Places to retire

[phideaux]

They are telling us here , that our county was rated the best in KY to retire.

I tend to agree with this one,
l always wanted to retire in the MO Ozarks , but my family was mostly here.
Or the foothills of the Smoky mountains in East TN.

https://thestacker.com/stories/3455...AR4-G3ZozQOEwgTdrdg7b4oSmjqUTuA4m0f04Q0COQ#18

I happy here.

Jim

 

[Sentry18]

Not a bad list, definitely has some nice communities. I am not so sure they included access to quality medical care. I looked up a few states that I am familiar with and that was the case for sure. Good small clean living communities, yes. Good modern health care without having to travel, no.

 

[phideaux]

Not a bad list, definitely has some nice communities. I am not so sure they included access to quality medical care. I looked up a few states that I am familiar with and that was the case for sure. Good small clean living communities, yes. Good modern health care without having to travel, no.

That is a drawback, we are the smallest county in KY, no hospital.
Nearest hospital is 12 miles , small hospital.
The big ones are 35 miles.
But....we have awesome rescue and EMT and ambulance service.

We only got one Grocery store, one farm supply hardware store in the whole county.

Everybody knows everybody.

Jim

 

[Sentry18]

That is a drawback, we are the smallest county in KY, no hospital.
Nearest hospital is 12 miles , small hospital.
The big ones are 35 miles.
But....we have awesome rescue and EMT and ambulance service.

We only got one Grocery store, one farm supply hardware store in the whole county.

Everybody knows everybody.

Jim

My in-laws had purchased a condo in Door Co. Wisconsin (which is on the list) because they love that place. I have been there many times and it's really a cool place to go. But as they got older and had more medical issues, they decided to sell it and get a place in Arizona instead. Less snow and better medical care close by.

If I had a place like yours in the country I would stay put too!

 

[angie_nrs]

I would like to find a nice place to maybe just live for 2-3 months during the worst part of the winter. I doubt we'd actually buy a place, unless it was super affordable. Still, even then we don't really want another home to take care of, especially if we're only there a couple months out of the year since I wouldn't want to have to worry about theft, rodents, leaks, etc. I love where we live now, so I'd never want to move. But we would consider taking an extended vacation in the winter. It'd have to be somewhere that we could take the pups too. We typically fly to a 'sunny beach' vacation every winter, but only for a week. It's enough to recharge our batteries, but the older we get, the more we think a longer break would be nice.

 

[Weedygarden]

I would like to find a nice place to maybe just live for 2-3 months during the worst part of the winter. I doubt we'd actually buy a place, unless it was super affordable. Still, even then we don't really want another home to take care of, especially if we're only there a couple months out of the year since I wouldn't want to have to worry about theft, rodents, leaks, etc. I love where we live now, so I'd never want to move. But we would consider taking an extended vacation in the winter. It'd have to be somewhere that we could take the pups too. We typically fly to a 'sunny beach' vacation every winter, but only for a week. It's enough to recharge our batteries, but the older we get, the more we think a longer break would be nice.

A travel trailer of an RV is an option. It would also give you a place to live if you ever had to escape or evacuate. Keep it well prepped and ready to go, and you could evacuate in a matter of minutes.

Senior citizens who didn't plan well or had life get in the way of preparing for retirement, are finding the nomad lifestyle a more economical way of living. Living in an RV or well designed van or other vehicle for a few months a year is doable, and you can go where you want to go, do what you want, see what you want. Have a difficult neighbor? You can be gone within an hour.

 

[Meerkat]

A travel trailer of an RV is an option. It would also give you a place to live if you ever had to escape or evacuate. Keep it well prepped and ready to go, and you could evacuate in a matter of minutes.

Senior citizens who didn't plan well or had life get in the way of preparing for retirement, are finding the nomad lifestyle a more economical way of living. Living in an RV or well designed van or other vehicle for a few months a year is doable, and you can go where you want to go, do what you want, see what you want. Have a difficult neighbor? You can be gone within an hour.

We have the vn and tents so we are ok far as bug out. We have family in 2 atates we can visit, plus the beach. I do fear the beach may soon be unhealthy becaue too many crooks allow building and uncontrolled farms and ranches to pollute the waters.

