I need a place to live.

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

After reading many of the threads here, it occurred to me that there are a lot of smart and thoughtful people. Yeah, you know who you all are. Usually, it's the ones with the huge number of posts.

I respect intelligence. I love people who have a sense of humor. Hey, if you read any of my stories, you'd know that I'm the first to make fun of myself.

Anyway, my girlfriend and I are thinking about retirement. We have a dozen years or so before we hang up our work clothes, but we are racking our brains where to live.

We both want some place warmer than we where are now in Massachusetts.

Definitely, we are against moving to Florida and Texas. I apologize if I offended anyone living there, I mean, I love Micky Mouse and the rich oil people (kind of, not really), but we want somewhere nice.

We've even been thinking about leaving the country.

"Hey, I heard that and that wasn't nice. I can still post stories you know, even if I left the United States. I only need a computer and a connection to the Internet."

We read that Panama is the place to retire because it is so cheap to live. Only, I don't want to fall victim to a revolution, so Bogata, Columbia is out of the question.

Does anyone have any ideas? She loves the state of Washington, except for the daily dampness.

I was thinking about South Carolina or I really don't know where.

"Yeah, that was funny. Someone said go to Hell. In time, my friend, in time. And I'm sure that I'll see you there, too."

Wow, some people.

I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks so much in advance.

Freddie

 

[cloudy]

Huntsville, Alabama.

The stereotypes of Alabama residents are way off, unless you're in some dent in the highway with a population of less than 200.

Huntsville has the most PhD's per capita (percentage) of all the cities in the nation, including Los Angeles and New York. NASA has a huge facility there, as well as the National Space and Rocket Museum. It has most of the postive attributes of a big city but still sort of feels like a smaller town...the population is around 150,000.

It's within 3 hours drive to tons of major cities: two hours to Birmingham, three hours to Atlanta, two hours to Nashville, etc. The gulf coast is about six hours drive away.

The Von Braun Civic Center hosts just about any kind of cultural event you can name, from RV and Boat shows, Lynyrd Skynyrd concerts, Broadway shows, etc. Huntsville has it's own Symphony Orchestra, even.

There are absolutely wonderful restaurants in every price range - Dreamland Barbeque is famous nationwide, and very reasonable.

There are two universities there: University of Alabama at Huntsville and Alabama A & M...both very good schools.

The weather is really nice, seldom dropping much below freezing. The humidity in the summer takes some getting used to, but after one summer, you're good. Everyone has air-conditioning, so you don't have to be hot and sticky unless you want to.

If you play golf, there's a really nice municipal course there, as well as Valley Hill Country Club, where my parents are members. The Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail winds through Alabama, including through Huntsville.

The Tennessee River runs around the south end of the city, and many people have summer cabins (read: mobile homes) right on the river.

Right now I live just south of Huntsville...maybe 45 minutes away. Its a wonderful city.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Thank you

Thank you so much for sharing that information with me, Cloudy. I have a friend who lives in Atlanta and she loves it. I heard that Savanah was a great place to live, too.

I didn't know that about the Ph. D's. Interesting. I would have thought that statistic would go to Cambridge Massachusetts with the colleges of Harvard and MIT sharing the same area.

We're going to have to make a trip down there to look around. We love a place where we can walk to shops and cafe's. We both hate driving and we both hate malls and fast food places.

 

[christabelll]

Outer Banks - North Carolina

Myrtle Beach - South Carolina

Corpus Christie - Texas

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Thanks

It appears that you love the ocean, Crystalbell. I do, too.

Only, ocean front property is so very expensive.

Myrtle beach is now dotted with high rise condos and trash from millions of tourists.

Hmmm, I could wear a cowboy hat and cowboy boots if I moved to Texas. My Dad wore a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. He was my hero, a real cowboy.

Thanks for responding to my thread.

 

[oggbashan]

How about Australia or New Zealand?

Most of them speak a sort of English and they do understand Boston English.

Melbourne and Sydney are cosmopolitan cities with a vibrant cultural life. Sydney has great beaches as well within easy reach of the city centre. Melbourne has beaches inside Port Philip Bay and surf beaches within driving distance. Both cities have reasonable public transport facilities so you don't have to drive.

Parts of New Zealand are cold and wet, especially the West of South Island, but there is great scenery and skiing. Downside of New Zealand is the distance from anywhere else, earthquakes, and the comparative lack of cultural facilities because of low population density.

You'd have to change your Lit identity...

Og

 

[TxRad]

After reading many of the threads here, it occurred to me that there are a lot of smart and thoughtful people. Yeah, you know who you all are. Usually, it's the ones with the huge number of posts.

