<p>Sadly, we do live in a very high COL area. Housing, food, gas are all among the highest in the US, while wages are very low. Yes, it generally is 70s-80s in HI year round. Unfortunately, we now have VOG–volcanic fog and smog, which causes very sulfuric particulates to be in our air, as well as emissions from the orient.</p>
<p>Still, am happy living in HI, as I am allergic to extreme temps–too hot OR too cold! Would have to do a significant amount of decluttering before anyone would be comfortable living in our home and H would never want ANYONE living in our home.</p>
<p>My brother moved to San Diego two years ago this summer. I visited last summer as part of a college tour trip to LA to see UCLA and USC. Loved San Diego…perfect temps all year round, except for when they have fires also loved santa Monica. Could so see myself retiring there. The real estate taxes are so much lower than what I pay here in westchester, ny just 30 minutes from midtown manhattan. Not sure about state taxes though. </p>
<p>I love NYC and but for the COL, I think it’s a great place to retire. Interesting things to do every day, great places to volunteer. But it’s hard to beat southern CA’s temperate climate. So much nicer than the humidity in the south, which is why I’m not interested in FL. </p>
<p>^^Well I’m staying put then! I have neighbors with horses on their 5-acre lots, but there are 5 Nordstroms within a 25-mile radius. The nearby town has a gigantic nursery, a movie theater, and a state of the art hospital is just a 10 min drive away.</p>
<p>I’m envying those with 2-3 acres, I proposed to move to a 3 acres house near San Diego, much cheaper than this huge condo with tiny bit of land, to live my Amish life style, raising chickens, goats and avocados, but I was outvoted by my family. However, we do have lots of green space with lots of trees where we are, it’s very relaxing, not at all congested. My husband and I are both born and raised in the big city, but we both have huge yards when we were growing up so that is sort of the compromise. I don’t care for shopping but we do have 2 Nordstroms within 5-10 minutes, huge Kaiser within 5 miles, an airport, and a university that I can take more art classes when I retire. The university has a ballet theatre where we will be attending more shows when we retire.</p>
<p>I think it is great to leave a college town. There are a lot of cultural events. Good medical care is also very important. As far as shopping, I can do a lot of it online now. I even order from overseas.</p>
<p>Online shopping has been my savior. I’m close to DC, but still in a rural area on the Chesapeake. With a neighborhood board always looking to replace itself I have told them, I will only rule with 2 items on my agenda - to allow chickens in yards and to force the neighbor across the street to take down their christmas wreath. </p>
<p>I could live without ever going to a mall again. I’m really eagerly waiting for the drones from Amazon to deliver my stuff. I’d order just to watch it be delivered.</p>
<p>""^^Well I’m staying put then! I have neighbors with horses on their 5-acre lots, but there are 5 Nordstroms within a 25-mile radius. The nearby town has a gigantic nursery, a movie theater, and a state of the art hospital is just a 10 min drive away"</p>
<p>Sounds like Woodinville, @bunsenburner. I love that town, especially with all the wineries coming in. I could retire there, but I’m thinking more like Kirkland. Close to everything, but such a nice little walking town on the water. Condo living lakefront, I could live with.</p>
<p>Living on a farm/rural community might sound good at age 60, but not so much 20 years later. Driving (especially at night) becomes difficult ,can’t walk anywhere and no public transportation, it is a pain to live hours from an airport or major medical center. Taking care of a large amount of property is also difficult.
I know several people who are retired and live in small rural communities and there are a lot of downsides.</p>
<p>My BIL and SIL retired a few years ago to property in the Pacific Northwest. They planted grapes, a large garden, have chickens, etc. Now less than 5 years after moving in, my SIL is starting to slide into dementia. And my BIL is having some serious back problems. It may have seemed like a romantic idea when they bought the place, and 10-15 years ago it would have been great. But now they are around 70 and it isn’t working out so well. </p>
I live in the SD area. The climate is great, in my opinion the best in the United States. The temperatures are moderate all year round, pleasant enough to go to the beach on some winter days. And there is little enough rain to meet some definitions of a desert (~10 inches per year). However, I don’t think it’s a good choice to retire for most. One of the biggest downsides is the cost of property. Each year, Coldwell Banker does a survey comparing the cost of a typical 2200 sqft home in different markets. The price for the 2200 sqft home in the least expensive markets usually starts at under $70k. In previous years, when they included La Jolla (a portion of the SD area) in the survey, it often ranked as the most expensive real estate market in the United States, with prices well into the 7 figures for the standardized 2200 sqft home, above both Beverly Hills and Palo Alto. Real estate gets significantly less expensive per sqft with each town north or east of La Jolla, but for the same price you’d get far more in other real estate markets, including some with pleasant climates and relatively low property tax rates. I’m also not a fan of the traffic. I wouldn’t want a job that required driving on interstates during rush hour, in the SD area.</p>
<p>intparent, my friend’s parents are in the same situation. They are on a beautiful but rural property on the Oregon coast. They are both experiencing health problems that make the “idyllic” location a nightmare. It’s hard to look so far ahead when we are young and healthy but of course everybody should!</p>
<p>I am so opposite of some of you. I have lived small city/ rural for a long time. My H and I would love to take over our D1’s apartment in Manhatten when she moves because of her ideal location in NYC.</p>
<p>I cannot imagin why someone would want to move “to the country” when they are older. Where I live, the country is a lot farther from the hospital, stores, etc. and there is also a lot more maintenance.( mowing, plowing, etc.) Not exactly what most elderly want, ie me.</p>
<p>My M&F bought a house in a gated senior community. They had a one floor, two car, two bed and bath house on a golf course. Very near the Jersey Shore. Pretty ideal. H and I almost bought it from my siblings when my Mom died except she died in the house and it had too many difficult memories fo me.</p>
<p>There is something infinitely depressing to me about planning too early. I was talking to this guy at my work who just had it all planned out. He was probably in his early sixties, and him and his wife had built their retirement home in their mid forties. It is all one level, wide doorways, no stairs, handicapped access rails. It just kind of creeped me out, already planning on being disabled in one’s forties. I plan on running half marathons, biking and rock climbing through my eighties. Maybe even longer. I don’t want to plan so young for disability.</p>
also loved santa Monica. Could so see myself retiring there. The real estate taxes are so much lower than what I pay here in westchester, ny just 30 minutes from midtown manhattan. Not sure about state taxes though. </p>
And my BIL is having some serious back problems. It may have seemed like a romantic idea when they bought the place, and 10-15 years ago it would have been great. But now they are around 70 and it isn’t working out so well. </p>