Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Where should I establish residency??? (In the west)

I'm in the process of trading the equity of my house for a motorhome...(great deal if it goes well)... Being a current resident of Ca. I'm looking at establishing residency in one of the neighboring states...My basic concerns are vehicle fees/smog...gun laws...

Nevada.
No state income tax.

I too would support Nevada as a great base of operations. Avoid Clark County as your reg and insurance will make you shidt your pants. Lincoln and Nye Counties are OK w/ Lincoln getting my vote. I live in NW Las Vegas and tomorrow will be looking for elk and coyotes 1 hour from my house in 50* temps. Summer sucks w/ great vigor.

mike r

Nevada is better than California, but it's no paradise. They have a serious bureaucracy here and they'll nickle and dime you to death on everything under the sun to make up for not having an income tax. Cops are a bit overbearing on the highways, they'll pull you over for anything you can imagine; just another tax if you ask me.

No, I'd recommend Arizona or Texas. If it were up to me, I would have never left Arkansas.

You around Lone Mountain...?

Az for gun related issues...can be cool in the summer in the motorhome up on the rim and warm in the winter too...

some good info in this thread and some of the links about full time RVing and where to have your legal residency

home base

SD.

You said neighboring states, but that aside, the best are South Dakota and Wyoming, in that order, from a tax and certain other standpoints. With a motor home, you can be physically anywhere aside from your residence.

I have spent a lot of time on this very issue over the past two years and consulted with several experts. both for myself and for my clients.

Residency, more particularly domicile, matters most if you have substantial assets, and those two states are important for those folks, with Nevada coming close. In your case, Nevada may fit the bill.

Can anyone think of a drawback to Wyoming? One consideration would be if the OP hunts, and what resident licenses would be available to him in his state of residency.

You and George in SD could be roomies.

Do all the counties in Az. require smog checks? Nevada??? I wouldn't mind spending 6+ months at a time in either, but smog checks are a deal killer....I know for a fact that a "too clean" of an engine will fail a "smog check"...at least in Ca....

Cochise don't,...and AIN"T gonna.

GTC

Az rural areas are a no I believe...but if you set up your residence in a metro area yes. Tucson smog checks are much less stringent thant Phx in my experience.

Should have said major metro area...

to answer your question, no they don't just maricopa and pima(tucson) require smog checks. The yearly tax on vehicles can be onerous on a motor home. So do what others do, register it through a LLC in oregon for about 25bucks a year. I have run into quite a few people who winter on the desert, gets hot, they go up on the rim. Number of times i have been in a blizzard up around williams, and when i got close to phoenix the a/c went on. You can get a CCW permit in arizona to facilitate buying guns and going out of state. But you have the legal right to carry in this state without a permit.

Hell, come to Texas. As pro-gun as it gets, year-round hunting and no property taxes.

I don't know WTF you mean by that, but I'm not looking for "roomies"...only pertinent information...if you don't have anything to offer other than your thinly disguised "gay" humor, please spare me & us, your feeble attempts at justification of your sexual preferences.....fuggin dick weasel...

Thanks G...I'll prolly be gettin hold of you in the near future. I still got to check some things on the MH, but if the guy is serious, I may be out of here before the end of the month...I didn't realize schitt could roll so quick....

Whaddya mean by "no property taxes"...?
We didn't have a state income tax there, but the property taxes on our house were outrageous...!

I know a lot of folks who went for Nevada and it seemed to work out well for both them as well as their extended families. And as you pointed out it's a great place to visit for 6 months out of the year. AZ makes sense as well.

Glad to see you really are making your dream and goals a reality.

Congrats!!!

BTW in case you decide to look east TN and FL seem to be the best options.

I love Wyoming.
The wind howls like a [bleep], the snow blows and it hurts to go outside sometimes, but it's about as polar opposite of liberally f * c k e d up California as you're going to find, best of all it's deep dark conservative red.

Tons of antelope, lots of elk, and decent deer.
They'll have the wolf thing figured out soon too.
Shoot the [bleep] out of the coyotes, and fly the bird to every vehicle you see bearing California plates....