I respect intelligence. I love people who have a sense of humor. Hey, if you read any of my stories, you'd know that I'm the first to make fun of myself.

Anyway, my girlfriend and I are thinking about retirement. We have a dozen years or so before we hang up our work clothes, but we are racking our brains where to live.

We both want some place warmer than we where are now in Massachusetts.

Definitely, we are against moving to Florida and Texas. I apologize if I offended anyone living there, I mean, I love Micky Mouse and the rich oil people (kind of, not really), but we want somewhere nice.

We've even been thinking about leaving the country.

"Hey, I heard that and that wasn't nice. I can still post stories you know, even if I left the United States. I only need a computer and a connection to the Internet."

We read that Panama is the place to retire because it is so cheap to live. Only, I don't want to fall victim to a revolution, so Bogata, Columbia is out of the question.

Does anyone have any ideas? She loves the state of Washington, except for the daily dampness.

I was thinking about South Carolina or I really don't know where.

"Yeah, that was funny. Someone said go to Hell. In time, my friend, in time. And I'm sure that I'll see you there, too."

Wow, some people.

I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks so much in advance.

Freddie

I had to think on this for a while. You seem to have all the answers already so let me just add a little note for reference. The second largest business in central and south America is the kidnapping and ransom of rich Americans whether they are rich or not.

Maybe a better way to approach this is to toss out what you plan to do with your retirement. That way people might have a better idea of what you are looking for.

As for a better place than Texas, keep on looking. Unless you've been here and seen the whole state you have no idea about the place. A drive across Texas is a drive across one quarter of the US. From mountains to beaches, from deserts to pine and hardwood forests, it's all here. Don't write off what you don't know about.

 

[PublicAffection]

Carlton, Oregon - this is where I want to retire. It is a iiiiitty bitty town about an hour and a half outside of Portland. Close enough to get to the city if you really want to go, but far enough away to really enjoy the peace of the countryside. Current population is about 1,500; and they are best known for brewin' stuff.

There are three breweries in the little 8 block downtown section that I know of - and probably a dozen vinyards in the surrounding countryside. It's quiet, the weather on the west end of Oregon is mild (not quite as rainy as Washington, but still a little damp - I love it).

Carlton is also a 2-4 hour drive from ANYTHING you could ever want to do. 2 hours West is the coast, 3 hours East is Mt Hood (fabulous skiing) and another hour East is the Oregon High Desert (fantastic for camping out, hiking and golf).

That's my vote... and if I can convince FreelanceGamer that his XBox 360 will still have a cable connection, that's where we'll be in 20 years.

 

[cloudy]

Thank you so much for sharing that information with me, Cloudy. I have a friend who lives in Atlanta and she loves it. I heard that Savanah was a great place to live, too.

I didn't know that about the Ph. D's. Interesting. I would have thought that statistic would go to Cambridge Massachusetts with the colleges of Harvard and MIT sharing the same area.

We're going to have to make a trip down there to look around. We love a place where we can walk to shops and cafe's. We both hate driving and we both hate malls and fast food places.

Huntsville's also on the low end as far as living expenses go. A very nice two-bedroom apartment, with fireplace, and all the amenities rents for around $600 - 700 a month. You can buy a VERY nice house there for around $200k - VERY nice.

Alabama still has a homestead law, so no matter how much property you own, as long as you live on it, your property taxes are negligible. We own 11 acres, and our property taxes last year were $154 (no, that's not a typo).

If it was me, I would consider any place in the south, really. The people are very friendly and open, living expenses are extremely low, and the weather is nicer than just about any place else. The last time it snowed here and actually stuck was probably seven or eight years ago. If we get one inch of snow that sticks, all the roads shut down and nobody goes to work. We don't have salt/sand trucks, or any way to deal with ice, so the whole state just says "fuck it," and takes a day off.

Besides, your girl will eventually wind up with a southern accent, and nothing is sexier than a classy (vs. trashy) southern accent.

 

[Katyusha]

I'd recommend Fairbanks except, well, you're trying to get away from cold winters, not go where they're worse.

Flagstaff, Arizona
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Huntsville, Alabama

Or if you want to leave the country:
Granada, Spain

 

[Katyusha]

As for a better place than Texas, keep on looking. Unless you've been here and seen the whole state you have no idea about the place. A drive across Texas is a drive across one quarter of the US. From mountains to beaches, from deserts to pine and hardwood forests, it's all here. Don't write off what you don't know about.

