riptides
Super Star Member
Yeah.. taxes, HOA and insurance.
Actually got us out of our old place into what we have now. And that was 20+ years ago.
Development creeps in no matter where one ends up. You can only hope it is tolerable.
Retirement home search started
- Thread starter gsganzer
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Actually got us out of our old place into what we have now. And that was 20+ years ago.
Development creeps in no matter where one ends up. You can only hope it is tolerable.
ultrarunner
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My brother has 65 acres in Christmas Trees… he lives there plus the old 1860 Barn, etc.
All around are million dollar plus homes but my brother is finding the opposite… the county does not want any changes to the 65 acres… even putting in ADU is problematic…
He is on septic and county said ADU requires sewer and sewer is on his property but county also says no to hooking up as it will encourage development and not preserve the open space green belt.
All around are million dollar plus homes but my brother is finding the opposite… the county does not want any changes to the 65 acres… even putting in ADU is problematic…
He is on septic and county said ADU requires sewer and sewer is on his property but county also says no to hooking up as it will encourage development and not preserve the open space green belt.
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dmccarty
Super Star Member
My parents wanted to move closer to us but the idea of packing up and moving was overwhelming for them. It would not have cost them that much to move with a moving company but the idea of moving was just too much. Just the idea of moving their stuff. The idea of *** us *** packing up and moving is not something I like to think about.
Finding new health care providers was also just too much for them. So they have stayed where they are which in many ways is the right decision.
The big problem is that I am a day away and simply can't help as I would like and have to do things remotely.
Duds13
Platinum Member
First place (2021 custom farmhouse) sounds awesome. If it's the listing I saw online, you should definitely buy it!The wife and I have officially started the search for our retirement home. I've lived in our current place since 1997, but the city has been constantly sprawling in our direction, annexing us into city limits about 15 years ago. Now I see them running utilities, water, hydrants, sewer along the highway up to our area. Ironically, I get high speed fiber installed tomorrow after recently installing Starlink to fix my internet woes. Rumors are that big developments are coming, and a new outer loop toll road will be breaking ground around 2028.
We've gone round and round on what and where we want to settle down. We were ready to purchase our friends 114 acre place in OK when it unexpectedly became available, but ultimately, we had issues with nearby solar farms and wrapping our heads about moving to OK. We've now decided we want to remain in N. TX and have scaled back on acreage to 20- 50 acres with a house and workshop. We're focusing on an area between Bowie and Muenster TX. It's a nice area with some rolling hills and vista's and often gets termed the "Hill Country of north TX, due to its Czech influence.
We looked at two places yesterday that were very close to one of our departed TBN brethren, Jimmy Inman's place in Sunset TX. One was a 2021 custom home built in the modern farmhouse style with some really nice features, including a dog washing station. I really liked all the attention that was made to the utilities, like buried electric line, buried propane tank, all downspouts piped away etc. The walk-in utility attic with the air handlers was impressive! It also had a nice outdoor kitchen and patio, although it faces west. We'll have to figure out something with shade tree's, shade sail to make it more enjoyable. You could tell there was attention to all the details though with tall, coffered ceilings, hand scraped wood floors, tile work, counter tops etc. Even the HVAC grills were fancy. I'm trying to figure out how a redneck like me with all my game animal mounts can make it work
The second place was a little older, but it had more acreage. It had some nice upgrades, but there were other things that still needed to get upgraded. The windows were all starting to lose their seals and need replaced, the bathrooms were outdated, and the recent kitchen remodel left something to be desired. We've scratched this one off our list.
So far, the modern farmhouse is our front runner. We're going to look at 2 more places this afternoon.
EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
My wife and I talk about moving every now and then. Tyler is growing, crime is increasing and the focus seems to be on ways to spend more tax money without addressing any of the basic issues. They want to build overpasses, build a light rail, and more Toll Roads, but nobody will time the lights, so they are not red at every intersection.
When I moved to Tyler, I liked that there where big hospitals there and several big stores to shop at. That has just increased, which has been good for growth and business. Now we do what we can to avoid going to Tyler if there is any other option.
Land values have gone crazy, but our biggest expense is the local Junior College Tax. It's insane how much of our property tax goes to them!!! If I could go back in time, I would have bought land in another county just to avoid that one tax.
If we ever moved, the new place would have to be less than half an hour from a grocery store. I also want to be close to a gas station. Currently there is one just a mile away, and a Dollar Store 2 miles away. Neither are great, but being so close has been very nice when we need something right away.
I have 68 acres right now and don't need that much. It's nice to have, but we rarely do anything on it. Just let the animals feed, and a few times a year I mow the pastures. It has plenty of wood for firewood, but overall, it's just land that sits there. I would want enough land that I don't have to see neighbors, or deal with what they are doing on their land.
For me, the location of the land would be the most important consideration. It's easy to build a new house. It's probably cheaper to build a new house the way you want it, then to buy one that needs massive changes. Ideally, we would find the perfect house on the perfect land before moving, but when I look on sites like Zillow, Realtor and Land.com, we haven't found anything we feel is worth the effort of selling, packing and starting all over again.
I think the biggest mistake people make is buying because they feel they have to move as soon as possible. I've worked for a lot of people who did this. They all said that they couldn't find what they wanted, and the place they bought was all that they could find. They also hated that house and the reason they hired me was to make it into something they didn't hate so much. It's a losing experience for them because they are dumping more money into something they don't like, and when it's all said and done, they still don't like the house.
