Florida to NH ????

[Jeanzb1]

We are very seriously thinking and talking about selling our Florida home and moving permanently to NH. Some people think we're crazy to trade 80 degrees in January for ice and snow, but we miss New England and all four seasons. So please share with us what expenses we can expect to incur once we are NH residents. I know there is no income tax, but there is a tax on dividend and interest income, and I know about the high real estate taxes, but what else are we overlooking? THANK YOU!

[8gv]

Meals tax...9%.

No Sonny's BBQ.

Maybe downsize FL and go there for only the coldest months?

[Mr. V]

Rural NH lacks the quality health care available to retirees in metro Fla.

[itchin for fishin]

Originally Posted by Mr. V

Rural NH lacks the quality health care available to retirees in metro Fla.

Unless you are by Jacksonville with Mayo, could not disagree more. You are 2 hours away from some of the finest healthcare in the world with Boston hospitals.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by itchin for fishin

Unless you are by Jacksonville with Mayo, could not disagree more. You are 2 hours away from some of the finest healthcare in the world with Boston hospitals.

US News & World Report magazine does an annual study of "The Best 100 US Hospitals". What didn't impress me was the extreme shuffling of different hospitals in that list from year to year. While Boston was represented adequately, some dropped off the list entirely.



Maybe they should have gone with "The Best Ten US Hospitals".

Originally Posted by Jeanzb1

You cannot beat the beauty and charm of New England!

A realtor friend of 20 years is retiring from Wolfeboro to the Caribbean's St. Croix. ​

Go figure.

[Jeanzb1]

ApS: I agree that there are MANY gorgeous places on our planet. We have been to the majority of the Caribbean islands, and while we certainly do enjoy the turquoise water and the soft sand beaches, we still cannot help but feel that New England is where we want to call "home." It's beautiful; it's charming; it's very unique; it's very special.

[no-engine]

any more than a one level single family home would be horrible.

[Lakesrider]

Well you could just stay in Florida with the Cockroaches, hurricanes, Sink holes, torrential rain storms just about every afternoon, Cuban exiles, Alligators, Snakes, huge mosquitoes, humidity, blue haired old slow poke drivers in Caddy's and Buicks, Flat, dull land, Swamps, and Sink Holes, just to name a few things...Or Come up to NH and deal with cold and snow, and The Lobster Pound... etc.....Your choice.

[JasonG]

Looks like we may be in the same boat, too. We moved to the Gulf Coast of FL 3 years ago and may be moving back to NH soon.

[Newbiesaukee]

I have no skin in this game, but you use a pretty broad brush characterizing all of Florida, the length of which is roughly the distance from D.C. to Portland, Me.It isn't that there isn't some reality in your comments, but each pertains to different areas of the state. And, for the record, in the dry season...roughly October-April, there aren't "torrential rain storms just about every afternoon."

[Lakesrider]

Well Here is my vacation in Sebastian, FL last October......Yep. Pretty dry.

http://s40.photobucket.com/user/midg...ba6e8.mp4.html

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

Well you could just stay in Florida with the Cockroaches, hurricanes, Sink holes, torrential rain storms just about every afternoon, Cuban exiles, Alligators, Snakes, huge mosquitoes, humidity, blue haired old slow poke drivers in Caddy's and Buicks, Flat, dull land, Swamps, and Sink Holes, just to name a few things...Or Come up to NH and deal with cold and snow, and The Lobster Pound... etc.....Your choice.

How about sunshine almost every day, boat in your back yard to cruise to the beautiful gulf beaches, fresh oj from your own trees, beautiful sunsets from your 80 degree pool and a beautiful ocean breeze.
Must admit......I'm talking about winter months. I'll still take spring, summer and fall right here in good ol' NH

[Smokienorm]

