Still looking! Moved constantly all my life and didn't have a home state to go to when I retired so I went with 'warm, beautiful, scuba diving friendly, tax-friendly, with big city nearby' and ended up in Hawaii. HOA fees went out of control so now I'm selling and pondering where to try next. Since I'm not crazy about condos, and houses on Oahu are a bit out of my price range, I may rent in Florida for a while and see if I can get to like the place. It's only lacking the 'beautiful' part...
Final retirement area
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ExFlyBoy5
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
I think I would stay in Arizona!
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RockyMtn
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Going up to 111 next week. Humidity going up as well. Time to go away for a few months.
RockyMtn
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I've lived in the same small town in North Texas since the late 70s. DW joined me a couple years later. We both worked in the area our entire careers. I had a hellish commute into DFW for 25 years. We stay because: (a) DMIL lives nearby and depends on us for everything, (b) both kids and grandkids are in the area, and (c) we like it here. Our house is way too big for the two of us but the property and neighborhood are ideal... quiet, secluded, ponds, trees, wildlife, safe. The town is interesting and people here are the best. We have some long-term friends who are like family.
All that said, DMIL will be gone at some point. And odds are pretty good that the kids will "scatter" for job-related reasons. Our house and property really are completely impractical for two people. Maintenance and upkeep will become an issue as we age. We've always been obsessed with the Texas Hill Country. We visit there often and always find ourselves driving around looking at rural real estate. We want a small house on a few acres atop a hill with a shop building. We love the climate, scenery, wineries, food, culture, people, and the general quirkiness of the area.
When the time comes, that's probably where we will gravitate. But as long as the family is all here, we will stay put. That's just how the priorities stack up for us.
All that said, DMIL will be gone at some point. And odds are pretty good that the kids will "scatter" for job-related reasons. Our house and property really are completely impractical for two people. Maintenance and upkeep will become an issue as we age. We've always been obsessed with the Texas Hill Country. We visit there often and always find ourselves driving around looking at rural real estate. We want a small house on a few acres atop a hill with a shop building. We love the climate, scenery, wineries, food, culture, people, and the general quirkiness of the area.
When the time comes, that's probably where we will gravitate. But as long as the family is all here, we will stay put. That's just how the priorities stack up for us.
Niuatoputapu
Recycles dryer sheets
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As usual, interesting discussion. Great to learn about the various locations.
Not sure when DW will pull the W* plug as she loves teaching 2nd grade. But, once she does we'll think about where to be. All three kids will finish university in the next two years and will likely be scattered. Would love to follow at least one of them.
DW's wish list is someplace with low humidity and no snow. Current location of Sacramento fits that bill and Prop 13 keeps our housing costs low so we could stay put if we so desire. We are 90 miles from ocean, 90 miles from mountains, and not in a wildfire or earthquake zone. Five major airports within 100 miles. Sounds great, but we're completely flexible and will see how our kids or possible grand kids change the analysis.
Not sure when DW will pull the W* plug as she loves teaching 2nd grade. But, once she does we'll think about where to be. All three kids will finish university in the next two years and will likely be scattered. Would love to follow at least one of them.
DW's wish list is someplace with low humidity and no snow. Current location of Sacramento fits that bill and Prop 13 keeps our housing costs low so we could stay put if we so desire. We are 90 miles from ocean, 90 miles from mountains, and not in a wildfire or earthquake zone. Five major airports within 100 miles. Sounds great, but we're completely flexible and will see how our kids or possible grand kids change the analysis.
Earlier last week on the radio talked about the high # of building permits for our area this yr. Supposedly retirees and under 1500sq ft. Makes no sense to me what's bringing them because for 10 mths of the yr we have the mts basically to ourselves. Our weather is getting much worse yr round. We rarely see locals when we are playing (very nice for us) in the mts. Guess they just like the view?? Our roads are beyond horrible. Our mills are maxed out. We currently just started a special tax that will last for 7 yrs and only fix 2 roads! We are awaiting any day for the city to try to annex our area and make us pay for a new road. There's been a horrible increase yr after yr of crimes against children. Eating out would scare most (does us). We travel for just about everything (actually don't mind). For the first 5 yrs I fought every yr with the assessor but honestly can't now because our property would sell for much more than what we are currently taxed. On a good note is our DD lives next town over and we are having a great time with our 10 mth GD. She's quite awesome!
We moved to an area I grew up and we have had acreage for almost 20 years. It’s very rural. Fast forward, we built our dream home (way to big but the wife is still happy), we are still getting settled in 4 years later. Now an unexpected major health issue has came up that leads us a 3 hour drive to get the needed medical attention. We will see where this medical issue takes us. Should have stayed closer to coveniences and major medical facilities as we should have known better. We have followed “the plan” for 30 plus years, but obviously didn’t put enough thought into this part of getting older with medical issues.
