We bought our retirement dream home when DH was transferred by megacorp to what would be his last "assignment". Two years after he retired we decided to leave CA and relocate to NV. I can't believe how big a difference the move has made in our life - not just for the cost savings (our property taxes are MUCH lower and there is no state income tax), but also for the much improved quality of life.
Did you relocate after FIRE?
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Midpack
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pb4uski
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Sort of. We bought a 3-season lakeside cottage 25 miles from our main home in 2005. Added a foundation, well and new septic system in 2006. Demolished the building in Oct 2010 and rebuilt and moved back in in May 2011. Sold main home in Oct 2011 and stopped working in Dec 2011. Last day on payroll was Feb 2012.
COcheesehead
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It’s in the works. Closing on our retirement home this Spring in a nice LCOL area that is smaller in size, but probably has more things to do than our current HCOL area. We’ll transition out there over the next 18 months.
Souschef
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Definitely. I lived in the San Fernando Valley with its concrete canyons and almost 3 million people.
DW found a wonderful +55 MHP in Ventura County. It was a brand new 1400 sq foot home with a full width porch looking out on a 2000 foot mountain. I could also sit there and watch the small planes coming and going from our local airport.
The town has a population of about 30,000 and the pace of life is much slower. There is a tremendous amount of agriculture, so there is a lot of green to look at.
She also moved her property tax exemption from her old home to this one, so our taxes are about $400 per year, instead of the over 2K I was paying in LA.
DW found a wonderful +55 MHP in Ventura County. It was a brand new 1400 sq foot home with a full width porch looking out on a 2000 foot mountain. I could also sit there and watch the small planes coming and going from our local airport.
The town has a population of about 30,000 and the pace of life is much slower. There is a tremendous amount of agriculture, so there is a lot of green to look at.
She also moved her property tax exemption from her old home to this one, so our taxes are about $400 per year, instead of the over 2K I was paying in LA.
Relocated to Florida after working for a few years in Northeast in 1993 and bought my first home. ER'd last year and still in FL. Beautiful weather, no state income taxes, very low property taxes compared to up North. Hurricane season every year is a different story. Worst year was 2004 when Cat 3 storm barreled thru Tampa straight for Orlando. Many homes sustained damage including mine.
W2R
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We planned to move to Springfield, Missouri after we retired. But we didn't do it right away, and after we had been retired for a year or so we discovered we were awfully happy right where we are.
For us, one of the attractions of moving was to put vast distances between us and where we used to work. But after we retired, we never saw anybody from work or had any contact with work related things or anything like that, so we might as well be halfway around the world. Not only that, but we are infinitely happier here now, than we were. Now, we have the time to enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer whereas before we didn't.
Moving is expensive, strenuous, and exhausting and so I am glad we figured all this out before we moved. I did move three years ago, but only about 3 miles from my old house. The purpose of that was to get a better house than what I was living in while saving for retirement.
For us, one of the attractions of moving was to put vast distances between us and where we used to work. But after we retired, we never saw anybody from work or had any contact with work related things or anything like that, so we might as well be halfway around the world. Not only that, but we are infinitely happier here now, than we were. Now, we have the time to enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer whereas before we didn't.
Moving is expensive, strenuous, and exhausting and so I am glad we figured all this out before we moved. I did move three years ago, but only about 3 miles from my old house. The purpose of that was to get a better house than what I was living in while saving for retirement.
audreyh1
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It took us 5 years to relocate after FIRE and we relocated 5 years after that again, although the first relocation was actually living full time in an RV and traveling all over the US and the second was buying a new house in a different city than where we started.
Ronstar
Moderator Emeritus
Not yet, but I’m ready to all our house and make our Scottsdale snowbird condo our year round home. Or sell the house and condo and buy a house in the Scottsdale area. DW is not yet up to relocating. So we wait.
We did not relocate, but may consider doing so at some point. We live in So CA on the beach in a community we love and have a lot of local friends, so that keeps us here. However:
- The voters in CA are fiscally irresponsible. While this is nothing new, the last few years our property taxes have shot up as well as sales tax because of new propositions passed to fund everything under the sun. Very frustrating. When will it be too much for us? Not sure.
- We don’t like the winter weather here, and we prefer warm beaches you can swim comfortably at year-around. Unfortunately the only places that have this also have hurricanes and humidity and bugs, three things So CA doesn’t.
We have found that since retiring, some of the negatives about life in So CA have gone away. Commuting and bad traffic are largely in the past as we rarely go outside of our local area, and almost never do it during peak traffic times.
How has your quality of life improved in NV, and what area are you in now? Please share. Thanks!
