Where Are You Thinking About Retiring? Share Your Dreams!

We'll kick things off. We always thought we would retire somewhere warm in winter, stay in CT for summer. But most towns in Florida left us "cold", until we found Key West. But there are some other FL towns that would work for us - Delray Beach, Vero Beach, mayeb Fernandina Beach among them.

We had always planned on retiring to Sunset Beach NC where we had a home. But after spending a few months in the winter not enough to do. We have moved into a home we own in Pinehurst NC and are having a great time. Jim

We retired in On Top Of the World, Ocala, FL due to an blog you had wrote several years ago. I never imagined I'd be able to retire in a community such as this with all it's amazing amenities & clubs!

In the blog you had mentioned "after staying at 55+ communities all over the country for the past 10 years there is one that still sticks out as the best one we've seen, it's called On Top Of the World in Ocala, FL"

I found a link for it and couldn't believe the low cost of resale 'Villa' homes (they also have new construction homes that are beautiful). And realized I could actually retire there and actually live a full and rewarding life on my budget!

Thank you for providing such great information.

Sincerely,
Jim Sullivan

We're leaning on finding a small home or cabin in Maine, but also looking at the NW such as Oregon or Washington State. All we want is peace and quiet away from Walmart (but not too far LOL) and crowds. Being from NJ most of my life I'm used to both freezing winter (usually) weather as well as hot, humid summers, I prefer cooler climates.

These suggestions came in from Facebook:
Lorraine R -- Garner, N.C.

Mary S - Long island has everything we need for retirement, I'm not wimpy about cold weather

Rose Mary C - Is Frewsburg on the list

Betsy - In my home

Pat-Babe - in my home!

Unlike many of the above commenters I am not wealthy and homes in multiple states!
With climate change annually getting worse and weather patterns becoming more severe and frequent I am looking for a flood free zone in a state that has low state and local income tax! Coastal areas are plagued with massive storm insurance fees!
Northern Georgia and North Carolina are being considered!

We talked about it for years! Then, DH was diagnosed (@58) with Parkinsons so medical care became a huge factor in our search. Living in SE Tenn., we both agreed that cooler weather was what we needed and when he could no longer work we jumped, feet first, into Maine! Could not be happier - or busier. It is another beautiful day in paradise - join us.

We found a wonderful 55 plus community in Murrieta CA. We came from Rhode Island. We’re an hour away from the beach the mountains and San Diego. And 15 minutes from Temecula (For the wine lovers] Living in CA can be expensive but our expenses here are easily HALF of what they were in RI

I found my dream place. Asheville, NC. Sad to say that after three months of renting/looking at real estate, we found the prices for housing to be out of this world. Shacks were going for a whole heck of a lot of money. Even in the surrounding communities it was the same story. Ah well, maybe the bubble will burst and we can fulfill the dream.

I retired to Sun City Anthem in Henderson Nevada several years ago. I moved from the East coast of Florida where I had loved for 28 years, I was really tired of the humidity and hurricane season. I love it here, so many things to do and I like having seasons again. It’s never too cold, summers are hot for sure but much more tolerable than heat and humidity.

We ended up "home" in central NC as we had originally planned for many years which proved to be better for us than all the many other options we explored. (Ron, check out the vast areas of Piedmont NC -- many varied communities and lots of places out of the floodplain. We are at 500 ft with the local river basin at 240 ft.). If I were on my own at some point, my goal would be to divest of all but my dog and move to or near Key West.

We planned to stay in our Northern California rural home after retirement, but my husband’s health grew worse so we chose Morgan Hill, a town south of San Jose, closer to family and excellent health care. We made an affordable purchase in an over 55 retirement community that has worked well for us.

We will relocate to the Clearwater/Dunedin, Florida area. Ease of lifestyle, beaches, affordability, excellent health resources, and friends and family live there. As lifelong lovers and residents of the American West, it is a big change for us both. One thing I've learned is that this phase of life requires choices--and changes.

We always wanted to make our retirement as carefree as possible so never have any interest in owning two homes The plan was to either own in a warm area and vacay (rent) in NJ or live near NJ and find snowbird rentals in the south. We've ended up in eastern Pa, close to family in NJ and spent some time in SC this winter. If it wasn't such a mild winter we'd have headed down to Florida.

