Where are you moving when you retire?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brazil seems like a tough place to me to retire, and say that as someone who has some fluency in Brazilian Portuguese. I think I’d worry too much about security and just being able to navigate a place that, unlike Portugal, doesn’t have a lot of ex-pats.

Florianopolis is choc-full of expats. It is one of the reason I chose it.

I love cool-cold weather. I'll be heading over to Chile for some winter skiing.

I am fluent in Brazilian Portuguese. I double-majored in International Relations and Portuguese.

You will have different considerations later in life, skiing won't be one of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I raised my kid in our 1,200 square foot house. Now that I’m an empty nester it’s more than enough room. 400 square feet, on the other hand, seems too tight.

I’m planning to stay in Maryland unless DD moves elsewhere. Then I’d have to reconsider, primarily based on climate, cost of living and access to healthcare.

I’m the PP who said that less than 1200 square-feet is unlivable. Two points. First, it’s different when you’re away all day at work versus in retirement when you’d be home ALL. THE. TIME. (In my case, I’m not retired but I work from home and can confirm that you will go crazy if you spend all your time in a tiny box of less than 1200 square-feet.)

And second, I was referring to a condo/apartment since the PP mentioned a 400 square-foot apartment in Paris. There is a HUGE difference between your 1200 square-foot house and a 1200 square-foot apartment. Being able to step outside in nature for a few minutes a few times a day makes a small interior much more bearable.

So yeah, for those planning on living in an apartment in retirement, anything less than 1200 square-feet is unlivable.

My widowed MIL lives alone in a 1,200sf two story house it is way too small. Why she has three kids all married, 9 grandkids. She also does Xmas and invites extended family, going over to a 600 sf main floor whee she is entertaining 20-5 people is crazy crowded in 600 sf. And we stayed over last time. We came 5 people, dog and a Guinea Pig and stayed over two nights. (She insisted I wanted to stay hotel)

I learned from her mistakes. My house my main floor is 2,000 sf and I have a full finished basement with two bedrooms and a full bath for guests

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I raised my kid in our 1,200 square foot house. Now that I’m an empty nester it’s more than enough room. 400 square feet, on the other hand, seems too tight.

I’m planning to stay in Maryland unless DD moves elsewhere. Then I’d have to reconsider, primarily based on climate, cost of living and access to healthcare.

I’m the PP who said that less than 1200 square-feet is unlivable. Two points. First, it’s different when you’re away all day at work versus in retirement when you’d be home ALL. THE. TIME. (In my case, I’m not retired but I work from home and can confirm that you will go crazy if you spend all your time in a tiny box of less than 1200 square-feet.)

And second, I was referring to a condo/apartment since the PP mentioned a 400 square-foot apartment in Paris. There is a HUGE difference between your 1200 square-foot house and a 1200 square-foot apartment. Being able to step outside in nature for a few minutes a few times a day makes a small interior much more bearable.

So yeah, for those planning on living in an apartment in retirement, anything less than 1200 square-feet is unlivable.

Yes and no.

I know several retired couples who dramatically downsized. The trick is to use an interior decorator to create beautiful spaces that are functional. And, a balcony, patio, or access to walking paths, etc. are critical.

Most of the folks I know have two condos: someplace warm/fun, and someplace near their grandkids and good healthcare.

I know one couple that downsized from a ginormous house on a huge property to a more modest yet stunning 4 bedroom home. One partner gardens and wanted a new project. It’s a cozy 4 bdrm, but still

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brazil seems like a tough place to me to retire, and say that as someone who has some fluency in Brazilian Portuguese. I think I’d worry too much about security and just being able to navigate a place that, unlike Portugal, doesn’t have a lot of ex-pats.

Florianopolis is choc-full of expats. It is one of the reason I chose it.

I love cool-cold weather. I'll be heading over to Chile for some winter skiing.

I am fluent in Brazilian Portuguese. I double-majored in International Relations and Portuguese.

You will have different considerations later in life, skiing won't be one of them.

Ahem. WE love to ski, now in our early 60s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our plan is May-September in Rehoboth Beach (already own a place) and the rest of the year in Florida.

This, to me, is the absolute number one worst retirement plan ever. It is the cliché from hell. I cannot imagine it.

Also for any kind of decent healthcare you have to go to Philly or Baltimore. My parents tried it for a few years because they love the beach but had to leave because they got too old to commute 2 hours to the cardiologist.

