• A boomer and his wife moved to Kansas after living in California for 50 years.
• He and his wife sold their home for $1.4 million and bought a historic home in Kansas for less than $400,000.
• He said it's much easier to make friends in Kansas and the cost of living is much lower.

Mike H., 73, lived in California for 50 years, but it was a high school reunion in Kansas that made him move back.

The former architectural designer had a home north of the Golden Gate Bridge that he bought over 30 years ago, and although he loved the weather and his job, he knew he wanted to return to Kansas, where he attended high school.

In 2020, he and his wife sold their home and moved to a suburb of Kansas City. They bought a historic property for a third of the price of their home in California and said life was more peaceful with friendlier people, less traffic and cheaper prices.

“California changed so much in the time I lived there that toward the end we couldn’t get out of there fast enough,” Mike said. “We weren’t really happy there for 10 to 15 years as it became more and more crowded and the condition deteriorated.”

Many Californians have told BI that they are moving to states with lower costs of living, better work-life balance and better climate conditions. According to the Census Bureau's ACS data table, about 818,000 people left California between 2021 and 2022, while 475,800 followed suit.

While the California to Texas and California to Arizona routes were the most popular, over 5,500 people moved from California to Kansas between 2021 and 2022.

Leaving California after five decades

Mike, whose identity is known to Business Insider but who requested partial anonymity for privacy reasons, grew up in Minneapolis but moved to Kansas with his family when he was 15. He lived there for five years and moved to California in 1970. He knew he wanted to live in California after a trip to Disneyland at age 10.

For most of his time in California, he lived in Mill Valley, north of the Golden Gate Bridge. He recalled frequently seeing celebrities on the way from his home on Highway 1 to downtown San Francisco. From 1988 until his move in 2020, he lived in what was known as a “treehouse fixer-upper.”

He initially worked as a building contractor and then switched to architecture and planning. Although he enjoyed life in California and had a successful career, he said his area has lost its charm over the last decade. He said at times the traffic was so heavy that he couldn't leave his house because cars were parked in his driveway.

He said it was difficult to find parking at the grocery store around his house. He noted that infrastructure in his area had begun to crumble, and he said the quality of public education nearby had declined. As he got older, he also said that it became harder to make friends and that situations felt more and more tense. He said it has been a challenge getting to know some of his neighbors.

Still, he and his wife didn't want to move because Proposition 13 fixed their property taxes when they bought their home. They thought they could move to Phoenix or Reno, but neither attracted them.

In 2018, he received an invitation to his 50th high school reunion in Kansas and realized that the state he briefly called home as a child was the place he needed to move.

“We drove around and I thought this place was beautiful and so clean. The streets were so wide that you could park right outside the front door of your destination. We found this place really livable,” Mike said. “We came back to California, and about a week later we were reminiscing and finally said, let’s get out of here and go to Kansas.”

The move to the Kansas City metro took a year and a half because his wife still had a few months until retirement and they still needed to remodel their home in California.

“To be honest, if we hadn't gone to that meeting in 2018, we would probably still be living in the same house in California because moving would suddenly require new taxes everywhere I move to.” said Mike. “I could have sold the house for a lot of money, but my next house would cost a lot of money.”

Moving to Kansas: Pros and Cons

In 2020, they sold their California home for $1.4 million and moved to Westwood Hills, a town of 400 on the Kansas-Missouri border and about a 15-minute drive from Kansas City. They purchased a 1927 home listed on the National Register of Historic Places for less than $400,000.

He estimates he pays more taxes in Kansas, and when he first moved he said he was surprised at how similar some prices were, such as at the hardware store. He also said dining out is about the same in the two states.

While he acknowledged his comparisons aren't entirely accurate due to inflation during the pandemic, he said the cost of food, energy and water is much lower in Kansas. Even if he runs the heat or air conditioning year-round, his utility bills are a fraction of what he spent in California. While gasoline costs an average of $4.74 per gallon in California, gasoline costs $2.91 per gallon in Kansas.

While he said water is expensive and scarce in California, he said he can now have a nice lawn and have barbecues outside without the stress of running out of water.

He said he and his wife are prepared for colder winters, although the last few months have been more than bearable. He and some of his friends expected Kansas to be miles of barren, flat land, even though he said his area had lots of greenery, rolling hills and streams.

