Thinking about calling Texas home

[nmdcporter]

My wife and I have a Flagstaff 27RLWS TT and thinking of taking up residence in Texas. New Mexico is not a tax friendly state for retirees, so we are looking to move. We are looking around Texas's Rio Grande Valley area. I have a few questions, hopefully someone can give us guidance. What do we need to do to set up residency (ex. DL, Ins, Mail ...)? Legally how long do we have to stay in one place to set up residency (we are planning to travel but also want to keep our home in New Mexico for now)? How often and long do we need to return to keep the residency?

Thanks up front for the input.

nmdcporter

[moose074]

I wish I could help, however not sure how much you would save if you still owned property in New Mexico. You probably need to talk to tax expert. I just read New York will tax you if you live in state 183 or more days in year even if resident of another state. I have also heard that pro athletes have to pay taxes in California if they play a game there. Say Arizona plays the 49 ers the the Cardinals would owe taxes for game played in California even if that’s the only day they are ever there

[EdJunior]

Hi nmdcporter. Welcome to The United State of Texas! Maybe this will help you. If it doesn't put you to sleep first.

https://texreg.sos.state.tx.us/publi...=1&ch=21&rl=21

[Reverse_snowbird]

I think you actually have to move to Texas and establish a residence. It's possible that renting a permanent spot in an rv park might fulfill that requirement.
Once you establish a residence, you've got to get a Texas drivers license and register your vehicle in Texas. Registering your vehicle is going to require you pay the fees and taxes and that isn't going to be cheap.
Since you still own a home in another state, that creates a whole bunch of problems that you need to talk over with a tax accountant.

[Cottage_Owner]

https://www.escapees.com/

This organization has the answers... Check them out...

[vmi62]

Originally Posted by Cottage_Owner

https://www.escapees.com/

This organization has the answers... Check them out...

Cottage_Owner is correct. Contact Escapees and they can take care of you.

[Reverse_snowbird]

This is the link to how to establish a Texas residency.
https://www.escapees.com/education/domicile/texas/

The Escapees are a great club, but these instructions are for full timers that don't have a house in another state. You're probably going to need an attorney and tax accountant to advise you before you start this process.

[JWood422]

Deleted. I missed a previous post that was better than mine.

[BM Welder]

I agree with Reverse Snowbird. Contact the Escapees there in Livingston TX north of Houston or west of Huntsville and just south of town. They do have a campground there also. There are people in the office that can help you.

[daddy0420]

I moved from NY to Texas in Oct 2013. We rented an apt while looking for a house. We signed a 6 month lease. I immediately got a Texas license and registered my cars. Changed banks.
That was it . Since I worked from home , for my 2013 tax return I paid NYS tax for the 9 months up to Oct 1 st . I never heard a word from anyone on this. I know Each state has it's own rules about residency.

[Bwturn]

We are Texas residents and recently sold property in NM. Check with a CPA for advice. We fortunately put our property in a trust to avoid NM taxes a couple of years before we sold. I can recommend a goid NM attorney who is a Texas resident who can advise you.

[tomkatb]

Unfortunately the big deal is often property taxes.

The locals here unknowingly voted for a 25% property tax increase. Gotta help the schools!

In the last five years our taxes went up from about $4000 to about $8000.

State income tax here is about 3%.

On state taxes you use the honor system to state how much time you were in each state.

My kids moved a lot and I did their taxes.. sometime 3 states a year. A pain in the backside.

[ard58]

Registering your vehicle is going to require you pay the fees and taxes and that isn't going to be cheap.

Yearly license fees are through the roof. It's crazy inflated. We pay over $150 per year.

[tomkatb]

Do your research well.

With no state income tax the government needs to collect their money.

I know my daughter in Houston pays more property tax.

Licenses are often more expensive.

As I remember Indiana was like over $500 for plates.

Check sales tax. City tax etc.

[Beachbourbon]

You need to take up residence for over half the year, so 183 days minimum. I know a couple that did this and saved $40k a year in taxes and spent half of the traveling back and forth during the year.

Property taxes are outrageous in Texas-worse than California. I don’t see Texas as tax friendly at all and I live in California! The lack of state level income tax is quickly replaced with property taxes, sales taxes, fees etc...

[Fish N Farm]

I love it when people talk about things they know nothing about.
1. Texas Has NO income tax.

2. Property is 1/3 the price as it is in California. So if the tax rate was double which it
is not It is still cheaper in Texas

3. School Tax is distributed across the board by the state. And capped at a
certain age.

4. There are Homestead exemptions for property taxes.

5. There are caps on property tax evaluations once you reach a certain age.
That means they can't raise your property value.

6. Try to stay away from forest fires the oxygen depletion can affect brain
function.

[moose074]

Originally Posted by Fish N Farm

I love it when people talk about things they know nothing about.
1. Texas Has NO income tax.

2. Property is 1/3 the price as it is in California. So if the tax rate was double which it
is not It is still cheaper in Texas

3. School Tax is distributed across the board by the state. And capped at a
certain age.

4. There are Homestead exemptions for property taxes.

5. There are caps on property tax evaluations once you reach a certain age.
That means they can't raise your property value.

6. Try to stay away from forest fires the oxygen depletion can affect brain
function.

I agree I sit on just over 3/4 of an acre I own ( really the bank does) a modest 3 bedroom 2 bath home, around 1800 SQ feet with two 600 sq foot fully self contained apts ( first one was built in my Carport by me and father in law for the in laws, the other built by me for my mom) on either side. My current 15 year mortgage is lower than either one of my two my vehicle payments and 5th wheel. My yearly property tax $1200. Food isn’t taxed and while I am sure there could be a city state sales tax higher most places I go it’s less than 9. Gas is 1.89 and diesel under $2 a gallon. Life in Texas is good

[banda]

Originally Posted by moose074

I agree I sit on just over 3/4 of an acre I own ( really the bank does) a modest 3 bedroom 2 bath home, around 1800 SQ feet with two 600 sq foot fully self contained apts ( first one was built in my Carport by me and father in law for the in laws, the other built by me for my mom) on either side. My current 15 year mortgage is lower than either one of my two my vehicle payments and 5th wheel. My yearly property tax $1200. Food isn’t taxed and while I am sure there could be a city state sales tax higher most places I go it’s less than 9. Gas is 1.89 and diesel under $2 a gallon. Life in Texas is good

Don't move to Austin! I have a smaller home on a much smaller lot, and my property taxes are $7000!

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by banda

Don't move to Austin! I have a smaller home on a much smaller lot, and my property taxes are $7000!

Not only that but Tesla is coming to Austin. They will be selling their overpriced homes in California and want to sink that money into a home in Austin. We had that happen in Houston a few years ago and it resulted in McMansions being built to satisfy the demand.

[lesptr]

Originally Posted by banda

Don't move to Austin! I have a smaller home on a much smaller lot, and my property taxes are $7000!

You’re paying for “weird”