Laguna Vista Among Top Affordable Places to Retire
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Via THE MONITOR
John Karcanes and his wife Linda have lived in Laguna Vista for about 12 years and they love everything about it.
“We’ve been wondering when it will get discovered,” Karcanes said.
The little town by the bay, home to Winter Texans, retirees and families, has finally made the big time.
The online publication MarketWatch.com has named the town one of the top 10 coastal towns where people can afford to retire.
The site does not rank the 10 towns.
The publication describes the town as a small residential community on the southernmost Texas coast near beautiful South Padre Island, Harlingen and Port Isabel.
“This popular resort area has a very warm winter climate and is increasingly home to many retirees as well as vacationers,” the website states.
As one of the most affordable retirement spots, the median home sale price is about $150,000. The National Association of Realtors put the national median home price at $196,900 at the end of 2013.
The friendly and quiet residential community can be appealing to most with its affordable cost of living and a wide range of recreational options including golf, bay and deep-sea fishing, birding, wind surfing and kite boarding.
The Karcanes said Laguna Vista exuded appeal as soon as they set foot in the city limits with its location, climate and affordability.
The Karcanes, who are originally from Minnesota, said the area had everything they needed, the right weather, affordable housing and a plethora of activities they can enjoy.
“We had a former neighbor purchase property here and they needed help moving,” he said.
They were in town only one day when Linda looked at her husband and insisted they move here, too.
So they did and now they live here all year round on a beautiful golf course property with a small lake view.
“We’re going to live here for the rest our lives,” Karcanes said.
Mayor Susie Houston has been saying it for years, Laguna Vista is a great place to live.
“We always knew Laguna Vista was special,” she said. “It’s the perfect place to live, raise a family and work.”