EastWest Gal
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We’re transplanted Californians and plan to stay here. We lived all our lives in the SF Bay Area but found schools and life in general unsatisfactory when DS hit school age. Best thing I’ve ever done, moving to PA. Incredible school district-DS with a learning disability thrived here. The arts, theater, and music community here is vibrant. We are 10 miles from two colleges. We’ve established ourselves in this community. From here we’ve traveled to Europe several times, and can daytrip to Washington DC or NYC.
No reason to move. Medical care and CCRCs are also abundant here.
No reason to move. Medical care and CCRCs are also abundant here.
When I first joined this site, we were strongly looking at finding 100 rural acres in Kentucky, and building a homestead with all the immeneties, as a place to retire to. We figured that we could have the land paid off in 5 years, and start infrastructure building in that time, on short vacations from our jobs in Northern Ohio.
After realizing that our 10 acres in Ohio is just now to the point that we wanted (after 25 years of work), and paid off/secure, we have decided to forgo any retirement moving, and will most likely be settled here for the next 25 years.
My BIL is still thinking of doing the homestead thing in Kentucky, after being a cop in South Florida for the last 30 years, and will be starting the search for viable properties that meet his needs (similar in size, and scope to our original plans). If he gets this property soon, we may help him clear a spot to get up and running. This will give us a place to pull our camper in, and homestead/help for a week or two without paying for it all.
After realizing that our 10 acres in Ohio is just now to the point that we wanted (after 25 years of work), and paid off/secure, we have decided to forgo any retirement moving, and will most likely be settled here for the next 25 years.
My BIL is still thinking of doing the homestead thing in Kentucky, after being a cop in South Florida for the last 30 years, and will be starting the search for viable properties that meet his needs (similar in size, and scope to our original plans). If he gets this property soon, we may help him clear a spot to get up and running. This will give us a place to pull our camper in, and homestead/help for a week or two without paying for it all.
Our plan is to move on a regular basis. We are currently on the East Coast, great kicking off spot for travel to Europe, making drips up and down the coast to see all the things we want to see, figure 5 more years, tops.
Then we will move, likely to Colorado, enjoy all the parks there and use it as a kicking off point to South America.
Eventually we will likely end up in Washington, travel to Japan/Hawaii/Australia, etc and catch the national parks in that area.
I feel like after 7-10 years we will get bored with the trails, parks, etc near us and need to branch out, as there is just so much of the country to explore and lots of great areas to live, why choose just one forever.
Then we will move, likely to Colorado, enjoy all the parks there and use it as a kicking off point to South America.
Eventually we will likely end up in Washington, travel to Japan/Hawaii/Australia, etc and catch the national parks in that area.
I feel like after 7-10 years we will get bored with the trails, parks, etc near us and need to branch out, as there is just so much of the country to explore and lots of great areas to live, why choose just one forever.
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Same here. In 1989, we picked our town off the map for its convenient location, and then we came to love it. Our house is finally just how we envisioned it when we first bought, so we'll stick around to enjoy the fruits of our labors.
ncbill
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
No plans on ever moving...townhouse we've lived in for the last 20+ years is convenient to everything & inexpensive to own...pay the monthly fee to have no hassles with any outside maintenance, so "locking & leaving" for extended travel is a snap.
Already in a mild climate...all Florida could offer is bigger bugs.
Most residents here are couples who downsized from a traditional SFR after the kids left.
Already in a mild climate...all Florida could offer is bigger bugs.
Most residents here are couples who downsized from a traditional SFR after the kids left.
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Jeffman52
Recycles dryer sheets
DW and I relocated from Georgia to Ohio last July. But this is not our retirement area. We did so to be close to her DF (who is 89) and to take care of him and try to keep him in his house. I'm not sure whether retirement or his eventual demise will come first. They are a long lived family. However our plans are to move to the lower Appalachian mountains. Possibly north Ga or Tn.
Reading this topic, I realize how different I am from many of the people responding in my preferences. We have lived in a town in New Jersey right across the Hudson River from New York City now for over 25 years in the same house, now completely paid for. We have renovated every room in the house and have completely fixed it up to our liking.
Its very quiet in my neighborhood and yet Manhattan (where I currently work) is less than 20 minutes away by bus. We just love the ethnic diversity of our part of New Jersey and have no desire to move out. We just plan to retire right here.
Its very quiet in my neighborhood and yet Manhattan (where I currently work) is less than 20 minutes away by bus. We just love the ethnic diversity of our part of New Jersey and have no desire to move out. We just plan to retire right here.
