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People like to dream and everyone hopes to find their own perfect place. I think a lot of what you are seeing is people who are in the beginning phase of the dreaming. It's usually obvious from the rather vague questions and information they put forth when they have just started considering TN. Everyone has to start a search somewhere and for most people it's based on just general knowledge, hearsay and stereotypes. Props to them for at least making an attempt to get at the facts by coming to CD and asking questions.
TBH I don't see these people who are so hellbent on moving, I do see some posters who are reluctant to accept or don't easily grasp that TN may not be the solution they are seeking. Nobody likes to see their dream killed.
I remember a poster from the TN boards several years ago who was just determined to live down near Cherokee Lake. He was from some big city somewhere up north, don't remember where, and thought it was a beautiful area. It is. I talked to him over PM for awhile to be really careful about moving there.
He messaged me months later and he settled somewhere in Claiborne County past Tazewell. Hated it and ended up moving back to where he came from. There was no cell service out there and the only internet he could get was dial-up or satellie.
I don't think he even visited. People get these ideas about lovely mountain views and lakes, but then don't realize there's nothing but maybe an IGA, Food City, and dollar stores that way. Going to the doctor means driving back to the Tri-Cities or Knoxville. Starbucks? Forget it - you're lucky to find a cup of coffee.
I wouldn't try to retire to NYC or some major city without a lot of visiting and careful planning. I have no clue what it's like to live in NYC or Chicago, but a lot of these people are just chasing dreams then get themselves in a pickle.
Maybe why I have been feeling so antsy. I look around and see that people here just - don't know how to describe it. So stifled maybe - again set in their ways. Kind of glad we have new blood in town!
Background: fiscal conservatives, successful careers in DC-Metro, retired at ages 50/51.
Went on our first vacation to Central Mexico in 2007. Day before our scheduled departure for home, my partner said (as we were sipping wine on the mirador), "I could see us living here." We had NEVER discussed living overseas (we had and have traveled to Europe annually since the 1980s).
Anyway, I turned to him and said, yeah, me too.
Flew back shortly after this vacation and bought a home in 2008. Sold it in 2012 when we returned to US with eldercare issues with FIL. He died in late 2015.
Earlier this year bought another home in same area in Mexico.
Sometimes a place will just hit you SMACK in the face (and your heart) and you realize it's where you ought to be.
IDK about TN in particular, but for many, this kind of move is mainly a financial decision. Not everyone has a $10,000 monthly retirement portfolio. But I agree, you need to check out your destination and spend lots of time there before making it permanent.
We're all different though. The must-have big-city amenities I hear about on the Retirement forum weren't important to us---other "amenities" were. For us it was a gorgeous view, proximity to beach, benign weather, getting by on a modest monthly income. That really narrowed it down.
But like your starry-eyed rural retirees, over half of expats end up moving back too.
It seems to me that, in planning for retirement, many people are looking for significant life change, often having never experienced the lifestyle that they're "looking" for at all. It almost seems like people are wanting to buy into the brochures and vacation guides they see.
Thoughts?
SC,
You make a lot of sense.
My wife and I recently started kicking around the idea of relocating for "retirement". When we started to prioritize major factors, we initially had this idyllic dream of retiring to some far off Shangri-La; but as you dig a little deeper and start to mentally place yourself into a particular environment, you start to realize that you have become accustomed to certain amenities and conveniences.
We are not going on "vacation", we are simply trying to find a place that suits our everyday needs going forward - ideally with a little better weather and maybe a little less traffic.
For example, I like to golf a little and the general scenery that I'm surrounded by is important to me. On the other hand, my wife likes to shop - she never spends a lot of money, but she's a daytripper - that's just what she does because it gets her out of the house, allows her to "conquer" a big sale, and keeps her plugged-in to the world around her. If we were to relocate somewhere that didn't have a golf course or two, or to a place so far removed from civilization that my wife couldn't daytrip, that would be foolish. A certain amount of hustle and bustle just comes with the program - and that's a good thing.
The same can be said for being close to a major healthcare facility, or dining options. This is who we are. This is what we do.
I am collecting a pension. I tried to sit home and "retire". That didn't work, because after about 30 days of that I found that my mind and body were shutting down. I had to go out and get a part-time job, which has kept my mind working and my body in motion. I am much happier and healthier staying busy than not.
The same would be true for any relocation destination. We need to stay plugged-in to civilization ...
A quick look at the Florida forums will reveal literally thousands of people ready to jump in their cars and move to Florida ... a large percentage of whom have perhaps only been to Disney World once on vacation.
Almost all want to live in an idyllic beach town (preferably only a short, sandy shuffle to the ocean), where tourists and traffic are minimal, the weather never too hot or cold, housing is cheap, taxes are low, shopping and entertainment are within walking distance and everyone is friendly. Those without jobs, want good, high-paying careers immediately available to anyone willing to move here (regardless of experience or qualifications). Those with families want the best schools within walking distance and older folks want top-notch healthcare on every corner.
This pattern seems driven by the unfounded conviction that "anyplace else, FL., Ca., Az or Tx" will provide everything one seeks in life (but, is not available "where they are."
I agree with the warning. Most of us in congested and high COL areas think of retirement elsewhere. I know I wanted less congestion, lower taxes and lower cost of living. I also wanted a better climate and proximity to beautiful areas. I had intended to find a place that met my expectations.
Well, I found plenty of places, but lots of attributes were missing. I found I am not a rural person. I wanted museums, art galleries, educational opportunities and, for want better words, a level of culture and intellectual interests that were often severely lacking in some parts of the country.
A good friend commutes between his home here in the DC-area and the home inherited from his parents in a working class area of San Diego. For years, he's agonized about whether or not to sell the DC house then purchase a larger home in California.
As much as he praises the San Diego weather and California lifestyle, the one factor he keeps returning to is the difference in educational levels. He's happy with friends in both places but worries that over time he would come to miss the types of conversations that he's more likely to encounter here in DC.
All my recent time on the internet HAS led to a better appreciation of what is here. All too often set in the patterns of daily living we don't take advantage of local opportunities. Now, I can walk to a metro then within 30 minutes end up on the mall surrounded by world-class museums, all free.
Like it has been said we are all different and have different needs and desires. Why move from a city with lots of stuff going on to a small town/rural area? Where I live, I could walk down my road ask everyone who retired here and get the same answer. Peace, beauty and get away from the traffic and attitudes of city people. For Bay Area people, moving to the Gold County of CA is not like moving to Mexico or Ecuador. I noted in the posts above. People move here and with a few exceptions stay here till they die
I feel very fortunate that we moved to our locale 14 years before I retired and so we were established before I retired. Mrs5150 hopefully will retire in a few years. No culture shock and we have always preferred small towns over cities
Hahaha - yes, I grew up in a small town of 2,000 and will NOT be going back to anything like that. I'm in a small city of around 100k now and it is hardly big enough but frequent visits to Chicago help. I agree that even "going back" to a rural or semi-rural setting can be difficult after a lifetime away, much less for people who just want to live cheap but have no experience at all in such an environment.
Unless you invest a good amount of time visiting a place (all seasons) you are quite likely to be dissatisfied. At least do things in a way that you can easily change your mind without losing too much time or money, is the best way to handle it.
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