Retirement/relocation destination?

[MisterCreosote]

There's a big difference in that 200 feet, though.

Not as much as you'd think when most houses that close have deeded lake access no matter which side of the street they're on.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I have long considered this question, but truly don't know what to do, or where to go.

I'm in Southern California, but think, often, that I'd like to move someplace else at some point, just because I'd like to spend some time living somewhere else, seeing/experiencing someplace else, and just generally make some changes.

My condo is paid off, and if I sold now, or soon, I could make a killing on it, which is one reason I think about selling it, and going someplace else that, hopefully, would be cheaper. But then, when I really think about it, and even though I think I wouldn't mind cold and snow, etc. (believing that, well, if I were retired, I'd just stay in when the weather's bad), I wonder how much that would really be true, and how OK with it I would really be. Especially given that, if I had a choice, I've always said, I'd rather be a little hot than a little cold.

Climate-wise, and for general ease of everyday living, California really can't be beaten, and the reality is that, just because of those things, I could see myself staying exactly where I am forever, even though I think I'd like go elsewhere. Those factors are just so significant, especially as people get older, and it's not something you look in the face and really consider until you actually get serious and confront yourself with it.

I also sometimes think I'd like to live in a tiny house (and I am a minimalist type who could probably actually do that), and maybe move into a tiny-house community. But again, I get thinking about it, and go, "Well, if you'd do that, it'd probably be easier and overall nicer and better off to just live in a small standard-sized home -- which is what I've already got!" (My condo is 810 square feet, 2 beds, 1 bath, so not "tiny" in the way of a tiny house, though not large, but still, substantially more spacious than an actual tiny house).

I've even given some thought to living in another country, and have some places in mind -- Costa Rica (where one of my brothers moved three years ago), Belize, Portugal, Slovenia, or Italy, if I could find the right location). But those would be big, probably complicated moves, and I think I'd need to be certain of them before I acted.

When my daughter first moved to France eight years ago, housing prices that weren't in Paris were notably lower than in the States on the East Coast. Alas, that is long gone, and housing prices in Bordeaux, where she lives, are right up there with Boston's (one of the most expensive US places). This is true for a lot of the EU countries that are reasonably prosperous, Italy, Spain, Germany, the Scandinavian countries, etc. It's triple true for Great Britain.

 

[JC]

Good thread topic.

What's interesting is I have lived in a couple of places people move in retirement: Northern Michigan (in Cadillac, much more affordable than Traverse City, and in the U.P.) and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The latter is a beautiful area if you don't mind winter, but it's become very expensive and ultra-MAGA in the past 10-15 years as Trumpists flock there from California, Portland and Seattle.

We are recent empty nesters who moved to central Washington three years ago. Both of us, for different reasons, have wanted to move to western Washington for years, but we don't have that kind of money.

We are in relatively decent financial shape on the "dry side" of the state, the weather is decent provided you can keep cool during summer afternoons and evenings, and it's a good mix of cultures and politics here. Suficientemente bueno.

Bellingham?

 

[Liut]

I have long considered this question, but truly don't know what to do, or where to go.

I'm in Southern California, but think, often, that I'd like to move someplace else at some point, just because I'd like to spend some time living somewhere else, seeing/experiencing someplace else, and just generally make some changes.

My condo is paid off, and if I sold now, or soon, I could make a killing on it, which is one reason I think about selling it, and going someplace else that, hopefully, would be cheaper. But then, when I really think about it, and even though I think I wouldn't mind cold and snow, etc. (believing that, well, if I were retired, I'd just stay in when the weather's bad), I wonder how much that would really be true, and how OK with it I would really be. Especially given that, if I had a choice, I've always said, I'd rather be a little hot than a little cold.

Climate-wise, and for general ease of everyday living, California really can't be beaten, and the reality is that, just because of those things, I could see myself staying exactly where I am forever, even though I think I'd like go elsewhere. Those factors are just so significant, especially as people get older, and it's not something you look in the face and really consider until you actually get serious and confront yourself with it.

I also sometimes think I'd like to live in a tiny house (and I am a minimalist type who could probably actually do that), and maybe move into a tiny-house community. But again, I get thinking about it, and go, "Well, if you'd do that, it'd probably be easier and overall nicer and better off to just live in a small standard-sized home -- which is what I've already got!" (My condo is 810 square feet, 2 beds, 1 bath, so not "tiny" in the way of a tiny house, though not large, but still, substantially more spacious than an actual tiny house).

