Where would your Ideal Retirement Location Be?

[ShokWaveRider]

For us, it is all about the weather, affordable healthcare & availability and reasonably priced housing. We have no direct family (Children etc.), so being near them is not a criterion.

Up to now other than a few other annoying and worrying (for us) US idiosyncrasies, the USA has offered us the best quality of life for all of the above since the ACA was passed. However, "if" affordable and readily available healthcare is taken from us, we will need to choose and alternative location.

We are both Canadians and I am also English, which offer quality affordable Healthcare, but fall very far short of the weather category.

We have been in the USA for over 30 years and certainly call it our home. However with the recent turn of events we have been (or will be) forced to look for a more suitable location.

I have scoured the internet and Equador, Colombia, Portugal, Spain and others do fit the bill.

I was curious if anyone here has experience of this big life decision that they could share, and in addition anyone who is thinking like we are?

We are 63 and 58 respectively and are pretty set in our ways. The idea is daunting just to think about. Year Round Weather is a Big Deal too.

Note: This is NOT a Healthcare thread, please refrain from commenting about it directly, other than if you cannot renew your current level of care in the years to come and what the alternatives (for you) are.

 

[euro]

Many pieces to the puzzle as you say yourself. In the end it is a personal decision and nobody else can really judge what's best for you ( and SO, if there is one). Healthcare is obviously important to most people, but for some, it is THE overriding factor ( seems to be the case for you). For others, it may not be #1. Also, some of us have more options than others. You have the choice to go to Canada or even UK (rest of Europe iffyer now). Others are pretty much "stuck" where they are (due to many resasons, including family, citizenship, etc). So, in the end, we'll all have to make our own choices.
All that said, Personally, I too have some choices that I could invoke if push came to shove and I'm thankful for that. However, life goes on for everyone somehow.

 

[frayne]

Anywhere close to the grandkids.

 

[Nemo2]

There are also places/countries where integration is acceptable & commonplace, and other areas where, try as you might, it will never materialize and you will always be viewed by some/many locals as a 'mark'.

 

[Totoro]

For me its socialized/affordable healthcare, reasonable prices in general, climate (Koppen cfb), low population density, friendliness and decent standards of living. And last but not least: social structure.

That basically narrows it down to NZ, Australia, parts NW-Europe, and a few odd places that tend to be higher up in altitude.

My home country (Belgium) is also in cfb, but has a high population density and I'm not too fond of the culture. But it has my social structure built in.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

For me its socialized/affordable healthcare, reasonable prices in general, climate (Koppen cfb), low population density, friendliness and decent standards of living. And last but not least: social structure.

That basically narrows it down to NZ, Australia, parts NW-Europe, and a few odd places that tend to be higher up in altitude.

My home country (Belgium) is also in cfb, but has a high population density and I'm not too fond of the culture. But it has my social structure built in.

NZ & Australia are a little hard to get into, and do not offer the Healthcare to Non citizens.

 

[Red Badger]

We are just about to begin our retirement journey (6-30-17), and plan to remain in NC for the foreseeable future. However,our "contingency planning" includes Mexico (one of several expat regions), and possibly SE Asia. In either case, we have health care covered, so that's not a factor for us. MX keeps us in close proximity to the US; SE Asia is close to DW's home country (ROK).

I have, in the course of my careers, traveled extensively in those regions and have a good grasp of the trade-offs involved. So again, contingency only.

Invoking either plan A or B would be the result of long term portfolio devastation (of a magnitude larger than anything in history - so, unlikely, but not impossible). But, best to have a plan... As Ike said, "Plans are useless, planning is essential."

 

[hesperus]

I'd have to say I'm already living there. Small mountain town, fantastic recreation and climate, good healthcare and a college. It's one of those places where we often find ourselves asking "why go somewhere else for a vacation?"

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I'd have to say I'm already living there. Small mountain town, fantastic recreation and climate, good healthcare and a college. It's one of those places where we often find ourselves asking "why go somewhere else for a vacation?"

We could sat the same, if not but for the potential HealthCare concerns. We lived in Colorado for 3 years and the winters, even though better than some got to us, we do not ski.

 

[imoldernu]

We're there... Love the town, love the people, love our home and Liberty Village. 100 yards away from whatever we may eventually need...
apartments, assisted living, bounceback rehab, nursing home... all part of the complex.

 

[Ronstar]

I like mountains, but don't like winter. I like to be outdoors. I don't think I can handle extreme heat for 2-3 months. So I'm having a hard time finding a single location. But so far, Sedona Az is as close as it gets to ideal for me. But too far away from a city for DW.

 

[pacergal]

Anywhere close to the grandkids.

+1

 

[ShokWaveRider]

I did forget to add that I like being 1 mile from the Ocean.

 

[Ready]

If money were no object, we would continue living in the home we have now at the beach but maintain a second home on the Big Island. We would head to the Big Island whenever the weather was less than ideal here, or whenever the crowds overwhelm us, like on the weekends in summer.

 

[Just_Steve]

Stuck in NY because wife won't leave as long as her parents are alive and kicking but eventually anywhere from South Carolina to North Florida direct ocean front will be my destination. Health care, ACA or not is of no concern to me.

 

[Mdlerth]

Someplace where I can walk to my own boathouse on keel-deep water.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Someplace where I can walk to my own boathouse on keel-deep water.

Palm Coast Florida.....

https://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sa...6,-81.188214,29.589057,-81.225122_rect/14_zm/

 

[Meadbh]

There are pockets of milder climate in Canada, such as the Okanagan Valley, where I live. If you stay away from the major population centres it is possible to find cheaper housing.

