Survey Results

First job out of college, I moved from New York to northern New Jersey. A few years and a few jobs later, I moved to central New Jersey to cut my commute. Fifteen years and a few more jobs later, an opportunity within the company I worked for moved me from New Jersey to central Texas.

When I sold my little suburban house on a third of an acre in New Jersey, I bought a small 20 acre ranch in Texas with a bigger house, barn and other outbuildings and had money left over. I now raise goats. I eliminated the state income tax (Texas does not have one, but New Jersey does) and my property tax dropped to 25% of what I was paying in New Jersey!

Now that retirement is closing in, I am thinking of selling the ranch to buy a larger ranch a hundred or so miles further west, but still in central Texas. From ranching, I will probably never retire. (Have you heard about how the farmers' and ranchers' retirement party begins?? The minister, with a very somber look, intones: "Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to celebrate the life of ..." )