Mike said that meeting new people and making friends is much easier in Kansas. A car enthusiast whose friends have moved away from the Bay Area, he joined a group of a dozen locals who meet weekly to discuss and try out cars.

“It's easier to live here. The streets are wider, the traffic is less aggressive, no one honks the horn or rages in the street,” Mike said, adding that his community reminds him of Minnesota.

He said he has no intention of leaving Kansas and noted that his experience so far has been a pleasant surprise.

“I’m not a California basher because California has been very good to me and it’s a beautiful place,” Mike said. “I miss the palm trees, the proximity to the sea and the daily sight of the bay, but that wasn’t enough to keep us.”

Have you recently moved to a new state or relocated from the United States to another country? Contact this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.

Correction: March 5, 2024 – This post has been updated to clarify Mike's original location in California.

The post Transferring From California to Kansas for Retirement: Professionals and Cons appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Golf cart repairman accused of exposing himself to the Mesa 55+ community

Residents of the Leisure World community in Mesa allege that John Grefe exposed himself to them, hugged and groped them, and made inappropriate comments.

TABLE, Ariz. – According to the police, a craftsman exposed himself to at least five people within a period of time mesa community was arrested.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office said it received multiple reports on April 11 of inappropriate sexual contact and indecent exposure in the Leisure World community near Power Road and Southern Avenue.

“The service calls focused on similar alleged incidents in which the subject identified as John ‘Jack’ Grefe had exposed himself or inappropriately hugged/touched victims who were servicing their golf carts at their home,” MCSO said in a press release.

Grefe, a Leisure World resident, was known in the community for repairing golf carts.

Investigators said they interviewed five known victims, all of whom said Grefe groped them, embarrassed themselves or made unwanted inappropriate sexual comments towards them.

October 12th was Grefe arrested and sent to prison after a warrant was issued. Grefe is accused of eight counts of sexual abuse and two counts of indecent exposure.

The post Golf cart handyman uncovered himself to residents of Mesa retirement neighborhood: MCSO appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Golf cart handyman accused of groping, exposing himself to Mesa 55+ community

Residents of the Leisure World community in Mesa claim John Grefe exposed himself to them, hugged and groped them and made inappropriate comments.

MESA, Ariz. – A handyman who police say exposed himself to at least five people within a mesa community has been arrested.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says it received several reports of inappropriate sexual contact and indecent exposure on April 11 at the Leisure World community, located near Power Road and Southern Avenue.

“The calls for service centered around similar incidents where the subject identified as John ‘Jack’ Grefe had exposed himself or inappropriately hugged/touched victims servicing their golf carts at their residence,” MCSO said in a news release.

Grefe, a resident of Leisure World, was known within the community to fix golf carts.

Investigators say they interviewed five known victims who all said Grefe had groped them, exposed himself, or made unwanted inappropriate sexual comments to them.

On Oct. 12, Grefe what arrested and booked into jail after a warrant was issued. Grefe is accused of eight counts of sexual abuse and two counts of indecent exposure.

The post Golf cart handyman uncovered himself to residents of Mesa retirement group: MCSO appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Golf cart handyman accused of groping, exposing himself to Mesa 55+ community

Residents of the Leisure World community in Mesa claim John Grefe exposed himself to them, hugged and groped them and made inappropriate comments.

MESA, Ariz. – A handyman who police say exposed himself to at least five people within a mesa community has been arrested.

The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says it received several reports of inappropriate sexual contact and indecent exposure on April 11 at the Leisure World community, located near Power Road and Southern Avenue.

“The calls for service centered around similar incidents where the subject identified as John ‘Jack’ Grefe had exposed himself or inappropriately hugged/touched victims servicing their golf carts at their residence,” MCSO said in a news release.

Grefe, a resident of Leisure World, was known within the community to fix golf carts.

Investigators say they interviewed five known victims who all said Grefe had groped them, exposed himself, or made unwanted inappropriate sexual comments to them.

On Oct. 12, Grefe what arrested and booked into jail after a warrant was issued. Grefe is accused of eight counts of sexual abuse and two counts of indecent exposure.

