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

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by nancy thereader

[i] t... People on LI pay about $9.000 a year for a very average home. I had thought that we were just about the highest taxed place.

I would guess the average home in WA would be taxed ~ $4000>$5000 / yr

Our place would be average, (~$100k cost basis, but now $800k assessed value) if the tax assessor (and speculative property investors) didn't really like our area.

the dirt is worth $300k/improved acre according to the assessor... (we paid $22k for our 6 acres, 1.5 acres is now considered "improved") House has minimal value.

[postermom]

Hi Wisteria! I am like you - a young retiree and was looking into Las Cruces but am now wondering if there might be another place that better suits my taste. Wouldn't it be great if all the young single female retirees that have written here could all get together and live in the same place? We'd already have the base for our friendship circle! I heard Buena Visa, Colorado is awesome and want to check that out, too. Please keep posting!

[nancy thereader]

I am like you - a young retiree and was looking into Las Cruces
I had looked into Las Cruces myself, but in the end I would not be able to live with that climate, I don't think. I had also heard that the crime rate was kind of high. That is scary for a single woman alone.

[Tesaje]

I'll be retiring in a couple of years at age 55 and I plan to relocate to a new place that I've never lived in before - single woman. I'm making plans now and they are currently leaning towards the Portland, OR area. I've figured out the mechanics of the move and roughly when.

Here's my reasoning:
I grew up in the west (CA and CO) and really miss it. I've spent the last 25 years or so on the east coast. There isn't really anything here to keep me here except the job and a few friends that I will miss.

I don't mind the winters, fall or spring in the east. I really dislike hot summers. So far, I don't mind and even rather like cloudy days - less heat and sunburn. I like the higher humidity than in some places in the west at the cooler temperatures. It is easier on the skin. The heat and humidity are not pleasant at all.

I currently have a little bit of acreage that I have never been able to fully keep up with. When I lived in the west, I really enjoyed hiking and exploring places so I want to have plenty of free time to enjoy those activities and not be completely tied to the maintenance of a large property. I enjoy the maintenance and have enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere of that lifestyle, but it takes a lot more free time than I actually have.

I want to be able to grow old in my next house without having to move in my 70's because the property is too hard to keep up.

I want easy access to necessary medical services when I need it (assuming that will occur as I get older).

I want cultural options available - good libraries, bookstores, concerts, opera, etc.

I won't be happy unless I can garden and grow tomatoes.

I want to live in a place that gives me great beauty (in the landscape) and dramatic terrain just by looking around.

I want a safe, relatively quiet place for both me and my pets (cats and dog).

I don't want to be isolated - in retirement, I won't have the social structure of a job to meet people. I will have to do things that bring me into contact with people who could be friends.

I want the option of good assisted living arrangements for when I grow old - both in house care and the potential of buying into a community. But, I don't want to do that for many years to come.

I don't want a "red" state mentality - not a comfortable environment for me as the country as gotten more and more polarized. I tend to be middle of the road, but with the severe rightward shift in the country, I end up being on the blue side of the divide.

I want the easy availability of organic gardening and foods.

I want there to be educated and intellectual people to meet with opportunities for me to expand my education (for fun, this time).

Portland/Vancouver looks like there will be plenty of housing available for what my current house should be worth. I've visited there several times at different times of the year and find it quite beautiful with lots of things that interest me either there or nearby. I have an old friend from college who lives there but that could change by the time I can go so it isn't really a factor - just a potential benefit. I'm counting on having to make new friends. The cloudiness and drizzle are a concern (only 30% of the available sunshine during the winter). I intend to do a test live there for a month in the winter before making a final decision so I have an extended period in the worst season. I know that sometimes there are very hot days in the summer, but the humidity is lower and it doesn't last for very long. Seattle could be a contender but it would be a lot more difficult for me to afford.

