CFB51 College Football Fan Community
The Power Four => Big Ten => Topic started by: MaximumSam on November 25, 2025, 09:45:51 PM
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If you could buy a place to retire, up to 1 million dollars, where would you buy and why? And not in the hypothetical sense. The cheaper the better.
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I've been pondering that question
I don't have the answer yet
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Austin Texas
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Cedar Park, TX
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Y'all feel free. Austin was a great place to grow up, and Cedar Park has been a great place to raise kids.
I ain't gonna retire in either one of them.
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We made that decision in 2018, and we both are very happy with it. It’s not for everyone of course.
Retire where you will walk a lot.
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Likely in the west
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Key West
you can walk wherever you want to go
half the island is like anywhere else, the other half is like nowhere else
warm, humid, but less humid than the mainland
you gotta be okay with gays, crowing roosters, and 6-toed cats
It is closer to Havana than it is to Miami.
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I think I should visit there
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Key West has a really small species of deer.
(https://floridaphoenitwitter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Key-deer-by-tripadvisor.jpg)
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Key West has a really small species of deer.
(https://floridaphoenitwitter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Key-deer-by-tripadvisor.jpg)
Key West is 100% urban. The Key Deer is up where the US1 curves, probably like Sugarloaf Key or somewhere around there. It's on the way to KW, not in KW.
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(https://julespieri.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/index.jpg)
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I'm there already. But today I'm in Barrington, IL. F'ing cold here.
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I'm there already. But today I'm in Barrington, IL. F'ing cold here.
You're supposed to winter in the south and summer in the north.
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Great question. Ideally, gulf coast of Florida in the winters and Cleveland in the summer. Absolutely hate the cold weather in Cleveland in the winter but I love it in the summer and I love Midwest people. Not sure gulf of Florida would remain in that budget considering insurance and house cost in Florida the last few years.
When I lived and traveled Southern Asia, I met an older guy that retired to Thailand in his 60’s with 65k. Rented a room in the hotel per month and his budget there was crazy low. He was reading outside on the patio there every morning so by day 4 I had to talk to him. Seemed really at peace with life.
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You're supposed to winter in the south and summer in the north.
Grandkids.
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Set up now for it ( was going to retire this year but my employer made me an offer I can’t refuse to stay through next year)
Florida home October- Mid May. Cabin on a lake in northern Michigan the rest of the year.
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I liked eastern California, places like the Angels Camp or Sonora.
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Y'all feel free. Austin was a great place to grow up, and Cedar Park has been a great place to raise kids.
I ain't gonna retire in either one of them.
ISWYDT
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Great question. Ideally, gulf coast of Florida in the winters and Cleveland in the summer. Absolutely hate the cold weather in Cleveland in the winter but I love it in the summer and I love Midwest people. Not sure gulf of Florida would remain in that budget considering insurance and house cost in Florida the last few years.
When I lived and traveled Southern Asia, I met an older guy that retired to Thailand in his 60’s with 65k. Rented a room in the hotel per month and his budget there was crazy low. He was reading outside on the patio there every morning so by day 4 I had to talk to him. Seemed really at peace with life.
Good plan. Having spent my first 12 years in Cleveland and being in Florida now, I can attest to your thinking.
Not sure how close you are to action, but now is actually a good time to buy on the gulf coast. House prices have come down and it is definitely a Byers market. Insurance is only crazy bad if you’re right on or very, very near the water
I live on the opposite coast, which I think is also beautiful and has better beaches. But the golf side is friendlier and people are kinder because it’s the I 75/4 and most of the folks over there are from the Midwest. I live on the east side which is the I 95/4 and most of the folks over here are from the north east. They are definitely not as friendly and welcoming, but I just work through it lol
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Drivers in Florida really suck, and it gets even worse from Novemberish to Mayish.
Can't see. Can't hear. Can't walk. Let's DRIVE!!
I agree with HB's take on the different coasts, although there are some very nice beaches on the Gulf too - as in some of the highest rated ones, like Siesta, Lido, Clearwater, etc.
I'm not into beaches, so... And the traffic is WAY worse on the East Coast.
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Drivers in Florida really suck, and it gets even worse from Novemberish to Mayish.
Can't see. Can't hear. Can't walk. Let's DRIVE!!
I agree with HB's take on the different coasts, although there are some very nice beaches on the Gulf too - as in some of the highest rated ones, like Siesta, Lido, Clearwater, etc.
I'm not into beaches, so... And the traffic is WAY worse on the East Coast.
prettiest beaches in Florida and the entire US are in the panhandle- they just have the whitest sand and clearest waters. beaches with the prettiest women however are from Deerfield Beach down to Miami Beach, just the total amount and per capita of 8's and up has to be highest in US. it's ridiculous.
Florida is like 4 or 5 different states in one and Miami might as well be a foreign country. And the traffic has gotten unbearable on the east coast. I-95 corridor from Ft Lauderdale to Miami is the most dangerous stretch of road in the country. You see horrific soul crushing accidents daily. The drivers here are truly and wholly without question mentally fucking retarded. Which is why I am always splitting lanes driving like a demon to get the fuck away from all the fucking retards. Can't get into an accident if there are no retards around to crash into.
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Set up now for it ( was going to retire this year but my employer made me an offer I can’t refuse to stay through next year)
Florida home October- Mid May. Cabin on a lake in northern Michigan the rest of the year.
does this work under the budget?
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prettiest beaches in Florida and the entire US are in the panhandle- they just have the whitest sand and clearest waters. beaches with the prettiest women however are from Deerfield Beach down to Miami Beach, just the total amount and per capita of 8's and up has to be highest in US. it's ridiculous.
Florida is like 4 or 5 different states in one and Miami might as well be a foreign country. And the traffic has gotten unbearable on the east coast. I-95 corridor from Ft Lauderdale to Miami is the most dangerous stretch of road in the country. You see horrific soul crushing accidents daily. The drivers here are truly and wholly without question mentally fucking retarded. Which is why I am always splitting lanes driving like a demon to get the fuck away from all the fucking retards. Can't get into an accident if there are no retards around to crash into.
My sister lived in Pensacola for about a decade, beaches are so beautiful there. We'd visit and go up and down the coast to Fort Walton Beach, Panama City Beach, Destin. But I liked the vibe in Pensacola the best.
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2 places, one in the phoenix area and the other near the ocean (can't be California, since a million dollar wouldn't get you near the ocean).
Which is why we are renting a place in Maine walking distance to the ocean for a couple of months next year to see if that is what we really want.
BTW can't do Florida, humidity is way too high.
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You could do the Keys for lower humidity like Fro said, but man, talk about being isolated. I couldn't do it as a residence.
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does this work under the budget?
Yes. Tight for sure, but the math works.
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The wealthiest friend I had growing up, his family had a third home in Key West that they hardly ever used. Dude grew up to be quite the fuggup, and every time he moved home, they'd just send his azz down there. Last I heard of him, he was mistaken for a homeless man while killing time at a Columbus public library.
