Tell Us Where You Are Living in Retirement

Not quite retired yet, but we bought our retirement home last year. We'll be moving from SoCal to north Idaho just outside the small town of Sandpoint. It's an area of deep blue lakes and endless green forests with an abundance of the sort of outdoor recreational opportunities we love. We always said we wanted to retire somewhere where we could walk out our back door and go for a hike. Well, turns out the front door is closer to the trails, but that will be fine. It's quite rural, and we are looking forward to moving to a place where we'll have four real seasons. Not everyone's cup of tea, but it's our dream.

I bought a park model mobile home in a small mobile home park in Marana, AZ, a tiny town 10 miles north of Tucson. This is a beautiful area with mountains all around and desert filled with huge saguaro cacti and flowering shrubs. It is very hot 3 to 4 months a year during summer, and I hope to travel then. The rest of the year the weather is fabulous. Lots to do here and lots of places to go.

After spending several years looking at areas like Myrtle Beach, Asheville and surrounding towns, central Florida and Phoenix, we have decided that for 8-9 months, our current home is just right in NW Indiana. The weather is nice, cost of living is low and plenty to do in the area from April through December. We live just 60 miles from Chicago and 5 miles from Lake Michigan. We are in an area where many Chicagoans come to in the summer months to vacation. The west coast of Michigan is beautiful with lots of wineries and picturesque towns. A nice plus is my part time job working in a golf course pro shop, which gets me all the free golf I can stand.

For the past three years, we have become snowbirds and migrate to Orlando for about 3 1/2 months. We have small grandchildren near us in Indiana and also in the Orlando area. We have found it is cheaper to rent for these months and enjoy the best weather Florida has to offer. We lived in Orlando for 15 years and know how brutal the summers can be. So, right now, we have the best of both worlds. We have friends and family in both locations. We will continue on this course until something changes.

My wife and I will be living whereever we wish. We will be living full-time in an RV. We will be visiting many areas across the country, whether it be for a few days or a few months at each location.

We bought a house in Midcoast Maine two years ago and moved here in April 2014 now that we are both retired. We love the coast of Maine, and the Rockland area has so much to do we can't do it all!

I retired last year and bought a summer cottage at Summer Village in Westford, MA. I am keeping my MD home, but now escape the miserable summer weather to a vacation paradise. It enables me to return to my MA roots without giving up my MD community and home. When my home becomes too much for me, I'll move to a condo or apt. in either MD or MA, but I'll keep my summer cottage!

We chose a rural area near Pittsboro, Chaham County in central NC. Here we have everything a retiree might want. Numerous small cities (including Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) within a 30 minute drive, excellent hospitals, internationally known universities, lower cost of living, access to all of vacationland NC within a few hours drive (to say nothing of the marvelous area around central NC itself), mild weather, and all of the US east of the Mississippi is within a 2-day drive for extended vacations. The cultural, dining and entertainment options within one hour are near endless. The people are some of the best I've encountered anywhere in the country (though frankly, most people are great if you will just open up to them and their local culture). We can have some hot, humid summers and a rare cold winter, but the extended spring and fall by far make up for it -- and many people want a four-season place to live. NC is famous for its beaches and its mountains. You can have a swimming or skiing weekend every year and never travel far from home.

We initially retired in a place called Saddlebrooke that is located north of Tucson. It was great for the first ten years before the golf-or-leave mindset homeowners took control of the HOA. The following morning things began a steady downward spiral with regard to disregard for the maintaining the private streets, secretly siphoning off dues to benefit the golfers, and automatically increasing the annual HOA dues by 8% plus secretly implementing a permanent annual assessment that also increases by 8% each year.
If you don't mind being financially drained without having a say and being told virtually every move you can make with your home and yard, then by all means this place is for you.
But do yourself a favor before singing the bottom line, read the CC&Rs and HOA rules closely. It'll take a while because there are hundreds of pages and countless hidden items that only surface when it's convenient for the HOA board or you've been accused of a violation thanks to a clip board carrying dote riding around in a golf cart and noticed a plant in your yard that was the wrong color or 2" too tall.

San Francisco Bay Area to Peoria, AZ (Phoenix Area) in 2013. We grew up in the Phoenix area, so it is not a stranger to us. Having lived in CA for 27 years, it is not the same place it used to be. The cost of living in the Bay Area goes up 5% each year. It is always cold and miserable in the mornings most of the year. The daily highs are warmer in Alaska during the summer than in the Bay Area. Sure, Peoria gets hot for 3 months in the summer, but running your air conditioner 3-5 months out of the year is still cheaper than running your heater 10+ months of the year. Anyway, the overall (and I mean OVERALL) cost of living is now 43% LESS in the Phoenix area than the Bay Area. Literally, we can buy things up to 80% less than what we were paying in CA. It is like living in another country! We just bought a house that is almost twice the size of our CA house and on 4 times the property and paid $200,000 LESS than we sold our CA home for. Plus, it is nice not to be living in a welfare state anymore. Very refreshing!