I'm moving to On Top of the World in Ocala for the reasons Jim Sullivan stated above. Aside from OTOW and all its great amenities, I like what Ocala has to offer. It's not on the coast so that keeps insurance lower but the beach isn't too far away and there are plenty of rivers and lakes nearby.

Deborah West - your post made me laugh as I could have written it. Another resident of NJ who prefers Maine and PNW as they have been our favorite vacation destinations.

My husband and I knew we wouldn't want to retire in western NY where we lived for 35+years. As he is a sailor, we looked along the east coast from MD to GA. We discovered New Bern, NC, 30 miles inland from the coast but on the Neuse River--perfect for sailing!
We bought a house away from the water, and love New Bern! Very friendly, historic, busy town of 30,000.

We had also planned to retire to Asheville, but the housing prices sky rocketed as compared when we first started going there. We have now decided on Tennessee due to the tax situation as compared to where we are now in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC. We actually have stayed in Tennessee a few times and rented a house in the community we plan to move to. Another factor for us as to why Tennessee is that the university of Tennessee has physician practices in the suburbs outside of Knoxville which is similar to physician practices of Johns Hopkins which we have here.

And lastly Tennessee has way less traffic than the DC area!

We are retiring from Maryland in a year to Deland, Florida. After much research and exploring it meets all of our requirements. Lovely, walkable town with College(Stetson) at one end of town. Only 39 mins to New Smyrna beach and most importantly, for us, came through last hurricane fairly well, lots of no flood zones.
Amtrak station in town, Orlando airport not far. Many arts and cultural activities (playhouse/beautiful art museum)and a very involved community with lots of things to do, including weekly artisan market.
Plenty of opportunities for being involved as retiree whatever your interest.
Would love to hear from anyone living in that vicinity for rental and sharing suggestions. ?
Edie

There is no place like The Villages in central Florida. One hour from each of the coasts and close to I-75 for travel. The amenities are incredible. Over 3000 clubs and activities. 50+ golf courses and over 700 holes of golf. Play on executive courses is free. The most pickleball courts of any place on this earth. It takes a 50+ page paper once a week to list everything. The daily newspaper uses a full page every day to list the day's activities available. The monthly amenity fee is $154 which is very reasonable considering what is offered.

This comment was sent in from Barbara:
We retired to Southern Pines N.C. from Massachusetts in 2004. In the first year we saved $18000 in living expenses. We bought a 1753 sq ft contemporary ranch for $139000. The medical facilities are top notch. The climate is temperate and we enjoy all four seasons. There is a lot to do for seniors including golf, fitness centers , book clubs and activities galore.

My wife and I started our search for a retirement location about five years ago. Living in Cleveland for nearly 30 years has been awesome, but the winters can be brutal. We find California wineries and weather to be much more suited for us, but feel we would be priced out. So we decided to head a little farther north, to Medford, Oregon. We've visited a few times and absolutely love it! Four more years of work, then we're gone!

We are looking at the Lake Murray/Columbia, SC area for warmer winters, lots of outdoor activity, the lake for fishing and recreation and close enough to a city for all the amenities a city can offer. We are currently in the Midwest and have never explored the eastern states, so look forward to many new adventures. We look to retire in 2-3 years.

Tops on our short list are the North Georgia area or the Reno Nevada areas

After many many changes... Myrtle Beach: too much crime, Florida: just too hot
and far from family, Supply/Bolivia NC: nothing there and a few more... we finally decided on Williamsburg VA... and that is only if/when our 401k comes back.

We are thinking either Delaware (to be close to NJ) or one of the Carolinas (coastal). The Carolinas offer a great cost of living and warm, but not too hot, weather.

Will be exploring North America starting in September. However, at this point thinking of mountains somewhere in Colorado or Alberta, close to the ocean in Nova Scotia, or Vancouver Island.

We also started looking before we retired. We live in the northeast and would love to get away during the winter months. Between trying to find a suitable location based on weather, the tax situation, proximity to family or at least a major airport within reasonable driving distance, we settled about 30 miles from our previous location. We kind of like four seasons. I hate humidity so I couldn’t live in Florida year round. My husband doesn’t want the cost and upkeep of two homes. I feel like we’re just settling, but I do keep looking. You never know.

