Where Do Young Retirees Live?

[mickleover]

We currently live near Seattle, and are planning our ER. We would like to find somewhere with better weather and a lower cost of living, especially real estate. We also would like to find a spot where there are plenty of younger retirees. We are not nearly ready for the "active adult" communities.

Does anyone have any proven strategies for identifying such a place?

Thanks.

 

[Lohengrin]

Don't know that there's enough "working stiff" non-Trust Fund early Retirees to allow for consolidated demographics anywhere specific

My own experience was that I looked for a placce that met MY requirements and ONLY my requierments. I had no reason to take anything else into consideration. Being as how the whole INTJ/ISTJ population is defined as being a bunch of "go our own way'ers" there probably never could be a place or even a TYPE of place where we would necessarily gravitate towards. I haven't done an actual count but Texas and CA seem to have "high presence" at the REHP board at the Motley Fool but I think it's due soley to the fact that both states have huge populations to begin with because everything else about them is way different

I made the decision to retire while living in Utah but after doing the research decided to move to Omaha.

 

[sgeeeee]

Does anyone have any proven strategies for identifying such a place?

Thanks.

Try this web site.

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/bestplaces/bpretire.jsp

It will at least give you some ideas about what's important to you and some cities you might want to consider.

 

[unclemick]

The left handed way is to research your hobbies/passions and you may discover certain areas of the country/world that way.

And then there's the old home base and venture forth to visit and explore. I believe working people used to call them - vacations or something like that.

 

[BUM]

I personally like the area near the coast around the NC/SC border. Not too: warm, humid, buggy, expensive.

BUM

 

[ganda]

We're looking at PA and maybe VT. We live (and work ) in CA right now.

 

[Hyperborea]

I haven't done an actual count but Texas and CA seem to have "high  presence" at the REHP board at the Motley Fool but I think it's due soley to  the fact that both states have huge populations to begin with because everything else about them is way different

I too have noted a large number of CA, TX, and Research Triangle folks on the REHP board at the Fool. I think that this is due to the concentration of tech jobs in those areas. Many of the folks on the board are well paid techies who truth be told are a bit weird. They've got the bucks to think about early retirement.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Heyy...whatta ya mean weird? Oh yeah, I guess we kinda are.

I'll confirm the CA tech job thing, thats why I came here 10 years ago. The taxes are a little stiff (if you're a high income type), but the healthcare is reasonably priced, the weather good, lots of sights to see and there are plenty of reasonably priced areas to buy a house if you get away from LA, the bay area, San Diego or Sacramento. Sac is still reasonable compared to the other cities, but you dont have to go far outside the city to get the same house for half the money.

 

[Hyperborea]

Heyy...whatta ya mean weird?  Oh yeah, I guess we kinda are.

I think that most of us by planning to retire early are by definition weird. I've got some people that I can talk to about the whole FIRE thing but most people think you've either got to have won the stock option lottery or that you're doing drugs (maybe selling them ).

I'll confirm the CA tech job thing, thats why I came here 10 years ago.  The taxes are a little stiff (if you're a high income type), but the healthcare is reasonably priced, the weather good, lots of sights to see and there are plenty of reasonably priced areas to buy a house if you get away from LA, the bay area, San Diego or Sacramento.  Sac is still reasonable compared to the other cities, but you dont have to go far outside the city to get the same house for half the money.

Yeah, the tech job is what dragged me to the Bay Area. The big pay can definitely allow one to FIRE sooner even with the higher costs in the area. If you are in the right sort of jobs then the differential between pay and costs can work to your advantage.

I wonder if a majority of the FIREees/Wannabes are techies? The good pay, in general better education/intelligence, the prepronderance of xNTy personality types, the weird lifestyle in the tech industry, and the fast pace might come together to create more FIREees.

To go back to the original question, I agree with earlier suggestions that finding these people will be hard. Anyways, why do you want to hang with other FIREees in particular? Don't you want to hang out with those who share a similar hobby or avocation?

 

[ganda]

FWIW we're both techies too.

Maybe it's because tech careers seem to be so demanding that techies naturally fall into the "bollocks to doing this for another 30 years" camp? Maybe we're all striving for FIRE before our jobs go to Bangalore? Maybe an internet forum always has a techie bias by definition?

 

[Cut-Throat]

We also would like to find a spot where there are plenty of younger retirees. We are not nearly ready for the "active adult" communities.

I'm thinking this place does not exist. - What is your definition of younger. Under 40, 50, 60

I seemed to be the only one that I knew when I was working that was interested in retiring. Most all the other folks viewed it as impossible. - Paycheck to Paycheck syndrome.

