Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
March 4, 2020 -- California has sunny skies, a Mediterranean climate... and super-high housing prices and unending traffic. The Zillow Home Value Index was $561,000 in early 2020. A pleasant victim of its own success, it is a bit like Yogi Berra was alleged to have said, "It's so crowded, no one goes there anymore".
For those looking for the California experience, but don't want to either have to pay for it or fight its crowds, this article will explore some places to retire that might be good alternatives. The good news is, there are plenty of great places that are much more affordable. Most are not near a coast, but many have lakes and/or mountains to enjoy.
Flatiron Mountain: Photo by Molly Brady
Tucson, Arizona. Warm in winter, blessed with sunshine almost 300 days per year, Tucson is surrounded by beautiful desert mountains. At 233 performing arts dates per year, it also has one of the nation’s highest number of arts performances. It retains a distinctive relaxed, western flavor (Tombstone is nearby). The Zillow Home Value Index was $212,648 in 2020.
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Published on March 2, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 24, 2020 – Just heard from a friend who is concerned because she no longer gets our weekly “Best Places” newsletter. Unfortunately, due to a bone headed mistake I made, she is not the only one. Here is what I wrote back: Hi, The newsletter is still…
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Published on February 23, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 18, 2020 -- Every year we have fun rendering our opinion on the very "Best Places to Retire". To start that process, late last year we featured the 20 Best Retirement Towns in three major U.S. retirement regions. In today's installment we are going to winnow those lists down into our top 10 overall picks.
For 2020's best places to retire our overriding criteria: how interesting it is to live there, recreation and culture, climate, taxes, economic situation, location, transportation, walkability, healthcare, and to a minor extent - cost of living. We also wanted to mix it up a little bit, offer diversity and some new faces.
Popularity on this site, as measured by online visits by our Members, is also very important. Here, in our opinion, are the best of the best places to retire in all of the U.S.
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Published on February 18, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 8, 2020 — Our popular series comparing different regions of the country for retirement has a new update. The Southwest, featuring comparisons of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah has all new data and a fresh look. You’ll find up to date information on housing prices, taxes, climate, and…
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Published on February 8, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 5, 2020 -- For many retirees, getting to where you want to go in a golf cart is just about heaven. For those living in one of the best golf cart communities, they can forget the car; a golf cart (or low speed vehicle) is all they need to get there and enjoy the surroundings in the open air. Most active adult communities allow you to keep a golf cart and drive on community roads to golf, pickleball, or the clubhouse. But the real bonus comes with places where you can get to destinations outside of the community like the supermarket, doctor's office, and movie theatre. In this article we'll review some of the best communities and towns in America for golf carts.
Best Golf Cart Communities in America
Special roads in Peachtree City
Peachtree City, Georgia is a huge planned community about 25 miles south of Atlanta, Georgia. Although it is famous for its golf cart oriented transportation system, it is not a 55+ community – it is for people of all ages – the median age is 37.5. You probably can’t walk to too many places nor take public transportation, but you sure can get about anywhere in your golf cart. There are special roads throughout that let you get to shopping, amenities, or different developments. Cresswind Peachtree City is an example of the type of active community within this city.
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Published on February 4, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 2, 2020 -- For Europeans and residents of the British Commonwealth, the answer to that question might be yes, it is a great choice for an expatriate retirement. The area around Cape Town at the southern end of the Continent is particularly appealing. This article, based on our recent trip to the country, will explore what it might be like to retire in South Africa, list some possible retirement towns, and provide the pros and cons of retiring here. Our visit was brief and with the viewpoint of an affluent tourist, so our impressions are not comprehensive. We welcome those with more experience to chime in in the Comments section.
South Africa has long had the most prosperous economy in Africa. Much of that wealth came from gold, diamonds, and agriculture. Business is strong as well. Since apartheid was eliminated in 1994 the economy has softened, but still strong. Some people believe the Rand, the National currency, is undervalued by as much as 60%.
Nelson Mandela, who was imprisoned for 28 years and then became South Africa's President, was the major force in overcoming the horrible oppression of apartheid (see this link for John Brady's talk about Mandela's inspiring legacy - my talk starts about 16 minutes into the service).
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Published on February 1, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
January 8, 2020 — Our friend Dave Hughes, the creator of the retirement website Retirefabulously.com, has just released a helpful new book. The Quest for Retirement Utopia is designed to help you find your best place to retire. To see…
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Published on January 8, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
January 4, 2020 -- Who wouldn't want to wake up to a loon calling in the distance. Or the sound from the gentle lap of waves on the shore. Here are 20 great places to retire on a lake where you can do all of these things. Having the grandchildren up to enjoy some fishing or a boat ride. Not to mention the pleasure of an early morning dip in velvety lake water.
Lakes to retire on are everywhere.
The good news is that the country is filled with lakes and ponds of every size and description. Some are edged by major cities (Chicago or Madison WI), while others have bucolic towns on their shores. There are lakes where you can retire that have nothing around them except the occasional camp or cottage. By choosing just 20 lake towns in this report, it means that we have omitted dozens if not hundreds of other great candidates. We have tried to focus on lakes where it is possible to live on or near the lake, and where there is some kind of nearby town for entertainment and the necessities of life. Some of these lake towns were suggested by members.
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Published on January 4, 2020
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
December 17, 2019 -- If you are shopping around for the best state to retire in, the good news is that there are a number of states that would really like you to choose them. These states know that the homes retirees buy and the money they spend locally represents an important and clean industry. So they have taken steps to make themselves attractive to retiring boomers.
States like North Carolina, Nevada, Florida, and Texas don’t have a problem attracting retirees. They have a good reputation and many attractive places to retire. Others, such as West Virginia and Mississippi, have a harder time bringing in retirees without incentives. In this list we will concentrate on states that have taken specific steps to increase the number of people retiring in those states. .
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Published on December 16, 2019
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
November 26, 2019 -- Are you in the camp of retirees who “hate” Florida, or are you among those that “love” it? Most folks thinking about the best place to retire in Florida seem to fall into one of those divisions; not so many have no opinion. In our view, Florida is filled with many great retirement towns, and it is diverse in more ways than you might think. This article will tell you a bit about this very large and populous state, plus give you a list of 12 Florida towns we think make for a great place to retire.
First, a few factsFlorida's 2018 estimated population was 21,300,000, the 4th most populous in the nation. Some 19% of the population is 65 and over, compared to 15% nationwide.
Geographically speaking, the State has a very unusual shape – it is both tall and wide. So tall and wide that it takes over a day to drive from Pensacola to Key West (832 miles). Florida is the 22nd largest state, has the longest coastline in the contiguous states, and the only state to have a coastline on the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. It is a very flat state, which is one of the things that people tend not to like about it (Mount Dora, at 185' is one of its highest towns).
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Published on November 26, 2019
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