Monday, February 25, 2008

Lake Tahoe California Retirement

Lake Tahoe:

Snowy winters and spectacular natural surroundings combine with large resort casinos and world class skiiing to make Lake Tahoe a very popular travel destination in California. Lake Tahoe is located in the travel region known as the California High Sierra. Lake Tahoe is probably more known as a vacation home area than a retirement area with nearby Reno Nevada the more popular city for retirement in this area.

Retirement Communities:
That's odd, we couldn't find *any* retirement communities in the Lake Tahoe area!

Population: 24,000 people

Climate: Cold, snowy winters and cool summers.

Cost of Living: High - this is a highly travelled tourist area.

Housing Costs:
The Median home price is $515,000
Zillow has more detail for home prices in the Lake Tahoe area, which is home to a lot of vacation homes, mostly for native Californians.

Taxes: California taxes are generally high compared to other states.
California Tax details are here: www.ftb.ca.gov

Transportation: Mostly by personal car, taxi, or special casino shuttles. We could not find a bus service for this small city.

Health care: www.bartonhealth.org

Travel and tourism: www.visitrenotahoe.com

Retiring In Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix is the capital and the most populous city of the state of Arizona and the county seat of Maricopa County, as well as being the largest state capital in the United States by population. It is the largest city in the American Southwest and the Mountain Time Zone, and is the region's primary government, cultural, economic, and transportation center. Phoenix is located along the banks of the now normally dry Salt River.



Population: The city's estimated population as of 2006 was 1,512,986, making it the fifth largest city in the United States



Climate: Phoenix has an arid climate, and its average annual maximum temperature is the highest of any major US city. The temperature reaches or exceeds 100°F (38°C) on an average of 89 days during the year.



Things to See and Do: Several performing arts venues are found throughout the Phoenix area, but primarily in and around downtown Phoenix and in Scottsdale. One such venue is the Phoenix Symphony Hall, where performances from groups such as Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona often occur. Concerts also regularly make stops in the area. Venues for concerts include the US Airways Center in downtown Phoenix, Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, and the Dodge theater (also in downtown Phoenix). Phoenix is home to a large number of parks and recreation areas. Many waterparks are scattered around the valley to help residents cope with the harsh desert heat during the summer months. Some of the notable parks include Big Surf in Tempe, Waterworld Safari in Glendale, Golfland SunSplash in Mesa, and the Oasis Water Park at Pointe South Mountain Resort in Phoenix. The area also has one amusement park in central Phoenix called Castles N' Coasters, next to the Metrocenter Mall.



Universities and Colleges: The University of Phoenix is headquartered in Phoenix. There are also ten community colleges and two skills centers throughout Maricopa County, providing adult education.



Transportation: Phoenix is served by Sky Harbor International Airport , which is centrally located in the metro area near several major freeway interchanges east of downtown Phoenix.

Public transportation throughout the metropolitan area is provided by Valley Metro, which operates a system of buses and a rideshare program.



Housing Costs: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $184,300 (it was $112,600 in 2000). Median gross rent in 2005: $708.



Retirement Communities: Olive Grove Retirement & Assisted Living Community, www.sunriseseniorliving.com

Monterey, California Retirement & Salinas California Retirement

Monterey California, with neighboring Salinas, is a legendary travel location thanks to the literary masterpiece "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck. Although the shadows of historical Monterey remain, the area is now an upscale and very popular California tourism destination http://www.canneryrow.com/



The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the areas premier attractions. Monterey Bay is considered to be one of the finest aquarium facilities in the world, and is surrounded by a beautiful bayfront with shopping and restaurants as well as locations familiar to those who have read John Steinbeck's American masterpiece "Cannery Row".

Monterey Retirement Communities:
Classic Residence By Hyatt www.hyattclassic.com (831) 373-6126
Canterbury Woods www.ehf.org (831) 373-3111
Carmel Valley Manor www.cvmanor.com (831) 624-1281
Forest Hill Manor www.foresthillmanor.org (831) 657-5200
Pacific Meadows (831) 624-9355
Del Mesa Carmel (831) 624-1853
Hacienda Carmel Community (831) 624-8261

Population: 28,800 in Monterey 145,000 in Salinas

Climate: California Coastal moderate

Cost of Living: High in Monterey, high to moderate in Salinas

Housing Costs:
The Median home price in Monterey is prohibitive at $999,000 so you may want to consider surrounding areas like Salinas wich a median of 520,000.
Zillow has more detail for home prices in Monterey and Salinas

Taxes: California taxes are generally high compared to other states.
California Tax details are here: www.ftb.ca.gov


Health Care:
Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula www.chomp.org (831) 625-4600
Natividad Medical Center www.natividad.com (831) 755-4111
Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital www.svmh.com

Transportation: Monterey Salinas Transit "MST": www.mst.org

Travel and tourism: Monterey County Convention Bureau: www.montereyinfo.org