Sunday, February 17, 2008

Oakland California Retirement

Oakland California

Not nearly as well known as San Francisco, Oakland offers many of the same amenities that are common throughout the Bay Area of California. These include numerous airports (OAK is Oakland), great public transportation systems, several colleges and universities, cultural diversity, access to professional sports, and much more. Many locals would say that Oakland's appeal depends on where you live in the city. There are areas of high crime and poverty as well as affluence and luxury homes.

City of Oakland website: www.oaklandnet.com

Retirement Communities and Oakland Retirement information:

Lake Park Retirement Residence www.cnmh.org (510) 835-5511
St Paul's Towers Retirement Residence (510) 835-4700
Mercy Retirement & Care Center www.mercyretirementcenter.com (510) 534-8540
Claremont House Retirement www.crmscommunities.com (510) 658-9266
Mark Twain Retirement Center (510) 261-4760
Housing Authority of the City of Oakland: General Information www.oakha.org (510) 874-1500
Lakeside Park www.lakesideparkalz.com (510) 444-4684
Elder Care Alliance www.eldercarealliance.org (510) 434-2800
Salem Lutheran Home www.salemlutheranhome.com (510) 534-3637
Unity Council www.unitycouncil.org (510) 534-6200

Oakland, California Population: 397,000

Climate: Moderate. Cool winters, cool to hot summers. The climate throughout the Bay Area is influenced by proximity to the Pacific, fog, and urban factors.

Cost of Living: High

Housing Costs: With a median home price of about 550,000 Oakland is expensive, though considerably less than San Franciso houses: Zillow has more.

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

Colleges and Universities: Oakland University Oakland Community College

Transportation: Bay Area Transit www.transitinfo.org


Health care:
Alameda County Medical Center: Highland www.acmedctr.org (510) 437-4800
Alameda Hospital www.alamedahospital.org (510) 522-3700
Kaiser Foundation Hospital (510) 752-1000
Alta Bates Medical Center www.altabates.com (510) 204-2700
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center www.altabatessummit.com (510) 204-1303
Children's Hospital: Volunteer Services www.childrenshospitaloakland.org (510) 428-3471

Travel and tourism: Destination Oakland is the Visitor Bureau website: www.oaklandcvb.com

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Montgomery Alabama Retirement

Montgomery is the capital and second most populous city of the state of Alabama and the county seat of Montgomery County. Montgomery is notable for its historic involvement during the Civil War, for being the first capital of the Confederacy, and for being a primary site in the Civil Rights Movement. Located in central Alabama at the intersection of Interstate Highway 85 (east and west) and Interstate Highway 65 (north and south), Montgomery is 164 miles southwest of Atlanta, 92 miles south of Birmingham, and 155 miles north of Mobile and the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately one-third of the population of the United States lives within a 600-mile radius of Montgomery.

Population: As of the census of 2000, there were 201,568 people, 100,784 households, and 100,784 families residing in the city. The 2006 Census Bureau estimate places the population at 201,998.

Climate: Montgomery experiences short, warm springs and hot, typically humid summers lasting from mid-May to well into September. Autumns are usually during October and November and are mild - from the mid 60s to 70s (degrees Fahrenheit). Winters last from December until February; their severity/coldness varies from year to year, but they are usually moderate, with temperatures rarely dipping below 20 degrees Fahrenheit

Transportation: The major airport serving Montgomery is Dannelly Field, otherwise known as the Montgomery Regional Airport. The Montgomery area is served by an integrated railroad system, three airlines, 48 motor freight lines, a national bus line, and a city bus line with 11 fixed routes, Demand Response Services and Paratransit Service.