We have not quite retired yet, but we just purchased our retirement home in Williamsburg, Virginia. It will be a vacation home until we actually retire in about 20 months. We have been traveling to Williamsburg for almost 50 years and it is a place that has always called us to return. We are looking forward tot he history, art, music, and other activities that are available to us there. The cost of living is also less and the milder weather while still having 4 seasons is a plus.

I retired in Williamsburg Virginia to be near friends, far enough away from hurricanes, 4 seasons but very little snow, no big bugs to deal with, great restaurants, culture and history, wonderful medical facilities, low taxes and more.

We retired in Prescott Valley Arizona. We've only been here for three months but the weather has been fantastic and we have been told 4 mild seasons. The low taxes (we moved from NJ-insane taxes and cost of living) are great, good medical & dental facilities. Friendly people/neighbors and new with thriving community and reasonable housing/grocery costs. We scouted out many possible locations in Florida, California, North/South Carolina and of course Arizona and visited PV for extended periods of time before we purchased a new home so far we are very happy to be here.

My wife and I retired to Tellico Village near Knoxville,Tn after a many year search. We choose this place because of the proximity to the mountains and hiking, a beautiful lake, low taxes and expenses, 4 seasons but mild winter, and many, many activities. It is a community of approximately 7000 residents, mostly retired and over 55, but not all nor is that required. The best thing about the community is the systems put into place enabling new residents to meet new friends and discover all that the village and surrounding area has to offer. Airport is 40 minutes away, as is the University of Tennessee. Recently received Bliss award as "happiest" community in the South East, an award richly deserved.

My husband and I are native Californians, 3 of our 4 children live here, and we decided to retire from teaching in a small rural mountain community to an area in the South Bay Area, Morgan Hill. We're close to a major airport and good medical services, and live in a beautiful over 55 community an hour's drive from the coast we love. Yes, California is crowded, the taxes are crazy, and driving during commute hours is terrible. On the other hand, the weather is fantastic, we enjoy our grandchildren, and our family history is here. We have an RV and have traveled all over the U.S., even considering what it would be like to live in Arizona or Oregon, a couple of our favorite places. Nothing beats taking the RV to an out of season beach on the California coast, however. We were lucky to buy when prices were low; we can manage the maintenance on our small house on our pensions. For now, this location makes perfect sense.

I had a business in Rochester NY Recently sold it
And we decided to stay right here in Rochester NY
My wife works 2 days a week we have a lifetime of friends here and one daughter. No debts. Grandchildren live 6 hours away. We visit them every month. We do rent in Florida for 4 to 6 weeks in Jan -Feb.

We fled MD and the obscene taxes, traffic, etc. to bucolic Mechanicsburg, PA. Big plus is not state tax on retirement annuities, plus lots of medical facilities, and all the rest. The biggest minus I've found is lots of cloudy days from November until March.

Like Marianne I am a native Californian, and I, too will be staying in the state. My 2 children and I are in SoCal, but I am looking to move to NorCal to Trilogy Vineyards, an active 55+ community in Brentwood. My siblings are in NorCal, and I want to be closer to them. It is an hour away from San Franciso and an hour away from Sacramento so I'll be in the middle of where my family live. Good hospital, lots of shopping nearby, and rapid transit to the Bay Area is close. The community itself is a dream. It has everything I'd want in a community, yet rural enough for me to enjoy walks and biking. Love the nearness to beaches and mountains and love the weather. I am fortunate to have enough income to stay in CA.

Tried Fla for 7 miserable years -- see Denny's comments. Now in Utah. Gorgeous mountains, great friendly people, small sophisticated city, 4 lovely seasons, excellent medical, world class cultural activity.

We've made a different decision and retired to New York city and are living in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. While to some this may seem crazy and at times it does to me, we came here because there is always something going on or something to attend or see. We also like the convenience of walking to get everything. We seldom take a taxi, always walk or take the subway. We have a car here, but only use it when we leave town. You can get anything delivered, there are doctors and medical centers on every block, the choices of foods and activities is endless. We've also found that living in an apartment is very nice because there is no maintenance expense, no yard to take care of and if anything breaks, you just call the building super. We came here three years ago to see if we would like it and can't think of another place we would rather live. I do need to get out of the city in August and in Jan/Feb for a little while to keep my sanity, but that makes it fun to go see other places when it's not necessarily nice here.

I've just started looking for a place to retire. At present I'm enjoying my home and life in Delaware and will have to decide to what's next.

Comment made by Mzb:
I would like to hear from anyone who has moved to Boise,ID for retirement.

Anacortes is a great place to retire - no state tax, moderate home prices, great weather (half the rainfall of Seattle), lots of activities, half way between Seattle and Vancouver BC. Because the weather is temperate heating bills are low and no need for air conditioning. Fabulous views and many walking/hiking trails. We love it here, it really beats California

Vern,
What area are you talking about? I have had some interest in Sequim,WA as a possible retirement location.

Editor's Note: Sorry, we forgot to add to this comment that he was talking about Anacortes.

