A pied de terre in Paris or outskirts for spring and fall and my house in San Diego for summer and winter. With traveling in between!!
An oceanfront condo in Hawaii (Oahu preferred) with a beach walk trail for the winter months, our House2 for the rest of the year.
Thinking about it, I would prefer two houses. I initially said one but I wouldn’t mind getting a second house for the winter months in a place that snowed. I’d still want it somewhere in the US but I haven’t decided on a state where it snows but it isn’t too cold.
Classic six apartment on Central Park West.
“Would love to summer in Scotland.”
Do you like midges? May and September are much better months to be in Scotland.
I find any sort of fly or bug to be annoying especially when they get inside the house. I’ve had bad experiences of camping during the summer with tons of flying insects around me. That’s why I chose to have a retirement home where there aren’t so many bugs in the summer.
To me houses = tied to one place + upkeep, even if you have hired help to oversee everything. If I’m dreaming, I’m living in a hotel, or a rotation of hotels. I honestly could easily fit all I need into a couple of large suitcases. One of my favorite current locations in Jekyll Island, Georgia so I may stay for a while at the Jekyll Island Club hotel. I’m clearly living in the wrong century.
Note that not including college I’ve lived in a total of 7 structures in 57 years and that includes one for 21 years as of this month and one for 18 years growing up so that may be guiding my thinking that I want to move around.
NYC apartment with a doorman and a view of Central Park. (I can dream can’t I?) But I’d also like time in our cabin in Vermont, but it needs an upgrade a la Maine Longhorn’s! (Solar panels run a small fridge and lights, but the composting toilet really ought to be replaced with a newer model.)
Having had a large house up north and being retired in Florida I know there is no such thing in real life.
Single story house with nice views- ours includes both woods and pond here- plus room for flowers. When we house hunted we discovered 3000 SF was too big- too many rooms go unused. Know from early years that 2000 SF was minimum for us. It is nice to have a roomy master, small guest room (queen bed fits what was a study with a closet) and one room each for our den/computer rooms- those secondary bedrooms near each other so we are separate but can easily talk. Large kitchen is useful when two people make their meals at the same time. Living room and family room give each of us a separate TV space.
Climate, geography- do not miss snow, hate the heat. The thought of Seattle/Tampa was there but moving so far means either leaving behind the stuff we chose to keep, duplicating it or doing a long haul twice a year.
Politics/religion/culture. We prefer fringes of larger cities. Library system, college classes, senior activities (intellectual like Ollie), parks…
Cost of living, taxes.
Guess what- if I could combine what I like best about both cities Seattle would have to change its gloom then be a match.
My fantasy: Winters and summers would be spent traveling. The rest of the time we’d live somewhere in the SF Bay Area, a 3-bedroom 2-bathroom house (it can be small!) with a small yard and walking distance to restaurants and stores. A more realistic fantasy: we stay in our current Denver house, spend parts of the year traveling while health and money permit. Part of the winters are spent here, for skiing.
I’m pretty happy with our suburban home but would love easy teleporting from our island home on Oahu to other spots the time and energy lost in travel is real.
Personally, I don’t think 3000 square feet is too big. I could use the extra bedrooms as a mud room and store items in it that I don’t necessarily use but I don’t want to give or throw away.
You have yet to learn what it takes to maintain 2000 sf. Or maybe you live large now. But what many of us would get rid of isn’t new and a lot isn’t even wanted.
Our home is 1200 or so square feet and big enough for each kid to have their room when they visit. A bit more storage space would be nice to have but don’t really want to clean it and maintain it.
A not too big house in Northern Michigan on the first tee. Less than an hour from Lake Michigan and numerous small resort towns that I can visit easily but not have to deal with tourists if I don’t have to. Lots of great outdoor activities, winter and summer. 4 seasons. And great friends.
Wait! That’s what I am doing, living my dream with the love of my life!
Could the house be nicer? Sure. But right now on June 27, this is the perfect spot. If we could take a vacation in November and March, I would love it even more. Only 3 more years until retirement
House near Yellowstone. Think it would have to be in Gardiner as its the only gate open year round.
I want a corner condo with a little patio for outdoor dining but no yard I have to take care of. A pool in the condo complex that will entice grandchildren to come over in the summer would be really nice. Condo needs to be located walking distance to grocery store, library, or restaurants and have sidewalks for me to safely walk on. Location will be here or of my kids all locate to another city, it will be near them.
My daughter has the city apartment in Boston described earlier in the thread - well maintained building, a block from a major transit hub, beautiful old cobblestone street, two blocks from the world’s best library, a supermarket a few blocks away, and tons of restaurants etc. within walking distance. I am envious of the location but can’t imagine living in a walk up with a basement laundry. So, I imagine living in the new luxury tower a block away with all of the amenities of a hotel, but still in the great location. And since money is no object - make it the penthouse!
Oh… this house would be fine (especially if we do some renovations and minor repairs)… if we had lots of fun travel elsewhere too.
I would actually consider the current home I’m living in as a possible retirement home. If that’s the case I’d buy a bigger house after graduating college and saving some money, and then I’d move back into my childhood home when I retire. That would be pretty cool actually. To be able to grow up in a house and to be able to grow old in it in the future.