CA ExPats!!!

[Sgt. J Beezy]

Well, given everything happening, my wife is finally on board with the exodus...

Only took 12 years, pandemic, Newscum, and a stolen election... but, better late than never.

While on spring break this year (March) her and I are flying to some states, Florida, Texas and Tennessee to talk with realtors, and plan on being GONE by June 1.

During her research she is finding some things I haven’t considered and am coming to the community that I, for the most part, trust or at least respect their opinions.

First, I am a 100% disabled veteran so does anyone know of benefits in these states for that?

Also, I am a teacher. I get paid decently and have great benefits in Ca. She was researching these 3 states and found out how expensive health insurance is when it’s not covered by my employer.

What are the “hidden” (what I mean here is things not thought about until after moving) costs that are either better, or worse, than here in California.

Nothing will change our trajectory of moving out of CA unless: Newscum gets removed and the election gets overturned. We know both of those things aren’t going to happen which is why I said “nothing”. But I don’t like to talk in absolutes because I always leave room for new information to change my mind.

Appreciate the input!

From behind enemy lines, but not for too much longer!

Best,

BZ


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Milsurp1]

Are you moving a family or only you two? Is she willing to sell most possessions and buy new in the next state? Do you own or rent in CA?

[Sgt. J Beezy]

Originally Posted by Milsurp1

Are you moving a family or only you two? Is she willing to sell most possessions and buy new in the next state? Do you own or rent in CA?

We rent but will be buying.

We have already been selling off and will continue to.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Nessal]

I was looking at north texas above the Mckinney area near the OK border. Looks super red as well as decently affordable...for now. There are a lot of open land for sale there as well but if you plan to shoot on your property, it might be good to look up what is required. I believe you need a specific lot size in order to shoot to your heart's content. Also, the weather from what I can find is relatively warm which is probably better.

Both myself and my fiance are born and raised in the bay. I'm 100% ready to go but she isn't. That's the hard part so I'm glad your wife is on board.

[superdave50]

https://www.military.com/benefits/ve...directory.html

[RickD427]

Every time I see a news story about somebody doing something incredibly stupid, I always ask if the event occurred in Florida or Texas, and if there was alcohol or drugs involved. The answer is almost always "yes" to Florida or Texas. That should tell something.

If you go to Tennessee, you'll need to learn their language. That can take some doing. But the real draw-back to Tennessee is that there is no place to surf.

Oregon and Washington have a lot to offer, but you gotta avoid Seattle and Portland.

Idaho also has a lot to offer, but you gotta drive through Washington to get to any decent surfing spots.

[-hanko]

...you can surf rivers.

[Howie44]

Originally Posted by -hanko

...you can surf rivers.

Originally Posted by RickD427

Every time I see a news story about somebody doing something incredibly stupid, I always ask if the event occurred in Florida or Texas, and if there was alcohol or drugs involved. The answer is almost always "yes" to Florida or Texas. That should tell something.

If you go to Tennessee, you'll need to learn their language. That can take some doing. But the real draw-back to Tennessee is that there is no place to surf.

Oregon and Washington have a lot to offer, but you gotta avoid Seattle and Portland.

Idaho also has a lot to offer, but you gotta drive through Washington to get to any decent surfing spots.

Yep, there is even a shop in Idaho that makes surf boards designed for river wake riding. A couple of clubs too.
If you have the money, most decent wakeboard boats have a feature that creates a wake you can surf....

But for the record, I grew up surfing in So Cal, and don't miss it at all considering all of the other kickass activities there are to do in Idaho.
If you think that not being able to surf as a priority , then you probably don't belong here anyway

[Milsurp1]

Texas and Arizona are purple. Texas has high property taxes that diminish the benefit of the absence of a state income tax. Tennessee sounds good if you don’t mind humidity.

I’ve seen the regions of Florida near the military bases and was not impressed. That is of course not a fair representation of Florida as a whole. Personally I avoid the combination of heat and humidity but some people love it.

Are your job prospects equal in those states?

[Senko]

Can't speak to VA and teacher pay/benefits. I would think they need more teachers given the rapid growth, but would venture a guess the pay is not the same as CA.

Looks like you have school age kids so will presume public schools are important. If considering Ada County (Boise, Eagle, Meridian) has many schools in the 8-10 rating range K-12.

I was finally able to register my 2018 Toyota Tundra last week. I opted to register for two years at just under $300 ($150/year). IIRC I paid $600+ last year.

Gas has risen to $2.37 at Chevron. $2.15 at Costco.

State Farm insurance is much less on everything.

Wife loves it here. She just met a friend of a friend from the bay area. This couple moved to Eagle from San Ramon in 2015. They love it here as well.

Your biggest questions will be the VA and job pay/benefits.

