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How much and what kind of advance preparation did you make, how did you reach your decision, and what steps did you take to ensure that the plan at which you arrived was truly the best one for you -- or has anyone moved more or less "blindly" and just hoped for the best? If so, how did that go???
Share with us your experiences, good or bad.
I've related my decision process here before, so I will be very brief this time.
Selecting my retirement location was an about twenty-year process, escalating in time/effort/intensity the closer the retirement date became. Many factors were considered, primary among them is a low-humidity climate with a relatively low cost-of-living. Involved multiple trips in all seasons. So far, I'm happy with my ultimate choice. The only difficult adjustment has been the short winter daylight hours.
I understand, coming from Hawaii made it difficult for us. The first trip we visited Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sedona and Flagstaff, AZ; and then went to Seattle, Tacoma, and Vancouver, WA.
Before that we did a lot of research on the taxes and COL in those areas. We try to "visualize" what our day will be like (shopping, activities, etc.). I find the hardest thing to quantify is the "vibe" of the area.... but have found by looking up the area restaurants and reading the menus..... kinda gives me a good idea. I also looked up stores: grocery, farmer's markets, craft... anything where I may shop to see what they had. Then looked up activities, meet-ups, annual events, etc.
We ruled out all those locations, and then visited Carson City/Tahoe/Genoa/Washoe. Carson City/Genoa won for a variety of reasons - we are revisiting this month to try out the cold season.
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Doing too much research can make you frustratingly indecisive. As the saying goes: choice is agony, choicelessness is freedom!
My decisions have bounced up and down like a yoyo, and I see no end to that continuation, but I do know, once anyone makes a decision, energy will arise in abundance.
Lately, I'm back on Tucson, fleeing HOA's. And I dare not go to Tijuana or Rosarito Beach as I never leave that area without the temptation to relocate down there. A year ago, senior moment? I was even considering Kansas City. And El Paso! And, and, and!
But if anyone criticizes you for your indecision, stand proud and say: Only fools never change their minds! That always silences them
... I wanted a place that people were moving into. My thinking was that the population wouldn't be insular. I would be able to make friends easily among the newcomers. There would be work opportunities and growth.
...
Time causes change. My life is different now. This city has grown and is different. Crime is becoming a big factor here too. Real estate prices have risen very quickly. Most of the reasons that caused me to leave FL have arrived here.
I'm a bit confused. If you wanted a place that was growing, like your place in Florida, didn't you expect the same problems of growth would follow? Not meaning to be snarky, just want to understand the process and how to regard growth.
Of course it's routinely recommended -- and even expected -- that one will personally visit any destination to which one considers retiring, but that's not always possible or feasible due to limited funds, family responsibilities, time constraints (especially if still working), etc.
How much and what kind of advance preparation did you make, how did you reach your decision, and what steps did you take to ensure that the plan at which you arrived was truly the best one for you -- or has anyone moved more or less "blindly" and just hoped for the best? If so, how did that go???
Share with us your experiences, good or bad.
I wanted southern warm weather, but certainly NOT Florida ( and I already have an inheritance duplex in Florida rented out), I/we don't like Florida. I roamed all warmer climes across the country.
Criteria:
1) no more than 2 days to drive to.
2) warm weather but not too hot tropical wise
3) city about our N.Y.s city size, 150-200 k, any bigger is too big for me
4) close to bigger cities for day trips for my OH, who likes big cities.
5)stable economy
6reasonable real estate, in other words not more expensive than our area...preferred cheaper
7) much lower In taxes N.Y. is heavy on taxes, shouldn't take much to be lower, lol.
8) same or preferably lower COL than here for other essentials.
Ta da! I found one, then researched it online heavily.
1) long days drive, or two shorter days
2) perfect weather though it may be humid still ( dehumidifier and a.c. helps).
3) perfect population, 165k.
4 had four much much larger (aka big ) cities for day trips in all directions
5) stable though lower economy than ours...great for retirement
6)very reasonable real estate, half or more the prices here, so we can pick up some rental properties, always part of our plan.
7) taxes are a joke compared to ours they are so cheap, I almost feel like we'd be ripping them off!!
8) COL is cheaper or same on most items so winner there.
Then I Google earthed it to death, almost every street, both residential and commercial to be sure the goods and services we are used to are available there. Residential has no real bad areas either.
Then my OH, who was skeptical did the same. And concurred.
Then I figured out from tv another possible area, and have begun Checking it out. It's a bit more real estate costly but taxes are reasonable and is two long on the road days.
Obviously flying can be done but if we are taking loads of stiff with us, driving a loaded vehicle is easier than flying with 16 suitcases.
So that is how we picked it. This coming summer or next at the latest we will go donwn and check it out in person. If we go next summer or the summer of 2020, we can visit and buy property that suits us all at once!
Since we have been so thorough online, we aren't expecting too many surprises . Just how the people will react to "outsiders or snowbirds ".
Due diligence a lot of it can do you very well before spending precious dollars or time going there in person.
Load in and sign up for Realtor. Com, Trulia or other online real estate listing service. Search the area that ibterests you. Sign up for updates.
Load up google earth.
Both all the real estate and Google EARTH are free. All are, as long as you have the memory space in your computer, tablet or smartphone you CAN do it.
Other info is available simply type in "city, state " or "city" or "info, city" and off you go. Save sites or listings or email to yourself so you've can save the important ones.
Good luck!
As far as,we're concerned, we've found our retirement paradise, next to Hawai'i thst is.
I'm originally from here and will probably be moving in the next year or two. I've lived in Indianapolis, Des Moines, upstate South Carolina, and metro Boston for about three months total. All of them are much nicer than here, in different ways. I intend to be out of here no later than the start of 2020. Frankly, my personal life is a lot worse here than it ever was in Indiana or Iowa.