I've even given some thought to living in another country, and have some places in mind -- Costa Rica (where one of my brothers moved three years ago), Belize, Portugal, Slovenia, or Italy, if I could find the right location). But those would be big, probably complicated moves, and I think I'd need to be certain of them before I acted.

Awesome take. Just don't do the Chevy Chase-Funny Farm thing.

 

[MileHigh]

I have long considered this question, but truly don't know what to do, or where to go.

I'm in Southern California, but think, often, that I'd like to move someplace else at some point, just because I'd like to spend some time living somewhere else, seeing/experiencing someplace else, and just generally make some changes.

My condo is paid off, and if I sold now, or soon, I could make a killing on it, which is one reason I think about selling it, and going someplace else that, hopefully, would be cheaper. But then, when I really think about it, and even though I think I wouldn't mind cold and snow, etc. (believing that, well, if I were retired, I'd just stay in when the weather's bad), I wonder how much that would really be true, and how OK with it I would really be. Especially given that, if I had a choice, I've always said, I'd rather be a little hot than a little cold.

Climate-wise, and for general ease of everyday living, California really can't be beaten, and the reality is that, just because of those things, I could see myself staying exactly where I am forever, even though I think I'd like go elsewhere. Those factors are just so significant, especially as people get older, and it's not something you look in the face and really consider until you actually get serious and confront yourself with it.

I also sometimes think I'd like to live in a tiny house (and I am a minimalist type who could probably actually do that), and maybe move into a tiny-house community. But again, I get thinking about it, and go, "Well, if you'd do that, it'd probably be easier and overall nicer and better off to just live in a small standard-sized home -- which is what I've already got!" (My condo is 810 square feet, 2 beds, 1 bath, so not "tiny" in the way of a tiny house, though not large, but still, substantially more spacious than an actual tiny house).

I've even given some thought to living in another country, and have some places in mind -- Costa Rica (where one of my brothers moved three years ago), Belize, Portugal, Slovenia, or Italy, if I could find the right location). But those would be big, probably complicated moves, and I think I'd need to be certain of them before I acted.

Born and raised in SoCal. Lived there for 30 years. Loved it. But it's obviously changed. Less than zero percent chance I'm going back. Too crowded. Too expensive. Too high taxes. The Big One is bound to hit at some point.

Only have a brother left out there and he'll be gone once his teacher's pension kicks in in two years, though could be sooner if the district offers early retirements to kick-start that. I moved out years ago. Do not miss it one bit. Sister has been out for 20-plus years. Another brother went to Idaho six years ago and my parents followed two years later and split their time between there and here.

 

[Driftwood]

My move is made easier in that I'm an only child with no children. We got my mom a condo just down the street from us on the island, so for her, it's a great adventure. I have a couple of close friends, who are also only children with no kids of their own, and they are actively planning on getting out, too.

 

[WriteThinking]

Born and raised in SoCal. Lived there for 30 years. Loved it. But it's obviously changed. Less than zero percent chance I'm going back. Too crowded. Too expensive. Too high taxes. The Big One is bound to hit at some point.

Only have a brother left out there and he'll be gone once his teacher's pension kicks in in two years, though could be sooner if the district offers early retirements to kick-start that. I moved out years ago. Do not miss it one bit. Sister has been out for 20-plus years. Another brother went to Idaho six years ago and my parents followed two years later and split their time between there and here.

You sound just like my brother who moved to Costa Rica when he retired. He could not wait to leave California, for many of the same reasons you mentioned. And I sometimes feel the same. But I'm not as well off as my brother, so whatever moves I make will need to be economically sound. And I'll need to be sure it's what I want to do, given that I've got a paid-off place to live already, in a coveted area of California. In other words, I've got to be really sure I want to give it up, or else, have some good, special reason for doing so. I really can't just go moving around on a lark, much as I might want to, and wish I could, sometimes.

I've given some thought to Idaho because, like you, I have some family there -- a niece and her family live on 10 acres in Spirit Lake, and some cousins who I've been close to through the years who went to the Boise/Star area -- but frankly, prices there have gone way up in the past few years, in concert with the exodus of Californians to there. And even though it is my kind of place, naturalistically and scenic-wise, the state has become so red and seemingly exteme-leaning to me as to have become a bit frightening in my eyes. I don't know how comfortable I'd feel with all the guns, and openness regarding them, etc. My closest cousin, who moved his family there a couple years ago, even said that, while they've generally liked living there since they moved, things got significantly more comfortable for them once they finally got Idaho plates for their cars. I'm not totally sure what he meant by that, but it didn't sit right with me.

