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Since my husband is retired, I thought that this would be a good spot for my questions.
We are thinking of moving to a low cost of living city and plan to go for a visit to check it out.
For those of you who have done such a visit---how many days do you recommend for the visit? We are thinking of being there part of a weekend and part of a work week to get a feel for the place. A lot of info can be found online and I have been researching but also I know it's worth it to check out the city.
How would our time be best spent when we do the visit?
I would be interested in hearing from those who did such a visit and what you recommend.
The longer you go for the more you'll get to experience the place under different circumstances. Hopefully long enough so you are out of "vacationing" or "visitor" mode and are doing EXACTLY the things you would do there. Going to the local grocery stores, retail store areas, hospital/medical plazas. Driving on the main highways as well as sidestreets at different times of the day.
And unless the weather is VERY similar in all seasons you really should go in as many seasons as possible. It may sound expensive (and actually BE expensive!) to take multiple trips, but it's a very expensive mistake to make if you end up being surprised because you only went in the "best" time of the year! This is a major investment...don't do it cheaply and regret it!
Our shortest was half a day. Sometimes you just know an area isn't one you'd enjoy. For the places you might like, it's best to visit during two seasons, summer and winter.
We had several pets at home so our time was limited when visiting because one of them needed daily medication. Prior to the visit we looked at CD and read local crime reports, city counsel meeting minutes, stores, and local newspapers. Don't forget to read Yelp to see how many trades people have good reputations and as well as restaurant reviews. What kind of health insurance you have will also dictate which medical facility you may want to be near. Don't just visit, but go to the grocery stores and other shopping malls to get a vibe for the community. In general, do not believe what most realtors tell you about the community. We found they would only take on the scenic route to the property they wanted us to see. By driving the neighborhoods ourselves we were able to see what they wanted to hide. Don't forget to check on zoning regulations as a nearby neighborhood to us was surprised to find out that the local golf club was going to replaced by high density housing.
How long this takes depends on how much you can cram into one day. In my younger days it would have been easier but today we needed to take more breaks and stop our search earlier than in the past. It also depends on the size of the city you are considering but just keep looking until you feel comfortable. I also checked the weather history since my DH didn't want to shovel snow or drive in it and I wanted water a greenery to enjoy. Do the everyday things you always such as go to the library or grocery store to see the every day life of the community. Don't rush your visit as this may be your last move!
An example I've seen play out here with not just retirees.
People visit in the wintertime and decide how great it would be to live right off the beach and buy the house. Then comes summer and the once empty public beach is filled with people and the boardwalk in front of their house is filled with walkers.
The new residents then come to a Town Council meeting complaining about how their existence is pitiful and they regret moving here.
The city we're considering has virtually the same climate as where we are now.
We were thinking of taking Amtrak to visit as the hotel we want to book is in the downtown CBD area and parking is tight and pricey. Perhaps if we like what we see, the next trip we'll take the car and stay in a hotel outside the downtown area.
If we do decide to live there, we will get a condo, as prices for newer places are quite good.
Since we'll have to change health plans, that's another item we will have to research---my husband has done a little research about that already.
And, yes, Heidi---we are getting closer (finally!) to taking the plunge
Our shortest was half a day. Sometimes you just know an area isn't one you'd enjoy. For the places you might like, it's best to visit during two seasons, summer and winter.
^Exactly! I know what you mean. Sometimes when you visit a place you can pick up the vibe there and in your gut you know if it is right for you, or not.
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LauraC has a good checklist on another thread.
I encourage you to stay with locals to get good information. If you are over age 40, there are a few hospitality Guest host options. (Listed on wiki travel) $0 to $20/ night. I have done for 25 yrs and have had excellent and informative stays worldwide (over 150 nights this year alone).
Once you desire to stay longer, get a house / pet / plant sitting gig.
Attend community events within your areas of interest, join local meet- ups / picnics / potlucks.
Talk to the tax assessor and police depts about your proposed area.
Listen to others (real well) then make decision, or rent a place.
We've looked at towns and cities in three states - Maine, North Carolina, and Florida. Maine has been our summer vacation spot for years. NC and Fla is where we have friends and family. In each location we rented a house for a week instead of staying in a hotel.
I think you get a better idea of what life is like in a place when you stay in a residential area and go shopping for things like groceries just like the locals. We went to the mall, ate in the restaurants where the locals go, even gone for walks in the neighborhood parks.
And even though we like a lot of things in each of these states we still have more reasons to stay where we are in NY.
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