I hope to move back to the greater Boston area from my current home in Maryland. Lots of friends in the area and I love the beauty of winter and all the activities in Boston. I've been browsing online for a condo, but the prices are daunting. I'll keep looking!

We're off to Valencia, Spain in a few years. Better quality of life, better and cheaper medical. Superb weather, same as California where we live right now. Better culture.

We are going to retire in Easton PA. Close to everything especially family in the North East. Realestate relatively inexpensive, tax friendly for retirees. Climate very similar to Staten Island where we live now. It's time for us to move on. Adjacent to a golf course and all the things who Delaware river has to offer ,we will have a brand new house.

My wife and I retired in 2016 and immediately moved from Medford, NJ (just East of Philadelphia) to Sarasota, FL.

We love it here in Sarasota...so beautiful and so much to do.

We spend most of our time outside...and it’s been cooler/cold temperatures that have driven us indoors rather than, as folklore has it, excessive/unbearable heat.

Our criteria for a retirement location were (1) a college town, (2) near the ocean and (3) four seasons but moderate temperatures. After exploring the east coast (we were moving from NJ) and not finding anything appealing, we looked west and discovered Oregon. We moved to Corvallis, OR and love it. Vibrant community, one hour from the coast and 1 1/2 hours from the Cascade Mountains.

I will be retiring to a 55+ community in Williamsburg, Virginia. I am a lover of American history and the 'Historic Triangle' (Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown) makes it an ideal location. I currently live in Georgia, but all of my family lives in the northeast, so this makes a nice compromise between the low taxes of Georgia and the outrageous taxes, traffic and fees of NJ and PA. Also I drive, rather than fly, so instead of two days to get there it will only take five or six hours.

Claudia sent in this Comment:

I have researched for awhile and for me Lakeland FL area. My family is going too!!!! We thought about NC as well

Bill - Our retirement destination is Venice Florida. The area is ideal for retirees and Venice Beach is probably one of the best beaches on the West Coast.

Aside from the beach, Venice is close to Sarasota International Airport (SRQ) and is 1 hour north of SW International Airport (Fort Myers). By car, Venice is 2 hours away from Naples.

South Venice is probably the area that we prefer the most and includes Plantation Country Club and Gran Paradiso.

Thank you,
Rick D.

We're thinking of some place "New". New Mexico or New England. For New England we would be looking at NH, VT, or MA which would put us closer to family and an area we love. New Mexico would be for the High Desert, warm dry days and cool evenings with 4 seasons. We're still researching the final decision and appreciate the information available on this site.

Four seasons when we did have them is a MUST for me. I plan to retire to Pittsburgh, PA
because I still like city living and Pittsburgh has a lot of to offer and not far from a ski resort!
Cost of living is still good here and I can get on Amtrak when I move here!!!! Something
that I no longer have where I live.....I would move to Colorado but I understand that living
there is expensive and getting close to California/New York prices.

Sun City Texas in Georgetown just north of Austin.
3 golf courses, 4 swimming pools, 3 gyms, no income tax. Homes twice as big at one third the cost of California.

After a few years of looking I've homed in on the Carson City NV area. Looked at Flagstaff, Boise, Spokane, Sequim and others. Carson City has the best combination for my situation - low taxes, low home prices, uncrowded, great recreation opportunities (Lake Tahoe is less than an hour's drive and there are trails aplenty nearby for hiking, biking and Jeeping). Good health care available too. Of course after 32 years in San Diego nearly everywhere seems cheaper. Hope to make the move before the end of 2020.

We've been retired for two years and live in a nice all ages central VA community with amenities, some of which we don't need - like Golf. How we got here is a story for another day. But at this point in our lives we're looking to downsize. We've looked at several communities in NC that are equally amenity rich. The 55+ communities have less appeal - high density, cookie cutter homes. We return from those visits wondering why we'd take what we have and just move it elsewhere. For now what appeals is a two location situation - Florida in Winter and somewhere north in Summer - Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin. We'll be in Florida at the end of the month to explore areas there - Spruce Creek among them. From there....'we'll see what happens'....

