Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Howdy,
My wife and I currently live on the outskirts, about 30 minutes from downtown Detroit.
We are seriously contemplating a move to some place with less snow and more sunshine. If I was 10 years younger, I'd love to jump on a tractor and mow an acre of lawn, but those days are behind me.
~ Any idea where a couple of empty-nesters with zero family concerns might fit into a nice condominium, possibly in one of the areas listed below?
We'd be looking for something in the $150-175k range, so we're not exactly made out of money. We'll have my autoworker/blue-collar pension, plus whatever SS brings us in a few years, and our remaining savings.
We're a couple of middle-of-the-road realists, who are looking for something in a city or town with a population of 25,000-100,000, give or take.
We'd need a big-box store or two, and some decent shopping and dining options, but nothing too fancy or anything. And, of course, access to a medical center that was within 20 minutes, give or take, would be ideal.
The higher the elevation, and the lower the humidity, the better - but we'd consider all options. The weather in Michigan isn't too hard to improve upon.
Our hope would be to keep the traffic congestion to a minimum, and we'd lean to a more rural lifestyle if it meant just having the basic necessities while enjoying a less hurried way of life. A town with a population of about 50,000 would ideal, or maybe a bigger place that offers that same kind of small-to-mid-size town feel.
Our areas of initial interest are...
In North Carolina:
Greater Asheville
Greater Charlotte
Hickory and the surrounding two or three city area.
Hendersonville
Weaverville
Waynesville
Etc.
In Tennessee:
Cookeville
Maryville
Greater Knoxville
Etc.
In Indiana:
Southern Indiana (within 20-40 minutes from Louisville):
Columbus
Evansville
Etc.
Possibly some place in Kentucky?
Also, maybe Fayetteville, AR (We spent 5 years in Oklahoma City when were 20-25 years old, so we'd have a clue about Northwest Arkansas.)
Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.
We're gonna move to some place with less snow and more sunshine, it's just a matter of adding 2 + 2.
If anyone has a favorite forum or thread related to any of this, please pass it along. In the meantime, I'll click on as many threads as possible to see what may be gleaned.
We're just getting started with a serious search...
That is going to be a tough price range. You will also be paying HOA fees,in a condo. You really need to narrow down your choices, and visit, a few places, that have things that interest you.
For over 55 communities, there is a site called 55places.com, and has alot of communities, in every state.
Last edited by Charlie&Rose; 05-16-2020 at 10:39 AM..
Reason: add on
Charlotte and Hickory NC are low elevation and will be hot and humid in the summer, as will most of the south. Asheville is at a higher elevation but is pricey and has higher taxes. I live about half an hour from Knoxville and Maryville, and again we are not up in elevation, but are in a river valley. The area surrounding us here is lovely and have a 4 season climate. It does get humid in the summer, but that's just the way the south is. It's not as bad as the deep south/gulf coast/Florida type humidity, but it can get steamy in late July and August. Cookeville and Crossville TN are on the plateau, so a higher level, and temps are about 5-7 degrees cooler in summer than the Knoxville area.
In that price range, I recommend that you look at condos/townhomes/duplexes in Fairfield Glade. It's a community near Crossville with very nice amenities, golf and small lakes. It's definitely rural and may be a bit further to shopping in downtown Crossville than you might like, but has a largely retiree population, and an upscale feel. You can rent a unit there for a week or two and check it out.
I would look for over 55 communities on the internet and pick a couple and visit.
Decide on a small medium or large community.
Location in terms of shopping, dr's, hospital etc. Remember as you get older closer maybe better.
Zillo's maybe of some help on resale prices.
After you pick several possible communities you need to visit and maybe stay a couple of days. Remember you are not a tourist.
When you pick a community check costs - taxes, utilities, home maintenance etc. Remember major expenses will also come up from time to time - painting, new roof etc. Read the HOA agreement. Be sure to consider the lot location - ground water, storm damage, noise etc.
If you can rent for a while to be sure you like the community.
You could visit a few local communities to get an idea of what question you want to ask.
I would try and work with a community sales person for the visit. They know they have to talk to a lot of people to get a sale so you are not wasting there time. You may end up using them.
Charlotte and Hickory NC are low elevation and will be hot and humid in the summer, as will most of the south. Asheville is at a higher elevation but is pricey and has higher taxes. I live about half an hour from Knoxville and Maryville, and again we are not up in elevation, but are in a river valley. The area surrounding us here is lovely and have a 4 season climate. It does get humid in the summer, but that's just the way the south is. It's not as bad as the deep south/gulf coast/Florida type humidity, but it can get steamy in late July and August. Cookeville and Crossville TN are on the plateau, so a higher level, and temps are about 5-7 degrees cooler in summer than the Knoxville area.
In that price range, I recommend that you look at condos/townhomes/duplexes in Fairfield Glade. It's a community near Crossville with very nice amenities, golf and small lakes. It's definitely rural and may be a bit further to shopping in downtown Crossville than you might like, but has a largely retiree population, and an upscale feel. You can rent a unit there for a week or two and check it out.
Thank You for the good info on your choice of location, the elevation of some parts of NC vs TN including the difference between Cookeville and Maryville. We have lived in a very nice duplex condo on the far outskirts of Metro Detroit in the past, and that worked just fine, but after reading some related comments in the Retirement Forum and some below in this thread, I am suddenly leaning towards selling our home and buying another Single Family Home in order to avoid the HOA fees and the restrictions that come with it. I'm definitely not ruling out a condo, because if you find a nice one at the right price and other the other economic factors line up like property taxes, etc, then it would be an option.