I moved 3 times after FIRE.
from Alabama to San Francisco
from San Francisco back to Alabama
from Alabama to the French Alps
The latter was probably my last big move, as I intend to stay in this area forever. But I might move within this area a few more times.
from Alabama to San Francisco
from San Francisco back to Alabama
from Alabama to the French Alps
The latter was probably my last big move, as I intend to stay in this area forever. But I might move within this area a few more times.
robnplunder
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I thought about relocating from Bay Area to somewhere less expensive. But, I found that I have enough to live comfortably in Bay Area. Eventually, we will move away from Bay Area but not any time soon. I will rethink that decision if I really want to travel the world. Selling my house and relocating to a place like NV will allow me to travel in style.
grasshopper
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We made a move to the Phoenix east valley and after 8 corporate moves decided that this is where we will stay and retire in place. Waterfront on a small lake, dock, pontoon boat, palm trees orange,lemon, grapefruit trees.
Eight years later we has enough of the city life and moved 5 hours south to a million acre national forest half a mile from a wilderness boundary. Rattlesnakes, tarantulas, scorpions,
mountain lions, bears, even jaguares. Only one other family in our section(640 acres), drive an hour to go shopping and having helicopter service for medical transport.
And we love it.
Eight years later we has enough of the city life and moved 5 hours south to a million acre national forest half a mile from a wilderness boundary. Rattlesnakes, tarantulas, scorpions,
mountain lions, bears, even jaguares. Only one other family in our section(640 acres), drive an hour to go shopping and having helicopter service for medical transport.
And we love it.
Col. Klink
Recycles dryer sheets
Same story here. Moved to Citrus County, FL. from the Northeast after nine corporate moves. First time I got to choose where I am living. Our kids are in GA. and PA. so we can drive north to see them when we choose.
Little traffic, low taxes, lots of outdoor activities. This is where the Tampa metro area ends and the Redneck Riviera begins.
Accidental Retiree
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Yes.
Early in our marriage, we left North San Diego County for the SF Bay Area with a job transfer. More than 30 years later, when we knew our working lives were done in the Bay Area, we moved back to SoCal, not far from where we started married life.
As our new area becomes more and more congested, we may want to downsize and relocate.
Early in our marriage, we left North San Diego County for the SF Bay Area with a job transfer. More than 30 years later, when we knew our working lives were done in the Bay Area, we moved back to SoCal, not far from where we started married life.
As our new area becomes more and more congested, we may want to downsize and relocate.
Gunny
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Kind of. My last assignment (Federal Officer) was to DC in 2014 after living in the Huntsville, AL for six years. We liked North Alabama and hate DC. So after 10 months in DC, I was offered early retirement, so moved back to Alabama. I've now been FIREd for a nearly 3.5 years. But I'm bored. We live in a small town and everyone our age (and older) still works. My social interaction has suffered and I'm an extrovert. So now we are looking at one last move to a 55+ community in Florida when our DS leaves for college in a couple of years. So... Anyone have recommendations for a 55+ community in Central Florida with access to fitness, pool, boating, fishing? We are thinking a manufactured home community to spend our Winters and RV travel in the summer.
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REWahoo
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No.
While still working we built our retirement home in the Hill Country and moved there from the suburbs. DW and I both did a 25 mile each way daily commute until we retired - four years for her and seven for me. We've now been here 20 years.
While still working we built our retirement home in the Hill Country and moved there from the suburbs. DW and I both did a 25 mile each way daily commute until we retired - four years for her and seven for me. We've now been here 20 years.
Brdofpray
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The very day I walked out of the "office" for the last time (in the Chicago area), DW picked me up, we drove non-stop to the home we built in the Upstate of South Carolina. Enjoying every single day, no regrets, no looking back! Life is better than great!
MRG
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Yes we did. Very happy too. It did take us ten years of looking to find what we wanted.
Our taxes are 33% of what we paid in the midwest and we absolutely love the climate and all the outdoor activities. We're in a remote area, that's not for everyone, but we love it. There are several million acres of nothing, some of it starts behind our house.
I've watched DW catch her first trout. She was talking to a mule deer she thought was a statue, it was 10' away from her. We've hiked to some incredible falls and rivers. Some are world class fishing. I watched a mountain lion walking through the neighborhood. Fox, bear, coyotes, elk, eagles, herons, and deer are frequent visitors in the area. To me this is paradise.
Next year there are some catch and release rivers I'm going to hit. This is one I plan on fishing.
Our taxes are 33% of what we paid in the midwest and we absolutely love the climate and all the outdoor activities. We're in a remote area, that's not for everyone, but we love it. There are several million acres of nothing, some of it starts behind our house.
