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Inexpensive Mediterranean climate for retirement?
01-18-2016, 12:57 PM
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#1
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Dryer sheet aficionado
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 41
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Inexpensive Mediterranean climate for retirement?
Hi, I'm brand new to E-R. We'll be empty nesters in 2018 and anticipate retiring, downsizing and moving from our home in Virginia sometime after then. I'm originally from Sonoma County and desperately miss my dry CA summers without mosquitos, chiggers or AC. As much as I'd love to move back there, housing prices are crazy to the point where it just doesn't make economic sense until/unless the bubble pops.
Having said that, I would love to compile a list of suitable domestic or intl retirement destinations that have a Mediterranean climate and a low or moderate COL. I would prefer being within 30 miles of the coast so a far inland climate (with hotter summers) wouldn't be my first choice.
Looking forward to your responses!
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01-18-2016, 01:11 PM
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#2
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Moderator
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: San Diego
Posts: 14,169
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If you go outside the touristic areas - Sicily meets your criteria. Climate is similar to San Diego (think citrus and palm trees and bougenvilla).
Southern Sicily has great beaches and great weather. But the places I'm thinking of - you'd need to learn Italian.
__________________
Retired June 2014. No longer an enginerd - now I'm just a nerd.
micro pensions 6%, rental income 20%
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01-18-2016, 01:57 PM
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#3
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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To get a Mediterranean climate, there's nothing like, er, going to the Mediterranean. It may not be cheap, however.
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"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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01-18-2016, 04:56 PM
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#4
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Huntsville, AL/Helen, GA
Posts: 6,002
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The only good places in the Mediterranean to live are members of the EU. Unless you're a college student, forget getting a Visa to live within the EU. The Schengen Agreement states that U.S. citizens can only stay in the EU 90 days out of 180 days. The UK is not included. Obviously, the EU countries are not allowing Americans coming over to use their National Healthcare systems.
We're going to visit Malta 4/29. Although it's just south of Sicily, they speak English and Maltese there. And it looks like a glorious place to live. I don't know about being a US expatriate and living there, however.
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01-18-2016, 05:05 PM
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#5
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Les Bois
Posts: 5,761
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Cape Town South Africa has a Mediterranean climate. Is it cheap?
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You can't be a retirement plan actuary without a retirement plan, otherwise you lose all credibility...
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01-18-2016, 05:05 PM
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#6
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cville
Posts: 1,600
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I've heard good things about Costa Rica and Panama if you want to live outside US. There are some reasonable places in Florida Keys. We watch a show Beachfront Bargains on HGTV that you may want to checkout.
Just observations, I never lived any of these places, but may be starting place to explore.
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01-18-2016, 06:06 PM
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#7
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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Rabat? Tangier? Oran?
Also Pacific side of Baja California
If these sound a little dicey to you, realize that in the US, coastal California is it. And a very nice it!
Ha
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"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
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01-18-2016, 06:09 PM
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#8
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Bernalillo, NM
Posts: 2,717
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamaman
We're going to visit Malta 4/29. Although it's just south of Sicily, they speak English and Maltese there. And it looks like a glorious place to live. I don't know about being a US expatriate and living there, however.
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I thought Malta was in the EU? Regardless, my father was stationed there in the early 1960's, so I was there about 10-11 years old. It is a nice, warm sunny
place.
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"We live the lives we lead because of the thoughts we think" ...Michael O’Neill
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01-18-2016, 06:10 PM
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#9
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Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Flyover country
Posts: 25,197
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Some parts of the southern cone of South America, such as Montevideo Uruguay, Buenos Aires Argentina, and central Chile.
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01-18-2016, 06:17 PM
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#10
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bamaman
... We're going to visit Malta 4/29. Although it's just south of Sicily, they speak English and Maltese there. And it looks like a glorious place to live. I don't know about being a US expatriate and living there, however.
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I have not been to Malta, but have thought of visiting for some time. Malta has a program to grant permanent residency to retirees who can demonstrate some income or net worth. The requirements are rather modest at EUR 24,000 annual income or EUR 350,000 networth.
Malta used to be part of the UK Commonwealth and only became a republic in 1974. So, the fact that English is spoken makes it easy for an American expatriate.
See: Taking up Residence in Malta: Conditions of Retiring in Malta - Legal Malta.
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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01-18-2016, 06:58 PM
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#11
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Cville
Posts: 1,600
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Quote:
Originally Posted by haha
Rabat? Tangier? Oran?
Also Pacific side of Baja California
If these sound a little dicey to you, realize that in the US, coastal California is it. And a very nice it!
Ha
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How about east coast? US Virgin Islands, or Puetro Rico?
My friend got a small home on gulf side of Fla for about $200K
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01-18-2016, 07:17 PM
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#12
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Santa Paula
Posts: 4,068
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New Zealand around Auckland. You can retire there, but bring money
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01-18-2016, 07:55 PM
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#13
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 35,712
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NW-Bound
To get a Mediterranean climate, there's nothing like, er, going to the Mediterranean. It may not be cheap, however.
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Thought I should provide a bit of background.
