Quote:
Originally Posted by zugor
It was six years ago today that I arrived here from CA as a single retired woman. Didn't know a soul but that changed quickly as a got involved with the local humane society. It made for several strong new friendships and I haven't regretted the move one bit.
I hope all those who are considering a big move find places that they love and thrive in.
|
Thank you for the well-wishes, Zugor. 57 year old single retired(?) lady here also, looking to pull up stakes and get off the farm after 26 years of hard labor "doing it herself." Kind of challenged by the fact that I'll have to move without selling, so I won't have a huge chunk of change to move with, only a modest income and whatever my other meager assets will bring me when liquidated. I'll rent the house and lease out the land to a budding CSA, so that'll be a little added coin to line my purse with. Still, not having much for a down payment and moving expenses really limits where I could relocate to--a place I will thrive in.
First I looked rather close to home--within an hour away--but that didn't really appeal to me. The energy up here is all wrong for my needs--it's like slogging through Karo syrup--and it now drains me like nothing before. The prices of land/houses are pretty modest up here (northern California--Tehama County, Shasta County, Siskiyou County, Trinity County, Butte County, Glenn County, Lake County) and are some of the lowest priced/undervalued properties and a boon for anyone that has limited means to just step into. Seriously. Nice areas, all. Decent housing, many with acreage.
But I can't live here. Anymore.
So I started looking further afield, guiding myself off of the west coast altogether to the furthest west--Hawaii. I was amazed at some of the places that could be had that I would be quite comfortable in for a mere pittance on the big island. I got excited. Boy, I was ready to fly off to the islands and hunt for that perfect little shack in the rainforest on the slopes of Kilauea (never mind that it's a very active volcano, and everything that comes with that) when I was confronted with the costs of actually going there with nothing other than a backpack and my 3 dogs.
You can't shove an Irish Wolfhound into a box small enough to fit under the seat of any airline. In fact, they're a good 150lbs more than the 70lb limit on any airline that would shove them in the hold. The *only* way to get them there would be to charter a jet, with the minimum price tag of $25k.
Nope. Not going to Hawaii, no matter how much I'm sure I'd love it there. Transport costs would far exceed the price of that idyllic shack I coveted, and I just couldn't rationalize that. (yeah, I can rationalize living on a volcano, but not spending bank on a ride)
So I wandered back to the mainland and took a little virtual trip checking out everywhere from Roswell (I need an adventure in the worst way!), but it wasn't quite what I had in mind, so headed north to check out housing prices around Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos.
Jawdroppingly high for me. Undoable.
I searched into southern Colorado all the way to Denver. Pueblo looked somewhat promising, as there were fixers that, if I am clever enough to do (and I am), could restore and have much nicer than I have now. Still, the
feel wasn't there. I didn't feel a draw. To the architecture, yes. The area, not so much.
So I moseyed around New Mexico for a while, checking out the areas surrounding the cities. Somewhere in between Santa Fe and Taos landed me on an ad for a house on 3/4 of an acre that needed some restoration, but nothing a single older lady couldn't do herself. It was a traditional Santa Fe design too, an adobe brick/stucco complete with vigas, quite old but charming, with an adobe/stucco courtyard that secluded the house from the street.
(My interest in a minor fixer is to occupy my mind and time with a new creative endeavor so I do not feel so utterly alone, and so I can make the home personally my own with my own touches. If I went to a move-in ready home, I'd get unpacked and then just sit there staring and say, "what now?" All too anticlimactic for me. *L*)
Checked the place and area out on Google maps and Google Earth--an oasis Davis, New Mexico seems to be, and on a tributary of the Rio Grande no less. The property was nicely treed and came with water rights from the aquiceas, so with a little work, the place could be a real gem inside and out. Checked out the demographics and amenities of Davis NM and it's surrounds, and oddly, it looked and sounded like a place I could actually belong.
I was enthused.
(My interest in a minor fixer is to occupy my mind and time with a new creative endeavor so I do not bore and feel lonely, and so I can make it personally my own with my own touches, as well as price. If I went to a move-in ready home, I'd get unpacked and then just sit there and say, "what now?" All too anticlimactic for me. *L*)
So I'm presently trying to contact the owner and get more information on the place, and if everything sounds hopeful, I'll make a trip out there to take a look.
If not, I keep looking. There is still alot of country to search for "the last place" I'll probably ever live, so it'll be important to choose wisely.
This thread has been an inspiration. I figured everyone else my age came in pairs and there weren't many single females setting out to seek their fortunes elsewhere in the later years of their lives like me.
I sit corrected.
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.
I live in Rogue River ~
Dislexia strikes again!
It helps that I frequently escape. Was booked to leave in 10 hrs for Hill Country TX, (on a $59 fare)... but... it is raining there and sunny here. (kinda) so.... I'm staying home this time. (Thanks to SWA very friendly 'exchange' policy. I Luv SWA 
)