I've been in lots of places in Texas many times and I'm sorry to say I wouldn't move there either. There's no one specific reason, no specific thing that happened or didn't happen that turned me off...I just don't like the place. It may have everything, but everyone has their preferences and Texas is not one of mine.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Jimmy Buffet

Oggbashan, Australian has too many deadly bugs and snakes (lol). With my luck I'd be bitten as I slept. That's funny about them understanding my Boston Accent. My girlfriend is from New York and she makes fun of my accent. I tell her that I speak the King's English.

TxRad, my girlfriend is the one who is down on Texas. She travels there on business, to Houston a few times a year.

Me? I think there are some real estate bargains in Texas. ...And I'd get to wear a cowboy hat and cowboy boots without having anyone stare and point at me the way they do in Boston.

"Gees, there's Freddie again wearing his cowboy outfit. He thinks he's a cowboy, but he's just another a city slicker."

PublicAffection, yeah I heard Oregon is nice. My girlfriend's daughter, who oddly enough moved from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon loves it there, only she misses Portland Maine and wants to move back.

Portland Maine is real nice, only it gets real cold and snowy. I'm so done with the cold, the snow, the sleet, and the ice. I need sunny days and pina colada's with Jimmy Buffet singing his sweet songs in the background.

 

[sr71plt]

Where I live (in central Virginia) is ideal for retirement--if you're bringing a little money with you. It habitually ranks in the top ten in retirement magazines and top ten for all sorts of other categories too (tennis, golf, health care/fitness, amenities, climate, hiking--the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Trail are at our elbow and I have eight four-mile hiking areas I can either walk to from my house or drive to within 15 minutes--entertainment, --we had no trouble getting good tickets for Cirq de Soleil last night, whereas where they go from here--Washington, D.C., is already sold out).

Largely thanks to this being the home of the Dave Matthews Band and their major promoter, we have major entertainment coming through regularly to three different new/restored venues. We have a major university and so many super rich people around (and the place is loaded with best-selling authors and film and sports stars) that we're awash in opportunities that someone else pays for. A major book festival and film festival every year as well. Movies get filmed here or hereabouts frequently.

Washington is a two-hour drive away, the coast is two and half hours, the mountains are twenty minutes. 18 wineries within a half hour drive--as well as homes of five former presidents. The area is notable at the moment (according to CNN) as having so much sustainable economic underpinnings that it has thus far been largely immune to the economic woes of the rest of the country. Practically no unemployment and the housing prices and sales have only lagged a bit comparably to most of the rest of the country. We're protected from most of the worst of the winter weather coming from the west by the Blue Ridge--it's only snowed once here this year--three inches.

But the Carolinas are near ideal too, if you are mostly interested in resting. I've always liked the Ashville area. The Raleigh-Durham area is good for activities, as several large universities are in that research triangle.

Love Savannah and Charleston and Hilton Head as a retirement possibility. We're going to all three this spring for several weeks and take in the Spoleto Festival in Charleston. (Still, I think of those as nice places to visit FROM Central Virginia). Atlanta is overgrown and has developed serious water problems.

I've had extended stays in Panama, and the heat and dampness can get oppressive--and there's little to do there. Portugal is far better for a retiree, if you're thinking of going abroad. We have a place on the island of Cyprus where we could retire with pleasure if it wasn't so far away from our children.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

After reading many of the threads here, it occurred to me that there are a lot of smart and thoughtful people. Yeah, you know who you all are. Usually, it's the ones with the huge number of posts.

I respect intelligence. I love people who have a sense of humor. Hey, if you read any of my stories, you'd know that I'm the first to make fun of myself.

Anyway, my girlfriend and I are thinking about retirement. We have a dozen years or so before we hang up our work clothes, but we are racking our brains where to live.

We both want some place warmer than we where are now in Massachusetts.

Definitely, we are against moving to Florida and Texas. I apologize if I offended anyone living there, I mean, I love Micky Mouse and the rich oil people (kind of, not really), but we want somewhere nice.

We've even been thinking about leaving the country.

"Hey, I heard that and that wasn't nice. I can still post stories you know, even if I left the United States. I only need a computer and a connection to the Internet."

We read that Panama is the place to retire because it is so cheap to live. Only, I don't want to fall victim to a revolution, so Bogata, Columbia is out of the question.

Does anyone have any ideas? She loves the state of Washington, except for the daily dampness.

I was thinking about South Carolina or I really don't know where.

"Yeah, that was funny. Someone said go to Hell. In time, my friend, in time. And I'm sure that I'll see you there, too."

Wow, some people.

I'd appreciate any comments. Thanks so much in advance.

Freddie

I've been reading up on Uruguay, and it's someplace I hope to live or visit one day. It's beautiful, very peaceful, and would probably be ideal to a happy retired couple.

