and there are several 55 plus apt bldgs. I know the rents are under $600 for 1 bedrooms on your income level. There is ample public transportation here as well as bikes. This is bike city USA and its a fairly compact city. A number of hospitals and you can walk to many things. All in all I have to be honest I think your better off in San Antonio, but I imagine the heat would be brutal.

I wish you the best of luck. Im a little older than you 61 and your not old yet. Neither am I. You have plenty of time yet to find a nice location to retire, if you feel the heat in Texas is just to much.

[observer]

aginggracefully,

I have been to Texas several times. Most of my stays have been in Houston, but I have been to San Antonio, Austin, Killeen a couple of times, and once to Dallas. From visiting those places in person, as well as looking at model homes, real estate magazines, and info. on the internet, cost of living is MUCH MUCH HIGHER in Seattle. I have been to Seattle a few times including 1 month last summer. Without a doubt Seattle's housing, restaurants, and cost of living is much higher in Seattle. One thing that stood out while in Seattle is that eating out is quite expensive; at least compared to Texas and Florida.

Good luck in your visit to Seattle and continue doing your research. I believe there are some towns and cities outside of Seattle (about 1 hour or more) that are considerably cheaper than Seattle. Not cheap like in San Antonio, but much cheaper than Seattle. However, chances are you may not have many hospitals and clinics nearby.