[BAJ475]

Originally Posted by Senko

Can't speak to VA and teacher pay/benefits. I would think they need more teachers given the rapid growth, but would venture a guess the pay is not the same as CA.

Looks like you have school age kids so will presume public schools are important. If considering Ada County (Boise, Eagle, Meridian) has many schools in the 8-10 rating range K-12.

I was finally able to register my 2018 Toyota Tundra last week. I opted to register for two years at just under $300 ($150/year). IIRC I paid $600+ last year.

Gas has risen to $2.37 at Chevron. $2.15 at Costco.

State Farm insurance is much less on everything.

Wife loves it here. She just met a friend of a friend from the bay area. This couple moved to Eagle from San Ramon in 2015. They love it here as well.

Your biggest questions will be the VA and job pay/benefits.

Regular at the Costco in Coeur d'Alene is $1.999 per gallon.

[ibanezfoo]

Originally Posted by Milsurp1

Texas and Arizona are purple. Texas has high property taxes that diminish the benefit of the absence of a state income tax. Tennessee sounds good if you don’t mind humidity.

I’ve seen the regions of Florida near the military bases and was not impressed. That is of course not a fair representation of Florida as a whole. Personally I avoid the combination of heat and humidity but some people love it.

Are your job prospects equal in those states?

Diminishes but still doesn't add up to... Plus the property taxes vary widely from county to county.

[Milsurp1]

True, the absolute amount will vary by county and property value. It was a factor that our CPA cited when he recommended other potential escape states with similar property tax rates to California but no state income tax. The money we spent on a CPA’s advice was well worth it. Also when the price of the home is 2/3 of an equivalent home in California a higher tax rate often means a lower absolute tax payment.

[Sutcliffe]

Just that you do.

It’s a leap of faith but, we are so glad we did it.

I don’t miss CA at all.

[-hanko]

Originally Posted by Nessal

I was looking at north texas above the Mckinney area near the OK border. Looks super red as well as decently affordable...for now. There are a lot of open land for sale there as well but if you plan to shoot on your property, it might be good to look up what is required. I believe you need a specific lot size in order to shoot to your heart's content. Also, the weather from what I can find is relatively warm which is probably better.

"Relatively warm" is a major understatement. More like they say in Texas "hotter than 8 kinds of hell". That's not too far off the mark.

We spent around 15 years in TX. It's very common to see a 2 story home with 2 AC units. That way if one dies you can at least sleep in the story that's functional. Have all units inspected a month or two before it gets hot...March or April. By the time it gets hot AC guys are overloaded with work.

Temp is only part of it, humidity is the other part. MUCH different than California as the humidity continues after sundown. As a long time neighbor told me on a humid July day when we moved in, "Son you'll get better at it (meaning humidity), but you'll never get used to it." That's a very good description

Learn about the temperature humidity index (THI), and take very good care of your AC guy. My guy got 2 sets of 4 season tickets for the Texas Rangers...half way up the first level between 3rd and home. He, I, and wives watched Nolan Ryan pitch his last game. When we called about an AC or heater issue, we got 100% same day service.

[-hanko]

Originally Posted by Howie44

Yep, there is even a shop in Idaho that makes surf boards designed for river wake riding. A couple of clubs too.
If you have the money, most decent wakeboard boats have a feature that creates a wake you can surf....

But for the record, I grew up surfing in So Cal, and don't miss it at all considering all of the other kickass activities there are to do in Idaho.
If you think that not being able to surf as a priority , then you probably don't belong here anyway

Same here, but grew up in San Mateo county so surfed in Half Moon Bay and then finally moved north HMB near Surfers' Beach...about a 5 minute drive to the trail
head to Mavericks.

There are more challenging outdoor opportunities in Idaho. White water rafting is outstanding and imo more challenging than surfing, save Mavericks.

[oddjob]

My friends who have moved out of state (all over the US) have stated everything is cheaper (taxes, auto insurance & etc). Surprisingly firearms that are available here in California and other states (gen 3 Glocks as an example) were cheaper in California (pre Covid 19).

The only stumbling block a few have run into is medical care. Some Dr.'s couldn't handle more patients, some friends have cancer problems and needed nearby care, heart conditions, had to change med plans and etc.

Bottom Line: None are planning to come back to California!

Good Luck!

[ACfixer]

Originally Posted by Milsurp1

Tennessee sounds good if you don’t mind humidity.

Everybody dislikes humidity, but if that's a deciding factor then I wouldn't suggest Texas or Florida over Tennessee.

[bigbossman]

Originally Posted by Senko

Wife loves it here. She just met a friend of a friend from the bay area. This couple moved to Eagle from San Ramon in 2015.

