My choice 9 years ago was Northwest Montana. Still here , haven't regreted one moment
Not for everyone---thank God!!

LOL Beachbum! Personally, I would have to be paid some BIG bucks to even consider going to the #1 place on that list.

mikemo, did you see the post asking you to tell your story, how you came to retire in SMA? Inquiring minds want to know. PErsonally, I think it was that heat wave in Dallas in summer 1998 that drove you out. I was in Dallas working that summer and it drove me out of my freaking mind.

emd,
ya shudda been there in 1980 - we left SAN and arrived to face about 90 days over 100 F.
M

JJ5, please tell me how the two house idea works for you? We are trying to figure out the yard work and maintenance problems . I am sure that would be easier if you had condos rather than house and yard. Or we have considered renting in one of the locations and owning a house in the other.

We would really enjoy living part of the year near three sets of grandchildren instead of just seeing them for short visits. Plus we love the contrast between the two parts of the country.

Saraho, I'll try not to be long-winded. Ask any questions and I'll try to answer.

First, I do think you have to be a high energy person and one who thrives on change and variety.

My first house is big with large lawns and 4 huge gardens. It's near Chicago and requires lawn care, rarely snow-plowing etc. My work is near this home and I work 41 hours a week. I have a big dining room and kitchen and feed 25 to 35 people there about once a month. My Thanksgiving is legend- and I usually have people included from 4 or 5 states besides my family (college visitors or kids' friends etc.)

My second house is in SW Michigan on a lake in a rural county and it's hog heaven (literally) for recreation and beauty. It's also only 1/2 hour from the big lake (Lake Michigan). I am on a 600 acre spring fed lake with 1000 acres of unsettled Michigan wetlands on the other side to view. It's surrounded also by about 20 other lakes, ski country and vineyards. The people are beyond great as well. It has very little grass to cut and if I am not there the neighbors do it gratus, and it REALLY is like that there. We have a boat lift and pier that has to be taken in and put out each year, but my friends or kids do it and I never even know when it happens. There is NO maintenance there to speak of, except one time I had to have the trees topped which was expensive. They are huge oaks, probably close to 75 years old. It's a modular home with a three level deck- which I did rehab my first summer. But I have rehabbed houses in the past and love to do that kind of thing. It is not "work" to me.
I swim, pick crops, boat, watch egrets/herons/swan and just enjoy the sunsets there. My grandchildren love to come to both houses and do. The children have their grandfather's house on a connecting lake and we jetski or boat to see each other. All five of them see me more at the lake than at home where we all live most of the time though. IRONIC!

I am 4 days here, 3 days there for almost 3/4 ths of the year. And I also have two very elderly parents in Chicago that I care for each week.

I am not a rich person or one who has ever had lots of income or high spending ability. I did this by buying and selling houses in suburban Chicago that I have build or had contracted (3 in 40 years) and bought into Michigan 3 summers ago when the price seemed right and do have a small mortgage. I do not suffer because of my two house tax burden etc. But then again I am not a shopper so my needs are not what others needs seem to be. I drive used cars and go to school still. My work is varied but primarily library work for a college in IL.

Food shopping is dicey. I cook a lot and hardly eat out. My guy who is my best friend often shops for essentials for me. But sometimes I have fresh garlic in one house/ not in the other. And 3 mustards in one, and none in the other. I also take a cockatiel with me driving and to both places. He gets bungeed into the car in his cage. He LOVES IT and sings to all the birds in MI.

As you can see, it's hard not to be long-winded when you love BOTH places and are enthusiastic.

I also travel about 4 times a year to other places, and do 2 or 3 day short trips once or twice beyond those 4- so I don't do a lot of tv watching etc. And I miss a lot of the kids' sports and Grandparent Days and all that "stuff". And I do get to downtown Chicago for the day or midweek for a couple of days about twice a year.

The drive is sometimes 2-1/2 hours and sometimes 3 hours. But the two environments are are different as can be imagined. They both balance me, but with age and increased physical health difficulties I can see that the writing on the wall is that I will probably end up in Michigan (maybe a larger house there but I don't think I can ever beat the view I have now)before 3 or 4 more years have gone by. I'm looking for jobs in Kalamazoo, but can't beat the benefits I have here. My parents are keeping me here longer than I ever thought would be in the scenario. I will never leave them without help and support and would not consider moving without access to the great extended family and lifetime friends that I enjoy.

Thanks a lot, JJ5. Your life sounds like an ideal combination of living close to a large city and also on a lake in the country. I am in great admiration of all the energy it must take to do that weekly. How much is the distance between your two places?

I am more familiar with the concept of a summer/vacation home and a winter/rest of the year home. While I was growing up, my parents lived in Nashville and had a place on an island in Florida, which they eventually retired to(as did my grandparents). The place on the island was an absolutely wonderful place for the whole family to visit and for retirement until my parents got to old to do all the necessary maintenance. Then it was a real hassle for all the family. After my father died, my mother lived there until age 88, but my brothers and I had to make monthly maintenance visits from long distances for the last five years. When she became unable to live by herself, we very reluctantly sold it since everyone had jobs in distant locations, but we all really miss going there. This experience has made me think carefully about long distance maintenance for a part-time residence.

