We're now talking seriously about relocating. Advice please!

[Dtail]

Try 100 to 110 degrees F in dry heat, your body does not stop sweating. Although I do take dry heat over warm high humidity. 90 degrees in high humidity is downright miserable.

True. However, we still play Pickleball until about 12pm, even though the heat index by 12pm is between 105 and 110.

 

[RetiredHappy]

True. However, we still play Pickleball until about 12pm, even though the heat index by 12pm is between 105 and 110.

I think it depends on the individual. My body overheats once it reaches 90 degrees in dry heat, regardless of how much electrolytes I drink. On the other hand, give me 32 degrees and I will still be golfing in single layer.

 

[aja8888]

Good for you aja! I was following the threads on your dating but must be behind if "we" are considering moving. U geau guy!

Yes, we are a couple now and at our ages, we think this would be a good decision. Both families are for it too.

 

[Dtail]

I think it depends on the individual. My body overheats once it reaches 90 degrees in dry heat, regardless of how much electrolytes I drink. On the other hand, give me 32 degrees and I will still be golfing in single layer.

Agree on that point. As I age, the heat does bother me more than even 5 years ago.
I do drink 160oz of water with 3-4 electrolyte packs.

 

[aja8888]

You do know that's in Tornado Alley, right?

Yes, and both of us have lived in that area in previous years.

 

[OldShooter]

There isn’t a spot in America without some weather risk.

A risk cannot be usefully discussed without consideration of probability. It is also useful to include impact in the discussion.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

We won't be relocating but if we were, I would start by looking for stability and safety. We don't need our retirement lives disrupted by some future natural disaster. I would completely rule out areas subject to hurricanes, wild fires, earthquakes, extreme cold or heat, floods, etc. I would also avoid areas with actual or impending drinking water availability issues, like LA and Phoenix. I would be less concerned about tornadoes because they are "spot" disasters, not area disasters. Some decisions, like the Gulf of Mexico, the SE Atlantic coast, and known earthquake zones like the San Andreas fault are no-brainers for me but YMMV.

I've never lived anywhere but areas prone to hurricane. The only good thing about hurricanes is that there's plenty of warning to get everything strapped down and get out of town. When I visited my parents in Colorado, the falling rocks signs just freaked me out. I'll take my disasters with advance warning, please.

 

[RetiredHappy]

I've never lived anywhere but areas prone to hurricane. The only good thing about hurricanes is that there's plenty of warning to get everything strapped down and get out of town. When I visited my parents in Colorado, the falling rocks signs just freaked me out. I'll take my disasters with advance warning, please.

The problem with hurricanes is that if you have to do it every other year it gets old pretty quickly. If your house gets damaged, it is a nightmare to get it repaired, filing claims and actually getting it scheduled for repairs because other homes in the same area are all needing the same services. My late ex-MIL and her sister lived in a beautiful home in Punta Gorda and they were hit by Charley. Every year they were migrating to Ohio during the hurricane season but as they got older, they chose to stay put. That year they stayed at home when Charley went right over their home. Roads were a mess and they finally got themselves out and checked into the Ritz Carlton in Naples. Unfortunately her sister was undergoing dialysis and died having dialysis during that period of time. My late ex-MIL then moved up to Colorado and stayed with her daughter for a while before moving into an assisted living place. I don't know if/when their home was repaired.

 

[COcheesehead]

The problem with hurricanes is that if you have to do it every other year it gets old pretty quickly. If your house gets damaged, it is a nightmare to get it repaired, filing claims and actually getting it scheduled for repairs because other homes in the same area are all needing the same services. My late ex-MIL and her sister lived in a beautiful home in Punta Gorda and they were hit by Charley. Every year they were migrating Ohio during the hurricane season but as they got older, they chose to stay put. That year they stayed at home when Charley went right over their home. Roads were a mess and they finally got themselves out and checked into the Ritz Carlton in Naples. Unfortunately her sister was undergoing dialysis and died having dialysis during that period of time. My late ex-MIL then moved up to Colorado and stayed with her daughter for a while before moving into an assisted living place. I don't know if/when their home was repaired.

Good friends finally ditched a penthouse condo in Naples. Then sent me a video. Kitchen cabinets, mattresses, dry wall, etc, piled higher than you can stand on the roadsides of their well to do neighborhood after the last hurricane. They moved to Nashville.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

The problem with hurricanes is that if you have to do it every other year it gets old pretty quickly. If your house gets damaged, it is a nightmare to get it repaired, filing claims and actually getting it scheduled for repairs because other homes in the same area are all needing the same services. My late ex-MIL and her sister lived in a beautiful home in Punta Gorda and they were hit by Charley. Every year they were migrating to Ohio during the hurricane season but as they got older, they chose to stay put. That year they stayed at home when Charley went right over their home. Roads were a mess and they finally got themselves out and checked into the Ritz Carlton in Naples. Unfortunately her sister was undergoing dialysis and died having dialysis during that period of time. My late ex-MIL then moved up to Colorado and stayed with her daughter for a while before moving into an assisted living place. I don't know if/when their home was repaired.

I have lived on the gulf coast my entire life except for college. I know ALL about hurricanes.

 

[latexman]

I have lived on the gulf coast my entire life except for college. I know ALL about hurricanes.

I’m very grateful that hurricane predictions are so much better than they were 50 or more years ago!

 

[Dtail]

Good friends finally ditched a penthouse condo in Naples. Then sent me a video. Kitchen cabinets, mattresses, dry wall, etc, piled higher than you can stand on the roadsides of their well to do neighborhood after the last hurricane. They moved to Nashville.

