We already have the place we’ll retire to, and would live there full time now, but our jobs are here. We’ll just be relocating from north Jersey to south Jersey–we both grew up in Central Jersey, so we’ve covered most of the state. I’m a Jersey girl through and through–and I love the Jersey shore. But our place is on high ground–I too worrry about the sea level rising. Both my kids seem settled in Jersey, so even when we move, we’ll just be a couple hours away, close enough for frequent visits (and in the place they grew up going to for family vacations.) We’re near Cape May–so loads of good restaurants, and a fair amount of culture. CAn’t quite hear the ocean, but can drive to it in 5 minutes, or bike to it in 20.
Our “plans” change frequently. Not long ago, dh wanted to remain in our current home for at least 10 more years and would have been happy to stay until he’s carried out in a box. I want to build a much smaller one story universal design home. Then we heard talk about possible grandchildren, which we thought would never happen. He immediately said he wants to move in the next two years to be near those grandbabies. He also wants a bigger retirement house than we discussed before, so the potential grandchildren can stay over when their parents vacation or just have a date night.
One issue we’ll have to face is that we will recognize a very large loss on the sale of our current home. The market here for big houses tanked a year after we bought it, and it has never recovered. We paid off our mortgage, but it will still hurt to see a net proceeds check for about half of what we have into the house. We’ll also have to modify any house we buy if we’re unable to do a custom build. We will likely spend more on the new house than we net on the sale of this one for about 1/3 the space on a much smaller lot with no view. I wish we had a crystal ball to help determine if it’s worthwhile.
Living in MA is quite expensive and i would like to move down towards the carolina’s to escape the worst of the inters here. I do not mind them now but can see myself not liking it when I am seventy and scared to fall down. A downsize is definitely in the cards for us. Maintaining my home falls on my shoulders and I am looking towards a smaller single story home that I can maintained with a step ladder. When I was young and foolish I wanted to live in a big house. Now I see the error and wish to live in a small house. Back to basics.
DH is from the Bronx and cannot envision heading south for retirement. We love northern CA (north of Sacramento) but there is not much of a Jewish community. The town where my dad and two sibs live is very, very reasonable on the housing front (can get exactly what we want for under $200k), but we cannot fathom being in a community where we are so very, very clearly a minority in a number of ways. Downsizing in DC would cost us more than staying in our house, but we have a four-level split, so that’s not great for aging in place. Am beginning to mull the feasibility of adding a MBR/bath on our entry-level floor because right now, there is neither. OTOH, we are in a starter community and overimproving for the neighborhood is a real issue.
I don’t see us getting a second residence, We aren’t up for long-distance maintenance and rentals.
We’re happy staying where we are. We have our permanent residence in Central Massachusetts in a great small town that’s more rural than suburban. We also have a vacation place on one of the islands off the coast of Cape Cod. H is semi-retired and we plan to spend more time at our vacation home (May to December). Also, this winter (March) we spent time in Vero Beach, FL. We’re not wedded to Florida, but would definitely like to spend 3-4 weeks of winter some place that’s warmer than MA. One D is in Providence, RI in grad school and I know she’ll end up in NYC. Other D and SIL are in Chapel Hill–they’ll move when he finishes grad school. They would like to return to the Northeast-- NYC, Boston, or Providence–SIL’s mom is in RI and Dad in Stonybrook, NY.
^^The house we’ll retire to has a second floor MBR/bathroom, but there are two bedrooms and a full bath on the first floor, which is one reason I liked it. So if we ever have to, we can move downstairs.
Though my mom, at 87, is still functioning well with a second floor bedroom, so I’m hoping I inherited her genes!
We’re from the Midwest, with one of the lowest costs of housing & living in the US. Children are in Seattle – one of the highest. We originally planned to retire in the Seattle area closer to our children but are now re-thinking by necessity. We’ve already missed any opportunity to afford a home or condo there, and it is getting worse almost daily! H wants to move. I want to stay near friends, doctors, colleagues, etc. I’m also wary about starting over at this point. There’s a lot to be said for friendships that have developed over time, concerned it will be much harder in areas not known for retirement (like FL or AZ).
