Retired and ready to move. Some Guzzi content.

[Kent in Upstate NY]

So I retired from the state a week ago last Monday and now I get to spend my time packing and getting ready to move to NY. We have horses and have to plan our trip so we can hit a horse boarding facility every 500 miles or so. So we intend to hit Flagstaff, AZ, Tucumcari, NM, OKC, Des Moines,IA, La Porte, IN, and finally Jamestown, NY. Guzzi content. Have to ship the bike. Any recommendations?

[normzone]

I truly respect somebody who plans around their horses in that detail and ships their bike.

[Bill Hagan]

How about offering a riding opportunity for some willing and able wildguzzisti?  Cost might not be much more than shipping.   :D

Bill

P.S. Congrats on retirement. Hope you are as good at it as I am.   ;)

[charlie b]

I used JC last time and will the next time.

https://motorcycleshippers.com/

[drlapo]

you are moving "TO" NY? it seems that everyone else is leaving the  northeast, I know that I will
Its already April 8th and its 40 degrees and raining again in CT

[Kent in Upstate NY]

It is below 40 here and supposed to snow. That is life in the mountains of So Cal.

[stmike]

I'll probably move out of California one of these days as well. But only to a state that has less, or ideally no, income tax. NY wouldn't be it for me. But like Bill says, congratulations on your retirement. Retirement really is the best job I've ever had, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

[Lannis]

I'll probably move out of California one of these days as well. But only to a state that has less, or ideally no, income tax. NY wouldn't be it for me. But like Bill says, congratulations on your retirement. Retirement really is the best job I've ever had, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

For a retired guy, I don't quite understand.   States with no income tax make up for it with high sales taxes relative to other states; state treasury has to be funded from SOMEwhere.

When you're retired, your income is generally low enough (correct me if I'm wrong in your case) that you are excused from most state income tax.   BUT you still have to buy stuff just like anyone else, and there's no break on sales taxes for people on fixed incomes.   Looks like you'd pay MORE taxes when retired in a non-income-tax state?

Lannis

[blackcat]

 States with no income tax make up for it with high sales taxes relative to other states; state treasury has to be funded from SOMEwhere.



Lannis

I'd rather live in a state that had an income tax, especially if I was retired.

Kent, good luck on the move.

[PeteS]

Well at least NY has water. BTW no income tax on Social Security. Summers are the best as is Fall. The rest not so much.

Pete

[stmike]

For a retired guy, I don't quite understand.   States with no income tax make up for it with high sales taxes relative to other states; state treasury has to be funded from SOMEwhere.

When you're retired, your income is generally low enough (correct me if I'm wrong in your case) that you are excused from most state income tax.   BUT you still have to buy stuff just like anyone else, and there's no break on sales taxes for people on fixed incomes.   Looks like you'd pay MORE taxes when retired in a non-income-tax state?

Lannis

California has both high income tax and high sales taxes.  While my income, and my wife's, is not in the range of Warren Buffet's, we still get stung pretty badly every year during this time due to pension situations.  And we are not eligible for social security, which is not taxed.  The ideal situation, of course, would be to live in a place like southern Washington, which is a non-income-tax state, and do your shopping in Oregon, which is a non-sales-tax state.  This is not to say that I mind paying my fair share to enjoy the benefits of living here, because I don't mind that.  What irks me is having to pay more than my fair share.
And yes, at least NY has water.  Can't argue with that.

[jetmechmarty]

I was very surprised to read this.  VERY SURPRISED!  Jamestown, NY is where I was born and raised.  I graduated from Jamestown High School in 1977.  I still have a lot of family there, but haven't visited since 2007 when I went to bury my brother.  Retiring there isn't on my radar.  I have to assume you've acquired some nice property in Chautauqua County.  It is a lovely place with fewer and fewer people there every year.  It may be nice if you can tolerate the weather.  I might enjoy hearing more about the move.

[jetmechmarty]

I'd rather live in a state that had an income tax, especially if I was retired.

Kent, good luck on the move.

Lannis,
It makes.sense, but isn't necessarily true.  There's a .org website where you can look up all the tax liabilities for a particular.area.  I think it's the Tax Foundation.  Of course, it doesn't account for things like the cost of groceries.

[dilligaf]

Our taxes are low but then, so is our income.  ;D  :BEER:
Matt

[Thunderbutt]

Kent- I was born and raised in Fredonia, N.Y. and still have family and relatives all over western N.Y.  My wife and I just sold our summer home on Cassadaga Lake.  I have a cousin who lives in Jamestown that loves and restores motor cycles.  He currently has 3-BMW's and 2-Hondas.  If you PM me with your info I will put you in contact with him and he may be able to provide you with people available to help board your horses. 
As for shipping your bikes- I recently purchased my '02 Le Mans and had it shipped to Clearwater, Fl. from Houston, Texas using Keyboard Shipping out of Ky.  I cant say enough good things about them!!!  Very competitive rates, bike was insured for up to $20,000.00 with zero deductible, and door to door delivery.

