Men and Women retiring alone to a new city/state -- where will you go and why? (payments, cancer)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by Tesaje

I was a little kid in Berthoud, just south of Loveland. ...

I took a peek at my remaining S&P500 fund and was shocked at how little of it is left. Grim Good luck with your house sale endeavor. It doens't seem like a good time for that.

Berthoud, population 1110, "Garden spot of Colorado" (so the sign said when I was a kid)

We probably bumped into each other at Straightway Market, A&W, Valley Farm Dairy, Derby Hill, Johnson's Corner or the county fair. I frequented those spots in the '60's One of my best friend's family owned Straightway Market in the early 70's. It is really a nice (quiet) spot now that the highway bypasses to the north. A few really nice homes around the park. A very good choice for retirement place, but... you have to drive for shopping / employment (which we will probably be doing a lot of)

I'm currently looking to re-balance my accounts and take advantage of an 'uptick'. Lots of carnage comparing last Oct (2007) statements. ouch!

The house will go on the block in May 2009 (I hope). I graduate my 'retraining' program then, and my adjustable rate indexes from current 4.125%. I chose to return to college (and be paid to do so) after getting laid off 6 wks prior to retirement eligibility (after 32 yrs of service).

It's been 3 yrs now, no pension, medical coverage is sorely missed, but... I don't miss working ! and filling to pockets of CEO. (I note my ex-CEO is a McCain Finance Advisor, after she wrecked two perfectly good companies) She likes to 'double-down' and is spending my retirement pension in Monte Carlo, when not advising for politicians I'll get over it - On to Chapter 53 for me - I am looking very seriously at co-housing, and may do a 'senior housing' (sustainable/ affordable / aging in place, aging in community) project for my thesis.

... Colorado .... When I lived there -- I know this sounds morbid, ... I used to sort through the periodicals and collect stories of all the people killed by lightning strikes! And there were a lot! It was common practice to hike earlier in the day, because by 4 p.m., the clouds and storms would roll in for about an hour, and you didn't want to be caught in them. With the elevation so high, and all the rocks as conductors of electricity, there were many tragedies.

Wow, I'm glad I wasn't one of your research statistics. I remember those afternoon storms, b'cuz I worked swing shift and was usually heading to work. We did a lot of hiking and biking in the National Park, I remember the fear of having one of those archaic aluminum framed backpacks (great antenna) strapped on and the flashes all around. We made the very unintelligent decision to hike over the Continental Divide from Bear Lake to Grand Lake and got stuck on a high, bare ridge during a storm. We tossed our packs under some rocks and laid down a LONG ways away from them for 1/2 hr. One day we were doing a hair cut near Berthoud and watched the afternoon storm start 7 fires along the range near Carter Lake.

RE: SAD in the PNW, definately a good warning. This place must consume the highest per capita of anti-depressants, (But I hear it is actually Utah !). There are areas in the PNW where you can 'escape'. I take lots of $39 flights to Sacramento (I'll have to venture up to Chico to check it out) and at least one trip to Colorado during the winter. My hobbies are changing so I spend less 'mandantory' time outdoors during the winter. Where we live (very high wind) the weather changes frequently, so that variety helps, but.... I am hoping to only endure one more entire winter here. Humidity seems about right during the summers, and good cool sleeping weather. If you get to hot, a drive to the coast will chill your bones.

[Wisteria]

Janb:

I'm currently looking to re-balance my accounts and take advantage of an 'uptick'. Lots of carnage comparing last Oct (2007) statements. ouch!

The house will go on the block in May 2009 (I hope). I graduate my 'retraining' program then, and my adjustable rate indexes from current 4.125%. I chose to return to college (and be paid to do so) after getting laid off 6 wks prior to retirement eligibility (after 32 yrs of service).

It's been 3 yrs now, no pension, medical coverage is sorely missed, but... I don't miss working ! and filling to pockets of CEO. (I note my ex-CEO is a McCain Finance Advisor, after she wrecked two perfectly good companies) She likes to 'double-down' and is spending my retirement pension in Monte Carlo, when not advising for politicians I'll get over it - On to Chapter 53 for me - I am looking very seriously at co-housing, and may do a 'senior housing' (sustainable/ affordable / aging in place, aging in community) project for my thesis.