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Good chance I'll simply stay here in the great white north when I retire
been in this "starter" home for 36 years, it's suitable for the elderly. (All on one level)
7 miles from where I grew up. Not much family left, but plenty of friends.
I can just "visit" places down south from Mid-December to Mid-March. A week or two at a time.
It's between my daughters - 4 1/2 hours north to Minneapolis and 2 1/2 hours to Lincoln. (That could change if/when they move)
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2 places, one in the phoenix area and the other near the ocean (can't be California, since a million dollar wouldn't get you near the ocean).
Which is why we are renting a place in Maine walking distance to the ocean for a couple of months next year to see if that is what we really want.
BTW can't do Florida, humidity is way too high.
Not sure why you'd need two places incl. one in Phoenix if one of them isn't someplace like Maine where it's cold...
The thing that we often forget about when we think of retirement is... You don't need to live somewhere that you have to consider your job!
A place I'd be interested in would be the central coast of CA. As an example, here is from Zillow, 3bd/2ba or higher, single family homes, max price $750K, centered around the Paso Robles area:
(https://i.imgur.com/Nw2ESI3.png)
It's not walking distance to ocean, of course... But Paso Robles is a more vibrant town in its own right, with great dining options, lots of wineries in the area... I could absolutely see us retiring in Paso. It's not cold enough in the winter that you need to leave, and although it can get a LITTLE toasty in the mid-summer, it's nothing like Phoenix where you'd be hating life every day either.
And this one in Morro Bay is cozy, walking distance from the ocean, but needs a reno badly... https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/466-Zanzibar-St-Morro-Bay-CA-93442/15439625_zpid/
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unfortunately, still very expensive since it's in Cali
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Good plan. Having spent my first 12 years in Cleveland and being in Florida now, I can attest to your thinking.
Not sure how close you are to action, but now is actually a good time to buy on the gulf coast. House prices have come down and it is definitely a Byers market. Insurance is only crazy bad if you’re right on or very, very near the water
I live on the opposite coast, which I think is also beautiful and has better beaches. But the golf side is friendlier and people are kinder because it’s the I 75/4 and most of the folks over there are from the Midwest. I live on the east side which is the I 95/4 and most of the folks over here are from the north east. They are definitely not as friendly and welcoming, but I just work through it lol
First and foremost, congrats on being a year away! Man does time fly. I feel like it was just yesterday talking about how you had to be a Michigan dad. Our family we took a different timeline and restarted the timeline. Our two youngest are 3 and 1 so I’m a good ways away now. We built a new house when Covid first started with the mindset of if we’re always stuck inside what does it need to be like so outside the weather, like right now, we are living a pretty dreamlike setup at home. Our timing was great because we had contract before the Covid explosion in housing prices. It’s crazy to see the price/quality difference in the current new builds vs 4 years ago.
we had good friends that moved to West Palm for 5 years and we loved the area and hated any sort of highway travel from the traffic. East coast has some really nice areas but we fell in love with gulf side, Naples, Bonita Springs and visit it at least yearly.
we just got back from Savannah and stayed on Tybee Island last week. Was shocked how much I loved that area as well. First time ever doing an Airbnb and really connected with the owner and his family so we may have to work that into the mix. So short term it’s multiple trips in the winter months because I love the schools in the suburbs of Cleveland. Very fortunate. So it’s a sacrificial move for the kids while keeping sanity of the winter weather.
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One can save a lot of money living in a lower cost place and then traveling with the dollars not spent on some luxo condo somewhere. The weather at lower cost placed is usually fine for 5-6 months out of the year. Get nearish a reasonable airport. Figure the things you enjoy doing, golf, bridge, concerts, whatever. But walk a lot.
I had this discussion on line with a coworker a while back, he's a high level VP now retired, money for him would not be an issue at all. And he's very smart, a Purdue grad and patent lawyer. He doesn't play golf. I should call him now that he's retired, he told me he has kids and grandkids in the Cincy area and probably would stay put. Another good friend is French but lived in Cincy six years in a nice place, was CEO of a pretty large company there, neat guy. He returned to France because of grandkids. He told me he would prefer otherwise to stay in the States. They own a nice house in a small village about 100 km outside Paris. He doesn't like how France is changing, but he's kind of stuck.
In our case, our kids are scattered, mostly on the west coast now, but one in C-bus and one in France. They come here sometimes, we go there, etc. We have a large airport 10 miles to the south of course with a subway link.
My wife has a few places she likes to revisit, Hawaii being one. I'm encouraging her to be more adventurous, and she's amenable mostly. She has old friends all over Europe she wants to visit.
One thing we did before moving here was travel around the US a fair bit and ponder if living HERE would work, we looked for condos and houses and various and sundry, Vegas, Austin, Jacksonville, Tennessee, California, North Carolina ... I was maybe overly concerned with taxes, but it worked out.
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One of my good friends just sold in Bonita Springs to move to Punta Gorda.
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Our plan is to stay right where we are. We live entirely on the first floor of our house, it's a walkable neighborhood, with groceries, restaurants, and a good wine shop in walking (and very easy cycling) distance, and a major international airport is a stone's throw from us. Oh, and the weather is nice year round.
Given the cost of living here, we're fortunate that we bought our house when we did, and that we will have paid the lion's share of the mortgage while we are making good money.
Our kids will not likely come back here--too expensive (frankly, I don't want the pressure of making that kind of income for them)--but we love to travel, and hopefully they will live somewhere relatively easy to fly to.
One of my relatives has several times long-term rented her house to people doing remodels in town and used that money to travel for months on end. Would love to do that. Thinking about a year in Spain, and a great big road trip around the U.S. (north in the summer and fall, south in the winter and spring).
Of course, life throws curveballs, so who is to know what will actually happen, but we're getting within spitting distance, and things seem to be lining up ok.
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unfortunately, still very expensive since it's in Cali
Sure, but it's all relative. Incomes are high out here, so it's easier to amass the sort of nest egg necessary to afford someplace like that.
The harder bit would be budgeting to also include all the wine :57:
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You could always live in the Philippines for like $700/month, all-in. There's infinite beaches and beautiful nature, tiny, traditional women, and they all speak English.
Probably not a great place to retire with a wife, though, lol.
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345 Live Oak Dr, Angels Camp, CA 95222 | MLS #202500846 | Zillow (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/345-Live-Oak-Dr-Angels-Camp-CA-95222/61681512_zpid/)
Pretty nice 3 bdr in CA for a bit over half a mil. As I said, I liked this area, wine country, mountains, interesting history. I pondered it except the state income taxes. I mused about moving to Florida and renting a place for a year and coverting all my IRA to regular at one go and then moving to CA.
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Sure, but it's all relative. Incomes are high out here, so it's easier to amass the sort of nest egg necessary to afford someplace like that.
