<p>Hey, now I have a name for what we did this past winter, we retired early. Okay, so maybe the hubster is still working, but we decided to move to someplace that makes us feels like we’re on vacation. I’m finding NC to be unbelievable. The blue sky, the colors of spring, the neighborhood that we found a home in has a feeling of seclusion, but I can get to the Wal-Mart in 20 minutes. Just yesterday after spending the day on the lake we sat outside and a hot air balloon flew over us. Very surreal.</p>
<p>LOL, why doesn’t everybody figure it out? Move to Buffalo/Niagara Falls. </p>
<p>Perfect weather from May-October. Housing so cheap you can’t believe it, because, well because it’s Buffalo. There’s a university, symphony, repertory theaters, pro football and hockey, and a world class art museum for modern art (Albright-Knox).</p>
<p>BUT: be sure you dis your surroundings enough so that none of your kids moves back home. Beg them to move only to hub-flight cities that connect nonstop to Buffalo International Airport with cheap fares. </p>
<p>My 3 seem to be settling in to Manhattan, Southern California and Rhode Island. Might have to tweak Rhode Island, we’ll see. </p>
<p>Buffalo from May-October is bliss. From November-April, spend 2 months apiece with each kid. Brook no complaints (note my screenname). </p>
<p>If they relocate, no problem; planes go everywhere. </p>
<p>Be a real sport and buy them each a pull-out sofa.</p>
<p>(Actually I’m really sad because nobody can move back here to work, nor would I want them to. That’s the real bite.)</p>
<p>No way I’m sharing. </p>
<p>H just returned from a holiday to a US retirement city–and reported that he was surrounded by tiny elderly Americans dressed in pastels, driving enormous Humvees through the flat upscale streets.</p>
<p>^^ retiring to Hell, are you?</p>
<p>^^Looks like Sarasota to me; but there’d have to be more Mercedes Benz and Porsche autos driven by geezers. </p>
<p>Vermont sounds nice.</p>
<p>The contractor who came to fix our ac at the rental a couple of weeks ago told me about his new retirement home he just purchased. He said it has six bedrooms, two story, spiral staircase, imported tile throughout, designer everything, huge pool, gorgeous landscaping, it overlooks the ocean, etc., and, it cost like $25 lol. It’s in Mexico…</p>
<p>I have looked in Mexico–cheap but not that cheap. Such a house in a decent town will be north of $250K.</p>
<p>Here is a snippet of life in Vermont…today it was 80 degrees (like a beautiful summer day) and the SNOW piles on my lawn were going down quickly. Right now, a rain storm is passing through with very high winds. Tomorrow it will be in the 50’s. Last week it was a snowstorm. Just wait a moment and it will change. :D</p>
<p>Barrons I was exaggerating the entire post of course but he did say the house was $34,000, and almost as nice as my description…but…it’s Mexico… </p>
<p>Soozievt I cannot imagine. In Miami every day is (comparatively) nearly exactly the same, except of course when there’s a hurricane or tropical storm. The temperature does vary maybe by 20 degrees during a year, and far less humidity in the winter/spring, but, otherwise…the same warddrobe more or less works all year long…for me, Vermont would be the answer to never being bored, the weather would be entertaining all by itself…</p>
<p>Lot’s of people out here have places down there and House Hunters on TV has features several cities on the coast and one an hour north of Mexico City that is very popular with US folks. While reasonable none was co cheap that you could buy one on your Visa card. You can find plenty of listings in Mexico online.</p>
<p>A colleague of mine is fairly convinced that it’d be a good deal to retire in the Philippines (he’s never been there and he’s not Filipino). I actually suggested Mexico as a closer alternative but he thinks Mexico’s more expensive. I also suggested less expensive parts of the USA but none of them are as cheap as the Philippines. We’ll see if he really ends up there.</p>
<p>For me, the San Diego area seems like a nice retirement spot albeit the houses aren’t exactly cheap.</p>
<p>barrons, I bet the one an hour north was San Miguel D’Allende. It is a gorgeous, charming colonial city… very European feel. Plenty of expats there. No big body of water = different breed of tourism. Nice houses are $500K minimum. In town, $750K and up.</p>
<p>That’s it. I was too lazy to look it up. Thanks.</p>
<p>[she returned with the ultimate souvenir- beachfront property](<a href=“Barbie's Malibu Dreamhouse Is Available on Airbnb In October”>http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/loco-for-mexico</a>)</p>
<p>The desireable parts of Mexico have become very expensive. Real estate is CA prices in Cabo, millions for an oceanfront condo. Restaurant prices are American too. Wish I’d bought 15 years ago! It’s the Hollywood money.</p>
<p>Panama–the next hot place.</p>
<p>Also Costica Rica, Belize, S. Africa, Egypt, Argentina and Brazil.</p>
<p>Possibilities for me and the mrs:</p>
<p>Santa Fe or Taos, NM</p>
<p>Ashville, NC</p>
<p>or just stay in the 2nd largest college town in the country (until students graduate, then leave…)</p>
<p>80 in Vermont already? I was surprised enough to see it here in NY! The weather this past winter and spring has been very strange…</p>
<p>Aw, somebody beat me to it. I thought the boomers are all going to retire in Costa Rica or Belize.</p>
<p>And aren’t us Washingtonians supposed to retire to Sequim?</p>