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We are retired (55 and 68) currently living in Phoenix, AZ. We want to include fishing and boating in our retirement, as well as try to find a better year round climate.
Our other priorities are an area that welcomes newcomers and, especially, seniors (we are very open to living in a 55+ community or a condo), availability of restaurants (especially ethnic), happy hours and bars, social activities that do not center on church.
As far as fishing, we just like catching lots of fish - no into tournaments or lunkers or any specific variety. Just hanging out on a boat and having fun. We would want a marina within about 15 minutes of our home as we are too old and lazy to trailer and launch the boat each time we want to use it.
I admit our initial sites were set on Florida, but after considering the cost of homeowners insurance, the long summer of humidity and the unavailability of health insurance for me, we've taken it off the plate. I suspect that NC is somewhat better for humidity, but will have similarly high HOI costs? We are also looking at Mobile/Fairhope, AL - but. . . well, let's just say I want to look at some other options before we pay for a plane ticket to visit for 10-14 days.
Thoughts, opinions and suggestions would be most appreciated.
Carteret County, aka as The Crystal Coast, may very well fit your wish list for the boating, fishing, friendliness, happy hours and lots of retired folks who have moved to the area from many parts of the country, but does lack a lot of ethnic restaurants, though this is slowly changing...
If you've not heard of a web site called Sperlings Best Places, you'll love it. It allows you to compare two cities in categories such as climate, cost of living, housing costs, health care, and such.
If you compare Morehead City NC with Fair Hope AL, you'll see MC comes out ahead on climate and COL compared to Fair Hope, but not as well in the crime you can compare any two cities you want to category...
Me? I love living in Carteret County, but then, I've never visited Fair Hope, but hear it's lovely...
Hard to choose, isn't it..
You may have a challenging first summer in either place while getting used to the humidity after AZ, but you will adjust--it helps to stay immersed in water in ocean or sound...and the water here is so lovely...
We were in a similar situation just a few years ago except not quite retired. I would suggest a serious look at the Crystal Coast – Morehead City / Beaufort / Atlantic Beach / Harkers Island. Cape Lookout / Core Banks host the closest approach of the Gulf Stream to the East Coast north of Florida keeping the winters mild and summers breezy. BTW, Cape Point Marina (Harkers Island) has a great service for trailer boating; you back the boat down the ramp and hop in. They launch the boat, park your car & trailer, and when you return they back your car / trailer down the ramp and you power up on the trailer. Can’t be beat! As you move east toward Harkers Island the social scene diminishes somewhat, but we have been warmly accepted by some great down-to-earth people. We don’t live there full time yet, but we are invited to beach gatherings of 25 or more several time per season, and local social gathering of 50 or more for barbeques, clam bakes, etc. The areas to the east are a small boater’s paradise; very few large boat wakes to contend with and great fishing within a few miles of the beach.
I won’t offer this as advice (some will disapprove) but it can be very difficult to review potential homes and properties long distance and maximize your trips to the area. We chose to deal with listing agents only on properties; they know what they are selling better then anyone and it greatly improves response time for inquiries. We checked the MLS virtually every day and developed a firm understanding of the real estate personality. Even in this economy prime properties can sell fast; our retirement home was only on the market for 8-days. The broker/agent who managed our purchase contributed to our bottom line to help close the deal since they were both listing and selling broker/agents.
Best wishes,
Last edited by Islandjoy; 09-18-2011 at 05:03 PM..
We were in a similar situation just a few years ago except not quite retired. I would suggest a serious look at the Crystal Coast – Morehead City / Beaufort / Atlantic Beach / Harkers Island. Cape Lookout / Core Banks host the closest approach of the Gulf Stream to the East Coast north of Florida keeping the winters mild and summers breezy. BTW, Cape Point Marina (Harkers Island) has a great service for trailer boating; you back the boat down the ramp and hop in. They launch the boat, park your car & trailer, and when you return they back your car / trailer down the ramp and you power up on the trailer. Can’t be beat! As you move east toward Harkers Island the social scene diminishes somewhat, but we have been warmly accepted by some great down-to-earth people. We don’t live there full time yet, but we are invited to beach gatherings of 25 or more several time per season, and local social gathering of 50 or more for barbeques, clam bakes, etc. The areas to the east are a small boater’s paradise; very few large boat wakes to contend with and great fishing within a few miles of the beach.
I won’t offer this as advice (some will disapprove) but it can be very difficult to review potential homes and properties long distance and maximize your trips to the area. We chose to deal with listing agents only on properties; they know what they are selling better then anyone and it greatly improves response time for inquiries. We checked the MLS virtually every day and developed a firm understanding of the real estate personality. Even in this economy prime properties can sell fast; our retirement home was only on the market for 8-days. The broker/agent who managed our purchase contributed to our bottom line to help close the deal since they were both listing and selling broker/agents.
Best wishes,
Thanks - great points. We would, almost certainly, rent for 3-6 months before purchasing. And truthfully, long term renting has a pretty big appeal these days.
A question: in these areas that you mention, I'm guessing that I should expect to pay $3,000-$10,000/year on homeowner's insurance, yes?
Now you ask a more difficult question. I mention Morehead City / Beaufort / Atlantic Beach / Harkers Island because they represent a complete cross-section of the Crystal Coast. For the area in total your numbers are probably pretty good. On the low side we choose to purchase out of the flood zone and for $0.5M property $3000 will more than cover both homeowners and flood insurance. Unfortunately there are very few ‘X’ zones in Carteret County. Harkers Island is an odd twist of nature; only 3-miles behind the barrier islands (all of which are in flood zones like Atlantic Beach) yet there are places on HI 16 feet above sea-level. I’m not sure what $10,000 will purchase [insurance wise] on Atlantic Beach.
Last edited by Islandjoy; 09-19-2011 at 04:09 PM..
Thank you all. You've given me a good list to get started with.
I'll be back with more specific questions as I whittle it down.
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Try the Crystal Coast
