Retirement destination

Parent Cafe
1

It’s one of those gray, dreary days, when I think it would be nice to retire someplace warmer than New England.

Asheville seems like it might be our kind of place (warmer, but a liberal to left leaning population), but real estate is not cheap there.

Does anyone have suggestions for the East coast, a place like Asheville, but not so expensive?

We are not looking to downsize - my husband has hobbies that require lots of space - and we would like a place with a some acreage, yet still close to an urban area.

I know, I know - exacting demands, but I like to troll Trulia or Zillow and dream…

2

We like that area too, we will look in Winston-Salem. Love that town!

We know some folks who retired to Boone. Less expensive than Ashville, but same sort of feel…or so they say.

3

We like Asheville too, but not happy with it being 2 hours from CLT. Our kids live far enough away that flying would be necessary, and we’d like to be closer to a good airport.

4

My parents had their first retirement in Lexington, VA. It’s a small town, but with two colleges there more to do than you might think. My Dad was involved in the local Democratic party. There’s the American Shakespeare center in nearby Staunton. Very pretty. Might not be warm enough though.

5

Have you looked into any of the surrounding areas like Black Mountain (about 20 minutes from Asheville) or the Lake Lure area (about 45 minutes from Charlotte)?

I guess it all depends on the type of real estate you are looking for. When H was job hunting a few years ago we saw plenty of doable homes (3-4 bedrooms on a nice sized lot) for <$250K. Were you looking for less than that or are you looking at mega lots and properties?

6

There are still affordable locations 20-30 minutes outside of Asheville. The politics do get a bit more conservative as you leave the city. Look in Woodfin and Weaverville to see if the real estate prices work for you.

7

Here in New England, we’ve been looking for something with 4+ acres, preferably with outbuildings.

Woodfin / Weaverville looks no cheaper than what we’ve seen around here (ie, need to spend $500K +)

Oh, and I haven’t looked at real estate taxes in that neck of the woods - we are currently paying almost $11k annually, and want to reduce that considerably in retirement.

8

My aunt & uncle are in Hendersonville, which is near Asheville … but I think less expensive. It’s a nice area, within driving distance to Asheville & Greenville (which is a very nice town, as well).

9

I’d love to look at Asheville, but I need to be near the water. Any suggestions for a similar type of town but on the ocean?

10

Chevda, We just bought in Savannah. Considered Asheville, but after last year’s winter, were drawn to something warmer.

11

Greenville SC.

12

I love Greenville, and Charleston.

13

Charleston is amazing, but can be expensive.

14

A friend of mine loves Oak Island, NC. She used to rent a house there in the summer and it was very laid back, old fashioned and less expensive than other beach rentals.

Look at taxes in different states and that might help narrow things down. My parents were planning on retiring in NC and switched to VA for certain retirement benefits. Of course, these things can always change.

15

@jasmom, Congrats on Savannah! We have a place about half an hour away near Hilton Head. Maybe someday we can get together!

16

Re Black Mountain, NC - this house looks cool, although perhaps not too practical: http://www.trulia.com/property/3069309750-62-Bucks-Walk-Black-Mountain-NC-28711

17

@alwaysamom, absolutely! Retirement (and moving from the Northeast) is still at least 1.5 years away for us, but decision made.

18

I think I am going to retire in NYC. Yes, it is not cheap, but it is very convenient for older people. You can get almost anything delivered to your apartment - grocery, medication, dry cleaning, packages. You don’t need to drive and you could have access to shopping, museums, restaurants, and the best medical care. You can just look out the window and see a lot of activities without having to leave your home. It is why so many elderly can live by themselves in NYC. I think it is much harder to be self sufficient living out in the suburb when one can’t drive any more. I also think it is very important to live where most of your friends are and be close by to at least one of your kids.

19

We chose Tampa for our retirement home, but I would also be very happy in Greenville, SC. That is a wonderful city and much more to my taste than Asheville. I love Tampa but probably not a great fit for the OP’s desire for acreage.

20

My in-laws retired in Black Mountain and lived there for many years. It’s a great little town, very walkable. They did find themselves on I-40 a lot going into Asheville for one reason or another. It’s a beautiful part of NC.

Greenville, SC is not near the ocean. Greenville, NC is closer!

My H and I spend a lot of time talking about this topic. After 35 years of living wherever his company sent us, it’s a bit daunting to think of making a choice on our own. We have been spoiled where we are now, and can’t seem to recreate it in the southeast of the U.S., which is where we want to end up. Most likely we will end up in Virginia, as it’s always been our plan to go back and my family is there.