<p>A friend of mine is thinking of retiring in Eugene, Ore. College town. Outdoors type area. Affordable housing. Good cost of living. Decent retaurants. No sales tax. $50,000 to $60,000 a year income in retirement. Crummy weather. 
</p>
<p>I have two relatives that I think are train wrecks waiting to happen. So…$800 a month 2 bedroom apartments are looking good for them. </p>
<p>So…what do you like that meets some of the above characteristics? </p>
<p>Well, if you let him stay with you in the winter, he’s got it made…</p>
<p>Oregon is a good place to retire if you have a low income. Good benefits and taxes are fairly low for what you get. Higher income, forget it.</p>
<p>I went bike riding in the Presidio today. So beautiful (but way too many people), but I thought I could retire to one of these gorgeous town homes right here on the water. Right now. Everything I want is here. I could sell my house and probably buy a condo for the same price, then I’d be even. But the income tax is vicious, so everything but that… and housing.</p>
<p>It’s more fun to think about places to retire after winning the lottery – Laguna Beach? Marin County? Santa Barbara? Someplace in the Berkeley Hills with sweeping views of the San Francisco Bay? Napa or Sonoma?</p>
<p>To approximate some of the appealing features of some of those places on a slightly more manageable budget, maybe someplace on the California Central Coast, like San Luis Obispo. Beautiful beaches, great hiking, cultural opportunities associated with the university, decent wineries, etc. Great weather. Accessible to both LA and SF. </p>
<p>I can totally retire in HI. I can wear a grass skirt and one of those coconut bras, so there will be a huge savings in my clothing budget. Plus, kids and grandkids would want to visit us, rain or shine.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, today Mr. B was picking apples off our tree and said, “What a wonderful retirement property we have here!” LOL.</p>
<p>Eugene is not a bad place, if your friend is OK with occasional weirdness. The weather is not so bad, but I’m biased - I’m from PNW.</p>
<p>Busdriver11, you were in the Presidio in SF? I haven’t been there for awhile. I don’t remember any townhomes. :)</p>
<p>Notelling, we are trying to go affordable for many here. 
San Luis Obispo is pretty expensive on $50,000 a year. </p>
<p>My friend went to school in Eugene… 40 years ago. Eugene is kind of remote though (my opinion).</p>
<p>Yakima, WA and Walla Walla, WA are pretty charming. The latter is the home to Whitman College.</p>
<p>One of my coworkers retired to Colorado.</p>
<p>Ok…Walla Walla fits the criteria. :)</p>
<p>If there is a nice place in Hawaii for retirees living on $50,000 a year, I would love to hear it.</p>
<p>"If there is a nice place in Hawaii for retirees living on $50,000 a year, I would love to hear it. "</p>
<p>Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! ;)</p>
<p>I’m not sure if they were townhomes, or condos, or what they’d be classified as. But they were beautiful, upscale, certainly multi-family homes. Close to Crissy Field. I think if I lived in San Francisco, I’d go to the Presidio every day. It is spectacular, for walking, hiking, and biking. Except for those aggressive bikers on the Golden Gate bridge. Jeez! Probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to, and we have many beautiful places near where I live.I could also live in Sausalito, but I’m sure that doesn’t come cheap. One would just have to downscale.</p>
<p>Right, Bunsen, doesn’t Eugene always have those ultra anti-govt types and survivalists? Mixed with the local freakazoids? Or am I thinking of somewhere else in Oregon. Wherever I’m thinking of, it’s a weird mixture.</p>
<p>One of H’s classmates retired to Tennessee because the cost of living is so low. Buffalo, NY also has a pretty low cost of living and is near Niagara Falls and Ontario, Canada for visits. We just visited the area. The tour guide says he is a student but bought a 4 bedroom, one bath home for about $70,000! That’s totally unheard of in HI, even for a studio.</p>
<p>One of H’s classmates moved to Mexico or South America–says the cost of living there is great! I did like living in Eugene, but the wet and grey got to me after 3 years of college.</p>
<p>Busdriver11, Crissy Field is really nice. You rode your bike around the Marina Green area? The Marina Green is just east of Crissy Field. In the direction away from the bridge. You have very expensive taste. That is a fantastic area. I don’t remember the townhomes in the Presidio itself. Doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Now I am curious. I don’t go to the city that much anymore. </p>
<p>Sausalito is nice too. I prefer other areas of Marin instead of Sausalito (crowded and too touristy for me). If you can trade even, (These are not middle class areas by the way) ,you are doing very well. </p>
<p>There is great hiking, biking and walking in Marin. That is why I a lot of us are here. Hiked on Mt Tam today. Beautiful and very few people. </p>
<p>Himom understands the thread. ;)</p>
<p>I have spent about three weeks of the last three months in Oakland, sitting hotel standby. If we don’t get launched by the afternoon, we’re free. I’ve mostly been free, and have taken the Bart into San Francisco most every day, doing power walking. Mostly up to the Coit tower, Golden Gate Park, Sausalito, and my favorite, the Presidio. I grieve that I may never get this trip again, I could do nothing but this my entire career, and be very happy. I’m not sure if it was the Marina Green area, but it was slightly east of Crissy Field. Beautiful multifamily homes, maybe they were apartments, probably condos, but they were very nice. Several stories, looked very new, definitely expensive. Perhaps I have too expensive tastes, but I looked online, and I could trade our house for a three bedroom condo, and get a little back.</p>
<p>If I ever get this trip, I should try walking in Marin. It’s just hard to get past the Presidio. Never heard of Mt Tam before. My husband has this trip soon, I should tell him about it.</p>
<p>Busdriver11, You have excellent taste. You are making great use of your time. </p>
<p>I think I have been optimizing my time off, for sure. This weather has been phenomenal, and I can’t help but think how lucky I am to have been able to do this. In a few months I’ll be flying all nighters into blizzards, exhausted and miserable. But I’ll be able to remember the sunny days in San Francisco and have hope that I’ll get trips like this again.</p>
<p>I think that reminds me of a serious thing for people to consider. Is it really worth it to get the big house in a miserable climate, or somewhere they don’t want to be, just because the cost of living is low? Or are they better off getting something smaller, in a higher cost of living place, and just downscale their expectations. Who cares if you have a massive house in the middle of misery?</p>
<p>Weather wise, this is the best time of year to be in SF.
Sept and October.
I prefer smaller house…better area as you know.</p>
<p>Marin is pretty nice as another poster in this thread suggested. </p>
<p>If you get any more chances, take your bike and take the ferry to Tiburon from SF. Great bike path on the bay or you can ride your bike around Tiburon. </p>
<p>Belvedere is one of the more expensive areas around. Walk or ride on Beach Road which becomes Belvedere Ave. Go to the top and tip of Golden Gate Ave. You won’t be disappointed. Pretty damn nice there and right next to Tiburon. Close to the ferry.</p>
<p>I don’t know when I’ll get another chance. My time is done, now it’s on to less exciting places like Buffalo. But I’ll copy and paste that for my husband to do, he’ll enjoy that.</p>
<p>Ok. Glad you had a great time. Sorry about Buffalo. :)</p>