Relocating after Retirement

[arebelspy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nun I'm a couple of years from ER and already planning my move back to the UK. It will be a big adjustment after spending the last 25 years in the US, but I'm looking forward to it. However, I don't feel as cut off from the UK as I once did as I can now consume lots of British media on the web and I'm even getting up to speed with the real estate market now that the listings are all on line. My ER expenses will be less than in the US and I can get a nice property for around $300k so moving to the UK brings my ER date a little closer. 2 bedroom cottage for sale in Penfold Yard, Quakers Lane, Richmond, DL10, DL10

Why is that?

[GRambler]

We just bought a second house where we think we'd like to retire. Been going to the area over 25 years. With the down market it was foolish to wait, deals are abound.

Already have a renter in it. In a few years we'll either keep renting it, snow bird it, move there, sell it as a hedge against values going up and buy different, or just sell it and go elsewhere.

With investments making little to nothing in interest, buying discounted property can be a good investment or hedge.
And if it's somewhere you know you like you can get it for cheap right now.

[Coolius]

We are contemplating selling our home and moving to Oahu Hawaii, maybe within the next 12-24 months. We would take a bath on our present home, but hope that it would be slightly offset with similarly depressed prices there.

Since retiring 2 months ago, I have now started to do internet research on cost of living, sales/prop/state taxes, tax breaks for seniors, etc.

There are many FIRE members now living in Hawaii - Nords, Greg Lee, Koolau ( and others I do not remember ). Can I ask you folks to drop me some words of wisdom and advice as I begin to delve into this "adventure".

Thanks so much in advance, I'm eagerly awaiting your input. You are welcome to PM me as well.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolius We are contemplating selling our home and moving to Oahu Hawaii, maybe within the next 12-24 months.

In case you haven't already found it, this may be of interest: Hawaii Forum - HawaiiThreads.com

[Coolius]

REWahoo, thanks for the link. I have bookmarked it and intend to visit frequently.

Hey, I really could get used to this retirement thingy.......

[GregLee]

Since you're aiming for Oahu rather than one of the other islands, does that mean you like the city life? I really don't, at all, and I haven't been to downtown Honolulu or Waikiki in months. I really like it here in countrified, out-of-the-way Waimanalo, but some might find it rather boring.

[Coolius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GregLee Since you're aiming for Oahu rather than one of the other islands, does that mean you like the city life? I really don't, at all, and I haven't been to downtown Honolulu or Waikiki in months. I really like it here in countrified, out-of-the-way Waimanalo, but some might find it rather boring.

Greg,

I do not really like the fast paced lifestyles of large cities, and I know Honolulu is right up there with LA, SFO, etc as far as traffic is concerned.
Took me about 90 minutes to go from the airport to Punahou exit when I went there in December 2010. Of course, that was right at 5 pm.

I am thinking more of the Leeward side, maybe Ewa ( price is more in my range ), or Mililani ( don't like the HOA fees ), or even Makakilo ( a little beyond my budget ). Would love to consider Waimanalo, but I heard that it was more for locals than for mainland immigrants - correct me if I'm wrong?

Thanks!!

Coolius

[GregLee]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolius Would love to consider Waimanalo, but I heard that it was more for locals than for mainland immigrants - correct me if I'm wrong?

I don't have much grasp of real estate here, but on just this specific point, there has in the past been a restriction that only people with Hawaiian ancestry could buy in some parts of Waimanalo. I don't know whether that's still true, but at any rate, it never applied to the area where I live (which is the "Beach Lots", between two beach parks). Also, though my wife and I are mainland immigrants, we've always felt perfectly welcome here.

[palomalou]

Lots of fascinating stories here! I enjoyed reading about everyone's methods and thoughts.
We bought our retirement condo in NYC 18 months ago and plan to retire in a year. At present it is rented out. It and our house here are paid for. Still stressing about selling this house. Zillow has it at 85% of what we paid and chase has it at 93%. They don't know about the Wolf range or the granite we put in when I couldn't live with the Corian one week longer. Homes in this neighborhood are moving, but not necessarily with two weeks. I'm just crossing fingers as tightly as possible.
Happily, the condo is zestimated at a bit more than we paid, but we don't plan to sell it for 30 years or so.

[Coolius]

Quote:

Originally Posted by palomalou Lots of fascinating stories here! I enjoyed reading about everyone's methods and thoughts. We bought our retirement condo in NYC 18 months ago and plan to retire in a year. At present it is rented out. It and our house here are paid for. Still stressing about selling this house. Zillow has it at 85% of what we paid and chase has it at 93%. They don't know about the Wolf range or the granite we put in when I couldn't live with the Corian one week longer. Homes in this neighborhood are moving, but not necessarily with two weeks. I'm just crossing fingers as tightly as possible. Happily, the condo is zestimated at a bit more than we paid, but we don't plan to sell it for 30 years or so.

