Oklahoma

Another Random Thought on Retirement – 08.29.26

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Another quiet Saturday and thoughts turn to retirement (again). Today I thought about retirement income streams and how life would look once I stopped working. We need to find someplace affordable.

In California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts, retirees often need between $1.5 million and $2.2 million to maintain their lifestyles, according to a 2026 study by GoBankingRates. By contrast, Oklahoma is the most affordable state, with $735,284 the baseline for a comfortable retirement. Mississippi and Arkansas follow closely, with targets remaining under $810,000. What Is the Magic Number to Retire Comfortably? – https://www.kiplinger.com/retirement/magic-number-to-retire-comfortably

OK. Check that box off the list. My thoughts then turned towards what age would be a good age to retire. My former manager wanted me to stick around for five years. The last time I saw my current manager he told me a story of his grandfather working until he was 80. You hear stories of more people working into their later years and I wondered, at what age do people really retire?

What’s the real retirement age in America? Here are 4 guesses – https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personal-finance/2026/08/29/retirement-age-in-america-social-security-medicare/91406670007/

Well, that wasn’t helpful at all. Then I entertained the thought of selling our house and downsizing.

Source: https://www.reventureconsulting.com/

Hmmm…

Guess I’ll keep working. May not be going anywhere, anytime soon.

Where Gen Z is Buying Homes

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At 22.59%, Salt Lake City has the largest share of mortgage requests from Gen Zers. Though the average mortgage amount in Salt Lake City is higher than in many of the nation’s other large metros, it’s a hot spot for younger homebuyers, likely owing to — among other factors — its strong jobs market and a good blend of urban and rural amenities.

After Salt Lake City, relatively inexpensive Oklahoma City and Birmingham, Ala., are the next most popular metros among Gen Z buyers. Respectively, 22.36% and 20.79% of mortgage requests in these two metros come from Gen Zers.

Most Popular Metros for Gen Z Homebuyers — https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/the-most-popular-us-cities-for-gen-z-homebuyers-ranked/

Where Are These People Coming From?

Is it the food? We have Chef Andrew Black of Grey Sweater, James Beard Best Chef Southwest – Andrew Black brings Best Chef: Southwest James Beard Award home to Oklahoma City – https://www.oklahoman.com/story/lifestyle/food/2023/06/05/james-beard-award-2023-winners-andrew-black-best-chef-southwest/70289770007/

Could it be the lower cost of living or because Oklahoma is producing 64 times more marijuana than licensed users consume – The Oklahoman

Nah, probably the catfish.

Where Are These People Coming From?

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  • “An influx of Texans and Californians. Texans and Californians moved to the Sooner State at historic rates in 2020 and 2021. Oklahoma saw a net gain of about 8,500 Californians and 7,300 Texans in those years. Other states showing increased interest are Colorado and Arizona.”
  • “Growing metro areas. Tulsa is growing fast, but Oklahoma City is one of the fastest-growing large cities in America. Oklahoma City recently climbed past Boston to become the nation’s 20th-largest city by population. In recent decades, OKC has spent millions of dollars to remake the city, adding new parks, a streetcar system, and a brand-new basketball arena.”
  • “Diverse and robust city economies. Many parts of Oklahoma rely heavily on the energy industry, but not all. Large areas like Tulsa also specialize in services industries, which have seen the most growth nationwide in the past decade. Tulsa’s economy also specializes in key sectors like transportation and warehousing, information technology, professional and business services, and health care.”
  • “Where are new Oklahoma residents coming from? The top states moving to Oklahoma are Texas (17.2%), California (15.6%), and Florida (6.4%).
Remember Oklahoma’s ‘brain drain’? Here’s what’s happened since it was declared plugged –Richard Mize The Oklahoman May 11, 2023

No link to the full article as it’s behind a paywall.

The next question is why are people moving to Oklahoma?

