Forget about the best place to retire

[Ready]

If money were no object and you were not staying put to be near family and friends, where would you choose to live?

 

[Out of Steam]

I am not kidding that one of my most fervent desires about RE is the notion of not having to go outside in work clothes five days a week during DC summers. Haaaaaaaate it.

It's been about 10 years since I've had to deal with the city for work, which has made life easier.

 

[AllDone]

Those lists are always silly. I live in a state with "high" income tax, but since I don't pay state income tax, why should I care? Even if I did have more taxable income, I'd wind up paying a sum that I could easily afford, but the "best places" lists usually exclude my state. The traffic is bad here too, but I never drive at rush hour either!

However, San Diego is too crowded and you don't want to move here. Trust me.

 

[John Galt III]

Why does everyone want to move south? We have way too many people here already! It is hot & humid

I'm with you, evilanne. I live in cold Pa but folks are flocking here anyway, by the thousands to clog up my roads with their SUV's and minivans. UGH!!

 

[EastWest Gal]

I'm with you, evilanne. I live in cold Pa but folks are flocking here anyway, by the thousands to clog up my roads with their SUV's and minivans. UGH!!

Most PA counties are losing population except for the midstate. Our township is one of the fastest growing in the entire state. It makes me sad; so much of the farmland near our house is now houses. I don't mind some of the changes-a Wegmans stands where there was a racetrack and flea market. That is a vast improvement. When I was commuting, the traffic wasn't bad either.

In the last 12 months I took two trips to take a break from the winter/summer weather. Iceland in late June and Hawaii in January/February. But spring and fall here are near perfect.

 

[Stratman]

DW and I had this running battle for about 3 years; I wanted to move someplace warmer when I retired and she wanted to stay here close to family and especially grandchildren. Then last November, I got a call from my youngest son. He had testicular cancer. He has had a time of it but is nearing the end of it and will be fine. But as I stood back and saw the way the community, church, friends and family gathered around him and supported him, I wondered to myself, "why would I leave this?" So the bottom line for me is that I'm not going anywhere. I'll deal with the cold, the taxes and the stupid Illinois politics but I'm not going anywhere.

 

[fritz]

In many cases, people live societies are sub-par, house prices are too high, state income taxes and property taxes are out of sight and state and local politics are ridiculous.

But still, home is home--no how lousy a place it is.

I still feel getting out of one's comfort zone is very good for the retiree. And that includes moving to where the total retirement experience includes improved standard of living--for far less cost of living.

+1

 

[kcowan]

I once read that squatters moved into an empty London house, owners were gone for a year so I will never do that. At least when I'm on vacation, my sister comes by and check and my kids come back to get the mail once it's delivered.

Yes I agree. We hire a property manager to look after our Mexico place as well as our housekeeper. And we sublet our Vancouver place when we are away. We also forward the mail using MBE. We have through the door delivery of flyers.

 

[Music Lover]

In many cases, people live societies are sub-par, house prices are too high, state income taxes and property taxes are out of sight and state and local politics are ridiculous.

But still, home is home--no how lousy a place it is.

I still feel getting out of one's comfort zone is very good for the retiree. And that includes moving to where the total retirement experience includes improved standard of living--for far less cost of living.

I agree that it's good to get out of one's comfort zone on occasion, but moving isn't the right move for everyone if they're already comfortable. In my case, the best place to retire is right here. Due to working in the same large office for my entire career, I've developed several long term friendships of 30 years or longer and I've even been in a band with the same 2 guys for over 30 years. I have no desire to start from scratch in my 50's.

I'm in my "forever" house...I'll be here until I can no longer maintain it or am unable to stay due to other issues.

 

[meierlde]

DW and I had this running battle for about 3 years; I wanted to move someplace warmer when I retired and she wanted to stay here close to family and especially grandchildren. Then last November, I got a call from my youngest son. He had testicular cancer. He has had a time of it but is nearing the end of it and will be fine. But as I stood back and saw the way the community, church, friends and family gathered around him and supported him, I wondered to myself, "why would I leave this?" So the bottom line for me is that I'm not going anywhere. I'll deal with the cold, the taxes and the stupid Illinois politics but I'm not going anywhere.

It is an interesting question of how many have children that stayed near to were they grew up. In my case both my sister and I moved over 1000+ miles away from where we grew up, so my parents moving south made sense (between were my sister and I lived ) My parents originally moved 150 mi away from my mothers parents and my grandmother on that side complained about it. So there were no strong links to the town where I grew up for my parents. (For my choice of career there were essentially no opportunities in the state I grew up in, for my sister it was where there were opportunities for her husband at the time.

Interestingly when my sister and I were young, my folks lived 20 mi from my grandparents on my mothers side, but my mother said there was one period of 6 months when they did not see each other (and long distance was very expensive then)

But to put a question assuming multiple children what if some stay local and some move away?

 

[timo2]

Maybe someone can create an algorithm to work with all the various retirement articles and come up with a definitive answer ;-)

 

[Hexanova]

We currently live in WA state, and it's a sleeper state for retirement. No income tax, but a high sales tax...basically consumption tax. So if you're a low consumer (at least in state) and live in a modest house, and have a large amount of retirement assets that you'll be drawing from, it's pretty attractive. The ideal place to live somewhere south like Vancouver, WA. Drive across the bridge to go shopping in Oregon where there's no sales tax.

That being said, there's no guarantee we will stay here (been here 20 years so far). But they are always looking for way so suck money out of people, and an income tax comes up regularly. If that happens, we will move.

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Why does everyone want to move south? We have way too many people here already! It is hot & humid

My sister in law just moved to Cary North Carolina from new york, She told me the locals said Cary stood for Concentrated Area of Relocating Yankees. So yup looks like every one moving south, heat and humidity, trumps high taxes, congested living.