Poll: Retire and relocation

[Midpack]

I searched but surprisingly didn't see this poll. Only one I found was reasons to relocate from 2007, so why not a new poll.

The 100 mile caveat is meant to target those who physically moved to a new community vs those who may have just built a new home in much the same area.

If you moved before (or of course after) retirement as par of the plan, I'd consider that option 1. The poll was not meant to exclude folks who moved in advance, as long as it was consciously part of retiring.

Enough disclaimers?

 

[seraphim]

We've looked at Salida Colorado: fun in the summer and head south dring the cold months. We love the mountains

 

[Alan]

We've looked at Salida Colorado: fun in the summer and head south dring the cold months. We love the mountains

We rented a house in Salida for a month in April/May, 2010. Absolutely loved it. The locals told us that the winters aren't too bad since Salida is in the "Banana Belt". However, our house and most others had a snow shovel leaning against a side wall. Anywhere that needs a snow shovel does not fit my definition of a "banana belt".

When we ER'ed we moved close to our son, which is also a town that is great for walking and cycling and has nice mild winters. We go north for the summers and currently have no fixed location where we spend the summers.

 

[MichaelB]

We moved. We lived in NY, that's a place for working people. Way too expensive for no earned income folks like us.

 

[REWahoo]

I'm in the "I/We haven't moved and don't plan to, happy where we are" category, but we built and moved into our retirement home (outside the city where we worked) in 1998, seven years before I pulled the plug.

 

[Goonie]

The old homestead has been in the family for over 100 years, and I plan on living out all the rest of my days on it too! When my Dad and Grandad built a new house for my Grandparents on some adjoining land, we moved into the old homestead....I was 1 year old. So I've spent the first 54 of my 55 years here....and will continue do so!

 

[Meadbh]

I voted "happy where I am" because, although I have moved to what I hope will be my ER location, I intend to continue to work for some years yet.

Here is a birds' eye view:

 

[youbet]

Interesting that buying a second home (such as a snowbird home) is considered moving (option #1 or #2), but buying an RV and being away for several months a year isn't. Perhaps OP's intention is to differentiate between folks who wanted to travel significantly each year (RV'er) and those who wanted to live in some other specific local each year (snow birder)?

 

[Katsmeow]

We moved about 60 miles...I still work part time (DH fully retired) at the same place but we moved from one county to another. Except for my work all of our shopping and places we go has changed.

We did think about relocating even to another state, but family considerations really caused us not to do that. All of our family is in this state and we just didn't want to move that far away from them.

 

[LRDave]

DW and I have a vacation home that we both clearly plan on turning into our retirement home as soon as we can pull it off. It is slightly less than the 100 miles away you specify. We go there on weekends and vacations whenever we can (fairly often) and pretend we are already ERed.

Our very-clear objective as to where we live (low-cost area and will be paid for by ER) and the strong and common desire to live a simpler life is the cornerstone of our retirement plan.

 

[Midpack]

Interesting that buying a second home (such as a snowbird home) is considered moving (option #1 or #2), but buying an RV and being away for several months a year isn't. Perhaps OP's intention is to differentiate between folks who wanted to travel significantly each year (RV'er) and those who wanted to live in some other specific local each year (snow birder)?

I was indeed trying to separate relocation (starting over in a different community) from (serial) travel, but frankly I didn't think of RVers, nothing intentional. Buying a second home would be starting over in a new community IMO (provided it wasn't just a vacation home for several weeks/year), even if only half the year or so.

My track record building flawed polls is still intact...

 

[W2R]

I voted "I/we just don't know yet".

After Hurricane Katrina we had planned to move to Springfield, Missouri in 2010 (soon after retirement), and even put our houses on the market in late 2010 with no immediate success. Then a year ago we took our houses off the market and decided to wait and reconsider in about five years.

I am happy here for now, the way things are right at this moment. I even decided that maybe I can deal with the hurricanes. I guess the awful memories are fading with time. However I am still concerned about crime and if it gets any worse, we may be inspired to move.

 

[Packman]

I voted "don't know yet". We have to wait until DW retires in a couple of years, or so. We live in Denver, but our short list includes Prescot, AZ, Albuquerque, and Colorado Springs (less snow than Denver and less costly).

