What made you choose Utah?

I ask because Utah is considered to be "not tax friendly" to retirees. I know you're not yet retired, but from previous discussion threads it seems that you are close to retirement. The Kiplinger web site has a map of which states are or are not tax friendly to retirees. You should definitely read about Utah here. (In case it doesn't show up because the font colors are are not very well defined, the word "here" at the end of that last sentence is a hyperlink to the information.)

You had mentioned in a previous discussion thread that you want to apply for social security spouse's benefits based on your ex-husband's earnings. Utah is one of the few states that taxes SS benefits.

One of our nieces is married to a guy who is an airline traffic controller. Salt Lake City is one of the places they are considering for him to transfer. They traveled there to check out housing possibilities and said that they could get a very nice house for a lot less than they paid for their house in Northern California (which they would sell at a nice profit, too).

Good luck, whatever you decide.

Am so curious about how you chose Ogden, Utah!

click HERE for city data

Deeby, ESP? I was thinking about you today and wondering how things are going with you. I'm curious too, why you decided on Utah. I know nothing about Utah, but there are so many places to choose from, why Utah?
Sue

Why Utah, if you are " scared to death" ?

I am born and raised in Ogden Ut. Our state and city taxes combined are approx.6.85. Property taxes are very affordable from what I have seen elsewhere. Unemployment rate very low. I am not a Mormom and survive just fine as there are many other religions here. Weather is absolutely 4 seasons. Winters can be very miserable as the entire wasatch front is surrounded by mountains and when the cold inversions set in (winter only) you will be in total bitterly cold fog that is so thick you can't see 500 feet which sometimes is for weeks.( if you live above the fog level or in the mountains, it isn't an issue as you will see the sunshine)! Rental depends on what you are after. I would say around 600.00 a month would give you a good apartment. Houses probably 800.00. I am guessing utilities would be around 200.00. I think in order to live a minimal lifestyle here you would Need at least 1500.00 a month income to cover housing,utilities. Most people we know at retirement age would leave in a heartbeat if at all possible due to the winters. My DH and I hope to not be here for any more winters as he is planning to retire very soon. I too am curious why you would pick Ogden, Utah

Let me know if you need any more info.

Utah is one of the most beautiful States I have been to. Amazing rock formations.

Texas is one of the best States for retirement which is why we are staying here. Plus no income taxes.

Cost of moving itself can be quite expensive.

You can get employment with temp agency's pretty easily in many places. Call ahead and see about submitting your resume.

Yes, please share why you decided on Utah. If you google affordable places to retire a favorite of mine is Pittsburgh,PA. There are many others on the list.

I uses to live in Utah. It's a nice place. Beautiful and inexpensive. Everyone is very nice but you will feel like a bit of am outsider as a different religion. It's nothing bad - no one is rude but there's a feeling of not being fully accepted. It's better in the more liberal urban areas.

Curious why you picked there. You said you couldn't handle the California winters so surely you know Utah is much, much colder.

Thanks everyone for responding. I DON'T want to go there. AT ALL. I know someone who says that her rent for a very nice place is only $375, and she tells me I should move there for the rents and cheaper everything. The idea of snow and cold and learning to drive in it scares me to death. To not be able to garden year round would just kill me. And even my bank's not there! I Googled and didn't see anything for a mere $375. Kinda makes me wonder... Edited to add: When hell freezes over!

I seriously do not know where in Ogden anyone could rent for $375.00 unless they are being subsidized by housing authority! I know this area very well and just shake my head at that. If you look at KSL (dot com) you can go to the classified ads and look for rentals in the Ogden areas. KSL is like craigslist here in Utah. ( hardly anyone buys, sells etc. anything here anywhere but KSL.) I understand the fear of driving in the snow. I've been driving for 42 years and it still scares me. As I said before let me know if you need any info.

I would caution believing someone's word with out doing serious research on the areas that you consider. Go to Google, look up the name of the town then real Estate, buying and rental. Research the job market. If you don't want particular weather research that too. The great thing these days is everything is at your fingertips. The South has some of the cheapest real Estate costs, mild winters but every area has negatives and positives. Make some lists of options with pros and cons.