My wife and I moved to Gilford (pop. 7,000) last year after spending the last 40 years in South Florida. I was born and raised in Tampa. Although we had been coming to the Lakes Region for about 30 years, and owned a vacation condo on the big Lake for 8 years, we finally broke the chains with Florida and moved here permanently into a house in Gunstock Acres with a great view of the Lake. Yes, the property taxes are high, and yes there is a tax on dividends and interest income, and a sales tax on restaurant meals and hotel rooms, but . . . no general sales tax, no personal income tax, no estate tax, and all of our insurance costs dropped significantly (auto, homeowners, medigap, etc.). The NH people are generally much more pleasant, and the drivers (at least those with NH plates) are much more courteous than those in Florida. Construction and renovation costs for highly qualified and skilled workers who actually show up when they promise to do so are much more reasonable than in Florida. NH has a much longer and more distinguished history pre-dating the Revolutionary War, and there are numerous interesting places to visit in the state. As far as healthcare, we had heard the stories generally trashing the quality in the Lakes Region, but we have actually found a good number of excellent specialists and I have had excellent care with surgeries at Concord Hospital and Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon. We hired someone to plow our driveway and we bought a snow blower to do the edges, and this is our second full winter here. As far as I am concerned, I never want to leave New Hampshire.

[wickedtravelah]

Originally Posted by Smokienorm

My wife and I moved to Gilford (pop. 7,000) last year after spending the last 40 years in South Florida. I was born and raised in Tampa. Although we had been coming to the Lakes Region for about 30 years, and owned a vacation condo on the big Lake for 8 years, we finally broke the chains with Florida and moved here permanently into a house in Gunstock Acres with a great view of the Lake. Yes, the property taxes are high, and yes there is a tax on dividends and interest income, and a sales tax on restaurant meals and hotel rooms, but . . . no general sales tax, no personal income tax, no estate tax, and all of our insurance costs dropped significantly (auto, homeowners, medigap, etc.). The NH people are generally much more pleasant, and the drivers (at least those with NH plates) are much more courteous than those in Florida. Construction and renovation costs for highly qualified and skilled workers who actually show up when they promise to do so are much more reasonable than in Florida. NH has a much longer and more distinguished history pre-dating the Revolutionary War, and there are numerous interesting places to visit in the state. As far as healthcare, we had heard the stories generally trashing the quality in the Lakes Region, but we have actually found a good number of excellent specialists and I have had excellent care with surgeries at Concord Hospital and Dartmouth-Hitchcock in Lebanon. We hired someone to plow our driveway and we bought a snow blower to do the edges, and this is our second full winter here. As far as I am concerned, I never want to leave New Hampshire.

Very well stated & accurate!

[Diver Vince]

A realtor friend of 20 years is retiring from Wolfeboro to the Caribbean's St. Croix. ​

Go figure.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm. I spent many years on St Croix and sold in the mid to late 80's never to return again. The reason; the escalating crime rate. I say good luck to your realtor friend. Once you rub away the initial veneer of the mountains and blue Caribbean, sometimes what you find is not so nice. Oh, believe it or not, there is such a thing as "island fever" which is why I'd never permanently move to any island in the Carib.

[Belmont Resident]

A month for home heating oil
Wouldn't trade NE for anywhere else on the East coast.
Now if we could only get some big snowstorms to make it a real winter

[songkrai]

You don't state your general ages.

If you qualify for membership in AARP then you should really give all some serious considerations.

It is frigid cold here for about 10 weeks. You have to shovel the snow. Or work a snowthrower. Pay to have driveway plowed or do yourself.

Ice is a big issue. Whether walking or driving.
Myself - I fall down at least once per winter. Ice under snow. Walking in a dark area. Or just not paying very very close attention to ground.

Every snow storm there is at least one car accident in my town. Sometimes more. Usually when snow storm begins before all plows/salt/sand is put down. People either going too fast or tires on cars are worn. AWD or 4WD does little help on ice.

Depending on where your choose to live - shopping can be a real chore.

Home maintenance can cost much more here. Wood homes with asphalt shingles. Seems to be either painting the home or replacing the roof.
Depending on age of home heating costs can be quite high.

Social activities can be limited. Of course, there are church activities, civic organizations, and volunteer activities to keep busy.

Do you have family here?

Can you afford one home here and one in Florida?

If I had been living in Florida for many years - I would not pack up and leave for cold climates. Just because I had some romantic views of New England.

