BEST LIFESTYLE SKI AREA TO RETIRE?

Aspen is really nice.  Great skiing, lot's of activities, ton's of restaurants and taxes are low.

Acreage in close is very expensive, but once you get past Basalt, it drops quickly.

I live in the area, so I'm biased, but Sandpoint, ID, area is nice.  Property taxes are quite low, and land/housing is about as affordable as it gets in a western mountain area.  Skiing is nice locally, and a lot of less well-known options are nearby.  Plus, the summer season is as popular here as winter with the heavily forested mountains, rivers, and very large lakes for watersports.

Spokane/Coeur d'Alene are close for airport and more specialized needs.

Whitefish, MT, is also a cool little town with many of the same appealing traits, and the larger town of Kalispell is nearby.  

Of your choices, my past research found Jackson to be really expensive for housing.  Bozeman area would be much less.

See this thread: http://www.epicski.com/t/102824/help-me-make-a-big-choice

or this one: http://www.epicski.com/t/110893/winter-retirement-home-steamboat-vs-park-city-or-maybe-whistler-or

You should retire where you want to live, not where you want to ski.  Face it, whatever your magic number is - 60, 65, or 70 - you will ski less and get involved in other things as you age.  So, you should pick a place that has other things that you are looking for.  There are always exceptions but most skiers who are 70 do not ski 100 days per year from first chair to last. 

You mentioned Big Sky, Jackson, and acreage.  I have to assume you have millions you want to spend because that is what it will cost in those areas if you add acreage to the tab.  Also, have you ever spent an entire winter in either Wyoming or Montana?  If not, you should before you put your money down.  Bozeman and Pinedale are in the vicinity of the resorts you mentioned and much more reasonable.  A lot of acreage in the west does not have utilities - like water, natural gas, electricity, etc.  Adding those things have to be factored into the costs.  You may have to drill a water well and install a septic system.  It is hard to forecast because you didn't define what you mean by acreage. 

I retired to a place with reasonable taxes, decent health care, reasonably mild winters (an all around great 4-season climate), great skiing 15 miles away, interesting culture, 2 hours from a major airport, a nice home with acreage, and the list goes on and on.  I can ski as much as I want with my pass for 70 days per season.   

I suggest you talk to other retirees who have a retirement portfolio similar to yours, and not to anybody who is 20 years from retirement.  It would seem that over the years you would have found a location you find appealing.  Focus on that.

Bend Oregon, no state sales tax, property values are low right now and it is a fantastic place for an outdoor enthusiast.  It is high on our list.

What taxes are you trying to get away from?  Every state has taxes, it's just how they collect them.  Oregon doesn't have a sales tax, but it has an income tax and property taxes.  Washington doesn't have an income tax, but it has a high sales and property tax.  The list goes on.

What "lifestyle" are you looking for?  I'm retired but I couldn't stand to live in a place far from others.  I have things to do that require a community close at hand.  Have you ever lived on a big piece of land out in the country?  I have, and I don't like it, though I always have thought of myself as a country boy.  Find out what truly turns your crank before dropping a bunch of money, time and effort on something.  There are plenty of places that are close to skiing that could fill the bill depending on what else you want in your life.

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Originally Posted by Posaune 

What taxes are you trying to get away from?  Every state has taxes, it's just how they collect them.  Oregon doesn't have a sales tax, but it has an income tax and property taxes.  Washington doesn't have an income tax, but it has a high sales and property tax.  The list goes on.

^^^  This.  I researched several places before relocating here, and I found most have similar overall tax burdens....when all forms of taxation are considered.

Local and state governments will get their funding one way or another....and I say that as an avowed bleeding-heart liberal who is "supposed" to love taxes!

I had the misfortune of living in Texas for too long a time, and everyone bragged about how they did not have a state income tax.  What they omit is the wickedly high property taxes (about 4 times higher than where I live now) and the high (8-9% depending on locality) sales taxes.  Excise taxes weren't particularly low, either.

Like Posaune said, be sure to look at the tax burden from ALL sources that would be applicable to you.