That kind of rental rate sounds unlikely unless it's a slum or subsidized. $500 up could be possible around some areas of Houston, not the most desirable areas however. Try checking realtor.com enter your parameters. Even if you search for housing for sale that gives you a Guage of what things are going for.

This is an example of a rental search on zillow for up to $500 a month. You can do this for any area. Just enter your city and state and parameters.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/condo,apartment_duplex_type/1-_beds/0-137436_price/0-500_mp/days_sort/30.559896,-93.183289,29.087377,-96.665955_rect/7_zm/

There are nice places in inland California you could try where there are reasonable rents and nice weather. You shouldn't have to leave the state! It's a mighty big state.

I have a good friend, a SF Bay Area native, who is a Mormon, a BYU grad (2 degrees), and has a parent, siblings, kids and grandkids in Utah. He visits there a few weeks at a time every month or two. It happens I asked him a few months ago why he doesn't move there, he responded "It's not my kind of place. There are a lot of things I don't like there, weather is one of them but it's not the only thing".

If I remember right from prior threads, one of Deeby's challenges is to have more and consistent income. I suspect state tax "friendliness" isn't high on her priority list.

Nor is it for many. I don't remember the exact number, but there are 6 or 7 states that don't have an individual income tax. None of them is a clear choice as the primo retirement destination. Many (most?) of them are not even an acceptable choice as a retirement destination for many people. Low cost of living areas also tend to be low-paying areas from an income perspective too (they often go together somewhat), but that may not be of concern for her.

Nevada doesn't have a personal income tax because the state makes a huge amount of money from tourism and gambling.

Right. I know some of the other stories -

Florida has no income tax, part of its longstanding program to attract retirees and other to move there.

Alaska and Texas collect a lot of taxes from oil and gas producers.

Washington has relatively high sales tax rates, and a corporate gross receipts tax that some have long wanted to replace with a corporate income tax.

I pay a lot of tax for the "privilege" of staying in California, maybe you do too. Compared to these places mentioned, and the others, I'm completely okay with the my choice and the cost of the choice.

Florida may not have an income tax but has a very regressive sales tax on just about everything else.

If you don't want to move there, why are you? Just because your friend suggested it?

Florida might be good for you. No snow, there are some inexpensive parts and I'm sure there are many caregiver opportunities.

Are you still looking for work in the area? What part of CA are you in? You can still stay in CA and move somewhere cheaper.

Deeby, my advice is that if you really don't want to go, don't go. Don't take yourself from one situation and put yourself in a worse one, already hating it. Are you still in the trailer? Have you had any luck finding any leads for any kind of work?

I know that you're looking for a caregiver-role, but in the absence of that (if you're not finding any), there are other places that are likely hiring that would be glad to have you. Dunkin' Donuts? Cashier in retail stores? Flex-type jobs where you could work at home over the computer? Office work?

Suzieque

I would like to know what part of CA you are in that you can't stand the winters. I moved from CA to Iowa 9 years ago to retire. Best move I ever made. I have distant cousins here and have gotten to know them. I knew about the cold winters and don't mind them. The cost of living here is low and the wages are low. I was able to buy a house here for $100,000 and it just appraised for $120,000. My son moved here from the SF Bay Area last year and loves the area as much as I do. I researched many parts of the U.S. before I moved. Iowa has low crime and that combined with cost of living attracted me. The South has low cost of living but high crime rates. If you are planning to live in a trailer, you want to avoid areas in tornado alley. If you live in a mobile home in a tornado area, you need a tornado shelter to go to quickly if a tornado is coming. My house has a basement which is my tornado shelter.

My brother retired to the gulf coast of Florida several years ago. For two years he rented a two bedroom, fully furnished apt over the clubhouse of a nice mobile home park for $450 per month. He then purchased a mobile home in the same park. I've seen pictures of both and they are very nice. I think there are a lot of nice, safe, secure parks all over Florida and they don't fit into the typical notion of "trailer parks." He loves the park and Florida. He's lived all over. We grew up in SoCal, but he could not afford to retire there.

Not only is the cost of living lower in Florida, the tax situation is better, and since there are so many retirees you should be able to find work as a caretaker. Granted it's a lot more humid than Cali but you'd still have the beach and can garden year round.

