Where Have You Have Lived, Why you chose where you live to Retire or Still Mulling

[ShokWaveRider]

DW & I are still in the Mulling Stage. We have been fortunate to have lived in a lot of places in our lifetime and the big discussion lately seems to be where we will end up, and what factors will sway the decision. we DO NOT LIKE SNOW and big -VE Temp swings.

I am curious as to why people coose to retire in particular locations. Proximity to Family is important to some, but not us as we do not have any close surviving relatives (That we care to live near). We also have no children and as a result no grand children.

Where we have lived:

• London Suburbs, UK
• Tripoli, North Africa
• St. Julians, Malta
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Soeul, Korea and Around Asia for a very short period of time
• Denver, Colorado, USA
• Mission Viejo, California, USA
• St. Marten, Tortola, Nevis, Eastern Caribbean
• St. Augustine, Florida, USA

The longest place we haever lived is Southern California, but we have very good reasons for it not being our first choice as a Final resting place .

Our current location is St. Auggie, FL. We came here by accident when we returned from the Caribbean, liked it, stayed, purchased a home and went back to work for a while. We are now considering our second retirement, we are 58/53 respectively.

Here are our "Current" priorities:

• Access to Healthcare
• Climate (As much sun as Possible, Not too hot and not too cold).
• Access to stuff to do (Beach, etc.)
• Not a big town or major city. St. Auggie is nice with ~13k year round residents. If not somewhat a little to hot and humid
• Reasonable cost of living
• Affordable to Average Real Estate, Budget for a Home is ~$400k to $600k
• Lower than average RE Taxes and ongoing expenses

Currently the flavour of the month in our household is Nanaimo, or Victoria, BC Canada. But the average weather, being as we have not experienced it for all 4 seasons is up for debate. we Would love to get some input from anyone who lives there.

SWR

 

[Nemo2]

Nanaimo, or Victoria, BC Canada. But the average weather, being as we have not experienced it for all 4 seasons is up for debate. we Would love to get some input from anyone who lives there.

SWR

After returning to Canada from Saudi Arabia, early 1989, my late wife and I relocated to Salt Spring Island, B.C., (almost mid-way between Nanaimo & Victoria), and stayed there for 8 years............have seen flowers bloom there in February; snow lasting for about a week in November; and rain, gray skies, rain throughout the winter......(did I mention rain?)

But it never gets/got very cold.

(Other places I've lived:
- London UK
- Adelaide, Aust
- Melbourne, Aust
- Hamilton, Ontario
- Toronto, Ontario
- Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.)

 

[Midpack]

Between us we've lived in NJ, TX, RI, OH, IN, FL, VA, WA, Wash DC, Germany & Okinawa. Still mulling, leaning toward Raleigh-Cary-Durham-Chapel Hill, but in no hurry to decide. We'd like to see how various states deal with their deficits among other things...

 

[boatfishandnature]

Since youy mentioned "as much sun as possible" among your top priorities, B.C. ( otherwise a great and beautiful location) may disappoint.
Since you are evidently pretty comfortable as "citizens of the world", have you considered a location in Southern Europe? In the current conditions, home prices in places like Portugal have come down quite a bit... good healthcare, sunny and plenty to do.

I have lived in the U.S. (East Coast and Midwest), Brazil, the UK, Portugal and Mexico. Current plan is to ER within 12 months or less, in Brazil. Also considered Portugal, Southern France and Thailand.

 

[hakuna matata]

I live in a small town near Seattle, today, July 5th it will get to 74 degrees. Enough said My wife and I have lived/worked in California, Florida, DC, Arizona, Utah, Missouri, Montana, Idaho, Chicago, etc and all of those places have nice weather at some point, but they all also have extreme (to me anyways) heat or cold.

I like moderate and the Seattle area (also Victoria) is moderate, year round. It never gets too cold in the winter, nor too hot in the summer.

BUT, and this is a big but (wait did I just say you have a big butt?) it is gloomy here much of the year, and it rains a lot. Not like rain in Florida where it just dumps in five minutes. It will be misty all day long--all day long, but not enough you really need an umbrella, just misty. The only time it really rains I think is November and December. But come January or February (or May or June) you are tired of the gray.

