Hi I am feeling old and poor

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

JPatrick,

You might be 1/16 Cherokee or 1/32 but 1/20 is hard to do. Reminds me of when Farrah Fawcett claimed to be 1/3 Iranian (or some such).

old woman,

I 'live' in WA, too. It is a great place to live--if you can afford it. Your COBRA health insurance cost sounds very reasonable to me. My wife would have to go into The Pool and it would/will cost her more than twice that. Count your blessings.

My parents ended up in a retirement home. As I recall, there were people who did come to help with people's taxes, etc. You might look for some kind of advocacy group to join. Give talks at luncheons (get a free meal, too).

I have the feeling that buying real estate in retirement is a trap. Beware.

Also, do look for opportunities to reduce your costs. Give Forks a try. See if you can figure out how to do without a car, but remember that rent-a-car companies won't rent to people over 70 (for future reference).

I think there are a lot of people in your situation but not as smart or as well off. I didn't wise up until too late, myself.

Ed

[Sheryl]

Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy

...but remember that rent-a-car companies won't rent to people over 70 (for future reference).

Ed

Hmm.* I don't think that's a hard-and-fast rule.* My dad's 78 and rents a car a couple times a year when he travels.*

[haha]

Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy

Also, do look for opportunities to reduce your costs.* Give Forks a try.* See if you can figure out how to do without a car, but remember that rent-a-car companies won't rent to people over 70 (for future reference).

Speaking as one who has actually lived in Forks, start in September, and consider holding off on any RE purchase until you have spent at least one winter there. Great place for hunter/fisherfolk who don't mind rain- I mean way more rain than people who live in Puget Sound can even conceive- but kind of grim otherwise.

Ha

[Sheryl]

I've been to Forks a few times. As a retirement locale, it would only work for a certain type of person that I'm not.

[yakers]

Originally Posted by Sheryl

Hmm.* I don't think that's a hard-and-fast rule.* My dad's 78 and rents a car a couple times a year when he travels.*

Hey, is this true in any way? Is there any age that a car company can refuse to rent if you have a license? The boomers who are big in numbers and financial resources seem like too big a market to just cut off.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

HaHa,

It is astounding that we have someone on the board that even knows where Forks is, and here we have a former resident. The mind boggles. (Now, does anyone know where Drain is?)

I was going to note that Forks is more than a little damp--make that soggy. You can drown crossing the street. I figured that OW probably knew the territory, though.

It is drier on the east side of the Cascades, but it is further from the ocean. I have not researched it, but I am pretty sure one can find cheaper digs on the "east side". Work? Don't know.

There is an interesting article on the front page of today's Seattle Post Intelligencer. "Over 70 and caught in the retirement trap--Many women must work on". It is chilling.

Ed

[Martha]

Originally Posted by yakers

Hey, is this true in any way? Is there any age that a car company can refuse to rent if you have a license? The boomers who are big in numbers and financial resources seem like too big a market to just cut off.

Sounds like age discrimination to me.

[CyclingInvestor]

Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy

It is astounding that we have someone on the board that even knows where Forks is, and here we have a former resident. The mind boggles. (Now, does anyone know where Drain is?)

I was going to note that Forks is more than a little damp--make that soggy. You can drown crossing the street. I figured that OW probably knew the territory, though.

It is drier on the east side of the Cascades, but it is further from the ocean. I have not researched it, but I am pretty sure one can find cheaper digs on the "east side". Work? Don't know.

It is also much drier just around the corner on the NE side of the peninsula. The Olympic Mtns rain shadow
centers in Sequim, where there is only 16" annual rainfall (dryest coast north of Los Angeles), compared
to 114" in Forks. The Port Angeles / Sequim / Port Townsend strip is currently the most likely spot for
my retirement. Other possibles are Ellensburg, in central Washington with only 8" rain in the Cascade
rain shadow, or Goldendale.

[Ed_The_Gypsy]

Cyclinginvestor,

I know Sequim, but it ain't cheap any more. We know people who retired there and moved back because they couldn't find enough to do there. Can't generalize from that, though. One has to be able to entertain oneself.

Ellensburg and Goldendale were closer to what I had in mind.

Ed

[Nords]

Originally Posted by Martha

Sounds like age discrimination to me.