Small world.... we moved here (Star) from San Ramon, as well. San Ramon was a real nice place to be - we moved to San Ramon in 1987 when there was about 20,000 or so residents in the Diablo Valley. It got pretty crowded in the ensuing 30+ years, and changed a lot - and not for the better. Section 8 housing, traffic, tons of people, and all the mom-and-pop stores pushed out by Big Box corporate.

[Garand Hunter]

Anyone looking at the stemwinder freezing arse cold blizzard going down in Texas now ? The remark hotter than 8 kinds of hell IS accurate. One son in law wanted to check out parts of Texas in april but it doesn't get much good attitude from the rest of us. Same for the land of the Okies and the land of the Arkies.

Psalm 1

[daveinwoodland]

This was a helpful article for us on the topic of taxes, no mention of vet benefits though:

https://www.kiplinger.com/kiplinger-...zqcs7-EGSHC6c0

[daveinwoodland]

Originally Posted by Sutcliffe

Just that you do.

It’s a leap of faith but, we are so glad we did it.

I don’t miss CA at all.

X1000

[Fastattack]

If you are looking in Tennessee hill country, be sure who your potential neighbors will be, even if they are half a mile away. So I've been told.

Sent from my SM-A505U using Tapatalk

[-hanko]

Originally Posted by RickD427

Every time I see a news story about somebody doing something incredibly stupid, I always ask if the event occurred in Florida or Texas, and if there was alcohol or drugs involved. The answer is almost always "yes" to Florida or Texas. That should tell something.

If you go to Tennessee, you'll need to learn their language. That can take some doing. But the real draw-back to Tennessee is that there is no place to surf.

Oregon and Washington have a lot to offer, but you gotta avoid Seattle and Portland.

Idaho also has a lot to offer, but you gotta drive through Washington to get to any decent surfing spots.

You river surf. It takes more practice and skill than surfing the ocean, short of Mavericks.

[1911_sfca]

People are mentioning that TX has high property taxes, that vary by county, which is true.

What they failed to mention is that because of your 100% military disability (thank you for your service), your property tax would be ZERO. You are fully exempt from property tax on your primary residence in Texas.

[Unit74]

I didnt realize just how much money I was losing till I left. The total cost of living far away from Ca allowed my wife to be a stay home mom and we lived just as comfortable, even more so in some respects, than we could have in Ca.

Look at the whole package. I just makes sense. Buddy from Temecula just bought north of Dallas and he commented that what he ran from appears to be infecting Texas though. Home prices are sky rocketing and HOAs are becoming prolific. Eff that......

[Czechsix]

One thing I'd recommend is, once you get somewhat focused on specific areas, head on over to the various home town forums and make specific inquiries. So many of the issues are very regional. Sometimes you'll find large differences between counties or boroughs, and the best way to figure stuff out is to talk to the residents.

I'll add that paying close attention to demographic trends is going to be very important also.....

[Kyle1886]

I was born in East Texas and lived mostly on the coast in Texas City, 13 miles from Galveston.

Hot, humid, rust and bugs galore. I've been back to the gulf area (Orange/Port Arthur/Beaumont) a few times to visit and nothing has changed weather wise.

If you imbibe, be aware there are also "dry counties" where alcohol is not sold.

If you are into hunting and fishing, Louisiana isn't too bad but still hot and humid and may somewhat depressed in some areas.

Shreveport had a large VA hospital years back that cared for my Dad. Have not been back there in years so don't know the current VA status.

Where ever you decide I wish you and the family the best.

Respectfully
Kyle

[-hanko]

Originally Posted by Kyle1886

I was born in East Texas and lived mostly on the coast in Texas City, 13 miles from Galveston.

Hot, humid, rust and bugs galore. I've been back to the gulf area (Orange/Port Arthur/Beaumont) a few times to visit and nothing has changed weather wise.

If you imbibe, be aware there are also "dry counties" where alcohol is not sold.

If you are into hunting and fishing, Louisiana isn't too bad but still hot and humid and may somewhat depressed in some areas.

Shreveport had a large VA hospital years back that cared for my Dad. Have not been back there in years so don't know the current VA status.

Where ever you decide I wish you and the family the best.

Respectfully
Kyle

There are also "beer stores" and "Liquor Stores". Difference is "beer stores can sell beer and wine up to 12%. Liquor stores can sell anything.

[Rivers]

We just made the exit from CA to SE Idaho and have discovered a couple interesting, unexpected things. For reference, we left inland San Diego County.

Yes, typically everything is cheaper than in CA. However, with two of the four adults in the household on Medicare, it seems like CA actually does OK in costs for medical insurance supplemental coverage policies. Other expenses will typically be much lower than in CA.

