I've always judged how good an overall coaching staff and team is by how well Special Teams plays.
Cal's special teams ALWAYS give up big returns.
Speaks volumes!

StarsDoMatter said:

---

Coaching and player development matters a lot. Im not saying if we get a bunch of 4 star guys, we will instantly be great. Look at SC under Helton.

We need both. That being said, if we ever want to be a program that goes to the next level, it starts on the recruiting trail.

---

What stars mostly measure is speed and that is a ppl place the bears are very lacking

socaltownie said:

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StarsDoMatter said:

---

Coaching and player development matters a lot. Im not saying if we get a bunch of 4 star guys, we will instantly be great. Look at SC under Helton.

We need both. That being said, if we ever want to be a program that goes to the next level, it starts on the recruiting trail.

---

What stars mostly measure is speed and that is a ppl place the bears are very lacking

---

Maybe Pope left because he wasnt being showcased enough. He was very good.

Polk had 10 catches for forty something yards. Safety valve.

calumnus said:

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Bobodeluxe said:

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Some people insist on contradicting the experts here by refusing to agree the the box was, as they say, stacked.

---

A stacked box is an opportunity. Not to go empty backfield, look like you are still going to run. Get the defense to crash the LOS or moving in the wrong direction with play-action, then bootleg and throw to a TE behind the defense or have Chase run.

A WR running a streak up the sideline is going to have coverage no matter what formation you are in or play-action you run. The CB is not looking at the play, he is just going to cover his man, but has the sideline for help. It is a tough throw to time. If there is no safety help (because they are sucked in by your play action) it is better to have the WR break into open field where the QB can lead him and the CB has no chance.

---

Cal runs the highest percentage of low percentage passes with low level talent that I have ever seen at any level of football. There are virtually no easy completions, no genuine separation and no balls thrown to allow any YAC.

CalBarn said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

I wanted Wilcox for thr job even before candidates' names were mentioned. (Sure I would have been thrilled with Peterson, Rivera, or Carroll, but despite rumors I didn't think we had a real chance.). Now that we are I. The 5th year of watching ineptitude, I'm beginning to think he hit his ceiling as defensive coordinator. He should definitely be on a hot seat. And it's time to see what our other QBs can do. Carson Strong could be a legitimate Pac12 QB (who on our coaching staff made the decision to bypass him?); Chase Garbers belongs in the MWC.

---

Wilcox great guy, vanilla coach. Worried at the beginning that you can't do it at Cal
with a defensive guy. Just won't work. Please don't counter with Sonny Dykes.
Sonny blew it because he's never heard you have to play defense. Most bright offensive
minds know defense as well. Rare is the defense guy who has a clue what to do when you
have the ball. I wanted Wilcox to make it and gave him every chance to succeed.
But he is a .500 coach, plain and simple. Each year is a vanilla, boring offense.
If he stays 10 years, he will still be a .500 coach.
We beat up on non-conference pansies, struggle in the Pac-12.
Cal can and should do better. The players and fans deserve it.
If and when he leaves, get a blue ribbon committee with Cal guys
like Aaron Rodgers, Tony Gonzalez, a few others, and search the
country for a bright, young mind that knows football.
If Aaron is knowledgeable enough to host Jeopardy, he can find us
a decent coach.

---

Maybe Aaron will be our coach one day. At least he would be part of a winning coaching tree JT.

I gotta say that Boise is pretty awesome. Went there and toured around Boise State this summer and was impressed. I hope to return. I can imagine recruits like it too.

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

Weather is great! Camping is the BEST, less than an hours drive you can be in forrest or camping in desert. But we don't want anymore Californians moving here! I moved here from Cali almost 40 years ago to go to school and never went back! I can drive to beach when I want to or I can just relax at home near the river!

Trumpanzee said:

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Weather is great! Camping is the BEST, less than an hours drive you can be in forrest or camping in desert. But we don't want anymore Californians moving here! I moved here from Cali almost 40 years ago to go to school and never went back! I can drive to beach when I want to or I can just relax at home near the river!

---

Terrific! You like it there. I like it here. Everyone is happy.

