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Where to retire? Classic Sun Belt destinations of Arizona and Texas are now too hot for elderly people to safely live there, experts say
UK Daily Mail ^ | 08/30/2023 | DOMINIC YEATMAN

Posted on 08/30/2023 1:17:57 PM PDT by DFG

Retiring to a place in the sun will cost thousands of seniors their lives, experts have warned, as soaring temperatures leave them at the mercy of failing power grids.

Record numbers of retirees are heading for the Sun Belt states of the south, attracted by lower living costs and the prospect of warmer winters.

But temperatures are soaring dangerously in the most popular destinations with 110F in Phoenix for 31 days straight this summer and 116F recorded in Nevada, condemning many to months indoors and leaving them one power cut away from peril.

Brian Stone Jr. of Georgia Tech has calculated that a 48-hour blackout in Phoenix could cost 13,000 lives, most of them elderly, if it combined with high summer temperatures - as older Americans are more susceptible to heat-related illness.

‘Extreme heat is the deadliest form of weather in the United States,’ he told the New York Times, ‘much more than hurricanes or tornadoes or wildfires.’

Diana and Charles Cox moved from San Jose, California, to the Phoenix suburb of Goodyear in 2016 attracted by its lower costs, international airport and many health care providers.

‘I was having more and more trouble paying the mortgage,’ said Diana, 69.

This summer they have endured more than 60 ‘miserable’ days of 100F temperatures in an RV while their home is refurbished.

‘You really can’t go out and do things. We haven’t been as sociable as I’d like,’ Diana told the New York Times.

‘A couple of days ago it got up to 92 in here, the cats were prostrate under the ceiling fan.

‘If we could afford it, I’d move back to the California coast.

‘I prefer being able to open the windows.’

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Weather
KEYWORDS: arizona; nevada; newmexico; texas
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To: DFG
I'm telling you mean-old FReepers, West Virginia is OFF DA HOOK!

2nd lowest cost of living in the nation.

Spectacular mountains and scenery

Moderate winters

This is my last winter in Wisconsin, and I'm becoming a Mountaineer!

*Breaks out banjo and overalls*

61 posted on 08/30/2023 4:21:34 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
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To: DFG

We thought of going to Texas, but it’s way too humid when hot. Some places in Tx get humid like in an Amazon sweltering swamp. Sunglasses fog over... People turn into sweat hogs with high humidity. Always hiding inside.

Older folks like dry, warm, even hot sometimes... I was going to head to Idaho when I was a bit younger, but the older I got the less I liked the cold nasty icy fridge winters etc. Probably why they’re flooding into where I am. And no hurricanes. We get 4 four seasons and the snow we get is amounts to maybe 4 days per year and seldom stays on the ground over 24 hours.

We spent our last 10 years in the CA insane alyssum looking all over the west at property, doing the research etc...


62 posted on 08/30/2023 4:54:17 PM PDT by dragnet2 (Diversion and evasion are tools of deceit)
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To: ducttape45
Rapid City is one city I have looked at. I’ve even corresponded with a couple of folks there. For me, however, I need to find a decently priced place to rent in the short term until I can get my feet under me and get established. Once I’ve done that, then I’d look at possibly buying someplace as long as prices haven’t really gone through the roof.

I agree completely with the practice of renting in the area before you buy. It gives you the chance to get to know it without the huge commitment that buying entails. It also gives you the opportunity get to know where you want to live and to simply 'pop' on over to look at prospective properties that have come on the market recently.

63 posted on 08/30/2023 5:07:56 PM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: chrisinoc
Lake Havasu City, Bullhead City, Safford, Globe, Payson,
Prescott, Cottonwood, Chino Valley & Camp Verde then.
In some combination.
64 posted on 08/30/2023 6:24:24 PM PDT by GaltAdonis
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To: GaltAdonis

Problem is, both Salt Lake City and Salt Lake County governments are run by democrats. They stink up everything. Crime is going up everywhere, but the tattooed mayor tries to lie her way out of it, and asserts everything is getting better. I refuse to patronize any business in the city because I don’t want those perverted socialists to get a penny from my sales taxes. My property taxes have gone up $500 every year under the communist rule. I’m looking into moving south to Utah County where democrats are more rare.


65 posted on 08/30/2023 8:14:12 PM PDT by Auntie Dem (Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Terrorist lovers gotta go!)
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To: DFG

I say that Scottsdale, AZ is Disneyland for the over 55.
Huge over 55 single community, lots to do nearly every weekend.
Now if we can just kick out the liberal gov that insists that the homeless get put up in hotels here, life would be perfect again.

Oh and guys...Scottsdale is the car capital of the USA.


66 posted on 08/30/2023 9:20:51 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: Tupelo

I was just up near the Mogollon Rim a couple weeks ago.
Very very nice!
Reminded me of the Gold Country in CA except without all the Californians.


67 posted on 08/30/2023 9:24:27 PM PDT by Zathras
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To: Zathras

” Reminded me of the Gold Country in CA except without all the Californians.”