For the Fried Pies, of course – Arbuckle Mountain Fried Pies named the best snack in Oklahoma https://www.oklahoman.com/story/lifestyle/food/2023/05/23/arbuckle-mountain-fried-pies-oklahoma-food-and-wine-best-snacks-us/70248275007/

Or could it be the cost of housing? Cheap Houses and Awe Inspiring Tornadoes

Livin’ on Tulsa Time

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The new museum opened its doors to the public on May 10th, 2022, located in Tulsa’s arts district near the city’s renowned Woody Guthrie Center. Originally a former paper warehouse, the 29,000 sq.ft center is a dynamic, multifaceted venue which houses permanent, temporary, and traveling exhibitions of Dylan’s work, his influences, and projects inspired by his legacy. The center will serve as a space to educate, motivate, and inspire visitors through exhibits, public programs, performances, lectures, and publications. While designing the space, the team took into account three visitor experiences: “swimmers, skimmers, and divers” defining the different user profiles visiting the center and how they will interact with the content of the museum.

Olson Kundig Transforms Abandoned Warehouse into a Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa — https://www.archdaily.com/982365/olson-kundig-transforms-abandoned-warehouse-into-a-bob-dylan-center-in-tulsa

Just another post in my sporadic series of posts on things to do in Oklahoma when friends and family finally decide they have to come visit me.

Cheap Houses and Awe Inspiring Tornadoes

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You can afford to buy a house in Oklahoma!

Salt Lake City, often popular with younger homebuyers, has the largest share of mortgages offered to Gen Zers. With 16.60% of mortgage offers in the metro going to Gen Zers, Salt Lake City retains its No. 1 spot from last year’s rankings.

After Salt Lake City, relatively inexpensive Louisville, Ky., and Oklahoma City are the next most popular metros among Gen Z buyers. Respectively, 15.86% and 15.34% of mortgage offers in these two metros go to Gen Zers. Oklahoma City fell one spot from last year, while Louisville rose from seventh.

Most Popular Metros for Gen Z Homebuyers – https://www.lendingtree.com/home/mortgage/the-most-popular-us-cities-for-gen-z-homebuyers-ranked

Four Oklahoma Health Systems Come Together To Provide a Situation Update on COVID-19 – 08.17.21

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Full transcript of the presser can be found here https://www.koco.com/article/oklahoma-hospital-officials-to-give-situation-update-as-covid-19-cases-rise/37327568

The actual video is below:

A LARGER PROPORTION OF PEOPLE WITH COVID-19 ARE ENDING UP IN THE HOSPITAL.
THE MAJORITY IN OKLAHOMA AS OF LAST WEEK’S WEEKLY EPIDEMIOLOGICAL REPORT, 93% OF THE HOSPITALIZATIONS IN OKLAHOMA FOR COVID-19 ARE IN UN-VACCINATED INDIVIDUALS, AROUND 6% ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN AT LEAST PARTIALLY VACCINATED.

Sorry for the caps but I cut and pasted from the transcript.

Travel Advisory for Oklahoma – Updated 07.20.21(this is personal and not the US State Department)

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The Delta VOC has arrived big time and I might be returning to crowd avoidance and curbside everything soon.

Northeast Oklahoma is likely the “tip of the spear” as the delta variant has taken hold in the state, Dr. Justin Mitchell of Integris Miami Hospital said last week. There, COVID-19 beds are full again — there are even more patients now than there were in January and February, when the pandemic was at its height in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma is facing another COVID-19 surge — https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/2021/07/19/oklahoma-faces-another-covid-surge-leaving-unvaccinated-risk/8017015002/?utm_source=oklahoman-Daily%20Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing&utm_term=hero&utm_content=OKLAHOMA-OKLAHOMACITY-NLETTER65

Travel Advisory for Oklahoma (this is not the US State Department)

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The Delta VOC has arrived and I might be returning to crowd avoidance and curbside pickup sooner than expected.