The post Golf cart handyman uncovered himself to residents of Mesa retirement group: MCSO appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

HomeLight’s latest report confirms that the value of accessory homes (ADUs) has increased nearly 40% since pre-COVID, with 61% of agents agreeing that the most common use is to house homeowners’ parents; Meanwhile, golf community real estate has grown in value by 48%, driven by the increased interest shown by 30- and 40-year-olds in the game during the pandemic

SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB) October 18, 2021

HomeLight, the real estate technology platform that is transforming the home buying and selling process for the top real estate agents and their clients, today released its Top Agent Insights 2021 Year-End Report, surveying over 1,000 top real estate agents on key drivers that will shape tomorrow’s living real estate market.

As the market settles into a quieter fall season – 62% of brokers report bidding wars have decreased compared to just 3% last quarter – new trends in multigenerational housing, the growing popularity of accessory housing (ADUs), and more and more young people, those who move to golf communities once known for retirees have emerged. The report paints a curious picture of how the pandemic has changed the meaning of “home” for retirees, their families and millennials after the housing craze.

More than a third of real estate agents saw an increase in ADUs in the past year, according to HomeLight. The value of ADUs has increased nationwide by 38% since pre-COVID times, from $ 47,597 to $ 65,908.

• This trend is more pronounced in the Pacific and mountain regions, where ADUs have historically been used as an affordable housing solution and 64% and 47% of agents, respectively, have seen an increase in these units since March 2020. The value of an ADU is highest in the Pacific region, adding an average of $ 116,931 to properties.
• Surprisingly, ADUs are also gaining in importance in regions where they have not always been so popular, such as the Midwest. The ADU value rose the most in the Midwest of any region nationwide, showing an average increase of 54% compared to 38% nationwide.
• The two most common uses of an ADU in Germany are to accommodate the owner’s parents living there (a trend cited by 61% of agents) or to support adult children who need temporary accommodation for financial reasons (35%). In third place are short-term tenants (tourists or vacationers). 32% of brokers state that these guests are likely to have ADUs in their market.
• Parent living is by far the most common use. This applies to all regions, although it’s a particularly prominent trend in the southern part of the US, where 67% of agents report that local homeowners often have parents who live in their ADU.

“We’re not seeing an influx of ADUs being used for short-term rentals, but we do have many buyers wanting an ADU for their aging parents,” said poll participant Aaron Kinn, a top real estate agent on the HomeLight network that serves the Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex in Texas. “This has been a common concern of many of our buyers since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020. They assume the room will be perfect for in-laws, and if not – it would be perfect for a second office location away from the others “of the house.”

As the report shows, an increasing number of near-retirees are withdrawing with their children in an effort to increase the popularity of multi-generational homes exclusively for older adults.

• The value of a property in a golf community has increased nationwide by 48% since March 2020, from $ 16,174 to $ 24,002.
• The Northeast and Midwest saw the highest increases in value that a Gulf community location adds to a property at 57% and 55%, respectively.
• Nearly a third of agents in the Pacific and mountain regions also say that in the past year, people in their thirties and forties were more likely to adopt the country club lifestyle than they did before COVID. Around a fifth of brokers in the Midwest have also noticed this unexpected trend – and how buyer preferences in their market have changed.

“There is a growing interest among younger people to settle near a golf course or golfing community,” said survey participant Kim Batterman, a top real estate agent on the HomeLight network in Appleton, Wisconsin. “In the past few years it was mainly people in partial retirement or retirement who wanted this type of property.”

Other important findings from the HomeLight Top Agent Insights annual report 2021:

• 85% of real estate agents say they are optimistic about the state of the real estate market.
• 95% of agents nationwide report the seller’s market conditions.
• The proportion of brokers who say property prices are rising in their market fell from 95% to 53%.
• Almost 50% of agents say price cuts are now more common in their market.
• In the past year, 51% of real estate agents saw that more properties were listed in their market on platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO or Homeaway.
• The value of outdoor fireplaces has increased 72% from $ 3,337 to $ 5,753 since March 2020. The Pacific region saw by far the most dramatic increase in the value of outdoor fireplaces, from $ 4,254 to $ 9,497, a whopping 123% increase.

For all results, download the full report.

Survey methodology

HomeLight’s Top Agent Insights 2021 full year report was released between September 1st and September 1st. January 2021 through an online survey of 1,029 top real estate agents across the country. Realtors were selected to participate in the survey based on the same performance data HomeLight uses to identify top real estate agents for over a million home buyers and sellers across the country.