But I agree you never know whats next.
Liability of travel is no way to grow crops or even raise hens much les large stock..
Then I bet w could rig up a small area for a few crops,.No hens because of check points though who will bust you for crossing state lines with plants or animals.

 

[Weedygarden]

We have the van and tents so we are ok far as bug out. We have family in 2 states we can visit, plus the beach. I do fear the beach may soon be unhealthy because too many crooks allow building and uncontrolled farms and ranches to pollute the waters.

But I agree you never know whats next.
Liability of travel is no way to grow crops or even raise hens much less large stock..
Then I bet w could rig up a small area for a few crops,.No hens because of check points though who will bust you for crossing state lines with plants or animals.

I believe this is true for a few states. I know California has checkpoints for agricultural goods, because I've driven into California and experienced it. Driving from one state to another is no problem for many states, such as Colorado to Nebraska or Wyoming. I imagine Florida is one of the states where there are checkpoints.

 

[angie_nrs]

A travel trailer of an RV is an option. It would also give you a place to live if you ever had to escape or evacuate. Keep it well prepped and ready to go, and you could evacuate in a matter of minutes.

Senior citizens who didn't plan well or had life get in the way of preparing for retirement, are finding the nomad lifestyle a more economical way of living. Living in an RV or well designed van or other vehicle for a few months a year is doable, and you can go where you want to go, do what you want, see what you want. Have a difficult neighbor? You can be gone within an hour.

Yup, got that covered. The only thing with the 5th wheel is that if we go in the winter, we'd have to travel thru that nasty weather and expose the camper to salt, which I don't really want to do. Plus, our camper is rather large since we bought it when the kids were little and needed the extra room. Now that we're older we don't really need that big of a camper, but it's paid for and we like it. We've gone camping a few times this year so we still use it and it holds some happy memories for us, so we'll likely never get rid of it since we have room to store it.

We had neighbors who sold all their stuff and their home and went on the road. I could never do that. I love where I live and would never feel rooted living on the road in an RV no matter how nice that RV was. The thought of doing that just makes me shudder. I've worked too hard on our homestead and accumulated too many things to sell it all off and take to the road.

 

[Morgan101]

Moving is not an option for me, but I can attest the Missouri Ozarks would be a good place to go. A nice conversion van is on my bucket list. I have driven a large RV, and really was never comfortable doing so. I have pulled a trailer, albeit never for camping or recreation, but I was not a fan of that either.

The conversion van is more manageable to drive; gets better gas mileage; and if I don't miss my guess we would be staying in motels; not roughing it.

 

[Haertig]

I have always wanted to retire in an undiscovered tropical paradise. I am just waiting for someone to discover it and sell it to me cheap.

 

[Weedygarden]

We had neighbors who sold all their stuff and their home and went on the road. I could never do that. I love where I live and would never feel rooted living on the road in an RV no matter how nice that RV was. The thought of doing that just makes me shutter. I've worked too hard on our homestead and accumulated too many things to sell it all off and take to the road.

I'm with you. I never want to be homeless, because technically, when you do not own a home, you are homeless, even if you have a TT or RV. Many years ago, I told someone I would like to travel after I retire with a TT or RV. Immediately, they assumed I would sell my home and forever be a nomad. Nope, never, unless it was forced on me.

 

[Meerkat]

Moving is not an option for me, but I can attest the Missouri Ozarks would be a good place to go. A nice conversion van is on my bucket list. I have driven a large RV, and really was never comfortable doing so. I have pulled a trailer, albeit never for camping or recreation, but I was not a fan of that either.

The conversion van is more manageable to drive; gets better gas mileage; and if I don't miss my guess we would be staying in motels; not roughing it.

A van is best for gas milage and second best after short bus which can be costly but worth it for travel. Older ones not too complicated like new ones with all the bells and whistles.
I'd save about 90% on loan and rebuild an oldr model that still has some metal on it plus easy to fix. Thats what we did.I like my van.Its a 1995 one ton V8 and gets great milage.