Possibly do a winter rental for one winter. There are many homes in the Lakes Region that have reasonable and seasonal rents from September to May. Try it out first.

[Rusty]

Auto Inspection.

All New Hampshire registered vehicles require a safety inspection to be conducted within ten (10) days of the registration. After the initial inspection, registered vehicles must be re-inspected every year, no later than ten (10) days after the end of the owner's birth month.

Below is a list of items which are included in the general inspection process:

•Registration, plates, registration certificate and vehicle identification number.
•Steering, front end and suspension.
•Brakes, including parking brake.
•Odometer and speedometer.
•Electrical system, horn and defroster.
•Lights and reflectors, including headlight aim.
•Glass, glazing and mirrors.
•Wipers.
•Exhaust system.
•On-board diagnostics system. Vehicles with a model year 1996 or newer must have an On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) test as part of the inspection process. On-Board Diagnostics is a computer-based system built into all 1996 and newer light-duty passenger vehicles to monitor the performance of some of the engine's major components, including emission control components. The OBD system helps the motorist know if their vehicle has a defect that could cause excess pollution.
•Body, chassis and bumper height.
•Fuel system.
•Tires and wheels.

[dpg]

Leave Florida for New England winters??? As other people stated your not fully describing your current situation. I'm of the impression you have the means to come up here in the summer months (obviously just a guess.) I'm in my early fifties but hope to be able to leave N.E. for the winter some day, we'll see. I could understand not like the south in the summer it does get miserably hot down there.

[ApS]

Originally Posted by Jeanzb1

"...Some people think we're crazy to trade 80 degrees in January..."

I'm among those "same people"—so, logically...

[Justenuff]

My parents love being half backs!
For those who don't know, it's a person that lived in New England and moved to FL when they retired. Now they live half way back in North Carolina, in the mountains.
The NC mountains get summer and winter. Snow, although it does come in spurts, usually melts off with in a day or so.
SC is even cheaper.

[Jeanzb1]

Thank you for all your insight. To answer your questions -- we are both mid-60s, retired for five years, and have lived in MA all our lives with summer ties to Lake Winni. Sold our MA home five years ago and moved into our FL condo on the ocean for six months and rented on the lake for six months. This will be our 5th year on Winni, and, needless to say, we LOVE THE LAKE! Now, we've realized how much we miss the four seasons and our kids and grandkids up north. On top of that, we are sick of high-rise condo living for half the year. Decisions, decisions, decisions.......

[fpartri497]

here Is another thought, I havent tried it myself yet but am really considering It. Seasonal house swapping !! ! I have heard It mostly works well. you simply swap homes with people that want a change of seasons without a lot of expense. again just a thought.

[Belmont Resident]

I must be a die hard New Englander.
I look forward to my days in the truck plowing snow and shoveling out my plow customers, both my wife and I just love winters and the snow. Driving isn't bad if your not afraid of it and have the proper vehicle for the conditions.

We drive north 200 miles to get away from the crowds of NH and head to Maine to snowmobile. We ride in conditions that are usually down near zero and love every minute of it.
There is nothing worse then a cloudy rainy dreary winter without snow.
And I'm in my 50's, hopefully I still feel the same way when I'm in my 60's.

[snoman]

leaving FL today can't wait to get home.THINK SNOW

[Slickcraft]

Well what you spend here on winter heat is offset by the summer savings on A/C.
Otherwise it is a pretty boring cycle for us.

In the spring there is ice out, first ride in the Slickcraft and opening camp on Welch.

In the summer there is bike riding, sporting clays shooting, horse riding for MS. SC, hiking in the Belknap range and camp on Welch.

In the fall there are leaf peeping bike rides, hiking and closing the camp on Welch.

In the winter there is skiing at Gunstock, showshoe hikes, indoor shooting at the Belmont range and walks over to Welch (some years).

In the spring ………………….

[BroadHopper]

Let's see, I spent a few months in Florida, Arizona, Colorado and Florida. I am a native from the Lakes Region.

I would prefer Florida over Arizona mainly because I love to boat the Intercoastal. Lake Havasu is awesome but it just doesn't have the taste of the Keys.