It is a fairly common joke up here that July 5th is when our summer starts, as it usually rains on the 4th and then clears up for about 2-3 months, this year it was the same, although it didnt' rain really too much yesterday. But once the sun comes out here in July, it is fantastic, as it stay in the 70's and 80's.

So if you need the sun, you might want to rethink Victoria. Although Victoria might be in the same rain shadow as Sequim--not sure on that. But even then it will rain more than you are probably used to.

good luck with your decision!

 

[FIREd]

I lived in

Geneva, Switzerland
Lyon, France
Raleigh, NC
Huntsville, AL
San Francisco, CA

DW and I haven't yet decided where to settle for good. When the time to make a decision comes, cost of living and affordable healthcare availability will be important considerations, but proximity to family will be the main factor. Based on the latter, Western Europe, the Southeastern US, and California would all be strong contenders. We own properties in 2 of those locations and mulling buying something in the third.

 

[Goonie]

I've lived in north-central Illinois, in my hometown, my entire life.....54 years of it on the old family homestead. I went to grade school 1/2 mile away, high school 1 mile away, and worked 1 mile away for 32 years. I've traveled all over the country, and have found, that for me, there's no place like right here where I am! So now in retirement, I have absolutely no intention of moving anywhere!

 

[Midpack]

I've lived in north-central Illinois, in my hometown, my entire life.....54 years of it on the old family homestead. I went to grade school 1/2 mile away, high school 1 mile away, and worked 1 mile away for 32 years. I've traveled all over the country, and have found, that for me, there's no place like right here where I am! So now in retirement, I have absolutely no intention of moving anywhere!

For all the talk about relocation (self included), from what I've read something like 80% of retirees don't move after all, and most that do move very short distances. This article states that only 1.6% of retirees moved across state lines in 2010 FWIW! http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/us-usa-retirees-idUSBRE82714G20120309

 

[Ronstar]

For 53 of my 56 years, I lived in 4 houses within a 1.5 mile radius in the far outskirts of Chicagoland suburbia. I did "move away" for 3 years in the 1980's to a city 25 miles away. I grew up a few miles from DW, and all of our relatives live within 10 miles. We travel, but not in search of a full time retirement home. We don't plan on moving our home base.

 

[REWahoo]

We went the RIP route - retired in place. After living in MS, FL, AL, KS, CA and five different cities/towns in TX, inertia has overtaken my desire to relocate.

Plus, moving is way too much like w*rk...

 

[Huston55]

DW & I are still in the Mulling Stage. We have been fortunate to have lived in a lot of places in our lifetime and the big discussion lately seems to be where we will end up, and what factors will sway the decision. we DO NOT LIKE SNOW and big -VE Temp swings.

I am curious as to why people coose to retire in particular locations. Proximity to Family is important to some, but not us as we do not have any close surviving relatives (That we care to live near). We also have no children and as a result no grand children. DITTO. NO KIDS AND NO FAMILY WE'D RELOCATE TO BE NEAR.

Where we have lived:

• London Suburbs, UK
• Tripoli, North Africa
• St. Julians, Malta
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Calgary, Alberta, Canada
• Soeul, Korea and Around Asia for a very short period of time
• Denver, Colorado, USA
• Mission Viejo, California, USA
• St. Marten, Tortola, Nevis, Eastern Caribbean
• St. Augustine, Florida, USA

The longest place we haever lived is Southern California, but we have very good reasons for it not being our first choice as a Final resting place .

Our current location is St. Auggie, FL. We came here by accident when we returned from the Caribbean, liked it, stayed, purchased a home and went back to work for a while. We are now considering our second retirement, we are 58/53 respectively.

