Retirement Towns

[simon1]

This may have a bit more humidity than you are looking for, but I don't mind the area one bit. And like Jim said, AZ could be nice.

Tulum Retirement. Retire in Tulum Mexico. TOPmexicorealestate.com. Tul.

5 Best Affordable Caribbean Islands to Live On...and 2 to Avoid

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Spent a summer in the desert near Reno. Not my climate, for sure.

Come February I may be singing a different tune.

 

[simon1]

Spent a summer in the desert near Reno. Not my climate, for sure.

Come February I may be singing a different tune.

The city of Prosper is an up and coming town. It's a bit north of (expensive) Frisco which is a bit north of Dallas. It does get hot here in the summer and cold in the winter, but the winters are nothing like where you are at. And there is no state income tax here and no tax on food.

About Prosper | Town of Prosper, Texas

Oh, and my cousin who retired a few years ago spends the summers in Wyoming and the winters in Scottsdale, AZ. That could be an option.

 

[Rhody]

Maybe stay put
take a l long vacation from the snow come winter

 

[John Rose]

Thinking a smaller town might be preferable. Must haves include good grocery shopping, a walkable downtown, a bookstore, farmers market.

What about you? Anyone relocate at 67?

That describes my town, population 5,331. I did not have to relocate after retiring.
Find a small town with a university and it's own hospital.
The university provides lots of cheap/free cultural activities, especially if they have Drama and Music departments.

 

[davent]

Mac for all the complaining we like to do in this general area of the continent about the endless winters and hot humid summers, Mother Nature's pretty gentle with us. The catastrophic acts of nature pretty much pass us by, no hurricanes, earthquakes, forest fires, volcanoes, coastal flooding and only extremely rare tornado occurrences. Not sure how i'd cope with the threat of any of those waiting around the corner.
dave

 

[ackvil]

I have good friends who split their retirement. One couple spends 8-9 months in the town I live in and 3-4 months in the summer in MT. Another couple lives a few houses down from me and has a summer home in Flagstaff, AZ. They first started spending 4 months in Flagstaff but this year have cut it down to two months. Rather than the expense of two homes, the latter couple have a modest RV.

 

[MiamiAngler]

My wife and I have targeted anywhere from northern Georgia to Southern Virginia, as well as the western side of North Carolina and northwestern portion of South Carolina. We prefer a small town with an emergency care facility nearby. The cost of living is a huge advantage in these areas compared to the high taxes here in Upstate NY, land and homes are cheaper, and the growing season is longer (I would like a large garden).

Sent from my DROID Turbo using Tapatalk

Look at Dahlonega GA, my mother an father moved there in 1980. Gorgeous little town with a college and hospital, about 60 miles North of Atlanta. If I would have not met my current wife I would be there. Lots of restaurants and the foliage in the fall is incredible.

 

[Lightcs1776]

Look at Dahlonega GA, my mother an father moved there in 1980. Gorgeous little town with a college and hospital, about 60 miles North of Atlanta. If I would have not met my current wife I would be there. Lots of restaurants and the foliage in the fall is incredible.

I love Dahlonega. Your right, it is a beautiful area.

Sent from my DROID Turbo using Tapatalk

 

[musicman1951]

I have yet to find a location with everything. If the winters are nice the summers are unbearable. If the town is small enough so you almost know everyone the hospitals are far from first rate and the symphony is non-existent.

I'm in Albany, NY where we have no earthquakes, tornadoes, lava flow or desert heat. We are less than 3 hours from Boston or NYC, have many great restaurants, great schools, great hospitals, multiple professional symphonies and many cultural events. We also have high taxes and almost unbearable winters. This year the spring weather - usually beautiful - was terrible.

I have a few friends who do the snow-bird thing. They enjoy the good weather in two locations. Avoid the crappy weather in both as well.

 

[Mick]

Look at Dahlonega GA, my mother an father moved there in 1980. Gorgeous little town with a college and hospital, about 60 miles North of Atlanta. If I would have not met my current wife I would be there. Lots of restaurants and the foliage in the fall is incredible.

The Appalachians are nice, from Alabama up to southern Virginia.

The further north the colder in winter, the further south the hotter in summer.