I would prefer Colorado over NH during the winter, as the ski and snowmobile conditions are much better in CO. Summit County has a wealth of winter things to do.

Having a condo in NH and a condo in CO. I have no problem with maintenance. Oil is high so both places have gas heating.

I swap units many time with other condo/home owners. It is a fun way to spend a month or so in another section of the U.S.

So I spend a few weeks in CO, a few in FL. and the rest of the time in dear old NH.

[gillygirl]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

Driving isn't bad if your not afraid of it and have the proper vehicle for the conditions.

It's not my driving I worry about...it's the other guy!

GG

[Belmont Resident]

Originally Posted by gillygirl

It's not my driving I worry about...it's the other guy!

GG

Could not agree more. What gets me is those who venture out and crawl along with a line a mile long behind them. If you are that afraid of the conditions then stay home. What could be that important?
Or the ones with bad tires, they should be fined for being on the road and jeopardizing our lives.
You think it's bad driving a car try driving around with an 8-9 foot blade in front of you. It does get drivers to move over though!!!
FYI I have not been in an accident with another vehicle in, actually I do not remember but I think it was 97. That was due to me avoiding someone who lost control on an icy overpass, oh and that didn't involve another vehicle, I hit the guard rail. I drove it home but it got totaled. That was when I bought the best truck I've ever owned, 1997 Toyota T-100 Extended cab 4X4.

[Irish Choppers]

Come back home to the Lake and your family! I presently live in MA and have a place on the Lake in Meredith. I lived in Miami in the 80's for five years working as a Narcotics Detective. Both of our kids were born in Miami and we became terribly homesick for our family and New England. Our future plan is to eventually make Meredith our permanent home, be two hours from Boston, the kids and hopefully one day grand kids. The holidays here were so beautiful. Walking Meredith Village on a beautiful sunny morning in the crisp fresh winter air, white glistening snow and sun bouncing off the lake is so special. Come back to the Lake and find that special place you and your family deserve. Get out from under those Condo fees and crazy Florida property taxes. If you do your due diligence, there is tremendous opportunities in Lakes Region Real Estate. You'll be able to sneak away every year for 3-4 weeks down to Florida and be ready to get back home to the Lake! As a quick side note, I'm betting you guys can't wait to get that new boat of yours in the water!

[LadyJane]

There are ups and downs to every place that you live. But if I read between the lines, it sounds like you want to be in N.H. Your kids and grands are up north. You're only getting older.....you'll want to be near them. Yes, the winters are hard, but if you've grown up in Ma. it wont' be a big surprise to you. I live in Ct. and actually it was a few degrees warmer in Meredith today than it was here in north central Ct. Follow your heart. I would love to live in N.H. but right now I cannot. So, I go up there when I need my fix, and if it's not stormy next week, I'll be coming up. It's beautiful there any season, you just have to adjust to the changes that the seasons bring. Let us know what you decide !

[Jeanzb1]

YOU BET WE CAN'T WAIT!!!! We talk about it many times a day. Chomping at the bit!

[Diver Vince]

My advice, sell the place in FL and move up here full time. Take a getaway vacation for 4 weeks in the winter to a warm weather destination. Me? I prefer Bonaire over FL but's that's purely a personal decision since I like to dive.

[Mirror Lake's BB]

5 years ago, my dad passed away at his residence in NH. If your estate is below a certain threshold there isn't any inheritance tax. I think it was $1M or $1.5M (I think these amounts are incorrect). Something to keep in mind. Perhaps someone on the Forum knows what the current law is.

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by Mirror Lake's BB

5 years ago, my dad passed away at his residence in NH. If your estate is below a certain threshold there isn't any inheritance tax. I think it was $1M or $1.5M (I think these amounts are incorrect). Something to keep in mind. Perhaps someone on the Forum knows what the current law is.

Federal exemption is $5m indexed to inflation, may be 5.25M or so this year. The state of NH has no estate tax.

http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/retire...Hampshire&si=1

[ishoot308]

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Federal exemption is $5m indexed to inflation, may be 5.25M or so this year. The state of NH has no estate tax.

http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/retire...Hampshire&si=1

I thought the exemption changed to 1 million in the "Death Tax" as of January 1, 2013?? I could be wrong...