The NHP are extortionists with a blue car and a badge here. They were once well respected and helpful. None of the other LEO forces in the State have any use for them now.

As stated, we get fee'd to death in lieu of taxes that are actually called taxes. State government is entirely self-serving. It costs a state fee of $25.00 for a Brady check for example. One day late paying your vehicle registration...$25.00 late fee...and on and on.

I'm a 67 y/o native of NV and don't recognize the State anymore. With the influx of N.E. liberal Jews, illegals as manpower for the tourist industry, and retired blue-noses from LA and the Bay Area we're no longer populated with Nevadans.

Yeah, but he's 100% mobile. He could go anywhere in NV and leave the state at will.

Go Maverick!!

Idaho or Wyoming.

I like the idea of Wyoming. AND we can all stay with Keith!!!!!

Knowing Keith, he probably will put you all up, cook you great meals, and guide you on great hunts.

Now wait just a doggone minute...conservatives welcome here ...liberals too since the wolves and grizzle bears need to eat...

Middlefork,

I'm in the same boat. We live in what might be the most beautiful state in the country, but its full up of political hostiles. Every time I turn around one governmental entity or another wants money from us.

While I'm not LDS, I'd check in to Southern Utah. It's not too far from CA should one want to escape the cold. Utah is conservative. It has excellent hunting & fishing. I might be wrong here, but I believe it has the lowest crime rate of any state in the country.

On my way to a Utah elk hunt last September, I drove through Flagstaff. I couldn't believe how much that city has gown. I hadn't been through it in about 25 years. A woman I used to date graduated from NAU. She has always spoken positively about Flagstaff. So Flagstaff might be another consideration. I'm not sure about fishing & from what I understand it's hard to draw big game tags. But at least it is sportsman friendly.

+2 ^^^^^^
All you guys looking to relocate (especially the Californians) should give WY first consideration.
ID has nothing to offer unless you just like potato's.




Yep,,, WY,, hands down.

MT's nice too.

Charlie has an extra room to rent

What are smog and gun laws??????

Middlefork, aint you the very same who has been stuck living in a hellish neighborhood for years?

IF so CONGRATS on escaping all of that

I have little specific information to offer, but I'm guessing an option to escape the cold and snow while still residing in one's legal state of residence might be useful. I think I'd pick Arizona.

I WOULD pick a state with lots of public land, which probably applies to all the ones under consideration here but which rules out Texas.

I figure in Arizona you would be within 24 hours of places like Wyoming and Montana on the one hand, and both coasts on the other (Texas has some great parks on the Coast).

Birdwatcher

Yep...5 gunfights within 100 yds. of the front door this past spring & summer.
I'm gonna have lunch with the guy later today & hopefully seal the deal. I'm pretty sure I'll be spending most of my time in Az. so I'm probably gonna have to spend some time in a mobile park for a physical address...not sure how long it'll be required, but I don't really care. I'll admit it's a little unnerving to do what I'm gonna do, but life hasn't been good here for quite a long time. It's time to move on down the road...

Yes, Texas would be quite low on the list.

I wouldn't call our property taxes outrageous compared to others I've seen.

I don't like em, but I am not much aware of anything thats scott free other than Alaska but I could be wrong...

With all due respect sir.....Blow it out your ass!

I'm certain, I'll never be the ultimate conservative, hunter, trapper, fisherman or model human being you are so maybe you have some advice for "us Californians" that want to emulate guys like yourself and be accepted by the royal blooded natives.

I will try to change my California ways , if only you can give me some advice on how I can be more like you.
I'm serious.
Just exactly what is it about you that makes you a superior candidate to live in Idaho and why I'm wrong for your state?


I hunt (wolves too ) I've spent all of my adult life killing, skinning and dissecting the flesh of animals.
I trap.
I fish.
I vote straight R down the ticket, vote against spending, vote against stupid environmental proposals and against anything that restricts personal freedom.
I despise liberals, treehuggers, anti gunners etc, and in general, people that don't mind their own effing business.

I love my family and the traditional western lifestyle.
I'm certainly no city dweller...lol! I've lived on Cattle ranches and owned a number of horses and other livestock.
I've raised my kid to be a hardcore outdoorsman and to proudly defend his way of life.