Tested Del Webb Sun City Huntley,IL with a one year rental home; looked at Sun City Grand in Surprise, AZ,, Anthem in Las Vegas, and Tucson (Marana), then decided to buy in Huntley due to the grand kids (still 1-11) and change of seasons and we could snowbird it anytime. Great community and amenities with 5000 homes. No CA ideas and East Coast bias here. Taxes reasonable, and believeable new friends. No one running away from their past. Retired two years and living every moment to the fullest. No moss growing under our feet at age 70. Except for the cold in January, the number of weather events will beat any other part of this great country. Dry and wet heat are overrated.

Fredericksburg, VA for right now. Wife still loves teaching kindergarten. I work 4 mornings/wk, 20 hours for Manheim auto auctions. They only hire p/t workers over 65 and I work with men/women in their 90's. They have dozens of auction centers around the country.
Charleston, SC in 2 years when I am 75 to be closer to our 4 children/5 grandchildren.

We retired to Fort Collins, Colorado last year. Property taxes are low, sunshine is abundant, and we are close to Estes Park, Denver, and so many beautiful spots!

Moved from Wisconsin to Del Webb San Antonio last year and love it. Cost of living is very reasonable here and NO state income tax. We will still go to Wisconsin in the summer since kids/grandkids are there. We had looked in Florida and Arizona for a couple of years.

We retired in the same place we lived for the last five years that I worked, Knoxville, TN. You can't beat Knoxville for living because of the diversity of things to do.

We moved back to our home state of TN in late June, after a 32-year absence. We decided on Knoxville, because it was approximately midway between our grandchildren in NC and our family located elsewhere in TN. We are adjusting, after living in a bigger city for so many years, but there are things to do in East TN that the average person certainly would not be aware. We are both UT Vols fans...orange is everywhere and we like orange! We certainly appreciate the tax environment in TN for income earned and military, government and civilian pension treatment. TN does tax interest and dividends on most couples, but we don't consider that overwhelming. No inheritance tax issues in TN. We know that we will have milder winters than what we have experienced the last 25 years, so that is a bonus. We know that TN people, on the whole, are very friendly and helpful. It's a different pace of daily life...that said, you can take a laid back approach, be active or head to McGee-Tyson Airport to travel...if you don't want to connect through Atlanta, you can always drive to Nashville. By the way, TN now offers TN high-school graduating seniors free tuition for their first two years of college work (info available on line)...that is an awesome way to improve the lives of all TN residents, regardless of age or background in the future. Come to TN...there are many places to live, with good weather and four seasons, good-great tax environment & great people!

After 30 years in AZ, then 9 years in Europe, I decided to move closer to where I grew up in NJ and enjoy the 4 seasons. I couldn't afford the taxes imposed in NJ, so moved across the river to PA. Love this area; rural, but not remote and only a 2-hour bus ride to NYC, and 1½ drive to Philadelphia. There are many cultural experiences, a community college with non-credit classes on cooking, classical music, hiking and other interesting subjects. Only been here for 3 months, but love it!

Three weeks ago, I retired and two weeks ago, my husband and I relocated from Pittsburgh, PA to Brevard, NC. The weather is wonderful. We are close to hiking and the 55+ neighborhood we found is perfect for us. The cost of living seems to be good, but it's really too son to tell for sure. Looking forward to our first mild winter in years.

My husband and I retired 10 years ago from Washington, D.C. to a small community near Depoe Bay on the Central Coast of Oregon. This community has 34 forested acres of common land (never to be built upon) and is directly on the Pacific Ocean. Our house is ocean front, and we love watching the gray whales from July to December (we have a resident pod that returns year after year) and the migrating birds. We can see all of this right from our deck. Plus, we have 4 miles of walking paths--next to the ocean and through the forests. We even have our own private little beach, Little Whale Cove, which is where the community gets its name. And a neat little town only 10 miles away (Newport) with shopping, medical care and a performing arts center.

For lovers of nature and the natural environment, this is Paradise. The winter weather can be rainy and windy, but it is compensated for by the beautiful summers. Since we are in a temperate zone, it rarely goes below 40 degrees in the winter, or 70-75 in the summer. Plus, NO mosquitos or other pesky bugs. I have a beautiful oceanfront garden where I grow Rosa Rugosa, many different grasses, perennial geraniums, agapanthus and sea thrift--among other coastal plants. We also have a beautiful community meadow.

You can get more information from the website. (Hope this is the right link.) www.LWCHA.org

We are retired about 3 1/2 years in New Jersey. We did discovery trips to Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia and different parts of Florida. Most of my family is in Jersey. Some family in Central Florida. Our focus was real nice winter weather, low taxes, reasonable housing costs, allow dogs and many activities (cultural, sports, etc.). We intended to be snowbirds. Delaware is still too cold in winter. South Carolina (Aiken and Charleston) and Georgia (Savannah) were nice, but a little pricy and still got cooler winters. In Florida we looked at Ocala area, Melbourne area, Vero Beach, Sun City in western Fl., and several towns in Palm Beach County. In Ocala area we looked at several communities. The Villages was too crowded for us. Other communities were very nice as well. Winter weather still gets too cool for us. We didn't think Melbourne and Vero Beach had many activities. Sun City was not interested enough to respond to our request so we did not visit. In Palm Beach County we investigated several towns. Having dogs made the search difficult. We really liked Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. We rented an apartment in Boynton Beach and have been very happy with our choice. It has fulfilled all of our search criteria. We will sell our house in NJ and become Florida residents. In the summer we will visit our Family in NJ.