Nashville would be one of our possibilities if we moved, but are 30 miles inland. Thus no rushing of waters, although still exposed to the winds.
As mentioned, there usually is decent warnings and hurricane season is not something we fear or talk about unless needed.

 

[OldShooter]

I've never lived anywhere but areas prone to hurricane. The only good thing about hurricanes is that there's plenty of warning to get everything strapped down and get out of town. ...

I hear you. My view is that I am not physically at huge risk from the various events I listed in my post. In most cases we can run away and, fortunately in our case, we also have a lake home where we could live even for an extended period.

My issue is the aftermath. I have volunteered with Red Cross doing disaster recovery after several hurricanes, including Michael. The scope of physical damage to homes and infrastructure was amazing to this midwesterner. Homes just completely missing over obvious foundations, 50-year-old trees reduced to toothpick stock. It is this kind of risk, a year taken out of our lives, that I would never willingly sign up for.

Re your experience, I suggest that you do a search on "normalization of risk." and add some of the results to your reading pile. Google AI's take: "Risk normalization, often called the 'normalization of deviance,' is a psychological and cultural phenomenon where risky behaviors or unsafe practices gradually become accepted as routine because they are repeated without immediate negative consequences. Over time, individuals become desensitized to danger ... "

Obviously YMMV.

 

[dobig]

Ha, ha! The "city people" are self-absorbed, self-important, and unfriendly. Rural misbehaviors mostly have a different flavor...

We've lived both. The one thing I will say we like about rural living is people don't feel the need to talk so much and about themselves. On the other hand, it might be a week or more before you talk to someone.

 

[aja8888]

I have lived on the gulf coast my entire life except for college. I know ALL about hurricanes.

I've been in the Houston area for 34 years now and I'm in the mood to move back to the good old tornado prone areas! And I can experience some wither again! But the traffic will be a lot less.

 

[Dawg52]

As far as the Mississippi coast is concerned….Ocean Springs is probably considered the most attractive area for seniors. The population is only 18k or so but really all the cities on the coast run together with all the counties totaling roughly 425k. So the whole area is big enough to offer a lot of things to do.

As others have said hurricanes are a big concern. I would try to live inland a little bit. But even so it’s hard to hide from the high winds. I live 175 miles north of the coast and when Katrina came through our power was knock out for over a week. Lots of trees down. And of course insurance will be high on any coast. I’m in the process of selling my vacation condo in Orange Beach AL mainly because of insurance. I’ve enjoyed my 12 years of ownership but I’m ready to move on and just rent occasionally.

 

[ugeauxgirl]

As far as the Mississippi coast is concerned….Ocean Springs is probably considered the most attractive area for seniors. The population is only 18k or so but really all the cities on the coast run together with all the counties totaling roughly 425k. So the whole area is big enough to offer a lot of things to do.

As others have said hurricanes are a big concern. I would try to live inland a little bit. But even so it’s hard to hide from the high winds. I live 175 miles north of the coast and when Katrina came through our power was knock out for over a week. Lots of trees down. And of course insurance will be high on any coast. I’m in the process of selling my vacation condo in Orange Beach AL mainly because of insurance. I’ve enjoyed my 12 years of ownership but I’m ready to move on and just rent occasionally.

My mom had a place in Orange Beach and we used to love to go, but the traffic has become ridiculous. We avoid it when school is not in session. I have lots of lovely memories of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach though.

 

[Dawg52]

My mom had a place in Orange Beach and we used to love to go, but the traffic has become ridiculous. We avoid it when school is not in session. I have lots of lovely memories of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach though.

Yep…I noticed a big uptick in traffic during my 12 years of ownership. I rarely visited during the Summer. I have family down that way so will occasionally visit going forward.

 

[shafer9]

We currently live in a really small town and I've been retired 6 years. My husband is also retiring and my youngest child at a local college. We are having a hard time getting enough people to play pickleball with when we want to, and there are very few options for eating out etc. We didn't notice before we retired because we didn't have time, but now that we have time, there isn't much to do here!
When the youngest son leaves the nest, we are considering moving about an hour and a half away to a bigger town on the Mississippi Gulf coast. We would be closer to my parents, who will need help soon, and closer to my husband's other favorite hobby- fishing in South Louisiana. There are also lots of events etc.
There are a few towns we would consider moving to- for anyone who has done this already, do you have a list of things we should consider when we move? Anything you wish you'd done? Should we rent a house in a neighborhood we like for a month to see how we'd like it? Thanks for your input!

College towns are usually great. They have young people and often old ones too. They have lots of intellectual outlets. They often have music and entertainment venues. There’s a youthful vibe to it that is enticing. There’s usually decent restaurants, a bunch of them. And bars. Lol
that would be my suggestion.

 

[beachfire]

We retired eight years ago and moved pretty much immediately to a beach town in South Carolina from a bigger city in Georgia. We are so happy that we did this. It has made our Retirement feel like a whole new book not just another chapter! We have a whole new set of friends and our prior friends come visit.

We found that moving to a beach town meant that a lot of the full timers here are not originally from here, and as a result, many are looking for friends and are often retired or have time to engage in all kinds of activities.

One downside for us is that the healthcare system is not as strong as we had in the bigger city. But the overall the positives of our move far out way the negatives. Really not even close.

 

[HappilyRetired]

I like the idea of renting first, although my fiance did not want to move twice so we made multiple trips to the area prior to building a house there. I like to go where many other retirees have gone so that there is a social network with common interests including clubs, pickleball, and golf. I also look for entertainment and restaurants within 30 minutes. Proximity to medical facilities is also a must. We visited 4 areas and took over 2 years to make a decision. After 3 years here, it has proven to be the right choice for both of us.

Where did you end up?

 

[livingalmostlarge]

i like the idea of airbnb for 1 month or 2