Best Places to Retire in the Southeast: More Suggestions for Brian
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
April 13, 2024 — When it comes to learning about the best places to retire in the Southeast, it turns out there is no better source than the faithful Members of Topretirements. A few weeks ago we wrote about Brian’s where to retire quest. Immediately the comments and suggestions started rolling in, and they were both interesting and helpful. They were filled with details that you just can’t find anywhere else.
So to help Brian, and anyone else struggling to find a place in the eastern part of the country that has mountains and outdoor life opportunities, here is a recap of the suggestions made in Comments to the original article. Feel free to pile on with more Comments at the end. Note: we did a little editing for brevity’s sake.
One Editorial Comment:
One thing we have noticed lately is an uptick of retired people who are changing their plans. This comes not only from the comments we received here, but among our circle of friends. More folks seem to be deciding not to be snowbirds any more – because they want to travel more, or sometimes health concerns. A few appear to be capitalizing on their appreciated real estate. Are any of you seeing this?
Carol:
I am a New Englander but spent 6 years in Chattanooga. If you like the outdoor life AND cultural things to do (theater, music, TN Aquarium), along with a vibrant business energy, you definitely should check out Chattanooga.
Comments on "Best Places to Retire in the Southeast: More Suggestions for Brian"
Ellen says:
We are a couple of years away from retirement but are already making plans. We live in Atlanta (I'm a native) and have a small house on a lake in SC less than two hours away. We recently decided to downsize, sell our Atlanta home, and split our time between the SC house and a small place in Monmouth, Maine. We had a "camp" on a lake in central Maine for 18 years but sold it just before the pandemic. We miss Maine and our friends there so much, but we also enjoy our SC place and the friends we have there. We also plan to travel as much as we can.
Samuel Pace says:
WOW! Learned a lot reading all those wonderful comments. In my late 20's lived in Port St Joe, Fl. Love that area. Thought ii was going to live I was going there the rest of my life. God"s Plan and mine weren't the same. ( HE WON of Course) Now live in South Jersey ( A Great Place surround by farms the actual Garden State , Great Doctors in. PHILLY but taxes and car insurance high) Heart problems, C2/3 Spinal Cord (ASIA C ) wife has depression issues. Of all those tips to Brian , only one mentioned HEALTH Care. Brian - How's your health? Great places in the South for Health Care and how do people Snow Bird or actually keep 2 homes? Thanks!
Steve says:
Think twice, no several times, before you move in retirement. If you're from the northeast and you move to someplace less expensive, which is almost everywhere, you most likely won't be able to return because it will be too expensive. Also, a new location looses its newness and novelty in about a year so you better be moving there for move than just novelty. Think also of the family and friends you are leaving behind and won't be able to see as frequently as you would like. Also, coming back for visits may get to be a chore and more of an expense than and hassle than you realize. Recently, I met a realtor at an open house in a new condo building which was next to an old elementary school. She is in her late fifties and showed me a photograph of her in a third grade class picture at that same elementary school next to the condo building. She spent her entire life in that town and there was something very beautiful about that. Of course to each his own but moving retirement is a big deal.
Larry says:
Steve, I agree with most of your concerns but I think you are overstating that most folks who leave the Northeast will not be able to return because of housing expenses. For those who have owned a home up north for some time, and don’t owe any or too much on it, they will make considerably more in the transaction than they will pay for a home in the Southeast, especially if they downsize, which most of us do in retirement. And their cost of living, especially taxes, will be much lower; they can bank some of the difference and will also save on their monthly outlays. So for those who are careful with managing their money, a return to the Northeast is possible if things “go south” in the South.
Jes says:
Steve, what you wrote is what I've experienced. I left the Northeast and I don't regret it. However, you are 100% correct about housing costs as well as leaving family and friends. I find as I grow older I am less willing to make that long trip up north to visit. I'm realizing that there are people I will probably never see again. That is not something I thought about when I made the decision to leave. But I could not take the weather up there and ultimately I think it was the right move for me. But it has not been without its losses.