If you were retiring and leaving the Bay, where would you go? (San Diego: sales)

[DMenscha]

I'm doing market research and I'm just curious what qualities those of you reaching retirement are looking for. Examples would be; proximity to family, quality of life, proximity to medical care, cost of housing, etc.

Anything else you can think of would be great! TIA

[AA702]

A lot of retirees choose AZ for its proximity to CA, cheap housing and great medical care. But if it was me, I would choose FL.. I just love the west coast of FL.. to me it has the best beaches in the US ouside Hawaii.

[humboldtrat]

Why would I leave?? I like it here.

[tabithaP]

The Oregon coast or Bend Oregon: I love the Pacific Northwest. It is a lot cheaper than the Bay Area but you are still close to CA, and WA, I lived in Seattle for 8 years and I loved it. Also it is only a day’s drive to Vancouver BC, which is my favorite city of all time.


But since I live in the Bay Area I will never be able to retire.

[fizbin]

Originally Posted by tabithaP

But since I live in the Bay Area I will never be able to retire.

I'll be able to retire, but only if I move away from the Bay Area!

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by DMenscha

I'm doing market research and I'm just curious what qualities those of you reaching retirement are looking for. Examples would be; proximity to family, quality of life, proximity to medical care, cost of housing, etc.

Anything else you can think of would be great! TIA

Yes -- to all of them. All of the reasons we're looking at moving back to Pittsburgh PA when we retire. Our families are back there -- more importantly MY family since my husband's family doesn't communicate at all.

I miss a traditional fall. I miss McConnell's Mills. There's no other place like that. Pennsylvania State Parks - McConnells Mill - PA DCNR

Pittsburgh medical care is very highly ranked -- lots of teaching hospitals, lots of research.

I can get a 3-4 bedroom ranch house on 3/4 acre lot (don't laugh -- I love ranch homes) with a finished gameroom style basement for around 200K. If I stay out of Allegheny County, my property taxes won't be that bad. Property taxes in PA are high if you look at the tax vs worth thing, but if you bought a house out here at Bay Area Prices you wouldn't necessarily think so -- the amounts are similar.

There is art and culture in Pittsburgh, although you wouldn't think so. You have to know where to go. Lots of antiquing, real honest to god yard sales where you can find real treasures and then sell them on EBay. (hubby's hobby).

Grocery stores filled with GROCERIES. Not half filled with sundries.

Downside -- food prices don't seem much different. But I didn't bring my price book to compare. Around Cranberry Township (where I'm from and would like to go back to) growth is rampant and unchecked -- and not very well planned. Local news is often gloomy and depressing. There is more racial tension there -- although I'm not sure if I wasn't made so aware of it out here that I would have picked up on it there. And there is more segregation there.

In Allegheny County there seems to be loads of violence -- on the par of what we see out here... but once again, if you avoid the places that have the violence you can avoid the violence.

And this may seem crazy, and I can't explain it -- the poor people there seem poorer. And the poor sections seem poorer. There are houses in bad areas that are worth $700.00. Seven Hundred Dollars. So even the land in the poor areas isn't worth anything.

We are also looking at Maryland and Ohio and West Virginia.

Our time line for moving has been pushed farther out because our house won't sell till the market recovers, and we're youngish (48), and goal for retirement was 50. Hubby isn't sure he wants to retire. Me -- I'd stop tomorrow if we hit our magic number (investments, not lottery!). Magic number is on target for 2009.

[fizbin]

We are currently thinking of someplace off the I-5 corridor in Oregon. We like the idea of the warmer sunnier weather and culture of the Ashland area, but are also attracted to the wine country area of the Willamette Valley. We are going to be in Eugene next year for two weeks for an event I am attending. The wife’s job while we are there is to drive around and scout areas that she thinks she will like. We still have at least five years to figure this thing out.

[18Montclair]

I plan on living in a condo in The City.

Maybe a place in Hawaii or Mexico for the winter.

[jmz707]

Cabo San Lucas...or San Diego