Quite frankly, I wish everyone could live where they want. It would make a happier world

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

Not so "affordable" anymore given that real estate prices have tripled with the influx of out of stater's.

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Indeed. That is why I wonder why people ask, "what's not to like?" We are all different and enjoy different experiences. Heck, I didn't even get into the political aspects of living in different places but that factors into the equation as well.

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Those places are going to be so hot they will be uninhabitable in 30 years. I know you may not be around by then but its a consideration.

As an East Bay native, I came back here to retire after I inherited some family property. But the split retirement arrangement in the Midwest would have also been great - Spring through Fall in a college town like Ann Arbor, and Winters in Florida. Housing prices reasonable enough to have two nice places. I thought I could enjoy living year round back here in California. However, with wildfire smoke becoming a regular feature this time of year, I am now looking for a retreat out-of-state when this time of year arrives.

Ashland/Medford area of Oregon has attracted lots of California retirees. Not as cheap as Arizona, but also not as hot. A little snow in winter, but it doesn't stay on the ground long. Main disadvantage is probably that you're a long ways from a real city, which may mean a long ways from top-drawer medical care.

annarborbear said:

---

As an East Bay native, I came back here to retire after I inherited some family property. But the split retirement arrangement in the Midwest would have also been great - Spring through Fall in a college town like Ann Arbor, and Winters in Florida. Housing prices reasonable enough to have two nice places. I thought I could enjoy living year round back here in California. However, with wildfire smoke becoming a regular feature this time of year, I am now looking for a retreat out-of-state when this time of year arrives.

---

I am intrigued by both Ann Arbor and Madison. Florida scares me because I think there are too many climate change threats. I like the idea of a larger single family house but as I get older I don't relish the prospect of having to do constant maintenance. Also, having two properties sounds great but the practicalities of it worry me....are you supposed to leave one vacant for months? Sublet it? Leaving one vacant would certainly be easier if it is a condo.

We are going to be equity migrants. Home in Grand Junction in the Winter/Spring/Fall and then a condo up in the mountains (likely Avon) for the summer as well as any winter weekends when it isn't being rented and my knees still allow me to ski the back bowls.

I hate California Real estate policy but god it has done us up right ;-)

Note we MIGHT reach for the condo in Vail/Beaver Creek/Snowmass proper but that is going to depend on projected rental income and what we find down in Grand Junction.

With respect to the ideal location, more and more people are factoring-in climate, and not just the usual sunny days, but also the the desire (oddly) for more precipitation, they are looking at rainfall totals, what areas are experiencing drought conditions or worse, like dire drought concerns. Those are proving to be quality-of-life matters, certainly life-sustaining ones at some point...

As I type I am looking out over what would normally be Lake Anderson in Morgan Hill, CA. It's a reservoir actually, one that was drained for critical damn repairs, set to take a decade to finish (huge political fiasco). We were evacuated last year due to the fires in this area. Thankfully this year, no fires near us. The largest lake in the county (Santa Clara) is now gone. Missing the view is one thing, the recreation too, but losing the natural fire break and the water source is yet another...

I mentioned in some thread here, maybe a year or two back, about how many folks I know, neighbors, co-workers who had left California. A colleague's family member owns a U-Haul place and commented on the number of rentals leaving the state had kept increasing. We've since seen more data confirming the exodus.

The K-12 educational system is generally regarded as poor in California, usually ranked in the 40s. Several families told me that was a contributing reason, but also the aforementioned drought concerns, which they felt could be very long-lasting, and with that, apt to only get worse. Mentioned also were the intentional electrical blackouts; and the sorry state of affairs that leads to those being deemed prudent decisions. Funny thing, while no one mentioned our roads as a reason for leaving, many of them later said how much better the roads were in their new states. That prompted me to look, and California, according to the Federal Highway Administration, has 38% of its roads in poor condition. Only two states are worse. Not surprisingly, most, including those I know, left because of the cost-of-living expenses, which are relatively high. By most measures, California is in the top 3-5 of most expensive states. Coupled with state and local taxes, California is seemingly always near the top, money matters remain a huge reason why many leave.

