<p>I don’t see us relocating away from the West Coast anytime soon, but there are a number of areas on the East Coast I would like to visit that I haven’t yet. </p>
<p>I am of the impression that, in general, the mindset in the Northeast tends to be more fixed and inflexible. People are put into their boxes and there is resistance to change. A “stay in your neighborhood” mentality. True or not true? </p>
<p>thumper Ocean County not Ocean City. The following areas of Ocean County are very affordable- Toms River/Lakehurst, Manchester, Barneget, Berkley, some areas of Brick, Whiting. There are a number of older 55 and above communities where you can buy an inexpensive home and the taxes are low.</p>
<p><a href=“Ocean County 55+ Active Adult Retirement Communities in NJ | 55places”>http://www.55places.com/new-jersey/area/ocean-county</a></p>
<p>I don’t really see us ever leaving our Central Calif coast area either. We can afford it only because we have been here a long time but it is expensive here so probably is not a retirement option for many. Our youngest is at school in La Jolla and says he is going to buy a house there when he graduates. I’m trying to break the news to him gently…</p>
<p>Wow, ChoatieMom, when my eldest was two retirement was not even on our radar. At that point DH and I wanted to get back to a place with four seasons, where there would be less time spent commuting (totally get that) and where we thought we would like to raise a family. I’m curious, were others thinking that far ahead?</p>
<p>Tom1944, that is a great list.</p>
<p>So pick some nice places… and then down the road you can rent to me when you visit friends/family 
For now we have inertia in CO. One of two kids is an hour from us… hoping she stays! Not sure the Boston guy is coming back. </p>
<p>dstark- one reason Ocean County is cheap is they overbuilt the 55 plus communities and old people die. Their kids do not want to hold out for the best price they just want to move the property. I know several people that were never able to afford a home in NJ that finally were able to buy when they turned 55. In 2008 and 2009 you were able to pick up houses in some of these communities for $50-70,000. </p>
<p>Tom1944, that is a great story. Is there anything wrong with these places ? Are the homeowner associations in trouble?</p>
<p>My aunt in CT is in now in senior assisted living. She built a luxury condo in pricey 55+ community a few years back Sadly her kids had to keep reducing the price and sold it about 30% less than build price. </p>
<p>Wow! The kids dont want these places? The kids will become old someday.</p>
<p>I used to want to retire to Virginia or North Carolina but so many northeasterners moved to those states that I no longer have the desire. </p>
<p>Now, I’m considering Dallas, Tx. </p>
<p>Although, I don’t see enough of my family so I may ultimately end up in PA.</p>
<p>I’m looking for a lower cost, low tax, suburban to end with all the amenities of a nice town square, places you can walk to, diversity and fun stuff to do. It’s agonizing. I don’t care about weather as long as I have the money to pay for lawn mowing and snow plowing/shoveling. Ugh.</p>
<p>Right now, we are a 5-6 hour plane ride from D and a 10+ hour plane ride from S. When they start their families, we would like there to be less travel time between us. At this time, neither is in a serious relationship, so we probably have some time. D is still trying to figure out her career and get a job. S has worked at one job for 3 years and starts a new position with same federal employer in November.</p>
<p>Marabout, look at Grapevine…</p>
<p>“Wow! The kids dont want these places? The kids will become old someday.” - Nope. They have nice places of their own (with bigger yards and lower taxes). Plus they needed the money for their mom’s care. </p>
<p>Coloradomom, that is a good explanation.</p>
<p>An over-55 community wouldn’t be for me. I like being around people of all ages. </p>
<p>The NE can be a great place to retire. For instance, places in Rhode Island, Vermont and upstate NY are beautiful. Ithaca, NY has often been named as an ideal retirement location. ( NY Times) And these areas certainly do not carry the NYC price tag. Yet most are just a few hours drive or a very short plane trip to NYC.</p>
<p>I would suggest, however, that a month or so trip to a warmer climate in the middle of winter would be a good idea. Spend a month in Florida or Arizona and be a snowbird.</p>
<p>The NE has four beautiful distinct seasons and georgeous scenery. Winters are long and can be grey. Hence a month long trip to warmer, sunnier locations, which can be done inexpensively, make it ideal. But you can also experience a beautiful snowfall.</p>
<p>Well a beautiful snowfall may be ideal for some…but frankly, I am done with the snow beautiful or ugly. If I ever retire, snow is not for me, period. Not sure that I have met lots of people who dream to retire in a snowy places, but apparently their some population. Make sure to hire out the snow removal, after certain age it is plainly dangerous. We stopped participating in thins activity (which used to be one of my favoite) several years ago. The same people who cut our grass, remove our snow when it is needed, no calls, no hustle…, no back pain either and no heart attack caused by snow removing activity, make sure that you are careful with everything else, so much I had to give up, very sad, but necessary if you want to saty productive…and still able to have some physical activities in your life.</p>
<p>They overbuilt over 55 communities in a lot of places. </p>
<p>Sometimes the owner dies before their heirs are old enough to reside there. And most of these places have restrictions on renting to others. </p>
<p>Many over 55 places here have actually amended their bylaws to allow any age. The economy just didn’t support resales to over 55 only.</p>
<p>We moved down to NC from Chicago last year and plan to stay here forever. We are in our late forties. He is semi retired. I’m working a lot, but love it. </p>
<p>I think that @VaBluebird you should stop mentioning NC!!! ;)) </p>
<p>No. It’s really great down here. There’s tons to do. The weather is so reasonable. The food is just astonishingly good. This has got to be one of the best kept secrets of the south, how damn good the food is. It’s a beautiful state, whether you are east or west or in the central college towns and medical care is great in all the college areas.</p>
<p>All that said, moving away from the people you are connected to is harder than it sounds. I really underestimated how difficult that would be. I would never move back, but it takes a while to feel like it’s your “home” and I wouldn’t wait forever to it if you have an option to do it sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>Oh, I know why I posted on this thread: one nice thing about this area is that there aren’t really “affluent” areas so much. There are some towns full of northern transplants like Cary that mimic the northern thing of all wealthy people living in the same place, but in most of the state, it’s all a mix of all SES together and people don’t “flaunt” money. It’s really not a thing people do at all, except in some very tiny northern enclaves. So, moving here without a lot of funds you could still live in a really nice quaint area. </p>