<p>Unless you have significant assets, HI can be a tough place to live. Our cost of electricity alone is the highest in the nation and our income taxes are among the highest rates as well. Real estate and food prices are also high. We do have lovely warm, humid weather and lovely vistas. Many folks who own real estate in our state are land rich and cash poor, as they have great value ON PAPER for their real estate but actually may have not much cash.</p>
<p>I think it’s very important to make that bucket list and not just stop working with no plans. Very bad idea. You have to have something to move to, projects, hobbies, that first trip, volunteer work, etc.</p>
<p>H didn’t have a bucket list but is very happy in retirement. We spend a lot of time together, doing joint and separate projects, traveling, spending time with my folks, and whatever else strikes our fancy. There is no ONE way to retire. The folks I have met who are unhappy retired seem to find a way to go back to work. H has several friends who are enjoying encore careers. One is teaching at the university and volunteering on several boards, another has held a lot of one-year positions (even winning national awards for his administrative skills). </p>
<p>If you have resources to be financially comfortable, that seems like a good place to start. If you are always worrying about whether you’ll have enough money to last until the rest of your life, that seems very uncomfortable and would be a good reason to seek a part-time job, encore career, or less expensive place to live.</p>
<p>takeitallin, I think I live in the same region as you.</p>
<p>We very well could be- CC is such a small world! We are between SB and LA. Our weather is hard to beat isn’t it?</p>
<p>We are taking the plunge. DH is retiring in two months! We bought a waterfront lot 15 years ago. Four years ago we built a house on the lot. Two years later, we sold our home of 28 years. We then paid off the river house and moved into a rental until DH retires…very soon now! </p>
<p>We have lived in the same suburb for the last 26 years but never put down any deep “roots” . I may feel a sense of loss when we pack up and leave but don’t think it will last long. Our new home is almost 5 hours from our current location(but in the same state, N.C.) S2 still lives in our suburb town but S1 will be much closer to us when we move. S1 is in the military so who knows where he’ll eventually end up. Somewhere in NC most likely. I think S2 will prob. stay in our current area but he’s just 24 so who knows. </p>
<p>We will be leaving a hustle/bustle strip mall/starbucks commuter town for a much more rural/slower pace of life place. We love being on the water. Can’t imagine ever tiring of it. There’s a boat waiting for us at the end of our pier. We’re ready to go.</p>
<p>Yeah, today was pretty incredible. </p>
<p>From an upstate suburb, we retired to NYC where 2 of our kids live, to create an intergenerational building together in multiple apartments. DH and I are about to close on a 5-year-old 4-story townhouse we bought in Brooklyn. Kitchen renovations x4 have taken a few months longer than expected (of course), but we hope to leave our temporary Manhattan rental in about a month.</p>
<p>We’ll occupy the ground floor (no steps) apartment with D who’s in grad school. We’ll rent the floor-through apt above us to DS and DIL. He’ll serve as building Superintendant. We’ll find tenants for the other 2 apartments. It should almost pay for itself. </p>
<p>As Oldfort mentioned, we already enjoy the “elder-friendly” qualities of this city. We walk and take public transportation everywhere. There are great hospitals, half-price subway passes for seniors. We attend cultural activities day and night, many for free. I’m studying sight-singing at a music school. After we move, DH will develop some per diem work in his field, and I’ll either tutor or volunteer at a school or museum. Many possibilities here. Our youngest S, who settled in Los Angeles after college, considers NYC a desirable destination, with direct flights for visiting.</p>