Retired to Hot Springs Village, AR six months ago. Beautiful area. Safe and secure, great neighbors, golf, entertainment and all at reasonable cost. Active community with clubs and groups to suit all interests. Easy access to historic Hot Springs, where something is always going on.

Retired in 2013 and moved to Leesburg,FL. The weather is great! The cost of living is low. We live between five lakes so we can do lots of fishing and boating. The Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico are only 1 1/2 hours away and being in the middle of Florida, we don't worry about hurricanes. Lots of seniors here and lots to do.

From Missouri. Tried Naples for six months and realized we did not want a gated community where friends are because we all pay club dues.. Wanted an authentic walking community..
Searched... Considered Safety Harbor, decided on Dunedin Fla. hospital IN TOWN, Tampa International Airport 20 minutes away.. Rehabbed and gutted house one block from water and ON a 40 mile bike trail... Festivals weekly... Total golf cart community.. Parades, festivals.. Diverse multi aged population. Ta da!!!! Riding my bike like a sixth grader...

I took early retirement in Hawaii and moved to Utah. Most people ask me why I would ever leave Hawaii. It is definitely beautiful and I could garden year round. Now I am enjoying the different seasons. We have been here one year so far, and I love it because I am close enough to visit my grandchildren every week. We live in South Jordan , which is growing rapidly. Cost of living is reasonable, unlike Hawaii. There is plenty to do and see and is very family friendly.

I retired to Seattle two years ago and do not regret my decision for a nanosecond. My cat and I share a safe apartment within easy walking distance (left my car behind) to the bus, grocery stores, shops, restaurants and even a hospital. Yes it rains but there is some sunshine most days and rain means clean air and green everywhere with mountain and water views abounding. Every choice involves a trade-off and no situation is perfect in all respects but, for those of us who treasure an independent life style, a moderate climate, and a vibrant environment, Seattle is an excellent choice.

Hey Jack, How do you like Fredericksburg? I'm fearful of the I-95 issues since will be going to DC often. Which community are you in and do you have any suggestions? Have any thoughts about the Gainesville/Haymarket area? Also, may I ask what you do for Manheim and how can I get a job there? Thanks much.

Retired 7 years ago to the beautiful Southern Delaware Coast. Milford/Lewes area. Been enjoying life here everyday with tons to do, Great Medical care, Low Low taxes and gorgeous beaches. Change of seasons with mostly mild winters and beautiful spring, summers and autumns. Many golf courses and top notch restaurants in Rehoboth, Lewes and Milford and Friendly people. We have been to many coastal areas to visit, but always have a smile on our faces when coming back home to Delaware. It fits our fun, busy lifestyle.

RICH,

I was delighted to read your former post about NE Tennessee as i have questions no one has been able to answer, and i’m hoping you will do that for me.

First, as you have lived in both North Carolina and TennesseeN, is the cost of living truly that much lower in Tenn?
I realize the state income taxes are different in both states, but how about property taxes, food prices, utilities, a trip to the vet, etc. Is Tenn’s cost of living appreciably lower or only marginally lower? Also, isn't Tennesse much hotter than No. Carolina in the summer?

Next, i’m looking for an area that has a town with things i can do on a rainy day, and hiking with easy access. For example, Waynesville (which i’m hoping you’re familiar with having done so much traveling) is charming; however to go hiking my husband and i would have to travel to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Is there an area in Tenn. that has a town as appealing as Waynesville’s with hiking that is easier to access (maybe beginning in a park within the town)? My husband is in his 70’s and i’m projecting 10 years forward.

Also, do you know anything about the above in relation South West Virginia? I am interested in Galax, Floyd, and some smaller towns in that area.

Thanks so much, Rich. Any input would help immeasurably!

ella

North Myrtle Beach is actually located in South Carolina

Editor's Note: Thanks, not the first time that mixup has occurred. Now corrected.

We live summer/fall months in Lake Lure NC , (where they filmed Dirty Dancing and Last of the Mohicans) The majestic beauty of this place never ceases to amaze and inspire. We are 25 miles from Asheville http://www.romanticasheville.com/ and all a city has to offer while having wineries and a new International Equestrian Center http://www.tryonhorseshows.com/ only a few miles from the lake . In the winter months we live in Sarasota Florida, which needs no explanation! We feel like we have made the best decisions for us. My husband is still working for the next 8 or 9 years . I am retired and am an art jewelry designer . Both Sarasota and Lake Lure are Artists havens and suit my lifestyle fine.

