I married Luscious in 1979 and it looks like I may have passed the audition. We're in our late 50's, kept the bills paid, the credit sound, the investments are solid and it's getting to be time to seriously think about it.
No Polynesian Resort or Desert Community for Luscious and me, no sir. We were raised in Ohio and our carcasses will rot here. This is where family is and that's important to both of us.
When the housing market turns around, we plan to sell the McMansion in suburbia and build/buy a few dozen miles out - not too far, I gotta have my City accessible.
Needs aren't too out of line. Single story ranch 'cause we're getting tired of climbing stairs.
A few acres to play on and maybe grow a tomato or two. Luscious wants a garden tractor. Specifically a Ford 8N.
Which will require an outbuilding large enough and outfitted well enough for me to restore a Ford 8N.

I just want a driveway long enough that if someone turns up it, I have time to go to the house and get the shotgun before they reach the porch. Know what I'm saying?

A little different than my plan: Work 'til I die.

Mine is sim to yours except I want 5 to 10 acres so I can build a shooting range, want to be a little further out definetly out of Illinois, Ranch style log cabin house 1500-1800 SF. Oh and that long drive way and call befor you come over I don't want any unwanteds.

Pete

Sounds like a good plan. 8N's are everywhere so no problem finding one of them. Start looking to buy now while prices are still reasonable.

Did I write that? Sure looks like it. Oh wait, you said Ohio nope not me. Move over one to the east and thats me. Good luck with your plan it is a good one. And watch out for the 8N's one is never enough, their more addicting than potato chips.

Funny how perspectives differ. I grew up on 360,000 acres and moved to town to get away from fencin' and mowin' and 40 miles to the grocery store.

I can still go play in the boonies, but it's nice not to have to chain up to get to the highway in the winter.

Retirement is what one lives for in this life. I made the plunge 14 years ago at age 48. I never looked back. The wife retired last June. We live in central Ohio as well. She likes it, but I'm bored with the state. If I could snap my fingers two states come to mind for retirement living: Wyoming or Tennessee. I've been to TN and think it's simply a great state, with the mountains and countryside. I've never been to WY, but the Outdoor channel, Discovery and NatGeo sure have programs showing wide open territory and spectacular views. Life is too short and the world is changing fast. Do it! Retire, enjoy the family and stay healthy. Without health...well you know the rest. Good luck

Spooky......You just described my place and my wife's and my lifestyle. Except i have downsized to this point. I originally had 160 acres, then went to 26 acres and now have 6 acres. My next move will be to a 6" posthole for my ashes.

We were both widowed and just married in 2009. We sold both of our places and bought here. A nice ranch style home, barn, pond, 200 yard shooting range, new John deere lawn mower and a Ford 8N that I have had since 1964. Life is very good at our home.

I hope you get as much satisfaction with your retirement as we are having.

I was 50 when I retired in May '08. I have really enjoyed it. Wife still works and wants to - for us.

Right now I work 3 days a week at a gun shop 20 mi. away in a small, rural town, but it's the biggest gunshop in about 100 mi. or so. It's fun - staffed by a few ol' retired LEO' s from my old agency (except for one - he's retired ATF)

Have had our house on the market, off and on, for about 2 years. It's very difficult to sell a house right now.
We bought property in a rural area of the NC coast about 5 years ago with the intention of building and moving there soon after my retirement.
(which shows how PLANS work....)

I have saltwater in my veins and absolutely love being there. (Also have put together a range on the back of our property there). I fish inshore and offshore and love it.
I can't imagine being landlocked like alot of you fellas. Where we plan to be, we're surrounded by families that trace their roots to well before the formation of the U.S. They even speak with an accent/brogue that is leftover from old Elizabethan English. An interesting place.
Yes, there's a tourist season with lots of folks pouring towards the beaches, but we're in a more remote, rural, working-watermen area that is not affected too much.
I feel very blessed to have made it to retirement.

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Ret'd LEO
SWCA #2275

Dang Old Corps, do you want a neighbor? I'm in NC also but in the sandhills and not retired yet. Well, I DID retire from the army in '84 but continued to work civil service but aim to correct that by the end of the year!
Your area on the coast sounds great, like the area describe by Ruarke in The Old Man and The Boy and Pat Conroy.

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Old paratrooper in NC

Don't know whether to thank you for the photos or be jealous. I'll go with both.

Yes, you are living my dream. Take good care of it...

8Ns are nice, but it's also nice to have a real, modern tractor around. I have owned several N-series tractors. Do yourself a favor and step up to a 600 series. Much more power, and other goodies that the 8N doesn't have, namely a "live lift." I still have a 600, but it's really nice to have that small diesel tractor for when I really, really need a tractor to crank without tinkering with it.

I am sure you are familiar with this outfit if you are into N-series tractors. They will make your 8N brand new for only $7626.

n-Complete

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Georgia On My Mind

You mean like this:









I retired from the police department in 2001, but I can't live on a po-leece pension. I have 20 acres in the Blue Ridge mountains of Southwest Virginia and my driveway is about 200 yeards long. When I want to shoot, I either throw my gear in the 4WD truck or in the trailer behind the 8N, then head to the back pasture.

I used to shoot in the front yard or even off the front porch, til I got married.

The 8N does 95% of everything I need, though a 4WD Kubota with a bucket would be very nice.

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John 3:16
WAR EAGLE!

We bought 75 acres in the mountains of south east Arizona about 5 years ago. The land is 6 miles from the pavement, and a couple miles to our closest neighbor. With a little less than 7 years to pay, the land in Arizona, and our house in Maine will be paid for at the same time. The plan is to sell the Maine house, use the money to build a new house off the grid on the Arizona land and semi retire, just maybe work part time somewhere. We'll be 57 and we are counting the days 'til we can go, we've had enough of Maine winters and the high cost of living here.

How fast can you run? It's a lot less strenuous to just keep your pistol handy.

I live on a hill and the residence is not visible from the road. In the winter, if a big snow comes along, curiosity will sometimes get the best of the snowmobile guys and they will come up the driveway (of course always claiming they "didn't realize they were trespassing" on private property), usually at pretty high-speed, since the hill is rather steep. A few years ago I had two big dogs, a Saint and a GS - both very friendly, but BIG. When they went charging out to greet one of these snowmobilers, they took the lad by surprise and somehow he turned his machine over. I walked over to make sure my dogs weren't hurt, only to find that he wasn't tough enough to put the thing back on its track. I had to help him, just to get him off my property! Luckily for him, the dogs were fine. They just thought he was company and were going to greet him - but he didn't know that.

Good luck with your retirement plans. It's nice to be a bit out of town, but if you're anywhere close, you won't escape it entirely.