<p>We did the retirement search a few years ago. Found some books on places to live and places to retire in the local library. Figured out our priorities and visited places. There are pros and cons to every place. We wanted to escape winter and had no reason to stay in the city we’d been in for 30 years- my home state. Son still not settled- we moved 1300 miles from him then last year it became 3100 miles (by car, air different) when he changed jobs.</p>
<p>No place is perfect. Some thoughts on Florida. Huge differences county to county. Some places have mainly retirees- either upscale or mobile homes. You really have to visit areas of interest and scope out the amenities such as groceries, libraries, your religious choices, academic and entertainment options. Florida has so many retirees it has a lot of services and you don’t feel out of place being from elsewhere. There are many different socioeconomic, political and intellectual retired people choosing different places.</p>
<p>We chose Tampa- away from the water (the evacuate TO area in case of a hurricane) in one of the huge planned developments with many smaller divisions. Enjoyed not having to pay state taxes on a huge capital gain from a smart investment when the economy was down (thank you pros at Fidelity). Cost of living seems good, despite the grocery store sticker shock compared to WI. Like the demographic mix- plenty of Indians and others from elsewhere, including the upper Midwest and east coast states. Great county library system (better than the county just north). Close to a large public U- can audit courses for free after age 60 and 12 months residency. Also senior citizen classes- wide variety. Big city amenities with suburban living- tons of restaurants, stores, arts et al. Various beaches less than an hour away. Liberal enough and NOT a “Bible Belt” atmosphere (some towns in FL are- a couple I talked to in a local home store said they were asked immediately which church they attended- they had moved from Oregon to do organic farming- I loved the atheism display at the Portland library when we visited there). Casual lifestyle.</p>
<p>Disadvantages- cars required. Schools- wish they would raise my taxes to put more into them et al. Hot and humid in the summer- but I can stay indoors more easily then than contend with brutal winters. And we prefer rain and humidity to deserts. Traffic- drivers most often do not signal turns and other bad habits- but at least they consider the speed limit as a starting point (a visit to Tuscon years ago drove me crazy with mid day drivers going 10 mph below posted limits). Alligators and snakes mean not swimming in the waters (except Gulf beaches). Takes getting used to flat terrain- but you do and I saw some actual rolling hills north of here.</p>
<p>We renovated a 25 year old single story house with pond and conservation views. I just planted flowering shrubs and perennials to replace some of the boring hedge around the pool enclosure, it will be an ongoing project as I get around to it- love the year round greenery and color. Great cul de sac neighbors- wide range of ages, stages in life and origins.</p>
<p>Perhaps some year we will find a summer place, especially if our son becomes settled somewhere. We also chose this part of the country as we can drive northward more easily up the east coast- we had done so many trips from the upper Midwest we wanted a change (Chicago is great but we have been there countless times, likewise heading west and the many great summer vacation spots in the region). Interesting to learn about an entirely different climate and geographic region. We are 60/ a bit over and in another twenty years we may change where we want to be. </p>
<p>It would be a lot different if we had family ties holding us somewhere. </p>
<p>We live in an expensive city, but without state income tax. My youngest is after us to retire to her college town. ( so she can visit) But we would be leaving the area where we’ve lived for the last 30 years, our neighbors, everything( medical care, library, night life) within walking distance and my yard that is finally getting to be what I had in mind!
I can’t do it over again and if we were moving to save money, it wouldn’t make sense to hire someone to fix the yard how I want it.
