I fled the '10 plagues of California'... now I'm flush with cash
Share this @internewscast.com

A woman who escaped the escalating expenses and frequent wildfires of California now enjoys her retirement in a quaint, picturesque town reminiscent of a ‘Hallmark movie’, managing to save an impressive $1,700 each month.

Brenda Duncan Cusick, 61, left Moorpark, California, a town an hour northwest of Los Angeles after nearly two decades.

After moving to Prescott, Arizona, her mortgage payment plunged from a staggering $3,309 to just $1,672 monthly.

Her community was dangerously close to where the devastating Woolsey Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in 2018.

Witnessing the fires becoming increasingly uncontrollable over the years, she realized it was time to escape what she described as the ’10 plagues of California’.

The wildfire threat didn’t just endanger her family’s safety but also destroyed her livelihood.

Cusick was an insurance agent selling homeowners, commercial and auto policies between 2015 and 2023.

She struggled to keep clients as rates tripled due to increasing fire risks, soaring reinsurance costs, and California’s strict regulations. 

“I missed out on many sales because people were keen to cut costs on their insurance, but I would recommend opting for more coverage,” Cusick explained to Business Insider. “They’d own a million-dollar property and a small enterprise, and I’d caution them about the risks of being underinsured, potentially jeopardizing all their life’s work.”

Brenda Duncan Cusick, 61, left Moorpark, California, a town an hour northwest of Los Angeles after nearly two decades of emergency evacuation procedures

Brenda Duncan Cusick, 61, left Moorpark, California, a town an hour northwest of Los Angeles after nearly two decades of emergency evacuation procedures

Cusick says that her new hometown of Prescott, Arizona, looks like it's straight out of a Hallmark movie

Cusick says that her new hometown of Prescott, Arizona, looks like it’s straight out of a Hallmark movie

A Fall Day In Prescott, Arizona, is seen above. Since retiring from the insurance industry, Cusick has embraced her new community by getting involved with a local charity and launching the Prescott Food Tour

A Fall Day In Prescott, Arizona, is seen above. Since retiring from the insurance industry, Cusick has embraced her new community by getting involved with a local charity and launching the Prescott Food Tour

She said the combination of wildfire threats, astronomical insurance premiums, eye-watering utility bills, steep gas prices and excessive car registration fees made retiring in California impossible for her.

And Cusick isn’t alone in her California exodus.

Hundreds of thousands have abandoned the Golden State in recent years, driven out by the crushing cost of living and growing natural disaster risks.

California residents endure some of the nation’s highest energy bills, partly because utility companies have spent billions on wildfire mitigation that gets passed straight to customers.

The state’s climate policies also drive oil and gas prices through the roof.

When COVID-19 unleashed remote work possibilities in 2020, Cusick and her husband took a chance on a new life.

They sold their California home and joined the wave of retirees flocking to more affordable Arizona.

Her community was dangerously close to where the devastating Woolsey Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in 2018

Her community was dangerously close to where the devastating Woolsey Fire destroyed more than 1,000 homes in 2018

After downsizing from their 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom Moorpark home to a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom property in Prescott, their mortgage payment plunged from a staggering $3,309 to just $1,672 monthly

After downsizing from their 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom Moorpark home to a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom property in Prescott, their mortgage payment plunged from a staggering $3,309 to just $1,672 monthly

At first, Cusick told Business Insider it was daunting to consider leaving her home state.

‘But once we did, we realized that there are so many lovely places to live all over the US,’ she told the outlet.

And the major financial relief was immediate.

After downsizing from their 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom Moorpark home to a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom property in Prescott, their mortgage payment plunged from a staggering $3,309 to just $1,672 monthly.

Their utility and HOA bills in Arizona now average a mere $373 monthly, compared to the $400-$1,200 they routinely paid in California.

The sale of their California property also provided enough cash for a substantial down payment on their Arizona dream home.

Prescott, surrounded by national forest, has also completely transformed their quality of life.

‘It’s a very western town in the mountains of Arizona,’ she said.

She added that the downtown area reminds her of a Hallmark movie.

Their utility and HOA bills in Arizona now average a mere $373 monthly, compared to the $400-$1,200 they routinely paid in California (Pictured: A large plume of smoke from the Mountain Fire rises in Moorpark, California)

Their utility and HOA bills in Arizona now average a mere $373 monthly, compared to the $400-$1,200 they routinely paid in California (Pictured: A large plume of smoke from the Mountain Fire rises in Moorpark, California) 

The historic former territorial capital hosts a major rodeo every Fourth of July and attracts thousands of tourists with its cooler summer temperatures and convenient location between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon.

Since retiring from the insurance industry, Cusick has embraced her new community by getting involved with a local charity and launching the Prescott Food Tour.

‘It’s completely the opposite of selling boring, impossible insurance,’ she told the outlet. 

‘I by no means make anywhere near what I did before, but when you’re retired, you get to do things like this.’

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Unpacking Trump’s Bold Move Against Iran

Donald Trump stunned the world by launching a massive military strike intended to…

Kevin Costner’s True Feelings on His Ex-Wife Marrying a Former Friend

Nearly two years following the conclusion of their contentious divorce, Hollywood icon…

The Untold Story of JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette’s Lasting Impact: What the Media Overlooks

It’s time, yet again, to take another bite out of the mythological…

‘Tension on the Tennis Court: Players Engage in Fiery Dispute Post-Match’

Two seething tennis players broke out into a heated argument after a…

JD Vance Issues a Clear Warning to Iran About Potential US Attacks

Vice President JD Vance issued a no-nonsense warning to Iran if the…

How a Secretive Warplane Removed Iran’s Nuclear Site as a Threat

The US military deployed several lethal stealth bombers, exclusive to their arsenal,…

Minor Error Causes Scalding Hot Grease to Drench Employee

A North Carolina mother was left with third-degree burns after gallons of…

Gunman Crashes Truck into Michigan Church and Starts Shooting

The chilling moment when families at a church service fled for their…

FBI Continues Investigation into ‘Flawed’ Karen Read Case, Officer Reports

An ex-federal agent suspects the FBI is taking a strategic, long-term approach…

Discover Safe Havens: Guide to Finding Nuclear Fallout Shelters in Case of a US Attack

The fear of a nuclear apocalypse has surged to levels unseen in…

Thousands Rally Against Iran Strikes Before NATO Summit in The Hague

Thousands of leftist protesters took to the streets of The Hague on…

Trump Claims Major Victory Following Bombings in Iran

President Donald Trump hailed the recent military action targeting three Iranian nuclear…