Greener Pastures? Not So Fast!

The article doesn’t state if the couple bought or rented. Rent before you even think about buying in a new location. Buying a home makes sense when raising a family but why buy as a retiree? There are rarely any so called affordable homes to buy in desirable areas these days. Resting isn’t cheap either. But at least with renting you have flexibility and you’re not tied down to an illiquid investment.

I moved from SoCal to South Florida in 2018. After 3 summers there I had still not acclimated to the humidity. I moved to the Phoenix area and could not believe how much more comfortable heat can be when it is dry heat. Have now been here 5 years and I'm never leaving.

Very interesting, but you allowed Kate F to offend Republicans, by associating racism with Republicans, which I am yet to experience. Based on the 3 extremely liberal-leaning locations she favors (Hudson Valley, NY, Colorado, Western Massachusetts) I think Kate should have said, Central Florida "featured too many conservatives trying to live a life guided by the Bible, out of gratitude to our loving/forgiving God."

Careful Bill, I've been enjoying this site for many years and have discovered beyond a shadow of a doubt that the powers that be, lean solid left and for some reason find it very difficult to let them dang conservatives make very logical points and get away with it. In fact what I just wrote will no doubt be deleted.

Bill and Rufus. We were merely reporting what Kate said her experience was. No attempt to brand every Republican that way - plenty of racism in the other party too. Let's hope that everyone abides by the God I know, the one who loves everybody. Thanks for your comments.

Bill, you are spot on. Admin’s statement that they did not intend to brand “every Republican” as a racist is less than satisfying. Additionally, if they actually read The NY Times story (possibly rather than relying on AI?), they would see that the couple lived in coastal, not central, Florida. They moved from there to New Mexico, didn’t like it there, then moved to Connecticut (not western Massachusetts). I will be canceling my subscription.

I moved from upstate NY to coastal SC. It was beautiful, easy and a much better fit climate-wise; I rented for 7 or so years. But it just wasn't "my place." I have now moved to Savannah which is a much better fit. There are things I miss about NY but I could never afford to move back and could never deal with the weather again. It is nearly impossible to know what a place is like until you have lived there a while, and perfection probably doesn't exist.

What would bother me about a community is how “in your face” the politics are—in either direction. I don’t want to run the gauntlet through opposing billboards every time I leave my house. There’s a big difference between not being invited to a picnic and someone putting dog poop in your golf cart because they disagree with your political affiliation. As far as racism, sexism, classism, I would do my homework first before moving.

Over the years I have known people personally as well as heard from many subscribers about why they moved a second, or even third or fourth time in retirement. They did so for a lot of reasons. Some include moving because they wanted to be near their children, who then moved. Or because they moved to be near the children but never liked the area or didn't find friends. Frequently the new area became too expensive, or their homes appreciated so much they moved to capture that equity and a better lifestyle. There are others who just got tired of the new area, and went back home or tried out another spot. You can't research too much, but even sometimes that doesnt overtake events. The good think about retirement is you can (usually) move anywhere and anytime you want.
(PS) George was correct. We erred in referring to some of the couple's moves: It was Coastal Florida and rural Connecticut. Now corrected.

Moving in retirement should not be an automatic assumption. It's the second most critical event in retirement behind the inevitable. If you truly want to relocate and have identified the new area, I strongly recommend you spend at least three months renting and getting used to daily life in the new area. I did that and was amazed how different a place can be if you actually spend time there vs how it appears on paper. Even though it appeared to be my ideal place, after being there for three months it became a firm "no way", and I researched the heck out of the place. Many of the things I thought were agreeable turned out to be unacceptable and there were other things I had not even thought of which turned out to be major negatives. I feel that any move at all, even within the same town, will be a major adjustment. In my case even involved a culture shock. If you do move just accept that it will be different and an adjustment and you need to be willing to embrace the change.

So glad I have no family to effect my decision. I chose Tucson for the perfect weather except a bit chilly in January and february but I cruise then or drive to Mexico as I'm only 30 miles from the border. I'm in an area where 80 percent of the people are from other states so it's very diverse and easy to find friends. Lots to do and see. I've been here 8 years and will only move if I decide to move internationally

We tried a 55+ community in VA and had friends there but the HOA’s management company was terrible and so were a series of elected members of the Board. You can’t know that till you move in. We left for another community in VA and they are run properly so the whole atmosphere and offerings are better.

Frequent contributor Larry Gavrich thought this article, inspired by one in the NY Times, and the subsequent comments were pretty interesting. So he wrote a great article for his newsletter about it: "Heh NY Times: It's Not Nice Scaring Old People". Check it out!

I enjoyed Larry’s article, and his noting that “If they hadn’t paid all those moving expenses previously, they probably could have afforded life back in the Hudson Valley, where they were originally settled and, apparently, happy,” made me think of other willing and unwilling journeys like Ulysses, Rasselas, even Dorothy (really.) They all returned not the same people who left, but wiser, more experienced, stronger, full of new stories and tips for the rest of us still sitting in our little mouse holes worried about making the “wrong” choice. Life’s an adventure, right? And they had one, and can have more. Home prices might just slide enough that they can then again live where they wanted, but it might not seem so shiny the second time around, because they’ve grown.

I love your comment Daryl. Such a positive take on the situation. Life is an adventure!

We relocated several times during our working careers for corporate transfers, so it was easy for us to decide to relocate when we retired. We moved to Florida and have been here about 18 years. A few things that are worth considering (beyond the weather and ocean, which we knew we'd love): consider a new/developing community - much easier to meet people when most are new/more recent to the community; if you can afford it, buy into a community with a "club" component - including amenities such as golf, tennis, exercise classes, pickleball, and activities organized by our club itself (Trivia, special dinners, socials with dancing, guest speakers, etc.). We go to socials, plays, outings - all arranged by our club. Made the transition easy, fun, and it's easy to volunteer as well serve on committees, run a member book club, raise money for charities, etc.
Jan Cullinane, best-selling retirement author

Thank you Daryl for your kind and insightful comments. And you as well, Jan, for your (as always) excellent advice. I was particularly interested in your comment about targeting “new” or developing communities. That idea relates to the next article I am working on, about the costs and challenges of building the home of your dreams. Based on some research I’ve done, the costs to build and the pricetag of a comparable existing home have narrowed. Yes, there are additional challenges to building a home, but couples with an organized plan can wind up with a home that has virtually everything they want.