America's Best Affordable Places to Retire

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Veniti trai-v-ar (probabil...) famelia la Romania sa vedeti raiu pe pamant. Cu o suta de parai o sa o vand si pe mama cat de curand. Daca vvrei un sclav poti sa-ti cumperi un pensionar/a, care pentru o sutica de europeni/luna iti spala vasele, face mancare, curatenie, latra prin curte, scutura corcodusu, culege tei din parc si altele.
Haida mo la Romania unde e raiu' pe pamant pentru barosanii cu pensie din strainezia. Daca esti pensionar de America si inca iti mai merge jucaria poti sa-ti cumperi un harem de babe pentru satisfacerea tuturor fanteziilor.
Hai ca va astept.
Pa.

conttest of IL 7:41AM July 02, 2010

To Dan Gonzalez,
Haha, I like the sentence "Taxi drivers should apply for NASCAR"

Tyler Durden of OH 12:08AM July 02, 2010

after living in China for a year found:
housing is expensive, Utlities are cheap.
Furniture, appliances, TV's were all 1/2 price US, plus they gave us free things
food is cheap,labor is cheap
medical is cheap and very good, so is medicine, massage, dental
transportation is cheap
parks are beautiful
everyone is friendly
liitle crime, the penalties are very harsh
Walmart, KFC, McDonalds, ate at a Mcdonalds once,that's enough, same as USA
I live in a small town of 400,000
Can get to a large city in by train for $4.50
Walk to the Supermarket, has everything, plus hardware, tools, 3 stories
Food is fresh at the restaurants, some you pick your dinner while it's swimming
Service is unbeliveable, a waitress watches your every move, need something?
Streets are clean, except for the older part of the city, which they are renovating.
Kids have lots of things to do
Small shops and street vendors sell the best vegetables, home grown
Taxi drivers should apply for NASCAR
Weather is good, 4 seasons, all mild changes
Live in an condo complex, gated with 17 security guards, underground parking.
pay $10.00 a month for maintenance fees
We have walkways, a waterfall and liliy ponds. Large trees, bushes and grass.
We have a Dog Bathroom outside.
There is always someone around to help with anything.
Language is difficult to learn, but it seems the help knows what I want all ready
My favorite restaurant costs $10.00, dinner for two
For an oppressed nation every one seems awfully happy
Teenagers are polite and dress in jeans and t-shirts, very clean
Haven't seen any grafitti
I don't like the big cities, Shanghai, Beijing are too big.
Shenzhen is great for a large city, rent is $125.00 a month, two bedroom.
Many tourist attractions, cost is low to get in and most include all the rides
Took several group tours, great fun, good food, nice hotels, no hurry
Can travel anywhere with your passport
There are some poor parts of town, the people are happy, they have an acre of land to provide their own food. I've seen a home with one light bulb and a sattelite dish hooked to a big screen TV.
There are some homeless on the streets, mostly older people. The Govt. does provide a pension if you had a job. None if you did not. Many people go through he trash and I've seen bikes loaded with recycled materials.
We sold all our boxes the appliances came in for $13 RMB or about $1.00 USD.
Didn't have to haul them away, they came, packed it up, paid and left. Nice couple, happy as could be.
There has to be something bad about this place, but I've been in China, for 2 1/2 years off and on, in several different locations and haven't found anything yet.
Except the water must be boiled to drink. Bought an appliance takes 2 minutes to boil water in the pitcher.
Must leave every 90 days and go to Singapore, walk through customs, stamp my passport and I'm good for another 90 days on a one year Visa. No big deal, Singapore is nice.