For now, we are considering keeping our home, & traveling to PNW for a significant amount of the year. Latest idea is to purchase a very small condo, or even AirBnB for a few months perhaps 1 ½ hour outside of Seattle. I’m so jealous of families that reside near each other, and are able to use their vacation time and dollars elsewhere. At least children are in Seattle 
Grandchildren & health issues trump any plan.
^^there is something to be said for staying near your network.
I have known people who hate Florida after they leave everything they know and love in the northeast or elsewhere.
We have lived in Florida for so long now that it is home to us. People tend to love it or hate it imho. We happen to love it. I would love southern California even more if it weren’t for the taxes and the cost of living.
Personally I cannot deal with cold, snow, and most of all - dreary, cloudy days that seem to exist most of the year. That depresses me.
I find it interesting that so many of you plan to move. I don’t know many in my friends and acquaintance circle who plan to move elsewhere for retirement. I don’t know if it’s because we live in a place with good weather. Many of my friends have been in this small city for multiple generations. The few people I know who have moved to less costly locations have regretted the move. Once you sell in our area it is hard to get back in the market unless you are extremely wealthy.
@mom60 - Just like you I don’t have any friends planning to leave SoCal once they retire. I think most people we know are like H and I and have planned their retirement savings to include having enough to pay our high taxes. It’s just our way of life! We have a few friends that moved out of the state when their kids were young and now would love to get back here, but there is no way they can afford it now.
We are starting to think about this more seriously. My husband has 4 years to manditory retirement. He could move on to contract positions after that, probably in this area. We have a year left on our mortgage. Our youngest has two years left of undergrad.
We live in MD in the DC burbs. We dearly wish to leave the traffic far behind. It is a royal pain. Neither of us wants to live any farther north. Frankly if I never saw snow again (other than prettily arranged on a mountain that I don’t have to drive on) that would be fine. I’d like more sunny weather than we see here. Our oldest is married and they will most likely stay in Maryland. Our second is in NC, and will probably stay there. I don’t have a clue about our youngest’s future.
I think, based on the arc of my parents’ and my in-laws lives, that the time to move is early in retirement, while you are young and healthy enough to put down roots and to make a life of it. Both sets of our parents did the whole live in Wisconsin and winter in Florida thing. It was a great life for my parents for 15 years. It has never worked well for my inlaws. (They have had major medical issues with hospitalizations every year in Florida.)
The rub comes when you hit the point where you no longer want to travel back and forth. By then my parents were not interested in moving to Ponte Vedra permanently. They stayed in small town Wisconsin year round, and the winters were just so harsh. My in-laws are hitting that same point now. They will, I’m sure, also choose to stay in Wisconsin, but the winters are the whole reason people leave! And now they will feel a bit more trapped every year. They ultimately would have been/ would be happier if they could move permanently to Florida. Both sets of parents had/have really good social circles in Florida, but they put off the move until they weren’t up to the effort.
So for now we are thinking, thinking… My sister and hubby planned carefully and moved to a golf community about 30 miles away from their only child and her family. They are very happy.
So… Thus far my criteria is: south of the Mason Dixon line, more sun, and no traffic to get everywhere. We’ll probably end up in Boston. Haha.
“We dearly wish to leave the traffic far behind. It is a royal pain.”
The good thing about retirement is you can often avoid the worst of it. When your time is your own, you can run your errands, do shopping and appointments when the traffic is lighter. Nothing like grocery shopping during the middle of a Monday or Tuesday with all the other gray hairs where you have the aisles to yourself and no checkout lines like the craziness of the weekends or after work during the week. 
Florida
Reasons (in no particular order)
- It’s my home state, and I have many dear friends from my childhood and high school years in our intended retirement area. I have a strong network of friends there already.