Montgomery is home to a variety of colleges and universities, including:
Air University
Alabama State University
Auburn University Montgomery

Tax: Sales Tax 10%

Housing Costs: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $100,700 (it was $86,800 in 2000) Median gross rent in 2005: $590

Health Care: Baptist Medical Center South, 2105 E. South BoulevardMontgomery, AL 36116 (334) 288-2100 www.baptistfirst.org
Baptist Medical Center East
400 Taylor RoadMontgomery, AL 36117 (334) 277-8330 www.baptistfirst.org
Jackson Hospital
1725 Pine StreetMontgomery, AL 36106 (334) 293-8888 www.jackson.org
VA Medical Center
215 Perry Hill RoadMontgomery, AL 36109(334) 272-4670



There is so much to see and do in and around Montgomery! History, Art, Festivals, Outdoor Activities. There really is something for everyone!

Friday, February 15, 2008

San Francisco Retirement

San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the USA's most vibrant metropolitan regions, with cultural and natural attractions that make San Francisco one of the most visited cities in the USA. Although this is a major metro area, San Francisco is considerably smaller than Los Angeles or New York, and thus there are many quiet neighborhoods as well as active urban areas. A key challenge to a San Francisco Retirement is going to be cost - this is one of the most expensive areas in the country, and even with recent real estate market problems the cost of living here tends to be very expensive. Median home price, for example, is about $888,000 although you should note that nearby areas tend to have much lower prices than those you'd find within the city limits of San Francisco.

San Francisco Retirement Communities:

Eastern Park Apartments: A Retirement Community: (415) 776-0114
Western Park Apartments: A Retirement Community: (415) 922-5436
Jewish Home of San Francisco http://www.jhsf.org
San Francisco Towers http://www.ehf.org/
Sequoias-San Francisco: http://www.ncphs.org/
Sunrise At Golden Gate Park http://www.sunriseseniorliving.com/

Population: 744,00

Climate: Very moderate. San Francisco tends to be cool year-round, with plenty of rain.
Here's more from the SFGate, an online info portal for the area: http://www.sfgate.com/weather/

Cost of Living: Very high

Housing Costs: Very high. See Zillow for detail.

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

San Francisco Colleges and Universities:

City College of San Francisco: http://www.ccsf.edu/ (415) 239-3000
San Francisco State University: http://www.sfsu.edu/ (415) 338-1111
San Francisco Art Institute: http://www.sfai.edu/ (415) 771-7020
California Culinary Academy: http://www.baychef.com/ (888) 858-5222
University of California Irvine Campus: http://www.uci.edu/ (949) 824-5011
University of San Francisco: http://www.usfca.edu%20(415/) 422-5555
Golden Gate University: http://www.ggu.edu/ (415) 442-7000
California Institute: http://www.ciis.edu/ (415) 575-6100
Heald College: http://www.heald.edu/ (415) 808-3000
San Francisco Conservatory of Music http://www.sfcm.edu/ (415) 864-7326

Transportation: Options in this city are extensive: http://www.sfmta.com/ San Francisco International Airport SFO serves the region but also within about an hour or less from Airports in Oakland OAK, San Jose SJC, and Sacramento SMF.

Health care:

UCSF Children's Hospital: http://www.ucsfhealth.org/
UCSF Medical Center: http://www.mountzion.ucsfmedicalcenter.org/
UCSF Medical Center: Mount Zion: (415) 353-7598
Chinese Hospital: http://www.chinesehospital-sf.org/ (415) 750-4403
Saint Francis Memorial Hospital: (415) 353-6255
Laguna Honda Hospital & Rehabilitation Center http://www.ci.sf.ca.us/ (415) 759-2300
St Luke's Hospital: http://www.stlukes-sf.org/ (415) 647-8600
Cohen-Lief Cardiology Medical (415) 567-9469
St Mary's Medical Center: www.stmarysmedicalcenter.org (415) 750-5500

Travel and tourism: San Francisco is a legendary travel destination where nature, culture, and history converge in many ways. Only in San Francisco is the official guide from the Convention Bureau: http://www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com/

Chico California Retirement

Chico California, like Redding, lies in California's Shasta Cascade Tourism region. Chico is between Sacramento and Redding and offers nearby outdoor recreation along with the amenities of a university town. Chico State is probably the big claim to Chico fame and drives much of the local economy. Although Chico State often makes high marks on "party school" lists the school would rather be known for it's strong agriculture education programs: www.csuchico.edu/

Retirement Communities (NOT inclusive):
Oak Knoll at 1007 Buschmann Road, Paradise CA 95969
A Full service community includes cottages for Independent Retirement.

