Where do you want to live when you retire?

[dreamhomenj]

It is reported about 10,000 baby boomers retire daily.

Some of them want stay home where they are.

Some want to move to other place to enjoy their retirement.

Do you want retire and stay where you are?

Or do you want move to a community where you can make friends and share commen interests?

[d384567l]

I'd like to find a town in the northeast/Middle Atlantic states along a train line; also near water, like the ocean, bay or a river.  No need to live on the water, but it would be great to be able to  walk to it.  I realize that the taxes with be a lot more than I pay now (I live in Florida), but living in a town  near mass transit is an OK trade, for me.  Many of the beach towns have housing costs that are often prohibitive .  Suggestions?   

Also, are there any  websites that alllow one to plug in information that might help find some locations?  I've looked at several and they are pretty simplistic, or are connected to retirement communities.  I'd like to avoid a retirement community and live in a town or city.

[soni5353]

"FindYourSpot.com" is a fun tool to use to look for places to retire based on your criteria.

[Epster]

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@soni5353 wrote:

"FindYourSpot.com" is a fun tool to use to look for places to retire based on your criteria.

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@soni5353  That's a cool tool. Thanks for sharing it. 🙂

[bj5]

IRELAND  I love rainy days       B &  j

[cm2216799]

Near water -- big water.I'd love the Atlantic or the Pacific, even the Mississippi or Lake Superior or Lake Michigan.

I'd like to find a community of sartists-- I'm a writer and would love to live where there are other writers, painers, sculptors, dancers  -- for conversation, stimulation, friendship.

I live in  a nice, bland mid size city now. It's not where I was born and I have no attachment to it.I have two children,scattered,am divorced and no other family. I'd need to find a place open to new people.

I grew up in Chicago and love it, but can't afford where I'd like to live -- and if I have to move into a suburb I might as well stay where I am.

I was a hippie, am a hippie -- would love a small progressive town, near water where I could my dachshund and volunteer for Animal Rescue.

I lived through Mid West winters all my life and that wouldn't both me particulalry -- as long as I had a garage!

[l721284b]

Sounds like you'd enjoy the Willamette Valley in Oregon. I was thinking Eugene, specifically, from some of your comments--an hour's drive from the beautiful and rugged coastline of the Pacific Ocean (the wonderful McKenzie & Willamette Rivers are nearby, too), great local airport to connect you to major airports, hippie enclave, arts galore, University of Oregon's hometown (bright minds and thriving programs), Oregon residents LOVE their dogs (and cats) so you'd find some kind of animal rescue work, no doubt.  Portland is a doable drive (2 hours approx.) and center of much of what you want, as well, with a thriving arts community--music, writing, performance arts, museum, etc. Housing prices are higher in P-land than Eugene. Recreational and medical marijuana are legal here, not that you asked, but for some, it's a draw. While snow isn't a regular happening for the Willamette Valley, it does occur occasionally. Winter is usually rain and then more rain, but summers are lovely and mild--rarely hitting the high 90s and beyond.

[dadnabbit]

You might consider Asheville, North Carolina.  It seems to fill your desired parameters, and is a WONDERFUL city in the Smokey Mountains.  Check it out online, then maybe take a short vacation.

North Carolinian

[la7550]

Asheville, NC, where they filmed "Being There," with Peter Sellers.! Beautiful place.

[dadnabbit]

Sorry, duplicate answer. 

[dadnabbit]

Sorry, posted before I finished--happy fingers !!!  Although you stated you would like to be near BIG water, that would be the only thing missing from your criteria.  However, there are MANY great rivers and lakes with beautiful waterfalls in the mountains and so again I say, give it a look.

[jh50658433]

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@dreamhomenj wrote:

It is reported about 10,000 baby boomers retire daily.

Some of them want stay home where they are.

Some want to move to other place to enjoy their retirement.

Do you want retire and stay where you are?

Or do you want move to a community where you can make friends and share commen interests?

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Rapid City South Dakota. The state doesn't tax Social Security Benefits.

[Epster]

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@jh50658433 wrote:

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Rapid City South Dakota. The state doesn't tax Social Security Benefits.

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@jh50658433  Plus there are truckloads a really wonderful people there! Kind, friendly, upbeat and engaged.  🙂

[l34445t]

Rapid City? You'll be moving to the area of the country that I spent my life in. Beautiful area, but it gets very cold and snowy there.

We recently retired to Central Florida. It was my dream spot, but now I have second thoughts about it. We made a mistake in our living arrangements. We bought a cute little mobile home in a senior Mobile Home Park. I had this Vision that it would all be nice, sweet, middle aged people who just wanted to play Bingo and chat. People who are tired of the bickering and one-upping each other after being in the Work World their entire lives Not so. Too many nasty, judgemental, racist, homophobic people in here. I'm sure this doesn't apply to all the senior mobile home communities, but we'll be looking for an apartment soon. I'd rather be around a more diverse crowd. As far as the weather, wildlife, and scenery, it's all perfect.

[hesshaus]

Check out the Ocala area. We're at On Top of The World, a 55+ gated retirement community. HOA fees are reasonable and property taxes are also. Lots to do, if you want to.