Every time I see myself or another 'Fire member from here looking to relocate, you come on here and post up that "Go Away" stuff as if we are part of your problem.
Certainly I can understand your disdain for liberal trash of which there is an enormous amount of here in CaliHell, but the guys that post here are generally good, gun owning conservatives, often better than many of your fellow natives.

You sure as Hell don't have to worry about me wanting to change your state, unless I can make it even more undesirable for liberals and a deeper shade of red.




BTW, that's just fine as I'm a meat & potatoes guy and I can certainly find my own meat....

Dude, just let it go.

One thing I've noticed after I moved, was that the good people here get to know someone before they pass judgement on their character or intentions.

It's a lot different from the internet.

Wyoming Concealed Carry

If you truly plan to travel, recognize that WY's carry permit is honored in more places than just about any other western state.

A couple of buddies who retired to Wyoming seldom leave...

Take a pill killer...

It was said tongue in cheek just like Keith's recommendation to move to ID was.

The fact is though,,, "MOST" Californians insist on bringing California with them when they leave. And I'm not the only one who says that so it must have some merit whether you agree with it or not.

I still need to make the final deal with the guy. It wouldn't surprise me if he backed out. The motorhome is worth quite a bit more than my equity...he's supposed to come by & take another look at it today, then do a final look at the RV & if all goes well, I'll start emptying out the house either later today, or tomorrow at the latest. (I hope) Gonna head to AZ...

Trust me, you don't want to spend a winter in Wyoming in a motor home!!

Montana is full.

BS...one of my childhood friends dropped by unexpectedly a couple months ago & tried to coax me into moving up there...If I didn't mind the cold, I sure wouldn't stop in Montana...S.E. Alaska would be a far better choice.

No smog in rural counties in Oregon. Some in a city or two. $86 for two years vehicle registration. My property taxes on 5 acres in the country are about $800 per year, no sales tax. Most campgrounds cost $7-12 a night, RV parks with full hookups $25-30? Winter weather not what you would call "pleasant" no matter the locality, either cold and snow in the east half, or rain and fog in the west half. Pleasant summers everywhere but the SW area around Medford/Grants Pass, too hot. There's bajillions of acres of public land, especially in the drier east half. NE Oregon around Joseph/Enterprise is very beautiful. I could easily summer there.

Hunting-
Good over the counter tags for bear, blacktail deer with record blacktail available. Elk is mostly draw, with some OTC tags, elk seasons are crowded and blow IMO. Excellent coyote hunting. Not much in the way of ground squirrels on public land, but private shooting is around with some effort.

Lots of rock hounding, fishing of all kinds including trophy brown and rainbow trout, salmon/steelhead. Many areas in Oregon see little to no traffic in the woods unless it's hunting season, so you can park your RV at a remote spot and be by yourself for many months while enjoying nice spring and summer weather. After my dad died, I parked my RV about 35 miles from home in the woods and spent the summer there next to a pond and was surprised how few people get out and drive around the hills anymore.

One summer I took my Mazda Miata on a roadtrip and enjoyed lots of private swimming holes, empty campgrounds, fishing, wildflower photography, antique shopping, etc.

In short, Oregon is a good state, especially in the spring and summer months, to get away in an RV and have some peace and quiet, if that's what you're after. I'm sure many other states do too. Again, I would not winter here if I had a choice.

A miata, wildflowers and antique shopping.

If it wasn't obvious before...

Quit being coy, just say what's on your mind.

"The fact is though,,, "MOST" Californians insist on bringing California with them when they leave."

That's all too true. Witness the demise of my State from the influx from our neighbor to the west.

That being said, I'd welcome thousands of Salmonellas and his family here. That doesn't mean I'd want to take him away from his rivers and seacoast. NV needs to annex that part of CA.

Dude, ... I'm sure you know what you are doing, but you are trading away something that tends to increase in value, for something that tends to decrease in value. Just sayin'....

Sycamore

Fireball2, quit selling Oregon. I've got to get back before it fills up or my passport runs out and you guys won't let me back in.

Yeah, but what's the value of a man's quality of life and being free?

