All Over the Map with Retirement Location (pension, relocating, conversation)
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.
I vote for a wall map, a blindfold and a dart. Those would seem to work as well as worrying the issue to death.
Well, it's not always a worrying issue. It can be a creative endeavor that also takes one's mind off of aches and pains and the tax bill due. Looking for that next best place can be an all consuming thing, better than fighting with your partner over who's going to take out the trash, even better and more wholesome than reading trashy novels and for some who are into porn, even better than that (spouses take note: take your mate's mind off of all that and put it to full time use searching for the next best place to live). Think of it in a positive light! With thanks to C-D forum for allowing us to indulge in moving fantasies!
Well, it's not always a worrying issue. It can be a creative endeavor that also takes one's mind off of aches and pains and the tax bill due. Looking for that next best place can be an all consuming thing, better than fighting with your partner over who's going to take out the trash, even better and more wholesome than reading trashy novels and for some who are into porn, even better than that (spouses take note: take your mate's mind off of all that and put it to full time use searching for the next best place to live). Think of it in a positive light! With thanks to C-D forum for allowing us to indulge in moving fantasies!
It can definitely occupy your time. It certainly did mine during my first nine months of retirement as I indulged in the final winnowing-down of retirement location choices; ultimately homing-in on our present location.
It's not often in our lives that we get the chance to do what ever we want, but the options are enormous. Suggest renting in a number of places and find out what you like the best. I wanted excellent weather as my priority, being from the Midwest, I wanted out of winter.
It's not often in our lives that we get the chance to do what ever we want, but the options are enormous. Suggest renting in a number of places and find out what you like the best. I wanted excellent weather as my priority, being from the Midwest, I wanted out of winter.
yup, that's me...I am completely as a standstill as far as deciding anything...not even close. Last year at this time I had a list of maybe top 10 places I would really consider, and now I don't feel right about any of them. I get excited one week because I think I've settled on someplace and then change my mind. The more research I do, the harder it becomes, but I guess that's better than making a huge, costly mistake. It is kind of scary though because I really only have about 1-1/2 years left to come to a decision.
One of the biggest things is that in alot of ways I still see myself as younger and able to handle alot of things that I'm not sure I really could handle anymore. I guess that is why I am waffling much so I need to really do alot of soul searching when contemplating a place to live, to make sure it fits me at this new and unknown stage of my life. And it takes alot of being real honest and realistic with myself.
One of the toughest decisions is whether I could really handle hot, humid summers vs. cold winters. It seems most places in our country boil down to those 2 choices (and sometimes both of them). When I first start this "project" quite a few years ago, I didn't think weather would be as big a factor as it seems to have become...that's something I really need to work out. Especially when living someplace 5-10-15-20 years out.
Thank goodness for CD Forums and all the people here that really help in this journey.
I could have written this! I live in a cold winter region, hot/humid summers, and also in tornado alley. I'm ready for a change; however, I don't want to go from one extreme to the other weather-wise. Sure, I'd love a mild climate, but definitely can't afford San Diego or Santa Barbara type climates.
I had considered Sun City, AZ for quite some time, however, could I tolerate a really long/hot summer? And I'm not confident about buying a place as I could only afford the oldest and smallest units, plus am not eager to pay the initial $3k assessment fee (there are rentals in the area of course). And it's recommended one rent for some time before buying anyway.
My financial situation is not going to allow me to move and then change my mind after I get there and move to another state. If I move, it'll have to be a one-shot deal...and unless I've visited a location several times (in the worst of the weather season) it's a crap shoot as to whether or not I'll like it.
Being solo, there is also the issue of the logistics of getting to a new spot. Sell what I own and start from scratch or pay a professional moving company to haul my stuff at around $3-4k? And do I sell my car, fly to the new location and buy a car there? I'm a chicken as far as driving by myself long distances.
There are many times I 'think' I'm ready to make a decision, but then I back off and end up back at square one again. Until I can feel as close to 100% positive as possible about any new place, I'm staying put.
I agree that if you're stressing out about it, it's not worth worrying over. No place is going to be perfect and at the same time lots of places will work out just fine as long as you have your basic needs covered and you make a decision to be happy there.
For us, this process isn't stressful, it's fun. This is the one time in our life that we get to choose where to live. Plus, checking out little towns has put a new spin on vacations.
When it stops being fun we'll probably decide it's time to take the plunge and choose one. The trick at that point is to resist second guessing your choice. That's the path to misery, IMO.
Because life changes constantly, what we think we want to do in retirement may not be what we actually do.
For many years I thought I'd be retiring to Mexico. But where I want to live in Mexico is now situated in area experiencing increasing levels of violence and crime. And I've had some health challenges, and this town is bout 6 hours from the next best hospital.
My current thoughts, this past year or two, have been focusing on S. Florida and Arizona, S. of Tucson. I think I understand the + and - of each.
And then there's the option of going to Ireland to live near my first cousins. I've been back enough to understand most of the + and -.
Depending on what happens with the economy and my finances, I could enjoy staying put in Chicago for 1/2 the year and renting/wintering someplace warmer.
And, to toss a wild card into the game, I've started thinking seriously about buying an RV and traveling pretty much full time for 5 to 10 years post retirement, until assumed health problems cause me to stay close to "home," wherever that is.
So, yes, I've waffled back and forth, and I don't regret it. I still have 3-4 years before I plan to retire.
I'm single, so the decision making might be easier than for couples, and ones with children.
Being single can make it easier, but has other drawbacks. Concerns about isolation, no one to do stuff with, even no one to share the long drivings.
I love thinking and talking and reading about places, but oddly, don't feel like visiting only a few for vacation.
It is interesting to contemplate a clean start. We get so few "clean shots" in life, instead, most of the time we are reacting to the last shot, bouncing like we are off pinball bumpers. The first clean shot might be when we finish high school (if we do, and unencumbered). Of course, how many 18-year-olds can well use a clean shot? Odd that likely, we have the next best one at retirement.
Being single can make it easier, but has other drawbacks. Concerns about isolation, no one to do stuff with, even no one to share the long drivings.
For some people, you're right. I make friends easily, though. And I wouldn't retire/move to a place where I'd be by myself. I'm considering 55+ communities with lots of activities and opportunities to interact ... as much or as little as I want to. Living abroad is a greater challenge, but I speak Spanish and know Mexico pretty well. So, if I head that far south ... I don't worry about being too isolated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by brightdoglover
It is interesting to contemplate a clean start ... we have the next best one at retirement.
For many seniors, there will be no clean start - because of economic issues. I think many will feel constrained, restrained and not really free to act as they'd like. But I'm considering the time a renewal, the start of a new journey.
Yes, it's very costly to be visiting a number of places, so alot of us can't do that for financial reasons (me for one). That's one of the interesting things, I know when a location is a real contender when I'm willing to spend the $$$ to actually go there and check it out. So far, alot of places have fallen off the list because of that reality check. I actually do know several places where I would love to relocate but the rents are very high, so that defeats the purposes of moving for me.
The dart method has crossed my mind too, also just putting a bunch of names in a hat and pulling one out...
I do agree that if one has family around to help in old age, that is a very big plus. Just my opinion, but I think moving with a family is much easier because once you arrive you have your support system with you, as opposed to moving alone.
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.
It can definitely occupy your time. It certainly did mine during my first nine months of retirement as I indulged in the final winnowing-down of retirement location choices; ultimately homing-in on our present location.
