Wanting to relocate for next phase of our lives?

[Tiggerlovr9000]

Does anyone have any advice for empty nesters that want to start over in a new city with new jobs.? We want someplace with no snow. We both moved alot when we were children and wanted our kids to be born and graduated in the same town. Last May our last dd graduated so now that goal has been achieved..Its on to the next phase.. any ideas will be greatly appreciated..

[Janmac]

Will you need to work and if so, what field(s)? While you want no snow, do you want some kind of seasons? Will you want to be near your kids, or close to an airport hub?

Jan

[Tiggerlovr9000]

I am in the restaurant industry and my dh has always worked in a factory..Change of seasons doesnt matter. Being close to major airport is also not a factor.. I love my kids and no matter where we live we will work out how to see them..

[wilcat]

Even though we have never lived there. When we retire my DH and I want to relocate to either North or South Carolina. Some change of seasons but milder temps then in the north. Close to the ocean one way and the mountains the other. Seems like a very relaxed pace and that is what we would want. Not sure if this fits in with what you are looking for but just wanted to throw it out there.

Cathy

[dnickels]

I don't know that any of us can really give you good advice on where to go, that will depend on your personal preferences regarding climate (humid or dry), lifestyle, etc., but some things to keep in mind when picking up and completely relocating

-try not to resort to comparing everything to 'back home' A lot of people relocate, find it's not what they want and then they start considering everything and around them inferior to the nostalgic memories they had of the places they came from. Embrace the new and different things.

-make a conscious effort to get out and meet new people. Go to the farmers markets, the downtown festivals, weekly gatherings, basically anything to get out and meet new people. Also understand that it takes some time to form those close friendship bonds. (related to above, lots of people move somewhere new, and then three years down the line they complain about how their friends in the new town aren't as nice as the friends in the old town, which, well duh, someone they've known from their hometown for the last 25 years is probably going to be a closer friend than someone from the new town that they've known for 3 years).

-consider renting in the new place for at least 6 months before you even consider buying. It's tempting to want to buy right away to have a place to put all the 'stuff' but a realtor can only show you so much. A great area during the day might be a swarm of no-see-ums as soon as the sun goes down. Spend the weekends checking out all the nooks and crannies, get out the bikes and ride around or stroll through the neighborhoods that look interesting. Talk to the people out and about rather than the real estate agent to get a better feel for specific areas.

Best of luck and happy hunting.

[wdwfansince75]

DW and I have been very pleased with our decision to return to the Upstate of South Carolina. Weather is great...4 seasons, with Winter being only a few weeks...usually one or two snow/ice storms per year...and the snow is usually a single day event. Summer is hot, but most cars and houses (and businesses) are air conditioned.

Greenville constantly gets high grades as a place to live...lots to do, including great live theatre. Industry includes BMW, Michelin, lots of auto industry suppliers, Caterpilar, Fuji, Lockheed-Martin, Miliken,and Ryobi.

Very good medical facilities...perhaps the abundance of great golf venues attracts really great doctors! Golf is a 11-12 month sport in the upstate...and boating is virtually year round on the beautiful lakes that feed the Savannah River. Lots of places for Doctors (and the rest of us) to relax.

Many of our friends, like DW and I, come from elsewhere...and none miss the snow! Of course, there is skiing close by in the mountains of North Carolina and eastern Tennessee....as well as White Water recreation.

And lots of recreation. And Atlanta is less than 2 hours away...as is Charlotte.

Lots of room...still mainly rural to the south of us. Land is reasonable, especially right now.

All major retail and restuarant chains are available, plus some unique eateries and stores.

[SBETigg]

Statistically, a lot of people who do this end up moving back to their original location within five years. The grass isn't always greener. But, it might be when you're dealing with snowstorms and cold.I understand the motivation.

From experience, you're taking a big risk to plan to move to somewhere you haven't been. Make a plan to try to visit a few different areas before you decide. And maybe do a search for the "ten best places to retire" and things of that nature. College towns usually make good retirement areas, I've heard. And renting before you buy is probably a good idea, too. Also consider the cost of living, potential increase or decrease depending on where you end up.

[Dulcee]

Here's another one for central NC. My Fiance and I both grew up in NJ but moved here for a job and school. We love it. People are friendly. Climate is mild with seasonal changes still present. Low cost of living and still on the east coast.

[MstngDrvnDsnyLvr]

Greenville/Spartanburg area of SC is great for both industries you work in. Central NC is great too - Hickory, Winston-Salem, etc.

Good luck!

I grew up in the Greenville/Spartanburg area and now live near the NC Coast.

[Tiggerlovr9000]

Thanks for all the feed back..Its exciting and scary at the same time..

[joonyer]

I'd move to Hawaii if I could. If not there, then the Virgin Islands would be nice!

[Janmac]

My aunt and uncle enjoyed the Myrtle Beach area tho they were actually across the state line in extreme southern N.C. Except for the hurricanes. A year or two after their move, it seemed that most of the hurricanes made a beeline for the Myrtle Beach area. Very worrisome.

So if you're thinking of the Carolinas, perhaps you may want to stay away from coastal areas.

Jan

[TheDuckRocks]

We moved from southern California to Hawaii when our last child graduated from high school. We are both native Californians and had hated what California had become from the way it was when we were kids. We went to Hawaii with no house lined up and no jobs. We were very lucky as within a week we were employed and found a rental house. What we really didn't realize was just how high the cost of living is in Hawaii. With that said we had 13 wonderful years there and wouldn't have exchanged the experience for anything. The only reason we left was because our daughter who went with us married a man in the military and they were relocated to the Mid-Atlantic area. After 18 months I couldn't take being 5,000 miles away from our grandkids, so once again we packed up with no jobs and no clear idea of where we wanted to settle. We are now in West Virginia 30 miles from where the grandkids are. We are now looking into our next move for retirement as the grandkids will be in college soon and I'm sick to death of snow.:ack:
Any advice I would give would be to go for it! We have had experiences that we never would have had if we stayed in one location and have made amazing extended families in each area.

[JROriole8Fan]

I'm surprised, given this site that no one has mentioned moving down to WDW! That's our plan as I can retire in 2013. We'll be close, and want to work there part time to give back some of the magic we have enjoyed over the years. Plus we can go in anytime, enjoy whatever we want, whenever we want. Plus my kids, after college, will be in the area as well. How could it be any better?

[DMApixie]

DH and I are counting down the days until the last DD has graduated and we can retire and move out of state. We also hate what California has become, but want our kids to finish HS with their friends.

Something to seriously consider is the income tax liability for the states you are considering. States have different laws regarding income taxes on pensions and retirement incomes. The National Conference of State Legislatures' website (NCLS.org) has a report of the tax policies, broken down by state. It's worth a look, and helped us decide where we DON'T want to live. :thedolls: