Why didn't you retire "in place"?

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Old 06-22-2017, 07:55 AM
JerryLBell JerryLBell is offline
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The wife and I have wanted to live in an active retirement community since visiting her mother in Sun City West (outside of Phoenix), Arizona 25 years ago. So even if we'd stayed in North Carolina, we would have moved. However, we weren't finding anything in the Carolinas that matched the scale of Sun City West. Everything we found had one small rec center with perhaps a pool table and a couple of meeting rooms, one small pool, maybe a 9-hole golf course and not much else. The list of activities for the month could usually fit on a single page that was tacked up to a bulletin board. We considered moving to Arizona for about a nano-second but both of us hate staying in the desert; it's just to hard on our sinuses, eyes and skin. We weren't sure where we'd end up until a friend told us of visiting a former neighbor who had moved to this crazy place called The Villages. We stopped in during our next Florida vacation (a place we'd vacationed many times but somehow never considered retiring to) and fell in love with the place almost instantly. We researched and visited several other active retirement communities in north central Florida and nobody came close to what we found here that matched our desires. Sure, we could have gotten a slightly bigger house and/or yard for perhaps less money elsewhere, but these were barely-active retirement communities where The Villages is a hyper-active mega-community. It's not for everybody, but it's sure for us!
  #32  
Old 06-22-2017, 08:08 AM
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I came from Upstate NY....close to the Adirondacks. It was cold, rainy, run down and a Democratic state. Need I say more??

We knew we wanted warm and to live in Florida. Never dreamed it would be The Villages but so glad we live here. Truly blessed.
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Old 06-22-2017, 08:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Happinow View Post
I came from Upstate NY....close to the Adirondacks. It was cold, rainy, run down and a Democratic state. Need I say more??

We knew we wanted warm and to live in Florida. Never dreamed it would be The Villages but so glad we live here. Truly blessed.
Same here, but 180 miles west on the thruway from you.

Also someone mentioned "high" taxes here, I hope they were being sarcastic. My NY property taxes were just under $15,000. My home here is assessed more than twice as much as NY, but taxes are $4,400 PLUS a 4% discount for paying in Nov. NY income tax, up to 9.5%, here, 0. Then there are so many more "hidden" taxes in NY, like $15 to cross the Verrazano bridge. I WIKE it here.
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Old 06-22-2017, 08:26 AM
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If I could have still been able to maintain our boat we would still be living & cruising on it, there is a drop dead beautiful Hatteras 58' LRC, for sale--starting to have second thoughts--in the old days 1 day in the engine room 2 days on my back, now it would be a week on my back
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Old 06-22-2017, 08:29 AM
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Hi Kathy, my wife and I grew up in Clawson and raised our 2 daughters there, retired to Lewiston but after 1 winter started in the Villages. in 2010. Just sold our home in Lewiston. Closing on Juy 31. Good luck with your sale!!
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Old 06-22-2017, 08:30 AM
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The Chicago area is alive the end of May
until the beginning of September. The Lakefront, neighborhood festivals, art fairs, the Cubs (and Sox), and the suburbs mirroring the city with a number of events. Never a dull moment....until the end of September. The tables come in and the entertainment stops, and then it's time to enter the winter doldrums.

When working you get through this and hope for an early Spring. There was no way we were going through that period retired. My wife and I retired the middle of November 2009 and were here before December. Never a dull moment.

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Old 06-22-2017, 08:33 AM
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We moved here from San Diego. Yep, San Diego. Might have the best weather in the country. Old joke is the best job in the world is a weatherman in San Diego. Every day is "Nice".

However, between taxes, cost of living, traffic, strident "immigrant" rights advocates and gang activity, it was time to leave. A former neighbor of mine said he could exist in San Diego in retirement, but moving allows him to really live in retirement.

We looked a several places, but most had a golf course and a rec center only. Once we saw TV, the choice was easy.
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  #38  
Old 06-22-2017, 08:38 AM
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I grew up, lived and worked in Miami, need I say more?.
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Old 06-22-2017, 08:39 AM
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Income and real estate taxes on the financial side. Cold winter months on the weather side (hot months are better than cold). Old home basement and two stories. Thus probably would move at some point even if just down the street.
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Old 06-22-2017, 08:46 AM
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We are from Miami. We move for lower property taxes, lower homeowners insurance, and no traffic. Taxes and insurance were together was about 1000.00 dollars a month some of you paid a lot more but that's to much. Also golf, pickle ball, and softball what more could you want?

Last edited by scottiee; 06-23-2017 at 09:59 AM.
  #41  
Old 06-22-2017, 08:57 AM
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1. Our home was over 100 years old and beginning to show it's age in terms of structure, plumbing, electricity, etc. etc. -- it was a never-ending fixer upper better suited for younger people.

2. We had a two family home and were sick and tired of being the good, kind and understanding landlords. ("Can't pay the rent? Here have something to eat.") An exaggeration but not by much.

3. We wanted to tap into the HUGE appreciation in our home value.

4. Most of our family and friends had already left New York City.

5. Shoveling the snow around our double corner lot home with 4 garages was becoming a marathon event that we no longer enjoyed.

6. Two of our favorite local restaurants (Indian and Chinese) changed hands and we were unhappy with new chef's cuisine.

7. The local senior citizens center was a depressing room in the basement of a church that offered a weekly movie, bingo game, chair yoga class, and a bus trip to the Staten Island Mall. Oh what joy -- Macy's.
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  #42  
Old 06-22-2017, 09:05 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Chatbrat View Post
If I could have still been able to maintain our boat we would still be living & cruising on it, there is a drop dead beautiful Hatteras 58' LRC, for sale--starting to have second thoughts--in the old days 1 day in the engine room 2 days on my back, now it would be a week on my back
Did you see "The Money Pit" with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long? IMHO, a boat is 100x worse
  #43  
Old 06-22-2017, 09:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BK001 View Post
1. Our home was over 100 years old and beginning to show it's age in terms of structure, plumbing, electricity, etc. etc. -- it was a never-ending fixer upper better suited for younger people.

2. We had a two family home and were sick and tired of being the good, kind and understanding landlords. ("Can't pay the rent? Here have something to eat.") An exaggeration but not by much.

3. We wanted to tap into the HUGE appreciation in our home value.

4. Most of our family and friends had already left New York City.

5. Shoveling the snow around our double corner lot home with 4 garages was becoming a marathon event that we no longer enjoyed.

6. Two of our favorite local restaurants (Indian and Chinese) changed hands and we were unhappy with new chef's cuisine.

7. The local senior citizens center was a depressing room in the basement of a church that offered a weekly movie, bingo game, chair yoga class, and a bus trip to the Staten Island Mall. Oh what joy -- Macy's.
But you lost that great view of the Verrazano Narrows bridge----you know, the one you can look at but can't afford to cross at $15/pop

And the Staten Island Mall---yuk. I actually did moonlighting at the urgent care center there--what a nightmare, takes 20 minutes just to get into the parking lot at holiday time. I once had to resuscitate a shopper in the parking lot 2 days before Christmas, and it took the ambulance 25 minutes to get from Richmond Ave into the parking lot. It would have been an easier bus ride to Roosevelt Field!
  #44  
Old 06-22-2017, 09:24 AM
Gpsma Gpsma is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BK001 View Post
1. Our home was over 100 years old and beginning to show it's age in terms of structure, plumbing, electricity, etc. etc. -- it was a never-ending fixer upper better suited for younger people.

2. We had a two family home and were sick and tired of being the good, kind and understanding landlords. ("Can't pay the rent? Here have something to eat.") An exaggeration but not by much.

3. We wanted to tap into the HUGE appreciation in our home value.

4. Most of our family and friends had already left New York City.

5. Shoveling the snow around our double corner lot home with 4 garages was becoming a marathon event that we no longer enjoyed.

6. Two of our favorite local restaurants (Indian and Chinese) changed hands and we were unhappy with new chef's cuisine.

7. The local senior citizens center was a depressing room in the basement of a church that offered a weekly movie, bingo game, chair yoga class, and a bus trip to the Staten Island Mall. Oh what joy -- Macy's.
All understandable except 6 & 7. Who would move from Brooklyn for the ooohh so fine exceptional dining in TV.

And if you wanted recreation, a quick ride on the R train would bring you right to Manhattan for world class entertainment.
  #45  
Old 06-22-2017, 09:33 AM
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For three reasons:
1. Weather.
2. Weather.
3. Weather.
I hated the cold and snow, having to deal with it!

Seriously.
1. Weather.
2. Taxes in CT, (a good state to be from).
3. Much closer to son and granddaughter.

After visiting TV, the decision was a no brainer for me!
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