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I'll be looking to retire in 7 or so years and I'm debating whether I should stay where I am (So. NE) go back to my place of birth (upstate NY) or look elsewhere.
I don't think my body can take much more of the cold winters, though I do like the change of seasons. I've only been to FL once and that was at Christmastime 22 years ago (Ft. Myers and it seemed nice enough)
Ideally, I would like to live near a large body of water (lake or ocean) where the cost of living is relatively low. I would be interested in hearing from other retirees, and what prompted their decision to relocate and what impact that has had in terms of distance from other family members, old friends, etc.
We are here on the Georgia Coast. I've lived here all my life and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. It's becoming a haven for people seeking relief from the cold and don't want to go as far south as Florida.
However, many have found that the heat and the humidity is something that they just thought they understood. It can be dreadful! If they can't afford air conditioning, it's really a strain on the older body. You can bundle up with more clothes to stay warm, but there is little or no way to escape the worse of the heat. It can make any health condition worse.
So if you want to move where it's warmer, choose a dryer area that the Low Country area of coastal SC and GA.
Just a personal opinion, I think I would prefer to stay amongst friends and familiar places than to start all over again somewhere else. Just finding a new doctor, hair salon, grocery store, library, shopping mall, honest car mechanic......whew! it's just blows my mind to think about it.
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Ideally, I would like to live near a large body of water (lake or ocean) where the cost of living is relatively low. I would be interested in hearing from other retirees, and what prompted their decision to relocate and what impact that has had in terms of distance from other family members, old friends, etc.
Thanks!
We wanted a low cost-of-living, forest, ocean access, river frontage, and cheap home prices.
So we came here to Maine and have found 'heaven'.
Most of our old friends are also career military, so they are scattered around the world.
We are contemplating where to retire also. Starting over will be somewhat easier since we've already relocated twice. However, we don't like this area very much and are pondering a different locale since my daughter and her family will be leaving here soon also. No reason to stay. But starting over is so hard. So is downsizing. We have family antiques and photos, etc. that I don't want to let go of either. We left close and friends and family about 17 years ago and moved to South FL. We had so much fun and excitement those 12 yrs., but time came to move "back to the U.S. where they speak English." We both want to find someplace that will be fun and exciting again (preferably within a 4 hr drive of the ocean). It seems this time of our lives is the last we will have as healthy and energetic adults to do that. I think that's why the 55+ communities give me pause. They feel like the "end of the line" for me--the last stop before the nursing home. And yet it is hard to make new friends when you are older and don't have children to pave the way. I like the trick or treaters and seeing the little children playing outside. But I'd sure like to have more people my own age to get to know. As for staying where your were born and raised--the good part is that you have the old, reliable friends that you have known for years and family who care about you. It's hard to replace that in a new location. Very difficult choices...
We looked quite a bit. Eliminated a number of locations due to cost, weather, "is it green?", distance to certain things, weather (hey NE, hi from IA!), who lives around the area, etc.
At this time we are aiming at Fairfield Glade, TN. It is North of 1-40 about 6-7 miles at the Crossville exit.
Good:
Cost of living. TN has no state tax, and doesn't tax our pensions. Costs in general are lower than here.
Recreation. Tons of parks, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, etc. Within a day you can drive to the Atlantic, the Gulf, D.C. and environs (9 hour drive), 7.5 hours to Savannah, GA, about 9 hours to Panama City, FL.
Cities. About an hour to Knoxville. 45 minutes to the new Turkey Creek Mall on the West end there. About 2 hours to Nashville, and Chattanooga. 9 hours to Chicago, 6.5 to St. Louis, 3 hours to Asheville, NC, 5 hours to Charlotte, NC, 3.75 to Atlanta.
Weather. Fairfield Glade is on the Cumberland Plateau so the winters and summers are mitigated by the elevation. Might get as humid as it does here, but not as hot. Tornadoes are still a possibility, but nothing like we see. I think the thunderstorms might be stronger, though. Shorter winters are good. No need to take a snow blower with you.
