Men and Women retiring alone to a new city/state -- where will you go and why? (55, moving)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

One thing I have learned from reading this thread: you can drive yourself nuts looking for "the perfect place". ...I hope to "jump" really soon. Just hope it isn't over a cliff !

Go for it...
Retire early, retire often

Be flexible enough to move every 24 months. (Take home $250k TAX FREE GAIN and go back to "GO")

There is probably no perfect place, and no perfect time (Has there ever been?) Not for me.

[sunigal99]

Wow! I made it through all the posts from the beginning. Thank you Wisteria for starting the conversation and thank you all for sharing your successes, failures and lives with the rest of us in the same boat. I've learned so much.
I recently retired at age 53. I am divorced with no children and am an only child caring for my 93 yr old mother. When she passes, I will be alone.
I have lived in the Tampa Bay area for 33 years and felt ready for the next chapter of my life somewhere else. But where? I read each page, soaking up the advise. Live Content, who has taken a break from posting, made me realize that retiring where there is familiarity might be the best thing for me. I love Florida from October thru June, but the summers are so unbearable and I was looking for the "perfect place" w/o weather extremes. 6000+ posts later, I've learned that place doesn't exist.
My plan now is to sell my house and move into a nice 55+ mobile park. It comes with the sense of community. Neighbors know and care for neighbors. Younger retirees help the older ones. Practically everyone is from somewhere else and many are single, so friends are easier to make. My mom is still living independently at 93 at one of these parks(in Dunedin) and her neighbors are very caring and watchful over her. I would keep her place, but they have a no pet rule. My park will be in a smaller city in the Tampa Area (Safety Harbor or Oldsmar), be resident owned (they can't sell the land out from under you) and have a low monthly fee ( around $150). Home sell for $50 to 80k.
During the summer I plan to rent for 2 or 3 months in all the wonderful places I've heard about on this thread. I've been taking notes of the lovely areas recommended for retirees and hope to spend each summer exploring one at a short term rental, leaving the Tampa Bay area during the few months the weather is intolerable.
Wouldn't mind renting at Stealth Rabbit"s many retiree havens one day.
Thank you all for the wonderful education. If I can answer any Tampa Bay questions for you, please ask!

[AZgarden]

Wow ! This is a FIRST. Someone who read the whole entire thread and decided where to live in one sitting! I am amazed and do applaud you for your wonderful thoughtful post. I truly wish we could all be that way, but alas, most of us change our minds (daily). Good luck to you !

[Miss Hepburn]

Nevada bec of the non taxing...no intense Winters.

[sunigal99]

It took me a WEEK to read the whole thread. I'm not one to skip to the end and I didn't want to miss any gems of knowledge if I didn't read a page. Honestly I laughed, I cried, I went hmmm. I originally was planning on moving to Colorado. Then when I looked at Wisteria's cute place, I wanted to live in Santa Cruz. The least expensive cottage in her park is now $150+. Good investment, Wisteria! Then I wanted to live in LC's Denver , then Knoxville, then AZ. Don't let me fool you, I was as undecided as the rest of you! It was after reading the whole thread that I realized that I have my comfy old shoe right here and it's not so bad. If I keep my expenses low and my body healthy, I can visit all those great places that you all will end up in! Really appreciate you ladies!

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by PhxBarb

Wow ! This is a FIRST. Someone who read the whole entire thread and decided where to live in one sitting! I am amazed and do applaud you for your wonderful thoughtful post. I truly wish we could all be that way, but alas, most of us change our minds (daily). Good luck to you !

Cliffsnotes for WRA . C-D.com !!!

Welcome at my abodes anytime, I'm not getting much use out of them, but the rent is keeping them self supporting. ... I am not pleased with missing a GREAT PNW summer while Sweltering in Thailand... But ... this too will pass (Or I will pass).

I can get a cool night in Thailand (like the PNW) by 'upping-the-air-con' 17th floor tonight (down from 37th) less than 100 yds from the beach. And to think I could (should) be home cutting firewood for next winter Gonna be awful cold without!

[hazfora]

Originally Posted by CSRSJim

I am getting ready to retire at age 55. I am still young, active, and have many hobbies. So I want a large garage (or two) with a workshop, etc. But I don't need a 2500 sqft house. Since I will no longer be worried about resale (like my current house), I am considering buying a few acres and building a tiny house with about 2000 sqft of garages and workshop. I plan to stay 30+ years, so no stairs etc are a good thought for the future.

I thought I was the only one with this crazy thought, that if I ever own a home (I've been a renter all my life) at the later stages of my life I'd like to have a grand workshop and a tiny main house but with a big utility room/pantry full of open shelves next to a super space-efficient kitchen. I don't know why kitchens have cupboards that are either too high or you have to bend down to your knees to access anything. I still like to cook and experiment but my knees aren't that resilient anymore.

Space is the final frontier and I've lived in many apartments where conquering the space I happen to inhabit happily consumes a part of my life. Making do has inspired me to be creative and inventive. I will always find beauty in every place I live in.

I'm subscribed to this thread and have been reading all the feed from posters and the verdict is: if you are torn about where to find your perfect place, perhaps you ought to have the Buddhist attitude with regard to happiness -- your perfect place may be just where you are; you just need to have a different attitude about it and look at things from a different perspective.

[sunigal99]

I looked at some real estate sights for multi family homes. One for me, other units pay the rent, like Stealth Rabbit is doing. Unfortunately the duplexes tend to be in the same neighborhood as other multi family units, making the area seem less safe than single family homes areas.
So back to 55+ mobile home parks. You do have a sense of community there with neighbors helping each other. Although the units are relatively close together, you're not sharing a wall like a condo. And there's gardening w/o the grass mowing.

[StealthRabbit]

My individual props are all rural. (so I can have shop / garden space / RV's and QUIET)

I have a couple duplexes that are in town, but are in SFR area and adjacent to nice park area. Single Story 'senior friendly', small, and older. They are not as cash flow friendly as my rural places. BUT they require far less maint / service. Most of my tenants stay over 5 yrs, some over 10. I feel lucky, but I give a lot of benefit to my tenants if they are reliable and take care of their own issues.

If MHP (Mobile Home Park) is in your future... Try to find a Resident owned community
ROC USA : Home

Or make your own (Be an advocate / enable this process... for the residents to buy the park)

This can be very beneficial to the 'community'. (both in and outside the park). I have seen some very nice and successful parks that have gone this route. Home values climb, space rent declines (over a period of time).

These folks are quite helpful if you want to get some support.
Resident-owned Communities

ROCUSA is probably the most experienced, but has some commercial / financial interest in the deal. (To assure they remain funded themselves... as many of you are Non-profit worker bees... you understand the many efforts that require you to spend more time raising $$ and justifying; than to do your 'non-profit' efforts)

[sunigal99]

"Resident owned" is important when choosing a 55+ park. During the real estate boom, elderly people were given 60 days to vacate when parks were sold out from under them. I saw that Wisteria's park is owned by a private family. Glad it worked out for her, but that would make me nervous. There are a lot of nice ones to choose from in the Tampa Bay area. Homes run from $50k and lot rents are usually around $150. Not a bad place to live on a small monthly income.
As far as travel, the evergreen club, mentioned in the past by Stealth Rabbit (I told you I read every page and took notes!), sounds like a reasonable way to travel cheaply and meet nice people.