Oh, Janb, that is awful!!

I'm so sorry. Oh, I just can't even bear to think about it. My dad worked at Bethlehem Steel, and got out just in time with his pension -- a couple of years later, and lots of people lost big! I am so sorry to hear that.

Yes, senior co-housing sounds great. Unfortunately, most of the places I've checked into seem to be pretty pricy -- they seem (to me) more geared toward couples, rather than singles who take a hit with only one income.

You know, we have some mighty smart women here. If any were willing, we could coordinate getting together -- via internet, conference calls, etc., -- and maybe find some .... hahahaha, Janb .... federal funding for a single seniors co-housing plan! (Get your money back somehow!)

I don't think you can even sue these companies...can you? It is really criminal behavior. Now, the CEO is an "advisor?" Advising what? On how to get away with murder? Oh, man, that riles me!

Glad to hear you are on a new track, though. Doing something with the senior population is a smart way to go. There are sure a lot of us!!

Keep us posted on your project -- it could lead to some very constructive developments!

[ConeyIsBabe]

After retiring and moving out west, my friend and I rented an old Victorian house in the city of Napa in the Napa Valley CA for 1 year, because my friend had family who lived there.

My friends mother was in her 80s and lived in some sort of state-subsidized housing development -- consisting of brand new two-story, two-family homes. I believe there were several homes on the property.... which was just a few blocks from downtown Napa - within walking distance to everything. As I recall, it was very, very affordable to her - rent based on income with the rest subsidized, for low-income seniors. She had a beautiful 1-bedroom apartment downstairs, with a porch.

This was in 2002. I wonder if those same state-sponsored programs still exist ???

[Tesaje]

As far as thunderstorms go, Colorado Springs is the number two spot in the nation for the most thunderstorms - beat out only by Florida. Every day at 3:30-4:30 from spring til fall. I remember the first time we saw our house there, there was 6 inches of pea sized hail everywhere - looked like winter.

I left Berthoud in 1965. You might have seen my older sister at the A&W or the Wayside Inn. She was a waitress there in high school and stayed in the area. Might even have seen you at Carter Lake - we were there a lot.

That's exactly what I thought when I saw Fiorina at the Rep convention - a financial adviser when she was a failed CEO, forced out of HP after destroying one of the best companies ever? Not smart.

[Windwalker2]

Hi, I'm new to the group. I've read some though not all of the prior messages. It was really exciting to actually find a forum for single women planning to retire to some place new, as I am hoping to do. I've lived in Southern Arizona for 26 years, and am finding the heat harder and harder to take, esp during the monsoon season. I'm looking for a place, probably in the Mountain West, with cooler summers and some snow, though preferably still sunny, not the long gloomy winters I knew in the Midwest and East. I'm hoping to move in 2 or 3 years, depending partly on the economy and real estate market. I live in a rural area now and feel I would rather be in closer to other people as I get older, so I'm looking at smaller cities.

[nancy thereader]

Welcome to our forum, terry.

[Wisteria]

Welcome, Terry! Do I know what you mean about Arizona, as I lived in Phoenix. Where are you looking at for retirement? Any cities or states that particularly interest you?

With the economy, like many others, I'm just laying low and biding my time. It's a shame it's gone down like this, however, I guess it's better that I didn't retire earlier with little to find I even have less after retirement. I guess another year or two of work can help, not hurt. I'm just playing it by ear.

So, let's hear where you're looking at, Terry! We may be able to get groups together in the various areas, so that we have an immediate support system -- that would be ideal.

Thanks, and welcome!

[Windwalker2]

The places I'm looking at right now are northern New Mexico, Ft. Collins, Missoula, and maybe drier areas of Oregon. Grand Junction and Montrose were briefly possibilities.

I'd really like to go to Santa Fe, but don't think I can afford to live there.

[popcorn247]

Originally Posted by TerryC11

The places I'm looking at right now are northern New Mexico, Ft. Collins, Missoula, and maybe drier areas of Oregon. Grand Junction and Montrose were briefly possibilities.

I'd really like to go to Santa Fe, but don't think I can afford to live there.

May I ask why you decided against Grand Junction?

[Windwalker2]

Originally Posted by plantlover

May I ask why you decided against Grand Junction?

Gas drilling going on around there will change it too much