Everyone I know who left California told me (I ask these folks the same types of questions) they would have never guessed they would leave someday. It was a gradual realization of the degradation of their quality of life here, that the cost-benefit-analysis eventually pointed them elsewhere. I'd say all of them were generally fine paying more here, for housing, gas, food, etc, even more in taxes, but that they would then expect, paying top dollar, they would receive more in return, a higher standard of living, better schools, roads, etc.

My best friend left a couple years ago. He too was born and raised in California. He's a financial planner, a damn good one too. He simply concluded that there was no good reason why such a rich, high-income state, one that taxes its residents at one of the highest rates, finds itself with one of the highest state debts, per capita and debt-per-income, while delivering relatively poor quality of life attributes.

The natural beauty of the state continues, thankfully. For me too, having beaches about 45 minutes to an hour away remains a reason to stay. That and mostly my parents being here are why I remain. Also, the "ease" of attending Cal games is a factor.

I like somewhat rural areas. West of Portland has my attention, still not far from the ocean, certainly more precipitation. Not too far from an international airport (PDX). Rural parts not far from Reno also, same for SLC…. Interestingly, I am also looking at real estate in Italy, not as an investment per se, but a home for us, somewhere to take the family for 2-3 months over the summers, maybe even during different times of the year. Also other European countries, like parts of Portugal or Croatia have my interest. Back to Italy, weather-wise, parts of it are California-like; which honestly is a bit too hot for me. I'd prefer a little further north. Looking about an hour away from Milan, base of the Alps, near some awesome lakes. For those willing to consider leaving their community or state, there's much more out there if willing to jump a little further…

Cal89 said:

---

With respect to the ideal location, more and more people are factoring-in climate, and not just the usual sunny days, but also the the desire (oddly) for more precipitation, they are looking at rainfall totals, what areas are experiencing drought conditions or worse, like dire drought concerns. Those are proving to be quality-of-life matters, certainly life-sustaining ones at some point...

As I type I am looking out over what would normally be Lake Anderson in Morgan Hill, CA. It's a reservoir actually, one that was drained for critical damn repairs, set to take a decade to finish (huge political fiasco). We were evacuated last year due to the fires in this area. Thankfully this year, no fires near us. The largest lake in the county (Santa Clara) is now gone. Missing the view is one thing, the recreation too, but losing the natural fire break and the water source is yet another...

I mentioned in some thread here, maybe a year or two back, about how many folks I know, neighbors, co-workers who had left California. A colleague's family member owns a U-Haul place and commented on the number of rentals leaving the state had kept increasing. We've since seen more data confirming the exodus.

The K-12 educational system is generally regarded as poor in California, usually ranked in the 40s. Several families told me that was a contributing reason, but also the aforementioned drought concerns, which they felt could be very long-lasting, and with that, apt to only get worse. Mentioned also were the intentional electrical blackouts; and the sorry state of affairs that leads to those being deemed prudent decisions. Funny thing, while no one mentioned our roads as a reason for leaving, many of them later said how much better the roads were in their new states. That prompted me look, and California, according to the Federal Highway Administration, has 38% of its roads in poor condition. Only two states are worse. Not surprisingly, most, including those I know, left because of the cost-of-living expenses, which are relatively high. By most measures, California is in the top 3-5 of most expensive states. Coupled with state and local taxes, California is seemingly always near the top, money matters remain a huge reason why many leave.

Everyone I know who left California told me (I ask these folks the same types of questions) they would have never guessed they would leave someday. It was a gradual realization of the degradation of their quality of life here, that the cost-benefit-analysis eventually pointed them elsewhere. I'd say all of them were generally fine paying more here, for housing, gas, food, etc, even more in taxes, but that they would then expect, paying top dollar, they would receive more in return, a higher standard of living, better schools, roads, etc.

My best friend left a couple years ago. He too was born and raised in California. He's a financial planner, a damn good one too. He simply concluded that there was no good reason why such a rich, high-income state, one that taxes its residents at one of the highest rates, finds itself with one of the highest state debts, per capita and debt-per-income, while delivering relatively poor quality of life attributes.