I will make a note of the Crossville/Fairfield Glen Community, because of the overall economic situation for retirees in Tennessee, plus the size and location of the town. Thanks for the tip on the potential to rent a unit there for the short-term.
I have a funny feeling when this is all over and the research is done, that there's a good chance we're gonna end up in the Volunteer State. Let's see where this goes...
I would look for over 55 communities on the internet and pick a couple and visit.
Decide on a small medium or large community.
Location in terms of shopping, dr's, hospital etc. Remember as you get older closer maybe better.
Zillo's maybe of some help on resale prices.
After you pick several possible communities you need to visit and maybe stay a couple of days. Remember you are not a tourist.
When you pick a community check costs - taxes, utilities, home maintenance etc. Remember major expenses will also come up from time to time - painting, new roof etc. Read the HOA agreement. Be sure to consider the lot location - ground water, storm damage, noise etc.
If you can rent for a while to be sure you like the community.
You could visit a few local communities to get an idea of what question you want to ask.
I would try and work with a community sales person for the visit. They know they have to talk to a lot of people to get a sale so you are not wasting there time. You may end up using them.
Thank You for the information and the good advice on looking at at ALL aspects of owning a condo, including the possibility of special assessments down the road for things like a new roof, etc.
Also, your concerns about being close to medical facilities is a good one. As we get older, we get a little wiser, and what we used to do we can no longer do with such ease, such as driving longer distances. Point well taken.
And, it's become QUITE clear after reading numerous posts on CD regarding various locations, that it is a MUST to spend as many days, weeks, or months actually living in a prospective area in order to TRULY get a lay of the land. Good Stuff!
I think I'm actually gonna start a thread at some point in the near future on Single Family Homes in our areas of interest, after reading as much of the currently available info on CD of course. This place is a wealth of knowledge!
As I noted above in another post, in the past, we have lived a in a very nice duplex condo for 7 years, and that worked out okay - and it may indeed work out okay again - but my "51" has me leaning towards a SFH and contracting out the maintenance if need be, at least it does today. We may come across a condo situation that makes too much sense to bypass when ALL things are considered.
We'll see where this goes...
Coming from Michigan you will notice humidity in the summer no matter where you land.
It takes time (years) to get acclimated.
After having lived in south Florida for over 20 years there's really no place where I find the humidity too high for me.
I can only imagine.
You're a better person than me to have the wherewithall to become acclimated to South Florida. We have friends that have relocated there, and it has worked out just fine, but there is a period of adjustment. We have spent many vacations in the Fort Meyers area, but that is always in the mid-April timeframe. Like a lot of people, we can be beach bums at times. From watching a few videos and talking to a few friends, I know that after a period of time in a place like South Florida, that a cool night in the 40s can feel downright chilly.
Best of Luck to You and Yours!!
We will be sure to read as much information as possible with regard to related threads here on CD, after which, please look for our new thread in the future on Single Family Homes in our prospective places of interest.
That is going to be a tough price range. You will also be paying HOA fees,in a condo. You really need to narrow down your choices, and visit, a few places, that have things that interest you.
For over 55 communities, there is a site called 55places.com, and has alot of communities, in every state.
Thank You for the tip on 55places.com!
We're suddenly leaning towards a SFH, but the condo thing has worked in the past, and may very well work again in the future.
The HOA Fees and Special Assessments are putting a shiver thru my spine just thinking about it. My wife was on the condo board, and that was a real eye-opener. We enjoyed our condo, but it will take everything adding up - location, price, taxes, etc - in order to go down that road again.
I'm certainly not closing the door on it by any means.
We appreciate that you took the time to send us the info, and yes, we will definitely be sure to put some boots on the ground for as long as possible before we make any definite decisions.
I'm from northeast TN and lived here most of my life. I also lived in the Midwest for several years. The big thing that I would caution you on with TN is that it is not as cheap as folks think it is, nor is it some kind of paradise.
First, WNC is likely going to be completely off-budget. You might be able to find something around Hickory, but that's not really WNC IMO.
Your budget will likely get you a ranch or split foyer that has had a few, maybe no, updates. It will likely get a bit more expensive the closer you get to Knoxville. I doubt you'll really be trading up much from whatever you currently have. That's an average home price around here.
Condos in the big city sense really aren't that big. You will find some, but they tend to be less "full service." I live in a townhome that is technically a PUD. All the HOA takes care of is landscaping, and they charge $15/month. I couldn't do it myself for that. There are similar arrangements like that with a low HOA, low service model.
Another thing to note, especially in rural areas, is that people often do not keep up their property to the standard you'd say in a suburb of a fairly decent size city. Poor landscaping, fridges on porches, junk cars, etc., are common sights in "the county." While you don't necessarily need an HOA to prevent that, an HOA will generally enforce a minimum level of property standards.
I used to live around Indianapolis. Overall, I'd say the cost of living around Indy is basically a wash with the nicer areas of east TN. Housing in the average suburbs around Indy is about even with Knoxville, maybe slightly cheaper. Groceries and basic consumables were much cheaper in Indy. Taxes in Knoxville/TN are fairly low. When I moved back to TN, my car insurance was about three times what it was in Indy. I save a good bit on income tax. If you're in the city limits for most decent sized cities in east TN, you will pay city and county property taxes, but that usually means discounts on things like city water and sewer service.
Keep in mind that places like Fairfield Glade and Tellico Village are largely retirement communities populated by middle class and above people, many of whom are not TN natives. Those kinds of places, along with golfing/lake communities, will offer a far different experience than if you were living in a community that has more local natives in it.
Southern IN will be your most rural, cheapest option. I really like Madison a lot. Spencer, Bloomington, Santa Claus are all nice places.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
