Perfect Place to Retire

 

This month I've been blogging about Healthy Aging in honor of Older Americans Month. I know for many people, one of the best things about getting older is looking forward to retirement!

For me, those days are here! Thanks to my neurotic goal-setting habits, (along with good luck and being annoyingly frugal), I have officially reached a time in my life that I no longer have to work!  I am finally free to do whatever I want, where-ever I want!  I can move to that perfect paradise and never have to endure another icy commute or snowy Spring,

The question is, where should I go? Making this decision is much more difficult than I imagined it would be!

Well, thanks to my brilliant daughter-in-law's newsletter, Stellar Recap, I used this handy-dandy tool introduced by MarketWatch to help me narrow down some choices. 

From Stella's newsletter:

• MarketWatch released a new tool that helps you find where you may want to retire. You can search for characteristics such as temperature, political affiliation, age, and affordability.

When I put in my priorities, Santa Barbara came out as my top choice.  This isn't surprising because on my first pass, I didn't factor in cost.  I'd been looking in Florida because I know how expensive Southern California is.

However, as it turns out, prices are skyrocketing in Florida (or at least in Sarasota, my top choice for a Florida city.) I've also determined, I'd rather rent than buy a place right now in this crazy housing market, and I'd much rather rent a place and get to know a community before committing to buying a house.

My strategy for some time has been to explore different snowbird locations in the winters until I found my perfect spot to retire.  One issue is that snowbird destinations are incredibly expensive to rent!  I've found a wonderful opportunity with my friend, Becky, where we do a house exchange..  She stays at my house in Colorado for summer visits and I stay at her place in Sarasota for winter visits!

I also have been enamored at the thought of 55+ communities or senior co-housing communities. I just haven't found out how one can rent in these communities.  Then there's also the idea of retiring abroad! I attended an International Living Conference in 2019 and that idea is much more affordable than I'd imagined! 

As a matter of fact, I was able to rent a room in an AirBnB home in a gorgeous Costa Rica home for all of January, 2022 for less than $800! I feel confident that I'll be able to rent a room in my house for that same amount, so basically, it's kind of like the exchange I do with Becky! (Having extra room(s) in your house really works out wonderfully!)

The point is, with some creativity and a willingness to share house-space, renting different snowbird locations is affordable.  With the low interest rates, I'd been seriously considering trying to buy a snowbird spot of my own; However, considering all the expenses, fees, and tax implications, I'm now back to thinking renting is a better option. 

At least that's what I think today! I have to stay away from Zillow, InnShopper, and Cozy Cottages listed on HookedonHouses!