Time out from the ’Killing America’ series. I’m not finished yet, but it might be time to give some advice, or at least make a few of you think about alternative life styles.
With the financial meltdown, and other things gone awry in America, mightn’t it be wise to consider where you live? No, I’m not a member of the chamber of commerce where I live, but I do think that a few of you out there, who have incomes from pensions or other sources, might want to consider if your current place of abode is the best possible place to live. Where I live, in a town of 17,000 in Western Colorado, there are no severe seasons, either winter or summer. In winters, the temperature rarely goes below 15 above and in summers, rarely above 95, and this is with 15% humidity. We have 300 days of sunshine a year, are close to excellent fishing and skiing, have few racial minorities, and taxes are low.
Two of my clients and families have moved here, and we have become really close. One came from New Jersey, where their property taxes were over $10,000 a year, high crime, high humidity, political corruption, nasty winters, etc. He bought a virtually perfect, large home for $215,000, and his property taxes are $800 a year The other came from Wisconsin with all the mosquitoes, floods, humidity, high taxes, etc, and bought a lovely home for $155,000. Both homes have large garages, large yards, and are a pleasure.
Doesn’t a thousand bucks a month in property taxes appeal to you? How about low humidity and lots of sunshine? How about not living with crime, criminals, big city politics, and all that goes with a big city? How about $1,000 a year in heat savings? You say that you are near your kids? Fine, let them visit you, and with all the tax savings, you could probably buy their tickets. If you need to work, forget it here. This is the home of the minimum wage. We have all the major stores here, such as J C Penney, Target, super Walmart, plus all the chain restaurants, and a few really good independents. We have two rivers and lots of water. Call me, and I’ll put you in touch with a realtor.
I do believe that with all the layoffs, and other things going wrong in America, that life in a big city might prove perilous eventually. Why not get rid of humidity, floods, earthquakes, tornados, hurricanes, fires, and eventual riots? Most of the prophets, be they good or bad, all say that the “Four Corners” area is the safest place to be, which is the area in which I live. I am 30 miles from three 14,000ers, which means mountains over 14,000 feet in elevation, and they are a source of continual pleasure, looking at them from any place in town. They have started to get their winter coat of snow, while we have about 10 inches all winter. Don’t want to move to Colorado? Fine, make it somewhere else, but get out of high taxes, high humidity, miserable winters, miserable summers, high crime, and possible future turmoil.
One fellow I know here, has just completed a 2480 square foot home, with huge, oversize garage, doggie bath, safe, central vac, irrigation, etc, and he’s asking $170 per square foot for it. All I ask is that it might be a wise thing for you to consider not only protecting yourself with gold and silver, but also where you live. While Houston’s disaster might not be common, all the refugees from New Orleans has made is a bad place in some ways, plus the foul air, traffic, and utter crowding. We don’t have a single parking meter here, nor freeway, public housing project, or graffiti problem. Florida might be warmer than here in winters, but summers with the humidity, hurricanes, and traffic? Not me. High taxes, high humidity, high crime, northeast big cities? Not for me any more. Just think about changing where you live…for your own benefit…is all I can say. I wouldn’t profit a dime, but you might like us here in Western Colorado, where we think God Lives. It is said that a huge percentage of people are born and die within 50 miles of the same place. Not me. I am an easterner, and wouldn’t move back there for all the tea in China. Yuk!