Moving to a low-cost-of-living area to retire?

[ToomuchStuff]

When I was a kid, we had both a Sears and Wards outlet stores here. You could order from the catalogs and have them delivered or somethings could be picked up in stores. Those went away, but for years, Sears still had the catalog and still had a store pick up option. I've seen some of that coming back (order/pick up at local store, etc), and expect somewhat a mixture of that and an Amazon style thing, where you don't need x number of "store fronts" across a metro area, but a warehouse with a small retail/pickup section.

[Dave B]

The best place to retire is right where you are -- with your family and friends around you. I live in Fort Myers, Florida and this place is full of lonely and sad seniors who sold out their family and friends in order to save a FEW (and I stress the word FEW) dollars in taxes.

[rosarugosa]

The best place to retire is right where you are -- with your family and friends around you. I live in Fort Myers, Florida and this place is full of lonely and sad seniors who sold out their family and friends in order to save a FEW (and I stress the word FEW) dollars in taxes.

I think this is right on target, at least for someone like me. I'm pretty introverted and can't imagine building a whole new social network in this lifetime.

[Tradd]

The best place to retire is right where you are -- with your family and friends around you. I live in Fort Myers, Florida and this place is full of lonely and sad seniors who sold out their family and friends in order to save a FEW (and I stress the word FEW) dollars in taxes.

Not just that, but when the elderly parents get sick and their adult children have to deal with everything from a distance, etc., it can really be a hassle at the least and very disruptive at the most.

[Gardnr]

Not just that, but when the elderly parents get sick and their adult children have to deal with everything from a distance, etc., it can really be a hassle at the least and very disruptive at the most.

And if your (un)lucky like us, the sister in law sucks every dollar out of the parents by the time they're 70 and then leaves the state. Here hubby and I are never having received a dime (we asked for a short term loan twice in our early years and were declined). So won't it be fun when they can't care for themselves in their tri-level home. sigh.........

[jp1]

Not just that, but when the elderly parents get sick and their adult children have to deal with everything from a distance, etc., it can really be a hassle at the least and very disruptive at the most.

When my parents retired I jokingly asked if they were planning to move from Denver to Florida. (knowing full well that they both hated hot weather.) Mom's response was "well, we would move to be closer to our kids since that's also a thing, but since your sister lives in CA and you live in NYC we're just going to stay put."

And yes, after mom died and dad was in his decline it meant a lot of trips from CA (where I moved 10 years ago) to denver to help him/visit him, especially during his final six months that were spent entirely in a hospital and, at the end, a nursing home under hospice care. SO and I don't have kids so that's not a concern. Neither is making friends. SO's a pretty strong extrovert so if we do succeed in activating our plan to move somewhere where we can afford to retire I expect we'll be getting invited to dinner at someone's house within a month after moving in.

[pinkytoe]

Sometimes you really don't have a choice but to move to a less expensive place. For us, it was the difference between buying a house for cash or continuing to work and have a mortgage for another 7-8 years. And thousands of dollars difference in property tax. This middle income gentrification is happening in many cities and forcing all kinds of people out. I do plan on going back before I get too decrepit - just have to figure out where to live that isn't too far from family and still within an affordable budget.

[Teacher Terry]

Kids move all the time for jobs so no guarantees that you will live near your kids. Many people are happy retiring to a warm climate with 55 and over community. All our kids used to live here and now only 1 does. PT, I would not have moved if I thought I would want to go back some day. Really hard to make friends if you get too old. I probably would have looked for cheaper housing like a condo.

[dmc]

We moved south and one of our kids families moved also. The other kid moved to Chicago and there is no way I would live there. We still have some friends and family in MO, but it’s not hard to visit. With $200 round trip air fairs the wife will go whenever she wants.

And we have had no problem meeting new friends.

And for some reason we get plenty of visitors around January and February.

[catherine]

Many people are happy retiring to a warm climate with 55 and over community.

Funny. To each their own. No offense, TT, but I specifically don't want a boring year-round warm climate, or to be holed up with a bunch of old folk like me in a 55+ community. I know others like it. Nothing wrong with it. Just not me.