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Anyone consider moving to the middle of the US? Am looking into Columbia, MO which is just 385miles from Chicago, where my son and fam live. Anyone have any opinions about Columbia?? I posted on the MO forum but no one answered (yet). U of Missouri, great Osher program, 17% senior population and 4 seasons. Hot and humid in summer. But it can't be worse than Phoenix for heat.
Anyone else considering climate change in their decisions? I am. Or at least I'm trying to.
One, I don't want to move somewhere and contribute to the stress and damage to nature any more than is already happening.
Two I don't want to be elderly and have to deal with 2 more months of winter than planned, or harder winters or well drying up etc.
Which of course leads me to, where are the problem areas? Hard to get good data on that. Weather patterns can shift depending on global patterns.
It just seems irresponsible to move to areas with known water shortages etc.
I am looking at climate but I figure it won't be much different in my lifetime. My "warm enough" line has creeped up the Florida coast a little and I won't consider extremely low elevation areas.
Looks like I will have to ramp up my search. My apt complex is under new property management and they are all business and "by the book". Got notified that we will now be charged for water, trash and sewer (which is fine) except I have heard the company they are using has a lot of serious complaints against it (like how do we know what we are being billed is actually correct?) and the cost will add probably another $100 to my budget. We won't know until we actually start getting billed how bad it will be. I know this is a trend all over the US now so I wasn't totally surprised but the amount was more than I thought it would be.
Also, the rents are being increased substantially. I haven't gotten my notice yet but one person I know had theirs increased $700. They were definitely underpaying but $700 is a lot to absorb. I'm guessing mine will be around $250, which is bad enough. I can't sustain these kinds of increases in the future, but I feel pretty much backed into a corner to pay it for another year until I can make a move that is well planned out. Feeling sad today because I've lived here a long time and have some good friends/neighbors here and eventually we will all go our separate ways.
Free advice, if you are going to rent in retirement, don't move to any of the major metro areas, and definitely not California, because rents are skyrocketing (mainly because of gentrification IMHO) or any of the "in" places to move because this is happening in a lot of places. The middle class is being pushed out. But I've had a good run here and I guess this is motivating me to take the next step. I'm feeling scared too because as I've gotten a little older now, I realize moving somewhere by myself is going to be hard. But I just have to take it one day at a time, one step at a time.
Looks like I will have to ramp up my search. My apt complex is under new property management and they are all business and "by the book". Got notified that we will now be charged for water, trash and sewer (which is fine) except I have heard the company they are using has a lot of serious complaints against it (like how do we know what we are being billed is actually correct?) and the cost will add probably another $100 to my budget. We won't know until we actually start getting billed how bad it will be. I know this is a trend all over the US now so I wasn't totally surprised but the amount was more than I thought it would be.
Also, the rents are being increased substantially. I haven't gotten my notice yet but one person I know had theirs increased $700. They were definitely underpaying but $700 is a lot to absorb. I'm guessing mine will be around $250, which is bad enough. I can't sustain these kinds of increases in the future, but I feel pretty much backed into a corner to pay it for another year until I can make a move that is well planned out. Feeling sad today because I've lived here a long time and have some good friends/neighbors here and eventually we will all go our separate ways.
Free advice, if you are going to rent in retirement, don't move to any of the major metro areas, and definitely not California, because rents are skyrocketing (mainly because of gentrification IMHO) or any of the "in" places to move because this is happening in a lot of places. The middle class is being pushed out. But I've had a good run here and I guess this is motivating me to take the next step. I'm feeling scared too because as I've gotten a little older now, I realize moving somewhere by myself is going to be hard. But I just have to take it one day at a time, one step at a time.
When I read your other post about the rent increase I did not realize the increase was $700 +/-. I thought it was going "up to" $700. So yes, that is a formidable increase and I would never be able to afford that. I'm sorry you are being pushed out by that, especially when you like it so much and have lived there a long time. It is pretty scary what "they" can do to rents and other living expenses. I've never had to pay "extra" for water, trash, sewer but I'll be paying some if not all of that when I make my move to Winston-Salem. Living in central NY I have always felt it was too expensive here, but now am wondering if I am going from pot to fire. Good thing I like the area. My one consolation is I could always move again, tho I would not look forward to it.
Good luck to you loveautumn. I'm sure you will get through this and as you say, one step at a time.
