Where do you plan to retire and why?

I left California with the high real estate prices, high taxes, and loony gun laws and went to Minden, Nevada, just South of Carson City. Relatively low real estate prices, reasonable property taxes, no State income tax, no loony gun laws, no loony other types of laws, and although I am in a rural area, I am not too far from stores and medical facilities in Carson City. I am not tempted by the gambling, so no money goes there. I'm happy here.
 
I spent a total of 34 years with the Coast Guard (20 in uniform 14 civilian) about 25 of that in Washington DC. When I finally retired I moved back to Washington state, the wet side for those of you who know what that means.

For you I would not recommend it. The climate is totally different from NC. (been there several times) Since you like it there, stay there. You probably won't be happy anywhere else. Just move somewhere in the state to your liking. The mountains are really nice. Ashville is especially nice. As you said, the coast is just too hot and humid.
 
Triggernosis said:
I'm coming up on the end of a 30 year career with the government in a few years and I'm starting to think about where I'm going to live when I retire. I may simply stay put, right here in eastern NC....
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I think you answered your own question! :)

All kidding aside, when I read the title for your thread, the first thing that came to mind was "somewhere in western North Carolina". I love the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the towns over in that part of your state: Little Switzerland, Maggie Valley, Marion...all beautiful places.

Between the taxes, crime, and gun laws here in the Peoples' Republic of Maryland, I would move in a heartbeat if I could. And North Carolina is near the top of my list of places I'd love to live... :)
 
snubbyfan said:
When we moved out here to a small town in the mountains of West Virginia, we intended to retire here.
It's beautiful out here with hiking trails, biking trails, river access, camping areas, a shooting range and lotsa other outdoors stuff.
Sometimes it's nice just to sit on my front porch smoking a cigar.
Speaking of cigars, I have a coupla of the town's Mayor's cigars in my humidor, his wife doesn't like him smoking cigars.

There's festivals, parades and events to attend. On October 7th, if the weather cooperates, we're going to go to the annual "Apple Butter Festival" in Berkeley Springs WV. I just hope we get there early enough for the parade.
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A friend and co-worker of mine retired several years ago after a 32 year career with the Baltimore City Fire Department. He'd had enough of Baltimore, and Maryland, and the taxes and social problems and crime...so he chucked it all.

He bought six acres of land on a mountain near Fayetteville, West Virginia, cleared a little more than an acre of it, and built a beautiful home. If you look at his place on Google Maps, there is nothing but woods, for several miles, to his north, east, and south, and to his west there are just a few homes on the road leading to his place.

When he and his girlfriend sit on their deck in the morning and enjoy their coffee, they hear nothing except the sounds of nature. He's adapted well to the different lifestyle of that area, and he loves it. Every time I visit him, I understand why...
 

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I inherited 123 acres of land that my Grandparents owned and lived on. The house has been abandoned since 1968 when Grandpa died and is pretty dilapidated. It wasn't much to start with. 3 rooms, no running water in it. It's always been my dream to build a nice house there and live on that land. Now I'm pushing 70, living on a military retirement pension and SS. Doesn't look like it's gonna happen.
 
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Where after retirement. That's 10 years from now. Bought a condominium up the street from where my daughter/SIL and precious g.son live. Rent will pay it off in about 5 years. Nice city. Property tax is about 1/2 what I now pay on my other house. Other house will be what it is now, rental income. Sincerely. bruce.
 
Triggernosis said:
How about you? Where and why?
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I'm long retired already, but the good wife is still working in Beantown so I am stuck here in Eastern MA 3-4 years after I had originally planned to get the heck out of here and move to someplace cheaper and with a little more elbow room. :( One year ago, we bought some land in central MA with the intent of building our retirement place on it. Things have not gone well so far. In fact, everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. :(

Hopefully, our luck will change someday and it will all come together. I hope it happens before I kick the bucket. :o
 
My wife is originally from Florida. 30 some odd years ago I told her, live in Texas for a while and I will get us to Florida. Well, this year she said, "don't you think it's been AWHILE?" We moved to Pensacola this summer and we love it! I do love Texas and I suppose it will always be known as home but this part of the country is beautiful, nice weather, friendly people, no state tax and living expenses are comparable to Texas, beautiful beaches, fresh seafood! I did have to get used to the difference in signal lights here, I was used to red meaning stop......
 
We came to Texas in 1985. We bought a newer home in 2013. We have 2 daughters here and 1 granddaughter that's 1 year away from graduating from high school. We have vacationed in many states and we've talked about moving to something new and different. I believe we'll stay right here in Texas. Time will tell.
 
jag312 said:
I left California with the high real estate prices, high taxes, and loony gun laws and went to Minden, Nevada, just South of Carson City. Relatively low real estate prices, reasonable property taxes, no State income tax, no loony gun laws, no loony other types of laws, and although I am in a rural area, I am not too far from stores and medical facilities in Carson City. I am not tempted by the gambling, so no money goes there. I'm happy here.
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Spent 20+ years in Carson - good gun range there; good sporting clays in Gardnerville, Carson and Walker River.
 
Well we currently have 2 places ....... a home in the "burbs of the Burgh" (1.4 acres) and a family "cabin"(really a small house) and 10 acres in the Laurel Highlands of SW Pa.(90 minute drive/ IMO just a tad to far for day trips.)

Frankly at 60+ keeping up two places is a PITB.... while we live in a great Burb...... with some of the best schools in the state....... taxes are high. Once the youngest graduates in 2018 not a lot of reason to stay here..........

Looking to consolidate.... working on acquiring just over an acre of ground on a 500 acre lake about 10 miles from the cabin.......... build a retirement home on the lakefront lot....... keep 8 acres of the "cabin property" w/ stream at the base of the Eastern Continental divide.......maybe build a simple "cabin" for overnights and store a ATV or two..

