A Pretty place to live in retirement (55, friendly, friend)
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For us living in a place that was right for us was our priority. Socially, recreationally, spiritually and a place we found beautiful. Taxes? Who cares! I'd rather be content than save a few bucks.
We live not too far from Yosemite. So yes, living in a beautiful place that is also right for us is where we live.
One of my hobbies is photography so the scenic factor was important. I live in a high desert locale but can be up in the mountain pines in about a half hour.
We live in one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in the Rocky Mountains in a small town. Everything is massively expensive and we have to drive 60 miles one way to another state to get decent fruits and vegetables that last longer than three days. The library puts five year old books in the new book section and the restaurants and service are really poor. Housing prices are extremely high and traffic gets very slow and congested when the tourists arrive. The weather is gorgeous and it is a photographer's dream with amazing outdoor recreation opportunities but it isn't the right place for us.
Watching a TV show the other day it hit me. I've been putting some of my priorities in the wrong order. I put a high priority on things like low taxes, crime, cost of living, and weather, just like lots of you. But it hit me the other day that I really need someplace with pretty scenery that I really like. So priorities changed.
How about you all. How much is pretty scenery, like mountains or green forests. Everyone on TV seems to want a ocean view from their living room, but that's pretty expensive and definitely out of my price range. Plus, I don't really care for the beach all that much.
Anyone else decide to ignore "common sense" factors and just go for what "I want?"
You can move to either East Tawas, or Tawas City Michigan (sister cities). Buy a lakefront house on Lake Huron for about $300k or so. The surrounding area is very pretty, and being on Lake Huron, you might just as well be on the ocean!
Non lakefront houses can go from $20k and UP as high as you'd like! Yes, that's $20 THOUSAND dollars for a house that's (just) livable, though the median price range for the average house is $60k~ in that area.
There's typically no real BIG difference in a house going for $120k OR $300k+ except for whether it's lakefront or not.
Low crime, low cost of living, has a hospital, and people are really nice. The only real downside, is Winter. If you must have 70 degrees and higher all the time, then it won't work out for you.
Only you can decide what is a "pretty place." I know a lot of people who see beauty in a desert landscape; it's not for me. I like an area that has four seasons, with lots of blooming trees, shrubs, and bulbs in the spring, plenty of green in the summer, and spectacular foliage color in the fall. Rolling hills, plenty of open space, farms with livestock.
We've discussed the perfect retirement spot over and over and over. For us, it's right where we are, in a rural area of southeastern PA that is still only 45 minutes from Philadelphia. When we travel, we're always happy to come back to our own little corner of the U.S., which we think is one of the prettiest we've ever seen.
Scenery is very important to me. I used to live in Southern CA and would be blown away by certain vistas, every time I saw them. I now live on the Gulf coast of FL near lots of turquoise water, white sand and palm trees. When I went up north (back home) in the winter, the sight of bare trees was depressing. But when I was home in the spring, everything was emerald-green -- much greener than FL -- azaleas and rhodies were in bloom. Every area (well, most areas) have their own appeal, but given the choice, I'll take year-round lushness, warmth and palm trees.
I find the Mountain West area I've chosen has never lost its zing for beauty. I don't want to travel much if at all, and I know as one gets older, you're home more. The thought of seeing one of the most beautiful vistas in the world when I step outside or buy a quart of milk down the street is worth a lot to me.
I don't mind winter if I don't have to drive to work in bad weather, and have always lived about an hour or so from the East Coast beaches and haven't been to one in years. I could never see the ocean again and be quite OK with it. That makes me a cheap date for sure.
Yep, every time I go to the grocery store, to work, lots of places I get some pretty nice views of the foothills, watch them smoke during the right weather, haven't gotten tired of it yet! A creek, and a field full of wildlife outside my door. Great weather most of the year round is a bonus.
Watching a TV show the other day it hit me. I've been putting some of my priorities in the wrong order. I put a high priority on things like low taxes, crime, cost of living, and weather, just like lots of you. But it hit me the other day that I really need someplace with pretty scenery that I really like. So priorities changed.
How about you all. How much is pretty scenery, like mountains or green forests. Everyone on TV seems to want a ocean view from their living room, but that's pretty expensive and definitely out of my price range. Plus, I don't really care for the beach all that much.
Anyone else decide to ignore "common sense" factors and just go for what "I want?"
Priorities for wife (wife retired 2 years ago and I may soon retire) and I are proximity to grandkids in Seattle, reasonable cost, access to decent hospital and medical services, good biking trails, decent climate, decent restaurants and services. We are buying a house being built in Richland, WA. Beautiful was a want and not a need for us..we can always vacay in gorgeous areas.
One place we seriously considered was Medford, Or. that has 4 seasons, gets enough rain to grow trees, gets the most sun of anywhere in the PNW, is not expensive. It was a bit of a drive to Seattle though which is the biggest reason we didn't decide to move there.
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