DH is retiring in January. We plan to rent in NE TN for 3 months while we continue our search for a single family home.
We chose TN for it's beauty and mild climate, and favorable tax law. The area we chose is about 30 miles from Knoxville because they have a small airport for us. One of DH's hobbies is smaller and experimental aircraft. There is also water for boating and fishing, which we are accustomed to being from MN.
Ella......I cannot answer your comparison questions. However, have you checked out Tellico village? We really liked it there. There's so much to do. Yet, no nearby airport for us. DH needs to be within ten minutes from his prizes! Tellico also has lots of walking paths and about 3 different golf courses. We both have back issues, so we don't require golf. They also have welcoming parties to meet and greet, where you can join different hobby type groups. Oh, they have both indoor and outdoor pools too. They have all different types of housing available as well. Hope that helps you.

We retired where we have been living, Clanton, Alabama. The cost of living is low, as are the taxes. Retired over 65 or disabled any age don't have to pay property taxes. Alabama does not tax social security either. The living is good here with plenty of things to do close by. It is just plain slow, easy, and enjoyable.

3 years now at Century Village Boca Raton, Fl. Couldn't be happier. Active clubhouse, bus transportation in area, wonderful people. Have had no problem making wide range of friendships after my husband died. Low taxes and insurance.

After 10 years in a really nice manufactured home community in Casa Grande, AZ we decided to come back home to Texas. We chose Scenic Hills 55+ Community in Cibolo and could not be more pleased. It is a wonderful community on a nice golf course and just a half hour North of the Alamo. We loved Casa Grande but it is just too far from family and too far from our Summer home in Northern Michigan.

We're considering moving to Prescott, AZ at retirement. We're planning on renting an apartment and in time move to a CCRC. Has anyone else thought about doing this? If so and you changed your mind please let me know why. Thanks.

Rick - I have looked at several CCRCs and came close to moving to one that was the fee-for-service type. I decided not to because 1) the thought of moving from a house I love was depressing; 2) even the independent cottages are quite small and share common walls - not very house-like; 3) there are too many restrictions for my dog and two cats; 4) I'm not sure I would like that much communal living; and, most of all, 5) I could never justify the $225,000 entry fee and exactly what I was getting for that other than the right of lifetime occupancy. On top of that the monthly fee was about the same as what it costs me in my current home. The $225,000 could buy a lot of home care so I decided to stay put and age in place.

Moved for S. Calif to Phoenix 4 years ago, and love it. Everything is less here. My home has appreciated and thinking of selling it and moving to Trilogy At Vistancia in Peoria, a beautiful active adult community.

Typo..Meant to say moved from S. Calif...

(From Brutae: Any information about Delaware?)

Brutae: See my comments above..we love it in Delaware. Soooo much more friendly to Retirees money wise.. No sales tax, Low low taxes, no state tax on SS..I could go on about money, but the best part is how nice this State is. Coastal areas are gorgeous, with tons to do for active people. Your never bored...believe me. Good luck in your search. We found our lifestyle here in DE.

We retired and moved lock, stock, and barrel to Mesa, Arizona last month, September 2014. We moved from suburban Chicago by selling our home, all our furniture, along with my lawnmower, snowblower, Weedwhacker and every yard tool I owned! My in-laws are Minnesota snowbirds, who spent half the year in Mesa for the last 25 years. For that reason we are very familiar with Arizona because of our visits and we love the desert.
We moved into a small 55+ Gated community, with one clubhouse, one pool, a small gym and library.....that's it! We didn't want to pay for activities and services we would make little or no use of. We will both have to get used to living under the "guidance" of an HOA, But I did my homework. I've interviewed residents and board members and have taken a peek at their financials, which are very healthy.
That's enough due diligence for me, now I'm going to sit back and enjoy the warmth and the sunshine, and maybe eat out a couple times a week! Dave C.

We retired and have our house up for sale in NW suburb of Chicago, can't wait to get out of Illinois. Heading for Myrtle Beach area of S.C. Low taxes, weather, cost of living and housing were all part of our decision.

JINVA38,
I agree about not wanted to pay the large 'buy-in' fee which is why we're looking at places like Alta Vista or Los Fuentes. They only charge a monthly rental. Each only has independent & assisted living. No nursing care or Alzheimer's care. We sold our 4 BR house to downsize & moved into a 2 BR apartment. I really like it where we are now. No grass to cut, no R.E. taxes, etc. We are also considering moving to Prescott and getting an apartment there. It would be less expensive than the CCRC and then we would move to the CCRC when we were ready.

In 2003 we packed it up and left Wisconsin for Tucson, AZ - settled at The Highlands at Dove Mountain just 20 minutes north of Tucson. Love the sunshine (not so much in summer), the mountain ranges surrounding Tucson, University of Arizona, culture, Sonoran Desert, golf, and our community. Our 55+ gated community has only around 1200 homes. Miss the 4 seasons of Wisconsin at times...or maybe the 3 seasons, no looking back on the snow part, we like to see the snow on the top of mountains now. We fell in love with the Sonoran Desert when we visited back in 1994 and knew that this is where we wanted to relocate when the time was right.

Hi Dave C
Would you be able to share the community in Mesa you belong to since my wife and I are looking for a place? Thank you.
Ron J

We bought a place in Verde Valley, Arizona between Mingus Mountain and Sedona. We love the small town atmosphere and we are lucky there are many fine food and wine establishments in the area as well plenty of natural wonders to visit nearby.