What I think I will do to find friends once I'm settled in the new place is dog walk regularly. Try out the various hiking clubs for middle-aged and seniors (seems to be lots of them). Take some classes. See about joining some volunteer activities that interest me. I would be looking for people of a similar age who are available to hang with and of both sexes. I'm not necessarily looking for a romantic connection - if it happens, great, but I can be very happy without it. I will have to make an effort to meet people as my natural inclination can be introverted.

I probably should a plan B for another place in case I decide I don't really want to live in Portland.

[knoxgarden]

It looks like a great plan. I'm an avid gardener and discovered I don't need a big garden to be happy. I'm in a large, one-story condo with front and back outdoor space. I had Lowe's deliver a bunch of half-barrels and I garden in those and huge pots. I've used up 20 2 cubic foot bags of potting soil. That's a lot of pots.
It is so much easier than having to dig up a garden, particularly in the heavy clay we have in the south. At the very least, put in raised beds.
Just make sure you get the sun in the summer for the tomatoes. I miss having that.
A condo frees me up from doing the tedious part of gardening: mowing, trimming trees, cleaning gutters and the less interesting parts of home maintenance: caulking windows, getting roots out of sewer pipes, etc.
I love taking classes. The University of Tennessee allows anyone over 60 to audit classes for free and for those over 65, only charge $7 a credit hour to take a class for credit/degree. It's wonderful to be able to learn things just to learn.

[Maeve]

I am considering making a change myself. I am a New Yorker but always look for something new. Especially now I find myself tired of the boyfriend, and have money and time on my hands for the first time in my life. I am too young to be called a retiree although I am in a position to retire right now if I want. Just looking to spend some time in Florida near St. Augustine. I will probably rent for a few months before buying. I make friends very easily and can adapt pretty well. I get active in community etc. I also have a problem keeping men out of my otherwise simple life. This time I want to be free for a while.

Take care and good luck

[nancy thereader]

I'll be retiring in a couple of years at age 55 and I plan to relocate to a new place that I've never lived in before - single woman. I'm making plans now and they are currently leaning towards the Portland, OR area. I've figured out the mechanics of the move and roughly when.

I will be retiring in June and I plan to move to Portland, also. For many many of the reasons that you mentioned , I decided that was the place for me (and I did investigate other cities). I'll be moving on my own, too.

I even subscribe to the monthly Portland magazine so I have a better feel for the place. I am currently living on Long Isalnd & for myriad reasons need a total change and I am soooo looking forward to it.

That's a good idea, though, about trying it out for a winter before making the move. I also would have to make an effort to go out and meet people, otherwise I would just spend my whole life watching Law & Order reruns.

[Tesaje]

I looked at my list and thought, I've got to save that. It was a good exercise in focusing on my reasons and plans. For the first time in my life, I will have complete freedom to choose what I do and where I live. I'll have a comfortable income for a middle class lifestyle and no reason to live where I live except what I want. No compromises needed for a husband, job, or school. Wow. It really does make me start thinking about where and what I really want.

[brightdoglover]

I likely will stay where I am- dream house in the woods, 25 miles from Cambridge, close to anything one could want for culture, medicine, part-time work, etc., although very car-dependent.
I think finances wil determine final choice. It's not cheap around here, but I'm noticing that no place I like is particularly cheap. At present, I am putting nose to grindstone for the next several years in hopes of having the money to make a true choice. I really just want to spend summers away from the East Coast more than anything.
I think I'd have issues of community and social life and friends anywhere, being a sort of isolated 54 with no family.

[Gypsy-Moth]

I'm strongly considering retiring in Mexico, although there are a couple of other places I'm thinking of spending time in. I've lived overseas before and would love to do it again for a year or maybe more. Living alone doesn't faze me. I've lived alone most of my adult life, and as it turned out, it was easier than being married. I have my independence back and am not interested in dating.

Truly, I'd love to live in several places overseas before finally settling down in one place. I like the unfamiliar and have never been able to travel as much as I wanted to. Maybe I'll finally be able to feed my wanderlust in my retirement years until I'm too old to get around.