Welcome to new Forum topic for Women and Retirement

[topretirementseditor]

We recently received this excellent suggestion from Nancy - and this Forum topic is the result!

I notice a lot of single women asking for advice on good places for them, and little to no responses. How about a section for us, and maybe we can forge froendships and figure out the best place , as a group?

Editor's comment:
So ladies,have at it! Based on the comments we receive on a regular basis, this topic seems long overdue. Hope you all find it useful!

[Nancymichogan]

I will be moving somewhere in near future and have been convinced that active 55 plus is the way to go. Trouble is that I do mind extremes of hot summers but could tolerate. Have some friends in fla but it seems that az communities really seem to capture the baby boom resort type of ambience that would be conducive for more contemporary types of activities, I could be very wrong and would like, to know more about what these laces are really like. I did. Visit Valencia near Tampa and it was nice, very friendly. The trilogy places seem good too. Help! Open to any and all suggestions in this important decisions. I also have 2dogs and want the ability to enclose a yard.

[kaon]

Nancy,
You and I sound like we are looking for the same answers to our questions! I am in Bastrop,tx and within the next 5 years I am looking to move. I am a Texas girl who is tired of drought and hot humid weather. I also have 2 dogs. I used to think about Florida or Arizona, but I have finally realized I am sick of this weather and worrying about rain. I am thinking of moving to the northeast.
I have a friend who lived in Arizona in a golf community and absolutely loved it. She only moved to Bastrop because her husband wanted to.
I would just love some ideas on the northeast if anyone has them

[pleusink]

Great idea to start this forum. I'm 70, a widow. Has taken 5 yrs since husband's death to sell a lake property we owned, in that time moving to totally new area has become more and more daunting. I don't want a big house, rather a small condo/patio home in the mid-south where there are some change of season. I'm not a golfer so don't want a community where that is the main interest. Have a brother in Tennessee but the over-55 communities there are all over $200,000 and only free-standing houses. Places such as Fairfield Glade TN or Hot Springs Village in AR are so spread out, they don't have feel of "community" at all. I think it would be hard to get involved being single.

I love Colorado, the drier air, scenery, and have a son in Steamboat Springs, but it is expensive, touristy, cold and too much snow, they don't shovel and plow like here in Wisconsin. I found a small over-55 in Fort Collins (milder weather there) but it is land lease to the tune of $400/month.

Haven't heard the term "trilogy" places. Do you mean the progressive community for independent to nursing home? They seem to be extremely expensive even at the independent level.

I wish I were brave enough to buy a Sprinter van RV and travel for a couple years, see the country and maybe a place would click!

[kdaguano]

I couldn't agree more. I, too, would love to get in an RV and travel around the country to find the right place to relocate. I am 62 and have always been single. I'd like to find a friend who would like to take some jaunts to explore possible new places to live. Maybe someone out here would like to explore the possibility of doing this, so that we would have the company and security of a friend while we travelled?

[kaon]

I think going to different places in an rv would be great.
My plan is to go and visit places from virginia on up. If I find anything I like, then I can rent a place for a month and take my dogs to check it out.I am just getting REALLY tired of drought and worrying about fires here in texas. I was wondering if any of you have any suggestions on places to visit in the northeast?
Thanks!

[meklove1]

I too am beginning my search as a single woman in her 60's. Perhaps we should form a group to start our search together. That actually would be a fun endeavor!

Can you imagine a bunch of 60 - 70 year old single women caravanning around the country in 10 RV's together???

I am in New York on Long Island, and although I was long thinking about florida, I realize I would miss the change of seasons so much! I just don't know!

[chestertownchic]

I really enjoyed this post - I too am single - divorced, almost 65 and newly retired. Have two big dogs - like the ocean/water.
Thinking of retiring in Delaware since two of my kids live there and they are tax friendly to retirees.

But interested in following all the ideas presented.

Carol

[tysoma]

Check the web rvingwomen.org I've also thought about rving..never done it,,never even camped ,,maybe its time to jump into something new with both feet,,happy retirement !!!

[kdaguano]

I think the interest to form some sort of travel group is high. I live in upstate New York, about 90 miles north of NYC, so to someone who lives geographically close like you, meklove1, I think it is entirely possible for us to explore forming a group to start our search together.

We could identify an area that we would both like to explore (through emails and telephone conversations or Skype), do research to map out specific sites to visit, and develop a plan for doing it together. I am retired and have just put my house on the market, so I am dedicated to moving within a year (or whenever the house sells!) Is it possible to rent an RV, does anyone know? This would be a completely new thing for me but I believe I must be determined and have a plan if I want to move somewhere where I could be more satisfied.

Other thoughts? Anyone else as eager as I to put a plan together? Even a plan for research/shared communications on what we learn would be useful.

[kaon]

I think it would be freat to communicate with each other about retiring in certain ateas. I know I am very interested in the northeast and would love anyones input on that. I do know that if you love the change in seasons, i would definitely not move to florida or texas. I am in Texas and I am so tired of the hot weather and humidity.
So, how do we do this correspondence?

[fulf_44@yahoo.com]

Hello to everyone - I too have given the RV idea some thought but backed off since I didn't want to do it alone. I moved from No Va in 2006 to an area just west of Myrtle Beach SC - BIG MISTAKE!! Am attempting for the second time to sell my home but have no idea where to relocate to. I feel at this point it would be wise to rent vs buy. I'm pulling my hair out trying to figure where to go because I don't want to make another mistake. I would enjoy getting together with other single women and trying the RV thing - nothing ventured, nothing gain. Who would sincerely like to try and go forward with this plan? I'm single, 67 and quit my job!

[kdaguano]

Hello to all, especially fulf_44,

I just quit my job as well, and as I said earlier, put my house on the market. I am looking to rent, as well. That way, I do not have to wait for my house to sell to move on with my life.I think trying "the RV thing" would be great as well. I'm 62, very active, an open to exploring almost all locations. If you are interested in moving forward with a plan, I think we should exchange email addresses and first names. My name is Karen and my email address is kdaguano@hvc.rr.com. I'm free to travel at will.

[fulf_44@yahoo.com]

All esp Karen - Just as an FYI, I, too, lived about 90 mi north of NYC - small world.

I have no ties to this place in any way, so I can get out of town any time - just need to find someone to mow my lawn. I'd also want to bring my two cats with me - hate to board them!! We'd have to explore renting an RV because I don't want to be saddled w/that annual expense. My email address is my name: fulf_44@yahoo.com.

rvingwomen.org - this website was mentioned above. I just saw an interview on TV w/some of these women and they all were having a ball - worth checking out. Karen - be happy to communicate w/you via email - tks for providing - look forward to speaking w/you and seeing where we go from here - anybody else that's interested, pls join us. My name is Kay.

[meklove1]

Well we could either do it through Facebook or through Email. We can make a group on FB which is an easy way to add/subtract people if y'all use it.

Otherwise, we can start a group email. My email is Meklove@aol.com. if you want to email me your email addresses, I will happily start a group email.