 

[Meerkat]

I'm with you. I never want to be homeless, because technically, when you do not own a home, you are homeless, even if you have a TT or RV. Many years ago, I told someone I would like to travel after I retire with a TT or RV. Immediately, they assumed I would sell my home and forever be a nomad. Nope, never, unless it was forced on me.

Well Weedy I an travel but hubby not so much. He is " Home On The Range" and I'm " Don't Fence Me In".I've been stir crazy for awhile now add isolation to that mix and I'm not a happy camper.

 

[Weedygarden]

Well Weedy I an travel but hubby not so much. He is " Home On The Range" and I'm " Don't Fence Me In".I've been stir crazy for awhile now add isolation to that mix and I'm not a happy camper.

I like to travel, but I like to come home.

 

[Meerkat]

I like to travel, but I like to come home.

Me too but I like to get away sometimes, but this place is the first place I felt at home since Atlanta and Stone Mt. .So guess I'd miss it too.

 

[joel]

Homestead

 

[Bacpacker]

The sited showed Loudon Co Tn. Nice enough town and close to the bigger city. But too close in for me. I'm further out than there and still too close in for my taste.

We have discussed buying some land and building shortly before or after retirement and living in our camper for a few months while we are getting the land ready and building. Plus have a set up in place for it should we need extra space

 

[Spikedriver]

I've been traveling all over the west and Midwest for years now and I've got a short list that I like. Springfield, Mo. is nice. The Oklahoma City area is good. Arizona has lots going for it, and Southern Utah is gorgeous too. But I have to give my top spot to the Texas Hill Country. Good climate, good political atmosphere, beautiful scenery, good recreation, and pretty Texas girls! Oh wait...we were talking about where to retire. Never mind about the girls. I'll be too old for that by that time!

 

[Patchouli]

Texas will be waiting for you, @Spikedriver
I'm sure there will still be plenty of pretty Texas ladies here and you'll enjoy the warmer winters.

 

[Meerkat]

The sited showed Loudon Co Tn. Nice enough town and close to the bigger city. But too close in for me. I'm further out than there and still too close in for my taste.

We have discussed buying some land and building shortly before or after retirement and living in our camper for a few months while we are getting the land ready and building. Plus have a set up in place for it should we need extra space

Sounds like a good plan and for just a couple people you already know you can feed two with a couple raised beds and a a few hens supply plenty of eggs.

 

[Spikedriver]

Texas will be waiting for you, @Spikedriver
I'm sure there will still be plenty of pretty Texas ladies here and you'll enjoy the warmer winters.

My ex wife was one of those pretty Texas ladies. If I ever retire down there, I'm sure the memory of being married will whoa me down a little bit...

 

[Patchouli]

@Spikedriver

 

[Bacpacker]

Spike those Exs have a way of doing that.

 

[Cnsper]

The sited showed Loudon Co Tn. Nice enough town and close to the bigger city. But too close in for me. I'm further out than there and still too close in for my taste.

We have discussed buying some land and building shortly before or after retirement and living in our camper for a few months while we are getting the land ready and building. Plus have a set up in place for it should we need extra space

You mean more room to hide the bodies?

 

[Bacpacker]

Exactly

 

[Meerkat]

Americans are runnign out of safe places to go now.

 

[SheepDog]

It doesn't matter where you are or where you go. Retirement is a time to do all the things you did in your spare time while you were working.
Do the things that you loved but didn't have time for. If you wanted to go on a long hike over the mountains but never had the time, do it now. If you love boating then get a boat and use it. It might be a canoe, or a ski boat or a 30 foot sloop but do it... rent one... pursue your passion.
If you know nothing but work then keep working, it IS your passion. Work someplace that you love what you do and those you do it with.

 

[Meerkat]

It doesn't matter where you are or where you go. Retirement is a time to do all the things you did in your spare time while you were working.
Do the things that you loved but didn't have time for. If you wanted to go on a long hike over the mountains but never had the time, do it now. If you love boating then get a boat and use it. It might be a canoe, or a ski boat or a 30 foot sloop but do it... rent one... pursue your passion.
If you know nothing but work then keep working, it IS your passion. Work someplace that you love what you do and those you do it with.

Just when we were about to start doing what you saidSheepD, the world decided to put a plug in it.