We are relocating from San Diego and plan to summer here and home base it in the mountains of central Arizona.

jeff, I am not jack, but have you looked at the VRE station locations and schedules...perhaps you can find what you want.

Not all mfd home communities are on leased land. Barefoot Bay, on the east coast of FL (about 10 miles north of Vero Beach), is a community where you own the land. It is not a 55+ community; they have an executive golf course (18 holes), 3 swimming pools, tennis courts, and over 100 clubs and organizations. The community consists of about 5,000 homes, many of which have been replaced with newer safer models (community was established in the 1970s); we lived there for 2 years 12 years ago, and we are still in contact with many of the folks we met.

Bill - Oct. 22nd.

Wish we could talk with you at length as we are coming up on decision time!

Your choices sound like a possibility for the two of us, although we need to get out of the Chicago area due to high taxes, etc.

I just wanted to make a comment on HOA's. I used to own a timeshare and we had to pay a 'maintenance fee' yearly. We 'owned' one week of the timeshare and in the beginning the fees were reasonable. After several years of ownership, the resort suddenly closed and we found out through newsletters and such that the original owners were basically thieves and ran the place into the ground and took the money and ran. Later on we found out that they didn't even use the pool chemicals correctly which ruined the pool and later on it was fixed. There were other damages too. There was one timeshare member that had originally invested a lot of money into the resort and she took over somehow and began to run the resort. She asked each timeshare owner to invest around $1,000 to help get the resort out of this financial mess. It was a long haul and she did eventually turn things around. Each year thereafter the maintenance fees went up and up and up! It no longer became 'reasonable'. This resort also rented out the unused units to tourists too. They are constantly renovating which is good but the costs always came back to the timeshare owners and not from the profits they made from renting the unsold units. I feel HOA's would price gouge in this way too. My friend lives in a mobile home park and her lot rent is around $525 a month. What does she get for that...a postage stamp sized lot with other mobile homes very close by. A pool that she doesn't use and a club house that she doesn't use. There is no lawn care for her lot, she must pay for that. She does get garbage removal included in her rent. So her rent costs $6,300 a year and that is more than I pay taxes for a modest home in CT which is a very high tax state. I guess my point in this is just be careful of HOA's and land rental fees for mobile homes. I for one have been interested in buying a brand new mobile home but I would put it on a lot and pay no one land rental. You have to also ask yourself if you get into a community with HOA's, are you really going to use the amenities that you are forced to pay for? If you are seeking activities that the HOA is offering, which ones will you actually use? If it is only one or two could you find those activities at your local senior center? There may be clubs you can join and the cost could be minimal. Even if you golf and the HOA you are interested has a golf course, would it be cheaper to join a golf club rather than pay yearly HOA fees? I for one like the idea of living in a community with all the amenities but I hate the idea of paying those fees! Guess you can't have it both ways! By the way, I no longer own the timeshare and no longer have to cringe when my yearly timeshare maintenance bill comes.

Louise,How were you able to get rid of your timeshare. I have one that I would like to get rid of. Thanks, for any help. Earl,

The links are messed up. you click on one thread and get another. Please fix.Thanks

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Interesting question Earl! I actually had two timeshares. One was actually better managed than the other and I sold it back to the resort. I asked if they would buy it back and they did! However, they didn't give me even close to what I paid for it. But I had used it many times and figured it was better than nothing and I was free of it.

The other timeshare I mentioned in my last post is another story! I also asked the other resort if they would buy it back and they would not! So I asked them if they would take it back and they did. They got it for FREE but I am also free of the ever growing maintenance fees. I used them, had fun, but now I am done, done, done...no more timeshares ever again!

If you just want to unload the timeshare and the resorts won't take it back maybe a charity would take it off your hands. They might have an auction to sell it to get money. Try animal welfare.

Another thing you might do is advertise in the local newspaper where your timeshare is located. People on vacation read local newspapers and if they fall in love with an area on vacation and see a timeshare for sale they might be in the right mood to buy a timeshare to relive the vacation experience again.

Another thing you could consider is giving the timeshare to your children or grandchildren.

Sorry I don't have a magical way to unload a timeshare and make a profit! LOL! Wish I did and so do all timeshare owners! Good luck and if you are successful please post your results! Would love to hear them!

Earl, I also want to point out that if you choose to advertise, you might consider putting your ad in the newspaper the week number that you are able to use the timeshare. For instance if your timeshare is week 23 (June) put the ad in the paper in June and July. People want to come back the same week or close to the week they were there because they had a good time and hopefully weather was good too.

My cousin bought a time share i st marten for $1.00 . Now he paying 800,00 a year for HOA fees LOL . That's the magical way sell for $1.00.

Tony, are you saying $800.00 a year fees? That is not abnormal for timeshare fees. To stay in a really nice resort in the Caribbean you can expect to spend $350-$400 a night or more. So the $800.00 fee is not unreasonable as that pays for two nights and you kind of get 5 nights 'free'. However, when you stop going to your resort for whatever reason, the $800.00 is very annoying!