Don't move to Utah if you don't want snow....you will be miserable and will just be trading one bad situation for another. Even Las Vegas would be a better choice....cheaper than Cali, better tax situation, and plenty of retirees who need home care.

Deeby has not said (at least not in this thread) that she doesn't like the California winters. In fact, she said "To not be able to garden year round would just kill me."

It was in another thread a few months past. I only mentioned it because southern California has some of the mildest winters in the country, and if they bother her, then a snowy location will be awful for her.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/2816869/i-am-no-longer-a-winter-person

derby, if you do not like cold and winters....scared to death of driving in snow and ice...can not imaging not being able to garden year around.....then why in the heck are you even considering Utah? There are places warmer than there with lower cost of living than California! Do your own homework before even considering moving!.......or are you just a drama seeker?

In the link you gave, Chi83, she also writes "Heat and humidity still make me feel sick, but the cold is making me feel paralyzed and achy with cold clumsy hands."

So, I suppose Florida is out, too. I believe she said San Diego is where she lives. That city always seems to be rank in the top 10 for the best weather in the contiguous 48; certainly better than Ogden, Utah. This whole thread is based on Deeby's words "I know someone who says that her rent for a very nice place is only $375, and she tells me I should move there for the rents and cheaper everything." And based on that she is moving to Ogden, Utah and wants readers to supply the full scoop on "jobs, cheap rent, weather, etc.?" Don't know about any confusion factor but am chuckling along with JustLinda -- 24 responses and counting.

but as a professional care giver she should be able to find work almost anyplace she wants...even if you're not a pro, at least getting referral from the family of the person you cared for, should be the first thing....

Oh geez. Like I don't have enough drama right now you idiots. I'm thinking in terms of how expensive California is, that I'm getting older, and that's all. Some real B-words here...

You know what, people? There's no reason to be unkind.....this feels like kicking somebody when they're down and out.

Deeby, I do agree that you aren't thinking straight about this move to Ogden. I expect that you're considering it out of desperation.

Have you even considered finding someone who needs a roommate? And do not turn your back on the idea of subsidized housing until you've checked into it carefully. It's not all slummy!

I took a fellow school volunteer home one day after she locked herself out of her car. She lived in a perfectly nice apartment in an attractive little complex. I was pleasantly surprised when she confided that it was 'affordable' housing.

I suggest that you be prepared to make compromises in your life and not hate every thing. I've lived in many parts of the country and found something to like about them all.

How's your health these days?

Idiots? A lot of us are genuinely trying to help you Deeby but since you don't seem to want to hear anything other than the facts of Ogden, I will just wish you luck. The KT isn't the best resource for your question anyway. Some internet research will give you all the information that you need.

From Deeby's home page here at Houzz: "About me: My zone is: 9b/Southern CA." I lived for many, many, many years in Southern California. The winters there do NOT get cold, unless you consider temps in the 70s (Fahrenheit) cold. I don't really even remember any humidity, but I didn't live closer than about 20 miles from the beach. Perhaps it's humid along the shore.

There are many places in CA ( and every state) where the rent is cheaper and the weather acceptable. Even in the San Diego area. I lived in CA from birth to age 70 and moved to ND. Daughter and family here, yes it is cold and icy in winter. Yes we have tornados, yes it is hot in the summer, and yes rent is high ( due to the oil), but I have daughter in No Calif and son in Mich. If I had to go back to CA it would be No Cal due to a variety of reasons. There is ton of small towns and the rent is not bad. You should do and move Where you want to, not based on some one telling you information which may or may not be true. You can read local newspapers, go on the internet, and even visit the area before you make a decision.

I agree with Rhizo. Some people are simply unkind and look for vulnerability.

Deeby, when I first divorced... I thought of all the pretty places I had cycled through. Started hunting for houses in those areas. WOZER, expensive! Stayed here in spite of the extreme temperatures and tornado threat. One of my daughters lives here. Most of my friends live here. The other daughter along with husband and grand kids comes to visit here because her dad lived nearby, and her sister. Thus, I stayed here. I will be her till the end, unless..... something/one comes along with the sweetest and best offer ever. LOL

Moni