Where do You Want to Retire... and Why?

I’m looking for a large rural property near urban amenities with no crime, good neighbors, near water, no rain, 70 degrees all year except at the ski resort, affordable on a middle class retirement...basically OC in 1966. Anyone know how to rig up a wormhole?

There are no secret spots. Everything has tradeoffs. some of the valleys in Colorado might come close, but you’ll either trade away affordability, cultural amenities, outdoor amenities, and/ or weather anywhere.
 
Mikie said:
With you on that! Fall in the ocean means new shoreline property. I'm in! :thumbsup:
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SnakeCharmer said:
Anywhere where there is less people, more quiet, less car thefts, more trails, 4 not too extreme seasons, and good fishing.

Can anyone make a suggestion?
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Too many of my friends are talking about Prescott Valley in AZ.
I'm sure it get hot in the summer. I guess they will find out how hot once they move.
I visited once (Whiskey 30). It is a good place to ride bikes.
 
tick said:
I’m looking for a large rural property near urban amenities with no crime, good neighbors, near water, no rain, 70 degrees all year except at the ski resort, affordable on a middle class retirement...basically OC in 1966. Anyone know how to rig up a wormhole?

There are no secret spots. Everything has tradeoffs. some of the valleys in Colorado might come close, but you’ll either trade away affordability, cultural amenities, outdoor amenities, and/ or weather anywhere.
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New Zealand... once they opened up again.
Most American can't fathom that other countries are a better option for retirement. If you look beyond our borders there are some attractive locations.
 
Mikie said:
Miss Cathy has mentioned New Zealand several times and it has tremendous potential. But only if Gandalf is still around and Smaug is truly dead... :whistling:
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Everyone says NZ, but have you noticed how many kiwis you meet living abroad? For a nation of 4 million they send a heck of a lot of people elsewhere.

If you’re thinking of leaving CA for the politics, you won’t like NZ. I suppose the queen could open carry if she chose to. I do find it funny that the NZ Labour Party use the same slogan as Home Depot.
 
I posted this up higher in the thread but it’s still relevant. Find a spot thats green, the greener the better. And look at the raw data, the California coast and Sierras are getting short changed, their scores deserve their own color...the scores run -7 to 7. Idaho looks great until you realize it’s a 2 and OC is a 7
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tick said:
I posted this up higher in the thread but it’s still relevant. Find a spot thats green, the greener the better. And look at the raw data, the California coast and Sierras are getting short changed, their scores deserve their own color...the scores run -7 to 7. Idaho looks great until you realize it’s a 2 and OC is a 7
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I might take the raw data and rejigger it for mtb. High peaks get more points than medium mountains, but really the ozarks are probably hilly enough for most of us. And the scores for being adjacent to water can probably be ignored. The scores for severity of summer and winter are good as they are, except if you ski maybe you don’t subtract points for cold winters.

All that to say: there are no secret spots. We might not think about those green splotches in Texas but I know that Texans do. Adjust the scores to your liking and decide if the indoor amenities in that locale will support the outdoor amenities.
 
tick said:
I posted this up higher in the thread but it’s still relevant. Find a spot thats green, the greener the better. And look at the raw data, the California coast and Sierras are getting short changed, their scores deserve their own color...the scores run -7 to 7. Idaho looks great until you realize it’s a 2 and OC is a 7
View attachment 66272
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I’d argue that orange spot on Western NY should really be a deep red.

Unless they’re counting the wal-mart, but that’s still a good 50 miles...
 
tick said:
I posted this up higher in the thread but it’s still relevant. Find a spot thats green, the greener the better. And look at the raw data, the California coast and Sierras are getting short changed, their scores deserve their own color...the scores run -7 to 7. Idaho looks great until you realize it’s a 2 and OC is a 7
View attachment 66272
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can you repost what was higher in the thread.
 
tick said:
I might take the raw data and rejigger it for mtb. High peaks get more points than medium mountains, but really the ozarks are probably hilly enough for most of us. And the scores for being adjacent to water can probably be ignored. The scores for severity of summer and winter are good as they are, except if you ski maybe you don’t subtract points for cold winters.

All that to say: there are no secret spots. We might not think about those green splotches in Texas but I know that Texans do. Adjust the scores to your liking and decide if the indoor amenities in that locale will support the outdoor amenities.
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I participated in the most intense Ultimate Frisbee game of my life in Lubbock, TX. My knees can’t handle that anymore. :cry:
 
mike said:
+1. Maximum half-hour drive to a dispensary. :cool:
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I've said this before, but legal cannabis is a good metric for what the rest of the state is like. I'd only live in a non-prohibition state. Excluding Oklahoma.
It blows my mind that some places in the U.S. will still lock you up for years for possession, while I can drive 10 minutes down the road and buy an ounce legally and happily.
Crazy.
 
Cyclotourist said:
I've said this before, but legal cannabis is a good metric for what the rest of the state is like. I'd only live in a non-prohibition state. Excluding Oklahoma.
It blows my mind that some places in the U.S. will still lock you up for years for possession, while I can drive 10 minutes down the road and buy an ounce legally and happily.
Crazy.
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I hate pot. But I agree with you.
 
mike said:
+1. Maximum half-hour drive to a dispensary. :cool:
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I've been to one my entire career...in Santa Ana, and I felt like I needed a shower after I left.
Cyclotourist said:
I've said this before, but legal cannabis is a good metric for what the rest of the state is like. I'd only live in a non-prohibition state. Excluding Oklahoma.
It blows my mind that some places in the U.S. will still lock you up for years for possession, while I can drive 10 minutes down the road and buy an ounce legally and happily.
Crazy.
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herzalot said:
I hate pot. But I agree with you.
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Pot makes people stupid and dense. I think @mike had a sophisticated word for this characteristic, but I don’t remember.
 
In SD you could spend a year in jail with a $2000 fine for inhabiting a room where MJ is being used. (Same as for possession up to 2 oz for personal use.) Mildly Draconian?

No indoor reggae shows, Mikie. You could be nailed on a drug offense without even touching the stuff.
 
Generally speaking, my hope is that by the time I retire (in the next 5 years) the cost of leaving will not be a major factor in determining the location.
For me as a business owner I don't see a hard switch from employed to retired (one day I'm working full time and the next day i'm never going back to work).

One thing that the Corona-reality demonstrated is that a lot could be done remotely. I have employees who haven't been back to the office since mid March. I certain that relocating while maintaining the same employment is the next big change in our society.
 
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