[Slickcraft]

Originally Posted by ishoot308

I thought the exemption changed to 1 million in the "Death Tax" as of January 1, 2013?? I could be wrong...

The act passed on Jan 2, 2013 fixed this, never went back to $1m (well for one day maybe but the act is retroactive to 1/1/13).
http://www.mondaq.com/unitedstates/x...e+January+2013

[camp guy]

If you can possibly swing it, maybe you could rent out your Florida home and also rent a place to live up here for a year to see if this is really what you want. If you decide to stay, offer the Florida home to the renters for a buy out price, purchase something up here, and enjoy life.

Most of the times when someone posts the question of moving on this site the subject of renting comes up. I agree wholeheartedly that renting gives you the flexibility of finding a place, and an area, you really like. You seem to be pretty settled in your desire to move, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it probably wouldn't hurt to take some time to really look around and see where you want to live.

You said you are a boater, so that answers some questions, but there may still be lots of other issues to settle.

My best to you, Happy New Year.

[tis]

I think you might be mixing up the federal estate tax and the NH inheritence tax. NH used to have one for realtives like sisters and brothers or aunts and uncles, but not if it was passed on to children. That has since been abolished. But who wouldn't be surprised to see it brought back at some point?

The federal government has an estate tax too and that is for everybody, children included. I think the 5 million still stands despite disagreement over it in the recent tax fight where those making over $400,000 ($450,000 married) pay more taxes and everybody now has gone back to the full payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare)

[jeffk]

FYI - the tax on dividends and interest is only if you receive more than $2400 ($4800 for joint filers). That's pretty easy to work around by getting your earnings as capital gains instead. Also, you would have to have about $50,000 ($100,000 for joint) or more invested to accumulate that much.

The ice can be a problem for a day but if you're retired you can stay home on bad days. Mud season can be annoying if you live on dirt roads or have a dirt driveway. A bad mud season, because of lots of snow melt or rain, can be a real mess but it usually lasts in an area for only a week or so.

Winter time at the lake IS quiet but there are things going on. I am having dinner with friends this weekend and then going to a restaurant to see another friend performing for the evening. In two weeks the Winni players are doing "Big River". The following week I am going to Plymouth State, Silver Center to see Kathy Mattea. Then the following week to Portland, ME to see Celtic Women. You just need to look for stuff. There are also lots of small venue things going on.

That brings you to another issue. You have to DRIVE a bit to get to almost everything, more so in the winter since some activities are summer only and you need to travel to the more widely distributed venues.

If you don't mind the winter cold it's easy to set things up to manage the winter. My roof has insufficient pitch and ventilation and I need to shovel it off or I get bad ice build up, no fun. So you want to make sure your house is well built for winter, including excellent insulation. 2x6 walls help. Then you heating bills will be manageable. A mud room entry in the winter is helpful to dump wet things and keep cold out. A insulated garage usually holds temps above freezing and keeps snow off the car and allows it to melt if you accumulate some while out. You may want to consider a backup generator for power outages from heavy snow or ice storms. Sometimes the power can be out for days and while annoying in the summer, it's serious in the winter.

As far as I am concerned, this is the place to live. All winter issues can be worked around as long as you are OK with the cold. Many older people are not.

[mbhoward]

Don't forget 2 hours to Dartmouth-Hitchcock. They are world class and for that matter I hear great things about Maine Medical Center.

[wickedtravelah]

Originally Posted by mbhoward

Don't forget 2 hours to Dartmouth-Hitchcock. They are world class and for that matter I hear great things about Maine Medical Center.

I am not meaning to be argumentative, however, there are fine doctors that do practice outside of "world class" facilities.

Frisbe, Concord, Elliot, & CMC have very competant doctors that are more than capable. I would suggest looking for a doctor that you are comfortable with and fits your personality as a patient.

Unless you are an urgent/emergency case, you will most likely wait several months to see a "world class" facility doctor. I prefer a physician that I can have easy access to; someone who would know when you would be better served at the "world class" hosptial if the need arises.

...just my 2 cents