[Anonymous]

Another Hawaii story here. My parents (now 80s) retired to a 700 sq ft condo some 20 years ago. No need to hire cleaners, no heating bill, no yard work, they are allowed to have their 2 cats. Dad serves on the Board of the condo association. They happily help family find a hotel. They spend every sunrise at the beach with a cup of McDonalds coffee, chatting with other retirees.

Luckily I will be inheriting that condo.

[Anonymous]

If I had my druthers, I would be in Charleston SC area in winters. Daughter is about to get married though and grandkids will keep me around here more, even though I hate it here. And I mean HATE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our plan is May-September in Rehoboth Beach (already own a place) and the rest of the year in Florida.

This, to me, is the absolute number one worst retirement plan ever. It is the cliché from hell. I cannot imagine it.

While you were typing this, someone posted that they're retiring to the Villages.

THAT is literally hell on earth to me. If I were given the choice of living in the Villages or going to prison, I would have to think about it.

+1 I have a friend who moved there in her late 40s with her early 40s husband. I. Do. Not. Get it.

You're too young to get it. It's like when I was young and single and couldn't imagine going to an all inclusive resort instead of traveling to an exotic locale. Then I had kids and realized how easy and fun the resort would be and how hard it was to wing it with kids somewhere more exciting where you have to plan every meal and activity.

I wouldn't move into a retirement community now. But when I'm 70 and most of my friends moved away, I might see the appeal of having immediate friends and activities. It's just easy. At 70+, many people want easy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My parents tried to live in a retirement community-they hated it.

Moved into a normal neighborhood with a mix of ages and are much happier now.

The “mix of ages” thing is overrated IMO. Once you’re in your forties, you’re pretty much invisible to younger people. There are lots of millennials & Gen Z in our neighborhood but we have almost zero interaction with them. I’d rather save my energy to focus building relationships with folks our own age.

+1 And the non-elderly have very little interaction with the elderly, especially if they weren't tight when they were young. Maybe pp's parents prefer the lack of interaction though, so to each his own. Retirement communities aren't great for people who want to avoid social interaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our plan is May-September in Rehoboth Beach (already own a place) and the rest of the year in Florida.

This, to me, is the absolute number one worst retirement plan ever. It is the cliché from hell. I cannot imagine it.

While you were typing this, someone posted that they're retiring to the Villages.

THAT is literally hell on earth to me. If I were given the choice of living in the Villages or going to prison, I would have to think about it.

+1 I have a friend who moved there in her late 40s with her early 40s husband. I. Do. Not. Get it.

You're too young to get it. It's like when I was young and single and couldn't imagine going to an all inclusive resort instead of traveling to an exotic locale. Then I had kids and realized how easy and fun the resort would be and how hard it was to wing it with kids somewhere more exciting where you have to plan every meal and activity.

I wouldn't move into a retirement community now. But when I'm 70 and most of my friends moved away, I might see the appeal of having immediate friends and activities. It's just easy. At 70+, many people want easy.

Oh I get retirement communities -- my mother (80) lives in a beautiful independent living facility in California. She's thriving. Best thing she ever did.

The Villages is a very different thing. The Villages is hell on earth.

[Anonymous]

grandkids will keep me around here more, even though I hate it here

Fly in once a month. We have 3 airports here. Hotel if it's not logical to stay with them. Just budget for it. Go forward with new plans, making visiting them, in the overall budget, a priority.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

grandkids will keep me around here more, even though I hate it here

Fly in once a month. We have 3 airports here. Hotel if it's not logical to stay with them. Just budget for it. Go forward with new plans, making visiting them, in the overall budget, a priority.

+1

[Anonymous]

Probably wherever our only child puts down roots. If it’s someplace we hate then maybe a condo there and a condo someplace we prefer more, but we don’t want our only child having to deal with the stresses of elder care and aging parents from a long distance.

Sandwich generation realities are rough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Brazil seems like a tough place to me to retire, and say that as someone who has some fluency in Brazilian Portuguese. I think I’d worry too much about security and just being able to navigate a place that, unlike Portugal, doesn’t have a lot of ex-pats.

Florianopolis is choc-full of expats. It is one of the reason I chose it.

I love cool-cold weather. I'll be heading over to Chile for some winter skiing.

I am fluent in Brazilian Portuguese. I double-majored in International Relations and Portuguese.

You will have different considerations later in life, skiing won't be one of them.

Plenty of retirees ski.

[Anonymous]

Eastern NC.