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Hi----after reading posts on this and other forums for literally about 6 months, I'm seeking help with coming up with a list of places to visit for a potential retirement move, likely in about 10 years. Currently, I'm in a triple whamy state (high taxes, cold/wind/snow in winter, and heat/humidity most of summer), called Nebraska (Lincoln), and looking for something different in retirement.
Likes: Slower pace with relatively low amounts of traffic, outdoor activities (I'm a "retired" triathlete, but still like to walk/swim laps/mountain bike), tennis and pickelball are fun and possibly joining a league I think would be desirable, occasional golf but not fanatical. Otherwise I basically keep to myself, enjoy spending time at home watching movies/TV, listening to music (collect albums), cooking, or hanging out outside with a cocktail.
Dislikes: Traffic, extremes (hot and cold), overly rude people and overly intrusive people, and high crime. Not a fan of large crowds, but do like the occasional concert.
I'd likely have about $350-$400 to spend on a house; however, lower taxes are also a consideration. In my state, on a house valued at $310,000 I pay almost $6,000/yr in taxes.
Thus far, I'm intrigued by the Oro Valley (AZ) area (maybe too hot, but being inside or at the pool during the summer months doesn't sound like a bad trade off), Rio Rancho (NM) (cooler, and like the idea to hop on the train to Sante Fe for day trips, but wonder about crime in NM), parts of Nevada - Mesquite intrigues me, but seems pretty hot in the summer and a bit too golf-centric, northern Nevada (Reno/Gardnerville/Minden) also seems attractive but home prices seem crazy high for what they are, and Utah (likely southern), which while the LDS thing seems a bit of a barrier to join groups (e.g. tennis, bike riding, etc.), although it may work to my advantage in that there may be a greater likelihood of being left alone.
Thanks for any suggestions! I realize I need to visit places, but I'm asking for help in coming up with a list for that purpose.
Thus far, I'm intrigued by the Oro Valley (AZ) area (maybe too hot, but being inside or at the pool during the summer months doesn't sound like a bad trade off), Rio Rancho (NM) (cooler, and like the idea to hop on the train to Sante Fe for day trips, but wonder about crime in NM), parts of Nevada - Mesquite intrigues me, but seems pretty hot in the summer and a bit too golf-centric, northern Nevada (Reno/Gardnerville/Minden) also seems attractive but home prices seem crazy high for what they are, and Utah (likely southern), which while the LDS thing seems a bit of a barrier to join groups (e.g. tennis, bike riding, etc.), although it may work to my advantage in that there may be a greater likelihood of being left alone.
Thanks for any suggestions! I realize I need to visit places, but I'm asking for help in coming up with a list for that purpose.
Your list is similar to the list that my DW and I came up with 20 years ago. We looked at 20-30 different cities over about 15 years to finally decide on Green Valley, AZ, which is 20 miles SOUTH of Tucson.
Oro Valley (AZ) is a suburb of Tucson that is 15-20 miles NORTH of Tucson. A lot of my friends live in Oro Valley. There are a lot of nice developments in the area, many of which offer a good number of recreational opportunities for active seniors. Traffic congestion in that are is perhaps some of the worst in Tucson (which is probably similar to traffic congestion to Omaha). Also, the cost of housing is pretty high for Tucson. As for the hear, slight variations in elevation tend to moderate the heat in the summer.
Rio Rancho is a suburb of Albuquerque. I have probably been there 15 times as my wife is a photographer and there are a lot of balloons in the area (g). I have also had three friends relocate from Chicago to Rio Rancho. Two have them have moved elsewhere in the past three years. I think that they did not feel like they could fit in with the culture which is quite different from AZ. Tucson and Albuquerque are quite similar. ABQ is much more business friendly and attractive to high tech firms. The roads are better than Tucson.
