WAVING TO ANDI-bout AZ

[barbaranoela]

hIYA ANDI-----well when Doug moved to AZ. it was called Tucson but as the town grew his small locale outgrew the mail delivery(believe that) so tyhey renamed his town---VAIL----and properly so cus he is in the desert!!!!!
Of course--since being there for many years VAIL has become quite a wee bitty town----and getting there is like driving thru gravel rocky roads and if U miss his turn-U shall be flying down to the next town---

We do stay in the big town of Tucson----we rent in an apartment complex--same one for many years--and get the same apartment which I like---

IF IT RAINS----u CANNOT GET TO HIS place due to the big gulleys called *washers* cus a heavy sweep of rain can grab ya car and its *bye bye time----very dangerous--

being that New York is belted by storms again we are glad to be here(we live in a small township outta the big NYC) and missing all that snow----that is belting NY AGAIN----
THE weather here couldnt be better than it is---plenty of everything at ya beckon call
good luck to U and gal

Barbaranoela



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[Gloria]

we rent in an apartment complex--same one for many years--and get the same apartment which I like

Now, how can you rent an apartment for just a few months in the winter? I would sometimes like to get away from the midwest winters, but I thought we'd either have to buy another home or condo, or we'd have to get a time-share for many weeks. Both options, of course are too expensive.

Gloria

[barbaranoela]

Here in Tucson there are many rental apartments for visitors like us--
they usually have several apartments available-----and completely furnished----washer and dryer in kitchen----microwave unit---living room section off with a dining room unit--large bedroom---bathroom---all linens---all dishes--utensils --pots and pans---TOWELS for bathroom and kitche
Everything one needs----and there are those that live here year long---

We hAVE HAD BEEN COMING HERE FOR ABOUT 14 YEARS---EDGEWOOD APARTMENTS---

i IMAGINE IT SOUNDS CRAZY TO u BUT TRUST ME--COMPLETE ---PLUS HOOK UP FOR COMPITER---PHONE---oh and vacuume cleaner 2

So we drive from home to here--mainly to see our son and also its good for Louie's acking bones

AND--if U want U can have the maid service come in and clean up but we dont-----after all these years everybody knows us----

Hard to believe---I know---I thought so 2 when my son told us about the places in town---

Hope your new year started off well

Barbara

[Gloria]

Wow - that's great to know, Barbara. DH will be retiring next January and we just might look into something out there.

DD#1's in-laws are buying a second home in Texas so they can spend six months and one day there - in order to claim residency. Illinois just increased the state income tax by 60%, and Texas doesn't have a state income tax, from what I hear. Makes me want to leave, too, but we can't afford a second home. An apartment in Arizona sounds like a good idea. I have some good friends there.

Gloria

[wonderwoman]

We love Arizona. We are NW of Phoenix. Barbara is a couple of hours SE of us. This is a retirement area and a lot of snow birds come down for the winter months. For those who don't know, Snow Birds is the term given to the winter visitors. Furnished apartments and houses in all sizes are also available here to rent for 4 months. We have 5 golf courses and 7 recreation centers with all the amenities for which we pay a yearly fee to use. Sure beats shoveling snow back in Wisconsin where we lived before retiring.

[tex]

and Texas doesn't have a state income tax, from what I hear.

Yep, that's true, and as the Dairy Queen ad says, "That's what I like about Texas". Unfortunately, we do have property taxes, though, which can be pretty substantial, in some counties with upscale developments.

Tex

[Gloria]

Tex,

Apparently the property tax in Texas will be less than the income tax in Illinois for DD#1's in-laws. DD told me today that they are building a 5-bedroom home in Austin, I believe. They are retired and travel the world on cruises during the winter right now.

Gloria

[Andi]

Barbara,
Thank you for letting me know! We will definitely check it out.

[Polly]

Tex,

You are right about that!

My friend who lives in Austin pays more in property taxes than I pay in MD state income tax plus my property tax! But I guess her property would be considered upscale - she lives on the lake - not the waterfront but up the hill. In the mid-Atlantic area, seniors relocate to Delaware, which has no sales tax and apparently all kinds of tax breaks, especially for seniors.

Love,

Polly

[tex]

Gloria,

Your DD's in-laws must be loaded, because Travis county, and the county north of there, (Williamson), have the highest tax rates in this part of the world, (as Polly mentioned), and their taxes increase by a ridiculous amount, almost every year. Plus, the traffic is the worst in North America, (except for maybe Mexico City, or New York). I lived there almost 40 years ago, and got out when the traffic problems started becoming intolerable. I wouldn't even consider living there now, but you have to realize that I wouldn't want to live in any city with a population of more than 4 or 5 thousand - I'm an old country boy.

If you're traveling on I35, Austin is a blight on your travel plans, because it is always the slowest city to get through/around. Plan on an extra hour, as a rule of thumb, above and beyond what it should normally take to get past a city that size. Rush hour lasts from about 5 am until about 10 pm, and sadly, that's not much of an exaggeration. Compared with Austin, Dallas and San Antonio are a piece of cake, and even Houston, (on I10), is a lot easier to get through than Austin, IMO.

Otherwise, Austin is OK, I suppose, for anyone with plenty of time, patience, and money. It is not an acceptable place to be traveling, for anyone with active MC.

Tex