Moving and retirement

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by davew894 I never really understood how moving to a low-cost living area is somehow a compromise. On the contrary, I feel like living in the city is a requirement of having a high paying job. That's why I live close to the city now. If I had my choice, I would live an hour or two outside of a city so that I could enjoy the culture, shows and other things that cities offer without actually having to live there and fight crowds, eat at busy restaurants, pay high housing prices/taxes, etc. I currently live in a rural area near a large metro area and commute as it is the best I can do and still keep my job. For me, moving to a lower cost area is one of biggest pluses of early retirement. I will no longer be tied to a city (or the outskirts of one in my situation) because of needing a high paying job. I will be able to move where the schools are good, lots sizes are large (we're talking acres, not feet ), the air is clean and the traffic is light in a thriving small town (with few high paying jobs). I would drive to the city... maybe once every couple of months if I desire. For me, no longer relying on an expensive city filled with people competing for limited land to live on while holding down high paying jobs is a huge benefit of ER.

I pulled Dave's post from another thread, but I am wondering how often people do move when they retire and why they move. We have a good situation right now in that we live in an apartment in a four unit buildling we own. Keeps the living expenses down to have your home be a cash producing asset.

But, if we both are retired the quarters are a little close for day in day out contact. (Sorry sweetie, no reflection on you). So we are starting to look at the possibility of selling the place while rental housing still goes for a pretty good price, and buying a home. Where Dave's ideal is moving out into the country, my ideal is moving to the big city. More of our friends are there and there are more things to do. The downside is the cost and the worry that prices are currently inflated in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Decisions, decisions.

One option we have is to sell our rental property and rent a place in the cities, betting on prices of housing going down or stagnating. It at least looks like the rental market is a buyer's market so maybe we could get a place even though we have two dogs and two birds.

So are you moving when you retire? Why or why not?