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Sounds like your situation includes a high investment in family. I wouldn't count on family coming to visit once you move away. Speaking from experience, the highways only go from your house to theirs...not the other way around so factor that cost in for your final consideration.
How can we answer that without knowing where you and the kids are?
But, I would ask - are you sure they will all stay put? I chased my daughter a couple of times, and then she moved again. So, I don't advise anyone to live or move based only on where the kids live - because the kids can and probably will move.
How can we answer that without knowing where you and the kids are?
But, I would ask - are you sure they will all stay put? I chased my daughter a couple of times, and then she moved again. So, I don't advise anyone to live or move based only on where the kids live - because the kids can and probably will move.
So true. If I chased my dtr I would have lived in the SF Bay Area, upstate NY, then back to the SF Bay Area and now Reno. Son; Georgia, Hawaii and Texas. We’re talking the last 12 years. This isn’t 1957 when people stayed in the town they grew up in. I’m sure some might, but the majority don’t, esp younger folk who chase career opportunities around the country
How can we answer that without knowing where you and the kids are?
But, I would ask - are you sure they will all stay put? I chased my daughter a couple of times, and then she moved again. So, I don't advise anyone to live or move based only on where the kids live - because the kids can and probably will move.
I have grown kids. One moved to Europe ( the older male). One lives three states away and the other three are within minutes.
I am fully aware that this current situation of constant contact with closeby kids and grandchildren can change. I live outside Washington DC and love the area. This is not the retirement capital of the world and I still work full time despite being 68.
I hear many stories about people moving to Florida and hating it. I may consider moving to the Annapolis area for retirement.
I would consider staying in my current home but the mortgage would not be paid in full. If I sell and buy elsewhere i can buy a house in cash with no mortgage. If I move to North carolina i can find a house bigger than mine for half the price and warm weather. Is it worth it?
Location: Chapel Hill, NC, formerly NoVA and Phila
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Originally Posted by Julian658
I would consider staying in my current home but the mortgage would not be paid in full. If I sell and buy elsewhere i can buy a house in cash with no mortgage. If I move to North carolina i can find a house bigger than mine for half the price and warm weather. Is it worth it?
It depends on what you are looking for in retirement. If you are primarily looking for a slower pace, warmer weather, and cheaper housing then NC could be a good fit without being too far away from DC. On the other hand, your children/grandchildren won't be in your weekly life. You will miss out on many activities such as birthdays, impromptu get togethers, and kids' activities like school plays, and soccer games, etc. You will maybe see them once per month and likely less as you age and your grandchildren grow up and get busier.
You will mostly be finding fulfillment in new friends that you make and activities in your new location. You also won't have big city amenities such as public transportation (except to some degree if you move to Charlotte and a lesser degree if you move to Raleigh). If your housing choice is at the NC beach or mountains or outside the core of downtown in the bigger cities, you will be driving everywhere on roads that are not well lit, which can be difficult as you age.
I moved to North Carolina after living in the DC area for over 20 years. Although not retired, I experienced some of the above. Yes, the pace is slower, which is great if you like that. People aren't in a rush, traffic is much easier, and lines aren't as long. There is more time to stop and savor. The winters are milder and you don't get as much snow, but you can get ice, and the areas shut down with even the forecast of a snowflake. Summers are more humid and last longer (of course weather is dependent on where in NC you are thinking about - mountains are cooler than central and coastal areas). Overall, though, the weather is more alike than different. It's not anything like moving from DC to Florida if a change of weather if your impetus. Yes, housing is cheaper, but frankly, in the more desirable areas it's not as cheap as you may expect, such as in Asheville or downtown Raleigh.
In the beginning you will have visitors, and you will head up to DC for granddaughter's starring role in the school play and a month later for Thanksgiving. But you'll miss out on your grandson's weekly soccer game and your daughter won't be stopping by to drop off groceries if you are feeling ill. As time goes by, you will be involved in your activities with friends, and it will be too much of a hassle to make the drive to DC to see your youngest great-granddaughter have a non-speaking role of a rock in a preschool show. You will see your family at big events like weddings and holidays such as Christmas and fewer "less important" events.
If it were me, in your stage of life, the pros of moving would not be worth the cons, unless I was really struggling financially. What I would gain by such a move would not make up for what I'd lose.
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