South Carolina is gorgeous. My sister used to have a place out there with a couple of friends. It was this gorgeous converted house and the beach was no more than a five minute walk from her place. In fact, as soon as you walked down the stairs and set foot on solid ground, you were on the sand. Really, nothing beats watching whales jumping in the distance at sunset.

The Southwestern U.S. is beautiful too...but really, the choice is yours. My recommendation? Take some mini vacations...weekends or whatever, and visit a few places this summer. I don't think you can really get a good idea of what you want until you actually go there.

 

[christabelll]

It appears that you love the ocean, Crystalbell. I do, too.

Only, ocean front property is so very expensive.

Myrtle beach is now dotted with high rise condos and trash from millions of tourists.

Hmmm, I could wear a cowboy hat and cowboy boots if I moved to Texas. My Dad wore a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. He was my hero, a real cowboy.

Thanks for responding to my thread.

You can always try a little inland If its within 2 hours of the beach - heheheee... awesome

ANd There are hugely wonderful places everywhere -----

However - one unique way to discover your new place is to take out a map - and a pendulum (a plumb bob works too).... And ASK "Where should my new place to be - be?" (something along those lines anyway)- watch what the pendulum does - does it go left or right - up or down - strongest swing is point where? Hocus pocus to some... a real tool for others...

France, Scotland, Portugal are great foreign countries to move to - to a certain degree but have HUGE requirements for transferring residency...

Anywhere south of the border, for the most part, is fraught with civil unrest and military mayem - So unless you live in a fortress and feel like arming it LOL you're going to be dealing with it...(IMHO)

But there are plenty of wide open spaces here in the US...

New Mexico and Arizona are awesome too - but you do have to deal with a heavy prejudice against the "Anglos" and pretty much crushing poverty outside the largest cities... Personally I love The Rio Grande Gorge Area of Taos, Santa Fe, and the San Christobal Mountaints... Some truly awe inspiring locations.

Good Luck Darling.

 

[Misty_Morning]

I would have to recommend Western North Carolina...around the Ashville area.

IMO it's the most beautiful area of the country. The natural beauty is breathe taking.

Actually the area is becoming one of the most highly desirable places to retire.

Check it out.

 

[R. Richard]

You might consider a mountain town in the West of Mexico. I am not really familiar with the locations, but there are such towns with a reasonable number of US retirees. The towns are high enough to get out of the jungle heat and low enough not to get snowed in.

Despite the fact that you are not in the jungle heat, you can get the fruits and vegtables that only grow in the jungles. The prices are right also.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Thanks again all.

Of course, everything is dependent upon money. How much we sell this house for? How much have we accumulated in our savings accounts?

My big thing is that I want to go some place cheaper other than taxachusetts. My real estate taxes are nearly 5 grand a year. My car insurance is outrageous. Massachusetts still has an excise tax bill. Then, there's sales tax, gas tax, and turnpike tolls. It's expensive to live here.

Then, there's the cost of buying a house here. It's out of this world.

I think, just like when we saw this house, we knew it was the one. We need to travel around to different places to get a real feel for how it would be if we lived there.

There are so many great places. Thank you all for your ideas. I'm going to go online and check some of them out.

 

[john-the-author]

Carlton, Oregon - this is where I want to retire. It is a iiiiitty bitty town about an hour and a half outside of Portland. Close enough to get to the city if you really want to go, but far enough away to really enjoy the peace of the countryside. Current population is about 1,500; and they are best known for brewin' stuff.

There are three breweries in the little 8 block downtown section that I know of - and probably a dozen vinyards in the surrounding countryside. It's quiet, the weather on the west end of Oregon is mild (not quite as rainy as Washington, but still a little damp - I love it).

Carlton is also a 2-4 hour drive from ANYTHING you could ever want to do. 2 hours West is the coast, 3 hours East is Mt Hood (fabulous skiing) and another hour East is the Oregon High Desert (fantastic for camping out, hiking and golf).

That's my vote... and if I can convince FreelanceGamer that his XBox 360 will still have a cable connection, that's where we'll be in 20 years.

I second this sentiment. As a longtime Seattle resident now living in Eugene, OR, Oregon is an exceptional place to consider. It's also relatively inexpensive and still provides a considerable number of amenities. Eugene is a piece of the 70s--including rainbow tie-dye and the Oregon Country Fair--and there's every kind of outdoor activity to be had within an hour or two from here. The eastern half of Oregon is VERY sparsely populated--there are more rattlesnakes than people in many counties--but it's high mountain desert and has a unique charm that's worth considering. And living there can be done for almost nothing if you've an external source of income.

Feel free to drop me a line if you want specifics.