Here are our "Current" priorities:

• Access to Healthcare DITTO
• Climate (As much sun as Possible, Not too hot and not too cold). DOUBLE DITTO
• Access to stuff to do (Beach, etc.) DOUBLE DITTO
• Not a big town or major city. St. Auggie is nice with ~13k year round residents. If not somewhat a little to hot and humid DITTO
• Reasonable cost of living DITTO
• Affordable to Average Real Estate, Budget for a Home is ~$400k to $600k DITTO, LESS IS MORE FOR US
• Lower than average RE Taxes and ongoing expenses DITTO

Currently the flavour of the month in our household is Nanaimo, or Victoria, BC Canada. But the average weather, being as we have not experienced it for all 4 seasons is up for debate. we Would love to get some input from anyone who lives there.

SWR

SWR-

Amazing how much similarity we have with your criteria (see comments IN CAPS embedded above).

We've lived/worked in: TX*4, NC, VA*4, HI, CA*3, TN*2, IL, AL*2, Germany*3, FL, MD, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, KY. We've also traveled to several other locations, many in the US evaluating potential retirement locations.

If it was up to me alone, we'd likely live overseas during early retirement but, DW will have none of that. So, we're likely to end up in FL; we like the beach communities north of Vero Beach and south of Jacksonville. We've also heard good things about Dunedin near St Pete.

 

[ohyes]

First two years in Maine, 30 in Arkansas.

Though we mull ideas about all sorts of places (DH is from MA and would so love to retire there), my parents are 82 and 83 and just starting to need their kids close. My brother lives in the same town and helps them with all sorts of projects, but i don't want him to be totally responsible.

My guess is we will retire somewhere nearby. Hopefully in northern part of state where it can be a tad cooler in summer. 104 degrees in central AR today. I hate the heat; my parents don't mind it. If i could to them in a few hours, it would work well. We hope not to stay in this same town.

 

[Wasting]

You didn't mention if you have kids or other family, but if not, why not pick a homebase that meets the basic needs and just stay mobile?

 

[Nords]

Plus, moving is way too much like w*rk...

I'm hoping my next move will be enroute the crematorium-- or the compost pile...

 

[ShokWaveRider]

You didn't mention if you have kids or other family, but if not, why not pick a homebase that meets the basic needs and just stay mobile?

Sorry, we have No Kids and No Ties to anywhere. BUT, I like a home base, Garage. I like to play with sports cars and things, and potter about the about doing all my own reno work etc.

SWR

 

[martyb]

Rockingham,NC
Goldsboro, NC (Active duty USAF)
Austin, TX (new job as a federal employee of USAF)
Bastrop, TX (got a divorce, put some space between the ex & myself)
Bossier City, LA (job transfer with USAF)
Janesville, WI (job transfer with a different DoD agency)
Lufkin, TX (job transfer with my DoD agency)
Bossier City, LA (I live & work in Lufkin, spouse has apt. in Bossier City, I commute every weekend).

Still mulling the retirement location. Maybe Bossier City area, maybe NC. Not sure yet, but we need to hurry up & decide.....or not.

 

[rescueme]

I'm hoping my next move will be enroute the crematorium-- or the compost pile...

Well, there are other options in your area (I checked them out due to our possible move):

http://www.ultimatecremations.com/Options.htm

 

[MichaelB]

I've lived in Ohio, West Virginia, Connecticut (4 locations), Illinois (twice), New York (3 times), California, Texas, Florida (2 locations) and still managed to spend [-]almost half[/-] more than a third my life in Caracas, where we originally planned to retire.

Places can change, the great qualities of today may be different 5 years from now. Best keep an open mind and have options.

 

[Delaney]

I've lived in several places in the States and I also lived in Swaziland for two years when I was in the Peace Corps.

I went to the beach in nearby Durban, South Africa many times and I think a small town on the ocean like Richards Bay, South Africa may meet your requirements. Nice houses are available for under 250K and the weather is good - never cold. I travelled in New Zealand and I think New Zealand is a possibility for you, but most of the country is not that warm.

 

[kcowan]

If you can stand island living, Mayne Island is in the rain shadow of the Malahat and gets 330 days without rain each year. It is on the BC Ferries regular circuit so it is easy to get off island and if you travel Monday-Thursday as a walk-on (or bike), it is free. This means you can go to other Gulf Islands or Victoria/Vancouver.