Washington state east of the cascades. Tax friendly

I don't know yet.

We spent 5 yrs researching/looking and Labor Day 2018 we decided on Carolina Colours in New Bern, NC. A month later Hurricane Florence put the town under water. This, and the fact our grandson was born in western MD, made us look elsewhere. We are now looking Research Triangle, NC - most likely Wake Forest area since it puts us closer to family.

The wide open west with mountains and ocean are in my blood, so the places I'm considering are in the west. Prescott, Scottsdale, Boise, Las Vegas region, and Reno are on my short list. I'd love to stay where I am, San Diego County, but the state is out of control with costs, fees, and policies, to say nothing of some mindless politics. I'm seriously looking at the places I've mentioned and expect to make the move within the coming 12 to 18 months. Definitely I'll rent while I test the waters wherever I end up.

Beautiful Arizona!! Love it here!

I've lived in all 4 corners of the US and travelled extensively in Europe. Will most likely stay in San Diego county. We sold our home and renting in a 55+ community. Living comfortably for less than $2500 per month. Best weather anywhere. Don't need to own a home so taxes and maintenance is no longer a concern. I'm happy with the politics as well because at least this state takes care of their own. We also don't want to move long distance because of the Corona virus situation.

Have narrowed it down to Ovation in Pahrump Nevada and Delwebb in Mesquite Nevada. 2 yrs to go so we have been.going to visit each at difference times. LOVE the homes and prices in Pahrump but the town in pretty iffy. No town.just a busy road to LV or CA

My husband really wants to retire on the lake, with a dock. We currently live in Dallas and really can’t stand the heat of the summers. I am originally from California, and do not want to live with winter snow. So we are looking at either Lake Keowee in South Carolina, or Lake Norman – Charlotte, NC. Would love comments or suggestions!

Relocated from northern CT to just south of Elizabeth City NC five years ago. Last year we decided to retire here. We've been very pleased with our decision as everyone is just plain pleasant! The downtown has a number of capital improvements underway. And our view of the sun coming up over Intracoastal waterway never gets old.

Even though I’ve been retired for several years and we have a house in Connecticut and a condo in Florida, I have an idea we’re not ultimately going to end up in either of these places. Florida is spectacular in the winter and spring, and Connecticut is delightful in the summer and fall. But I’ve had a gnawing feeling of returning to my roots - Kansas, of all places! I grew up near Wichita and quite a few of my friends from high school, college and professional school are there. Not to mention a few family members. Wichita is one of the least expensive places to live and has a lot of amenities, culturally and otherwise. There’s the sizable Wichita State University and two liberal arts colleges, as well as a branch of the University of Kansas Medical School and two large hospitals with excellent reputations. It has a new airport with nonstop flights to about 15 cities. It doesn’t have the same charms and attractions of Florida or Connecticut, but it is HOME. I wonder if other people here in Topretirements ever have the same thoughts about returning to their roots at some point in their retirement living?

Set to put our PA house on the market May 1st, but we'll see how that goes with current COVID19 outbreak. Headed to Raleigh, NC area to 1 of 4 possible 55+ - Carolina Preserve, Carolina Arbors, Heritage Pines or Briar Chapel. ( anyone have 1st hand knowledge of any of these?) I am concerned about the summer humidity but I'm guessing we'll "humidity-bird" to other places during the summer - Pacific NW, etc.

Clyde, move back to Buffalo, NY? I don't think so...no family there and only 1 friend. So staying here in Southern California. In 7 years when husband goes on SS we may rethink about moving back to Oregon or maybe not. ...

Lori, I have visited golf communities beside Lake Keowee and Lake Norman. Two entirely different experiences. Lake Norman has the benefit of being an easy drive from Charlotte, a full-service city with plenty of entertainment options. Lake Keowee is remotely located and quiet, and even though the university town of Clemson is not far, it will never pass for even a medium-sized city. The community of Keowee Key has one nice golf course and "mature" housing; the prices are about the best you will find in the area. But you will have to drive at least an hour (to Greenville) for entertainment and services such as big hospitals, etc. Lake Norman prices will be probably 25% more for comparable square footage, and you will have to deal with some traffic issues. But as for access to services, it beats Lake Keowee by a wide margin.