The harder bit would be budgeting to also include all the wine :57:
agreed, but we're talkin bout retirement on a $1 million budget
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Not bad. I don't know that area much at all, but you're only about an hour from Sacramento, within driving range of the Bay Area and Tahoe (and a longer drive, but SoCal), and it would be nice to be near the Sierras. Probably gets a little toasty in the heat of summer, but not like Phoenix or the SoCal Inland Empire area...
That's quite a nice house at a pretty decent size for that kind of money. I'd probably look for something equally appointed but smaller if I were retiring. I know it's important to have guest rooms at that stage of life, but I'm not sure I'd need that square footage.
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agreed, but we're talkin bout retirement on a $1 million budget
Fair, but Sam's original statement was up to $1M to buy a place, not your total nut. Not that you necessarily want to spend it all on the house--anything you save can be used for the rest of your retirement. But I took it as that's the max you're willing to spend on a property.
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My wife wants guest rooms. You know how often we use them? Not very. Cheaper just to pay for a hotel every so often. We do have a 3 bdr, two offices generally, occasionally someone sleeps in them.
That area of CA is high enough elevation to have reasonable summers. And you could snag a place further up that would be cooler still of course if you want mountain living. I looked at housing when we stayed there and it was pretty reasonable I thought. There is the nearby town of Murphy which has 20+ wine tasting rooms in it.
Murphys Wineries: A Charming & Historic Wine Tasting City - WWP (https://www.winewithpaige.com/murphys-wineries/)
https://weatherspark.com/y/1338/Average-Weather-in-Angels-Camp-California-United-States-Year-Round
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Yeah, it's funny... My in-laws are probably going to move next spring sometime. They had moved from SoCal up to Southern OR years ago and their son (my BIL) moved his family up there as well. They [all] got tired of the fear of wildfires in the summer, especially after one came VERY close to the town they lived in, and almost touched the back property line of my BIL's farmland.
So they all moved to San Antonio. And in San Antonio, my in-laws bought a quite large, 4bdr house. For the two of them. Not sure what they need all that space for, but that's what they wanted. Now they're looking at moving again, since my BIL and his family came back here to CA. They're looking at the area where @Brutus Buckeye (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=31) lives (Hurricane, UT). Partly because they want a larger place. Yet all four of their kids and now all ten of their grandkids live in Orange County, whereas UT is a 6 hour drive away.
I think they'd ultimately be happier in a smaller place but closer to their kids/grandkids. And if they were local, it's not like they'd need guest rooms, because we're all here...
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6 hour drive is EASY
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Fair, but Sam's original statement was up to $1M to buy a place, not your total nut. Not that you necessarily want to spend it all on the house--anything you save can be used for the rest of your retirement. But I took it as that's the max you're willing to spend on a property.
Accurate
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Angels Camp and Murphys are lovely. Lots of the Sierra foothills are. A little more remote than people think of when they think of California, and a lot more fire danger than some other parts of the state, but would likely have a very nice quality of life.
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For a nice part of California, the area is very reasonably priced in terms of real estate. And it's about 2 hours from SF, and a whole world away, it's more like Texas.
The other area I pondered is over the line around Tahoe, or even Carson City.
My wife is a "big city girl", so here we are.
I get to make all the BIG decisions though, like whether Ukraine should sign the peace plan and how the President should think about education, etc.
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6 hour drive is EASY
Yeah, I don't mind it. Considering Oregon was 12 hours, and San Antonio would have been 19 if we'd ever driven it, 6 is practically nothing. It's certainly a massive improvement.
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They're looking at the area where @Brutus Buckeye (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=31) lives (Hurricane, UT). Partly because they want a larger place. Yet all four of their kids and now all ten of their grandkids live in Orange County, whereas UT is a 6 hour drive away.
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Just east of Hurricane are a bunch of vacated polygamy houses that you can pick up real cheap.
Those suckers are designed to house 50 people.
(https://i0.wp.com/theroyaltourblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/likely-polygamist-compound-1.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1)
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I'll, uhh, be sure to mention that...
:smiley_confused1:
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Just east of Hurricane are a bunch of vacated polygamy houses that you can pick up real cheap.
Those suckers are designed to house 50 people.
perfect, we could ALL visit!
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I'll, uhh, be sure to mention that...
:smiley_confused1:
They'd have plenty of room to have all of you over at the same time, for the holidays. :111:
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My wife wants guest rooms. You know how often we use them? Not very. Cheaper just to pay for a hotel every so often. We do have a 3 bdr, two offices generally, occasionally someone sleeps in them.
That area of CA is high enough elevation to have reasonable summers. And you could snag a place further up that would be cooler still of course if you want mountain living. I looked at housing when we stayed there and it was pretty reasonable I thought. There is the nearby town of Murphy which has 20+ wine tasting rooms in it.
Murphys Wineries: A Charming & Historic Wine Tasting City - WWP (https://www.winewithpaige.com/murphys-wineries/)
https://weatherspark.com/y/1338/Average-Weather-in-Angels-Camp-California-United-States-Year-Round
We have a 2 bedroom, but the guest room has a very nice murphy bed. I used it as my office before retiring. It was fun having one of the kids here with their wife and 2 year for a long weekend.
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3 BR, one is my office with a Murphy bed that has been used twice in 6 years.
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That kind of thing always drove me crazy, watching those house-hunting shows. Inevitably, EVERY couple would obsess about hosting or entertaining, ignoring that their lives in that house would be 99.99999% NOT doing those things.
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only one very small reason I wouldn't watch
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That kind of thing always drove me crazy, watching those house-hunting shows. Inevitably, EVERY couple would obsess about hosting or entertaining, ignoring that their lives in that house would be 99.99999% NOT doing those things.
Her: Stay home mom
Him: Pencil eraser salesman
Budget: 780,000
In search of a 5 bedroom, 4 bath starter home, for them and their 2 year old to grow into.
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Her: Stay home mom
Him: Pencil eraser salesman
Budget: 780,000
In search of a 5 bedroom, 4 bath starter home, for them and their 2 year old to grow into.
We watch some of that and wonder how much money they get from their parents. Because no way did they earn it.
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Her: Stay home mom
Him: Pencil eraser salesman
Budget: 780,000
In search of a 5 bedroom, 4 bath starter home, for them and their 2 year old to grow into.
I mean, people don’t tune in to watch sensible people do sensible things.
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Given my druthers, I would probably stay mostly where I’m at if I retired. but I am kind of boring that way.
The most interesting aspect would be what my girlfriend, who would actually set the agenda, would want to do. if it didn’t involve staying put, probably the beach or France.
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I mean, people don’t tune in to watch sensible people do sensible things.
By people, you do mean women, right?
The proverbial --- every F'ing time:
"That's a really big closet!" - HIM
"Yeah, but where are you going to put your clothes? HEHEHEHE!" -- HER
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Young couples are so clever.