JetM is right, that area is absolutely beautiful in the summer and fall, both weeks of it!  Just kidding.  So many good riding spots, and if you don't count Amish buggies, hay balers or combines,  there isn't  hardly any traffic.  Ride north towards Niagara Falls, east to the Finger Lakes or south thru the Alleghany foot hills.  Please keep us posted.

Jerry 

[Kent in Upstate NY]

I was very surprised to read this.  VERY SURPRISED!  Jamestown, NY is where I was born and raised.  I graduated from Jamestown High School in 1977.  I still have a lot of family there, but haven't visited since 2007 when I went to bury my brother.  Retiring there isn't on my radar.  I have to assume you've acquired some nice property in Chautauqua County.  It is a lovely place with fewer and fewer people there every year.  It may be nice if you can tolerate the weather.  I might enjoy hearing more about the move.

Jamestown is just our last stop before our final destination of Granville, NY.

[Kent in Upstate NY]

We have a nice property just south of town. Perfect for horses. If my 83 year old mom can handle Vermont winters, we can handle NY.

[LowRyter]

For a retired guy, I don't quite understand.   States with no income tax make up for it with high sales taxes relative to other states; state treasury has to be funded from SOMEwhere.

When you're retired, your income is generally low enough (correct me if I'm wrong in your case) that you are excused from most state income tax.   BUT you still have to buy stuff just like anyone else, and there's no break on sales taxes for people on fixed incomes.   Looks like you'd pay MORE taxes when retired in a non-income-tax state?

Lannis

several states, like where I live, exempt some retirement income (like govt pensions) from income taxes.  My wife and I don't pay state income taxes on our pensions.

I am not saying it's fair when folks working and raising families have to pay income taxes. 

[menzies]

No income tax on pensions in Alabama, just interest and capital gains on investments. When you turn 65 you can take your 1099's to the tax assessor and if your income is low enough you may not have to pay property tax, I think it is something like 10K and lower but not sure. We have one of the lowest property tax rates in the country but have real high sales taxes in most locales and high sin taxes. We tax our poor at one of the highest rates in the country which I think is not good.

That being said you get what you pay for.

[Lannis]

 We tax our poor at one of the highest rates in the country which I think is not good.

Known in most states as "The State Lottery".

Be that as it may, I just finished my 2014 taxes for when I was still working.   My income (including a paycheck, severance check, and a pension and 1099 investment income); well, it was high enough so that I didn't pay Social Security on all of my income but I'm not in the Alternative Minimum Tax "rich man" bracket either.

Sent the return in on TurboTax on a Tuesday and both my State and Local refund checks were in the bank Friday (about 1.7% of my income; I can't hit it much closer than that).  Hoorah for TurboTax and a reluctant hoorah to the IRS and VA Tax Department for not hanging on to money that belongs to me.   They don't always screw up.

The final total of Real Tax Rates (Net Tax Paid divided by Gross Income) is:

Federal -        16.5%
Virginia -         4.8%
VA Sales Tax -  2.8%
Local Tax -       3.4% (county)

so that's about 27.5% of my income to those taxes.

In addition, I had 5.8% taken for Social Security and 2% for Medicare tax.   I almost hate to count those, since (depending on how the Wheel of Lannis' Fate turns), I might get the total I've paid in or more back in Social Security checks and Medicare bill payments.

Still hanging in there, in the 50% of the population that pays 98% of the income tax ... Now I never WILL reach the 2% of the population that pays 50% of the income tax .....

Lannis

[lucydad]

Lannis,

Move to TEXAS...Kent...wow that's a long move and best wishes.  Retirement beckons...

[jmac851]

As more and more baby boomers retire, states are rethinking that retirement pay exemption. They want money and they will look to get it any way they can.

[HDGoose]

As for shipping. I have used U-Ship three times successfully.

[ItsForrest]

I can't comment on the tax situation either but I just moved a couple bikes from Seattle to Greensboro, NC using HaulBikes.com.
Haulbikes apparently has a contract with Harley for moving bikes and trikes around the country. As such they must have decent cash flow because they have very nice trucks specially set up for bikes. They have seasonal discounts so you can save a bit of money shipping in the off-season. Their winter special was to and from anywhere in the country for 525/bike. I missed booking my move by a week and got the spring special instead for 575/bike. If I remember correctly, that was still a savings of about $300 for the two bikes over motorcycle shippers. It took 3 weeks to get them across the country because of the way they combine shipments and route their drivers. Every bike shipped is automatically insured for $15,000.00, which was over the value for either of my bikes.

[Rough Edge racing]

 I've mentioned my recent desire to move out of western NY state because of brutal property tax ,rusty infrastructure and political reasons. But it''s mostly a rural area with decent riding roads.
  Jamestown is the Southern Tier area and taxes are a bit less than up here closer to the Lake Ontario...

[Kent in Upstate NY]

Just to be clear, We are not going to reside in Jamestown. That is only a stop before our final dest. which is just north of Albany.

[kingoffleece]

Yea.  I live a bit north of there.  Stay out of NY unless you like paying the highest utility cost and taxes in the nation!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is not a joke.  You'll see.