- We already own a condo there. It’s small size (2BR/2BA) may not work forever, but we want to give it a try. We can go bigger later on if we need to.
- weather
- no state income taxes
- nice place for people to come and visit us
- out of the state where my in-laws are, so I won’t have to see them as often
We only have one ds. He is still in college with one more year to go. I think he hopes to remain in California. Too high of state income tax there for us, not to mention overall COL and other taxes. I can’t factor in how I might feel if and when he marries and has a family. I would say we would try to visit often. If we become old and decrepit such that we need to be near ds, he can insist we move to an old folks’ home wherever he is at that point in his life for his convenience.
Based on these posts, it seems as if everyone is married…any singles out there with retirement plans?
Personally, I can’t imagine retiring - but I work from home and can pretty much work anywhere. I am planning to move in the next few months but can’t decide where. I would like to be close to the kids (NH) but hate the idea of moving to an area where I don’t know anyone but them and, due to the weather, would not be likely to leave my house too often much of the year.
We are going to stay in our home as long as possible. We live in a far-flung D.C. 'burb. Right now all three sons are within reasonable distances from us and we get together often. We have one grandchild. Many nice friends and neighbors. I can’t imagine having to start over. And I love the four seasons. We don’t golf so we don’t have that pull for us.
We live in Portland OR. DH and I will likely stay put. The house is too big but the upstairs can be closed off and the master is on the main. We are close to downtown. The house is nearly paid for and while the lot size is a bit big (half acre), it is incredibly quiet where we are. Water is plentiful.
@HMom16 I’m single, and that may change the equation as far as where I live, partly because I don’t have to come to consensus with a partner on where is best, but also because if my D moves away then I won’t have immediate family particularly close by. Also, without a second income before and during retirement I may need to work longer, but my plan is to leave my full-time job once I’m 67 and can get Social Security and concentrate on expanding a few freelance things I now do.
@doschicos, in the DC area, there is ALWAYS heavy traffic, even in non-rush hour. Takes me 20 minutes to get to cardiac rehab in the middle of the afternoon, and it’s four miles away.
I really want to move when I retire. I did not say this in the opening thread. I was hoping you all would say that you want to move as well and give me ideas where. Haha. It seems most of you want to stay where you are.
I always wondered why, when I was younger, people would want to move away from friends and their doctor’s, etc. But I understand now why one might want to move, at least for me.
I live in a small college town with not great and few restaurants, no shopping, an hour plus from an airport, bad weather and some arts. But have been involved in some capacity with the arts for years. So there is history… And there is no opportunity for our S who lives with us. He is a thread unto himself, so won’t go there.
Plus side, our house is paid for, have no debt and it is beautiful here in our short summer, autumn.
Thinking maybe leaving for two months a year when we retire. Would love to move to a more private home. Ours is in a 100 yr old neighborhood where homes were built right next to each other. But if we are going to move, after all that work, might as well move to some place more desirable.
Hence my dilemma.
I am being pulled in two directions - literally. DH has the option to transfer job to Hilton Head. He would move tomorrow. Sell Maryland house and rent condo in HH initially. But my parents live here. I am the only local relative. They expect me to remain here and help them until they die. They are in 80s - live in a condo - right now I check in on them every wknd. I’ll be one of those caregiver daughters in the NY Times article.
But DH is turning 60 and wants to move. His father died of Alzheimers in his 70s. How can I insist to DH that we stay here for another 5, 6, 7 years until both of my parents are deceased? How do I move 12 hours away and leave my parents with no support system? I have no idea how to solve this. Just stalling DH for now. I suggested that perhaps we could relocate my mother to NC with us after my father dies. Honestly - I know this is not realistic. She won’t leave her condo, her stuff, the cemetary where my father will be buried. I hate being put in this position. I will NEVER do anything like this to my sons.
I have no solution.