You are one fortunate individual; Zillow has my house in Northern California at 66% of the price I paid in 2003. From the peak reached in 2006/2007, houses here are down between 45-60% !!

Wish I hadn't paid cash for it back then, and taken out a mortgage.

I pity the poor souls who bought then, but perhaps I should pity the poor banks stuck with all those foreclosures.....

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolius I am thinking more of the Leeward side, maybe Ewa ( price is more in my range )

One of the few places on the island where you really want to have air conditioning. On the other hand you're only a few minutes from great south shore surfing at White Plains Beach.

Check the tsunami inundation maps before you buy here. Also consider the approach path to Honolulu airport.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolius or Mililani ( don't like the HOA fees )

Mililani homeowners currently pay $34/month. I know of only one other HOA on the island that's cheaper, and that's Waipio Gentry (a mile south of Mililani) at $12/month. Mililani's costs are spread among 14,000 homes and they have a fairly professional board. Waipio scored a huge sale of excess land about 15 years ago which has artificially supported low fees since then, and they're going to have to start raising them soon. But even if they double fees they'll still be the island's cheapest. Waipio's board... not so bad, but not exactly a deep pool of candidates.

If you're a condo owner in either community, though, you'll pay another layer of HOA fees above & beyond the neighborhood HOA fees. I don't like the condo HOA fees either because they don't seem to offer value for the money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coolius or even Makakilo ( a little beyond my budget ).

There are bargains up there too, and it's certainly a lot cooler! But that's one heckuva hillside.

If you're already familiar with Central Oahu then you might want to take a look at Launani Valley (near Schofield), Kunia, Waikele, and Waipio Gentry. The character of Mililani homes also varies dramatically within a few blocks.

If you decide to go with a Mililani realtor then I can recommend Tim & Jen Warren or Beth Makanani. I spend a lot of time consulting Tim about surf spots/conditions.

[studbucket]

This is great stuff to read. Both my wife and I have always wanted to retire in CO, and just seem to love it when we're on trips out there. We won't be retiring for at least 20 years, but it doesn't stop me from looking at topographical maps of the Denver area I wanted to see what suburbs (besides to the West) are higher than the city. Ideally we could get a place that overlooks the city lights from a distance, and we can see the mountains. We both think the twinkle of lights is beautiful.

My current plan is to consider buying some land about 10 years from now, planting some trees on it, and then building our house when we move out there in ~20 years.

We'll see how it all works out.

[nanannjen]

I definitely wouldn't trust Zillow for housing valuations. At least in our neck of the woods, values are wildly inaccurate. There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to how they come up with their numbers.

[REWahoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 We are relocating prior to retirement, but to our planned retirement/ESR destination. We pull out of the driveway to travel there (with two cars, camper, 2 dogs, a cat and two kids) a week from today. I can say that the process of preparing for the move and getting the house ready to sell has been very painful, and that is with a paid move that includes having the movers pack all our stuff.

Brewer, looks like you forgot to pack something before you pulled out...

Baboon seen roaming New Jersey neighborhood

... or maybe it's your old boss distraught over your departure.

[brewer12345]

Quote:

Originally Posted by REWahoo Brewer, looks like you forgot to pack something before you pulled out... Baboon seen roaming New Jersey neighborhood ... or maybe it's your old boss distraught over your departure.

Heh. That story even made the Denver post. The area in question is maybe 20 min from where we lived in NJ. Or perhaps it was just a Trenton politician on the loose...

[Meadbh]

So Brewer, I see you have arrived in Denver. How's it going so far? When do you start the new j*b?

I feel a certain kinship having just done the same thing myself!

[brewer12345]

Jobs starts 7/11 and we close on the house 7/7. In the interim, we are visiting relatives in the area and camping out in the area in our travel trailer. We drove up to Chief Hosa in Genesee last night and it is lovely up here. It was a "tad" terrifying trying to get the van and trailer up I 70 (40mph max while the temp gauge climbed). Something beefy with a V8 will be in our future (F150 or Chevy Avalanche, most likely).

[braumeister]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 It was a "tad" terrifying trying to get the van and trailer up I 70

You ain't seen nothin' yet.
Wait until you see what that road is like on a snowy Saturday morning during ski season.

Best of luck with the newly improved employment situation!

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewer12345 Jobs starts 7/11 and we close on the house 7/7. In the interim, we are visiting relatives in the area and camping out in the area in our travel trailer.

Glad you made it, and glad that travel trailer has survived the trip. Are you guys surviving having the family brought so much closer together?

Looking forward to your happy ending of "tales from a botched reorg"...

[brewer12345]

We are adjusting to a new area, each in our own way. We are used to extended camping trips together in 145 square feet.