10 miles/15 minutes from the county seat ..... and only an hour from the Burgh.

Travel.......... and maybe a few off season weeks at Nags Head OBX
 
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I spent the first 26 years of life in NJ, the last 38 in Florida. I thank God every day I'm not in NJ. At 64, I'm about 40 years away from retirement. I could die anywhere between Florida and Arizona as long as there isn't 50 miles south to go to run out of U.S. Joe
 
Where to Retire

Where to retire is a decision that requires a great deal of research if you even consider moving. I researched a great deal before retiring. A good book to start your search for answers is John Howells "Where to Retire". A Google search of 'John Howells where to retire' provides you with an opportunity to preview the book online. This book tends to raise many questions you haven't even considered yet. There has been some great advice given on this thread so far but the subject is broader than is often expected. Your interests, health, finances, and life partner will have a large influence on the options to be considered. I worked in a large PD's employee assistance program during the autumn years of my career where I did a lot of retirement counseling. Howells book was always a recommended read. My wife and I choose to retire to Escazu, Costa Rica for ten years; then, 3 years in Buckeye, Arizona; and now, just down the road from MCAS Cherry Point and 3 houses away from the grandchildren.
 
My family has been in Wyoming since before the turn of the last century

I don't understand uprooting and going somewhere to try and establish a new life or lifestyle when I don't owe a cent to anyone and all of my friends are right here.

I've been a lot of places in the US, but haven't seen anyplace I liked better than right where I am.
 
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CONDITIONS, CONDITIONS, CONDITIONS.

JUST YOU? Want to be near family? Frequent visitors, I hate a long drive back & forth to the airport. Mind driving 30+ minutes each way for a supermarket? Poor cell phone service? What kind of health will you be in? Need to be close to good medical & be able to take advantage of the great hunting? Who's gonna go first? It's a BIG wait-N-see for me. As usual, what I want & what the Boss wants are worlds apart. :rolleyes:
 
I'd love to get out of here,but my retirement plans kind of blew up.If the lottery comes through-I haven't really traveled since I was a kid
 
Don't own a stick house, live full time in a 39' 5th wheel pulled by a F-450. We live wherever we want to. Legal residents of South Dakota, vote by mail, no state taxes, Medicare and VA healthcare, in the last year we've been in WA, NV, NM, TX, OK, and AZ .
If we DO WANT TO STAY somewhere for awhile we take on part time caretaker jobs or workcamp. weather sucks?? we move LOL
 
I worked 40 yrs. for a company that had subsidiaries in many States so moving and keeping a job was possible and I have visited 40 some States but I was born and reared in NC and I don't see any reason to move. BUT if I ever do move it will be to Wyoming. My second favorite State. Larry
 
My daughter's been working her mother and me over about moving to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where she lives. Lived all my life in Michigan, dislike winter more & more the older I get. That said, winter can be dealt with. A day or two after a big snow, streets are plowed, people have their sidewalks and driveways cleared. Life gets somewhat back to normal. On the other hand, one hurricane and that's that. Guess I'll be staying up here.
 
My daughter's been working her mother and me over about moving to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, where she lives. Lived all my life in Michigan, dislike winter more & more the older I get. That said, winter can be dealt with. A day or two after a big snow, streets are plowed, people have their sidewalks and driveways cleared. Life gets somewhat back to normal. On the other hand, one hurricane and that's that. Guess I'll be staying up here.
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Stay in Michigan. I went to to the U of M. My son went to U of Southern Mississippi, So I've spent time in both states. I'd take Michigan over Mississippi any day.
 
I am retired now and still live in the same area that I grew up in! :rolleyes:
Don't like winter and the cold anymore, have no use for it! I would just like to pack and move to Arizona and at one time I had almost bought land out there.
For health reasons I believe it would be better for me and I just like it out there.
Have several friends who retired out there and they love it!
But since the wife is still working and with our kids and grandchildren still living here it isn't going to happen!:rolleyes:
 
We had planned to retire and move to Nags Head but then the grandkids came along and that was the end of that. Grandma ain't going nowhere!
 
Triggernosis said:
I'm coming up on the end of a 30 year career with the government in a few years and I'm starting to think about where I'm going to live when I retire. I may simply stay put, right here in eastern NC. But, I'm just not sure.
How about you? Where and why?
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As a recently retired federal employee myself, I know we have to look to states that don't tax our pension. Here in MA, they do not .That's a good part of the reason I'm staying. Family and laziness is the rest.
Truth be told, I just can't see relearning what it's taken me near 60 years to figure out about the where, who, when and why's in my life all over again. For me, there is a great comfort in keeping things the same. Adjusting to retired life already has it's challenges. I don't need more for a weather change.
If I recall correctly, NC treats fed retires good too. Good choice! Always said that if I did move, it would be to NC. It's allot like New England (minus the Yankee's :-)
Enjoy it!
 
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We bailed out of New Jersey as soon as I retired in 2011 and moved to North East Pennsylvania. Close enough to the kids. Very rural, surrounded by state and federal land, lower taxes, no income tax on retirement income, pensions etc. Great hunting, fishing, hiking, skiing. And we can shoot in the backyard. Just got back from a day of kayaking just a few miles from the cabin. Good luck in your search.
 

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I'm fine right here in Minnesota. Pretty good cultural amenities, restaurants, and lots of outdoors stuff. My kids and grandkids are here, too. I don't really mind the cold and snow. You learn to dress for it and drive in it, and it tends to keep the riffraff out. In the summer, I can't imagine anywhere I would prefer, except maybe Sconny next door.
 
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