So, yeah, you can tell I've thought about this kind of stuff a lot.

 

[Driftwood]

The people relocating from California, Oregon, Ohio, etc. to East Tennessee are not exactly the best and brightest. Our home grown young best and brightest are fleeing only to be replaced by the dregs and misfits of their former states.

 

[MileHigh]

You sound just like my brother who moved to Costa Rica when he retired. He could not wait to leave California, for many of the same reasons you mentioned. And I sometimes feel the same. But I'm not as well off as my brother, so whatever moves I make will need to be economically sound. And I'll need to be sure it's what I want to do, given that I've got a paid-off place to live already, in a coveted area of California. In other words, I've got to be really sure I want to give it up, or else, have some good, special reason for doing so. I really can't just go moving around on a lark, much as I might want to, and wish I could, sometimes.

I've given some thought to Idaho because, like you, I have some family there -- a niece and her family live on 10 acres in Spirit Lake, and some cousins who I've been close to through the years who went to the Boise/Star area -- but frankly, prices there have gone way up in the past few years, in concert with the exodus of Californians to there. And even though it is my kind of place, naturalistically and scenic-wise, the state has become so red and seemingly exteme-leaning to me as to have become a bit frightening in my eyes. I don't know how comfortable I'd feel with all the guns, and openness regarding them, etc. My closest cousin, who moved his family there a couple years ago, even said that, while they've generally liked living there since they moved, things got significantly more comfortable for them once they finally got Idaho plates for their cars. I'm not totally sure what he meant by that, but it didn't sit right with me.

So, yeah, you can tell I've thought about this kind of stuff a lot.

My brother is so done with California. Has been for 15 years. He's just running out the clock on the pension. He's got a paid-off house in Fort Collins ready to move into and give his tenant more than a year's notice. Actually, she's known for like five years. And he doesn't raise the rent on her because she treats it like her own place and where she is at she knows she's darn lucky.

Been to Boise twice No thank you. Bland and boring, despite the ridiculous taxes and COL here the past 10 years. I've been lucky. Moved three years ago and have a sub 3% mortgage. I *could* see myself leaving here, but no idea to where. The positives way outweigh the negatives. And there are plenty of both.

 

[TigerVols]

I've talked quite a bit here about the struggles I've had dealing with the decision to buy my parents' place and head south. But now it appears more likely that they won't be able to build their downsized home in the timeframe we'd originally discussed. So we're back to square one.

That said, I like Virginia .. a lot. Northern Virginia is obviously expensive, so we won't stay here long term, but will likely stay until littlest tbf graduates from high school.

Places in the Shenandoah Valley are near the top of the list. Harrisonburg, Winchester, Blacksburg. All small towns, purple politics, cheaper than NOVA, few tornadoes, no hurricanes, no 115 degree summers. We've talked about central Pennsylvania, too -- somewhere around State College or Harrisonburg. Highly likely we end up in Shenandoah, though.

So a dumbash family member is ready to cash out his San Dimas (cue the Bill & Ted reference) family home and move to Roanoke of all places. Just the other day he blew up the family thread with the news he and his wife's offer on a 3,000 foot, 25-year old house was excepted. He flew out this weekend to see it, documenting every aspect of his trip at full-throttle gloat.
Within 18 hours he made another announcement: never mind. Seems he and his 70 year old wife didn't realize a 3-story home comes complete with - wait for it - a ton of stairs. I did warn you he is a dumbash.
Anyway, what's so great about Roanoke?

 

[tapintoamerica]

So a dumbash family member is ready to cash out his San Dimas (cue the Bill & Ted reference) family home and move to Roanoke of all places. Just the other day he blew up the family thread with the news he and his wife's offer on a 3,000 foot, 25-year old house was excepted. He flew out this weekend to see it, documenting every aspect of his trip at full-throttle gloat.
Within 18 hours he made another announcement: never mind. Seems he and his 70 year old wife didn't realize a 3-story home comes complete with - wait for it - a ton of stairs. I did warn you he is a dumbash.
Anyway, what's so great about Roanoke?

Roanoke is a decent smaller city. Its healthcare is good enough. Downtown area is pretty cool.
If you're thinking of SW Va, pick Roanoke over Blacksburg if you can. Better hospitals and greater choice of specialists in proximity.

 

[BTExpress]

Seems he and his 70 year old wife didn't realize a 3-story home comes complete with - wait for it - a ton of stairs.

No problem.

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