A suggestion about implementing the "dream"; wherever you decide on seriously consider renting in the area for a year or two before buying (google "annual rentals" or "long term leases" on or check rentals on any of the real estate site). It will make it easier to move again if things aren't as they seem when going someplace on vacation and if you decide that it the place you want to buy you will have plenty of time to investigate the different neighborhoods and surrounding towns. No one wants their dream to turn into a nightmare ;)

Clyde - When you mention returning to Kansas, the first thought I had was The Wizard Of Oz. What a classic. I believe one of the greatest movies of all time. Dorothy and Toto, and Dorothy's desire to just be able to return home to Kansas. PRICELESS!

We will stay in McLean, VA when we retire because we have a lot of family here. It is expensive, but we can afford it. Family is driving our decision; otherwise, we would move to a warmer and less expensive place.

Rich, so great to hear that you're happy with your move to Murrieta, CA. We live in Temecula.
We have been here since 1993 and the area has really grown so we actually will be relocating to a smaller town. We most likely will relocate out of state.
It's good though to read that our our area is perceived by others as more affordable. The grass isn't always greener - as we may find out.

Welcome and enjoy:)

Lori, keep in mind both Lake Keowee and Lake Norman are man-made lakes, owned by Duke Energy. Their soul purpose is to act as coolers for their nuclear reactors.

We have been looking at homes in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. We love the lakes and trees and the home prices and taxes are low. Does anyone have any comments about the area?

Larry,
Thank you so very much for your insightful response! We have visited many areas coast-to-coast, and it really is difficult to find my husband’s dream lakehouse, with golf and tennis, close enough to city services, located in area without harsh winters, and humid summers. Looking for shangrila!

Larry,
Thank you so very much for your insightful response! Looking for shangrila!

Bubbajog, just visited the OZ museum in Wamego, KS, a must see!

At this point, I plan to stay in beautiful RI for now, but when I stop working, I would like to have a spot on the coast in Maine for the summer and a small condo in Massachusetts. Not the best for the wallet, but I love New England.

Thank you Pat. I will put the OZ museum on my bucket list.

We currenlty live in So CA. in Mission Viejo , nice place, great weather, perfect location (but I miss 4 seasons -we only have 1.5 maybe 2) but too many people and traffic etc Once you move from this area you will not be able to afford to come back!!!. We want to live in the mountains preferably log home in either No Ca. No Arizona or Colorado. We would like some land maybe an acre or so and must have a view, lakes near by (my husband fishes and great veterinary care a must ). We really don't want to spend more than $ 500K . Anyone have any town suggestions? We do not want to go back east or in the south !!!

Lori, Shangri-La may seem like paradise, but it is, after all, a myth. I have worked with dozens of couples over the last 15 years who were trying to find the perfect golf community home. (I am sure the same is true for a search for non-golf communities.) Some of them decided that perfect was indeed the enemy of good and "settled" for wonderful homes in friendly communities that gave them access to most of what they wanted. The others, after a decade or more, are still searching and, of course, the homes and communities they are searching for are now much more expensive. Paradise lost.

We're moving to Celebrate by Del Webb in Fredericksburg, VA. I have family in the Washington, DC area, about an hour away, reachable by car or train. We love visiting the museums in DC.

This is a historical town with a college campus. It's green and beautiful, the community has many features and activities and the houses are lovely. We've been dreaming of this for a few years and are very excited to move soon.

Santa Fe, NM Love it here!

More comments from our Facebook page asking this same question:
AJ -I officially retired as of 3/1/2020. Am in the process of selling the old house with too much yard, twice the size and 4x property taxes in order to move to TN.

Peggy: For a while it was Florida but now we are also looking at the Southwest (AZ, NV, NM) because we want to do more road trips in that part of the country. However, the ocean is still calling my name!

Donna: Trying to figure that out. Don’t want to ever shovel snow again but don’t want that extreme Florida heat either.

Renee: In a van down by the river.

Steven L : Lakeland FL

Jennifer LM: Far away!