The nicest, climate wise, would be Georgia and North Carolina. Unfortunately everyone has figured that out over the past few centuries and most places are priced near central park real estate and like going to Disneyland. Those that are not, are pretty clanish and hostile to outsiders (y'all get, ya hear?).

.

 

[oc_in_fw]

The city of Prosper is an up and coming town. It's a bit north of (expensive) Frisco which is a bit north of Dallas. It does get hot here in the summer and cold in the winter, but the winters are nothing like where you are at. And there is no state income tax here and no tax on food.

About Prosper | Town of Prosper, Texas

Oh, and my cousin who retired a few years ago spends the summers in Wyoming and the winters in Scottsdale, AZ. That could be an option.

The summers are why I will not retire in NE Texas. This place ain’t fit for life 5 months of the year.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Have resisted the snowbird thing because I do not want the expense and upkeep of two places. And I am NOT an RV kind of guy. Maybe I need to shelter in place...and look at a two or three month rental in winter....

 

[kwk285]

I would like to move to Arizona. I know there are a 3-4 months of high heat.

I think it comes to the point that you need to pick your poison. 3-4 months of heat, cold, rain, humidity, etc. What can you handle the easiest.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Memo to self: Next time around pick wealthy parents.

 

[MiamiAngler]

The Appalachians are nice, from Alabama up to southern Virginia.

The further north the colder in winter, the further south the hotter in summer.

The nicest, climate wise, would be Georgia and North Carolina. Unfortunately everyone has figured that out over the past few centuries and most places are priced near central park real estate and like going to Disneyland. Those that are not, are pretty clanish and hostile to outsiders (y'all get, ya hear?).

.

At least in the mountains it cools of at night even during the hottest summers. I found living in Dahlonega much easier to deal with the local residents than large cities like Atlanta or Miami. The Columbia and Charleston in SC are nice, but incredibly hot in the summer.

 

[Mick]

At least in the mountains it cools of at night even during the hottest summers. I found living in Dahlonega much easier to deal with the local residents than large cities like Atlanta or Miami. The Columbia and Charleston in SC are nice, but incredibly hot in the summer.

We take the mini RV up to Shenandoah National Park in dead summer.

98 down in the Piedmont, 72 in the campground. They close the park in winter because of the snow.

 

[Raissermesser]

What's "small" to one person might be a "city" to another. Access to medical facilities becomes more important as we age. For anyone moving South, consider the heat + humidity. This is not to be trifled with, and we don't tolerate it as well as we age. Also consider natural disasters. Depending on where you are in the South, you can be subject to tornadoes, hurricanes, snow and ice and earthquakes. Earthquakes tend to be rarer than in the West, but they are doozies when they hit. New Madrid is one. And grand old homes in Charleston, SC, often have earthquake bolts holding them together after one in the 19th Century.

Do not underestimate the impact of bugs. If someone says they have "palmetto bugs," they have roaches. Great big roaches. They live outside and just love to come indoors. There are termites. There are ticks. There are mosquitoes. There are all sorts of flies, from the tiny up to the horse fly. Go far enough South, and you have gnats and love bugs. You have noseeums and red bugs. You have great big grasshoppers, AKA lubber grasshopper or Georgia or Florida Thumper. You have great big spiders. You can run into scorpions. You have stinging inspects, from caterpillars to hornets and, yes, even Africanized bees in some places. You have velvet ants, AKA cowkiller. You have fireants. You have ... well, you have bugs. That's the best way to put it. Some people freak at the bugs. Some don't. Be aware they exist.

I won't go into details about the snakes and other critters, but people don't seem to freak about them as much as the ever present bugs.

Am I telling everyone to stay put? No. Just be aware that every place has it problems. You don't have to shovel snow as much in the South, but there are other things that might be deal breakers. Do your research before making any decisions.

 

[simon1]

The summers are why I will not retire in NE Texas. This place ain’t fit for life 5 months of the year.

Aw, come on Owen...it's not THAT bad here. It's almost pleasant outside right now.

And it's only supposed to get to about 107 later this week.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Another factor to consider: Some communities welcome outsiders, some don't. Some places are church centric. There are towns where if you are not third generation, you are a newcomer.