[Epster]

We want to live on the road in an RV roaming primarily the west, but mostly traveling around to ride our recumbent trikes on various bike trails and then to compete at various cycling events at senior games. In between we'll travel around to birdwatch. 

[l95782h]

Hawaii. 

[ASTRAEA]

Just got a link to this article via "Next Avenue", and thought some of you might like to browse:

The Best Big & Small Cities for Successful Aging

I appreciate that the article starts by explaining how they came up with the list.

[d403948v]

Hubby and I have lived in Florida for most of our lives. We are in our 60s and presently we are on five and one half acres in a two story farm house. I have mini horses, dogs, chickens and a cat. We know that we will want less to care for as we age and we have purchased a little house (actually rebuilt around a 1950s trailer, though you would never know it) and lot in a nearby small gated community. Cable, wifi, garbage pick up, and more is included, there is a rec center and pool and half of the year most of the residents leave for the north. For the time being we are 'weekenders' and enjoy taking 'mini' vacations there. It will be perfect for us as we grow older!!

[k963719b]

I am planning on retirement soon.  I currently live in Pennsylvania.  Property taxes are high, and I live in a low tax county.  I looked at Florida, but it appears the property tax there is high.  Are the property assessed annually?  I will be bringing 4 horses with me so I will need acreage with house and barns.  My plans are leaning more to Tennessee at this time?

[kathleenf89474]

TN would be a good choice. I live in a little town called New Bern, in eastern NC. It is marketing itself as a retirement town, and I love it here. There is plenty of space on the outskirts for raising horses. 

The cost of living is reasonable, and there are many things to do here. We even have a Newcomers Club, so you meet people immediately with similar interests!  I’ve been here five years, and I am never leaving!  I’m originally from upstate NY, btw. 

[NeilRichards]

Hey, I'm looking to retire in the New Bern area, Fairfield Harbor to be specific.  My concerns are: how easy is it to fit in and find new friends in a smaller town?  Also, I noticed  that to go to a movie you need to go to Jacksonville?  Is that correct?

[l508156s]

Why does the response to a post not show below the post I responded to???????? 

Why is there not a delete option. 

[ASTRAEA]

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@l508156s wrote:

Why does the response to a post not show below the post I responded to???????? 

Why is there not a delete option. 

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@l508156s - The posts show up chronologically, and even if you click on "reply" on a specific post, there's no automatic "link" connecting your post & the one to which you're responding.

What you can do, is use the "Quote" function (in the formatting bar of the entry panel), which will copy the post to which you're responding. You can edit that, if you just want a specific sentence out of a longer post.

@you can also use the @ symbol to address/notify the person to whom you're responding. Then you type that, it will automatically give you a drop-down list of everyone participating in that discussion, and you can click on that individual's screen name. If they're set up to get e-mail notifications of new material, they'll get an e-mail for your response.

[eg1643]

Anywhere my grandchildren are

[l508156s]

You can pay it monthly thru your mortgage or once a year. Tax is not the same all over. Every county has it's own rate. I bought my house before the housing market went crazy and I pay $750 annually. The Florida county I live in has a policy that your home value cannot increase more then 2% a year based on what you pay. Florida also offers a $50,000 homestead exemption.

[hajh]

My wife & I moved down from Mich. to Sun City, Texas in Georgetown Texas.  It is a friendly active 55 & over community.  Lots to do & Georgetown is a great town.  Hot in summer but spring, fall & winter are great!

[ASTRAEA]

I think people may also need to consider that with longevity & our retirement years expanding, it might be wise to accept lifestyle as a multi-phase process. When I began looking for a retirement home near the shore at 54, I was fine with being somewhere I'd have to drive to everything, and having a full flight of stairs between the garage & living space. But when I'm in my mid-70s, I can definitely see a move to a town with a walkable downtown shopping area, and being totally on 1-level!

[mg91626868]

My dream for where I wanted to live (and die) would be the Northwest coast.  Preferably Seattle.  If I could wake up and go to sleep listening to breakers coming in, it would be my own private nirvana.

[volunteer67]

I have two children living in the Atlanta area. I'd love to move there because of the culture, climate and the churches and spending more time with them. Not having the public transportation I'd grown up with in the city of my birth, Chicago, makes the choice to move to Atlanta a not so sure choice. The traffic is too stressful for a seniors. I'd have no problem returning to Chicago because of the culture, public transportation, churches and family there as well. I've lived most of my adult life in small(er) towns in Michigan but spent so much time returning to Chicago, even taking a year to work at a University there but my final choice would more than likely be Chicago since all my children love visiting there as well and spending time with family. I've missed the instant mobility/freedom of public transportation and the cultural activities that are so much a part of Chicago. I miss the church culture of that city.

[billham68]

I grew up in the Seattle area and loved it. Moved to Andover, Massachusetts, in 1977 and loved it. Now I live outside Honolulu (for last 30 years) and love it. Of course most of my children--4 of 5--and grandkids --8 of10--live nearby which makes our location even more satisfying. If the kids were not here and the cost of living was an important issue Hawaii is not kind to retirees. The cost of housing, shelter, transportation, and food is at least 25% higher than the mainland. Also health care is fine on Oahu but spotty on the neighbor islands. If our children weren't here, I would most likely move to a medium size city like Salem or Eugene in Oregon and buy a place where most shopping, arts, and health care was walkable.