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I mean, people don’t tune in to watch sensible people do sensible things.
all reality shows
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It’s weird to me when people retire and move to a completely different part of the country. I’ve often, only half seriously, said that I would like to someday move to a slightly cooler climate, one that had true seasons. 3 months of summer, give or take, a real fall, real spring, and yes even real winter. Not quite as hot during the summer, with less humidity. There is really only two main criteria. It has to be in the “South”. And it has to have good fishing nearby. Oh, and the aforementioned climate. The other criterion is that it needs to be relatively low cost of living.
I’ve often thought perhaps Northern Arkansas or Southern Missouri would fit the bill nicely. I haven’t spent much time in those areas, save for short trips here or there, but the heat seems slightly better, and there are lakes around that should have great fishing. Other choices would be Tennessee, where I’m told some of our family originated from. Other choices may be the Carolinas, but I’d think the humidity would be bad, but I’ve never been. West Virginia might be a good one, except it may be too. LCOL.
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It’s weird to me when people retire and move to a completely different part of the country. I’ve often, only half seriously, said that I would like to someday move to a slightly cooler climate, one that had true seasons. 3 months of summer, give or take, a real fall, real spring, and yes even real winter. Not quite as hot during the summer, with less humidity. There is really only two main criteria. It has to be in the “South”. And it has to have good fishing nearby. Oh, and the aforementioned climate. The other criterion is that it needs to be relatively low cost of living.
I’ve often thought perhaps Northern Arkansas or Southern Missouri would fit the bill nicely. I haven’t spent much time in those areas, save for short trips here or there, but the heat seems slightly better, and there are lakes around that should have great fishing. Other choices would be Tennessee, where I’m told some of our family originated from. Other choices may be the Carolinas, but I’d think the humidity would be bad, but I’ve never been. West Virginia might be a good one, except it may be too. LCOL.
Western NC could be good for that. Some lake mountains. Cooler climates and such.
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Anyways, I know it’s all academic. We already live in a relatively LCOL area, although that’s slipping away a little each year, but I already own a nice house here. All our family and friends are here, our kids will probably never leave. Our whole life is here, including rental properties, our business, and at least 100 years of family presence. We’ve got so many cousins and connections it would be hard to leave it all behind. Not to mention some really good saltwater fishing.
I can be at multiple different beaches within 30 minutes. They’re not nearly as pretty as the ones in Florida or other places but I can drive my truck directly on them, for free. We have a lot of industrial activity here, really good jobs, and a world class port. I know that it will eventually become urban sprawl, but it won’t fully happen in my lifetime.
My best hope is to find a nice piece of property not too deep in the country and build myself a house exactly like I want instead of this house I’ve lived in for 23 years that I’ve never cared for.
When I do, I’m going to go off-grid capable. Solar with grid tie, backup batteries. I actually know multiple people who have done this setup.
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Another area I would consider during the summer. Upstate NY somewhere in the Adirondacks. Was lucky enough to spend a few times up on Lake George. That is certainly not fitting in the under $1mm budget but it’s stunning up there. Truly nature at its best.
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West Virginia might be a good one, except it may be too. LCOL.
You can really get a lot of house for just a little, in West Virginia.
(https://external-preview.redd.it/1OaHn0JKpESscjImGZMiqo0jR4-p_Dxx2w87-jNgW0c.jpg?auto=webp&s=2109ed61bce1bab19f8b45b8f45e1a394ac0bb29)
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It’s weird to me when people retire and move to a completely different part of the country.
Yeah if it were up to me I'd probably never leave. I don't mind cold weather, especially if I don't have to drive in it, which as a retiree I wouldn't have to do.
But the ole battleax is Jamaican and is not nearly in tune with Ohio as I am, so I might as well prepare now for moving somewhere warmer.
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I'd rule out Jamaica for the time being. It's gonna take them a while to recover.
Does she have family there?
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I'd rule out Jamaica for the time being. It's gonna take them a while to recover.
Does she have family there?
Yes, though she has never seemed interested in living there.
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But the ole battleax is Jamaican and is not nearly in tune with Ohio as I am, so I might as well prepare now for moving somewhere warmer.
Problem is you'll prolly spend as much time inside because of the oppressive heat as you would from the freezing cold. Choose your poison i gues ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ as things now stand I'm going out of my starter house toes up
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Problem is you'll prolly spend as much time inside because of the oppressive heat as you would from the freezing cold. Choose your poison i gues ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ as things now stand I'm going out of my starter house toes up
Inside in the cold far superior to inside in the heat, as well.
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Pools are great.
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Problem is you'll prolly spend as much time inside because of the oppressive heat as you would from the freezing cold. Choose your poison i gues ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ as things now stand I'm going out of my starter house toes up
yup
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(https://i.imgur.com/nwL2N7y.png)
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Inside in the cold far superior to inside in the heat, as well.
You can't golf in January but I can golf year around
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Places in the US with really good weather are expensive, film at 11 ...
I like the idea of traveling around and pondering what you think about this or that place for retirement. One small city I like is Greenville, SC. We visit there on occasion. One can potentially live NEARish a place one likes and travel there when the mood strikes. That's why Nevada was on my radar for a bit, no state income taxes, some nice areas, near CA.
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You can't golf in January but I can golf year around
To golf in the cold, dress in layers of moisture-wicking, insulating, and water-resistant materials, warm up thoroughly with stretching, and adjust your game by playing one club up, choosing lower compression balls, and walking more to stay warm. Staying hydrated and keeping your grips dry are also key strategies for comfort and performance.
On-course strategy
- Dress in layers: Use a moisture-wicking base layer, an insulating mid-layer (like a quarter-zip sweater), and a waterproof or windproof outer layer. Avoid cotton, which holds moisture.
- Warm up properly: Spend extra time on a thorough warm-up with stretching to prevent injury and get your body moving.
- Walk more: Walking helps keep your blood flowing and your body warm. You can still ride, but walk between shots when possible.
- Modify club selection: Cold air is denser, so your ball won't travel as far. Plan for at least one extra club for distance.
- Keep grips dry: Use a towel to wipe off your grips between shots to prevent slipping.
- Use hand warmers: Keep your hands warm with hand warmers or heated pouches.
Equipment adjustments
- Use high-visibility balls: Bright-colored balls are easier to see in lower winter light.
- Consider your ball: Lower compression balls can perform better in cold weather.
- Protect your gear: Keep your equipment protected from the elements.
Other tips
- Stay hydrated: It's still important to drink plenty of fluids.
- Be flexible with your expectations: Don't expect the same performance as you'd get in warmer weather.
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Places in the US with really good weather are expensive, film at 11 ...
I like the idea of traveling around and pondering what you think about this or that place for retirement. One small city I like is Greenville, SC. We visit there on occasion. One can potentially live NEARish a place one likes and travel there when the mood strikes. That's why Nevada was on my radar for a bit, no state income taxes, some nice areas, near CA.
they're running out of water but worry about that when it happens.I just had 5" inches of cold fluffy water drop all over my neighborhood. Blew it off 5 driveways in an hour & a 1/2 and got my work out in also. Gonna go out finish tidying up the stars/walks feed the outside birds then come in and feed myself some Narragansett Lager. New England-based brewery founded in 1890, best known to the locals like Yuengling use to be. It's 5% ABV, smooth and tasy and got it at the corner for 12.50 befroe tax :dance:. Life is good
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To golf in the cold, dress in layers of moisture-wicking, insulating, and water-resistant materials, warm up thoroughly with stretching, and adjust your game by playing one club up, choosing lower compression balls, and walking more to stay warm. Staying hydrated and keeping your grips dry are also key strategies for comfort and performance.
