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Eight people — 3 couples and 2 singles —in our Hiking Club here in the Las Vegas valley have all decided to sell their homes in our 55+ community and buy places in the Knoxville, TN greater area. They have been very active in our community but real estate prices are more favorable there and the excited re-sale market has brought each a tidy profit, they are concerned about future water shortage in this area, they like the small town feel of the Telco Village/Maryville area, they like proximity to the Smokey Mountains, and they look forward to seeing green (vs. our desert environment). In addition, they feel our area has just gotten too congested.
I’ve been sad about them leaving….it started last year and over the course of the past 14 months each has decided to move. But, I also understand that life should be an adventure and they are all ready for the next thing. It happens. How fun that they will have built-in friends to hike with!
Here in Tellico Village we are getting a huge influx of people from out west, in addition to our usual flood of Wisconsin, New York, Michigan, and Illinois folks. Sigh. Soon we will have the congestion.
Anyone who claims that ultimate wisdom comes with age, and that they happen to possess it, has my sympathy. One of the best things you can do is to admit it when you're wrong. That decision is based on facing reality, but can be thwarted by ego.
My wife and I lived in a tiny crackerbox house on a tiny lot in CA for 25 years before retiring. We were always active, being avid kayak anglers (thus my screen name) among other pursuits, and had always dreamed of a nicer and larger house on a lake. We sold our house in 2019 and moved to SC, buying a huge lake house on a huge lot for cash with 6 figures left over.
Now, 27 months later we have admitted our mistake(s, plural in nature). Our daughter, granddaughters, great granddaughter and new great grandson live over 4 hours away (mistake #1). We were determined to buy a house that was a single story, but fell in love with this 5 bedroom 3 bath home which has a walkout basement and a kids room above the garage (three stories, mistake #2). All the rooms are large and it's a flat walk to the lake to our covered dock and 5 boats, one pontoon, one bass, two kayaks, and one canoe.
The third mistake was underestimating the maintenance required for a lake home, especially at our ages of 68 and 69. I must say that hitting the trifecta isn't all it's cracked up to be.
We are selling the "new" house (25 years old) having put 18% of the purchase price into significant upgrades. We close within the week getting 52% more than we paid for it, so a net profit of 34% in a little more than 2 years. I would like to say that all this was due to my brilliant strategy, but I would be lying of course. We lucked out on the timing but hey, you have to strike when the iron is hot, or so they say.
The couple who are buying this wonderful house are about half our age, and we hope they'll build great memories here.
We're now moving to a 55+ community to another lakefront house, which closes in less than 2 weeks, where they do all the yard maintenance. The 3 year old single story house is fabulous and only 30 minutes away from our daughter and family. The purchase price is significantly lower than the price we got for the home we just sold.
Close to family, no more sweaty shirts several times a week from doing exhaustive yard work on 1.5 acres of land, and no more stairs to climb. 3 mistakes and 3 solutions brings me back to zero. Now, on to the next mistake!
I never would have bought that initial lake house but not claiming any prescient ability.
I just know staying close to family when you get along is the only reason to move.
Had two homes…one in TX and bought one in FL 9 yrs ago when our first (and only) grandchild was born.
Got lucky enough to find right kind of house next door to our daughter. Only reason I would buy house in FL, a state I don’t really like, is to be close to her family. Our son died in 2020 from cancer; no children from his marriage. My sister only immediate family and she lives 4 hrs away from TX house. Our friends are scattered…
So we decided to sell TX house and move to FL full time. Sold in good market and made profit even though we overpaid when we bought it originally…but thought it would be our last home at time.
Now my husband wants to buy land and build two homes, one for us and one for our daughter, so he can get newer home with better design features. Now in our FL area builders in developments are having lotteries for buyers to even get chance to buy lot to build on. Getting TWO lots in proximity is not possible so buying land is only option.
I don’t know if he is going to do this for price he wants. And frankly I wish my SIL would consider moving to area less likely to be damaged from climate change, but he refuses to consider it.