Yes, I also was a Techie - but a ESTJ - Actually got into Management for about 8 years - went back to being techie before I blew a gasket

 

[N.E. - Me]

I visited Del Webb's Sun City in Phoenix about 15 years ago. Old people on three-wheel bikes. Yuk, not for me.

Well, now it actually looks appealing. Not Phoenix but the "active adult community". Am leaning that way. Funny thing is, most of my current neighbors are 55+.

I have to be near the ocean and I don't even sail-swim-fish. It just gets into your blood and you have severe withdrawal if you even move 50 miles inland.

My favorite area is the LowCountry. Charleston, Beaufort, St. Simons Island, Jekyll Island. Seafood, seafood, seafood - try "The Wreck" in Mt. Pleasant - I think Mel Gibson loved to eat there when he was filming "The Patriot". It actually looks like a wreck. No credit cards.

 

[N.E. - Me]

She-crab soup. This site is rated "F" for Fattening.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Overview.aspx?RefID=210

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

I miss east coast fried seafood. Especially fried clams with the bellies.

The fine folks here in california seem to feel that the more batter you can get to stick to a piece of fish, shrimp or scallop, the better. I almost want to ask some places if they'd prefer I simply tilt my head back and let them pour flour and oil down my throat.

Fortunately a couple of places have cropped up that actually serve real fried clams, lobster rolls and the like. Unfortunately its a 2.5 hour drive each way. Worth it though.

 

[JOhn Galt]

Fried clams sound yummy, and I like all kinds of seafood
properly prepared. But, I wouldn't drive "2.5 hours
each way" for any kind of meal, even if they were
giving the food away. No kidding!

John Galt

 

[sgeeeee]

I'm thinking this place does not exist.  - What is your definition of younger. Under 40, 50, 60

I seemed to be the only one that I knew when I was working that was interested in retiring. Most all the other folks viewed it as impossible. - Paycheck to Paycheck syndrome.

Yes, I also was a Techie - but a ESTJ - Actually got into Management for about 8 years - went back to being techie before I blew a gasket

This started me to thinking, "Are there really only a few of us, or do we just not know it when we meet other ERs because most are introverts?" So then I started thinking that maybe this dryer sheet flag is a good thing. Everyone who is ER'ed should make an official ER flag and fly it proudly in front of their home. That way, we could see how many people in our neighborhoods are ERs. The only problem is that the way this group uses and re-uses dryer sheets, it may be a decade or more before anyone accumulates enough of them to acually make one of these flags.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Fried clams sound yummy, and I like all kinds of seafood
properly prepared. But, I wouldn't drive "2.5 hours
each way" for any kind of meal, even if they were
giving the food away. No kidding!

John Galt

Well, my other alternatives are to pay $90 delivered for a quart of softshell clams of the right type, or fly to boston.

For what its worth, I do this on one of our regular day trips. One restaurant that makes real east coast seafood is in Marin County near the northern head of the golden gate bridge...many places for sighseeing and hiking up there. The other is in the bottom of the south SF bay near San Jose. Plenty of stuff going on down there too.

Also, do not diminish the drawing demand of a basket of clams lightly breaded in cornmeal and perfectly cooked, or of chunks of lobster meat piled into a type of hotdog roll that is not available in california.

Those are the other two things I miss that are not to be found here (besides good fried seafood). The hotdog buns that pull apart from each other and can be grilled/toasted on each side - - essential fo a lobster roll. In CA the only hotdog rolls have a crust on the entire outside like a hamburger roll. The other thing is candlepin bowling.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

This started me to thinking, "Are there really only a few of us, or do we just not know it when we meet other ERs because most are introverts?"

The wall street journal estimates our numbers at a half million to 3 million. Depends on how you do the measuring, with the chief variables being what age range you consider to be "early", and the expected "permanence" of the "retirement". If you really and truly expect to never work again and have the resources to do so, or if you're simply unemployed with some money and every intention of going back to work.

And if you believe in the majority of us being INTJ's, as it seems to be, those are only 1% of the world population and 3% of the US population. Even if we ALL quit it wouldnt be enough to likely have another one in your town, let alone your neighborhood.