Get your lifetime hunting license before you go, and possibly lifetime deer tag. Will pay for themselves in 2-4 years if you plan on going back to hunt.

I know, there are places that are certainly higher...but damn, I think 3,000 bucks for every 100,000 dollars in value is pretty high. That's what I paid in Pearland. A 250,000 dollar house costs 7,500 bucks a year in property taxes. That's pretty rich to me. I love certain parts of Texas though...the Hill Country in particular.

Set up an LLC in Wyoming and transfer the Motorhome into it. Get a driver's license and use that address. No personal property taxes, no income taxes. no vehicle inspections and you never have to spend a winter there.

http://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com/2008/06/best_tax_state_for_fulltime_rv.php

I can't think of a place I'd rather be, west wise, than Wyoming or Idaho.

Me either, good call.

Well some reality is short here on this thread. ND is very expensive place to live right now because of the oil boom. Montana has a state income tax, no sales tax, very expensive vehicle licensing costs. I don't know how their property tax stacks up against others. Like most places away from major urban ctrs transportation costs increase the cost of food and goods significantly. Like Wyoming and SD winter is usually a 5-6 month affair and can get very cold resulting in high heating bills. Wyo And SD have no state income taxes but get you on sales tax. Property taxes in Wyo are 1/3 of what we pay in SD as Wyo has mineral severance taxes to fund state gov't and schools.In SD they dump that burden on homeowners. I'd pick a milder climate state if you are gonna live out of a MH. Wherever you go do your self a favor and totally leave California behind you. You hate it enough to leave it and the rest of us sure as ph*k don't want that mentality around us. Good luck Magnum Man

I'm pretty well grounded in reality...There are quite a few contributing factors why I need to get out of the house, but my number one concern is my younger brother. If something happens to me, he'll end up homeless...for those that don't know, he had a stroke 8-10 years ago...he can't speak very well & his right hand is all but useless...since the stroke, his mental faculties have slowly but surely deteriorated. Getting set up in a livable travel trailer or motor home seems like the best alternative to me & it's gonna be a huge financial relief...I've already talked to friends & family & they are agreeable to come help him move to a secure park some place close to them so they can check in on him & help (if necessary) to get him into an assisted living facility if needed & if something happens to me. I think what baffles me most about some of the posts here is the notion that somehow living in Ca. carries with it a certain "liberal mentality"...
I'm pretty sure I'm gonna pick Arizona as the new home base for prospecting/metal detecting fall through spring & maybe summer a few months a year up in the Sierras so I can meet up with my old friends & sluice a little gold. Pretty much a done deal as long as the guy with the Motorhome doesn't flake out on me...

Lots of good people in California.
Lots of good people left California.

WAY too many a**holes left California during the housing boom, and moved in to their new "homes" throwing their money and their attitudes around.

I've no doubt you are one of the good ones and wish you well.

I have friends who have done that. Small place in Wyoming + a motorhome and a small condo in Henderson, Nevada. When it gets cold in Wyoming, they are gone: either on the road or in Henderson for the winter.

If you are set on AZ, might check out quartzite lots of folks winter there. It's a couple hours from Phoenix on the 10. Might also check out the Bullhead city az / Laughlin nv area, lots of rv parks, cheap meals at the casinos a few of which have free dry camp spots. Colorado River is right there for fishing and you can hunt quail anywhere around and deer with in an hour.

I'm more interested in becoming a small town resident. Less people mean fewer problems & generally better attitudes...I have a nugget hunting buddy down in Morristown that I need to talk to. I'll be passing through there to see him & get his take on what'll suit my needs...also some prospectors down around Tombstone that I'm interested in talking to...a couple weeks checking out possible locations & I'll probably find a suitable place to park for the seven months it's supposed to take to become a legal resident. If I'm dry camping, it sure isn't gonna be in a casino parking lot...

Lots of places in western arizona that fit your bill. Not sure about the prospecting tho, lots of old mines around Oatman az in the valley where I live. If you decide to look around this part of the country shoot me a pm and I will help with any info I can give. If you end up in the east side I would look at the white mountains for your summer months

Thanks mauler...I'll pm you when I finally get down that way..