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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I don't know anyone that ever lived in a "forever home." The closest may have been my grandfather who built his home himself in the 1920s, but then eventually the highway department took it for a freeway expansion. My other grandparents moved every 10-12 years as the crime got worse and pushed them farther out. We are in our 3rd house, and despite being here 25 years we plan to sell in 2-3 years and buy a smaller house on more land. We don't need 3,000 sf and the $7,500 and growing annual tax bill.
I don't know anyone that ever lived in a "forever home." The closest may have been my grandfather who built his home himself in the 1920s, but then eventually the highway department took it for a freeway expansion.
My paternal great-grandparents did something similar. The family had been in Boston since the 1600s but in the early 1890s my great-grandfather bought two acres in nearby Reading and built two houses on it: One for himself and my great-grandmother, and a smaller house for his oldest son. My great-grandparents lived in the so-called "big house" (which is not big by our standards today) until they both died in the mid-1940s so they were there for about 50 years.
When they died the oldest son and wife inherited the property, moved into the larger house, turned the small one into a workshop (he liked woodworking), and lived there for another 20 years. Their son inherited it in his turn and lived there until he had to go into a nursing home in 2006, at which point his daughter and her family moved into the house. So although the original owner (my great-grandfather) "only" had it for about 50 years it became the family's 'forever home' because it's still owned by them 125 years later.
The bottom line is that we are all unique with different opinions as well as our particular likes and dislikes.
This is why some of us feel better to stay in one spot while others might move periodically in search of a better place to live and it might not be just to change the house. It’s always best to do what makes you happiest while living within your means. Even if you love to move around fairly often, you might discover a location that you absolutely love that could be your final destination! There are many places but little time.
Something I don’t believe has been mentioned is the changing of relationships. A person’s surroundings can change drastically over the years making them feel isolated and lonely. This happened to my senior citizen friend in my former Portland neighborhood after I moved.
She and I and a few others were the only holdouts after our neighborhood became gentrified. The others moved away. Then she an I were the only ones left. I moved away. The neighborhood, once very age-diverse, had become very Millennial over a period of about ten-fifteen years. Older people felt out of place.
After I moved, the neighbor felt very isolated. She eventually moved to another Millenial dominant neighborhood to be near her kids. I don’t know if she’s any happier there. We’ve lost touch.
Someone here said something about people moving a lot not being able to hold down relationships. But sometimes as neighborhoods change, kids grow up, new families more in, old friends move away, there are no longer long term relationships to sustain.
You may love your house or apartment but if you no longer feel a sense of community, you might want to move and go where you do.
Something I don’t believe has been mentioned is the changing of relationships. A person’s surroundings can change drastically over the years making them feel isolated and lonely. This happened to my senior citizen friend in my former Portland neighborhood after I moved.
She and I and a few others were the only holdouts after our neighborhood became gentrified. The others moved away. Then she an I were the only ones left. I moved away. The neighborhood, once very age-diverse, had become very Millennial over a period of about ten-fifteen years. Older people felt out of place.
After I moved, the neighbor felt very isolated. She eventually moved to another Millenial dominant neighborhood to be near her kids. I don’t know if she’s any happier there. We’ve lost touch.
Someone here said something about people moving a lot not being able to hold down relationships. But sometimes as neighborhoods change, kids grow up, new families more in, old friends move away, there are no longer long term relationships to sustain.
You may love your house or apartment but if you no longer feel a sense of community, you might want to move and go where you do.
That’s too bad. I am thankful that our area is not like Portland. I believe that small towns are more stable and not prone to gentrification. If we sell the house, it will be to go below the snow line, which is just 3 or4 miles away
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dustyroad70
There are only two forever home possibilities. Heaven or hell.
My wife and I have lived in our current home for almost 40 years. We didn't intend it to be our forever home when we purchased it, and we have looked at other homes in the local area and other parts of the country during those 40 years, but I guess you could call it our forever home as our future life expectancy is likely less than the number of years spent here.
But I always ended up back here when big changes occurred in my life...divorce, etc.. So, yeah, when I came back home for the last time 13 years ago, and then bought my house, I knew I was finally here 'for good'.
And what a wonderful place to call home.
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