The natural beauty of the state continues, thankfully. For me too, having beaches about 45 minutes to an hour away remains a reason to stay. That and mostly my parents being here are why I remain. Also, the "ease" of attending Cal games is a factor.

I like somewhat rural areas. West of Portland has my attention, still not far from the ocean, certainly more precipitation. Not too far from an international airport (PDX). Rural parts not far from Reno also, same for SLC…. Interestingly, I am also looking at real estate in Italy, not as an investment per se, but a home for us, somewhere to take the family for 2-3 months over the summers, maybe even during different times of the year. Also other European countries, like parts of Portugal or Croatia have my interest. Back to Italy, weather-wise, parts of it are California-like; which honestly is a bit too hot for me. I'd prefer a little further north. Looking about an hour away from Milan, base of the Alps, near some awesome lakes. For those willing to consider leaving to their community or state, there's much more out there if willing to jump a little further…

---

https://www.ppic.org/blog/whos-leaving-california-and-whos-moving-in

Kinda interesting…..

71Bear said:

---

Cal89 said:

---

With respect to the ideal location, more and more people are factoring-in climate, and not just the usual sunny days, but also the the desire (oddly) for more precipitation, they are looking at rainfall totals, what areas are experiencing drought conditions or worse, like dire drought concerns. Those are proving to be quality-of-life matters, certainly life-sustaining ones at some point...

As I type I am looking out over what would normally be Lake Anderson in Morgan Hill, CA. It's a reservoir actually, one that was drained for critical damn repairs, set to take a decade to finish (huge political fiasco). We were evacuated last year due to the fires in this area. Thankfully this year, no fires near us. The largest lake in the county (Santa Clara) is now gone. Missing the view is one thing, the recreation too, but losing the natural fire break and the water source is yet another...

I mentioned in some thread here, maybe a year or two back, about how many folks I know, neighbors, co-workers who had left California. A colleague's family member owns a U-Haul place and commented on the number of rentals leaving the state had kept increasing. We've since seen more data confirming the exodus.

The K-12 educational system is generally regarded as poor in California, usually ranked in the 40s. Several families told me that was a contributing reason, but also the aforementioned drought concerns, which they felt could be very long-lasting, and with that, apt to only get worse. Mentioned also were the intentional electrical blackouts; and the sorry state of affairs that leads to those being deemed prudent decisions. Funny thing, while no one mentioned our roads as a reason for leaving, many of them later said how much better the roads were in their new states. That prompted me look, and California, according to the Federal Highway Administration, has 38% of its roads in poor condition. Only two states are worse. Not surprisingly, most, including those I know, left because of the cost-of-living expenses, which are relatively high. By most measures, California is in the top 3-5 of most expensive states. Coupled with state and local taxes, California is seemingly always near the top, money matters remain a huge reason why many leave.

Everyone I know who left California told me (I ask these folks the same types of questions) they would have never guessed they would leave someday. It was a gradual realization of the degradation of their quality of life here, that the cost-benefit-analysis eventually pointed them elsewhere. I'd say all of them were generally fine paying more here, for housing, gas, food, etc, even more in taxes, but that they would then expect, paying top dollar, they would receive more in return, a higher standard of living, better schools, roads, etc.

My best friend left a couple years ago. He too was born and raised in California. He's a financial planner, a damn good one too. He simply concluded that there was no good reason why such a rich, high-income state, one that taxes its residents at one of the highest rates, finds itself with one of the highest state debts, per capita and debt-per-income, while delivering relatively poor quality of life attributes.

The natural beauty of the state continues, thankfully. For me too, having beaches about 45 minutes to an hour away remains a reason to stay. That and mostly my parents being here are why I remain. Also, the "ease" of attending Cal games is a factor.