About HomeLight

HomeLight is building the future of real estate – today. Our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is easy, safe and satisfactory for everyone.

The best real estate agents rely on HomeLight’s platform to deliver better results to home buyers and sellers at every step of the real estate journey, whether it be to enable a cash-only offer to free up the liquidity of their existing home to buy a new one, or to create security through a modern locking process. Every year, HomeLight enables thousands of brokers to sell billions of dollars in residential real estate on its platform.

Founded in 2012, HomeLight is a privately held company with offices in Scottsdale, San Francisco, New York, Tampa and Seattle, backed by prominent investors including Zeev Ventures, Menlo Ventures, Group 11, Crosslink Capital, Bullpen Capital, Montage Ventures , STCAP, Citi Ventures, Google Ventures and others.

Further information and images: homelight.com/press

You can find the original version on PRWeb at: https://www.prweb.com/releases/two_surprising_forces_shaping_todays_retirement_plans_young_people_moving_to_golf_communities_and_homeowners_building_adus_for_their_parents_according_to_homelight/pr .18

The post Two Stunning Forces Shaping At this time’s Retirement Plans: Younger Individuals Transferring to Golf Communities and Householders Constructing ADUs for Their Mother and father, In keeping with HomeLight appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

The Alaska Supreme Court on Thursday heard a case that unions say could affect the pension plans of thousands of former state employees.

It is not the first time this case has been heard by the country’s highest court.

Juneau resident Peter Metcalfe said he was making college money in the early 1970s when he got a government job that involved “stamping kettles” at the Capitol. He basically worked as a chimney sweep using a four-foot brush to pull gallons of soot out of chimneys.

“I was wrapped in cloth to keep the soot away from me,” recalls Metcalfe. “I only remember standing in the Capitol fountain with the sun shining and sweat running down my face, and I’m sure I was all black. I thought ‘I have to be somewhere else.’ “

After only a few weeks, Metcalfe left town to try his hand at commercial fishing.

Metcalfe said he really didn’t get it at the time, but had he stayed in the state he could have been taken on as a Level I employee.

These Tier I benefits are known to be generous. These included a defined benefit retirement plan, cost of living adjustments, and family medical insurance upon retirement at age 55.

“A gold chain in Juneau with ‘Tier I’ on it, everyone loves you!” said Metcalfe’s attorney Mark Choate with a laugh. “You know you are the object of desire because it’s such a great pension system.”

These advantages – this “gold chain” – are no longer available to new civil servants.

Metcalfe didn’t work for the state again. But the crux of the matter is what would happen if he wanted to do that now.

In the early 1980s, he triggered his retirement account. But by then he could have paid his pension back and returned to work as a Level I employee.

He can’t do that now. If he went back to work for the state, he would get a new type of pension that is not as generous as his original plan.

In 2005, the legislature ended membership in all defined benefit pension plans and introduced the new defined contribution Tier IV plan.

“It just felt like Fiat was making laws,” Metcalfe said. “In other words, the governor and the legislature, the ruling party had majorities in both houses and the governor was Republican and they just got it through.”

Metcalfe believes this is against the Alaskan Constitution. In particular, he refers to Article XII, Section 7, which states that a worker’s pension must never be reduced and that membership of a pension plan is a contractual relationship with the state.

In this photo taken in February 2015, attorneys from left, Mark Choate, Jon Choate, and Kevin Wakley, along with Larry Davis of the Alaska Division of Retirement and Benefits, are preparing for a hearing in the Alaska Supreme Court in Juneau. (Photo by Matt Miller / KTOO)

Oral arguments before the judges on Thursday should focus on the interpretation of the pension benefits section of the Constitution and whether it is unconstitutional to deny Metcalfe’s potential pension benefits.

Prosecutors refused to do a taped interview for this story. But they argued before the Alaska Supreme Court five years ago that Metcalfe finally ended his contractual relationship with the state when he paid off his retirement. They also said he waited too long to file a lawsuit.

Two incumbent judges have withdrawn because of a possible conflict of interest.

Two former judges, Dana Fabe and Warren Matthews, came out of retirement to hear and rule the case.

The Alaska Supreme Court usually delivers an opinion 6-12 months after oral arguments.

State workers’ unions have stated that a decision in favor of Metcalfe could also affect up to 85,000 former workers who may wish to return to a state job and be carried over into their previous retirement plans.

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