richardjra wrote: The wife and I are going fulltiming next spring. I am researching what state we want to change our residency to. I am looking at Florida, Texas or South Dakota. Any thoughts on these states?
Florida or Texas works. --Dirt cheap MH registration annual, and NO state income tax. South Dakota is cheap too, just way too cold.
If you look carefully at this, the state tax laws and your sources of income appear to both be issues for consideration in the decision.
Also, there have been many discussions on this so search the forum. However, I caution you that you need to put Health Insurance in the mix. Each state is different.
Should you ever need it, SD has no assigned risk pool. TX does. Not sure about Florida, but I don't think it does either.
Here's the reason for this consideration. Say something happens to you like a heart attack and subsequently, you loose your health insurance. With out an assigned risk pool, you may not have access to any health insurance. Also, even with an assigned risk pool, it won't be cheap.
Edited here
Did some additional checking:
SD has an assigned risk pool. However, you have to have a physical residence address (no mail services) to participate.
FL has an assigned risk pool that hasn't been open for new enrollment since 1991.
So, pretty much like I said, they don't have them.
* This post was
edited 07/22/08 09:35pm by sawdust_128 *
I notice that you are located in Virginia. I'll try to relate our experiences in switching residence from VA to TX. You can count on significant tax savings. We switched from VA to TX in April of this year and almost immediately realized a $7,000 a year tax savings, when you take all the taxes the "COMMONWEALTH" charges. In Texas there is no state income tax, no personal property tax, registration taxes are less, sales tax is on a fixed scale. The personal property taxes on our MH, toad, and a utility trailer, from the City of Norfolk were $2,700 a year, not including registration. State income taxes for two were $4,000 ( in a good year). When we switched our residence our tax burden was $674 for registration and transfer taxes. The taxes on our home at Rainbows End (Escapees home park) are 1/3 of what the City of Norfolk charges, for a larger house with a larger lot, $716 a year versus $2,200 in VA. Economics played a major factor in our decision to live in Texas, but....
As others have mentioned Escapees is so much more than just an address, it's a community of wonderful friends that travel full time. We've belonged to Escapees for two years and it's been the most wonderful experience of our lives. We've made great friends in Arizona, Connecticut, North and South Carolina. We have a spare 30 amp FHU at our house and our friends know that it's theirs if they pass thru. Why ? Because they would do the same for us if we pass their way. There are things like the CARE center, a member built and financed convalescent day center for older adults, FHU site included (so you can live in your own home), meals, day time care for around $1,000 a month. I'll relate one story from our experience to give you an idea of the community of members. We travel with two cats, K Squared (aka Fatboy) and Miss Kitty. As cats do they each have their territory staked out,we place a comforter on the upright steering wheel and Miss Kitty sleeps there and K Squared sleeps in the passenger chair when we are parked. MK weighs in at a whooping 7 pounds soaking wet and K2 is 14.5 pounds when he isn't eating, an unusual situation. When he wants to play Alpha Cat he will take over her space, just to tick her off. There is a policy at Escapees campgrounds that if you are in trouble or need help just blow your horn and people come running. One morning K2 jumped on the steering wheel and started blowing the horn and within seconds there were a dozen members at our door wanting to help in any way possible. I feel that in just about any other CG folks would just go why is that jerk blowing his horn.
Quote: South Dakota is cheap too, just way too cold.
You don't have to stay there, don'cha' know
SD worked better for us at the time, and we are extremely happy with our choice You bet'cha...
Dianne
Fulltimers (9 years)
Volunteering/workamping
Ambassador RV Resort, Caldwell, ID for the winter
DataStorm
HAM WB6N (Terry)
2005 Teton 39' Frontier Grand
2003 Freightliner FL60
Life Member Good Sam
Escapees
Geocache..."RVcachers" RV net Blog
Kirk wrote: We too like Escapees RV Club as the very best and the only complete support system for full-time RV people. There just isn't anything like it. Mail service and a legal address are only a small part of what Escapees has to offer. In-expensive RV sites in any of 19 different Escapee RV parks is another and to be a part of the greatest RV group there is. Then there is the magazine that they publish, the discount RV parks, the members who own real estate that they allow other members to spend a night on, and many other things far beyond just mail service.
When you do consider a state to call your home, consider much more that just taxes and fees. What of the property laws, the laws about estates and wills, voting, jury service and many other things. Many people make it a simple thing, and when problems arise discover that it would have been wise to study things just a little more.
Kirk,
Thanks for posting this and pointing out some valid points to compare, state to state.
We chose SD because our quoted insurance for the 3 states you mentioned was cheaper. We went with America's Mailbox in Rapid City, SD and a great web sit to read about the pro's and cons of most everything associated with fulltiming. With no wheel tax, no emission testing and cheaper insurance SD was it for us. Yours may be different, take your time investigate everything and most of all whatever you do enjoy this lifestyle when it happens.
Tom
2005 F350, CC, LB, Dually, 4x4, Lariat, preferred equipment pckg, 6.0 PSD dual alts, rear sensors, camper pckg, 5 speed auto tow haul tranny
Thanks for all the inputs. I retire from the navy after 29 years in February so health insurance is not an issue. The tax burden in the "TAX COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA" is just crazy. It is one of my biggest considerations in deciding what state I want to use, however it is not the deciding factor. I like the support that escapees provides. Again thanks for all your inputs and I look forward to seeing some of you out on the road.
Richard, we are Escapees, have been for 12 years. SD worked out better for us financially and in other ways. Look at it from all sides, everyone has a different situation.
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You bet'cha...