Thanx the tip Nanook from Phoenix my buddy there says it's just turrible the cold,whipping weather this season :111:
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To golf in the cold, dress in layers of moisture-wicking, insulating, and water-resistant materials, warm up thoroughly with stretching, and adjust your game by playing one club up, choosing lower compression balls, and walking more to stay warm. Staying hydrated and keeping your grips dry are also key strategies for comfort and performance.
On-course strategy
- Dress in layers: Use a moisture-wicking base layer, an insulating mid-layer (like a quarter-zip sweater), and a waterproof or windproof outer layer. Avoid cotton, which holds moisture.
- Warm up properly: Spend extra time on a thorough warm-up with stretching to prevent injury and get your body moving.
- Walk more: Walking helps keep your blood flowing and your body warm. You can still ride, but walk between shots when possible.
- Modify club selection: Cold air is denser, so your ball won't travel as far. Plan for at least one extra club for distance.
- Keep grips dry: Use a towel to wipe off your grips between shots to prevent slipping.
- Use hand warmers: Keep your hands warm with hand warmers or heated pouches.
Equipment adjustments
- Use high-visibility balls: Bright-colored balls are easier to see in lower winter light.
- Consider your ball: Lower compression balls can perform better in cold weather.
- Protect your gear: Keep your equipment protected from the elements.
Other tips
- Stay hydrated: It's still important to drink plenty of fluids.
- Be flexible with your expectations: Don't expect the same performance as you'd get in warmer weather.
Hard to find the ball in 6 inches of snow and even harder to sink a putt when the cup is filled with snow.
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Nevada only has a few places that are anywhere near a major hospital, should one's age catch up with them.
Outside of Vegas or the Reno/Carson City/Lake Tahoe area, there isn't really much of anything.
It's also pretty cold, if you are north of Clark County (Vegas).
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Top 50 Countries by Life Expectancy in 2100
1. 🇯🇵 Japan - 94.40 years
2. 🇸🇲 San Marino - 93.98
3. 🇰🇷 South Korea - 93.14
4. 🇦🇩 Andorra - 93.01
5. 🇪🇸 Spain - 92.87
6. 🇨🇭 Switzerland - 92.79
7. 🇮🇹 Italy - 92.77
8. 🇸🇬 Singapore - 92.70
9. 🇦🇺 Australia - 92.62
10. 🇲🇹 Malta - 92.32
11. 🇸🇪 Sweden - 92.18
12. 🇫🇷 France - 92.14
13. 🇳🇴 Norway - 92.10
14. 🇮🇸 Iceland - 92.01
15. 🇵🇹 Portugal - 91.87
16. 🇮🇪 Ireland - 91.75
17. 🇨🇦 Canada - 91.75
18. 🇲🇻 Maldives - 91.62
19. 🇦🇪 U. Arab Emirates - 91.56
20. 🇮🇱 Israel - 91.55
21. 🇳🇱 Netherlands - 91.54
22. 🇦🇹 Austria - 91.53
23. 🇧🇪 Belgium - 91.42
24. 🇬🇷 Greece - 91.39
25. 🇨🇾 Cyprus - 91.36
26. 🇫🇮 Finland - 91.27
27. 🇨🇱 Chile - 91.25
28. 🇨🇷 Costa Rica - 91.16
29. 🇱🇺 Luxembourg - 91.14
30. 🇩🇰 Denmark - 91.13
31. 🇸🇮 Slovenia - 91.08
32. 🇳🇿 New Zealand - 90.99
33. 🇶🇦 Qatar - 90.88
34. 🇹🇼 Taiwan - 90.87
35. 🇩🇪 Germany - 90.78
36. 🇰🇼 Kuwait - 90.60
37. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom - 90.59
38. 🇧🇭 Bahrain - 90.53
39. 🇴🇲 Oman - 90.40
40. 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia - 90.34
41. 🇵🇦 Panama - 90.13
42. 🇦🇱 Albania - 90.00
43. 🇨🇳 China - 89.80
44. 🇨🇿 Czechia - 89.44
45. 🇮🇷 Iran - 89.30
46. 🇪🇪 Estonia - 89.20
47. 🇺🇸 United States - 89.17
48. 🇵🇱 Poland - 89.00
49. 🇭🇷 Croatia - 88.96
50. 🇨🇴 Colombia - 88.87
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Most Loved Countries in the World ❤️
1. 🇨🇦 Canada
2. 🇳🇴 Norway
3. 🇸🇪 Sweden
4. 🇨🇭 Switzerland
5. 🇦🇺 Australia
6. 🇫🇮 Finland
7. 🇳🇿 New Zealand
8. 🇩🇰 Denmark
9. 🇳🇱 Netherlands
10. 🇧🇪 Belgium
11. 🇮🇪 Ireland
12. 🇦🇹 Austria
13. 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
14. 🇮🇹 Italy
15. 🇩🇪 Germany
16. 🇯🇵 Japan
17. 🇪🇸 Spain
18. 🇵🇹 Portugal
19. 🇫🇷 France
20. 🇸🇬 Singapor
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So the wife wants someplace with a warmer climate and nice scenery. She can compromise on not having a beach house if there is something nice to look at, like mountains or a lake. Thanks, wife.
So I'm putting together a bucket list of places we should visit. Welcome all suggestions.
1. All of California: I've only ever been to San Francisco like 30 years ago. Never been to SoCal at all. Lots of places are too expensive and I'm not trying to be broke in retirement. But I see places near Napa going for around 550K. Maybe that fits the profile.
2. Gulfport, Mississippi: There are beaches, it is hot, and Mississippi is poor. You see where I'm going.
3. Savannah, Georgia: Warm, near the beach, has people, but not overly expensive. Seems worth a visit.
4. Texas: Also a place I've never been. Not a single town in the whole state. The wife likes BBQ and heat so we plan on doing it.
Places I've been that I would consider:
1. Most of Florida
2. Hilton Head: A pretty cool vibe down there though I think I would be annoyed by the tourism
3. Myrtle Beach: Pretty affordable, really, and some parts are really pretty. But some parts are also parts frequented by annoying hoops. And the winter isn't that warm.
4. New Mexico: I really loved visiting and there is some beautiful scenery. But no beaches and I'm not sure I can live in a place where it hardly ever rains.
Places I've visited that I hated:
1. Vegas: I used to love it but the last time I was there the vibe had changed for the worse. And everything else about it sucks.
