<p>Williamstown MA
Unbelievably beautiful.
Art. Theater. Lectures. Great, spirited sports teams. Most cultural and athletic offerings are free to the community.</p>
<p>jack, Don’t recall the exact location, but I know that it is not far from Cary. They frankly lost sight of why they are moving. The object was to get out from under the NE expenses, and pay off some debt/bills. H had himself transferred. Apparently there is a huge amount of building going on. Nice homes on small plots of land. Some new construction has one practically living at arms length from one’s neighbor. They will be no better off than they were before. If they purchased a home that was renovated (even built just 15 years ago), they could have paid 300,000. They wanted new construction.</p>
<p>northeastmom: Well, I’m afraid they’re gonna be in for a rude awakening. They’ll probably be happy in or near Cary, though. Lots of folks think Cary stands for “Containment Area for Relocated Yankees.” Most everybody who lives there is from the NE, so that–combined with ever-rising taxes–should make them feel right at home. ;)</p>
<p>I’ve googled a few articles and seen references to a college-affiliated community at Cornell. That would have the advantages of great campus attractions during the academic year and a resort-like setting in the summer.</p>
<p>Jack, and they are probably looking for NE transplants. So what are typical property taxes in that area?</p>
<p>We are considering the Greensboro, Winston-Salem area. There seems to be a lot going on in that part of NC…sort of what I recall Raleigh-CH being like in the 80’s. Coming from CT, the costs will certainly be less…and we will also be looking for a smaller home and less land to maintain (we don’t need the acreage we have now when we retire).</p>
<p>What a great thread!
The “hidden jewels” have mostly been found.</p>
<p>State College PA has a lot going on, with music, arts, excellent health care relatively cheap housing and some good outdoor activities. It is a few hours drive to NYC, Philly, Pittsburgh, Baltimore or DC. That may be why it has stayed relatively cheap. They are trying to develop research related businesses through “Innovation Park”, which has some connection to PSU.</p>
<p>Ch’ville is just close enough to DC, that prices have skyrocketed as companies have headquartered there. The corridor between Ch’ville and Richmond is turning into a millionaires row of expensive real estate.</p>
<p>How about UNC Greensboro?</p>
<p>Swarthmore, PA has great free concerts, lectures etc. Housing is relatively cheap for the tonier Philly suburbs but the real estate taxes are high.</p>
<p>thumper, We have been to Winston-Salem a couple of times. It is a very nice area. One can get a beautiful home there for a reasonable price, and property taxes were not bad the last time I checked.</p>
<p>ANyone have any opinions about Charleston, SC? I am a single woman in my 40s thinking about relocating out of Mass when DD goes off to college to escape the high real estate prices and harsh winters. But, I don’t want to be isolated as a single person either. And advice?</p>
<p>I’m familiar with two retirement opportunities: Oberlin, Ohio and Amherst, Massachusetts. Both are success stories.</p>
<p>Kendall is the name of Oberlin’s new retirement community, include alumni and others. They all share an abiding interest in the college and town, which has a progressive social history. Residents looked very active to me, starting around age 60.
When I attended a concert at Finney Chapel with the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, a mini-van from Kendall arrived and those residents were accorded front-row seating. Between the enthusaism of the seniors and the Conservatory students literally leaning forward, taking in every sound of the concert, I thought I was in heaven. It was not my imagination, either. Following the concert, stopping for a coffee on Main Street, a British-accented gentleman noticed my program and he, too, had just attended the concert. “I live in Cleveland,” he said, “and subscribe to the orchestra, of course, but I find the audience in Cleveland rather sedate. When they perform at Oberlin, however, they are animated and invigorated by the audience. Here, their playing sparkles. You’d think they were a different orchestra entirely…”
That story gives voice to why one might want to retire in a college community. THat the same orchestra could sound better, thanks to the enthusaism of the audience, is testimony to an intergenerational mix of music lovers.
Later that day, I spoke to a lady in the spice shop who was retired, had been a Conservatory student, and had a teaching relationship to the public schools, which are well-associated with Oberlin.
Another woman in her late 50’s was married to an Oberlin alum, and although she had never gone to college there, she was enjoying her culturally-saturated life with her home now Kendall. I asked her if it was hard not being an alum, and she said, absolutely not; most couples there have one non-alum in the pair.</p>
<p>The other success story is my mother’s friend, who retired to Amherst, Massachusetts so she could enjoy the Five College Consortium (Amherst, UMass at Amherst, Hampshire, Smith, Mt. Holyoke). She had a play or concert to attend every night of the week, became active in the local Unitarian Church, and enjoyed her own apartment in Amherst for seven years.
At that point, she moved to a purchased apartment in Northampton because there was more there that was community-based, rather than college-based. She was, however, all over the five campuses. A former New York area resident, she enjoyed hearing … everythign! Lectures, book reviewers, concerts, plays, dramatic classics, contemporary new works. Student productioins, visiting productions…and rarely paid more than $10 for any evening (often free). SHe was well aware that she was seeing things that would have cost $75 - $200 per ticket in Manhattan, with quality equally fine. She had no urban or suburban troubles with commuter traffic, etc., althought Route 9 must be dealt with strategically!