Earl might consider selling his timeshare on ebay.

Louise, thank you for your comments and suggestions re HOA.
We have thought often about buying a MH in one of the gated communities (may be still will if we find one that suits our needs), but came to the same conclusion.
In addition, not only can you hire a few lawn boys, get first rate cable, pay your utilities, join a gym and a golf club and have money over, instead of paying these very unreasonable HOAs. Living on your own lot leaves you with less restrictions, like a fenced in area for your dog or perhaps a sm garden as well.
With all the rules and regulations, many of these 55+ communities are nothing more than a retirement park with individual homes.
As retirees are becoming more and more independence oriented and in home health care is preferable to living in retirement homes, my hope is that these communities will adapt to the changing needs and desires of the new 'old folks'.

But don't forget that those same rules and regulations will hopefully keep your community's values up so you don't have unregistered vehicles parked on someone's front lawn, or the front lawn isn't littered with all kinds of figures - just sayin', they're not always a bad thing.

We retired in the town we've lived in our entire adult lives - Grinnell, Iowa. There are about 9000 residents, good health care, a great, quite large retirement community, and an incredible small college (Grinnell College) that brings so much vibrancy and culture! There is no other town of its size in Iowa that can claim the same. Cold and snowy in the winter, but very walkable...even through the drifts! An hour from larger Iowa cities, and within 5 hours of Omaha, Chicago, Kansas City, St Louis, and Minneapolis. Friendly and diverse. Never thought we'd stay, but as long as we can take short winter AND summer retreats, it remains home.

I am semi retired in Franklin, North Carolina. When I officially retire in a few years, I will snow bird in the Bonita Springs /Ft Myers area. Franklin has 4 seasons, although the spring/fall seem a little longer and the winters a little shorter. Franklins summers are awesome! Very low humidity was my ultimate decision to move there.
Plenty of things to do there as well. The people are wonderful, friendly, and well wishing of northerners! Can't t wait for full retirement!

Note to topretirements:
Perhaps there is enough interest in Time Share issues to make a separate blog page.
I'm not one that will brag about timeshares. I found them to be much more stress than worthwhile.
My late husband absolutely loved Florida, so we were easily talked into buying a week at a gold crown resort in 2001. Paid in full, we used it once, then he got cancer and died in early 2003. Newly widowed, I couldn't imagine going on vacation by myself, yet I continued paying the $900.00 a year maintenance fees for about 4-5 more years. Our daughter used some of the banked time for their honeymoon. RCI was really inflexible to work with,which made it more of a headache. I stopped sending them anymore money, until they said I owed about $4,000.00. They called and harassed me for two years and I was bewildered about what to do. I decided I was probably NOT going to use it ever again. Finally, they agreed to take it back if I would sign the deed back to them, which I did. I gladly signed it back, with no compensation, just to get rid of the hassle. I call it stupid tax!!!!
You just don't imagine being widowed when you're in your early 40's, still raising kids,etc. There were no allowances for extenuating circumstances whatsoever. So buyer beware, and read the small print!

Caps - Great suggestion. We have done that and copied all of the previous discussion there. See http://www.topretirements.com/blog/real-estate/are-time-shares-part-of-your-retirement-strategy.html/

Caps,
Thanks so much for your reply; i really appreciate that you took the time to do that for me. I have considered Tellico Village; however there are a few negatives. First, my hope in retiring was to be surrounded by nature. To have people near-by, but not necessarily see them when i step outdoors. I believe the lots in Tellico Village may be too small for me. Next, houses in Loudon (TN) are fairly high for Tennessee. At Sperlings website, they are rated 116.5 on a national average of 100. Consequently, cost of living goes way up with a large chunk of our retirement money going into our home. And the summers are HOT there. Sperlings (again), states a July high of 92, and remember that's in the shade! Last, and this may seem a bit silly, i'm not sure i want to be that far inland. I now live less than 2hours from the Atlantic Ocean; being that far inland makes me feel somewhat claustrophobic. (Like i said, silly.)

That said, i do plan on checking out Tellico Village if i can find the travel time. Being that we're considering NW VA, W NC, NE. GA, Eastern TN, and maybe NW SC, we have A LOT a ground to cover! And with two kitties left at home, limited time. Sigh, what to do?

I'm so glad you're beyond all this. What kind of small and experimental planes does your husband 'play' with?

Sending warm greetings,

Hi Ella,
He has a home built one place, similar to a piper cub, that he would love to put floats on and "play "in Norris Lake.
Then we also own a 4 place Beechcraft that we use for general aviation and commuting.
He laughs when folks ask him why he has two airplanes.......his answer: Cuz I can't afford a third!!
FYI: I wrote the original blog posted over on the Tellico page. It has had lots of views.

Hi Caps,

Well, i'm glad DH can afford two; sounds like great fun! What an interesting guy! What blog are you referring to? I'll go back and read it.

I'm curious - I grew up in Delaware. If it is such a great place to retire, then why did everyone I know move across the border into Pennsylvania?