You bet it is. Try renting a car if you're younger than 25, same result.

[Martha]

Originally Posted by Nords

You bet it is. Try renting a car if you're younger than 25, same result.

Unless you are in New York, where courts held it is age discrimation. http://www.law.cornell.edu/nyctap/comments/i97_0044.htm

[old woman]

Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy

HaHa,

It is astounding that we have someone on the board that even knows where Forks is, and here we have a former resident.* The mind boggles.* (Now, does anyone know where Drain is?)

I was going to note that Forks is more than a little damp--make that soggy.* You can drown crossing the street.* I figured that OW probably knew the territory, though.*

It is drier on the east side of the Cascades, but it is further from the ocean.* I have not researched it, but I am pretty sure one can find cheaper digs on the "east side".* Work?* Don't know.

There is an interesting article on the front page of today's Seattle Post Intelligencer.* "Over 70 and caught in the retirement trap--Many women must work on".* It is chilling.

Ed

I go to Forks sometimes and used to know someone from Forks. Forks is in the rain forest, so it does get a bit of rain but that just helps the moss grow. My boyfriend loves to hunt Hunger Mountain and fish the rivers over there. It is pretty and lush and green.
I really don't like Eastern WA, he likes Tonaset. My family is from Goldendale, Grandma and mom were born there. I lived there a few months in the 70's. Grandma is still there and my aunt and uncle and cousins. I went to high school in Bridgeport, WA, hated it.
I am really only considering Forks, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Mossy Rock and south of Seattle a few miles. My mom is in Federal Way and much of my family is in Kent, Auburn and Burien so someplace I can get back from to visit family would be good. Forks has a big new hospital and that is important for old people, they also have a bus to Port Angeles for 50 cents. Port Angeles has a Walmart and I believe it has a Costco so I could do a day trip by bus for shopping if I get too old to drive.
If I move to Forks I would have covered porches or a rain room to sit in having coffee watching the deer and elk.
I have many happy childhood memories of fishing out of Neah Bay, LaPush and Westport and digging razor clams near Ocean Shores before Ocean Shores was developed. My Dad sold some of the Ocean Shores lots in the 60's. If I were to move to Eastern WA it wouldn't be farther than Cle Elum.

[old woman]

Originally Posted by Ed_The_Gypsy

Cyclinginvestor,

I know Sequim, but it ain't cheap any more.* We know people who retired there and moved back because they couldn't find enough to do there.* Can't generalize from that, though.* One has to be able to entertain oneself.

Ellensburg and Goldendale were closer to what I had in mind.

Ed

I ruled out Sequim because of the Californication of it, traffic is awful. Ellensburg is too dry for me so is Goldendale. Cle Elum or Salmon la Sac aren't bad or Nelson Siding Road maybe Easton. Ellensburg would be kinda sad since the last time we went to the rodeo my boyfriend's dad died while we were gone.
There is some nice land north west of Deer Park and not far to Spokane.

[haha]

OldWoman you obviously know your Washington. You may be the perfect person for Forks after all. Although if getting back to your folks in South King County is a big goal, Mossy Rock would be a lot easier. On the other hand, in Forks your boyfriend can keep you supplied with meat and fish fit for a king and queen.

Ha

[old woman]

Originally Posted by HaHa

OldWoman you obviously know your Washington. You may be the perfect person for Forks after all. Although if getting back to your folks in South King County is a big goal, Mossy Rock would be a lot easier. On the other hand, in Forks your boyfriend can keep you supplied with meat and fish fit for a king and queen.

Ha

That is the main reason I am even looking at Port Townsend, his mom lived in Chimicum so we used to go all the time to get oysters, clams, crab. Hoods canal is good for shrimp and you can get little shrimp out of Port Angeles. I prefer getting razor clams to the butter type clams but they are still fun to get. If you have to buy seafood in the stores it is expensive and not as fresh. We usually have several salmon and a few other things in the freezer. Squid are running this time of year but we didn't get any yet.
Mossy Rock has Riffe Lake and Mayfield, Mayfield has tiger muskies and Riffe has trout. You would be handy for Castle Rock to get smelt and the columbia for sturgeon. Also handy to get to Oregon for sales tax free shopping. If I can find affordable waterfront Mossy Rock might just win or maybe near Silver Lake, they have bass.