She said that the only way to move to the town was as a student or retiree, however. Not enough (not any) jobs. So if one of the couple is still enjoying being middle-aged and not retired, proceed with caution. Other than that, she was a great proponent of simply “moving to town” and proceeding independently.</p>
<p>Personally, I think I’d retire at Kendall because my H and I both adored Oberlin as students and our daughter is about to graduate there now. Whenever I visit her, I realize that this was the place where I was the happiest. Having moved around a lot, it feels more like “home” than all the places I’vehad to live in since.</p>
<p>For retirement I don’t think you need a new 2500-3000sf house. Prices for nice 1500-2000 sf 30 year olds homes are reasonable in Raleigh and Winston Salem. Plus you get a better location where you have things in walking distance.</p>
<p>Here’s some listing in and near WS for under $250K. I could find something there I liked.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cbtriad.com/property/proplist.asp?PRM_County=Forsyth&BR=1&VAR_AllowSaveSearch=1&PRM_MLSNumber=&PRM_PropertyTypeCode=1&PRM_Minimum_Price=150000&PRM_Maximum_Price=250000&PRM_Custom3=&PRM_Minimum_Beds=3&PRM_Minimum_baths=2[/url]”>http://www.cbtriad.com/property/proplist.asp?PRM_County=Forsyth&BR=1&VAR_AllowSaveSearch=1&PRM_MLSNumber=&PRM_PropertyTypeCode=1&PRM_Minimum_Price=150000&PRM_Maximum_Price=250000&PRM_Custom3=&PRM_Minimum_Beds=3&PRM_Minimum_baths=2</a></p>
<p>Absolutely…I do NOT want a 3600 sf house…or a two acre lot. And I would love to be able to walk to something. And I would prefer to have the master bedroom on the main floor. DH and I are going to take a long weekend and go to Greensboro and check out the situation. There is a ton of building going on there…good for the business he’s in (engineering) and good for the business I’m in (education). I think we could probably find part time jobs and/or volunteer opportunities. And that area has a lot to do from what we’ve seen in the past.</p>
<p>northeastmom: I think it depends on where you choose to live. Again, if you move to a more rural area of NC, and you do not have to be concerned about the quality of schools, then real estate and property taxes are less. If you want to be right in a city-- Raleigh (“inside the beltline” area), where public magnet schools are really excellent, and you also have a lot within walking or biking distance-- or within the town of Chapel Hill, where public schools are equally outstanding, and you can walk to the University, to town, etc., then you will be hard-pressed to find anything, small or large, for less than 1/2 million–and houses at that price usually also need a lot of work. More and more condos are being built, but even at 1500 sq feet, they can <em>start</em> at that same price. </p>
<p>barrons: I don’t know when you last visited. These “30 year old homes” that you describe as “reasonable” are probably on the outskirts of “town,” and only near shopping centers, making you dependent on a car for everything you do. If that’s one’s goal for retirement (or at any age), then–yes–I think you probably can get something “reasonable.” Again, I don’t think people realize how horrendous the traffic has become here. If you find property in these more “reasonably priced” areas, you will be sitting in traffic for most of your day. That doesn’t sound like fun to me, but this is obviously better than where people are currently living, I guess . . .</p>
<p>barrons: I just looked at the first page of that link you supplied. Those areas are not within walking distance to anything. Most are not even in Winston Salem. So, again, you can find houses for much less, but you will be driving everywhere. And was it just me, or was there not a tree in sight in any of those soul-less subdivisions on that first page??</p>
<p>My brother and sister-in-law from Mass went to the Raleigh, Cary, Chapel Hill area last summer to look at relocating to a more reasonable cost-of-living situation. (With a 3 year old and triplet newborns, they need to get out of taxachussets!)
My sister-in-law really liked the new subdivisions, as she felt the neighborhood feel to them was good for the kids. My brother HATED the whole cookie-cutter Stepford Wives feel to all those new subdivisions. They are not going.</p>
<p>Oh my. I have given a lot of thought to this, myself. I don’t know if I should tell you where I’m thinking of because you’ll just run the price up higher than it already is, and I’m still not ready to retire.</p>
<p>But, here goes.</p>
<p>My wife and I are looking seriously at Boulder, Colorado. CU is a large school, but the town itself has everything we’re looking for. There’s something like 40,000 acres of city-owned open space for hiking, lots of theater, lots of music, a thriving Chautauqua, many miles of bike trails, lots of sunshine, great restaurants and outdoor cafes, great micro-breweries, scenery, etc. We’re also considering Bellingham, Washington and Ashland, Oregon, which also have their attractions.</p>
<p>paying3; great post - I had heard about Kendal from a friend whose mother lives there and labsolutely loves it. My daughter is at Oberlin too. Caveat; the winter seems very long & very cold, even more so than in New England. The concept of being in a small, college town, near a big city, really is very appealing, especially since it’s so easy to get to Cleveland & the airport. To be honest, my one time at Oberlin (my daughter is a freshman), I was, well, underwhelmed by Cleveland.</p>
<p>There are 75 pages of listing. Try a bit harder.
Here’s a 20 year old home in west WS in an established neighborhood.</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.cbtriad.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=W418650&PRM_MlsName=Triad[/url]”>http://www.cbtriad.com/property/property.asp?PRM_MLSNumber=W418650&PRM_MlsName=Triad</a></p>
<p>sunshadow
I was n Charleston last summer (August) for the first time after dropping S at U Of South Carolina in Columbia.Very impressed by the town .(Im a NY’er)Charming in city living IF you can afford it.I think a single woman could do well there…are there job opportunities for you? Its touristy but not wholly dependent on the tourist dollar. Theres a new bridge going to the Mt Pleasant area,and living there is cheaper I thing but it may be more family/child oriented.
By the way…It’s HOT there in the summer,if you’re not used to it.</p>
<p>Looked around Mt Pleasant a bit. Very suburban but much cheaper than the better parts of Charleston. Also closer to beaches. Good value.</p>