Country Crest 55 Concordia Lane, Oroville CA 95966

Population: 73,000

Climate: Hot summers, cool to moderate winters

Cost of Living: Moderate to high

Housing Costs: Chico housing is moderate to expensive. Zillow has extensive details.

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

Colleges and Universities: Chico State University www.csuchico.edu

Transportation: Chico Transit www.chico.ca.us/Chico_Area_Transit/Chico_Area_Transit.asp

Health Care: Enloe Medical Center is Chico's top health care facility, though Chico State also has health services for students.

Travel and tourism information from the Chico Chamber: www.chicochamber.com

Retirement in Decatur, Alabama

Decatur, Alabama – located on the Tennessee River in Morgan County – boasts a rich heritage and a dynamic future. Here you’ll find economic prosperity, cultural diversity, and community spirit combined to make Decatur a Grand City on a Charming Scale.

Health Care: The health and well being of the Decatur community is served by two hospitals, Decatur General Hospital and Parkway Medical Center Hospital.

Climate: Decatur experiences a humid subtropical climate, with hot, humid summers and a generally mild winter. Temperatures range from 89 °F (31.6 C) in the summer to 49.0 °F (9.4 C) during winter.

Housing costs: 2004 Average Selling Price for a Home: $130,544
2005 Fair Market Rent for a 2 Bedroom Unit $474

Population: (2000 Census):Decatur: 56,000Morgan County: 110,000

Sales Tax:Decatur 9% (4% city, 1% county, 4% state) Morgan County 7% (3% county, 4% state)




Decatur remains interested in the well-being of its population, continuing to build parks and recreation facilities second to none. Water sports remain a draw to the area, with several national professional fishing tournaments hosted here each year.

Retire to Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville, Alabama USA is one of the most recognized cities in the Southeast — consistently named as one of the best places to live and work by a variety of national publications. Our city is regularly named as a premier location for both business and quality of life.

Taxes; City Sales Tax Rate: 3.5%County Sales Tax Rate: 0.5%State Sales Tax Rate: 4.0%City Property Tax Rate (Per $100 of Assessed Valuation): 5.80


Climate: Take a look at the National Weather Service Climate Information for Huntsville, AL

Population: (Estimate May, 2001): 158,216

Cost of Living; This area boasts one of the lowest cost of living in the United States.

Transportation: Transportation includes, Huntsville International Airport , Huntsville has two active commercial rail lines. The mainline is run by Norfolk Southern, which runs from Memphis, TN to Chattanooga.

Health Care; Health care facilities include Crestwood Medical Center, and Huntsville Hospital.

Housing cost: Estimated median house/condo value in 2005: $128,700 (it was $97,300 in 2000)



Colleges, higher education: UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN HUNTSVILLE (Full-time enrollment: 4,795; Location: 301 SPARKMAN DR; Public; Website: www.uah.edu; Offers Doctor's degree)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Redding California Retirement

Redding California lies in the Shasta Cascade region of north central California. Redding is the largest city for hundreds of miles in each direction and a key center of commerce and activity of this part of California.

Redding Retirement Communities (NOT inclusive):

River Oaks Retirement - http://www.riveroaksretirement.com/
Hilltop Estates Retirement - http://www.hilltopestates.net/ 530-241-4444
Oakdale Heights of Redding - http://www.oakdaleheights.com/ 530-241-6047
Lakewood Christian Homecare - http://www.lakewoodchristianhomecare.com/ 530-246-7088
Kirkwood Assisted Living 530-241-2900
Sierra Oaks Senior Living - http://www.oakdaleheights.com/: 530-241-5100
A Touch of Heaven - http://www.atouchofheaven.com/ 530-226-5052

Population: Approximately 90,000

Climate: Hot summers, mild to cold winters

Cost of Living: Moderate to high

Housing Costs: Check out Redding Home prices at Zillow

Taxes: California generally has high taxes compared to other states. California Tax details are here at the California State Tax website: http://www.ftb.ca.gov/

Colleges and Universities: Shasta College Lake College . Redding University offers professional degrees focusing on business and life experience degrees.