I've watched DW catch her first trout. She was talking to a mule deer she thought was a statue, it was 10' away from her. We've hiked to some incredible falls and rivers. Some are world class fishing. I watched a mountain lion walking through the neighborhood. Fox, bear, coyotes, elk, eagles, herons, and deer are frequent visitors in the area. To me this is paradise.
Next year there are some catch and release rivers I'm going to hit. This is one I plan on fishing.
We have been in our 10 acre rural farm in NW Ohio for 25 years now about 8 miles from a 50,000 pop town where I currently work. I always used to say that we would be there another 25 years, or until we die, but i'm not so sure now. I don't do well in cold weather, and the traffic/pace/shopping crowds have increased exponentially in recent years, and looks like it will kick into overdrive from all the new people building/moving in.
My BIL is a cop in South Florida, and needs to get out, and is now eligible for full police union retirement, and wants to head to Tennessee and buy some rural property.
We have looked at doing the same, and now are looking at remote 100+ acre tracts (very affordable) to build a home on, and have nature at our doorstep, with recreational areas nearby.
Looking to buy property in the next year or two, and slowly move the farm South until we retire in 2027 at 62 years old.
My BIL is a cop in South Florida, and needs to get out, and is now eligible for full police union retirement, and wants to head to Tennessee and buy some rural property.
We have looked at doing the same, and now are looking at remote 100+ acre tracts (very affordable) to build a home on, and have nature at our doorstep, with recreational areas nearby.
Looking to buy property in the next year or two, and slowly move the farm South until we retire in 2027 at 62 years old.
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justlikebike
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Hmmm... Everyone has such happy stories about moving...
We are semi-retired, so in anticipation of full retirement, DW and I rented a house in a +50 community, about 1/2 hour from where we currently live, Community is on the ocean, great views, lots of clubs, activities, and social life, seemed perfect. We are 52, so we knew we would be one of the younger couples, but found that there were almost no couples under 60. Drive to nearest town was 20+ minutes highway driving. We have decided that it is not for us. Views are nice, people are nice, just not to our liking. Glad we rented first.
We are semi-retired, so in anticipation of full retirement, DW and I rented a house in a +50 community, about 1/2 hour from where we currently live, Community is on the ocean, great views, lots of clubs, activities, and social life, seemed perfect. We are 52, so we knew we would be one of the younger couples, but found that there were almost no couples under 60. Drive to nearest town was 20+ minutes highway driving. We have decided that it is not for us. Views are nice, people are nice, just not to our liking. Glad we rented first.
Teacher Terry
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I moved to NV 22 years ago for a job and met my current husband. We love it here. We have a mild 4 seasons, mountains, low property taxes and no state income taxes. There are tons of stuff to do so never bored. The only down side is the town has doubled in size since we have been here.
Absolutely.. Moved from Chicago to North Carolina.
+ Weather
+ Cost of Living
+ Traffic
+ Parking/Tolls fees
+ Friendliness
+ Crime
Lots of "Free" things in Chicago involved a 30-45 minute drive and you still often had to pay up to $25 for parking. Here it is just free, easy to get to, plenty of free parking.
Property tax was more than most people's all-in mortgages so paying off the house didn't feel like a win.
We feel like we are on vacation every day here, it was a little scary at first but got over it very quickly when I realized life was just so much better especially day to day.
+ Weather
+ Cost of Living
+ Traffic
+ Parking/Tolls fees
+ Friendliness
+ Crime
Lots of "Free" things in Chicago involved a 30-45 minute drive and you still often had to pay up to $25 for parking. Here it is just free, easy to get to, plenty of free parking.
Property tax was more than most people's all-in mortgages so paying off the house didn't feel like a win.
We feel like we are on vacation every day here, it was a little scary at first but got over it very quickly when I realized life was just so much better especially day to day.
ExFlyBoy5
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We did, but only recently. I am from Georgia originally, but over the years...well, there are just way too many people in the metro Atlanta area and I have been ready for a more rural setting for a long time. We stayed in ATL after I retired to help out with the aging parents, but when they passed, we headed out west.
We are now in a fairly rural area with a little land but still fairly close to amenities. I love the "lack of people" and the quiet that comes with that. We were originally going to build but happened to come across a pre-built that pretty much fulfilled all our wants and needs (and then some!) so we purchased instead. We have finally gotten settled in (and unpacked...yay!) and it's pretty fantastic.
We are now in a fairly rural area with a little land but still fairly close to amenities. I love the "lack of people" and the quiet that comes with that. We were originally going to build but happened to come across a pre-built that pretty much fulfilled all our wants and needs (and then some!) so we purchased instead. We have finally gotten settled in (and unpacked...yay!) and it's pretty fantastic.
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