Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi all. This is my first post, but I've been reading the forums for quite some time and I have already gleaned lots of information, and I thank you all. So here is my story. I'm 4 years from retirement now, and I've had it with California, much the same as many folks are done with Florida. I'll be getting a fairly comfortable retirement, and I'll be in my early 50's.
I won't need to work, so jobs and towns with jobs are not an issue. My wife and I are looking for somewhere quiet, in Southern New Hampshire, or maybe even Southern Maine to purchase a home and put in a good 20-30 years there. We are looking for a home in the 300k to 500k range, but could go higher. Our home would need to be large enough to have the kids and grandkids visit and stay awhile. We currently live on a ¼ acre lot in a subdivision, and would like to go a little larger on the lot, more closer to an acre, but larger will be ok as well, although we prefer neighbors to at least be within sniffing distance.
We would like to be within 20-30 minutes from the coast, if not on the coast. We also would like to be within an hour or so of Boston, as we plan to use Logan as our main travel into and out of the area, as well as flying in guests and family. We prefer the cheaper and more direct flights that Logan offers, as opposed to hopping planes and flying into Manchester. Not to mention, we love Boston, and all that it offers. We anticipate more than a few trips to Boston for dinner, a show, a weekend in the City, etc. We would need to be in decent proximity to health care/hospitals of course, as well as senior centers and activities as the years go by. We are looking for low crime, and NH is verrry low crime, so I don’t anticipate any bad or dangerous towns, or am I wrong?
I know I am going to be cautioned on the winters in New England. This is an issue, I agree, but both my wife and I have lived in the Sierra’s in the winter in our vacation home. And although we haven’t dealt with sub zero temperatures, we have been snowed in and dumped on a fair amount. I’ve gotten plenty of experience in digging out, cooking with gas by candlelight, loading up the fireplace, etc. We are both eager for a true 4 seasons, and a more peaceful, “Americana” way of life in New England.
I know that many of you will also caution that Southern NH is really Northern Mass. and that there are too many snotty, rude people caught up in the hustle and bustle that they bring from Mass. While this may be valid and true, believe me, from my perspective, it is still light years away, and a world of difference from what we have been dealing with in Cal. We have visited the area in the past, and the difference between Cal. and So. NH is unbelievably peaceful, friendly, and American, despite it being “Northern Mass”.
As far as being shunned or accepted, my wife and I know our place and for a while we will be outsiders. We have no problem with that, and we adapt quite easily. We certainly aren’t going to expect NH to change for us……we want to be NH, just as it is and become a part of it. We don’t get hurt feelings too easily. We want to live in NH because of what it is, not because we want it to be Cal. east.
So, any ideas or suggestions on towns that would be a fit for us would be greatly appreciated. I want to start visiting frequently, and know where we want to settle by the time retirement day comes. Thanks again in advance for anything you folks may share.
welcome, leavingcalbye! oh you won't be 'shunned', it just takes a while to make actual 'friends' as people tend to be cautious. I don't know that area well, so I'll leave it to others to suggest towns.
btw: the font feature doesn't work; colors work and bold/italic and underline work - at least as far as I've ever seen. dunno whether the fonts aren't actually loaded in, or whether they were blocked because not everyone has them.
Thanks WannaComeHome. Shunned might not have been the right word. That is a bit harsh. Yes it will take time to make friends, but we will have lots of time!. I'm not too worried about it, though I have read a lot of warnings, especially of the Maine locals. But again, I look forward to a new way of life, and want to leave Cal. and everything about it wayyyy behind.
You have enough cash to live well anywhere in NH Portsmouth is nice. There are several people out here who are retiring to that area that may be of more help to you since I have never lived in the seacoast area. Don't ignore central NH. Property taxes around the Lakes Region in some towns can be very low.....and it's only a 2 hour drive to Boston. Look at the prior postings in here. There's a lot of info. Good luck & welcome.
Thanks Brave Stranger and pauloman. You both allude to central NH. I like lower prices and taxes! Not sure of the proximity to Boston though. What towns are you both thinking about in central NH? I've been looking hard at Dover, Exeter, and the Portsmouth area so far.
We, too are done with CA. We're in San Diego. Wondering what part of CA you are in and why you want to leave?
Us? We're done raising our kids, they're in college and we're not quite ready to retire but very tired of one season and just existing here to make ends meet instead of actually living.
Thanks Brave Stranger and pauloman. You both allude to central NH. I like lower prices and taxes! Not sure of the proximity to Boston though. What towns are you both thinking about in central NH? I've been looking hard at Dover, Exeter, and the Portsmouth area so far.
Check out Meredith & Gilford. 2 beautiful towns right on lake Winni. Low taxes & upper middle class. It's less than 2 hours to Boston from either town. It's about 45 minutes to the state capitol Concord. You guys have a lot of time to look around. Look everywhere
Good towns with lower taxes would include: Wakefield, Wolfeboro, Alton, etc. All of those towns are nice with a variety of housing types and prices. All are less than an hour from the coast. Remember to look in a rural wooded area away from the lake to get the best benefit on the equalized tax rate in these towns... The current use policy for land is an excellent feature to know about.
I think that the town you're describing is Seabrook, where I live. It has the mildest climate in New Hampshire, is right on the ocean, has a $12.95 tax rate, low crime, is very quiet, and offers the quickest commute possible to Boston. In fact, the main selling point for Seabrook is that it's easy to get almost anywhere from here.
Seabrook is pretty reasonable and offers a relatively low cost of living. There are lots of bargain shops and local stores in the area. It is one of the best places in the country to retire to, though not a lot of people know about it because it has just under 10,000 people, so it doesn't show up on most maps.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Portsmouth is nice. There are several people out here who are retiring to that area that may be of more help to you since I have never lived in the seacoast area. Don't ignore central NH. Property taxes around the Lakes Region in some towns can be very low.....and it's only a 2 hour drive to Boston. Look at the prior postings in here. There's a lot of info. Good luck & welcome.