People. We're retiring there. There are a lot of retirees there already, and it will increase as the Boomers move. There are also a lot of younger families, so is not an old person's desert. When we visited (and bought a beautiful lot) we talked with a bunch of people (my wife says I've never met a stranger) and every single person we met, both in FFG and Crossville was nice.
Environment. FFG Management has a great outlook. There are HOAs in effect, but they are not as obnoxious as some I've seen. I like their tree policy. We are working towards removing brush, small, and dead trees from our lot this fall. They have very specific rules for what can be removed, and stiff fines if you cut the wrong tree down. I like that a lot. No strip and burn allowed. It's quiet. We lived next to an Interstate mix master and it is loud. Wasn't when we moved in, but is now! We stood at our lot and it is quiet! We heard frogs and birds. Lot is on a small lake.
FFG has, I believe, 11 lakes, all no-wake, and 6 or so golf courses.
Things to do: More than you can fit in I've been told. There are so many, clubs, activities, trips, etc that you have to say no or you'll never have any free time. I think they went to Ireland this year, they bus to casinos.
About a dozen churches if I remember right.
Facilities are in place. Recreation center(s). stores (some) a restaurant, they are building medical facilities if I recall correctly, putting in helipads for quick transport, they have their own police and fire.
Bad:
If you are used to running to the store for something on the spur of the moment it won't be as easy there. Most of what you want is either in Crossville or Knoxville. Crossville has a Lowes, and I think they have WalMart. They have the worst Pizza Hut I've ever been in (cleanliness, wait staff and quality of food were all terrible), but one of the best Mexican eateries I've ever found. It all depends...
The library (they are getting a new one built) was small. No division by type, it was all by authors name. Weird.
If you like your liquor it's a 30 minute drive.
If you enjoy casinos it's a no, but I fly to Vegas so I don't much care, and Metropolis, IL isn't that far, about 4 hours.
So that's why we bought there and what we wish it had. If nothing changes I'll be happy. That said we aren't done looking yet...
What we did was list our priorities in order of importance. Then I began an exhaustive search on line. A good site to start off with is //www.city-data.com/ where you can get valuable information about every town and city in the country.
After narrowing our search down to 4 cities we visited each one of them and found the place that best fit our needs.
DH and I were both born in PA. Me, upstate; DH, near Philly. We have lived in MI (17 yrs.), PA, of course, MA (loved it), SC (hmmmm), and GA, where we are currently for 7 yrs.
I would love to go back to the NE - any of the above, but DH never wants to see a snowflake again.
He would be content to stay in the Atlanta area in the mountains where we now live, but I MUST get closer to family and friends in MI and the NE. Therefore, we are compromising by moving 4 hours north to E. TN.
We had been looking at NC, VA, KY and TN for the last 9 years or so as possible retirement spots. East TN suits both of us for most of the same reasons. We will be close to the mountains (critical), low cost of living, close to major medical facilities (very important), we love the culture, music and people in the area, near an airport and we will be 4 hours closer to loved ones.
We looked quite a bit. Eliminated a number of locations due to cost, weather, "is it green?", distance to certain things, weather (hey NE, hi from IA!), who lives around the area, etc.
At this time we are aiming at Fairfield Glade, TN. It is North of 1-40 about 6-7 miles at the Crossville exit.
Good:
Cost of living. TN has no state tax, and doesn't tax our pensions. Costs in general are lower than here.
Recreation. Tons of parks, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, etc. Within a day you can drive to the Atlantic, the Gulf, D.C. and environs (9 hour drive), 7.5 hours to Savannah, GA, about 9 hours to Panama City, FL.
Cities. About an hour to Knoxville. 45 minutes to the new Turkey Creek Mall on the West end there. About 2 hours to Nashville, and Chattanooga. 9 hours to Chicago, 6.5 to St. Louis, 3 hours to Asheville, NC, 5 hours to Charlotte, NC, 3.75 to Atlanta.