My folks are in the Erikson community of Maris Grove. Its fabulous, BTW, like living on a cruise ship. They have done "retirement" WELL! I wish there were more of them around the country.

Ella,
One the TopRetirements main page.....click on TN active and adult communities.
Then to: Tellico Lake
Then to: Discuss Tellico Lake
Then to: Forum
Let me know if that doesn't help and I will fire up my desktop and see if I can post a link.
Interesting post marks. Thanks. What is RCI charging these days?

Oops.....I meant markg.
Oh, and Ella.......you're right, DH is a real sweetheart. We both feel especially blessed. We have been married for 7 1/2 yrs after both being widowed in 2003.

Thanks, Caps; i'll check out the Tellico Lake website. I'm so happy to hear about you and DH. It's wonderful that you've both blessed with a second opportunity to love and share your lives with another. God is good!

What is RCI?

Thank you so much for your kind words, Ella.
RCI is a huge company that timeshare owners can belong to, to assist them in trading their week at their resort, for different location or time period. I don't recall what they changed For the yearly membership. Then, they also charged another $150.00 to trade. They also sent a yearly resort directory and a monthly travel magazine. I found it VERY stressful dealing with them. Too many restrictions and "policies," IMO. If you need a flexible vacation schedule, working with RCI is a nearly impossible.
I'm usually a fairly optimistic person about most things, yet I don't regret canceling my involvement with the timeshare.

St. George, Utah

Lots of activities. Great landscape. Near Vegas, but nothing like Vegas. Much more green. Lots of midwesterners and friendly so. california folks.

Will boomers take a closer look at Oregon as a target retirement area because of their "Death With Dignity" laws? This issue is receiving a lot of attention nationwide.

We retired to Peachtree City, Georgia about a year ago. Peachtree City is close to Atlanta and the Atlanta Airport. It is a planned city of about 36,000. with a fairly affluent population and almost no crime. It is known for its golf cart paths on which you can get anywhere in the city.Housing is relatively affordable with a wide range of neighborhoods. The tax structure is great for retirees with a $35,000 per person income tax exclusion for retirement income at age 62 increasing to $65,000 per person at 65.

Our favorite attribute is the extensive tennis and golf facilities. For tennis there is the Peachtree City Tennis Center with 25 lighted courts, numerous parks with tennis plus the 3 country clubs in the city. The 3 city country clubs are all part of Club Corp with another 30 or so clubs within an hours drive that can be used. A full golf membership is a little over $200 per month with a $500 initial fee.

There are a couple of very nice senior centers with a wide range of activities which we intend to participate in more as we have time. For dog lovers there is a great dog park and the golf cart paths are great for walking dogs.

Peachtree City is also the friendliest city we have ever lived in. Residends come from all over so there is no culture shock for people like us moving from Connecticut. After a month we felt completely at home.

Dennis, can you tell us more about the home you selected in Peach Tree City and it's cost and taxes. Are there any new homes being built? I love the idea of the golf carts. Previously I had requested an information packet and did receive it from the chamber of commerce. Looks very nice! I also inquired if they allowed manufactured homes and I was told no but nearby in another town it was allowed. But I am sure out of the perimeter of golf cart usage which really interested me a lot. I am also from CT but have southern roots. Mom was from KY and still have relatives there. I have one cousin in TN and one in GA. Not close to any of the cousins but do love the South. I also like what you said about the tax structure for retirees. What influenced you to move from CT to GA? That is one of our biggest problems is where to move when you have no friends or relatives in a state. Do you have any friends of family in GA? I do like what you said about low crime too! The town I live in (CT) has low crime too which is a huge factor when moving somewhere else. Thanks Dennis for your input! Looking to hear more from you!

We are currently in San Antonio, but are considering one of these three towns for our upcoming retirement: Prescott, AZ; Bend, OR; Fort Collins, CO. We are surprised how difficult it seems to be to find a place without extreme heat or extreme cold, dry air (no humidity), that is somewhat near an airport, and that is walkable and/or has public transportation! Neither of these 3 towns meet all those criteria, but without paying the high taxes in California, they seem to be our best options so far. We know there are pretty places in the southeast, but we just can't do the humidity. Any other dry air suggestions are appreciated!

@ linda, your choices listed are all very different.
We considered Prescott and ft Collins.

Opted not fir Prescott because after visiting and talking to several locals the heat and mix of industry and people left it a bit depressing.

Ft Collins on the surface seems ideal.
however, the dangerous fracking That is occurring is very dangerous for your health. Do not let people underestimate this danger.

We are from Wisconsin and opted for st George Utah.

Can anyone give me any suggestions/advice on the Santa Fe, NM area? Wife and I have visited several times and are greatly interested in retiring there in near future due to the arts and location. Expect to be there house-hunting in Feb. 2015. Thanks.

Some great suggestions from all over the place! From Puerto Rico to Alaska to Kansas. Everyone definitely has different taste in climates! I live in a resort community in Arizona called PebbleCreek. It has great activities all the time with great golf courses and other great fitness activities like yoga and pickleball. Definitely a beautiful climate in Arizona as well!