The above song, Méditerranéenne, sung by Hervé Vilard with French lyrics is originally a hit Italian pop song by Toto Cutugno released in 1983.
While the original song was written about being a real Italian ("l'italiano vero"), the French lyrics is about falling in love with a gypsy girl in Saintes-Maries, a town in the marshland of Camargue of France, a bit west of Marseilles.
From the Web:
Lasciatemi cantare / Let me sing
con la chitarra in mano / with a guitar in my hand
lasciatemi cantare / Let me sing
sono l'italiano / I am an Italian.
Buongiorno Italia gli spaghetti al dente / Good Morning Italy with your spaghetti al dente
e un partigiano come Presidente / and your partisan for President
con l'autoradio sempre nella mano destra / and always fiddling with the car radio with your right hand
e un canarino sopra la finestra / and keeping a canary above the window
Buongiorno Italia con i tuoi artisti / Good Morning Italy with your artists
con troppa America sui manifesti / with too much of America in your posters
con le canzoni con amore / with your songs of love
con il cuore / with heart
con piu' donne sempre meno suore / with more and more women and less and less nuns
__________________
"Old age is the most unexpected of all things that happen to a man" -- Leon Trotsky (1879-1940)
"Those Who Can Make You Believe Absurdities Can Make You Commit Atrocities" - Voltaire (1694-1778)
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01-18-2016, 08:14 PM
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#14
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Recycles dryer sheets
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 421
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Big_Hitter
Cape Town South Africa has a Mediterranean climate. Is it cheap?
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We found Cape Town to be very cheap for vacations. Food and wine were stunning, and 60 bucks for dinners for 4 including 2 bottles of wine. Not sure about long term housing, and they have serious immigration issues from other parts of Africa. Stellenbosch was breathtaking.
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01-18-2016, 08:19 PM
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#15
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Nov 2007
Posts: 7,746
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I've heard good things about Albania but never done much due diligence on the place. It's pretty cheap and looks beautiful in pictures.
Southern Spain is fairly inexpensive (prices are similar to southeastern USA from what I've seen). I've been following Bucking the Trend blog for a few years and they moved from the upper Midwest to Spain for a year of early retirement (with 2 kids!) and decided to extend their stay. They obtained a non-lucrative resident visa to stay for 1+ years. I think the weather is like the southeastern US minus the humidity (cool, sometimes cold winters; excellent spring and fall; hot but dry during the peak of summer).
I bet there's somewhere in southern CA where property prices aren't ridiculous if you keep driving inland from the coast. Some would call those areas armpits, and that's probably where you'll find the sweet spot of price and climate (if not culture).
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Retired in 2013 at age 33. Keeping busy reading, blogging, relaxing, gaming, and enjoying the outdoors with my wife and 3 kids (8, 13, and 15).
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Inexpensive Mediterranean climate for retirement?
01-18-2016, 08:20 PM
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#16
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 852
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Inexpensive Mediterranean climate for retirement?
I recently saw a list of top international destinations had Abruzzo as an affordable area in Italy with coast and nearby mountains, similar to California. Also Algarve, Portugal. I do not know anymore than what the article said:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathle...b_8917292.html
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01-18-2016, 08:58 PM
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#17
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Hooverville
Posts: 22,983
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Throwdownmyaceinthehole
We found Cape Town to be very cheap for vacations. Food and wine were stunning, and 60 bucks for dinners for 4 including 2 bottles of wine. Not sure about long term housing, and they have serious immigration issues from other parts of Africa. Stellenbosch was breathtaking.
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Got to understand the crime situation before you move your family to South Africa
But the boerwurst and biltong is excellent.
Ha
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"As a general rule, the more dangerous or inappropriate a conversation, the more interesting it is."-Scott Adams
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01-18-2016, 11:09 PM
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#18
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 9,358
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The 55+ housing areas / retirement complexes in California tend to have lower prices than regular homes, though they still are generally more expensive than housing in other states.
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Even clouds seem bright and breezy, 'Cause the livin' is free and easy, See the rat race in a new way, Like you're wakin' up to a new day (Dr. Tarr and Professor Fether lyrics, Alan Parsons Project, based on an EA Poe story)
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01-18-2016, 11:55 PM
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#19
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: North Bay
Posts: 1,246
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The west coast of Mexico has the climate you're looking for, but the threat of violence there might still be unacceptable.
Look around a little bit more in Sonoma County. There are still some reasonable places to be had there, especially if you don't need a villa or McMansion. That's where we plan to retire as empty-nesters later this year.
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01-19-2016, 12:18 AM
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#20
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 7,422
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What about Croatia? Never been but supposedly more affordable than neighbor Italy to the west.
Yeah southern Spain was overbuilt supposedly during the housing bubble 10-15 years ago. In fact I remember seeing one House Hunters International ep. from several years ago where a young couple, who lived more inland, was looking for a weekend condo near the coast. Apparently buying second homes was common back then. They were nondescript condos but with ocean views.
The thing is, a lot of these areas are nothing but resort areas which has mostly vacation rental housing and not much else going on the rest of the year.
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