I like somewhat rural areas. West of Portland has my attention, still not far from the ocean, certainly more precipitation. Not too far from an international airport (PDX). Rural parts not far from Reno also, same for SLC…. Interestingly, I am also looking at real estate in Italy, not as an investment per se, but a home for us, somewhere to take the family for 2-3 months over the summers, maybe even during different times of the year. Also other European countries, like parts of Portugal or Croatia have my interest. Back to Italy, weather-wise, parts of it are California-like; which honestly is a bit too hot for me. I'd prefer a little further north. Looking about an hour away from Milan, base of the Alps, near some awesome lakes. For those willing to consider leaving to their community or state, there's much more out there if willing to jump a little further…

---

https://www.ppic.org/blog/whos-leaving-california-and-whos-moving-in

Kinda interesting…..

---

Agreed, thank you.

I can say those folks I know who left, all college educated, probably a 1/3 with master degrees or higher and making pretty darn good salaries, but I certainly know of folks moving into CA making good money too. Being semi-retired myself, our departure would not reflect much on the income side at this point, compared to when i had a salary. I imagine our state doesn't top many retirement destination lists, so I tend to believe incoming tax payers will likely be higher earners than those leaving...

That said, IRS migration data for the past few years indicates a net loss of about 165k California taxpayers. Just re-found what I vaguely remembered... it's for two years, 2018 and 2019, the state had that net loss in taxpayers. Equates to about $8.8B in net AGI. Thankfully the new incoming taxpayers are generally higher earners than those leaving. That helps somewhat. With many large employers having left since, I'm not so optimistic going-forward as the rate of companies leaving California this year has doubled previous years.

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Guam is remote. Medical is so, so with a new hospital in the works. However for planned medical many go to the excellent but inexpensive medical tourism resorts in the Philippines.

My recommendation is take a look at Saipan In the CNMI for the beauty, weather and huge tax advantages for American tax payers. Just stay over 6 months a year to establish the CNMI as your tax residence.

A condo on a powder white sand beach with sunset views. Arrive after Christmas and stay through June.

That way you avoid mainland winter and avoid tropical rainy/heat/humidity/typhoon season. It gives you half the year to visit friends and family and attend Cal football games and MLB games. Maybe even just have a motor home on the Mainland? That mitigates the remoteness issue. Or travel the world. Or both.

CNMI: Medicare and Social security apply, no state tax, no inheritance tax, no sales tax, no property tax (though you cannot own land). No US income tax per se.

Income taxes are at same rates as IRS, but payable to the local government with most of it rebated back:
$0 to $20,000. 90% of tax rebated
$20k to $100k 70% of tax rebated
Everything over $100k 50% of tax rebated
You can underpay, anticipating your rebate and pay a 4% penalty.

So you can live off of your social security, 401K or IRA, or invest in a CNMI business, which can be passed on to your heirs tax free and pay a fraction of the taxes you would pay anywhere else including Florida or as an ex-pat living abroad.

If I were to look foreign, Bali, Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama and Italy would be high on my list.

calumnus said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Guam is remote. Medical is so, so with a new hospital in the works. However for planned medical many go to the excellent but inexpensive medical tourism resorts in the Philippines.

My recommendation is take a look at Saipan In the CNMI for the beauty, weather and huge tax advantages for American tax payers. Just stay over 6 months a year to establish the CNMI as your tax residence.

A condo on a powder white sand beach with sunset views. Arrive after Christmas and stay through June.

That way you avoid mainland winter and avoid tropical rainy/heat/humidity/typhoon season. It gives you half the year to visit friends and family and attend Cal football games and MLB games. Maybe even just have a motor home on the Mainland? That mitigates the remoteness issue. Or travel the world. Or both.

CNMI: Medicare and Social security apply, no state tax, no inheritance tax, no sales tax, no property tax (though you cannot own land). No US income tax per se.

Income taxes are at same rates as IRS, but payable to the local government with most of it rebated back:
$0 to $20,000. 90% of tax rebated
$20k to $100k 70% of tax rebated
Everything over $100k 50% of tax rebated
You can underpay, anticipating your rebate and pay a 4% penalty.

So you can live off of your social security, 401K or IRA, or invest in a CNMI business, which can be passed on to your heirs tax free.

---

That's really good info, thanks for sharing those details.

Really happy for you. Seems you found your Utopia. What's the comparative cost of groceries there? I realize no The Home Depots and the like, a good thing, but are there hardware stores?