Dan Gonzalez of CO 11:58PM July 01, 2010

Dave and dennis
Arizona's intent and the laws on the illgal imigration issue is relevant. Your street level rational is not. Your rhetoric reflects how much you DO NOT KNOW about the realities and effects through out drained recources and growing unemployables.Just check the good paying job lists. Iliterate Gardeners and low labor force are not the meassure of success. Just a spreading refugee camp type survival. Beyond the hypocritical politicians and competing left-right media, It is a created sub-economy/spieces based on uneducated labor force. It is nation wide.
As for Retirement life overseas? ( for which is where I'm headed soon, again, (not to mexico), to stay). You need to do your homework. For few who wants it, Gated communities offer a perceived margin/imaged of security, NOT Isolation. Learning the local language is fun. Southern imigrants (especialy illegals) here are uneducated, don't even master their own language and do not even try to learn english, and remain isolated by choice. Our fault or their Goverments??? The opposite of that stay in their own country, may relocate legaly here and are assets, or tour and travel to Disney land.
As in the US, those who can pay more will live in more expensive/exclussive areas.Duh!! In any case.... One asimilates, enjoys, and becomes part of the country's culture. Simple and uncomplicated life style. Conversly, USA does not have a culture pass the scaming and strugling to make enough money ANYWAY you can.
An overseas retiree's leaves all of that and the attitude gets better and so is health. Your family will yern to visit you. As for economics? Do the math!!!A retiree is well ahead. Why are thousands hurrying to relocate?? Living overseas brings new friends and offers "New" afordable phase and adventure changes in a frustrated existence. California is THE example of a chaotic BROKE Existence. And geting worse. Have you aparently arrived at life's depressing nitch?
By the way..... Just how much variety and experience is your overseas knowledge/living and where? And why are you wanting to pay for family travel? Most folks (even retirees) from overseas, at least annualy, visit/tour highlights /monumets in the US and can't wait to get back and away from the BS. ASK!!
Sorry Pal!! Welcome to reality.

Carlos of AZ 6:21PM July 01, 2010

tHESE PLACES ARE ALL HORRIBLE!

fAYE rASTEGAR of CT 4:29PM July 01, 2010

For those of you who hate humidity and want to stay in the states, come to Merced in the heart of California.
The housing prices crashed a couple years ago. A house that once cost $400k is now going for under $100k! A retiree from the metropolitan areas of Calif or other US cities can retire here and enjoy the US medical care instead of some crappy third world doctor.
Merced is home to the UC Merced (new campus and growing), soon to have high speed rail to SF, Silicon Valley and LA.
The weather is great. Warm (but not humid) summers and mild winters (aka no snow). This is th center of the fruit basket of the USA. Fresh strawberries, grapes and nuts are just some of what is grown here.
I've been here 10 year and love it.

Dave of CA 4:18PM July 01, 2010

I am so tired of off the cuff remarks by intellectual midgets! It is refreshing to have someone tell the truth instead of ditto head slogans. It is appaling that the governer of Arizona makes blanket statemnts that are not only untrue but contradicted by the people who know better, federal immigration officials and the border patrol. OK, that is my rant let's get back to the subject. Retirement overseas is over rated. The price of homes, even in South America, are no better that many places in the U.S., don't move until you have lived there a month and are willing to be far from your families and friends.
Reality check, living in a gated community with other english speakers is not living in the a different culture, it is essentially the same as living in Arizona. The "low" costs are only partially valid, and unless you never want to leave, the cost of traveling back to the states, or the cost for your famly to visit you, has to be included, it is not in any estimates I have seen on this or any other site.
Dennis Hofer

Dennis Hofer of OR 3:40PM July 01, 2010

I don't understand why Ashevillle, NC would be on the top 10 I would have placed it on the bottom 10. I have lived here for years. All I see is taxes going up, Water bills increasing by 10% in less than 1 year. There is nothing here but the Bilitmore House and it is one of those things seen it once don't want to pay to see it again. There are alot of people moving from the Northern states and since they have hard retirment plans they have nothing but increase the prices of houses and so the middle class people can not even afford to buy a house or land. If I had it to do over again I would not have moved here in 1989.

vicki of NC 2:43PM July 01, 2010

Agree with Bob H, and stautz of TXhere - tired of it, too. Think we're tired of politicians; more so for me, those who VOTE NO.
(BTW Ann Arbor is not among the least expensive cities for anyone!)

Naturalized Texan of TX 2:41PM July 01, 2010

Just as one-issue voters are a problem in the electoral process, they are also a major nuisance and source of misinformation in otherwise fascinating nonpolitical discussions. If you really believe that illegal immigration is reducing your standard of living, that is your privilege, however contrary to the evidence your views might be. Unfortunately, too many of you feel the need to share your views with the rest of us against our will, in sites totally unrelated to immigration. This is really tiresome--as bad as the commercial spammers who sneak advertising into discussion threads like this. Please, if you must vent about your favorite political issue, save it for a discussion thread on that topic. By the way, the real economic studies (not by those with an axe to grind) show that those illegal immigrants are increasing our standard of living by working at illegally low wages in jobs legal residents won't accept, while continuing to pay taxes without the benefit of claiming most of the government benefits available to legal residents. It's exploitation, and we need immigration reform to stop it, but meanwhile, it gives the rest of us a free lunch on the backs of the illegal immigrants who dare not complain! And yes, I am an economist who has looked at the real data, not just the political propaganda. PLEASE stop trying to sell me a bogus product that I do not want!

BobH of IN 2:20PM July 01, 2010