Slow travel (or other adventure?) before deciding on retirement locale?

Parent Cafe Travel
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Wondering if - in early retirement- anyone might have taken a year or two of travel to check out different locations before deciding where to settle? Or started out with some other kind of adventure? :slightly_smiling_face:

Reading a lot about maximizing the go-go years when you have relative health, energy, and mobility.

H has decided to stop working and it (might) be 6 months to a year for me. We talked about places we might settle in the US - outside our HCOL/high-tax state (3 cities from each of us).

H’s #1 choice is The Villages (over 55) in FL. For some reason that plan (and similar ones) make me feel like I’m planning my own funeral and I want to cry. :laughing: I understand this is not logical! And much respect for those who love the over 55 community lifestyle.

It just feels like if I give up my interesting (but exhausting & demanding) job, great colleagues, and fun, local friends it should be for some kind of adventure
?

A few ideas came to mind..

  1. Slow travel for a year or two (overseas where COL is lower?)
  2. Travel with a small, towable RV around the US for a year (could visit Nat’l Parks & adult kids out west- although close quarters!)
  3. House sit/pet sit overseas to save travel costs?

This all may be unrealistic :laughing:. Our numbers seem solid but not sure we could maintain mortgage + healthcare + travel (might have to sell house).

Curious if others might have had similar thoughts/ considerations? (CC always provides the most thoughtful perspectives..)

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Lots of thoughts about this


Don’t buy anyplace til you’ve spent some time there.

The Villages appeals to some people, and some people absolutely hate it.

Consider what’s important to you and go visit, ideally multiple times in multiple seasons before you “settle” somewhere. Think about all kinds of things - airports nearby, doctors, political scene, weather, all “old” people or multi-generational place, importance of friends and relatives nearby or not
 there are lots of things people consider.

Spreadsheets are your friend. Think about what’s REALLY important to you, and make sure where you’re considering has those things.

I’m impressed with how @Marilyn handled their relocation to San Diego. She may have some good advice.

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A couple, very good friends of mine, retired before they were 60. They always intended to buy a second home in a warmer climate to go to part of the year, but they had no idea where. So
they started to go to places for 6-8 weeks in the winter. They felt that was time to get the local feel, and figure out if they might like to live there. So far, they have been to at least 10 different places, and a few more than once.

What they realized was that it was more fun going wherever they felt like going for the winter months
and it didn’t need to be the same place. Plus they crunched the numbers on owning two properties (taxes, maintenance, utilities, mortgage, etc). They also decided they never wanted to be landlords.

So
they continue to go away but now for about 2 months or longer each winter
sometimes splitting between two places. They love the flexibility. And if they like a place, they can go back again and again.

Another couple we know rents an apartment abroad for a month every year. A different place each time. Plus they then go to Key West for two months in the winter.

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I have two friends who did 1-2 years in their RVs and went all over the country. They both loved it but interestingly both settled back where they started.

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I live in Michigan where it seems that almost everyone I meet, snowbirds :joy:

It sounds like you don’t want to settle in the place you live now, so that’s one consideration. It would be a full time place?

Here, I meet people who go so many places. Florida is by far the most popular. But we have friends who go to Arizona and Texas also. My parents moved to Tennessee when they retired.

People I know like the villages and that area, there are more communities than The Villages. I personally think that this year might be a good year to rent a place for a few months.

Any place you go, make sure to visit in the off season. The Villages might be great in February, not so much in June. Or August.

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I don’t think you Mentioned how old you and your husband are - I mean are you just past that 55 yrs or are you closer to 65? Do either of you have health needs or would you say you are both decently healthy and active?

Is retiring something you are ready to do? I get a sense you might not be ready for that. Retirement isn’t everyone’s “hot ticket” - it’s not mine and while I did do a job change from FT to PT at age 65, I’m SO happy still having my foot in work.

I think it’s important to not make a snap judgment on a place (like The Villages). If it’s on his short list, Go and visit - but if you don’t like the vibe SPEAK UP. Don’t set yourself up to be miserable! And I hope he gives your list the same grace.

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My parents lived in The Villages and loved it. They visited several times before buying, though, to make sure it was what they wanted.

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Thanks so much for the thoughtful answers and shared experiences. I appreciate it.

@abasket - hub is 59 1/2 and I am 61. Some health issues make it a good time for him to leave high pressure work environment now - tho he’s on the path to being healthier. I’m eligible for a smallish pension next year and retirement software scenarios tell us the $ part is mostly okay.

The ‘what do we want next’ remains a bit of a mystery (for me at least!). :laughing:. I guess trying out places via travel is a good step to address the unknown (as noted by several folks above!).

And I guess I can’t let The Villages suggestion get me down LOL. Thanks again!

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I first heard about The Villages from my husband. He read there is some kind of deal where you can arrange to do rentals, try it out. We watched some youtube videos, considered it last winter but started planning too late.