Cal89 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Guam is remote. Medical is so, so with a new hospital in the works. However for planned medical many go to the excellent but inexpensive medical tourism resorts in the Philippines.

My recommendation is take a look at Saipan In the CNMI for the beauty, weather and huge tax advantages for American tax payers. Just stay over 6 months a year to establish the CNMI as your tax residence.

A condo on a powder white sand beach with sunset views. Arrive after Christmas and stay through June.

That way you avoid mainland winter and avoid tropical rainy/heat/humidity/typhoon season. It gives you half the year to visit friends and family and attend Cal football games and MLB games. Maybe even just have a motor home on the Mainland? That mitigates the remoteness issue. Or travel the world. Or both.

CNMI: Medicare and Social security apply, no state tax, no inheritance tax, no sales tax, no property tax (though you cannot own land). No US income tax per se.

Income taxes are at same rates as IRS, but payable to the local government with most of it rebated back:
$0 to $20,000. 90% of tax rebated
$20k to $100k 70% of tax rebated
Everything over $100k 50% of tax rebated
You can underpay, anticipating your rebate and pay a 4% penalty.

So you can live off of your social security, 401K or IRA, or invest in a CNMI business, which can be passed on to your heirs tax free.

---

That's really good info, thanks for sharing those details.

Really happy for you. Seems you found your Utopia. What's the comparative cost of groceries there? I realize no The Home Depots and the like, a good thing, but are there hardware stores?

---

I have never been to Guam.
If I were going to consider a move to any Pacific island, my first question would be what is the median elevation above sea level on the island

GivemTheAxe said:

---

Cal89 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Guam is remote. Medical is so, so with a new hospital in the works. However for planned medical many go to the excellent but inexpensive medical tourism resorts in the Philippines.

My recommendation is take a look at Saipan In the CNMI for the beauty, weather and huge tax advantages for American tax payers. Just stay over 6 months a year to establish the CNMI as your tax residence.

A condo on a powder white sand beach with sunset views. Arrive after Christmas and stay through June.

That way you avoid mainland winter and avoid tropical rainy/heat/humidity/typhoon season. It gives you half the year to visit friends and family and attend Cal football games and MLB games. Maybe even just have a motor home on the Mainland? That mitigates the remoteness issue. Or travel the world. Or both.

CNMI: Medicare and Social security apply, no state tax, no inheritance tax, no sales tax, no property tax (though you cannot own land). No US income tax per se.

Income taxes are at same rates as IRS, but payable to the local government with most of it rebated back:
$0 to $20,000. 90% of tax rebated
$20k to $100k 70% of tax rebated
Everything over $100k 50% of tax rebated
You can underpay, anticipating your rebate and pay a 4% penalty.

So you can live off of your social security, 401K or IRA, or invest in a CNMI business, which can be passed on to your heirs tax free.

---

That's really good info, thanks for sharing those details.

Really happy for you. Seems you found your Utopia. What's the comparative cost of groceries there? I realize no The Home Depots and the like, a good thing, but are there hardware stores?

---

I have never been to Guam.
If I were going to consider a move to any Pacific island, my first question would be what is the median elevation above sea level on the island

---

Reading my mind, lol. Was thinking of proximity of high ground also. If staying there seasonally, I'd imagine there are better times to do so, as seen with our Gulf States, the Caribbean...

Cal89 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Guam is remote. Medical is so, so with a new hospital in the works. However for planned medical many go to the excellent but inexpensive medical tourism resorts in the Philippines.

My recommendation is take a look at Saipan In the CNMI for the beauty, weather and huge tax advantages for American tax payers. Just stay over 6 months a year to establish the CNMI as your tax residence.

A condo on a powder white sand beach with sunset views. Arrive after Christmas and stay through June.

That way you avoid mainland winter and avoid tropical rainy/heat/humidity/typhoon season. It gives you half the year to visit friends and family and attend Cal football games and MLB games. Maybe even just have a motor home on the Mainland? That mitigates the remoteness issue. Or travel the world. Or both.