I'm from Des Moines. Spent 28 years in a nice neighborhood in West Des Moines.
My wife and I decided we wanted to pick up West Des Moines and drop in a southern location with less winter. Not to be found.
I lived in southern California. My apartment had been sold, and the new owners were doing nothing for maintaince or repairs. They had intended to make it into a condo building, but had too many structural problems, and under our building, there was a lake. So most people had moved out and the druggies were moving in.
I wanted to move, but wasn't sure where. Califonia, in norcal, would have been a choice but its often more expensive than the south. I was tired of the crowding, and the smog, and crush of people. And we hadn't been able to move north when husband was in the picture but really wanted a place like that.
Then cam Jerichon. It was the second fan convention for a post apoc tv show called Jericho. I was on the committee. It was going to be in Kansas, and was invited to come out to OK by a friend who lived here, so we could all ride there together. I set up regrestration. I just loved the area with all the open space minus cars and houses. I even wondered if I could move there.
I took the train, and got picked up and they drove out of OKC and into lots of open ground, and trees and grasses and everything socal was not. She'd already suggested I might be interested. Looking around I was. So while we were setting up stuff for the con, I decided to look at houses.
So here in Cushing, I went to look at a house. Its large tiny house size, nice floors, needed lots of love, and I LOVE things like painting and such. I knew it was mine immediately. It was yellow, small enough to be comfortable, not too big to be too much. And had been for sale some time. Family had said they'd help. I called and we made an offer and we left for the con with my mind on moving.
I didn't move for two LONG months. But we borrowed a horse trailer, and arrived at the house. It was a mess. I didn't care. It got repainted, a brighter tone of yellow. There was *some* work done, mostly half done, but it got to be my project which it still is.
That was ten years ago. I made one trip back to socal. It seemed strange, like I wasn't connected. This place isn't perfect, but it would be hard to move despite all of it.
I've had moments of doubt, but then, it feels like home even more as time passes. I will move eventually, but when I consider it, I see it more as home than before. And I'm very lucky to have found it.
My friend died a few years after, and I don't really know anyone, but them I'm not the sort who does. I've grown to love the really slow pace of life. Nobody is in a hurry. I don't have real friends, but aside the people from conventions I know, I didn't before. And I like being solo.
It's not for a lot of people, but it works great for me. I've considered moving, but I own the house, the tax is low, and living costs also managable, and while I get tired of the local area, since it will never be me, I know for what it cost, I'll never find it in a more friendly place.
And I've gotten very used to the slow pace and how nobody hurries, and love the trees and open space around the area too, with birds, and grass and sunshine, but lots of open places. When I went back to California for a visit, I noticed how much everyone was in a hurry...
It wasn't perfect and won't be, but I'm good. It's when you expect things to be perfect or you can't settle comfortably that you will have a hard time finding a place to land.
Last edited by nightbird47; 01-09-2018 at 02:29 PM..
brightdoglover, no, I don't believe it is true that growth necessitates an increase in crime. It depends upon the type of person you are appealing to.
Oh, I see. I guess I figured, increase in people, increase of issues of people. When you talk about appealing to people, what elements to you find in the appeal that determines what the growth will look like? Zoning, apartment building, public housing, the kind of shopping?
I am moving to a very small place that is wrestling with affordable housing and has made initiatives like artist live/work housing, redoing the downtown area, trying for broadband and connectivity improvement. I see, like who would be attracted by these things.
I'm from Des Moines. Spent 28 years in a nice neighborhood in West Des Moines.
My wife and I decided we wanted to pick up West Des Moines and drop in a southern location with less winter. Not to be found.
Ended up in Las Vegas - health issues.
I lived in West Des Moines right by the Jordan Creek Mall. Great quality of life. I should have stayed but it was my first move alone outside the South, and I missed family and came back.
I just don't understand the fascination with a lot of "retirement areas." Small towns in northeast TN are sort of trendy retirement areas, but no one thinks of retiring to suburban Iowa. To me, the quality of life is just a night and day difference, for retirees or otherwise.
You really don't have to think about safety in West Des Moines, or worry about your neighbor running a meth lab in the trailer down the street. You do here in much of small town Tennessee. In WDM, your neighbors are generally going to be educated professionals. It's difficult to find white collar professionals to associate or even network with here. A well-off, educated retiree from out of the area is going to have virtually nothing in common with the locals down in Hawkins County or something.
There are just little things that irritate me too. I rarely shop for anything locally that is nonperishable, simply because the selection is so poor. I wanted an electric wine bottle opener over Christmas. Couldn't find one at the local small Target or Bed Bath and Beyond. Just gave up and ordered it on Amazon. I couldn't find winter thermals locally for a man my size. Back to Amazon. If I needed something in suburban Indianapolis or West Des Moines, I could run out and get it. A lot of times I can't even find what I need here. Most of the time I don't even bother looking.
I would say Des Moines is going to have far more in the way of medical treatment than a place like here. For seniors, that's important. My mom is currently going to a doctor in Knoxville, TN, two hours away, because the waiting lists here are very long with limited specialists.
The housing is about the same price as here, and is generally newer and much better kept up. Schools in WDM are going to be much better. Helps keep property prices up.
The thing that would give me pause about going back to Des Moines is the winter weather, but if you had an HOA to plow the snow, a remote starter for the car and garage or carport, and didn't have to work outside, it's not going to be a big of a deal.
One thing that I've learned since coming back is that weather and scenery doesn't mean as much when you're tied up in an office for eight to ten hours a day. If you're retired and have more freedom, maybe it will be of more value.
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