Transportation: Redding Area Bus Community Airport

Health care:
Shasta Regional Center - www.shastaregional.com

Mercy Medical Center Redding - redding.mercy.org

Patients Hospital - www.patientshospital.com - (530) 225-8700

Shasta County Psychiatric Hospital - www.co.shasta.ca.us - (530) 245-6979

Northern California Rehab Hospital - www.norcalrehab.com - (530) 246-9000

Travel and tourism: Redding outdoor recreation is very abundant. California's Trinity Alps Wilderness Area is nearby as are hundreds of lakes, streams, rivers. Redding is almost surrounded by BLM and Forest service lands with boating, fishing, hunting, and camping.
Redding Chamber of Commerce: http://www.reddingchamber.com/
Shasta Cascade Wonderland Association

Retirement in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

The City of Tuscaloosa is located in West Alabama on the Black Warrior River, 57 miles southwest of Birmingham. Tuscaloosa is the county seat of 1,340 square mile Tuscaloosa County, which also includes the municipalities of Northport and Brookwood.

Population; 83,052 (2006)

Tuscaloosa is the home of the University of Alabama

Health Care: DCH Health system has several medical centers in the area, and there is also a Veterans Administration Medical Center.

Transportation: The Tuscaloosa Transit Authority system is the public transit system, with trollys on 4 fixed routes in the city. There is also bus service as well as a municiple airport.

Climate: The average temperature is 67.4 degrees, and the precipitation for 2006 was 50.91 inches. The city is 225 feet above sea level.

Taxes: The sales tax is 9%. Property taxes in Alabama are the lowest in the US.

Retire to Anniston, Alabama

The City of Anniston, Alabama is situated in a tree lined valley of the Appalachian foothills, Anniston is the commercial and industrial center of Calhoun County. With a mild climate and four distinct seasons, Anniston has plentiful outdoor recreational opportunities, including bicycling, fishing, camping and golfing.

Population: 23,741 (2005)

Climate: Four distinct seasons

Municiple Sales Tax: 4%

Transportation: Anniston Municiple Airport, Amtrak (train) and Greyhound (bus)

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Santa Rosa California Retirement

Thinking of retiring in Santa Rosa, California?

Santa Rosa, like Eureka and Crescent City, is located on California's Northern Coast, but south of those cities. A comfortable climate and high standard of living make many California cities high on the list of retirement destinations, although Santa Rose is less familiar to many than cities like San Diego California.

Retirement Communities: Friends house and Vineyard Commons offer quality independent living. More retirement communities can be found here.

Santa Rosa Population: 156,000 (2005)

CNN Demographic Profile for Santa Rosa

Climate: Hot summers and mild, cool winters make Santa Rosa's climate comfortable for most people. The dry heat of California is very different from points north and east, so it's a good idea to spend some time in a community before moving there.

Cost of Living: High

Housing Costs: High. See this Zillow link for more Santa Rosa Housing Data

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

Colleges and Universities: Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University in the UC system offer many classes and courses in various disciplines.

Santa Rosa Transportation: Santa Rosa City Bus offers in city transportation while Sonoma County Transit provides bus service regionally.

Health care: Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital: http://www.santarosamemorial.org
Sutter Hospital: http://www.suttersantarosa.org/

Travel and tourism: Visit the Santa Rosa Chamber website fo more about travel, hotels, and lodging in the Santa Rose area: http://www.santarosachamber.com/ or contact them for free information: Santa Rosa Chamber of Commerce, 637 First Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.
707.545.1414