John

 

[ishtat]

Oggbashan, Australian has too many deadly bugs and snakes (lol). With my luck I'd be bitten as I slept. , only she misses Portland Maine and wants to move back.

.

About 200,000 Americans have become Australian citizens in the past 20 years which makes them about 1% of the population. They, like the English(and unlike the Scots) lose their accents very quickly . As for the bugs and bities more people are savaged to death by their own dogs in the UK than fall prey to snakes spiders crocs and other beasties here.

The worst thing about Australia is real estate prices especially in Sydney and Melbourne. Perth and Adelaide are comparatively cheap but Perth is so remote.

The best thing about retirement in Australia is the people and the climate followed by health services (a mix of public and private which works quite well) . Also there are no taxes on pensions of any kind nor are there any inheritance taxes. I live about half the time in Sydney and half in the UK but the UK has become gradually less attractive.

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

Thanks

Yeah but...you Aussie's are crazy. Hey, I've watch Crocodile Dundee a few times to know. I'm not talking out of my ass.

Everyone knows that Australians were dumped there by pirates and were the scum of the earth. There's a lot of mental illness in your population.

Have you never watched Mad Max with Mel Gibson. And take Mel Gibson for that matter, he's a crazy mother fucker. Didn't you see him in Lethal Weapon? I rest my case.

And what about Nicole Kidman? Huh? What about her? Do you thnk she's normal? She's probably a guy. Okay, okay, maybe Nicole Kidman was a bad example. She's a Goddess. She's perfect. No one looks like her.

Oh, I know what about that Russell Crowe guy. Yeah, tell me he's normal for throwing a telephone at a hotel employee.

I don't know about Australia. It's too, too, down under, you know.

I'm thinking about Connecticut. That's about the furthest south that I want to go (lol).

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm just having some fun at your expense. Australia is a beautiful country and I would love to see it one day.

 

[scouries]

Freddie my good man – think:

[size=+2]C_A_N_A_D_A[/SIZE]​

Yes, you may be a touch too late – the Canadian Loonie – (their unit of currency by the way) has been skyrocketing upward vis-à-vis our U.S. dollar for the last three years. Some of us got in on the ground floor. Still, buy now because if you wait it may double again in the next three or four years.

Canada, even at today’s prices, is a steal. I bought some Canadian real estate five years ago and it’s booming.

Too cold you say? No way! Have you heard about global warming? By the time you’re ready to retire Southern Canada weather will be much like Northern Florida’s today. Royal Palms will blanket the banks of the St. Lawrence River.

Drought in the States? Not up there. Once those glaciers and all that Canadian tundra starts melting they’ll be sitting pretty. They’ll be shipping Canadian Water down to Texas and getting $100 a barrel. What do you think that’ll do to the value of the Loonie?

Agriculture? Hell their growing season will suddenly be twice as long. Farm land will double in value. Orange groves will flourish in Saskatoon!

Medical Care? FREE! Just when you’re getting old, bingo, free medical care.

In twenty years the Canadian/US border will look like today’s Mexican/US border. Except it’ll be the Cannucks who’ll be building the fences – fences to keep you or me out. Unless we’re already there!

OK, yes, you will have to learn French if you move up there. But how tough will that be for an author of your caliber? And I’m pretty sure there have been some famous French writers so its not like you’re going to the Literature 3rd World.

And remember, whether you’re living in Toronto, Montreal or Ottawa, the Bruins will come to town three times a year.

So buy some real estate up there. Then urge all your friends to burn as much fossil fuel as they can – speed up that global warming. Every Hummer sold in America hastens the day when manatees will be swimming in Lake Ontario.

They let anyone in who can sing the following without any mistakes -

Ô Canada!
Terre de nos aïeux,
Ton front est ceint de fleurons glorieux!
Car ton bras sait porter l'épée,
Il sait porter la croix!
Ton histoire est une épopée
Des plus brillants exploits.
Et ta valeur, de foi trempée,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits,
Protégera nos foyers et nos droits.​

jrs

 

[BOSTONFICTIONWRITER]

I hate hockey.

Gees, I'm trying to get out of the cold and not get closer to the North Pole. Canada is freezing.

Maybe, I'll go to Cuba. I don't know.

Besides, the Canadian people speak French and love hockey. I hate hockey.

Nah, Canada is not for me. Those Canadians are just as crazy as the Australians.

 

[PrincessErin]

Yes I am crazy and I like it. You do not want to move here. It's cold and snowy. Plus I need you as far away from me as possible

Erin

 

[fifty5]

What are the criteria? If climate's the thing, look at the Canary Islands - warm spring weather all year round. And each island - and area of each island - has something different to offer.

Euros aren't that bad, are they?