Now you are making me think again about the possibility of maybe choosing one place, maybe in Virginia, on a lake to serve as a kind of extended family vacation place. I think our DC grandchildren would really enjoy that as a change from their urban environment.

Any more suggestions?

the Shenandoah River (North Fork) flows on the outer edge of Woodstock, and from time to time homes along it are up for sale.

Yes, River living is often overlooked. It can be very interesting- but be very careful as rivers have all kinds of water problems and flood plains.

My houses are 141 miles apart using expressways/interstates. And about 128 miles apart using more local and access roads. It doesn't sound like much, but it is one of the worst drives in the nation. I saw it ranked as #2 BEFORE the construction that has gone on 3 years and has yet 2 years to go. It is the route that a billion trucks need to take around Lake Michigan.

Because of the access to MI, the most beautiful country has been "unfound" by the movers and shakers. It isn't going to remain so.

As more Baby Boomers are re-settling or buying 2nd homes, the pricing has sky-rocketed. More so than the general price increases that are nation wide. My MI house has appreciated more than 50% in just 3 years. And they look like they are going up $20,000 or $30,000 each year for the land alone.

So if you want to do this, I would not wait. I believe that East where you are looking- there are still some "unfound" areas, but not many.

For 3 or 4 years, I took 1 weekend a month and just drove- using B&B's mainly. I just talked to people and found lake realtors etc. I visited at least 35 or 40 lakes before I found what I was looking for. Don't give up.

Hey Mikemo-
Anyone who chooses to live in Mexico is out of their bloomin' mind!

hey Waldo,
I rather think the same about the US.
M

To John,
Can u give me some info on northwest montana. My husband and I are very interested in the western part of montana. We are looking to be within an hour or so of a major ski resort (big mountain, big sky) and would like 50 to 100 acres, mostly wooded.
Would also like to be within half an hour or so of some decent stores. Any recomendation as I don't have 400 or $500,000 either?

sundancer, check out www.eastonvillage.com
it is a new development at the corner of the easton bypass and rt 33 (st. michaels rd). it is also on the very upper skinny part of the tred avon river. i love the looks of the site plan. they just started building the infrastructure a month ago and haven't published any sales info. i doubt it will be as expensive as an historic home right in the center of town, i'm thinking around $300-350k for a 2000 sq ft home.

OK I'll get back to you about it.

My brother and SIL live in Orinda in the east bay area of San Francisco. Their 1300 square foot house that they paid 130,000 for is now around 800,000.00. They cannot afford to retire in the Bay Area so just got back from a "fact finding" trip to Tuscon. My SIL did a lot of research and weather wise, cost of housing wise, and a lot of other wises, they think this is where they are going to go. My brother loves the desert and the climate is pretty good, hot in the summer but there is airconditoning. They prefered, for what ever reason, Tuscon over Phoenix. I live in Reno, right next door to Sparks. There are a lot of people from California retiring up here. Our housing prices have increased dramatically in the last two or three years, but compared to the Bay Area it's still a deal. Our property taxes, to this point, are still fairly reasonable but climbing, we have no state income or inheritance tax which is a plus. We can get cold in the winter and get snow, but normally the snow doesn't last long on the ground here..we do have exceptions to that now and then. I don't know how much longer we may be on the "desireable" list because of the amount of people moving here and driving up prices. Being on the east coast, perhaps a move out to the south west would be further than you want to go. There are lots of different publications that can give you some good information. Good luck with your search.

Yea, thanks. It sounds attractive but so far from what I'm accustomed to. I don't know if I could make that big a move.

bump

We moved from the Maryland suburbs of DC (after 27 yrs) to Durham, NC this past June when I retired early. We made a killing on our house and bought a lovely place down here that is smaller, only 2.5 years old and basically only needed some decorating to make it "ours."

We've made some great friends in the neighborhood, got back in touch with some of DH's college friends, and have had a couple visitors from MD already, with more expected next month. Life is much more relaxed down here, people are so helpful and involved in their community, and with three major universities so near there is always something going on. (We're about 10 min from Duke, 20 min from UNC and 45 from NCSU.) Last week we went to a UNC production of Noises Off that was excellent (and free). There is one of the best radio stations for jazz down here I've ever heard, there is always great music around, and we totally enjoy going to Durham Bulls baseball games.

Opportunities to volunteer, take courses, or even get a part time job are abundant. We bike and walk all over town, and are considering joining the Y (it's got some terrific programs for 50 and up).

With both Duke and UNC Hospitals, top notch medical care is not a problem.
RDU is an easy airport to get in and out of, which was a "must have" in a retirement location for us.

I really could not be happier.

"We bike & walk all over town"
Does that mean you are living outside of town a bit or are there bike trail in the city proper?