 

[renferme]

Why aren't there more early retirees ? I suspect that most people are living above their means and, therefore, can't.
But, there are some people around my workplace here, that are certainly old enough to retire and immediately draw social security.
For example : I know 2 people that are in the vicinity of 63 and 65. These 2 guys are looking for a company buyout. That probably won't happen. They're just greedy.
Another person I know told me 4 years ago, "I hope the company just lets me work 3 more years". He's still here and seems to have no desire to retire (age 59 now). And I do think he's got the dough... but, probably wouldn't know what to do with himself if he retired.
But, on the other hand, I played golf with someone in Florida a few years ago. He was about 55 at the time and had been laid off for about 3 years - was in Sales. He moved to FL and got a job on a golf course as a starter/ranger.
Part-time work and he was loving it !
On a different occasion, while golfing in Scottsdale, played with 2 canucks - retired , from Calgary if I remember correctly, bought condos in Scottsdale for about 150,000, and are now living the cold months in AZ - and loving it also.
And then there are some of the old people living in my Dad's condo community in Clearwater. These old folks
retired late and are in poor health now. Too bad they didn't get to enjoy their retirement years in good health.
A fellow here at work died recently, age 59, of cancer.
A shame that he didn't get to retire and enjoy a few years before the cancer struck.
Oh well, about 4 weeks of the grind left for me and then ER !

 

[Hyperborea]

One restaurant that makes real east coast seafood is in Marin County near the northern head of the golden gate bridge

The other is in the bottom of the south SF bay near San Jose.

Ok, for those of us in the Bay Area, some of us still slaving away in the tech industry salt mines, give up more details.

 

[renferme]

For seafood, we like Scoma's at Pier 47 and in Sausalito.

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Yankee pier, they have a web site. www.yankeepier.com

Its on Santana Row off of Stevens Creek Blvd in the south bay, and in Larkspur. I think they were planning a 3rd place.

Prices are reasonably near what you'd pay for the same amount of food in a typical nicer than average new england fish restaurant. I think it was about $15-16 bucks for a big plate of clams, fries and cole slaw and about the same for a lobstah roll, fries and cole slaw.

I've had the fried clams, the lobster roll, and the chowdah. All were fresh, done exactly right, and good.

 

[Hyperborea]

Why aren't there more early retirees ?   I suspect that most people are living above their means and, therefore, can't.

Few are capable of the very early retirements of under 50 (or under 40) that get discussed - John Greany, the Terhorsts, hopefully Hyperborea, etc. However, there is probably a significant fraction of the population that could get a 55-60 retirement happening. Why don't a lot of them do it and why do a lot of them go back to some kind of work after retiring - even the "regular" retirement age ones? I think it's because most people really have no life - they have work and most likely children that they let consume their lives. They have no outside interests, most of them haven't read a book since university, and they let themselves be spoon fed their "entertainment" from the "entertainment" industry. They have nothing to do other than to work so it's pretty easy to see why they don't give it up.

 

[Bob_Smith]

Bennevis, I can't speak for others, but here are a few reasons I'm determined to ER, and I don't see these traits in my coworkers:

-- I am extremely sensitive to any restrictions on my freedom, and work is about 1% freedom and 99% compliance. My coworkers seem to feel that they are free within the tiny pen they're placed in, while I see the fence that contains me, and nothing but the fence.

-- I am very quick to perceive manipulative, controlling actions by managers for what they are. My coworkers tend not to assign a negative intent. I do.

-- I really have a tough time working for people who are dumb. And most of the people I work for aren't very bright, nor were they very good at performing the work before they floated to the top. My coworkers suffer fools gladly. I don't.

-- I have a life outside of work. In fact, what goes on outside of work IS my life. My coworkers integrate their work life with their personal life. I don't. For me they are separate worlds. One world I love, the other I don't.

-- I really dislike living my life on a schedule. If I'm interested in something, I'll stay up until 4 AM. I just happen to live close to three of my coworkers. Their lights are always out by 11. They seem to like a routine. I don't.

-- I am very selective about people I want to spend time with. There are very, very few. My coworkers tend to be happy flitting from one person to the next.

These are a few things that come to mind. I think those of us hell-bent on ER are different than most, probably in different ways. I'm a left-handed INTJ, but I suspect there's far more to it than that.

 

[Hyperborea]

Yankee pier, they have a web site. www.yankeepier.com

Its on Santana Row off of Stevens Creek Blvd in the south bay, and in Larkspur.  I think they were planning a 3rd place.

Thanks for the info.  I'll give them a try.  I'm surprised though that Santana Row, that gaudy temple to consumerism, actually has any good food.  It'll be tough to park the car there what with all the Hummers spilling over into the adjacent parking spots.  

Most of my favourite Bay Area eateries are little hole in wall places.