Montana has no sales tax; however, Whitefish and some other towns have a resort tax (whoa, 2%).  Our property taxes for 5 acres here are about 60% of what our property taxes were FOR A TOWNHOUSE in NJ (and NJ at the time had 7% sales tax as well).  However, we have our own septic and well (but no water bill) and we must have satellite for TV (no cable).  We also use propane and wood to heat the house and we pay for snow removal as the county doesn't plow the private road we live off.  Electricity is far cheaper here as we have hydroelectric power in the area.  Food costs are higher, gas could be higher or lower than elsewhere, it changes relative to other areas all the time.  Building costs per square foot are higher than the south, about the same as when we left NJ.  

As for being too old to ski?  I'm 60 and expect to hit over 75 days this year.  Most of the people on the high vert list are seniors or close to it.  Some are "super seniors".  A friend back east who is 89 is still skiing and there used to be a couple here all the time who would enter the locker room using crutches and then change to their ski boots and head out, so you can be pretty darn old and still ski.  

And I'd say I'm sort of "out in the country".  The mail box is a mile down the road, I have lumber company land to the east, an empty 10 acre lot to the south, and neighbors who I can't see from my house to the north and west.  Just beyond the western neighbors is more lumber company land.  However the ski area is 18 minutes from the house in winter, the town about 10 minutes, the airport about 25-30 minutes.  Box stores about 25 minutes.  People in the Safeway know each other and I've seen one woman I know once shopping in her bed room slippers.  Depends on what you like.  I feel we have given up NOTHING but stress.  There are fantastic restaurants, theater, art galleries, Glacier National Park, plenty of lakes, and golf if you like it.  

The "down side"?  Whitefish as a ski area has fog.  Big Sky (pricier for everyday living) does not.  If fog deters you, go elsewhere.  Personally, I prefer it, it helps the snow quality last longer.  We've had far too many sunny days this week for my taste.  

Hi roadrash.. also considering Bend for retirement.. have heard lots of positives.... looking for the down side of Bend... heard any? 

I haven't been to Whitefish yet (it's on my list); I have been to Bend and Sandpoint and could easily relocate to either one.   And I'm "only" 49. 

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Originally Posted by DesiredUsername 

I haven't been to Whitefish yet (it's on my list); I have been to Bend and Sandpoint and could easily relocate to either one.   And I'm "only" 49. 

 

 

My thoughts exactly, except that I would favour Sandpoint because of Schweitzer Mt. and the near by lake and it is also close to Whitefish, and Whitewater and Red in B.C.

Whitefish Lake in summer:

Glacier National Park:

Whitefish Ski area:

Flathead Lake:

And...if you like it....golf:

Quote:

Originally Posted by DesiredUsername 

I haven't been to Whitefish yet (it's on my list); I have been to Bend and Sandpoint and could easily relocate to either one.   And I'm "only" 49. 

 

 

I checked out Bend a few years before relocating to CO- quite a few positives with the only negative that I recalled being an over-crowding in the schools (and possibly some strain on municipal services)...an issue for me, but perhaps not for you.  They have about a 9 month golf season, lots of sun and skiing 20 minutes away.  I only did one day at Bachelor, so I will leave comments to others.  I liked the area around downtown- several different neighborhoods to choose from, but recall that they have some retirement developments nearby.

Not sure of home prices there currently- they had had a sharp move up prior to when we were looking with an influx of population growth, but had seemed to peak a bit before the rest of the country and were heading down when I visited in 05 or 06.

If you are looking at Colorado Springs, get a few miles north to the Tri-Lakes area over 7k feet elevation.  It is a micro-climate akin to being in the mountains, summers rarely hit 90 degrees and you can find treed acreage shockingly well priced for the proximity to the urban corridor.

It is a really fantastic area if you want some space in a mountain climate but prefer a community and access to urban resources.  Out the door access to some beautiful open spaces, and surrounded by protected land to the south in Douglas County.  Not the same as living in a resort, but that may well be the point you are considering?

Another location is Carson City, Nevada area. Climate is high desert (14 inches of snow/year), Reno is about 40 miles north with a population of 500,000 which means decent medical and airport. Lake Tahoe is right there and San Francisco is 4-5 hours away. There is no income tax in Nevada.

