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

[NewToCA]

Originally Posted by Tesaje

I won't comment on the housing prices cited as I haven't really looked, but I would be careful about the locations. Some are decidedly not nice or safe in Sacto. Some people may get used to the heat but I never did and I was young when I lived there. Plus it is warmer now than it was then - global warming and all that. Property taxes for new buyers would be high - long time owners had their's kept low but new buyers will pay the high rate. State income taxes are also high. If the house prices have fallen that much, then there are a lot of people there who really lost their shirts because just a couple of years ago prices were considerably higher.

Air quality is usually not great and the mountains aren't visible thru the brown haze. In the fall, they get north winds that scour out the valley but the summer air quality is pretty bad. What they say about Sacto is it's an hour or two from everywhere you would want to be. That would be the mountains which are gorgeous, and San Francisco and the ocean. Houses usually don't have basements which I find annoying. And as I mentioned earlier, a lot of developments are below the river levels and are at risk of severe flooding if the levees fail. You would save on heating bills but air conditioning bills are high. CA was one of the foolish states that deregulated the utilities - remember the brown-outs and high bills in the news not long ago?

To some extent, Sacto has become a commuter bedroom community to the Bay area because of the lack of housing there and astronomical prices. My retirement $$ would not go as far in Sacto as it will where I am now in a high cost area, even if I wanted to go back. It is a relative thing. The place I lived in CA that I liked best was Redwood City in the Bay area. But I couldn't afford it now. Sacto was just a place to live and work while going to college.

I won't debate Sacto too much here, there are many discussions in the Sacramento/California forum concerning the city. I will state a couple of things though, many very nice areas like Fair Oaks, Folsom, Roseville, Rocklin and Lincoln have newer homes priced in the upper 200's to mid 300's, and as far as the heat of summer it is hot for about half the day. In the dead of summer you frequently need a sweatshirt when you go out in the early morning, it is generally in the low 60's. The air is very dry here in the summer, so if you go into the shade the afternoons are actually very pleasant. The hot part of the day begins around 11:00 AM, and it starts to get cool around 8:00 PM.

I found the humid 80's of Ohio and Virginia to be more uncomfortable than the 90's out here. Shade didn't help much in Ohio and Virginia, but it makes a huge difference here.

[anomoly]

Glad you found us, rmebrt!
I was thinking, another difficult screen name, then I sounded it out, and NOW I get it!

[susancruzs]

I'm just saying "hi" to say, way to go, all of you sound great, what an interesting thread! I admire all of you for being open, sharing and say go for it!

I recently moved from Illinois (Waukegan) to Two Rivers, Wisconsin only 140 miles but I just up and left! I've always lived alone, never married, never got into sharing a place so I didn't moving, not knowing a soul would be that hard and it isn't! I have a sister in Iowa and a sister in the UP so I am 3 hrs. from her instead of 6, which is nice. I was living in a senior mobile home park, thought my place wouldn't sell, but it did! It wasn't small, had a yard on all 4 sides, 1,100 sq. ft., a 3 season room, bath and a half, big driveway with carport, everything I wanted but the area it was in, not good, deteriorating.

I don't mind warm weather but not permanently so I didn't want to venture too far. Illinois is just not where I wanted to be. I have a little Cape Cod 5 blocks from Lake Michigan with a great park, walking paths, etc. Of course, everyone complains about Wisconsin being tax heavy (none on food), but I don't find it bad. I love being in a small town where I can walk to the grocery store (2), drug store, bank and amazing that a town of 12,500 supports 2 department stores and still has an old fashioned hardware store.

Well, I am rambling, I say go for all your dreams and do what you want to do. I had alot of people tell me I couldn't move away, I wouldn't be happy. I gave up my contract job with Manpower and said bye, bye! I'm 60 and do have an early retirement package that I took at 55. Living on that amount is tricky, which is why I was doing Manpower. Ideally I should have waited until I was closer to 62 but Waukegan is no prize and the job was bugging me alot. I weighed options and thought why wait???

One last thing, I used Two Men and a Truck to move my big stuff (2 sleeper couches, bedroom set, TVs, dining room set, lawn mower, bike stuff that wouldn't fit in a pick up or station wagon) and they were wonderful. I've heard alot about them and thought they lived up to their reputation.

Continue on ladies!

[classic girl]

rmebrt, coastal AL and FL is nice, but nearly year-round hot and humid. You may think carefully about hurricane risks and escalating insurance costs and property tax. You may be better protected just north of Fairhope (I'd check north of I-10 -- easy drive to gulf coast), but also check Nat'l Weather Service for tornadic patterns in addition to hurricanes. I've grew up in the area and lived through Betsy; Camille destroyed our weekend home. Recent years have been extremely tough on the gulf coast.

It is very hard to decide where to move, at least for me. I try to weigh the probabilities of natural disasters, the desire for temperate climate, and the need to be around creative, well educated people in a beautiful, natural setting. I love the beauty of the southwest and the west coast, but don't see myself living there. Can't afford the CA areas I love and don't want the grey of OR & WA coast. Neither can I see myself in AZ or NM although I love to visit. I guess I want fresh water and verdant terrain.

I'm thinking south western shore of Maryland may be okay, but I worry that it may not be welcoming to outsiders. I'm planning to drive up next week to check it out.

Anyone have insight into the Maryland coast?

[nancy thereader]

#102 03-12-2008, 07:08 PM
Wisteria

Loved your post about adjusting to the desert (must spread that rep around again, though) . Thanks for the info.

[nancy thereader]

I love visiting this thread !

visited the Grand Junction, CO area a few years ago. I really enjoyed the Colorado National Monument area, very dry, neat rock formations, etc. So different from green, wet Florida!

My brother has lived there for years and years (moved from Long Island). If you look at their telephone book, you will see one of his photographs.

[plantlover]

I do want to go back to Grand Junction for a visit. I was just there for 1 1/2 days. We did visit a winery and saw the vineyard.

[HDL]

When I have more time and it's NOT almost 2:30 am MST, I will post some of my thoughts on this VERY IMPORTANT matter (lol) !!!

[Tesaje]

Originally Posted by classic girl

I'm thinking south western shore of Maryland may be okay, but I worry that it may not be welcoming to outsiders. I'm planning to drive up next week to check it out.

Anyone have insight into the Maryland coast?

If you mean the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay around St, Mary's City, it is probably less insular than the east bay area. There's a college there and the Pax river naval base near by. I know several people who have lived there and loved it. It is humid in the summer, flat and marshy land in general. Hurricanes can cause some damage in that area if they move north of Cape Hatteras but the less severe west side is what always scoops by, Any hurricane that moves inland quickly loses its punch but may drop tons of rain. It doesn't happen every year. More common are severe thunderstorms. Less snow but some coastal storms will drop quite a bit and there may be my least favorite - freezing rain from time to time.

Figuring out where I want to go is a big thing. So many choices. I do keep reminding myself that even if I pick wrong, I can move again. After I retire, only what I want matters. No more living in a place because it is where I work.

[Wisteria]

HDL: When I have more time and it's NOT almost 2:30 am MST, I will post some of my thoughts on this VERY IMPORTANT matter (lol) !!!

Now, if you just moved over a state, you'd have been in PST, and have had an hour more!

Hey, thanks for the shove, by the way!

So, where are you thinking of going to, and do you want to join the caravan??