Mesquite is an interesting little town. There are several problems with living in ANY rural Nevada community - access to health care. You will have to drive to Las Vegas or ST. George, UT for any form of medical treatment besides primary care. What I also found troublesome was that much of the population was very transient,
One of our top choices was Minden and Gardnerville, NV. I really like those townc a lot as well as portions of Douglas Co, NV, SW Reno and portions of Carson City. I really love the area which is some of the most beautiful views in the US. It is a great place in that it never gets ridiculously cold like in portions of the Midwest and the like. There are a number of drawbacks. First, both towns are growing quickly and the area is becoming a HCOL. The infrastructure is such that it will take a while for the towns to respond to this growth. Second, access to health care will be an issue as the nearest hospitals are in Carson City (12 mi) and Reno (40 mi). That Doesn't sound that far but during the winter, it could be problematic. We had some questions about the quality of health care in Reno based on nurses we know in Reno but YMMV. Third, we find the Washoe Valley to be rather remote, especially during the winter.
I have spent a lot of time in Southern Utah as I worked there in manufacturing. While I like the place, I would agree that you cannot ignore the culture and some of the ideosyncracies of the area. I have to say that it is very irritating when most restaurants are closed on Sunday. On the other hand, all of the activities on Sundays are much less crowded most of the day. I never had any issues in Utah. However, I would rent there before making a permanent move.
Those are my general impressions of the areas that you mentioned.Those are strictly my opinions based on my research and others will vary.
Thus far, I'm intrigued by the Oro Valley (AZ) area (maybe too hot, but being inside or at the pool during the summer months doesn't sound like a bad trade off), Rio Rancho (NM) (cooler, and like the idea to hop on the train to Sante Fe for day trips, but wonder about crime in NM), parts of Nevada - Mesquite intrigues me, but seems pretty hot in the summer and a bit too golf-centric, northern Nevada (Reno/Gardnerville/Minden) also seems attractive but home prices seem crazy high for what they are, and Utah (likely southern), which while the LDS thing seems a bit of a barrier to join groups (e.g. tennis, bike riding, etc.), although it may work to my advantage in that there may be a greater likelihood of being left alone.
I won't try to deny the crime numbers for NM, but will say that we've lived here 20 years (just north of ABQ) and never personally experienced any crime against us or our property. I don't think the random crimes here are any more frequent than elsewhere and most folks are just fine. We are frequently in ABQ and Rio Rancho and know people who live in both places. Like you, we enjoyed visiting Santa Fe frequently after we moved here from the midwest but our interest in doing so has waned a bit.
Your list is similar to the list that my DW and I came up with 20 years ago. We looked at 20-30 different cities over about 15 years to finally decide on Green Valley, AZ, which is 20 miles SOUTH of Tucson.
Oro Valley (AZ) is a suburb of Tucson that is 15-20 miles NORTH of Tucson. A lot of my friends live in Oro Valley. There are a lot of nice developments in the area, many of which offer a good number of recreational opportunities for active seniors. Traffic congestion in that are is perhaps some of the worst in Tucson (which is probably similar to traffic congestion to Omaha). Also, the cost of housing is pretty high for Tucson. As for the hear, slight variations in elevation tend to moderate the heat in the summer.
Rio Rancho is a suburb of Albuquerque. I have probably been there 15 times as my wife is a photographer and there are a lot of balloons in the area (g). I have also had three friends relocate from Chicago to Rio Rancho. Two have them have moved elsewhere in the past three years. I think that they did not feel like they could fit in with the culture which is quite different from AZ. Tucson and Albuquerque are quite similar. ABQ is much more business friendly and attractive to high tech firms. The roads are better than Tucson.
Mesquite is an interesting little town. There are several problems with living in ANY rural Nevada community - access to health care. You will have to drive to Las Vegas or ST. George, UT for any form of medical treatment besides primary care. What I also found troublesome was that much of the population was very transient,
One of our top choices was Minden and Gardnerville, NV. I really like those townc a lot as well as portions of Douglas Co, NV, SW Reno and portions of Carson City. I really love the area which is some of the most beautiful views in the US. It is a great place in that it never gets ridiculously cold like in portions of the Midwest and the like. There are a number of drawbacks. First, both towns are growing quickly and the area is becoming a HCOL. The infrastructure is such that it will take a while for the towns to respond to this growth. Second, access to health care will be an issue as the nearest hospitals are in Carson City (12 mi) and Reno (40 mi). That Doesn't sound that far but during the winter, it could be problematic. We had some questions about the quality of health care in Reno based on nurses we know in Reno but YMMV. Third, we find the Washoe Valley to be rather remote, especially during the winter.
