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

[MN2CO]

Anomoly - Glad to hear you made it - that was a long drive. It's best to establish boundaries with moms (if possible) - it could be a long winter otherwise Rain can make some people ornery also Sit in the bar during election results - that could be interesting.. Take care...

[Dancingearth]

Originally Posted by anomoly

Yeah, rain's great for now.... give me another week and I'm sure I'll be sick of it, but hey, like lemons and lemonade, guess I'll grow web feet for the winter.
The 'little mother' is driving me crazy, as expected, so I'm in another bar right now using WIFI.... Wow, I might turn into a barfly alcoholic if I stay here long enough! Gotta find a coffee house that's not 'drive-through'. They got alotta those.

Getting home internet on Thursday, wish it was in time for the election. Boy, won't we ALL be glad when that's done!!

How was the trip out there? It took me six months to celebrate rain again after moving here from WA state and even then after two days of rain I feel like I'm back in WA and want the sun to come out. Might take a little more time to appreciate days of rain.

[nancy thereader]

[i]wish it was in time for the election. Boy, won't we ALL be glad when that's done!!

for sure , anomoly.

I have a cousin whom I have not seen in nearly 45 years who lives in Salem. Is it a nice place to live (except for the rain)?

[Avalon08]

Hi all, I'm back after getting side-tracked with the election 24/7 during the past few weeks. Oh, and the Phillies being in the World Series too! Now, I'm looking forward to getting my life and normal routine back.

Anyway, I've taken my condo off the market after 20 showings and no offers. So my plans/hopes of moving to Laguna Woods (CA) are on hold indefinitely. I know some of you are in the same situation (with home sales) but I still look forward to the ongoing sharing of retirement information and ideas in the meantime.

[adventuregurl]

Greetings all,

I am only late 40's, and not quite ready to retire, however being somewhat of a gypsy, I have created an online business so I can live in the beautiful places I want to live in, now and enjoy them now, instead of waiting. I am considering a move in the future, maybe to my forever place, maybe not (it's hard for a gypsy to commit). Currently I live in Sedona AZ, and have lived in the NE and PNW. I LOVE the desert and the hot climate (so much so in fact that I am yearning for a warmer place to spend the winter....that's pretty bad when you already live in the SW in the desert but it's getting cold here!). I can not stand the weather in the Pacific NW...it is very cold, damp, grey and depressing to me.

I have considered many of the warm places listed in this thread and have only read up to page 14...this is a very long post to catch up on, but a very interesting one. I like a slower pace of life, wide open spaces, dry air and am starting to feel like Sedona might be a bit small for my wants and needs although I love it. I am active, love to hike, love dogs (have 1 small dog), love horses (but don't have any) and enjoy getting out to events like garden and house tours, art fairs, movies and good restaurants with friends. I am an intuitive and healer so a community that is at least open to that type of thing is important

In case this is of interest to anyone here, there is a great 55+ mobile home community here in Sedona which is very affordable, once you buy the home (15,000 to 70,000, with nice older doublwides for around 40,000) you can live for about $460 plus utilities. This is the best kept secret as Sedona has a very high cost of living (because of housing), so that is an affordable option if you want to live here. It truly is beautiful!

[ConeyIsBabe]

Originally Posted by Avalon08

Hi all, I'm back after getting side-tracked with the election 24/7 during the past few weeks. Oh, and the Phillies being in the World Series too! Now, I'm looking forward to getting my life and normal routine back.

Anyway, I've taken my condo off the market after 20 showings and no offers. So my plans/hopes of moving to Laguna Woods (CA) are on hold indefinitely. I know some of you are in the same situation (with home sales) but I still look forward to the ongoing sharing of retirement information and ideas in the meantime.

YUP, yup....... we're in the same boat !
I hope it's a Watkins27 at least

[Wisteria]

Adventurgurl: In case this is of interest to anyone here, there is a great 55+ mobile home community here in Sedona which is very affordable, once you buy the home (15,000 to 70,000, with nice older doublwides for around 40,000) you can live for about $460 plus utilities. This is the best kept secret as Sedona has a very high cost of living (because of housing), so that is an affordable option if you want to live here. It truly is beautiful!

Welcome to our friendly group of interesting and delightful women!

I know of some women checking into mobile home communities -- do you have the name of the community in Sedona? It is difficult to get a lot of information on mobile home communities, for some reason.

Wow, Sedona. If you don't mind sharing, what kind of business do you have that you can be so mobile? That is very interesting.

Sedona is a bit small, although much larger than when I lived in Phoenix. I always enjoyed my visits there through the red rocks and in Tlaquepaque. Such a beautiful area -- even though it's touristy.

Thanks for joining us -- I look forward to hearing more about your experiences in other places -- we are all learning so much about various parts of the country from each other.

Avalon08 : Anyway, I've taken my condo off the market after 20 showings and no offers. So my plans/hopes of moving to Laguna Woods (CA) are on hold indefinitely. I know some of you are in the same situation (with home sales) but I still look forward to the ongoing sharing of retirement information and ideas in the meantime.

ConeyIsBabe: YUP, yup....... we're in the same boat !
I hope it's a Watkins27 at least

Oh, so sad, so many of us wanting to get out and we can't! I decided to paint and fix up my house in the Spring -- no point right now. Might as well just take it easy during the winter and then push hard in the Spring!

Nancythereader -- you still have dreams of the PNW, don't you? I think you said you had visited there before -- this might be a good time of year to go and stay for a couple of weeks and experience the dampness. You do seem drawn to there -- maybe you would do better in the rain than someone like me. Maybe your cousin would enjoy a visit from you and you could take side trips to Portland and Eugene? Or maybe there'd be a chance to hook up with Anomoly for a weekend in the Portland area while she is there this winter??? You never know.

Glad to see everyone. I'm just laying low right now. I think I'm going into hibernation!

[Avalon08]

Nancythereader -- you still have dreams of the PNW, don't you?

I'm very interested in seeing where Nancythereader eventually decides to go. As I recall (it's been awhile since I read this thread in its entirety), Nancy currently lives in NY and just retired....I don't recall hearing she has a house to sell or anything that would hold her back. (Right, Nance, or do I have you confused with someone else?) Since many of us are held back by non-selling houses, I am living vicariously through Nancy and can't wait to see what she decides!

Ahhhhh, Sedona....I was only there once but it was just so fabulously beautiful. I actually liked it better than the Grand Canyon area. But this was early '90's, and I've heard it's become very touristy since then. Glad to hear someone else is a gypsy and has a hard time committing to any one place forever. Welcome, adventuregurl!

[esselcue]

Sedona is touristy if you hang out in town...but you can live in the beauty of it and avoid all that by settling outside of the city limits

[Tesaje]

Sedona is beautiful and artsy-touristy.

I don't know if Nancy is still thinking of the PNW, but I am. Going there next week on a business trip. The way this economy is going, I will have plenty of time to decide as the likelihood of being able to sell my house is not looking very good for the next several years.