Put an emphasis on having a local Trauma Level 1 or 2 hospital within 20 minutes. Because I had more regular need, that was a qualifier for where we landed. And as luck would have it, a younger friend (on full medical work-related disability) had a serious heart attack last Friday. Because we were only 3 miles from the hospital, we opted to drive him to the ER. Would have been quicker than waiting for paramedics. (I actually pulled away from an ambulance with its lights on, on another call to the hospital.) So if you have a medical history, stay near the more qualified hospitals. (EIRMC is the go-to hospital for Yellowstone Nat'l Park.)

Idaho has a lot of outdoor activities. Fully half of the year is winter sports, including snowmobiling and ice fishing. Oddly, only one or two indoor shooting ranges in Idaho Falls but we're saving enough on our new property to build our own ranges. (Yeah, plural.) Although our property is just under two acres, it's outside of the city limits, in the county. Basically, as long as one is safe, responsible and respectful to neighbors, local LE doesn't care. Don't shoot towards the roads. Have a safe backstop. If neighbors are sound-sensitive, consider using a suppressor. As our property is a corner of a huge farming lot, during non-farming months we're OK to shoot into the farm land. That makes for at least a 500-yard rifle range, or some really convenient geese hunting.

As TX is finding out, winter happens even where not so expected. Ice. Snow. Wind. Cold. Wherever you go, be prepared before it happens. In this part of Idaho, we're just outside the path of most serious storms. Yes, there's snow and this last week, it got really cold. (Being from San Diego is one thing but single digit temps are still frickin' cold!) So we stayed inside as much as possible. That means having a home gym is a good idea. So is having a quad ATV or UTV for plowing the snow off your driveway and sidewalks. And park inside your garage. Oh, and Idaho Falls has fiber optic internet in many residential areas.

Construction is booming locally. Houses get sold very quickly if priced correctly. If priced stupidly (often counting on stupid CA buyers), that property will stay unsold. Ask me how I know... Get a well-connected, reputable real estate agent and work his or her *** off to find the place you really want. If you need, rent a local house for 3-6 months as you're doing your house search. Do enough research (online and realtime) so you can identify the traffic, crime and shopping areas you're willing to deal with. In our time in Idaho Falls, we learned that Shelley, just 7 miles south, has very low crime for the region, lower property takes (just into Bingham County versus Bonneville County for IF), an easy 8-10 minute drive into IF, 15 minutes to the airport, and more. Go farther south, near the Indian casino, and crime picks up and the residents are more "blue collar" attitude. But Pocatello does have its own university campus (as does IF) and its own trauma L2 hospital, both assets. So it helps to learn about the regions you're going to move into. And, SE Idaho is much more politically conservative than SW (Boise area).

[Aldemar]

Originally Posted by -hanko

There are also "beer stores" and "Liquor Stores". Difference is "beer stores can sell beer and wine up to 12%. Liquor stores can sell anything.

Also, on Sundays, liquor is not available in stores and beer/wine cannot be purchased until after noon.

[Kyle1886]

Originally Posted by Aldemar

Also, on Sundays, liquor is not available in stores and beer/wine cannot be purchased until after noon.

Yeah, the old city "Blue Law". My Dad always knew where the "backdoor" cash and carry stores were. This was in the 40's and 50's. You would think by now the powers that be would realize its a dumb "law" after all these years.

Control I suppose.

Kyle

[Aldemar]

Originally Posted by Kyle1886

Yeah, the old city "Blue Law". My Dad always knew where the "backdoor" cash and carry stores were. This was in the 40's and 50's. You would think by now the powers that be would realize its a dumb "law" after all these years.

Control I suppose.

Kyle

I think they don't want folks showing up drunk for church. Gotta plan for Sunday football though. I remember back in the day in CA when liquor, beer and wine were not sold on election day.

[Rotnguns]

Originally Posted by Aldemar

I think they don't want folks showing up drunk for church. Gotta plan for Sunday football though. I remember back in the day in CA when liquor, beer and wine were not sold on election day.

This goes both ways. I've had it with people praying in liquor stores.

[covingtonhouse]

Idaho river surfing....
https://idahoriversports.com/pages/river-surfing

[Cowboy T]

Originally Posted by Sgt. J Beezy

We rent but will be buying.

We have already been selling off and will continue to.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Dude...you look just like a friend of mine in South Carolina. He's also pro-2A. His family used to live in Florida, and they seem to still be OK as far as rights go.

Before we got "Gov. Blackface" and the Democrat majorities in our General Assembly, I would've suggested Virginia, as the teacher benefits were and still are pretty good. We used to be Free America, but it's taken a turn toward California-style gun laws. We're not all the way there yet, but they're trying, funded by Bloom-boy.

[Prepped and ready]

We did the same thing.

Shes a teacher and will be able to retire out of Ca. We are set up in Carson city and will be out of Ca in June. I have more work to finish then she does, so I may have to comute for a little bit.

We we are works very well for us. Just a few hours form places we like to stay.