Land wanted for 55-and-over RV community

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builderman

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I am looking for acreage to develop a gated 55-and-over active adult retirement-oriented community – specifically targeted at motor-home and RV owners who travel a lot. (NOT a mobile home park!!) First focus is on southern California, but will look at other parts of western US. Either outright purchase or will consider landowner participation. Will appreciate your comments and suggestions of potential locations. Thank you all for your assistance. (It may help to read my reply #48 to get a better insight into what I am trying to do.)
 
We would be interested in anywhere in the southwest but NOT in CA.
 
Okay, I asked and you gave your opinion, which I appreciate. But you all obviously have reasons for such a strong stance. What are they? Why are you so adamantly against a California location? Is it the tax issue? The weather? The people? There has to be a reason or reasons. And since I am trying to build something for the exclusive benefit of the (fulltime) RV community, I really want to know. How else can I possibly do the right thing? I spent more than a year researching RV and retirement communities all over the country, and spoke to hundreds of people in the process. Everybody had an opinion and a suggestion about their favorite location and places they'd rather avoid -- but I never got such a strong reaction. If you'd rather respond by provate message, by all means do so, but please, explain to me what this is all about. Thanks.
 
I live in a 55 + Retirement RV Community 17 miles west of Phoenix and have traveled on occasion to Southern Cal.  Hate it when taking a Motorhome which we've done on Occasion.  If fact There is no good way to get anywhere from anywhere in Cal, in my judgement.  Restriction for RV s are too great.  Cost's are too high.  Taxes are too high.  Liscense too high. Insurance is higher.  It's High here also but not as bad.  Many from Cal move here, so that in itself is a good indication.  JMHO
 
I agree with everything Shayne said.  We actually lived in SoCal (Rancho Mirage) for about 2 years and experienced the high cost of living there.  We couldn't get out of the state fast enough when we went full time.
 
The main reasons for me would be the taxes and crowded conditions.

If you have any connection with CA. (IE. own a lot there) whether you use it or not, CA will be after you for taxes.

I'm retired military. A few years back CA. tried to collect income tax from all military retirees retired pay if they had every been stationed in the state. It didn't matter if they were ever residents or not. Just the fact that they had been stationed there. Took an act of the US congress to stop them.
 
High cost, High Taxes, High crime, Too crowded and to heavy of traffic.  Not that much to offer but high costs and congestion.  I lived in Ca for awile and bailed out for the above reasons.
 
What Shane said, plus high crime rate.  :mad:

They have a habit of regulating and taxing anything they can see, and you have to do little more than cross the border, or make them think you did. I left L.A. 34 years ago and brought everything with me that I cared about. Haven't been back, haven't missed anything, and won't be going.

California politics is the antithesis of the spirit of RVing.  :(

With any luck at all, I might some day be interested in a community such as you describe.  :-\

Ray D  ;D
 
We visit CA every year or so as we still have family there.  We left in 2000 and had to fight CA over taxes and licenses for almost 4 years.  I also agree with Shane and would probably not go back if it were not for family and friends still there.

Yes, there are places I like to visit but to give any indication of a residence there and open ones self up for the tax and license shenagans, no way.  I would also never recommend someone who has not resided there to move there except under extreme circumstances as they would not have any real idea of the consequences and impact on their resource, read dollars..
 
I would also never recommend someone who has not resided there to move there except under extreme circumstances as they would not have any real idea of the consequences and impact on their resource, read dollars..
Click to expand...

Sure Jim, now you tell us :)  It's unusual to see such total agreement here on any subject, but right now CA is batting .000.
 
Ned,

>>Sure Jim, now you tell us   <<

You didn't ask me before you moved to CA!!  While we we there I was paid enough to put up with some stuff but when I moved there in '61 it wasn't too bad.  Also Orange Co. was still a conservative bastion.  No longer!!  :-((

BTW, if I were to relocate there, I would probably be commiting a felony every day there now that I have re-supplied my gun cabinet - All Legal here in MT though!!