For your retirement home, I would be super picky. I would not rush or feel any pressure to buy anything. I would pay attention to every red flag and make a big deal of everything that bothers me. In my opinion, the more time you spend looking, the more places you look at, the better your odds are of finding that perfect place for you that you will be happy with the rest of your life.
I know your reason for choosing that area of Texas, and it makes a lot of sense for you to move there. For me, I think that if we moved, it would be to another state. Texas has been great to us, but it's also become too popular for the rest of the country, and I think there are other states that have more to offer for less money.
When I moved to Tyler, I liked that there where big hospitals there and several big stores to shop at. That has just increased, which has been good for growth and business. Now we do what we can to avoid going to Tyler if there is any other option.
Land values have gone crazy, but our biggest expense is the local Junior College Tax. It's insane how much of our property tax goes to them!!! If I could go back in time, I would have bought land in another county just to avoid that one tax.
If we ever moved, the new place would have to be less than half an hour from a grocery store. I also want to be close to a gas station. Currently there is one just a mile away, and a Dollar Store 2 miles away. Neither are great, but being so close has been very nice when we need something right away.
I have 68 acres right now and don't need that much. It's nice to have, but we rarely do anything on it. Just let the animals feed, and a few times a year I mow the pastures. It has plenty of wood for firewood, but overall, it's just land that sits there. I would want enough land that I don't have to see neighbors, or deal with what they are doing on their land.
For me, the location of the land would be the most important consideration. It's easy to build a new house. It's probably cheaper to build a new house the way you want it, then to buy one that needs massive changes. Ideally, we would find the perfect house on the perfect land before moving, but when I look on sites like Zillow, Realtor and Land.com, we haven't found anything we feel is worth the effort of selling, packing and starting all over again.
I think the biggest mistake people make is buying because they feel they have to move as soon as possible. I've worked for a lot of people who did this. They all said that they couldn't find what they wanted, and the place they bought was all that they could find. They also hated that house and the reason they hired me was to make it into something they didn't hate so much. It's a losing experience for them because they are dumping more money into something they don't like, and when it's all said and done, they still don't like the house.
For your retirement home, I would be super picky. I would not rush or feel any pressure to buy anything. I would pay attention to every red flag and make a big deal of everything that bothers me. In my opinion, the more time you spend looking, the more places you look at, the better your odds are of finding that perfect place for you that you will be happy with the rest of your life.
I know your reason for choosing that area of Texas, and it makes a lot of sense for you to move there. For me, I think that if we moved, it would be to another state. Texas has been great to us, but it's also become too popular for the rest of the country, and I think there are other states that have more to offer for less money.
riptides
Super Star Member
I still harbor bad feelings about my parents and in-laws regarding their stuff.
Neither addressed their collections of stuff. It left bad feelings between some family members in addition to lost time and money on others.
Part of any home search should include the right sizing/downsizing aspect of the stage of life and the property itself.
ultrarunner
Epic Contributor
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- Cat D3, Deere 110 TLB, Kubota BX23 and L3800 and RTV900 with restored 1948 Deere M, 1949 Farmall Cub, 1953 Ford Jubliee and 1957 Ford 740 Row Crop, Craftsman Mower, Deere 350C Dozer 50 assorted vehicles from 1905 to 2006
My good friends were angry at her parents for not downsizing and leaving a “mess” to sort when the parents both passed within months of each other…
I was hard on her and said nothing says you can’t walk away or call the realtor to handle it…
My brother gets several of these listings every year and he does it all and the heirs get a check.
Often the heirs are distant or unable to travel or overseas.
Just did one where the son is in England… made one visit and turned everything over to my brother and was very pleased with the result…
I was hard on her and said nothing says you can’t walk away or call the realtor to handle it…
My brother gets several of these listings every year and he does it all and the heirs get a check.
Often the heirs are distant or unable to travel or overseas.
Just did one where the son is in England… made one visit and turned everything over to my brother and was very pleased with the result…
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OP
gsganzer
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The great thing is we don't need to be in a hurry to sell our existing place. Right now, we've listed our back property (3.3 acres) at the full price of what it could sell for. We've received one offer, lower than we'd like and we rejected. Once we find our new place, we'll more appropriately price our back property.
This move is our opportunity to purge all of the stuff we don't need. My wife and I still need to sell some stuff from our parents' estates, as well as stuff we've accumulated over the years. I have a lot of other stuff, tools and such that I can also start purging.
If we decide to go with the modern farmhouse, then we'll convert part of the 40' x 50' shop to a finished recreation room for all my game mounts, complete with a pool table and bar.
This move is our opportunity to purge all of the stuff we don't need. My wife and I still need to sell some stuff from our parents' estates, as well as stuff we've accumulated over the years. I have a lot of other stuff, tools and such that I can also start purging.
If we decide to go with the modern farmhouse, then we'll convert part of the 40' x 50' shop to a finished recreation room for all my game mounts, complete with a pool table and bar.
WM75Guy
Elite Member
Good luck on your search. We toyed with the idea of moving closer to the kids and grandkids in Fort Worth. But after looking at property values there and realizing that about the time we move up there, they could be moving due to career changes, we decided to stay where we are and do upgrades to our property. Last big project is to put HVAC in the stained-glass shop building before it gets cold. Her workshop and the office already have HVAC but the main part where I do my work doesn't.
OP
gsganzer
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- Denton, TX
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- L3800 w/FEL and BH77, BX 2200 w/FEL and MMM
We made a cash offer on the modern farmhouse, but I don't think we're the only bidders. We'll see where this road takes us. This part of the ride is stressful!