"Like much of Southern British Columbia, the Okanagan receives a mild climate, although the Okanagan is considerably drier than many other areas. It is located roughly between the temperate rainforests of coastal British Columbia, and the world's only temperate forest inland, on the western slopes of the Columbia mountains. Most of the Okanagan lies within the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains to the southwest. Areas in the north end of the valley receive more precipitation and cooler temperatures than areas to the south. Generally, Kelowna is the transition zone between the drier south and the wetter north. Vegetation also ranges from cactus and sagebrush in the south, to Cedar and Hemlock trees in the North. The Okanagan Valley receives hot summers and moderately cold winters, although the latter are extremely mild by Canadian standards; south of and including the city of Kelowna, no month of the year has an average high temperature that is below freezing (0°C). Areas near Osoyoos and Oliver claim to be Canada's only desert, though they are really shrub-steppe and only semi-arid, and other parts of BC have similar climates and vegetation. Daytime highs in that region occasionally surpass 40 °C in the summer months.

Between 2000BC and 1900AD, the climate and vegetation of the Okanagan had changed little. However, historical records from the Pacific Agrifood Research Station in Summerland indicate that the Okanagan climate had warmed by about 1°C between 1908 and 1994."

- Wikipedia

 

[Silver]

I dream of moving to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. My DH however.....not so much.

Beautiful housing at great prices, although that is fast changing with all the retired expats moving there. I love the artsy culture of the area, the food, the lifestyle, and the reasonable cost health care. Plus, becoming a citizen is not difficult. If I were single that's where I would head. But I would choose DH a million times over being without him.

 

[Nightcap]

We already live there. Safe in the crook of the elbow of the strong right arm of Massachusetts. For three months we share our area with delighted summer people, then it all reverts back to us and our wonderful neighbors. We're just off mile 9 of the 22 mile rail trail bike path, so you can go by the cranberry bogs into Harwich and Dennis, or head off through Orleans to Eastham and Wellfleet. Just back from the new farmer's market by the windmill in Drummer Boy Park, then a trip to Hopkins House bakery with its lovely period front garden for something to bring to the book club meeting tonight.

Life just doesn't get better than this. We are content.

 

[W2R]

For us, it is all about the weather, affordable healthcare & availability and reasonably priced housing. We have no direct family (Children etc.), so being near them is not a criterion.

Up to now other than a few other annoying and worrying (for us) US idiosyncrasies, the USA has offered us the best quality of life for all of the above since the ACA was passed. However, "if" affordable and readily available healthcare is taken from us, we will need to choose and alternative location.

We are both Canadians and I am also English, which offer quality affordable Healthcare, but fall very far short of the weather category.

We have been in the USA for over 30 years and certainly call it our home. However with the recent turn of events we have been (or will be) forced to look for a more suitable location.

I have scoured the internet and Equador, Colombia, Portugal, Spain and others do fit the bill.

I was curious if anyone here has experience of this big life decision that they could share, and in addition anyone who is thinking like we are?

We are 63 and 58 respectively and are pretty set in our ways. The idea is daunting just to think about. Year Round Weather is a Big Deal too.

Note: This is NOT a Healthcare thread, please refrain from commenting about it directly, other than if you cannot renew your current level of care in the years to come and what the alternatives (for you) are.

Why not go back to Canada? I'd think a home with really good, reliable heat in southern Canada might work out nicely for you. Or, you could establish residency in Canada for health insurance reasons, and snowbird to the US during the worst of the winter season.

The freedom that we have to move or live wherever we want, is an aspect of retirement that I do appreciate.

We love living in New Orleans. For a while, we thought of moving away to Springfield, Missouri, to get away from the hurricanes and crime (the main disadvantages of New Orleans, for us). But we decided not to do that.

Here are some of our requirements in a retirement location:

1. Low cost of living and housing
2. Very good medical facilities within 20 minutes' drive
3. No HOA or other reason why F can't put up ham radio antennas or tower as desired
4. City water and sewer, high speed internet (I'm the quintessential "city girl")
5. Not rural (see #4), and yet not a big city since F objects to that type of environment. A good compromise would be a small town or the outskirts of a small city.
6. Inside the USA
7. Not in Florida, Colorado, Arizona, or California since we allowed each of us to eliminate a couple of states from consideration.
8. Low crime
9. As warm a climate as possible, given the other requirements

We both have retiree health insurance from work; mine is relatively affordable, and his is not. But, soon he will be on Medicare as I am at present. We do not want to retire to another country because we still feel the US has so many advantages, plus it is our home. We are so 1000% American that if you met us, you'd agree that the idea of us moving to another country would be laughable. We just couldn't ever be happy anywhere else.

We think the chances of a "Katrina II" happening in the next 30 years are pretty low and worth the gamble, to us. We got through Katrina together somehow, although it was an awful experience. Anything worse might be more than we could handle.

The crime here in New Orleans is already pretty bad so we really do not meet "requirement #8" above. If it gets worse and becomes completely overwhelming we could envision having to move elsewhere in the US for that reason alone. But otherwise, we plan to stay right here in New Orleans for the duration.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

W2R The ONLY reason we would leave is if the HealthCare market goes Pear Shaped.

 

[Teacher Terry]

We live in Northern NV which has a mild 4 seasons and love it here. 3 of our 5 kids live here. I moved here 20 years ago and have many great friends. DH is from here so also loves it here.

 

[Meadbh]

It's interesting that many people are describing their own ideal retirement location, without addressing the issue posed by the OP, which is the possible need to look outside the US.

 

[MichaelB]

It's interesting that many people are describing their own ideal retirement location, without addressing the issue posed by the OP, which is the possible need to look outside the US.

I read these as members posting that they do not believe they need to do anything different, despite the circumstances described in the OP.