Wisteria
It actually is not that difficult to do.
First it is best to actually know what you really want. Or the inverse exactly what you don't want. Very few places are perfect it is all a game of tradeoffs.
I have been in all 50 states and lived in a bunch of them, been all over the World. Came down to Boston had been home base for 34 years. I had a good career as an engineer there and later as a contractor who owned a nice business, was happy for the first twenty years or so. Big housing boom, had a lot of equity in a house I fully owned. Boston and all that became a zoo, I came to hate. Negatives coming out your ears, time to get out. I basically planned it out based on when the house prices would peak. Escape time.
For once in your life what do you really want, no restrictions.
About a ten years process as I seriously thought about it and researched it based on a set of criterion.
First I eliminated a lot of places based on no natural disasters or weather extremes. Eliminated a lot of others based on crime, living costs, taxes, government trying to regulate your life. I got it down to a pocket of states, like 10 of so.
Whittled that down to 5 prime locations in only 3 states. Ohio came the primary focus after a while. I was born and raised here, have relatives here, lived in a number of locations in the state before going out to see the World. Is a varied state with many choices, moderate in hassles and regulations, can be extremely safe, can be one of the lowest cost of living areas without being totally way out in the boonies. Ohio has many advantages as another home base to establish a residence but be able to leave and not have to spend the entire year in one location.
I was totally done with any big cities and all their problems. Something more rural but close enough to be connected to the Big World if desired. Places like Adams, Athens or Monroe Counties Ohio. Well placed to have the goodies in easy reach, good locations to get somewhere else in reasonable time. Very moderate four seasons. Can be extremely cheap real estate by a national standard. Eventually I picked Monroe County, bought a 24K fixer just to have a place to move too. The interest on the money from the sale of the shack in Boston has already fully paid me back the purchase price. In a few months should have it pretty well totally rehab'd. Basically got what I intended originally. The good planning paid off.
At some point I may move again to something a little more fancy, build my own home from scratch, lots of options. Maybe even a small baby farm. Open to many possible choices but most would probably remain in Ohio. Lot of people move to Monroe from the more Northern counties in Ohio to retire because of the least hassles, lower costs, better weather. They can make it work because the difference in real estate is substantial even within Ohio. A way to cash out the house again.
The entire region of western PA, some of WV, most of southern Ohio can be prime hunting grounds if you want a safer, less conjested, lower cost, saner lifestyle which has most of the basics needed. PA tends to have a lot more regulations like CA, WV can be a bit tricky too in attempting to run your life. One nice area just over the line in Ohio from Pittsburgh is Columbiana County. Lots of inflow of people from PA, my sister lives there, tries to get me to move to the area. It varies a lot county by county in Ohio as to the Rules and Regs, taxes, costs, etc. I like visiting there, probably won't move anytime in the near future, a lot more costly, weather not as good.
I have come to the conclusion no one place will meet every need, so want the option to travel a lot more. Recently got a new car, very nice economical, can do 40 MPH, no more flying for me. Will probably spend a couple of months in Florida most winters. About to depart on that adventure soon for this year.
To me it is all about having a zillion options for the rest of my life. Also way to many of them "Hot Spots" that everybody wants to run to is a repeat of the same game over and over. If too many people want Paradise, pretty soon it ain't Heaven any more.
If there is any secret to the process, know exactly what you want or what will make you happy. Very easy to buy into an illusion, grass can be greener but you must be realistic. Also takes a while to settle into a new lifestyle / place, the entire reason you are leaving the last place is not to replace it with something similar.
I'm pretty happy how it all worked out for me. If I had to do it over, would have to do the same choices for all the same set of reasonings. You do need a selection process that makes sense and you understand the lil why's involved.
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Carbondale, IL
