Thoughts: Where to Retire To?

[Deleted member 995608]

Also don't save everything for retirement, to many die or have health issues before they hit retirement. I'm 39 and travel as much as possible. 50 nights a year camping is usual for us. My dad pasted from Colon Cancer at 52, never got to do anything they planned to do at retirement. I'm not waiting for retirement to travel and have fun.

I couldn't agree more. Too many of us wait to splurge and kick the bucket before they get to enjoy it. Have an older close friend that built his dream shop (wife finally said yes) and then he got injured and hasn't been able to enjoy it at all. I do believe for saving for tomorrow but I also live for today. We have NO guarantee's.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

Thanks, all.

I appreciate the point about saving for tomorrow and living for today - I have tried, and continue to try to strike that balance.

I appreciate the point BIG makes about family, and I have thought about that a good deal. I just don't know what to make of it. In my adult life I have lived in North Dakota/Minnesota (in the service and going to school), Kansas (going to school and job out of school), Ohio, and now Pennsylvania. I always intended to make it back to the rocky mountain west but the job opportunity and wife agreement never materialized. My parents are gone now. My wife's parents are about a two hour drive away, but we don't see them that much. They are retired now but my father-in-law has a small bait shop and does re-loading. Most weekends in the fall and winter they go to a gun show to sell reloads. In the summer they run the bait store. Each of my sons spent a week at their house this summer. But, even through they are close by we don't see them much. They rarely don't come to see the grandkids do stuff. I think I would do more even if I lived farther away.

I like winter, but I wonder if I will continue to like it as much as I get older. I went on a business trip to Miami in August once and did not like it at all. I went on a business trip to Phoenix once in the middle of September and did not like that at all either. So, I think I like milder summer temperatures are probably worth having some winter.

I have never spent any time beyond a couple of days in Texas. I'll have to think about that one - growing up in New Mexico, you have a prejudice against Texas.

I strongly consider Pennsylvania. I was down the Connellsville way on vacation, really like the Ohiopyle state park area, Youghighenny Lake and river, etc.

I have heard a lot of folks like the western North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia area. I have never been - sure would consider. What is cost of land and cost of living in those areas?

I have lived in town my entire life but not through a great desire to do so. Can really see no reason to continue without job and children. I would really like to be out of town on property. Question for jgillot - sounded like you see drawbacks to having property - what may those be?

I get the impression that land costs and cost of living have really gone up in the West (outside of Las Vegas). Is that the case?

Thanks - generates lots of thinking.

 

[Wayne M.]

RUSSELL, please take a vacation to Dollywood, and head over the mountain to Cherokee. The family thing is a large factor. This plays into central PA. Getting back to NYC is no biggie for various reasons when needed.

 

[Deleted member 995608]

I've always lived outside of town. It can be as expensive or inexpensive as you want.

The problem is when you have a decent chunk of land, a man starts to plan.....shop, tractors, big gardens, cattle, lambs, fencing, gates, a bigger shop because the one you built isn't big enough and trying to borrow the neighbors backhoe to dig is a pain so you convince yourself that you really need an excavator of your own. See what I mean?

Although I have a taste for wine with a beer dollar budget, I wouldn't trade my country bunkin life for a mansion in the city for nothing. I can whip it out just about anywhere to relieve myself of excess beer pressure and I can grind metal all night long until my arse falls off without worrying about what my neighbors think about.

 

[Axtell3]

Honestly ten years is a long time from now.
I'd just try using your RV trailer and go see the world for a year or two. I know several that went on the RV road for a while and just loved it.
I work as a CPA and I've had several people sell their homes, buy a new house in AZ and then be bored because friends and family are not there. Soon they are coming back. Now I always suggest renting for at least a six month period in a new area before the big commentment.

Also don't save everything for retirement, to many die or have health issues before they hit retirement. I'm 39 and travel as much as possible. 50 nights a year camping is usual for us. My dad pasted from Colon Cancer at 52, never got to do anything they planned to do at retirement. I'm not waiting for retirement to travel and have fun.

I'm with you on that!

 

[Killgore]

JHawes continues to give good advice. And, I might add that unfortunately when you get a little older the tail can start to wag the dog if you're not careful. Those things that were so necessary and life would not be complete without them begin to be encumberances that are aggravating, costly to maintain and a pain to find parts for when they too get old. I prefer the KISS principle. My opinion is that the only assets that have real value are family and friends.

Russ, you live in one of the most beautiful sections of the country. Ride around and check it out, enjoy the adventure, you have plenty of time, and you may find that you end up right where you started out.