I don’t see us ever buying there. But after listening to this podcast it did seem a bit more appealing, with various small/walkable neighgorhoods. In recent year they have added more healthcare. Plus childcare to support the workforce. For me the pickleball opportunities would be fun.

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Funny that this thread popped us as I was changing some flights to go out to see our kids in CA in February for almost a month. Part of that trip may be to look around to see if there is an active seniors CCRC type community that we may consider looking at for a possible eventual recocation to be closer to the kids and grandkids.

While we might look at communities similar to The Villages in FL, from what I understand, the political leanings of the vast majority of residents of the Villages in FL would be horribly uncomfortable for me, so for me, that would be a hard NO. So if that matters, give that a lot of thought.

Personally, I prefer to have a home base (wherever that is) and travel for a few weeks or up to a month at a time, but I cannot imagine living out of a suitcase. Will be interested to hear what you decide.

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At 63 I sold my house and have been doing seasonal rentals for 10 years- as you may remember. For 8 of those I was in the same place in a coastal MA town for the winter. Summer varies, usually the city.

I was limited for several years by needing to orbit my mother who I took care of, but now that she is gone I am going to be more adventurous in my explorations. But at this point I am almost 75 so running out of time for this lifestyle! This summer I am going to try Vermont.

I have also been touring continuing care retirement communities (the ones that refund 90% and have all levels of care after independent living) since many have long waiting lists.

I second the wisdom of repeat visits. I try to build some level of familiarity with the locations I am now considering. I am alone so a new place is maybe more scary for me. With a spouse it could be more of an “adventure” I think. I am going to start doing airbnbs’s in the 3 areas I am considering. (Home prices and rents have risen dramatically where I am now.)

I am balancing avoiding being a burden to my kids at some point, and the need to be close to at least one of them (which also reduces stress for them). My geographically close kids are not really settled themselves yet. One is in CA, one in NY and one in Boston so choosing who to be close to is another challenge.

I was warned that my mother could live longer than I expected when dementia first hit and yes, she lasted 8 years, up to 95. I forgot that I also got older so I am still surprised that I am 74. So I would say, don’t waste too much time. It goes by fast.

If I were you, and you had plans to relocate, I would do that first- after establishing some familiarity and renting first- then travel, RV, have adventures. Or stay where you are and have adventures. Keep some stability as you travel and try new things.

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You can do long term rentals in The Villages. My brothers kept my dad’s place after he passed, and they rent it out - it all has to be done through an authorized agent in The Villages (unless something changed recently). There are plenty of healthcare professionals in the area, and while there is a hospital in The Villages, my parents used a local hospital system outside The Villages.

H’s cousin & her H have a condo on the ocean in Hilton Head. They live there on and off during the year, and they really enjoy it.

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Some thoughts to consider:

  • there’s a documentary filmmaker named Peter Santenello who did an interesting video about The Villages in FL. You should watch it. It’s very informative, very well done (like all of his stuff) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX4i8qprP2I
  • neighbors of ours across the street purchased a 3rd wheel and spent a year and a half traveling around the US in it before they settled into their current home. Wife said she got tired of RV travel. Husband would have loved to continue doing that forever. Now instead they do long road trips with their RV. Wife said the thing breaks down every single trip
there’s always something going wrong with it even though it’s fairly new. They’ve spent an arm and a leg with it in the shop all the time. Their most recent mishap involved the RV breaking down 100 miles from home. Cost them $1000 to get it towed.
  • I think you should consider renting somewhere first.
  • somebody up thread mentioned Arizona. Lots of snowbirds automatically think of the Phoenix area when they consider wintering in AZ. But you should also consider the greater Tucson area. It’s really beautiful. Plus has good healthcare. There are some pretty affordable single-story condos to be had in Green Valley (suburb just south of Tucson, lots of retirees in Green Valley so there’s a lot of social life for older adults). Tucson area doesn’t get as hot as Phoenix in the summer. Make sure to stop by Mission San Xavier del Bac and buy some fry bread from the families who sell it out in front of the church. When I retire, I’m seriously considering moving back to the Tucson area. Green Valley is about 20-30 min drive to the airport, 30 min to U of A (which has traveling Broadway performances regularly throughout the year, by the way), and the world’s best Mexican food (El Antojo Poblano on St Mary’s Rd). :slight_smile:
  • you should also check out parts of New Mexico. Las Cruces is popular for retirees seeking out temperate winters.
  • or instead of RV travel, you could go the ‘tiny house on wheels’ route. Go look at Incredible Tiny Homes’ website for some info.
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I agree NOT to sell until you have thoroughly explored potential new home bases, especially when crowded & empty, plus looking into medical care at such places. I have heard of so many folks who sell, move and then are remorseful about new location. It’s pretty expensive to fully move home bases—be very thoughtful about pros & cons, convenience to airports and other transportation, etc., plus political climate and finding your “tribe.” It can be pretty lonely if you’re a liberal in a sea of people with very different views from yours or vice versa.

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My wife has this idea that we’d go to places for 4-6 weeks (like an Air BNB) so we can sample different areas.