As time passed, it got worse till after we retired we really looked for a place to live in retirement.  MT is not perfect but it suits us!  VBG 

I wish there were a RV community somewhere near Bozeman!!  It would be a great place to Snowbird from!!   VBG
 
Probably the most RV friendly states in the southwest are New Mexico and (west) Texas.

New Mexico has land, water, climate and good roads connecting to the interstate system.

Plus it is a reasonably taxed and regulated state.

85% of the land in Nevada is federally owned. Nevada is second only to N.J. for highest taxed.

From what I've been able to glean, Arizona follows Kalifornia's lead in most things.

As you may well surmise, CA is not well liked, even though it is a beautiful state.

I developed several subdivisions in SW Florida (back in the eighties) and see only New Mexico as developer friendly in the Southwest.

On the other hand, package baloney attractively and it will be bought.

29er.

 
Grew up in southern California. It was a good place to grow up in the 50s-60s. There are places there that are great to visit....are you all forgetting about Anza, San Diego, Joshua Tree, Salton Sea? But would I live there again? Not for love or money. And if you spend any tiny amount of time in California, they WILL come after you for vehicle registration and taxes. Only takes a short time for the state to consider you a resident and demand their cut of your money. So your mobile RVing community is going to be claimed by the California government even if they only stay in your park for a short time. That would scare away a lot of people.

As for taxes, did any of you look at the DatabankUSA in the latest issue of the AARP Bulletin (Mike gets it, I'm certainly not old enough :) )....lowest per capita tax bill is in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Arkansas. Highest was DC, New York, and Connecticut. California was 12th highest. South Dakota was 5th lowest, Montana 6th lowest. New Mexico and Arizona neck-in-neck at 14th and 15th lowest.
 
We'd love to see an RV community in Northern Alabama, Southern Tennessee!
 
I helped my son move from Austin, Texas, to San Rafael, California, in February 2006.  He was making >50% more there, but housing costs were 100% more.  He moved back to Austin in September 2006.

BTW, the same Penske truck that we rented for $600 to move out there was priced at $2,500 to move back.  The demand is that much greater to move OUT of California.

 
Who'd a THUNK  Practically everyone agreeing on the same subject.  Wow.  Tom  Maybe it's time for you to get out of Dodge. LOL.  Everyone has to do what they feel is best for them.  Frankly, I can't afford to travel  in Cal,  let alone live there, even on a part time basis. I realize there are great as well as extremely nice people there, but also too many wied-does for me.  I'd be strung up in a heart beat if some of the crap that goes on out there where to happen to me.  I'd probably be buying guns and using them for protection for me and the wife.  That life is just not for me. WELL, WELL, WELL out of my pocketbook range.  Poor boys travel at poorboys facilities.  People that can afford out there all travel out of state anyway.  JMHO
 
Well, CA is a nice place to visit but I'm glad we don't live here any more :)  Actually, we've been in SoCal for a bit visiting various friends and are presently in the Palm Springs area, having just spent a week near Anza Borrego SP.  We kept our camping costs down by staying at Elk's clubs and Passport America parks wherever we could.  We're in a PA park in Cathedral City and it's still $27/night, but good for a week.

When we leave here next week we'll be heading straight back to AZ however.
 
Tom lives in northern California....an entirely different place from southern California. And you know, there really are a lot of great places to see in California. Yeah, ok, gas is more there than pretty much anywhere else in the lower 48 states but you just have to learn to deal with that. And there are plenty of places RVers can stay in California for a reasonable prices. We just spent the winter mostly in California and our average nightly camp fee was $6.58 per night.

And as for "too many wied-does," Shayne, when was the last time you spent time in California??? Are you telling me that Californians are weirdier than New Yorkers? What about Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and Arizona where more than half the population moved there from California???? Are those states all filled with "wied-does"?? And "weird" is not necessarily "bad"....just different.

You don't like California? Give up fresh produce and quit going to movies. Me, I won't live there but I certainly will visit places there.

JMO
Wendy


I never thought I'd find myself defending California.
 
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