2. Phoenix, Arizona: I hated the city and I thought the scenery was ugly and depressing.
Would also consider out of the country but that requires a whole series of hoops.
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I've heard the climate is great in New Mexico - I've only just driven through
I thought a place with some elevation and a nice golf course as a view would be nice
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So the wife wants someplace with a warmer climate and nice scenery. She can compromise on not having a beach house if there is something nice to look at, like mountains or a lake. Thanks, wife.
So I'm putting together a bucket list of places we should visit. Welcome all suggestions.
1. All of California: I've only ever been to San Francisco like 30 years ago. Never been to SoCal at all. Lots of places are too expensive and I'm not trying to be broke in retirement. But I see places near Napa going for around 550K. Maybe that fits the profile.
2. Gulfport, Mississippi: There are beaches, it is hot, and Mississippi is poor. You see where I'm going.
3. Savannah, Georgia: Warm, near the beach, has people, but not overly expensive. Seems worth a visit.
4. Texas: Also a place I've never been. Not a single town in the whole state. The wife likes BBQ and heat so we plane on doing it.
Places I've been that I would consider:
1. Most of Florida
2. Hilton Head: A pretty cool vibe down there though I think I would be annoyed by the tourism
3. Myrtle Beach: Pretty affordable, really, and some parts are really pretty. But some parts are also parts frequented by annoying hoops. And the winter isn't that warm.
4. New Mexico: I really loved visiting and there is some beautiful scenery. But no beaches and I'm not sure I can live in a place where it hardly ever rains.
Places I've visited that I hated:
1. Vegas: I used to love it but the last time I was there the vibe had changed for the worse. And everything else about it sucks.
2. Phoenix, Arizona: I hated the city and I thought the scenery was ugly and depressing.
Would also consider out of the country but that requires a whole series of hoops.
Come on man, you know the rules about moving here... :)
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Too bad you don't like the phoenix area I have a beautiful view of the superstition mountains out my back door
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I've heard the climate is great in New Mexico - I've only just driven through
I thought a place with some elevation and a nice golf course as a view would be nice
Definitely - not as hot as Arizona. Also felt like everyone had a fire going all the time. And they had a pretty unique cuisine and we both love to eat. On the other hand felt like they really love to eat a bit too much - I watched people order nachos that came out the size of a Buick.
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Too bad you don't like the phoenix area I have a beautiful view of the superstition mountains out my back door
Yeah there are places in Phoenix that have great views. The city is almost completely encircled by mountains so there are tons of nice vistas, IMO.
And then when you head up toward Flagstaff, man is there some pretty country.
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Anyway, there are a lot of decent beach towns in Texas if that's your thing. Port Aransas is the most popular one, Galveston is the most populated one. South Padre Island is the nicest beach but it's very remote compared to the other beach cities. I really like Matagorda, it's a tiny community so not often a lot of real estate for sale. Rockport has some nice places, it's very close to Corpus Christi and Port Aransas.
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Come on man, you know the rules about moving here... :)
I thought it was specific to Austin........
Do you really care if some folks move to Amarillo or Lubbock or Beaumont?
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Too bad you don't like the phoenix area I have a beautiful view of the superstition mountains out my back door
I'm sure my wife would love it, but something about it really bugged me. I think the idea of the desert in general is not for me. Too Irish.
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I thought it was specific to Austin........
Do you really care if some folks move to Amarillo or Lubbock or Beaumont?
I just like to dicourage the idea in general... :)
But yeah if you really want to move to Lubbock, knock yourself out!
And Janis Joplin once said, "Houston is the asshole of Texas, and Beaumont is 90 miles up it."
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Anyway, there are a lot of decent beach towns in Texas if that's your thing. Port Aransas is the most popular one, Galveston is the most populated one. South Padre Island is the nicest beach but it's very remote compared to the other beach cities. I really like Matagorda, it's a tiny community so not often a lot of real estate for sale. Rockport has some nice places, it's very close to Corpus Christi and Port Aransas.
We will definitely visit, she has talked about Galveston. My buddy was stationed in West Texas and also had high compliments for it.
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We will definitely visit, she has talked about Galveston. My buddy was stationed in West Texas and also had high compliments for it.
I love West Texas, Big Bend and all. My dad is from Alpine which is halfway between nowhere and nowhere else. But it's pretty arid and sort of desert-y on its own, so if you don't like that kind of climate and terrain, it's probably not for you.
Decent lake property in the Austin area is crazy expensive, but there are some lakes outside of Dallas and Houston where you can find some decent property.
And the Texas beach towns are probably expensive compared to Mississippi but they're cheap compared to the east and west coasts.
My i s c & a aggie wife wants to get a beach house somewhere in Texas. I've thought about selling one of our rentals here in Austin and buying something down on the beach, but we'd have to VRBO it to make it make sense financially, and managing tenants here in Austin I think is a lot easier than managing a property 250-400 miles away...
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Come on man, you know the rules about moving here... :)
The Horror
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I'm sure my wife would love it, but something about it really bugged me. I think the idea of the desert in general is not for me. Too Irish.
Sedona or Flagstaff
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I just like to dicourage the idea in general... :)
But yeah if you really want to move to Lubbock, knock yourself out!
And Janis Joplin once said, "Houston is the asshole of Texas, and Beaumont is 90 miles up it."
Mack Davis thought thought happiness was Lubbock in his rear view mirror until he moved elsewhere
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Sedona or Flagstaff
Flagstaff is COLD. 7,000 ft elevation.
(https://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/azdailysun.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/2/d3/2d373102-acb8-11ed-a657-bb892e86ad1d/63ec0d2f16ef1.image.jpg?resize=1396%2C930)
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I've skied at the Arizona Snowbowl.
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- Summit: 11,500 ft (3,505 m)
- Base: 9,200 ft (2,805 m)
- Vertical Drop: 2,300 ft (700 m)
I've skied at the Arizona Snowbowl.
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So I'm putting together a bucket list of places we should visit. Welcome all suggestions.
1. All of California: I've only ever been to San Francisco like 30 years ago. Never been to SoCal at all. Lots of places are too expensive and I'm not trying to be broke in retirement. But I see places near Napa going for around 550K. Maybe that fits the profile.
Yeah, the problem with California is that anywhere that there's a healthy job climate is expensive as hell...
...but the nice thing about retirement is that you don't need a healthy job climate.
So being well north of SF up in wine country is nice, and being too far for commuters trying to get to jobs in the Bay Area, won't be quite as expensive. Same with a lot of the Central Coast. Again wine country near Paso Robles is really nice. Being ON the beach somewhere won't be cheap, but in a lot of those areas you're never all that far.
That said, factor in that cost of living isn't just your house. Everything else is more expensive here too... Food, utilities, etc... And then there's taxes. You may not have super-high income in retirement depending on how you structure things, but sales taxes and the like are high here too.
I think living here is amazing, but it's not cheap.
Come on man, you know the rules about moving here... :)
Same point as above... In retirement, the calculus changes. If I were moving to Texas in my situation, it would be for a tech job, so it would probably mean Austin or surrounding areas.