The biggest problem facing property owners is the deer population. They are protected and they eat all your plants and trees. So you have to build fences to keep them out. Great for kayaking.

Parksville and Qualicum are also in a rain shadow but the prices are a lot higher.

 

[unclemick]

If you can stand island living, Mayne Island is in the rain shadow of the Malahat and gets 330 days without rain each year. It is on the BC Ferries regular circuit so it is easy to get off island and if you travel Monday-Thursday as a walk-on (or bike), it is free. This means you can go to other Gulf Islands or Victoria/Vancouver.

The biggest problem facing property owners is the deer population. They are protected and they eat all your plants and trees. So you have to build fences to keep them out. Great for kayaking.

Parksville and Qualicum are also in a rain shadow but the prices are a lot higher.

Sequim, Washington in the rain shadow (near Port Angeles) is being pushed for retirement.

My quirky mind (I am lefthanded) would put me nearer the HOH Rain Forest and 12 FEET yes that's feet of rain per year. There's always Forks and Vampire watching or whatever the Chamber of Commerce is pushing to capitalize on the Twilight popularity.

heh heh heh - another ice storm like 07, tornado or a couple of really bad winters 'might' encourage me to move. But not yet.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

If you can stand island living, Mayne Island is in the rain shadow of the Malahat and gets 330 days without rain each year. It is on the BC Ferries regular circuit so it is easy to get off island and if you travel Monday-Thursday as a walk-on (or bike), it is free. This means you can go to other Gulf Islands or Victoria/Vancouver.

The biggest problem facing property owners is the deer population. They are protected and they eat all your plants and trees. So you have to build fences to keep them out. Great for kayaking.

Parksville and Qualicum are also in a rain shadow but the prices are a lot higher.

I just looked it up and according to what I read Mayne Isl. gets 157 rain days on average. Not sure where you got the 330 without from. Also 7 days of snow. And the highest average summer temp seems to be a low 62.78F

Parksville and Qualicum, again according to a quick look-up, get less hours of sunshine than Nanaimo.

Not disputing your facts just telling you what I just looked up. The web is wonderful..... at least till Monday...

The Saanich Peninsular seems to have the best all round weather in the Area, but is also not cheap. We could probably stretch a little higher on property but it probably would not to be prudent to do so. We have not had a mortgage for the last 20 years and NEVER want one again. I would rather shovel snow than pay a mortgage. But hopefully we will have to do neither.

SWR

 

[Huston55]

Sequim, Washington in the rain shadow (near Port Angeles) is being pushed for retirement.

My quirky mind (I am lefthanded) would put me nearer the HOH Rain Forest and 12 FEET yes that's feet of rain per year. There's always Forks and Vampire watching or whatever the Chamber of Commerce is pushing to capitalize on the Twilight popularity.

heh heh heh - another ice storm like 07, tornado or a couple of really bad winters 'might' encourage me to move. But not yet.

DW and I visited Sequim ~10 yrs ago on a vacation to check out potential retirement places. Our conclusion about Sequim: there is no 'there' there. Port Townsend on the other hand is worth checking out. It's also in the rain shadow of the Olympic mtns, and gets <30" of rain a year.

I have to say that when we visited Victoria, it was so beautiful, we discussed immigrating.

 

[Nemo2]

Port Townsend on the other hand is worth checking out.

With friends, (who had a boat), sailed down from Salt Spring to Port Townsend for their Wooden Boat Festival in the mid 1990s........enjoyed walking around up on the hill and looking at the 'original' homes.

 

[ejman]

and still managed to spend [-]almost half[/-] more than a third my life in Caracas, where we originally planned to retire.

Places can change, the great qualities of today may be different 5 years from now. Best keep an open mind and have options.

We spent several years in Caracas in the early 80's. What a wonderful place! The people were very nice, the restaurants and the food in general were absolutely incredible. Also, weather was just about perfect. Too bad the place took sort of a left turn.