I have spent a lot of time in Southern Utah as I worked there in manufacturing. While I like the place, I would agree that you cannot ignore the culture and some of the ideosyncracies of the area. I have to say that it is very irritating when most restaurants are closed on Sunday. On the other hand, all of the activities on Sundays are much less crowded most of the day. I never had any issues in Utah. However, I would rent there before making a permanent move.
Those are my general impressions of the areas that you mentioned.Those are strictly my opinions based on my research and others will vary.
Great info. here. Thank you. Agree, yes things can change over the course of 10 years, but compiling a list and getting ahead of the game isn't a bad idea IMO. Plans aren't set in stone. This gives me plenty of time to explore and perhaps rule out or change plans. Climate change may also play a role in the decision making process (perhaps I should add south dakota to the list).
Great info. here. Thank you. Agree, yes things can change over the course of 10 years, but compiling a list and getting ahead of the game isn't a bad idea IMO. Plans aren't set in stone. This gives me plenty of time to explore and perhaps rule out or change plans. Climate change may also play a role in the decision making process (perhaps I should add south dakota to the list).
Agreed.
We started looking for places to retire around the age of 40 with the intention of retiring at age 58. We did not make special trips but incorporated it as part of a vacation trip.
When you get down to the last two to four locations, visit each one of them at different times of the year. For example, if moving to Arizona, make sure that you come here in June - August to see if you can handle the weather.
I live in Rio Rancho, NM -- retired here six years ago from the Midwest, love it and never looked back. The pace in NM is slower than the Midwest in general and without crowds. I have friends retired in Phoenix and I would say this is not anything like that. There is a growing retirement community here and some over-55 places but this is not tennis shorts and golf carts sort of place. Rio Rancho is sometimes called "Little New York" because there were a lot of easterners retiring here at one time but now it seems like there are people coming from other places. There are two hospitals in Rio Rancho and several in Albuquerque. The cost of living is fairly low and housing is reasonable. I live out a bit on 1+ acre with one adjacent neighbor. The quiet is amazing as is the night sky.
The climate is high desert and nearly perfect for a four-season place. We have sun and very low humidity, mild winters with a dusting of snow, reasonable summers, and a beautiful fall. Spring can have some windy days that might surprise some newcomers. Most people do not have air conditioners but rely on evaporative coolers on hot days. The hottest temperature ever recorded in Albuquerque was 107, cooler than where I was raised in the Midwest.
There is plenty to do and the state is gorgeous. Albuquerque is 300 years old and in spite of its population, it is still a small town in some respects and has some growing pains. The metro area is still under a million population. It really grew up after WW2 and Rio Rancho is smaller and newer and lacks some of the historic charms of Old Town and old Rt. 66. Albuquerque is just across the Rio Grande and Santa Fe is an hour away on the RailRunner (free to seniors on Wednesday). Taos is a little farther drive north. I take advantage of Oasis classes for retirees and joined an Italian Culture club for bocce (I'm not Italian at all). Making friends was not a problem.
This is a very diverse community but the three major cultures blend and mix nicely. You will hear several different languages spoken every day and no one notices or cares. There is some kind of festival going on every week. There is a lot of hand wringing about crime in New Mexico but part of that is due to people making bad choices of friends and acquaintances or where they go to hang out...just like anywhere. NM is a poor state and there are opportunists around to take advantage so don't give them opportunities with your home or belongings. I have never had a crime issue in Rio Rancho. There are only 2 million people in the state so everybody knows someone who had a crime problem and so the stories are amplified a bit and TV news harps on it. Crime has gone down a bit over the last few years.
One thing you should consider is the availability of clean water, the cost of which will continue to rise as the population increases. Many cities and areas are going to have problems of scarcity and pollution.
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