Last edited by loves2read; 11-21-2021 at 08:47 AM..
LOL. Couldn't break into the social scene
I did my MFA in Asheville. My kind of place.
What about those of us who consider the “social scene” too much like high school and dont’t rank that as high on our necessary list?
I think CoVid restrictions for past two years made it easier to cut ties in one place and move out of state. It had been a time of great emotional upheaval to us and moving (we hoped) would help buffer that distress… somewhat successfully…
My motto is that you can’t run from yourself… so moving is just new backdrop for yourself…
Maybe that is why some people can’t be happy after a move…
What about those of us who consider the “social scene” too much like high school and dont’t rank that as high on our necessary list?
I think CoVid restrictions for past two years made it easier to cut ties in one place and move out of state. It had been a time of great emotional upheaval to us and moving (we hoped) would help buffer that distress… somewhat successfully…
My motto is that you can’t run from yourself… so moving is just new backdrop for yourself…
Maybe that is why some people can’t be happy after a move…
If at all possible, I'd recommend that folks try to spend as much time in an area as possible before committing. I don't necessarily mean touristy things either.
Go to the local grocery stores. Sit in on a civic meeting. Walk neighborhoods.
I've spent tons of time in Asheville over the years. Now that I'm thinking of moving there, some of the things I do there have changed.
I've spoken before about the eerie quiet of our Scottsdale neighborhood and the neighbors who seem to barricade themselves in their homes lest somebody try to speak to them.
I would happily sell the Scottsdale house. We could make an all-cash offer elsewhere in an area where there is actual community. We might even get closer to stores and restaurants. (The nearest grocery store is two miles away.) My spouse, Dr. No, opposes it.
Yes, we made a mistake. But I don't see how we could have predicted this. You don't get a chance to interview your neighbors before you make that big down payment.
It’s easy to second guess yourself. We’re a few weeks from moving into our new home after moving at the end of March and honestly, I can’t predict the outcome. We may hate it.
Let me ask this: did you spend any time in the AZ forum here to at least attempt to determine if the neighborhood or area is friendly? In general, my gut tells me that it’s difficult to get comer to people when the homes have a greater distance between them and, esp in the metro area, when people go from their a/c homes to their a/c cars to their a/c jobs.
One of the decision factors in our area was the friendliness and helpfulness of the people. I heard that same theme from everyone that I spoke with before we started our home but, admittedly, after we purchased the land. I’ve also already attended two large neighborhood gatherings at a local farm and that same theme reverberates with every single person. “Let me know if you need anything.”
You pay your money, you take your chances. I’m sorry that it may not work out for anyone!
I hope to find a "forever" retirement home, but I won't necessarily spend a lot of time there until I can no longer travel and rent it out... That's the plan, anyway...
Let me ask this: did you spend any time in the AZ forum here to at least attempt to determine if the neighborhood or area is friendly?
Not so much in the AZ forum but lots in the Phoenix forum.
Quote:
In general, my gut tells me that it’s difficult to get comer to people when the homes have a greater distance between them and, esp in the metro area, when people go from their a/c homes to their a/c cars to their a/c jobs.
It certainly is. But if I had to choose between our current Cactus Acres location and The Villages, I'd stay put.
Quote:
One of the decision factors in our area was the friendliness and helpfulness of the people. I heard that same theme from everyone that I spoke with before we started our home but, admittedly, after we purchased the land. I’ve also already attended two large neighborhood gatherings at a local farm and that same theme reverberates with every single person. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Not always, I grant you, but that's often something people just say. I can't count the number of times I've heard "Let's do lunch sometime." Yet somehow I am still lunch-less.
Not so much in the AZ forum but lots in the Phoenix forum.
It certainly is. But if I had to choose between our current Cactus Acres location and The Villages, I'd stay put.
Not always, I grant you, but that's often something people just say. I can't count the number of times I've heard "Let's do lunch sometime." Yet somehow I am still lunch-less.
How many times have you called someone to schedule a lunch date?
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