See all at https://www.facebook.com/topretirements/posts/10158518346852952?comment_id=10158668819007952¬if_id=1584406120391941¬if_t=feed_comment

Currently live in western part of Maryland and want to leave...Maryland very $$$. Over the last several years, we've been casually looking for some property in the Roanoke, Va. area. Prefer the mountain area...near the Blue Ridge. Like SM Lake but gets rather pricey for our pockets. Love reading the various contributions on here.

Posted on the Retirement 101: AZ, NM, UT, NV. For the last 30 years, we traveled all 50 states in RVs, mainly to see the diversity of this great country, but also to find a place for our golden years. We had lived in Pittsburgh all that time, which we love for its food and cultural scene and the great medical support system, we couldn’t stand the climate anymore: summers are getting more and more humid, from October to April, the weather is just dreary, and the air quality is bad from the power plants on the east side of Ohio. We were looking for a place not too hot in the summer, having the four seasons and being close to a decent airport. Everything south on the east cost was not an option for either being too humid (screened porches don’t work for us) or are too far from an airport (NC mountains). While we like the west coast, it is not affordable for retirees which had made a living in Pittsburgh and the Midwest was not an option both for climate and landscape. We found that New Mexico best fulfills our needs. Besides during our travels we had found that it is just the best place in the country, being close to major national attractions and the culture in the Land of Enchantment. We now live east of Albuquerque in the mountains, having all four seasons, 30 min from the airport, and hardly need AC in the summer. And within four months we made more friends than in 30 years in PA. We can’t imagine being happier.

We are looking at New Mexico for the weather and the cost of housing. We currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area and it is getting too busy and expensive. Looking in Las Cruces and the Albuquerque area. We would like to be no further than an hour from a major airport. I will be retiring in about 18 months (can’t wait!) my husband is already retired!

Linda D - North Georgia or Reno? I know Reno fairly well because of a number of trips there over the years (living in San Diego). I don't know North Georgia, but it would seem these two locals are Very Different - scenery, weather, type of people attracted to each. I hope you'll let us know which you choose and what made the difference.

Shelley

Rich, Murietta, CA is a decent spot and "affordable" as far as SoCal housing goes. I live in North County San Diego and get up to Temecula-Murietta-Menifee with regularity. There is plenty to do not only there but also in San Diego County, an hour to two away depending on where in the county and the horrific traffic. If you can tolerate LA traffic, that's a jackpot of fabulous things to do as well.

Shelley

Renee ~ As you probably know, lots of good RV people to follow in YouTube. One of my favorites is Creativity RV. She's a savvy, fun, down-to-earth solo traveler (for now anyway). Keep Your Day Dream and loloho make some of the most entertaining, educational, and helpful videos out there. I'm considering the RV life for part of the year but have finally decided I want a home base (likely I'll stay in the west that I love so much). I thought next year would be "the year", but the current Covid-19 crisis and what it's done to finances may cause a delay, but it will happen.

Shelley

Have visited many places from our overpriced NJ through DE, NC, SC..etc....fell in love with the city of Venice, Fl. I knew it right away...it felt like home. Truly walkable to everything, called “the city on the Gulf”....active downtown and always something going on.Nice people and great Italian food. Can’t wait to retire in a few years.
My advice is to visit a place many times and hopefully you will keep feeling something special every time.

Hi Elaine;
I used to be a regular here at TR, however since we downsized to a small cottage in MN, (just to go back and reacquaint with friends and family) and built a home in East TN (our retirement snowbird dream)........we have been visiting Florida in February for the past couple of years. We are now thinking that we might get to see the kids and grandkids more often if they could visit us in Florida. We visited Fort Meyers, Punta Gorda, Naples and Marco Island, yet found the traffic and parking for the beaches to be quite a challenge. Is the Venice area similar? We like the gulf coast, but need to find a less crowded situation. Any ideas? Thanks ;×)

We moved from Minnesota to Greenville SC, where one of us grew up. Love most of it. Go back for a week each year to MN to visit.

Jefe, we are considering South Carolina but have never really been there except for 3 days last December to look at Savannah Lakes near McCormick. It was a little too remote for us. We are looking at the Lake Murray/Columbia area now but haven't had a chance to go see it. Can you tell me your thoughts on that and on Greenville? We spent an afternoon in Greenville while we were there and loved it! My husband wants to be very close to a good lake.