obedb Report post Posted November 19, 2018 Delivered in Grand Rapids Michigan a number of times in the winter. If from that area, I understand the desire to move south. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 20, 2018 Roland. I would look at Kerrville! Lots of retirees in the area, good medical, food, golf and no flooding. Low Humidity. Easy access to San Antonio, Bandera and Fredericksburg ! Byron. Don't matter if your rich or poor, Texans are friendly to all. East Texas, is a blend of Texans & Cajun's...no snobs there! Mike. Sorry about your loss. May they RIP! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted November 20, 2018 I agree, Kerrville would be a excellent place to settle. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkhartjim Report post Posted November 20, 2018 I still want to know why Byron made the statement east Texans are snobs. Kerrville and the surrounding area would be my starting point if I were relocating. The closer you get to San Antonio the closer you're getting to the Kallyfornians that are migrating to Texas. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
txiceman Report post Posted November 21, 2018 We find most of Texas very friendly, but we are native Texans.....my wife claims that i will stop and talk to a fence post if it will stand still. I find the least friendly areas are Austin and Dallas....to many foreigners there. Ken Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 21, 2018 Ken. AMEN to that. My Linda is native Texan...I'm by choice, 1966 ! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted November 21, 2018 One thing to consider if relocation to Texas is that all of the Gulf Coast is prone to hurricanes. When one is coming it is get up and get out. Don't mess with mother nature.Also there is an additional insurance, Flood Insurance. Not to high a cost but still a cost. Texas is hot in the summer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
erniee Report post Posted November 21, 2018 Texas is hot in the summer- yup- and with 5 tons of air conditioning, quite nice Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 21, 2018 We have 4 seasons in Texas. Cool, Hot, Wet & Hotter! 🦃 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted November 21, 2018 We have two to three weeks of Winter. However, it is a day here and a day there and it all adds up to 2 or 3 weeks. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rfsod48 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Kerrville is an area we will check out, close to big city but far enough away. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 rfsod48, Lots of places in the Hill Country that is as nice as Kerrville. Take a trip down there and drive around. One example would be New Braunfels, about half way between San Antonio and Austin. Close to Canyon Lake, another nice area. Boerne, Marble Falls, Fredericksburg, are all nice areas. Good luck. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Roland, do look into property taxes, if you plan on buying a house...we are a homestead state, so if your over 65, you can claim that on your home, after 1 year and lock in the rate of tax, as long as you own it and it's your primary residence. 10 acres or more & you can be Ag exempt on property tax...qualification varies by County. In Burnet County, where we live, horses do not qualify, but feeding the wildlife does & that's what we do! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted November 22, 2018 This is good you guys as we too are looking around as to where to winter and travel far and wide north as the weather fades into spring and summer. We liked the hill country last year when we went to Fredericksburg and property did not appear to be all that expensive. Carl, Wayne what is the tax rate for residential under ten acres. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 1 hour ago, rsbilledwards said: Carl, Wayne what is the tax rate for residential under ten acres. There is so much variation it would be easier to go to the county website and see what it is. When you are looking at land, try not to give up the mineral rights. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Depend on City, County & Location X3! The closer you are to a big city or beach, the more you pay...biggest bite is school tax, second is "City Improvement". Linda has 9 rent houses in Burnet City...her tax bill went up 50% this year, but value of house & property only increased by 2%! We call that city council greed. The Hill Country is now a bedroom community of Austin & displaced Kalifornians, who forgot, why they moved to begin with! Sell a house in Kalifornia and buy 1,000 ac. in Texas and run for city council & raise taxes for "improvements", that we don't need. As WBill said...X2! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Bill, See if this helps: Tax Calculator Texas has some of the highest property tax rates in the country. Really depends where you are. Also there are "discounts" for Seniors that are homesteading, disabled veterans, etc. It goes by County. I'll try and find my last years paper work (which means I'll ask Earlene to find it) and give you some other numbers. Also, once you reach 65 yeas of age you qualify for other benefits. Here is some other information: Property Tax Burden for seniors No income tax though. Sales tax on items purchases is 8.25%. It has been reported that those states without an income tax seem to have the most growth. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wolfe10 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Since Texas has no income tax, yes property taxes are higher. But, one really needs to look at the NET tax burden, not just one source. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Absolutely, and by county and city where one wants to reside. Varies a lot. The tax calculator I posted gives a good indication of what property taxes will be for an area. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rayin Report post Posted November 22, 2018 A friend lived a few miles North of Van, TX. He really liked the area, however it's not close to shopping. My first visit, I was surprised to see an oil well in the front yard of the church. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Think of it two ways. First the church may get royalties and second the oil well was there first and the church bought the property without mineral rights. If the owner that sold the property retained the mineral rights he can put in an oil well. Heck, I married a Texan 'cause I thought all Texans had oil wells. Boy, was I mistaken. I don't know how I put up with her for 57 years. (That is my side of the story.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted November 22, 2018 2 hours ago, wayne77590 said: Bill, See if this helps: Tax Calculator Texas has some of the highest property tax rates in the country. Really depends where you are. Also there are "discounts" for Seniors that are homesteading, disabled veterans, etc. It goes by County. I'll try and find my last years paper work (which means I'll ask Earlene to find it) and give you some other numbers. Also, once you reach 65 yeas of age you qualify for other benefits. Here is some other information: Property Tax Burden for seniors No income tax though. Sales tax on items purchases is 8.25%. It has been reported that those states without an income tax seem to have the most growth. Wayne, I have already paid my property taxes in Johnson CO. I have a fairly good handle on it. Roland, would be the one that will have to learn the in and outs of the tax situation. Like I posted earlier it would be easier to go to the county they are interested in and get up todate information. One add on is when you get your appraisal you can always file an appeal to get it lowered. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
five Report post Posted November 22, 2018 Overall, the Texas tax system is better than most. In AR, we pay state income tax, sales tax 9.75% (11.625% else where), personal property tax, and my favorite, an ad valorem tax. On the latter tax, they charge a percentage of what your cars, truck, boats, RVs are worth....every year. When I retired from Uncle Sam's Army, my plan was to retire near a military base in a no tax state....I'm zero for two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted November 23, 2018 You also have to take into consideration of the price of the home...way lower than most other states! My house on Galveston Island, was built in 2006, it's 3,770 sq. ft. under roof, I pay (locked in) $4,247 per year in tax, on tax value of $263,000+! Appraised re sale value of $437,500. The Lot is 26,800 sq. ft. You can take a 5 minute walk to the beach! What would that cost on East or West Coast ? Tax? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rsbilledwards Report post Posted November 23, 2018 Carl, those taxes on the house of 263K is about 1/4 of mine and I pay $4,000 in Colorado, not locked in and no walk to the beach, nice mountain views and plenty of snow. I went to the calculator and holy cow! Colorado looks pretty good Sales Tax here 4.6, yup personal property tax on cars and trailers every year income tax...they get you commin or goin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
