<p>You can get Gulf front property for that price in Florida… but have fun getting homeowners insurance!</p>
<p>I’d go for a shack in California. You can spend most of your time outside, anyway.</p>
<p>I would dvide the money up and by small units or time shares or something like that in various places- in paris, someplace warm, someplace with snow, in Ireland, </p>
<p>little studiio places as a base for travel in europe, mexico or hawaii, etc…</p>
<p>Kirmum, a number of places on the gulf coast, both up near the panhandle, and also south of Sarasota. On the east coast, north of Palm Beach county, St. Lucie county area…personally, I think the east coast is far more interesting and dynamic…</p>
<p>As to Texas, my friend who is retiring from the federal gov’t who just went through the same “where should I live” scenario as I did settled on remaining in Texas - Houston specifically. He and his wife both love it there, and, they considered a number of other cities, but, after taking two years studying everything, and even considering that they own substantial property in Georgia, decided they love Texas. His wife will retire from teaching school in three more years, so, if you can imagine their pensions, putting two children through college they’re comfortable as they have saved and done very well with their investments, but they’re certainly not wealthy.</p>
<p>Audiophile isn’t the legislature coming back for a special session in June to deal with the insurance and the property tax issue? I though they just passed legislation to freeze Citizen’s rates for four years, but, Crist may veto it I thought I heard…</p>
<p>Camden New Jersey</p>
<p>Bellingham WA would get you ocean front for about $2M, sometimes</p>
<p>Nauru:</p>
<p>I’ve been to Holland several times and from I understand, houses are quite expensive there but there are some very nice houses. I like the ones that have a thatched roof. Some of the Dutch people I was discussing it with said a number of people inherit these houses so they stay in the same family for generations which helps people afford them.</p>
<p>I think housing in Europe in general is quite expensive compared to equivalent housing in the US.</p>
<p>Boca Raton (which we’re in the process of doing) or Boston</p>
<p>kirmum:</p>
<p>If you still end up with $2M for a house after paying the down payments for 8 kids (assuming after paying for college for 8 kids) then you’re doing quite well!</p>
<p>I’ve lived in many places and have ended up in the part of the country I like best so even though it’s far from the least expensive place for housing, I’ll probably end up around here somewhere. I’d love to live right on the oceanfront and it can be done here for less than $2M in a nice condo in a nice area. The difficulty can be - pay $1.5M for an oceanfront condo or pay the same for a 3000 sq ft house on an acre a few miles inland. It all boils down to what one wants and is willing to pay for.</p>
<p>ucsd<em>ucla</em>dad:</p>
<p>As Nauru said: (i’m just assuming, i didn’t read the whole thread) Housing in Holland is bloody expensive. There are also as you said beatiful houses with the thatched roofs, mostly in the well off areas of Aardenhout and Bussum etc.</p>
<p>You can probobly get the $2M house in Holland, for (dare i say) 100.000-200.000 in most areas in the states. Waterfront property is even worse…</p>
<p>I think you can get a really nice house in the NC Outer Banks for under $2M – and it may not even wash away in a storm! You can probably get a smaller oceanfront house on Cape Cod for around $2M. And the Maine coast (which is lovely), absolutely.</p>
<p>If we have an extra 2 mil at retirement I 'd like a house in Florida and a house in Maine. All the other consderations like how to have all family members visit, what we would do with the Homestead, where we would send all our bills, and how to accommodate our pets, would all have to be worked out. I think the whole dream and plan would fall apart somehow but it would be nice!</p>
<p>Minneapolis. There are some great unpretentious neighborhoods (on lakes, in the city!) with beautiful houses!</p>
<p>Arguably Minneapolis has the best park system in the country.</p>
<p>Would 2 million give you a little penthouse in NYC? I’d like that. :)</p>
<p>Well all you CA lovers, it does appear it’s hard to beat. Places that have hurricanes, which is probably most oceanfront places in the US, are out for us. There’s just such a good chance of your home being hit in your lifetime.</p>
<p>A small condo given our family size is probably not going to happen either. 3000 sq. ft. minimum is probably as small as we will go.</p>
<p>Citygirlsmom, I do like the idea of buying several places, but splitting up $3 million will not go far in places we love like NYC, the CA coast, Paris, Nantucket.</p>
<p>OK, who can give details on oceanfront property in WA?</p>
<p>Mercer Island, Vancouver, Seattle, Bellevue, Medina, etc.</p>
<p>“, who can give details on oceanfront property in WA?”</p>
<p>I already told you!</p>
<p>Bellingham, WA = $2 million or even less
Birch Bay, WA has some less than $1M
Of course you are both in the middle of nowhere…but 45 min from Vancouver and 2 hours north of Seattle</p>
<p>Here is one:</p>
<p><a href=“Residential Real Estate Listings - Homes for Sale by Real Estate Agents | CENTURY 21”>Residential Real Estate Listings - Homes for Sale by Real Estate Agents | CENTURY 21;
<p>And this one: <a href=“Listing Search - Northwest Multiple Listing Service”>Listing Search - Northwest Multiple Listing Service;
<p>Here’s a house on Bainbridge Island (30 minute ferry ride to Seattle) that fits your criteria: <a href=“http://www.johnlscott.com/PropertyDetail.aspx?GroupID=43851024&ListingID=26458606&Sort=0[/url]”>http://www.johnlscott.com/PropertyDetail.aspx?GroupID=43851024&ListingID=26458606&Sort=0</a></p>
<p>I am so done with houses. I’m a single mom so it’s just me when my daughter graduates and I want little condo that cleans itself. That and a horse farm. With only $2m, I’d have to choose between the horses and the farm though.</p>
<p>wow, the real estate in Medina is insane…It takes a lot to be worse than Boca…</p>