Will we? No idea - but it seems a reasonable idea.

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I’ve told our relocation story before but here it is again. We lived in Chicagoland for 40 years altogether. I basically just got tired of winter and in 2005, had an epiphany that I didn’t have to live in winter for the rest of my life. It took me five years to convince husband we should relocate, and another five years to make it happen. We scoured the country for places that met our criteria and took advantage of other kinds of trips to investigate. I often contacted a local realtor for advice and house hunting with the following criteria:

We are looking for a warmer weather climate near a coast with an active Jewish population, within easy reach of a major metro area, single family housing with a little lawn, good socialization options for empty nesters, and day and vacation trip opportunities.

We looked at a lot of housing in a lot of cities during that time. Neither of us were interested in anything other than a single family home with a yard so did not investigate any senior style communities.

We did plan a month long VRBO stay in Naples FL along the way. It wasn’t because we wanted to move there, but just to get an feel of what it would be like trying out a new area and how well we could adjust. (And to escape winter).

In the end, husband wanted a spreadsheet to rate and rank our final considerations. I always knew San Diego would win! Our items to rank:

  • Cost of housing
  • Weather - snow, rain, heat, cold
  • Cost of living (taxes, utilities, food, gas, etc.)
  • Recreation/entertainment/access to body of water, beaches
  • Socialization opportunities (JCC, synagogues, universities)
  • Major urban access, access to city center (presumed this would encompass good medical care options)
  • Employment potential (in case either of us ever wanted to work again)
  • Neighborhood, walkability, shopping, etc.
  • Ease of transportation - airport, highways, trains
  • Safety/crime
  • Rental availability - houses? Condos? Etc. (in case we couldn’t find a house to buy by the time we needed to move)

In early 2012, we rented two VRBO’s for a month each in San Diego in different areas to get a feel for living here. We looked at housing everywhere (our Realtor was great - and patient). We also looked at traffic, shopping, recreation, etc. So by the time we were ready to act, we had a good idea of which neighborhoods were best for us and what kind of house we could get.

Proximity to family was not a factor - son had actually boomeranged back with us for a while so we had to kick the little birdie out of the nest for the second time. My brother and family, and my mom, lived in the Chicago metro area very close to each other but a Tristate drive away from us. And she passed away literally days after we moved, so plans to go back regularly became immaterial.

We’ve made plenty of friends here (more than I ever had before) albeit husband did leave a few old acquaintances behind. But his best friends were already elsewhere. I for one have never regretted it for a second. And as husband plays tennis and goes to farmers markets year round, hopefully he feels the same.

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My husband is trying to soft launch a retirement in one of the Florida retirement communities and thought makes me cry as well. He is championed by his mother, who lives in one and keeps telling him that we need to go while we’re young so we can find a group of actives and participate in the activities before, well, you know
.I get it but it’s still a hard pass for me at this point (we are still in our 50’s for another few years). Maybe I will revisit when I’m 70 - a partial year’s stay. I am all for renting a place for a month in the winter.

We did spend a couple of years deep-diving on a single family home on the gulf coast of Florida but ultimately the hurricane worries, insurance costs, traffic and Florida heat (for me) pushed it to the back burner.

I had a recent epiphany that I want to retire where I am. Both my kids are here, I will have my first grandchild in March, and I don’t want to be away from that. I want to spend this part of my life with them. I’ve seen a lot of my friend’s parents, who retired to Florida years ago, boomerang back to be close to family in their final years. I already live in the south and many people choose to retire in my state if they don’t want to go all the way to Florida.

I am zeroed in on a popular lake about 45 minutes’ drive from our current home. A second home for now but one that could easily become a primary home. We already recreate on this lake (and have been for years) - the kids love it, and it would be easy for them to come on the weekends. I’m also open to something on the coast (my older daughter’s in-laws are there so it would open up the possibility of larger family gatherings). We’ve also looked at HHI but that might be a little far for me (4hr drive).

We have several friends who have gone to RV route. A great way to see the country but they all have said that they eventually got tired of having to pack up and unpack and if it’s a big RV, the driving can be stressful.

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There are many communities in FL that are not the Villages. We have a number of friends who have homes in FL for at least 6 months a year. None really liked the Villages mostly because that community is so huge. The homes there can be less pricey than in other places, especially if you buy an older Villages home.

There are tons of communities with great amenities, activities, etc in FL. And in AZ. And I’m sure in other places. I would check those out too.

My sister and husband might buy in the Villages
my husband and I wouldn’t consider that community.

Renting first is a good idea. My friends (in the post above) felt that 6-8 weeks gave them a better sense of the local area than less time.

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Agree that short-term renting is the way to go- whether a “planned community” or just a different type of living situation. There are some condo/living situations that have been described to me as “the worst of junior high without any teachers in the lunchroom”, so if you’re trying to avoid that- try it out for a while before any financial commitment.

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I think there is another important factor - medical care. As we get older, it is going to be important to have easy access to good medical care.

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