But if I were moving to Texas in retirement, I'd probably avoid the Austin area because it's too full of high-income tech workers who have driven up the real estate costs.
For Sam, I think he'd avoid Austin.
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Same point as above... In retirement, the calculus changes. If I were moving to Texas in my situation, it would be for a tech job, so it would probably mean Austin or surrounding areas.
But if I were moving to Texas in retirement, I'd probably avoid the Austin area because it's too full of high-income tech workers bloody annoying Californians who have driven up the real estate costs.
For Sam, I think he'd avoid Austin.
FIFY ;)
But yeah, Austin isn't really a great retirement place for that reason and several others. Still, if I could afford it, I'd love to have a lakehouse on deep water on Lake Travis. Something like this would work for me, although I don't particularly care for the interior design. But redecorating would give me some retirement projects, so...
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/15907-Booth-Cir-Leander-TX-78641/29375246_zpid/
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Ew! Total gut job!
And it looks like it doesn't even have a dock?
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Ew! Total gut job!
And it looks like it doesn't even have a dock?
Yeah good point. It has the stairs down to the water, but no dock.
Forget it then, that's why I won't be buying it!
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Matagorda is practically my back yard.
The beach is nice and all but the constant salt air is harsh on everything. They call the mosquitos at the coast The [insert beach town name here] Air Force. Sargent Air Force is the local one. You can’t possibly understand how bad coastal salt marsh mosquitoes can be.
The beach will be hot but the constant breeze makes it feel nice.
IMO, the best part about going to the beach is getting away from it. Wash everything down with fresh water, take a shower, and relax in the AC.
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I don't need the sand and salt is for the rim of the glass
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Matagorda is practically my back yard.
The beach is nice and all but the constant salt air is harsh on everything. They call the mosquitos at the coast The [insert beach town name here] Air Force. Sargent Air Force is the local one. You can’t possibly understand how bad coastal salt marsh mosquitoes can be.
The beach will be hot but the constant breeze makes it feel nice.
IMO, the best part about going to the beach is getting away from it. Wash everything down with fresh water, take a shower, and relax in the AC.
Yeah I'm so-so on the beach, but Max mentioned it so I figured I'd discuss it.
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Matagorda is practically my back yard.
The beach is nice and all but the constant salt air is harsh on everything. They call the mosquitos at the coast The [insert beach town name here] Air Force. Sargent Air Force is the local one. You can’t possibly understand how bad coastal salt marsh mosquitoes can be.
The beach will be hot but the constant breeze makes it feel nice.
IMO, the best part about going to the beach is getting away from it. Wash everything down with fresh water, take a shower, and relax in the AC.
I worked in Bay City (Matagorda county) a for a couple months back in the day. It's crazy how much different the salt air hits you just between Matagorda (the city) and Bay City. Don't remember the mosquitoes being a problem, but I can't recall what time of year I was there. And I'm from the Land of the Nuclear Mosquitoes (official license plate logo), so maybe I just thought it was normal.
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Some curious architectural and design decisions made in that house.
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Matagorda would be a great place if it wasnt for an occasional hurricane. I would recommrnd Texas but a little further inland
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What are the tax rules in California for retirement?
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I'm here for a quick visit in Sun Lakes, AZ where my MiL lives. Been in Cabo for 10 days and now here for a short.
My lips are bleeding. So f'ing dry in both places.
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Prescott would probably be a good AZ situation. It's between Phoenix and Flagstaff, and kind of has all the positives of each, without all the negatives of each.
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I'm here for a quick visit in Sun Lakes, AZ where my MiL lives. Been in Cabo for 10 days and now here for a short.
My lips are bleeding. So f'ing dry in both places.
(https://i.imgur.com/eLlF3se.png)
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Doesn't work.
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Sure, but it's all relative. Incomes are high out here, so it's easier to amass the sort of nest egg necessary to afford someplace like that.
Incomes are higher and that matters if you are 22 and starting your career but this thread was about retirement so it seems to me inherent that your income earning days are behind or at least mostly behind you.
The really smart thing financially would probably be to work in a high cost/income area like SoCal then retire in a low cost/income area like Ohio.
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Retire where you will walk a lot.
I think the impact of this is nearly impossible to overstate. I will say, however, that it isn't necessarily weather driven but that can obviously impact it. From my experience:
My dad was a 45 year smoker who had his first heart attack at 60 and had progressively worsening heart issues after that. Despite (or possibly because of) that and despite living in an area where it is cold in winter he joined the local Recreation Center, signed up for their "Silver Sneakers" senior walking group and kept himself active and walking up until his dementia/Alzheimer's go so bad that he couldn't drive. Then he couldn't go to the Rec Center and to make it worse this was all in the middle of COVID when we had to distance anyway and his dementia was so bad that he had to be supervised at all times.
My point is that despite his heart issues he kept himself reasonably physically healthy until his dementia got so bad that he couldn't.
My mom, on the other hand is the exact opposite. My dad tried for YEARS to get her to go along with him to the Rec Center but she always had some excuse why she couldn't and even though she never smoked and doesn't have any heart issues she deteriorated MUCH worse than my at a similar age. Then this all came to a head two years ago:
My mom had a broken vertebrae in early 2024. She has osteoporosis so it wasn't from any trauma it "just happened". Anyway, the Doctor told me (I'm the PoA) that she 'had to' have surgery because the broken vertebrae was pressing on her spinal cord and if they didn't operate she could become a paraplegic.
By early 2024 my mom was 79 and not walking all that well but still walking. She literally walked in for the surgery but she hasn't walked since and, realistically, never will again because the recovery was a disaster and she repeatedly 'refused' PT. I finally stepped in and went off on the Physical Therapist telling them that she couldn't 'refuse' without my permission. It was too late. Now she is what the Nursing Home calls a "Hoyer Lift" because they have to use a thing that looks like an engine hoist to me (I'm a car guy) to get her in and out of bed and when she does get out it is only to a wheel chair.
Honestly if I had it to do all over again I'd have told the Doctor that we were going to risk it and pass on the surgery. Given her condition today, she isn't a paraplegic but she might as well be.
I have two important pieces of advice to share with the group based on this experience:
- I agree wholeheartedly with @Cincydawg (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=870) : Retire where you will walk a lot. Living somewhere like Atlanta may make that easier but you CAN do it even in a place like Cleveland, my dad did.
- YOU are responsible for your own healthcare so DO THE PT. If you have an elder relative in PT, MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO IT because if you stop moving, you'll lose the ability to move and if that happens at 30 you could probably get it back but if it happens in your 80s you are done.
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It is closer to Havana than it is to Miami.
