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There's a remote chance I'll get a job offer in Hawaii (Kauai). We spent a year on Oahu and I've been to Kauai so I know I like the place. I have about 5 years until I retire. I know Hawaii isn't my forever home. I'm not in my forever home right now. I do have applications in areas that I know I could probably stay forever.
Here's the thing. Why not spend the end of my career in paradise then relocate to my forever home? But I can save more money if I go to my forever home right now. As a matter of fact, my pay grade would stay the same if I went to Hawaii but will increase if I go to my forever home.
C'mon! 5 years on Kauai? That would be a great way to end my career!
I need someone to make some sense of this. I have a good shot at both jobs. If I get an offer for Hawaii, I was thinking I could delay my start date and see if the other job makes me an offer...
There's no relocation expenses paid for either job. Which is how we got to Oahu and back to the Mainland. We paid.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Quality of life on Kauai is far superior to Oahu, (IMHO)
I would do the most enjoyable thing, a 'forever' home sounds like a REALLY long time...
Use your present wealth and health to adventure in areas that may be inaccessible in the near future. Being PAID to live in a nice location is a perk.
(I just completed a yr in Asia as my finale ) +/-, but not something I plan to repeat, or something I would have wanted to miss. Location / people were great... work stress was way too much to allow a 'wind-down'.)
BTW, My S-I-L ventured to Maui 35 yrs ago and has stayed. (with 10+ yrs on Kauai as well)
I would go to Kauai! Your "forever home" will be something you can work out when the time comes to think about "forever." But now -- seize the moment!
The older I get, the more I treasure those memories, especially when I knew those adventures were "unique" for me -- they would never be repeated (unlikely I would ever trek to those spots again).
We moved to our "forever" home about 10 years prematurely, because a job offer came up and the company paid the expenses. I won't say it was a mistake, but we quickly came to realize we had given up that part of our adventure a bit too soon. So I advise you from a place of experience.
Go to Kauai! None of us knows what the future is going to be, but you do know what you can do now. I would look for a home where I could easily age. Good luck in your decision but you only live once.
In retirement or close to retirement financial mistakes cannot be overcome. Research the costs of the move there and then the cost to relocate. Plus the total cost of living should you decide to stay. Do you have sufficient funds to spend the money without affecting your basic retirement program? Are there other areas such as special interests or hobbies that you would prefer to spend the money?
also a lot would depend upon if this is a career advantageous move. Also how the calculations would impact your retirement $.
For example, working for the government if I transferred to HI and ended my career then none of the locality pay would count toward my retirement. If I took another job in the US, that amount would count in total toward my retirement amount.
Putting aside the cost of the move, the distance and cost to see family, and high cost of living in HI, for me it would not have been a good financial decision so close to retirement.
Why make the forever home be somewhere you don't really want to live?
When I selected a permanent home, I was picking the area that I thought I would enjoy for the rest of my life. Hawaii was on my list, but wasn't in the top 3 locations.
If you have enough money, going to the island is fine. If you have less than a million saved for retirement, you need to be making more financially prudent moves. It's unfortunate, but many people place temporary enjoyment over long term stability and then cry when the stranger tells them to go eat cat food if they can't afford real food. Don't mortgage your retirement to live up a dream. Only go if you can actually afford the long term implications.
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