Quote:

Originally Posted by x10003q 

Another location is Carson City, Nevada area. Climate is high desert (14 inches of snow/year), Reno is about 40 miles north with a population of 500,000 which means decent medical and airport. Lake Tahoe is right there and San Francisco is 4-5 hours away. There is no income tax in Nevada.

 

yup, for acreage in Tahoe, that is the best area to look.  A bit more limited for a full choice of Tahoe resorts though, realistically Heavenly is the only close option (but not a bad option at that!)

Sandpoint is a great town.  Schweitzer is a really good mountain, and the lake is magnificent.  Take a look at Coeur d'Alene while you are in that area.  Many of the same features as Sandpoint but a lot closer to city stuff when you want.  A few more people but a great place to live, and there is land around to be had.

Down sides you are an extra hour away from Whitewater.

Article about retiring to Montana:  http://www.smartmoney.com/retirement/planning/retire-here-not-there-montana-1331770529246/#printMode

I assume you are talking to me??? From this thread from several months ago.

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Originally Posted by Aformerangel 

So I assume you are in Whitefish?

yes

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Originally Posted by Aformerangel 

Wow!

That is a nice group of pictures.   How is the social life, if any??  How big is Whtefish??

Biking/kiking...etc..

Are you talking about the Local's Guide or the pictures in the article?

Whitefish proper (i.e., within the city limits) has roughly 7000 people.  However the school district and the postal code is considerably larger, say double that figure.

Social life for people in your age bracket, out of ski season, would primarily be sports-related stuff.  There are dedicated bike routes around the town, and mountain biking pretty much any direction.  Golf, boating, hiking, hunting, fishing, biking, you name it, is right here.  Glacier National Park is at our door step.  In fact, due to Glacier, the town is actually more of a SUMMER destination.  Winter is in fact the "second season".  

Real estate is quite reasonable compared to most ski areas.  In fact, right now there are bargains galore.  I know a rich couple who are buying left and right because they are seeing so many deals and think things are about to turn around.  So, now each kid has their own house.  Yeah, dad may kick them out of the house in a year or two, but in the meantime they've got great places to live. ..

A house near me was just taken off the market after being listed since Dec 2010.  It came down a third in price while it was listed and still didn't sell.  There are bargains out there.  

That's great!   I've heard many folks in Summit county state the old adage of "vacation for winter but stay for the summer" related to mountains......

what happened to the boat?  A real community, you can live where you can walk down to shops and restaurants and be 5 minutes to the resort and minutes to world class BC. 30 minutes to Hayden airport, 3 to Denver, close enough but far enough if you know what I mean. Summer activities are amazing. World class medical care and one of the top rated school systems too.  Ok we don't have a "mall" and we do have the worlds smallest Walmart but that's a good thing.  UPS and FEDEX deliver here.....  

^^^^ I don't know about Steamboat.  I hear the ski house driveways there are impassabile without a snow cat in the winter

Nice to see a few votes for Bend thrown out there. Not usually thought of as a ski town, but if there's a better place to live near a major ski area plus all the other amenities they have, than I haven't found it yet.

I was surprised to learn that Bend has a population of 80k, up from 20k just 10 or12 years ago. Also surprised to learn that although the storms blow in unimpeded from the coast, Mt. Bachelor and surrounding area is considered high desert with dry snow.
 

I remember seeing the sign that said the population was 80k. That surprised me. It sure doesn't seem like anywhere near that to me. Unless a lot of the population is made up of part time residents who claim it as their primary residence to gain some kind of tax benefits. But I don't know that for sure.

Although I said that real estate prices are reasonable here...  I just have to post about this fiasco.  They built this house practically UNDER the lift and the sound system for the terrain park there (did they visit in summer???) has been an issue on and off through the years.  Reduced from $20 million.  http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/307-Northern-Lights-Blvd-Whitefish-MT-59937/2136877348_zpid/

Might be good as a commercial enterprise or corporate retreat, but seriously, what person with that kind of money wants their place available for gawking???