- Ed

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

When you get older, good medical facilities can make the difference. If you hate biting bugs and bugs that fly to attack, the Southeast may not be for you. If you hate heat with humidity, figure that into your choice. Do you hate high heat without humidity, or cold weather? What about good air connections for visiting relatives, or for them to visit you?

 

[Tractorat]

Russ, you live in one of the most beautiful sections of the country. Ride around and check it out, enjoy the adventure, you have plenty of time, and you may find that you end up right where you started out.

To quote Dorothy Gail,,

"if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!

 

[BIGNASTY]

Materialism has failed miserably in its promise to deliver greater joy into our lives. Authentic happiness is about the things money cannot buy!


Good health is a prerequisite to personal sustainability. Your pathway to good health starts with adequate nutrition, something that modern foods just CAN'T deliver.

 

[JR]

I actually enjoy living near the great lakes. Well most of the time. Great fishing, some of the most fertile soil in the country if your into gardens, 4 healthy seasons, and very rural. There is lots of available lake front property in my area if you can afford it. We have been seriously considering buying a small chunk just to put a cottage on and build a nice dock for the boat in the summer. We would obviously keep our property we have now to live year round.
The down sides are the humidity in the summer and the number of overcast days the lake tends to provide for us. I was too hard headed to ever think about college but through hard work and doing something I enjoy have landed a job that pays better than most fields requiring a bachelors degree would ever dream of. Kind of a double edged sword because it limits my ability to ever move away before retirement if I ever had a change of heart, but for the time being I am content to stay where I am.
I also have roots in Wyoming and have always dreamed of someday being able to move back out there. If and when it's financially possible, I'd seriously consider a small cabin up in the Snowies like I grew up in. That's the stuff dreams are made of.

 

[jhenderson]

A lot of folks seem to like somewhere that has summer year round. Can somebody direct me to the place that has FALL year round? I'd prefer that if at all possible. Thanks.

 

[JR]

JHenderson if there was such a place it would be so over populated it wouldn't be attractive to the average rural joe

 

[Deleted member 995608]

JHenderson if there was such a place it would be so over populated it wouldn't be attractive to the average rural joe

I'll take "What is San Diego?" for $500, please.

 

[SnoKing]

But you would be living in Kalifornia!

 

[BIGNASTY]

I'll take "What is San Diego?" for $500, please.

Nice climate but to close to the Rats coming over and under the fence!!! And their Freeways make no-sense either East is not really East but its called East and so on.

 

[jhenderson]

I have family who live in San Diego and work for Border Patrol. Heard enough stories. I'll take what's behind door #3.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I have family who live in San Diego and work for Border Patrol. Heard enough stories. I'll take what's behind door #3.

For us what was behind door # 3 is Montana, today was blissful, lots of guests here today went to Church, had a Picnic down by the river with old Military Friends, My side of the family, Even an Aunt and Uncle from Nebraska, Penny our Childern and Grandchildren, Penny's ever present side of the Tribe, don't get much better than that. That picture will keep my heart warm on the coldest of days come winter time.

 

[crispyboy]

I'll take "What is San Diego?" for $500, please.

I visited San Diego back in 1998. I thought it was a neat place to visit but had at least a million too many people back then.

I have visited the Black Hills of South Dakota several times and that area seems nice to me. I have always liked the lower humidity it presented. I am so tired of the August heat and humidity in Cincinnati - you just can't get away from it. My garage floor won't even dry out from the condensate dripping from the car's a/c unit. On my last trip to the Rapid City area I met a retired guy who just moved from Sacramento. Even though he loved California he finally got tired of the excessive taxes and cost of living and decided to move to South Dakota.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I visited San Diego back in 1998. I thought it was a neat place to visit but had at least a million too many people back then.

I have visited the Black Hills of South Dakota several times and that area seems nice to me. I have always liked the lower humidity it presented. I am so tired of the August heat and humidity in Cincinnati - you just can't get away from it. My garage floor won't even dry out from the condensate dripping from the car's a/c unit. On my last trip to the Rapid City area I met a retired guy who just moved from Sacramento. Even though he loved California he finally got tired of the excessive taxes and cost of living and decided to move to South Dakota.

Just a thought, when I trucked the 11 Western states Eastern MT, ND, SD all get plenty!! hot at times during the summer, and during the winter you would be damn happy to have some of the mountains to block the cold wind.

Ive come to the way of thinking that there is no Shangri-La, its just a matter of what you can find that's least objectionable.

 

[Newt]

Welcome to the real world Big. :-laf

You've got another thread going about RVs. The joke (but not by much) for full time RV'ers is that they are chasing 70 deg weather. We now stay in Texas in the Winter and Colorado in the Summer. Neither is perfect. But, it's better than doing it the other way.

Newt