You mean parasites from the other 49


68 posted on 08/30/2023 10:29:14 PM PDT by Rattlesnake_Snook
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To: DFG
the cats were prostrate under the ceiling fan.

Did an AI write this story?

Did an editor tell a reporter "I need a story to convince people not to relocate to red states?"

-PJ

69 posted on 08/30/2023 11:49:02 PM PDT by Political Junkie Too ( * LAAP = Left-wing Activist Agitprop Press (formerly known as the MSM))
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
View from the top of Spruce Knob West Virginia.
Highest point in WV.
I've done much camping and hiking there.
Nice place.

Good luck to you!

70 posted on 08/31/2023 6:50:45 AM PDT by GaltAdonis
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To: Dr. Sivana
I've watched many Youtube videos about Wyoming and depending on which ones I view, the winters can be either brutal or almost non-existent. I think, and I could be wrong, that a Youtuber from Cody said the winters there are not very snowy because of where the city sits. But another Youtuber from Casper says they can get tons of snow. So I'm cautious about settling down in there, but not totally put off. I've also looked at the other states I mentioned earlier. I really want to find someplace that is small, but close enough to a larger city so shopping for essentials isn't difficult.

I appreciate your comments. I still got time before I can make a move but I'm researching all my options. God bless!

71 posted on 08/31/2023 7:30:53 AM PDT by ducttape45 (Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.")
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker

That’s one thing I like about RC. It’s large enough so that a normal healthy lifestyle can be obtained, yet not large like a New York or Indianapolis type city that is crime ridden and almost beyond hope of salvaging. Plus it’s close to the mountains and provide a great scenery to enjoy. Right now, though, it’s hard to find a realtor in RC that deals in rentals. I’ve made inquiries only to receive no responses.


72 posted on 08/31/2023 7:34:27 AM PDT by ducttape45 (Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.")
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To: ducttape45

We visited Wyoming on one vacation and nearly got blown out of the state by the high winds—in October.

The wind chills during the winter have to be ridiculous.


73 posted on 08/31/2023 7:37:38 AM PDT by cgbg ("Creative minds have always been known to survive any kind of bad training." Anna Freud.)
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To: ducttape45
That’s one thing I like about RC. It’s large enough so that a normal healthy lifestyle can be obtained, yet not large like a New York or Indianapolis type city that is crime ridden and almost beyond hope of salvaging. Plus it’s close to the mountains and provide a great scenery to enjoy. Right now, though, it’s hard to find a realtor in RC that deals in rentals. I’ve made inquiries only to receive no responses.

The one down-side to RC I don't like is Sturgis Rally. The entire state is over-run with Harleys. If I lived there, I'd take a two-week vacation to somewhere else.

Zillow shows a bunch of rentals in the RC area. See: Rapid City, SD Rental Properties. The number of properties and availability depends on what type of place you're looking for. Naturally, a single-family home is going to have a higher rent than an apartment/condo or townhome.

Another site to consider is NeighborhoodScout.com. It has several maps that show things like real estate prices, crime areas, etc. See: Rapid City, SD.

74 posted on 08/31/2023 8:01:28 AM PDT by Ol' Dan Tucker (For 'tis the sport to have the engineer hoist with his own petard., -- Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 4)
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To: Ol' Dan Tucker
I've heard about the Sturgis Rally but never knew it took place there. Wow. I've also heard that the city of Sturgis has a higher cost of living than Rapid City.

I will definitely check out those links. I appreciate you sharing those with me. I would really like to find a single family unit, especially since I live alone. The main reason is because I'd like to have a garage to park my car in as opposed to leaving it outside exposed to the weather during the winter months. But, I'll see what I can find.

Thanks again!

75 posted on 08/31/2023 12:33:17 PM PDT by ducttape45 (Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.")
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To: cgbg

That’s another aspect of Wyoming I’ve heard a lot about. I don’t mind too much wind, but yeah, I’ve heard you gotta watch out for that, especially in the winter when it’s snowing too.


76 posted on 08/31/2023 12:36:14 PM PDT by ducttape45 (Proverbs 14:34, "Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.")
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To: cgbg

The construction frost depth is 45 inches because the high winds blow the snow off at -15.

I set up a steel erection crew in mobile homes on a jobsite 45 years ago and we had to run blow torches on oil pans to start equipment.


77 posted on 08/31/2023 12:51:11 PM PDT by KC Burke
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To: discostu

RV has AC, no?


78 posted on 08/31/2023 1:04:55 PM PDT by meyer (FBI = KGB for the DNC; IRS = Gestapo)
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To: South Dakota

Why not Minot?
The freezin’ is the reason.


79 posted on 08/31/2023 1:05:44 PM PDT by meyer (FBI = KGB for the DNC; IRS = Gestapo)
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To: meyer

Only if it’s turned on. And since Phoenix doesn’t cool down that great at night, that’s 2 months of idling 24 hours a day. Really they should have gone to an extended stay hotel.


80 posted on 08/31/2023 1:18:02 PM PDT by discostu (like a dog being shown a card trick)
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