CNMI: Medicare and Social security apply, no state tax, no inheritance tax, no sales tax, no property tax (though you cannot own land). No US income tax per se.

Income taxes are at same rates as IRS, but payable to the local government with most of it rebated back:
$0 to $20,000. 90% of tax rebated
$20k to $100k 70% of tax rebated
Everything over $100k 50% of tax rebated
You can underpay, anticipating your rebate and pay a 4% penalty.

So you can live off of your social security, 401K or IRA, or invest in a CNMI business, which can be passed on to your heirs tax free.

---

That's really good info, thanks for sharing those details.

Really happy for you. Seems you found your Utopia. What's the comparative cost of groceries there? I realize no The Home Depots and the like, a good thing, but are there hardware stores?

---

We actually have a Home Depot, which we have supported more than I'd like in our refurbishment (we bought a fixer upper with ocean and mountain views backing up on jungle and a stream for $75k on Craigslist). A friend of mine owns a large hardware store that competes with HD mostly by buying direct from China so we buy from him whenever possible.

Groceries vary. The main local chain, Payless, (nicknamed "Pay more, get less) is a lot like a Safeway. There are things like breakfast cereal or mainland milk in cartoons I never buy. California produce, especially orgainics, is relatively expensive. Previously frozen meat (beef and chicken) and eggs are cheap. Best deal is fresh local fish. Tuna sashimi, wahoo or marlin caught yesterday for less than $6 a pound. We eat a lot of mackerel from Japan and Korea or milkfish from the Philippines.

There is a Washington based warehouse style retailer, Cost-U-Less, that is like a smaller Costco. But I've written former Cal basketball player Richard Chang, president of Costco Asia, to try to convince him to open one here. Japanese retailer Don Quijote is opening soon.

There are a lot of Korean grocery stores (Kim Chee Market is just down the hill from my house). Anything imported to Guam is duty free, but has to confirm to US labeling laws. So packaged produce from Korea, canned and packaged food from the Phillipines is huge. Tetra packs of milk and cheese from New Zealand are cheap. Really popular are boxes of Danish pork ribs for BBQ. Importers just attach labels if they didn't have one. I am working to expand offerings from Europe (especially cheeses and alcohol) and Mexico as part of my business.

We also eat alot of the food that just grows on our property: papayas (ripe and green), mangos, coconuts, bananas, bread fruit, guavas, apple guavas, custard apples, figs, star fruit, moringa, sweet potatoes and sweet potato greens (the latter replaces spinach and kale in stir fries, saags and smoothies).

Property tax is $50 per year. Electricity is $150 a month running AC. Water and sewer is $20. Solar panels are cheap as there are no tariffs.

By far our largest expense is dining out. So if we ever needed to economize that would be it.

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Albuquerque. 15 degrees cooler than PHX.

https://greatruns.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/ALB-Skyline-700x400.jpeg

calumnus said:

---

Cal89 said:

---

calumnus said:

---

southseasbear said:

---

calumnus said:

---

71Bear said:

---

dmh65 said:

---

A lot of ex-Californians in Boise, maybe they can tell you. I know that I liked it there, though it was a brief visit. Beautiful place, nice people, affordable; what's not to like?

---

A number of things but I'll stick to #1 for now - too far from the ocean.

I lived for a short time in another state. I hated it, quit my job and moved back to the Bay Area. I wouldn't consider living anywhere that is more than an hour's drive to the ocean.

---

Agreed. I need to be near the ocean and have views of hills or mountains (so Florida does not work). I hate the cold except to visit. I love San Francisco, but it is too cold and gray too many days for my psyche. The East Bay is great. West LA and San Diego are great (though they all have their share of cold(ish) and gray too). Oregon, Washington, Idaho, BC, Colorado are all nice to visit but too far north for my taste.

Best for me is Hawaii and the Pacific islands. I love the tropics, especially when the trade winds are blowing. We live on Guam and love it here, weather isn't as good as Hawaii (especially this time of year) but it is a fraction of the Hawaii cost, business opportunities abound, it isn't overcrowded, people are relaxed and friendly like Hawaii decades ago and we love traveling in and exploring Asia.