 

[Alan]

We moved about 60 miles...I still work part time (DH fully retired) at the same place but we moved from one county to another. Except for my work all of our shopping and places we go has changed.

Where I'm from, 60 miles is coast to coast, and the change in accent is so dramatic, it could turn out to be traumatic

 

[panacea]

I love these polls. Now I just need to figure out how to create one. Currently, we live in cold WI (although I'd call it mild WI this year) and I've always dreamed of living in a climate where I could go for walks year round without a winter coat and hat. We're looking at South Carolina as a possible retirement destination.

Packman, my cousin just purchased their retirement home in Prescott, AZ and they love it! He won't be retiring soon but decided to buy while the market is down and now he gets to use the home during the hot Phoenix summers (where they live now).

 

[73ss454]

We moved. We lived in NY, that's a place for working people. Way too expensive for no earned income folks like us.

Yup, I left work in NY at 12Noon on Dec 1st 2006 and by 4:30PM I was in Florida. I couldn't wait to get outta Dodge.

 

[plex]

If all works out, I will get to telework from any location I want, so I will be able to pick a spot I'd also be fine retiring in, so I will not need to move.

 

[Lisa99]

we will be moving in retirement just don't know where to yet.

We moved from Dallas to Henderson, NV to try out the desert. We both really miss 'weather' (rain and thunderstorms specifically) so Henderson won't be our final retirement location.

We have Tucson and central Florida on the short list. Tucson, while dry, has amazing monsoons and DH loves to cruise, so we'd be able to take lots of cheap last-minute cruises from Florida...and Florida definitely has weather!

 

[Alan]

I love these polls. Now I just need to figure out how to create one.

Have a look here for instructions on how to create a poll.

FYI, having the word "Poll:" at the start of the title is useful for doing searches for past polls.

 

[W2R]

Where I'm from, 60 miles is coast to coast, and the change in accent is so dramatic, it could turn out to be traumatic

Sixty miles in Texas is nothing, I agree.

My old residence in Baton Rouge was 66 miles from my new one in New Orleans, but the difference in culture, accent, and more was tremendous. I had moved from a sedate community with a more or less homogenous population that is a good place to raise kids, to an edgy, artsy, singles-friendly, historic city filled with some of the most fascinating characters you can imagine. As for accents, I doubt that many outside NOLA could understand the extreme yat accents of some of my friends here.

 

[Alan]

Sixty miles in Texas is nothing, I agree.

My old residence in Baton Rouge was 66 miles from my new one in New Orleans, but the difference in culture, accent, and more was tremendous. I had moved from a sedate community with a more or less homogenous population that is a good place to raise kids, to an edgy, artsy, singles-friendly, historic city filled with some of the most fascinating characters you can imagine. As for accents, I doubt that many outside NOLA could understand the extreme yat accents of some of my friends here.

Having lived in Baton Rouge for 15 years and visiting New Orleans many times, I fully agree. DD's in-laws lived in New Orleans and moved to Pierre Port so we've spent lots of time in both places as we get on great with them. Pierre Part is only about 80 miles from their old place in Metairie but the community, accent and culture is different again. (very different!)

 

[Nords]

I wonder if DoD has any data on how many military retirees stay in the area after their retirement ceremony or whether they move to their dream location.

It's a challenge to get the assignment officer to send you to your desired retirement location for your final tour. Luckily, for my last tour nobody else in the submarine force was itching to come to Hawaii.

 

[W2R]

I wonder if DoD has any data on how many military retirees stay in the area after their retirement ceremony or whether they move to their dream location.

It's a challenge to get the assignment officer to send you to your desired retirement location for your final tour. Luckily, for my last tour nobody else in the submarine force was itching to come to Hawaii.

Not all military retirees are as savvy and prepared for retirement as you were, though. Seems like a substantial number that we knew didn't feel their military retirement income was enough for their needs. They continued working at a new job and had to go whereever their new career took them.

 

[donheff]

DW and I plan to stay where we are -- excellent amenities for aging in place. We are considering renting in different places for a month or two in the winter. Next year probably Naples, Fl, then maybe San Diego, Maui...

 

[grasshopper]

We moved from our home in the Phoenix area when we cut the cord to a place in the southern mountains of AZ. While 20 degrees cooler in the summer than Phoenix, and not as cold as northern AZ, like Saturday morning we get some snow.

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