Weather. Fairfield Glade is on the Cumberland Plateau so the winters and summers are mitigated by the elevation. Might get as humid as it does here, but not as hot. Tornadoes are still a possibility, but nothing like we see. I think the thunderstorms might be stronger, though. Shorter winters are good. No need to take a snow blower with you.
People. We're retiring there. There are a lot of retirees there already, and it will increase as the Boomers move. There are also a lot of younger families, so is not an old person's desert. When we visited (and bought a beautiful lot) we talked with a bunch of people (my wife says I've never met a stranger) and every single person we met, both in FFG and Crossville was nice.
Environment. FFG Management has a great outlook. There are HOAs in effect, but they are not as obnoxious as some I've seen. I like their tree policy. We are working towards removing brush, small, and dead trees from our lot this fall. They have very specific rules for what can be removed, and stiff fines if you cut the wrong tree down. I like that a lot. No strip and burn allowed. It's quiet. We lived next to an Interstate mix master and it is loud. Wasn't when we moved in, but is now! We stood at our lot and it is quiet! We heard frogs and birds. Lot is on a small lake.
FFG has, I believe, 11 lakes, all no-wake, and 6 or so golf courses.
Things to do: More than you can fit in I've been told. There are so many, clubs, activities, trips, etc that you have to say no or you'll never have any free time. I think they went to Ireland this year, they bus to casinos.
About a dozen churches if I remember right.
Facilities are in place. Recreation center(s). stores (some) a restaurant, they are building medical facilities if I recall correctly, putting in helipads for quick transport, they have their own police and fire.
Bad:
If you are used to running to the store for something on the spur of the moment it won't be as easy there. Most of what you want is either in Crossville or Knoxville. Crossville has a Lowes, and I think they have WalMart. They have the worst Pizza Hut I've ever been in (cleanliness, wait staff and quality of food were all terrible), but one of the best Mexican eateries I've ever found. It all depends...
The library (they are getting a new one built) was small. No division by type, it was all by authors name. Weird.
If you like your liquor it's a 30 minute drive.
If you enjoy casinos it's a no, but I fly to Vegas so I don't much care, and Metropolis, IL isn't that far, about 4 hours.
So that's why we bought there and what we wish it had. If nothing changes I'll be happy. That said we aren't done looking yet...
Out of curiosity I took a look...very nice! My only concern after perusing the local paper is the amount of arrests for methamphetamine labs & methamphetamine production
Out of curiosity I took a look...very nice! My only concern after perusing the local paper is the amount of arrests for methamphetamine labs & methamphetamine production
I also live in a town of drug use. The problem is THEFT-related. Drug users steal to pay for their habits so you have more than the average number of house break ins, business break ins, car break ins, metal stealing, purse snatchings, business employee pilfering, shoplifting, etc., in these towns. Users typically get slaps on the wrist and dealers go to jail. But dealers aren't the ones directly impacting the lives of law abiding citizens, users are. If you read the newspapers, except for the purse snatchings, these thieves do their thing when no one is around/home/by their cars or when businesses aren't open. Since the criminal justice system just turns users loose they're back out on the streets again stealing stuff.
I'd like to see a tax increase for drug user prisons and mandatory sentences. I could support that. These are the people who ruin quality of life for the rest of us.
I also live in a town of drug use. The problem is THEFT-related. Drug users steal to pay for their habits so you have more than the average number of house break ins, business break ins, car break ins, metal stealing, purse snatchings, business employee pilfering, shoplifting, etc., in these towns. Users typically get slaps on the wrist and dealers go to jail. But dealers aren't the ones directly impacting the lives of law abiding citizens, users are. If you read the newspapers, except for the purse snatchings, these thieves do their thing when no one is around/home/by their cars or when businesses aren't open. Since the criminal justice system just turns users loose they're back out on the streets again stealing stuff.
I'd like to see a tax increase for drug user prisons and mandatory sentences. I could support that. These are the people who ruin quality of life for the rest of us.
Laura,
Very sorry to hear that and it's something I look closely at when researching retirement areas. I've read the meth problem is huge in rural areas through out the US.
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