We still are considering it though.</p>
<p>EK4, why not try RENTING for a while in your D’s city, while you rent out your place or at least go on a long visit to see how it might suit (or NOT suit) you and your H? It is really good to KNOW how you might enjoy a prolonged stay in a different location before you can have a better idea of how appealing it would be. Nice to have options.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>That’s a tough one, as there are things I love about both coasts of Florida. </p>
<p>Toledo, I have an extra bedroom if you want to explore East side!</p>
<p>I just love paying3Tuitions situation. In Boston, I lived in a 3condo building. How wonderful to have kids and grandkids living above. It was also great not to be dependent on a car.</p>
<p>Ahh, you’re so sweet, bookworm. I probably should start out on the west coast, as it may be a better fit for H, even though I’d love the restaurants, shopping, and events on the east coast. H just wants a golf course and maybe a university/college, as he’s mentioned teaching after he retires. </p>
<p>Well…March is going out like a lion here. Freezing rain and an ice accumulation. Lovely. Makes me want to get out of here from January until April. </p>
<p>We have talked about this a lot. DH won’t retire for at least 5 more years. Our inclination is to rent for the winters for 2-3 months,and not in the same place every year unless we like someplace a LOT. We don’t want the headache of owning a second home, and dealing with it from afar. We like our current place during the nicer weather…we have a lake, beautiful woods, nice semi-rural location, cul de sac, great neighbors. This is a great place to be, and folks choose to come here in the nice weather seasons.</p>
<p>It’s just winter…actually it is just THIS winter that gets us talking!</p>
<p>Before we reached retirement age, we talked (fantasized?) about relocating. But just recently we visited Sedona, which has a perfect climate for us. But upon close examination, the housing would be much more expensive than what we have now, plus most of what was available was nearing 20-25 years in age. Our current house is 30 years old, and has entered that stage where everything needs to be replaced, so we would not look forward to doing that if we relocated.</p>
<p>Then we started to view the town as OUR town, and noticed it was missing many of the services and activities we take for granted at home. Add to that leaving our families and friends, and suddenly dealing with our awful winters was worth it.</p>
<p>I think we’ll wait until our daughters are settled and see if moving near one of them makes sense. Otherwise, we are just not ready to start all over in a new place. We also will try to take a one month vacation in a warmer climate each winter. That might just be enough for us.</p>
<p>It looks like I will be ‘retiring’ solo. Been overseas a long time and have a place in DC in a perfect location. But, know I will get restless and need to get out of dodge pretty often. So I am thinking of 6 months in DC and 6 months in Asia… with some work thrown in to offset the ridiculous costs of living where I am now. Different now that only my opinion counts! Children are likely going to be on the east coast, at least for the short term. Will see which school #3 picks. Hard to imagine living in the US when by the time I get there, I would have been abroad for 25 or so years. But, harder to imagine living too far from the grandchildren… </p>
<p>We’re in the “rent a couple of months somewhere” camp. I despise the long cold winter, but love the seasons, and we have deep roots here. 5 generations live and have lived within 20 miles of where I’m typing this. And our kids, while wandering a bit through college years, have come back. We have 1 left in HS (S’15) and when he heads off to college, W and I have decided to shut down here for February and March. We love Florida. If I can take a 60 day bite out of winter every year? then our locale is very tolerable and the kids/grand-kids will love visiting over spring break and such.</p>
<p>We owned a condo in the “go go 90’s” on the gulf. Loved the view. Hated the association fees, prop taxes and such. We won’t own (a vacation home) again. Not with all the nice rental options.</p>
<p>Well being born and raised in AZ, I’ll be ready to head south when we retire. I know many think VA is pretty mild, but I’d be very happy somewhere with no snow or maybe snow once every 3 or 4 years (for a day). 
We have a lead on a nice piece of property in one of those dark green states (good for retirees!). We’d probably have to totally renovate the house or maybe tear it down and re-build, but considering the difference in COL we could do that and still be in the black after selling our house here. We have friends there and it was one of the places we lived where we loved it and wouldn’t mind returning to. Can’t even imagine trying to figure out where the kids will live, since one is headed for a military career. We’ll just go visit him! Our other DS could end up anywhere, too so we won’t try and guess on that one!</p>
<p>I have retired and live in Central NY. It’s not the worst place to settle…Property taxes are less than $1,500 due to low property values, no state tax on social security so that saves another $1,000 per person, low crime rate and we leave cars and house doors unlocked, almost everything I need is less than 10 minutes away, and no traffic jams. But nearly all of our kids from around here who graduated from college never return because there are few jobs and nothing for them to do.</p>
<p>I guess it’s a great place to raise your kids and a good place to retire, but a poor place if you are just starting a career. The trade off is we get lots of snow but very few hurricanes or tornadoes or days above 100 degrees. </p>