Where to retire?

[bkevind]

For temperate weather and great roads I can't think of a better place than California. Seems that you could go rural to not spend quite as much on housing.

I wouldn't choose Austin. I live here. But the weather ranges too extreme. Very hot summers, and plenty of sub freezing temps in the winter. Fall and Spring tend to be the sweet spot. I do like Texas and Austin in particular, and I enjoy a nice quiet rural lifestyle on a couple of acres while being 20-30 minutes to downtown, 45 minutes to the airport, live on twisty back roads etc. However I fear this area I'm in will get more and more developed and lose it's charm to the typical strip mall garbage surrounded by packed suburbia. Traffic in Austin sucks in general, and I think population will continue to grow. Cost of living is still pretty good relative to other hot spots. You can spend millions on a condo downtown or a few hundred thousand for a badass house/property not that far out of town.

I prefer the people in Texas overall - but I did grow up in Texas. I find people are more direct, more polite and sincere, and in general more tolerant - sounds a bit odd but after a few years in San Francisco, I found people in the bay area to be somewhat rigid and intolerant of any perspective but their own, and an insincerity / fakeness to the politeness (not everybody, made some great friends).

In spite of that, we probably would have stayed in the Bay area for all the other great things about it, but I have family reasons to be back in Austin for a while.

[bkevind]

Forgot to mention allergies. It's pretty bad in Austin. Tree pollens (especially live oak and cedar) grass pollens, etc.

[Russell James]

Originally Posted by 13DuskKY

I suggest you make plans to come to the CamaroFest 8 event and bring a notebook as am sure you can get many many opinions on the best place to retire (especially at night at parking lot party, adult libations will be the truth serium). And I will give you a page full of retirement benefits of the Bowling Green, Ky area.

Bowling Green KY is on one of my top contenders as possible retirement areas. May have to find you at the Fest and get some insight. I've been there many times and love it more each visit.

I've kicked around FL, NC, AZ, TN and FL. I have a brother than lives near Charlotte NC in Mooresville. Cool to be around all that Nascar stuff, and lake Norman is awesome... but to me a lot of Charlotte is way too crowded, traffic...

Bowling Green seems to hit what I am looking for... Milder winters, tons of fun car stuff, friendly people, scenic country drives... I'm definitely going to explore more of that area this Fest week.

[PoorMansCamaro]

Originally Posted by Russell James

I've kicked around FL, NC, AZ, TN and FL.

I mean, looks like you have picked FL.

[KYVOM1LE]

Russell James, send me a PM and I can help you arrange your agenda for the CF8. The list will be long and many options to choose

[RubyCamaro]

I retire in 4 months, 1 week & 3 days. Hubby has to keep working a few years. He is younger & we need to keep insurance. I wish there was a good place to retire to. I have not found one that suits me. Places with mild year-round temps have other things about them that are unsavory to me. I don't like very hot days and I don't like winter. At least in Tennessee the extreme hot & cold days don't last as long.

[DDoug]

Originally Posted by CCMADONNA

California. No doubt.

https://patch.com/california/culverc...ent=culvercity

Thanks for the link. So Cal is #1, if I can swing the costs.

[DDoug]

Originally Posted by swampcritter

Last time I went to Asheville,N.C. it was a dry county.Is it still that way?Cuz it did'nt turn out well for me

Not dry, I looked it up, Graham and Yancey ARE dry. Incidentally, Tail of the Dragon is in Graham county.

[DDoug]

Originally Posted by 1COR.1:18

You know Doug instead of dropping all that money on a Condo in southern California.

Why not get 2 places. 1 in Michigan for the Summer and 1 down south for the winter.

Bet you could find 2 nice places for lees money. Just sayin...

Yeah, that's a possibility. When I was down in NC for the Camaro Tail of the Dragon trip, I was down there for 10 days. I actually looked at a few (from the outside) houses/cabins that were up for sale around some of the areas I was in to see what you get for the money and it was not out of the realm of possibility to have 2 places.

The other possibility is do as my parents did for the first 11 years of retirement and go south/southwest with a motorhome. I like this idea as I'd really get to know an area if I was there for 3-5 months. And, I'm not heavily committed to an area with a major purchase like a second home. Heck, I've considered getting a motorhome now. With 3 day weekends all summer long, I can see it getting a lot of use.

[CCMADONNA]

Doug, you don't have to live in Malibu to cruise the canyons.

Agoura and Westlake Village are affordable, as is Ventura and parts of the San Fernando Valley in L.A.

[DDoug]

Originally Posted by bkevind

For temperate weather and great roads I can't think of a better place than California.

I prefer the people in Texas overall - but I did grow up in Texas. I find people are more direct, more polite and sincere, and in general more tolerant - sounds a bit odd but after a few years in San Francisco, I found people in the bay area to be somewhat rigid and intolerant of any perspective but their own, and an insincerity / fakeness to the politeness (not everybody, made some great friends).

In spite of that, we probably would have stayed in the Bay area for all the other great things about it, but I have family reasons to be back in Austin for a while.

Yeah, I like the sound of California, but it always ranks near the bottom for retirees, due to cost. Even though it ranks #1 in weather. I've been looking into AZ more since I started this thread. It ranks very good to average (average for things like health care availability) but overall, there's a lot to like. On thing I like is having never lived out west, there's a LOT of things I've never seen or done in the area.

As far as people, I've found no matter where I go, if I'm in a nice car, people are friendly, lol. Even MI. I tend to keep to myself, unless I know I have common interests with people. I can entertain myself, lol.

Yeah, the other X factor is parent's health and wellness. They're doing fine now but it's hard to say in another 5-15 years. May need to be part of the decision as well.

[DDoug]

Originally Posted by CCMADONNA

Doug, you don't have to live in Malibu to cruise the canyons.

Agoura and Westlake Village are affordable, as is Ventura and parts of the San Fernando Valley in L.A.

Lol, oh yeah, I know. With the wicked cold we've had, I looked and saw 2 condos (both sold in less than a week) in Malibu that sounded perfect, but just too expensive. Private beach, private pool, gated community. Although reality might not live up to the fantasy anyway.

Mostly, it got me thinking, and more seriously, what I'd consider doing in retirement. This thread has, at the very least, given me some different areas I'd like to take a month's vacation to, to see what I think of the area.

And thanks for the other city suggestions, it gives me things to think about.

[CCMADONNA]

Doug, i don't know how old you are but i will qoute a Steely Dan song about California AND provide a picture (it's my husband in the car and the view is from a tiny little lot i own in Encinal Cyn)!

btw, the condos in Malibu ARE all that!

Drive west on Sunset
To the sea
Turn that jungle music down
Just until we're out of town
This is no one night stand
It's a real occasion
Close your eyes and you'll be there
It's everything they say
The end of a perfect day
Distant lights from across the bay

[DDoug]

Originally Posted by CCMADONNA

Doug

btw, the condos in Malibu ARE all that!

Lol, great! Thanks for that! Makes me want to take a vacation.

I'm actually starting to think I may work more than 5 years to retire. It'll bring in more income (obviously) but also gives investments another 5 years to build wealth before tapping them. At this point, I'm kinda at the mercy of the economy over the next 10 years wether I'd be able to swing a California move. I think my investments would need to grow at a rate double what the price of housing increases at, while still contributing to investments. We'll see, but at least I see a plan that could possibly work out. And, I'd still only be 56 years old. My parents are both alive and in their seventies. They've been retired 12 years now and doing good. If that's any indication, I'd still get a lot of enjoyable years on the sunny coast.