Just to clarify, I don't know what my rent increase is yet but based on the complex website published current rents, it would likely be at least $250+ and the utilities (which combined is bad enough) but it could be up to $500. I don't know really what they are basing the increases on except what the current market will bear (which is high). Someone I know had theirs increased $700 but I learned he was way below market but never had any improvements to his unit. So it will be a lot more than we all expected one way or the other (past increases have been around $50). And, looking forward, increases like this every year just isn't doable.
My current rent is $1425 for a 1/1 but I've lived here 20 years, my unit has not been upgraded or even painted for that matter. Yes, I definitely do think they want people, especially long term ones, to leave so they can completely upgrade the units and charge top market dollar.
Funny, I've been checking out the Winston-Salem area for awhile too. What do you like about it, pros and cons? When are you moving? Maybe we'll end up being neighbors! My family lives in western NY State and I always thought it was a relative reasonable COL area, but then they have the bad cold and snow...the cold really being worse than the snow, so I get why you would want to relocate!
Last edited by loveautumn; 06-05-2015 at 01:59 PM..
Reason: add information
Just to clarify, I don't know what my rent increase is yet but based on the complex website published current rents, it would likely be at least $250+ and the utilities (which combined is bad enough) but it could be up to $500. I don't know really what they are basing the increases on except what the current market will bear (which is high). Someone I know had theirs increased $700 but I learned he was way below market but never had any improvements to his unit. So it will be a lot more than we all expected one way or the other (past increases have been around $50). And, looking forward, increases like this every year just isn't doable.
My current rent is $1425 for a 1/1 but I've lived here 20 years, my unit has not been upgraded or even painted for that matter. Yes, I definitely do think they want people, especially long term ones, to leave so they can completely upgrade the units and charge top market dollar.
Funny, I've been checking out the Winston-Salem area for awhile too. What do you like about it, pros and cons? When are you moving? Maybe we'll end up being neighbors! My family lives in western NY State and I always thought it was a relative reasonable COL area, but then they have the bad cold and snow...the cold really being worse than the snow, so I get why you would want to relocate!
My first glance of Winston-Salem was when I was driving home from FL. I was on Rt. 95 and saw a sign..... mountains of NC (or something like that). So I took the exit and had a beautiful ride through that area. When I saw all of the trees (I love trees) and how lush the greenery was I knew that it was where I wanted to be.
I came down a few months later for a week and tried to see a lot of NC which was a bit too much.... did a lot of driving. Came down a few weeks ago to check out apartments and had more than a few disappointments. I came home and wrote a post about maybe not moving because in my (low) price range, I could not find anything decent.
Another poster who has been on this a long time and has at other times helped me with questions, responded to me and told me about a complex I had not seen while I was there. I'm driving there next Tuesday to finish the paperwork, view an apartment (1/1 on 2nd floor) and then drive back so I can get going on packing, etc. My lease here is done 8/31/15. I'm hoping to move in 9/1 or 9/2.
I'm retired and retirement money not great. But want out of NY for several reasons, some personal. But the weather is a big factor. And the mountains.
I'm hoping to move into Sherwood Station apartments. But in my searching there are many places in your price range that I think you may like a lot, too. Seems quite a few in the downtown area.
Do you live in California? Is there a rent board for your city? In SF they cannot raise rents more than 5% per year unless they jump through some hoops to make the building condos or owner-occupied or something like that.
Quote:
Free advice, if you are going to rent in retirement, don't move to any of the
major metro areas, and definitely not California, because rents are skyrocketing
(mainly because of gentrification IMHO) or any of the "in" places to move
because this is happening in a lot of places.
All well and good, but you never know where the next "in" place will be. My work moved us to Tennessee since it was cheap. Well, now Nashville is the new "in" place and rents and the cost of buying a house have skyrocketed. I lucked out buying near the bottom in a not-quite-yet gentrified area and now houses have shot up and sell in days. So, it's hard to predict.
Good luck. Hopefully your rent won't get raised too much.
I'm in MD now, just because that's were my career took me.
But I'm retiring back in PA, tot he paid off family home. Can't wait to retire mortgage free.
AND PA happens to be a state that doesn't tax retirement income...so a double plus.
I'm in MD now, just because that's were my career took me.
But I'm retiring back in PA, tot he paid off family home. Can't wait to retire mortgage free.
AND PA happens to be a state that doesn't tax retirement income...so a double plus.
Where in PA if I can ask? (I'm from Pgh. area originally)
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