I assume you've driven it but for anyone who hasn't, @OrangeAfroMan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=58) is right. If you are driving to Key West, you *THINK* that once you get to Miami you are "almost there". Oh no. The drive from Miami to Key West takes forever. I just checked google. Mallory Square (in Key West) is 4.5 hours from Miami. That is almost as long as it takes to get from the GA/FL line to Miami. Seriously, google says 6.5 hours from the Florida Welcome Center (free OJ) to Miami but they drive slow. It is only 381 miles and it is all I95 so as long as you don't hit bad traffic somewhere you can do it in 5.5 and I've actually done it in 4 flat (don't tell Florida Highway Patrol because if you do the math on that it is averaging a bit more than the posted speed limits).
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Not sure why you'd need two places incl. one in Phoenix if one of them isn't someplace like Maine where it's cold...
The thing that we often forget about when we think of retirement is... You don't need to live somewhere that you have to consider your job!
A place I'd be interested in would be the central coast of CA. As an example, here is from Zillow, 3bd/2ba or higher, single family homes, max price $750K, centered around the Paso Robles area:
[img width=500 height=377.983]https://i.imgur.com/Nw2ESI3.png[/img]
It's not walking distance to ocean, of course... But Paso Robles is a more vibrant town in its own right, with great dining options, lots of wineries in the area... I could absolutely see us retiring in Paso. It's not cold enough in the winter that you need to leave, and although it can get a LITTLE toasty in the mid-summer, it's nothing like Phoenix where you'd be hating life every day either.
And this one in Morro Bay is cozy, walking distance from the ocean, but needs a reno badly... https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/466-Zanzibar-St-Morro-Bay-CA-93442/15439625_zpid/
I'm sure I've mentioned that I had a Rose Bowl trip following my school just like you followed Purdue. Mine was for the 1997 Rose Bowl (1996 season) and was with my parents and brother.
The map that you posted here reminded me of it because we got to LA a few days early and drove up 101 along the coast as far as we could get in a day. We made it to San Simeon and Hearst Castle which is on your map here. We also stopped at Morro Bay for lunch. Anyway, if you've never been, I highly recommend it. Hearst Castle was built by the famous newspaper magnate and to say that they spared no expense is a massive understatement. On the tour I saw things that I *THOUGHT* were reproductions of roman statues. They weren't reproductions, Hearst sent agents to Italy to BUY original Roman statues. The amount of money spent to build the place is insane. For starters there wasn't a road at the time so step one was to build a dock, then a road from the dock up to the site where they built the mansion. Insane. Cool to see.
Morro Bay was a fun stop as well. It is basically a fishing village that grew. They also have this ENORMOUS rock in the middle of the bay called Morro Rock. It is reminiscent of the Rock of Gibraltar. I think you have a point, that would be a pretty nice place to retire to.
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YOU are responsible for your own healthcare so DO THE PT. If you have an elder relative in PT, MAKE SURE THAT THEY DO IT because if you stop moving, you'll lose the ability to move and if that happens at 30 you could probably get it back but if it happens in your 80s you are done.
Amen brutha. My wife, the PT, agrees.
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The really smart thing financially would probably be to work in a high cost/income area like SoCal then retire in a low cost/income area like Ohio.
That's why, in a vacuum, I'd probably look to retire in Louisiana. Working in Texas is comparatively good as a married man in a dual-income household, because there's no state income tax (and no grocery tax, which is nice). In my home state, we'd both get hit with state income tax, which more than offsets the high property taxes here.
However, in retirement when we no longer care about income tax, the brutal (comparatively) property taxes in Texas never stop. Louisiana has property tax, but with homestead exemption, practically they don't. It's next to nothing.
Doubt I'd ever get my wife to agree to move there, though. She wants to be poor in retirement. Probably why she married me.
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I think you have a point, that would be a pretty nice place to retire to.
Yep, and per your previous post, there's a BIG difference between retiring as a Californian to a less expensive part of California, vs retiring as a Midwesterner to a comparatively really expensive place like California, even if it's not the most expensive area of the state.
If you've been living and working in CA and have been on the real estate rollercoaster for a couple of decades, you've been earning a lot and paying a lot to be here. But... You've been building equity. Potentially LOTS of equity.
Had I been able to keep the house I bought in 2010, I'd probably be sitting, right now, on 3-6x the equity someone like Fearless has in his house. And that's despite the fact that (I believe) he owns his free and clear and I'd still be paying a mortgage.
The takeaway is that if I'd been in that position, 20 years from now I could easily use the equity I'd built up to buy a place in Paso Robles in cash and have something left over. Whereas someone from the Midwest could be free and clear on their house and need to take out a several-hundred-thousand mortgage to retire in Paso Robles.
I feel WAY better about my current financial situation as it relates to retirement than I did 12 months ago, but I'm still not on the real estate rollercoaster. That has to be another important step, but right now the market is f&%^#d and I don't know what it's going to do. I don't want to buy right before a crash.
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I feel WAY better about my current financial situation as it relates to retirement than I did 12 months ago, but I'm still not on the real estate rollercoaster. That has to be another important step, but right now the market is f&%^#d and I don't know what it's going to do. I don't want to buy right before a crash.
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQrJXmbO47dk6eTRM_SEdKZc2DiVyoOgdfBL8vAkqbjGfDibXnn)
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The map that you posted here reminded me of it because we got to LA a few days early and drove up 101 along the coast as far as we could get in a day. We made it to San Simeon and Hearst Castle which is on your map here. We also stopped at Morro Bay for lunch. Anyway, if you've never been, I highly recommend it. Hearst Castle was built by the famous newspaper magnate and to say that they spared no expense is a massive understatement. On the tour I saw things that I *THOUGHT* were reproductions of roman statues. They weren't reproductions, Hearst sent agents to Italy to BUY original Roman statues. The amount of money spent to build the place is insane. For starters there wasn't a road at the time so step one was to build a dock, then a road from the dock up to the site where they built the mansion. Insane. Cool to see.
visited Hearst Castle back in 1976 - still have memories of that place - very impressive
drove in from Iowa
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I assume you've driven it but for anyone who hasn't, @OrangeAfroMan (https://www.cfb51.com/index.php?action=profile;u=58) is right. If you are driving to Key West, you *THINK* that once you get to Miami you are "almost there". Oh no. The drive from Miami to Key West takes forever. I just checked google. Mallory Square (in Key West) is 4.5 hours from Miami. That is almost as long as it takes to get from the GA/FL line to Miami. Seriously, google says 6.5 hours from the Florida Welcome Center (free OJ) to Miami but they drive slow. It is only 381 miles and it is all I95 so as long as you don't hit bad traffic somewhere you can do it in 5.5 and I've actually done it in 4 flat (don't tell Florida Highway Patrol because if you do the math on that it is averaging a bit more than the posted speed limits).
Florida must just look longer/larger on the map - easily fit in half of Texas
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I definitely want somewhere where walking is wonderful. My current neighborhood is pretty great, though the big minus is there aren't really any restaurants or things to walk to. But there are good sidewalks and a lake and a couple really nice parks.
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I gotta have a reason to walk somewhere - a meal, a beer, something.
Not just to walk around the same lake, day after day after day