Community Chat

[LilacTree]

Lotus, my response was a general one, it was not directed at you personally.  I apologize if you took it that way.

[novamc1]

This area isn't near the coast and I have no desire to get near any type of hurricane, volcano, landslide, wildfire or flood zone, but there are multiple communities for the over-55 folks in the Alpharetta, GA, area that have been recommended to me, both by a family  member and the Realtor I've been in touch with down there.  Each of the communities has "Orchards" in its name--gated, close to amenities, etc.

I'm beginning to shop around in the Roswell/Alpharetta area to get closer to my son, his wife and daughter who live in Marietta, GA., and my husband would love to get back to his home state now that he's retired.

I don't think any of the Orchards communities have homes large enough to suit me after living almost my whole life in  larger ones, but they do sound ideal for someone looking for a place to relocate which would have a sense of community, low maintenance and other benefits.  I'm not ruling them out, however.

Georgia has some benefits for retirees in terms of taxation.  Might be worth investigating.

If anyone from Georgia wants to share anything they know about that area of the state, would love to hear ideas and opinions.

[riley1]

@LilacTree - Some of us have to move because we can't afford the $12,000 taxes on a fixed income

[Snoopp]

Don't forget to think about how far you want to be from a good hospital and healthcare.  Lakefront living might give you more options than the shoreline.

[lulu2]

---

@riley1 wrote:

@LilacTree - Some of us have to move because we can't afford the $12,000 taxes on a fixed income

---

Those sound like NJ taxes!

[Laura14]

---

@novamc1 wrote:

This area isn't near the coast and I have no desire to get near any type of hurricane, volcano, landslide, wildfire or flood zone, but there are multiple communities for the over-55 folks in the Alpharetta, GA, area that have been recommended to me, both by a family  member and the Realtor I've been in touch with down there.  Each of the communities has "Orchards" in its name--gated, close to amenities, etc.

I'm beginning to shop around in the Roswell/Alpharetta area to get closer to my son, his wife and daughter who live in Marietta, GA., and my husband would love to get back to his home state now that he's retired.

I don't think any of the Orchards communities have homes large enough to suit me after living almost my whole life in  larger ones, but they do sound ideal for someone looking for a place to relocate which would have a sense of community, low maintenance and other benefits.  I'm not ruling them out, however.

Georgia has some benefits for retirees in terms of taxation.  Might be worth investigating.

If anyone from Georgia wants to share anything they know about that area of the state, would love to hear ideas and opinions.

---

@novamc1I live not far from Alpharetta.  Can't speak to the 55+ communities but Alpharetta is an upper class well established part of Forsyth county.  If you want a large home, you'll definitely find one there probably around a golf course community.  Windermere in Cumming and Olde Atlanta are two such communities.  I know Windermere has a retirement subdivision but probably not of the home scale you are requesting.  

Your main artery to downtown Atlanta is 400 which is always a mess but then everywhere in Atlanta even this far north is a traffic nightmare.  Very nice part of the northern suburbs but you'll never go anywhere quickly if that's important to you.

[riley1]

@lulu2 - you got it!!!

[lulu2]

---

@riley1 wrote:

@lulu2 - you got it!!!

---

My sister lives in AZ. (Sedona) Her annual property taxes are about 1/2 our quarterly taxes.

I NJ!

[riley1]

@lulu2 - I am and will always be a Jersey Girl - I miss my GFs and going into the city or even down the shore - it just became an unaffordable place to live - the other smack you get is when you sell your home you have to pay an exit fee - don't know if they are still doing this but I had to pay it. 

[CJC]

When the time is right for your move, you may want to check out our small town of Aiken SC.  We are near Augusta GA where the Masters golf tournament is played every spring.  Aiken is about a 3 hour drive inland from Hilton Head.  We are, for the most part, a town of SC natives and retirees from other states.  Many of our retirees are from the northeast, especially New York and New Jersey.  Aiken's two premier retirement communities are Woodside Plantation (gated) and Cedar Creek (not gated).  Neither is age restricted, but both are heavily populated with retirees.  Aiken offers golf, culture, decent medical care, a quaint downtown area, and friendly folks.  We do not have malls; shopping is very limited.  We do not have good employment opportunities.  Summers are hot and very humid; winters are mild and glorious.  We do not have the traffic congestion and high prices found along the coastal resort areas.  Cost of living is very low, which is why so many retirees are able to use the profits from the sale of their northeastern homes to build large luxurious homes here in Aiken at minimal cost.  Good luck in your search.  

.

.