We live in Florida. They are considered 1990’s and aren’t building them anymore
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We love our Roombas and use them more than any other method of cleaning our floors.
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I sold my house 7 years ago and have been somewhat nomadic since, traveling very light with photo albums etc. in small storage unit. This has worked wonderfully. I have a really nice furnished winter rental in the town where I owned for 25 years, a block from the ocean, which I go to every year. It is much nicer than anything on the rental market and the landlords have never raised the rent so it is absurdly affordable.
Every summer I do something different, but am limited to areas within an hour’s drive from my mother. My coastal town, of course, has zero summer rentals. This has been fun. A lot of summers I have spent in the city, a change of pace, and it is a second home.
This year is so different. There is not only a scarcity of homes for sale, with huge price increases, but that spills over into the rental market. One apartment that was listed on Zillow had 181 contacts the first day, 245 the next. City summer rentals are now $2600 for a studio without a chair.
I am financially okay, for now. But what are people doing? The other 244 people who wanted that apartment and didn’t get it? I have never seen so few apartments listed, ever. This is a crisis. Why isn’t the media covering it? I feel for folks who make regular incomes and cannot qualify or don’t win the intense competition for an apartment.
This is tangentially related to the downsizing topic since a few people have written about trying areas in airbnb’s and short term rentals. Within 3 hours of my mother, they are all full! My clever lifestyle while I care for my mother, is not working as well, thoughI can make it work with some ingenuity .
When my mother dies, I will settle, but not around here, despite a lifetime in this area.
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@compmom, what area are you describing?
Northeast, especially Boston/Cambridge/North Shore but also W. MA, NH, VT.
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@shawbridge - glad your ‘stage 2’ house is working out so well!
I agree with those ideas about universal design! We installed some grab bars for my parents in showers and they were very hospital looking. So true that many folks could benefit from wider doorways, different counter-heights. I like your champagne-colored bar, Silpat!
On the vacuuming - my son and his GF also have a robot vac and love it. We have a big, canister vac, then a Dyson stick. We use the Dyson stick almost every day (furry cat) but I really would have preferred a Roomba.
The idea of housework being done while I do something else is so appealing!! (plus the benefit if you are not well, etc.).
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We are frantically getting our house ready to list this week! Our plans are to move to Santa Fe. How, when, where - who knows? I guess it will come clear when we are homeless. There are very few houses of any sort in our price range in Santa Fe, so we need to be up there to seriously shop.
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My niece loves their cordless stick vacuum—especially handy for their little one who is a messy toddler eater.
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Good luck, newpreironic!
I admire you. I’ve meet a few folks (at yard sales) who are downsizing, selling - and don’t have a firm plan on where to go. I like that idea of not having every single detail planned out since I am the opposite LOL!
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You just cannot assume you will find a short term rental. Don’t know about Santa Fe but my sister in law said this is a widespread problem. Between work from home, retirees, and, an agent told me today, all the people who sold with the high market and are renting while waiting to buy until the market goes down, rentals and especially short term rentals are very scarce in many places.
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I’m hearing the same thing. We’re thinking we could find a spot in Albuquerque if we had to. We’re just walking around with fingers crossed.
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One of my bffs and her dh moved to Santa Fe last year. They rented until they could find something to buy, but it was difficult. For so many of the people there, this is a second home, and they have a lot of disposable income and can afford to overpay on a house. My friends could not. They ended up in what looks like a lovely house that had not been kept up and had been owned by a heavy smoker so a lot of remediation had to be done. Thankfully, the dh is quite handy so they already have quite a bit of sweat equity in it. Good luck! And if you’re flexible enough to consider Albuquerque, you’ll be fine. They were not willing to consider anywhere else.
We’re only looking at Albuquerque for renting while looking for a home in Santa Fe. I sure hope we’re not making a big mistake! It’s pretty too late to back out now.
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It will work out!
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Our house is prepped and ready to list. It will officially go on the market after HS graduation for our D22. Not sure where we’ll end up. North Carolina, South Carolina, central Texas ? A great adventure.
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As long as you rent, you can adjust the decision if needed. Depending on the likelihood of needing to adjust, you could opt to leave the majority of house items in storage at your current location.
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My neighbors are putting their house on the market next month. Come live next door to me! I’m in one of your desired areas.
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Good luck, @newpreironic . I will be following your adventure with interest.
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Rivet2000 - another adventurer without a firm, final destination. Love it!
I’ve been listening to the podcast “Retire There” lately. Thought folks on this thread may enjoy. It’s a couple that interviews others who’ve retired in different locations. Recently, they interviewed a husband and wife who retired early, sold their huge CO house, put some sentimental items in a storage unit, and now travel the world. They plan to eventually settle in Mexico.
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