5 worst places to retire

This is not a Vegas or Nevada bash. We actually looked at houses in Lake Las Vegas back in 2007 and did buy a house in Las Vegas in 2008.

t's easy to find lists of the best places to retire in the United States. The AARP has one, so does Forbes, U.S. News and a host of retiree-oriented websites. The same cities and states tend to appear on each list – Tucson, Ariz.! Austin, Texas! — in part because the things that matter most as people pick a place to retire – proximity to good medical care, tax advantages for seniors, nice climate and safe streets – never really go out of style. - See more at: http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2011/07/21/The-5-Worst-Places-to-Retire-in-the-US#sthash.2jVj9uJz.dpuf

 

Nevada and Arizona will very soon be out of water, so scratch them from retirement lists.

 

While I agree the ongoing drought is a serious problem, there is no way the US would let 9 million people run out of water. That is the combined population of AZ & NV. It might be very costly, but there will be a solution if the drought continues. Of course that assumes they could actually reach agreement on something.

 

Uh, from where? It's a problem that can't be fixed by shifting water around in the region and other parts of the country will fight tooth and nail to preserve their own supply. The way I see it: if people are being encouraged to move away from flood plain and coastal areas that can't be protected from storms, it stands to reason that people living in areas with little water supplies will be encouraged to move until the situation is sustainable.

 

I plan to eventually move to Nevada for retirement and that's a good plan for me because the cost of living is something like 1/3 of what it is here in New Jersey. The tax benefits alone make it well worth it. Even with potentially increases in water costs, that's still a fantastic bargain.

 

We also plan to retire there. Already have a place. I'm not worried. Droughts are called droughts for one reason, they are abnormal and temporary, long in some cases but then do end. If they didn't they would be the norm, and not droughts. Besides all drinking water and as much as 39% of water use in Las Vegas are from groundwater.

http://www.lvvwd.com/about/wr_groundwater.html

They can increase production from groundwater, also the could tap far more from the northeast part of the state and pipe it down. The length that water travels to NYC from upstate reservoirs is mind-boggling. It can be done. And it's THE cheapest way to get water. Digging a hole and pumping it to the surface is far cheaper than any Army Corp of engineer stuff. Here on Long Island there are thousands, everywhere you see a water tower. It's the cleanest water around.

 

Pure speculation on my part, but there are occasionally little news blurbs that pop up about diverting water from the Great Lakes. While I would fight tooth and nail against that and there are our agreements with Canada over the Lakes, who knows? We've broken agreements before.

Or, maybe we start desalinating the ocean in California and pump water in from there.

Or, they change the way the Colorado River water is divided up and less goes for agriculture in CA and we all end up paying more for groceries.

I'm not moving back to NV, but I am convinced they are not going to run out of water. Maybe every homeowner is forced to convert to desert landscaping and they rip out all the sprinkler systems and get rid of grass and plants that don't belong in the desert anyway.

 

Yes they are, and they are already doing that.

Retire northward, or things are going to get dry.

 

When we bought our house, one of the first things we did was get the credit for tearing out the lawn in the backyard. Iirc it was close to a $1,000 credit and then the new desert landscaping cost us about ~$2,500 for rocks

We walked the dog every morning and it was just so asinine to see all these homes with lush green lawns. Our sprinkler restrictions were 3 days a week and if you have shrubs & trees, they still need some water. But, if people planted native plants, not as much would be needed.

 

I can NEVER see the Great Lakes water ever being diverted elsewhere.......way too many states like NY, PA, OHIO, MI, WI, MN and Ontario, Canada would have to come to a agreement before that ever happens. Remember the Great Lakes have been at historic low levels and commercial shipping is more important than many realize.

 

I never considered Lake Las Vegas to be a retirement community, so I'm surprised it's on the list at all -- let alone top it. Lake Las Vegas was an upper income niche development. The entire project wreaked of scam from the beginning. I wasn't surprised in the least to hear about the level of rebate fraud at the development.

As for Clark County in general, I don't see why foreclosure rates might deter retirees from settling here. In fact if you play it right it's a feature. My house sold for $158,000 in 2006, then I bought it at auction for about $30,000 in 2009. When this recession ends I expect to have $100,000 in profit from that house. What's not to like about that?

The suggestion that it might take until 2030 to reach 2006 prices again seems a little far-fetched. I think we'll see a recovery in 4 to 5 years. Some housing prices will still be short of 2006 prices when that happens, but inflation will fill that gap within a few years after that. Look for the return of 2006 prices in more like 2020.

Likewise, unemployment rates aren't a big deal to retirees. I'm retired so I don't need to work. Why would lack of job opportunity make me move away from Las Vegas?

I suppose that crime statistics are a realistic consideration for retirees, but I've never been robbed. I don't think about it much.

It's strange that the article seems to harp on things that don't impact retirees. It's almost as if the article is really aimed at a different audience.

 

Keying on finite developments is asinine in this context.

Actually, the whole premise is kinda wonky but that always happens with best/worst absent some well conceived and articulated criteria. I can think of plenty of places considered "desirable" retirement locales that have zippo appeal to us, while some spots we might consider could have some scratching their heads.

The entire retirement equation needs to be recalibrated, in fact.

As for water, the West will find a way. There is just too much invested out here for it to turn back to dust, though the water concerns are legit and a few wet years ain't gonna change that just as a few "dry" years doesn't ultimately impact the structural problem.

 

I suppose a lot can be put into the retirement equation, but it's mostly economic. Las Vegas became a retirement destination because of relatively low housing costs. People living in expensive areas like California and Florida found homes in Las Vegas for half price, from their point of view. Since other factors fit, Las Vegas became a retirement destination.

Lower housing prices can't be discounted as just one of many factors. It was a huge factor. In fact Las Vegas wouldn't be a retirement destination at all without comparatively low housing prices.

But my point is that a housing price crash is more likely to attract retirees than scare them off. I know that it attracted me.

 

Ummm, OK.

Everything is economic, when you come down to it. People change school districts because they hope it pays off down the road for their kids. People move all over changing careers, more mindful of the career than the where, often, because the where will come later, and hopefully "better" as a result of the career. People chase a perceived tax advantage only to discover it might have a lifestyle cost.

Empirically, I have no clue if a busted social fabric -- housing, infrastructure, services -- is more or less of an attractant to retirees. Is Vegas more or less "appealing" post-crash than pre-crash? Cheap houses are cool, but ...

Personally, of the folks I know who have made moves, who are planning what's down the line including us, Vegas simply is not anywhere on their radar screen. Factors cited are family, climate, aesthetic/lifestyle, services and in a break from the older retirement "model," complete or holistic communities.