Music Lover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Most of the comments seem to separate people into two different groups. Some people couldn't wait to leave to their dream location as soon as they retired and others had built a "home base" among friends and family over the years and had no intention of leaving...other than the usual winter getaways and vacations.
Good observation. So far, we’re in the later group. We have a very comfortable home base and friends, therefore are reluctant to leave.
We still dream about a place with sunny and 70F year round, but most places are nice at most for 6 months, then too hot or too cold. So we snowbird for a month or two. Besides, the places we really dream about are just too $$$.
Anyway, we’re reluctant to snowbird for 3-6 months because it would be hard to maintain friendships, especially on the road.
RAE
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We used to think that would be hard also, but once we started snowbirding, we made new friends at our southern destinations (Texas first, then Florida) fairly quickly and easily. We met several really nice people last winter in Florida that we have stayed in touch with since we got back home in April, and I'm sure we'll get together with them right away when we get back down there this winter. As it turns out, many folks from the little community where we stayed get together every thursday evening at the local watering hole. Once we found that out, we started going and made a bunch of friends right away.
I'm an introvert, but DW is very extroverted, so she makes friends easily wherever she goes.........
Teacher Terry
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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7 years ago we moved from the suburbs into town. We are a mile from downtown and walk down often. I have lived in 5 states and love the friends that we have here. We chose a house we could age in.
I too am in the PNW and my once sleepy town is now booming huge. I have adjusted fine to the boom part and the massive influx of people to the area and the challenges it presents. For me what really makes a enjoyable place is the people. As long as it’s safe and I live under a roof where I don’t get wet when it rains I am fine.
What makes me sad is the way people treat each other around here now. Arrogant, rich, and entitled. I’ve done reasonably well money wise and I was able to retire early because of it. Does that give me license to behave badly? I think not.
The beauty of USA is that for the most part you can choose to live wherever you like. You are more than welcome here. However, kindly check your attitude at the city limits sign.
What makes me sad is the way people treat each other around here now. Arrogant, rich, and entitled. I’ve done reasonably well money wise and I was able to retire early because of it. Does that give me license to behave badly? I think not.
The beauty of USA is that for the most part you can choose to live wherever you like. You are more than welcome here. However, kindly check your attitude at the city limits sign.
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gooddog
Recycles dryer sheets
Wife and I chose our retirement area by coming up with categories that were important to us, giving each category an individual subjective weighted importance for each of us, then giving each category an objective score which was then multiplied by each of our subjective weighted scores - then totaled the entire thing up. Have shared the excel sheet with a few people on here. If anybody wants it, let me know via PM. It isn't nearly complicated as it sounds.......
Our extended families are scattered all over and neither of us were enamored of the Houston climate, so
1) access to mountains (skiing, hiking, fly fishing)
2) proximity to sons (oldest the winemaker in Cali Central Valley; youngest in Seattle)
3) semi-affordability
4) airport (Mother lives below Ft. Worth)
5) semi-affordable housing
6) not too hot
Reno fit the bill and we like it a lot. Summers here have been affected by climate change (more so than most cities; 4-6 degrees warmer on average here), so we may consider a couple month lease up in elevation in CO or MT during July/Augusts down the road. My only semi-regret in moving was selling the Colorado cabin, since keeping it would have solved the summer heat issue (it's at 7500 ft) but financing retirement and buying in Reno seemed an issue 5 years ago but no longer.
We wind up seeing the winemaker, wife, and 2 year old every 4-6 weeks, so the proximity call worked out fine (another grandbaby is on the way), and we drive up to see the younger son in Seattle 4 times a year; he flies in for Thanksgiving/Chistmas.
1) access to mountains (skiing, hiking, fly fishing)
2) proximity to sons (oldest the winemaker in Cali Central Valley; youngest in Seattle)
3) semi-affordability
4) airport (Mother lives below Ft. Worth)
5) semi-affordable housing
6) not too hot
Reno fit the bill and we like it a lot. Summers here have been affected by climate change (more so than most cities; 4-6 degrees warmer on average here), so we may consider a couple month lease up in elevation in CO or MT during July/Augusts down the road. My only semi-regret in moving was selling the Colorado cabin, since keeping it would have solved the summer heat issue (it's at 7500 ft) but financing retirement and buying in Reno seemed an issue 5 years ago but no longer.
We wind up seeing the winemaker, wife, and 2 year old every 4-6 weeks, so the proximity call worked out fine (another grandbaby is on the way), and we drive up to see the younger son in Seattle 4 times a year; he flies in for Thanksgiving/Chistmas.