To each their own.

---

Agree with a lot of this. I can't tolerate cold, wet, overcast. As I'm considering retirement, the search is on for a place significantly less expensive and crowded than LA. I would love to live in Palm Springs, but it is almost as expensive as LA and still has the oppressive California taxes. I love the tropics but Hawaii is too expensive. Thought of Guam but it seems so remote. (Is there a quality hospital there with a state of the art cancer center?) The Pacific Northwest is too wet and/or gloomy. Boise and Reno are too cold. Most likely we will be settling in the metropolitan areas of Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Tucson.

---

Guam is remote. Medical is so, so with a new hospital in the works. However for planned medical many go to the excellent but inexpensive medical tourism resorts in the Philippines.

My recommendation is take a look at Saipan In the CNMI for the beauty, weather and huge tax advantages for American tax payers. Just stay over 6 months a year to establish the CNMI as your tax residence.

A condo on a powder white sand beach with sunset views. Arrive after Christmas and stay through June.

That way you avoid mainland winter and avoid tropical rainy/heat/humidity/typhoon season. It gives you half the year to visit friends and family and attend Cal football games and MLB games. Maybe even just have a motor home on the Mainland? That mitigates the remoteness issue. Or travel the world. Or both.

CNMI: Medicare and Social security apply, no state tax, no inheritance tax, no sales tax, no property tax (though you cannot own land). No US income tax per se.

Income taxes are at same rates as IRS, but payable to the local government with most of it rebated back:
$0 to $20,000. 90% of tax rebated
$20k to $100k 70% of tax rebated
Everything over $100k 50% of tax rebated
You can underpay, anticipating your rebate and pay a 4% penalty.

So you can live off of your social security, 401K or IRA, or invest in a CNMI business, which can be passed on to your heirs tax free.

---

That's really good info, thanks for sharing those details.

Really happy for you. Seems you found your Utopia. What's the comparative cost of groceries there? I realize no The Home Depots and the like, a good thing, but are there hardware stores?

---

We actually have a Home Depot, which we have supported more than I'd like in our refurbishment (we bought a fixer upper with ocean and mountain views backing up on jungle and a stream for $75k on Craigslist). A friend of mine owns a large hardware store that competes with HD mostly by buying direct from China so we buy from him whenever possible.

Groceries vary. The main local chain, Payless, (nicknamed "Pay more, get less) is a lot like a Safeway. There are things like breakfast cereal or mainland milk in cartoons I never buy. California produce, especially orgainics, is relatively expensive. Previously frozen meat (beef and chicken) and eggs are cheap. Best deal is fresh local fish. Tuna sashimi, wahoo or marlin caught yesterday for less than $6 a pound. We eat a lot of mackerel from Japan and Korea or milkfish from the Philippines.

There is a Washington based warehouse style retailer, Cost-U-Less, that is like a smaller Costco. But I've written former Cal basketball player Richard Chang, president of Costco Asia, to try to convince him to open one here. Japanese retailer Don Quijote is opening soon.

There are a lot of Korean grocery stores (Kim Chee Market is just down the hill from my house). Anything imported to Guam is duty free, but has to confirm to US labeling laws. So packaged produce from Korea, canned and packaged food from the Phillipines is huge. Tetra packs of milk and cheese from New Zealand are cheap. Really popular are boxes of Danish pork ribs for BBQ. Importers just attach labels if they didn't have one. I am working to expand offerings from Europe (especially cheeses and alcohol) and Mexico as part of my business.

We also eat alot of the food that just grows on our property: papayas (ripe and green), mangos, coconuts, bananas, bread fruit, guavas, apple guavas, custard apples, figs, star fruit, moringa, sweet potatoes and sweet potato greens (the latter replaces spinach and kale in stir fries, saags and smoothies).

Property tax is $50 per year. Electricity is $150 a month running AC. Water and sewer is $20. Solar panels are cheap as there are no tariffs.

By far our largest expense is dining out. So if we ever needed to economize that would be it.

---

Great Richard Chang tidbit in there! Dude was just becoming a decent Pac 10 player when he blew out his knee.