DawnM Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Most of your state has moved down to NC! :driving: Our realtor just told us that since the taxes are lower here, many are saying they will have an additional $2,000 (or whatever they spent in taxes) to put in to their mortgage payments. Dawn YES. We live in NJ. You can't afford to retire here. You can barely afford to live here. We'll need a large house to retire in, also. These kids? I'll want them around me. I want to have a blast with my grand kids. I need the space for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Most of your state has moved down to NC! :driving: Our realtor just told us that since the taxes are lower here, many are saying they will have an additional $2,000 (or whatever they spent in taxes) to put in to their mortgage payments. Dawn I'm looking toward New Hampshire (heat and I really don't get along), but yes, if we just simply move across state lines, we already figured we save 30k a year in taxes, insurances, and COL. It's sick. It really is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Wow! We pay less than 30K in mortgage and taxes per year and we have a large house. Dawn I'm looking toward New Hampshire (heat and I really don't get along), but yes, if we just simply move across state lines, we already figured we save 30k a year in taxes, insurances, and COL. It's sick. It really is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 we already figured we save 30k a year in taxes, insurances, and COL. It's sick. It really is. :svengo: We don't come close to paying that in taxes, insurances, and general COL stuff. I can't imagine thinking about "saving" that amount. I think I'm understanding a little more why people move to PA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Ok, so on a completely different note, but as some have been commenting, I have been thinking. We are moving to a new location, but within this area. Should I think of retirement while looking or not worry at all since retirement is about 20 years away????? Many of you have mentioned a 1 story, but around here, the only 1 story homes are tiny. A sprawling ranch just isn't found. And size......I still feel like we need the space with 3 kids. The oldest is 16 but has special needs so I don't see him leaving any time soon. The middle son is 14 but swears he will live at home through college. Youngest is 10. Dawn Well, it is a long way off but do you plan to move again any time soon? Do you normally move every 5 years or so? If you move fairly often, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you really are hoping to stay put for a long time (even 10 years), I would take into consideration certain things. Like I would consider looking at getting a downstairs master bedroom with a full bathroom (including a tub, not just a shower) if they have such a thing in your area, just in case mobility ever became an issue. I would probably try to locate sort of near a good grocery store and other places I would need to get to on a regular basis too, just in case. But at this stage I would definitely still want a house that could accommodate the kids for a good long while since you have 3 kids still at home and all three, for various reasons, may be with you for several years to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 We have lived in this house 9 years, the longest we have lived anywhere. I would like to think the next house *could* be one we could stay in for as long as we want. I am horrible at making decisions! We keep going back and forth between several options (get the house we really want but will be the max we want to spend vs. getting an ok house, no excitement, etc...) Well, it is a long way off but do you plan to move again any time soon? Do you normally move every 5 years or so? If you move fairly often, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you really are hoping to stay put for a long time (even 10 years), I would take into consideration certain things. Like I would consider looking at getting a downstairs master bedroom with a full bathroom (including a tub, not just a shower) if they have such a thing in your area, just in case mobility ever became an issue. I would probably try to locate sort of near a good grocery store and other places I would need to get to on a regular basis too, just in case. But at this stage I would definitely still want a house that could accommodate the kids for a good long while since you have 3 kids still at home and all three, for various reasons, may be with you for several years to come... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Well, it is a long way off but do you plan to move again any time soon? Do you normally move every 5 years or so? If you move fairly often, then I wouldn't worry about it. If you really are hoping to stay put for a long time (even 10 years), I would take into consideration certain things. Like I would consider looking at getting a downstairs master bedroom with a full bathroom (including a tub, not just a shower) if they have such a thing in your area, just in case mobility ever became an issue. I would probably try to locate sort of near a good grocery store and other places I would need to get to on a regular basis too, just in case. But at this stage I would definitely still want a house that could accommodate the kids for a good long while since you have 3 kids still at home and all three, for various reasons, may be with you for several years to come... I agree with all of this except the tub. A large, step-in shower is an absolute must in our planning for a retirement/senior friendly home. Unless it's one of those walk-in tubs, then a shower is much easier for a physically limited person than a tub. I'd also want a laundry room on the main floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 LOL--we have to, as we live in a rectory. We won't be able to attend the same church after dh retires as the rector. Why can you not attend the same church after he retires? Is it just seen as not comfortable for a former rector to be in the congregation? What about people in small towns who spend their whole life in one place--is a rector expected to move away when he retires? I'm just curious, this is not a concept I am familiar with. I can imagine how a new rector coming in would not want to feel like the old rector was looking over his shoulder or that his ways would be constantly judged against the way things used to be done... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 Our choice of living location has always been driven by employment, so I think it would be nice once retirement comes around to choose based on other factors. We don't have strong roots in any one place; I imagine we might move somewhere close to an adult child (if any of our children put down more permanent roots than we have!) or at least somewhere with easy access to the rest of our country and potentially scattered clan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted October 8, 2014 Author Share Posted October 8, 2014 Ok, I have decided I cannot even think of a home I will need in retirement! The more I put those considerations into the equation the more I feel that I am old and life is over. :crying: We will just buy what we want and enjoy while we still can! :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 We've already been forced into a veeeery early semi-retirement, but I hope it's only temporary. We still live in the house our children grew up in, and though I love the house, we'll probably sell it and move to a new area within a couple of years. We live in a very small town, far from everything. Our children are all pretty ambitious, so I doubt any of them will end up here. We'll probably move to the closest city (3 hours away), get a small apartment, and then spend the year traveling as much as we can, visiting our children, etc. Then at some point, when we have a better idea of where our own future is headed, we'll probably buy a house again (or maybe a condo). Where that will be, I don't know. Not here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocelotmom Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 My grandparents put their name in to a retirement community in Oregon. To qualify back then you only needed to be 55! They thought a spot would open up after my grandfather turned 60 or so, but a spot opened up when he was 56, my grandmother had just turned 50......she hated it for a long time as she didn't feel old enough to be in a retirement community! In fact, my grandparents were still both working when they moved there and kept working for a while afterwards. Since I am getting closer to 50, I cringe for her.....I can't imagine looking at moving to a retirement center anytime soon. Dawn My mother moved into a retirement community pretty much the instant she turned 55. I don't think she was actually planning on that, but she was house-searching at the time, and that was a good, affordable, safe option. Retirement is still 30 years out for me (assuming standard retirement age), so it isn't something we've seriously looked at as far as logistics. We've discussed buying a house in town and renting it out until we need/want something smaller and more centrally located, but I really don't know if I want to plan to live in this area for the rest of my life. Or even the rest of the kids' childhoods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seasider Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I was pretty succinct in my first response but will add that we are in our current house because all the essentials are on the main level - kitchen, master, laundry, large enough "public" rooms. The other levels could be easily closed off for easy maintenance but opened for grandkids/houseguests. The space also allows for an additional "tenant" with a bit if privacy, should one of the kids need some cheap accommodations while a new career gets under way. With an unlimited budget I would perhaps relocate to direct waterfront property or perhaps buy a second house that would be a good vacation spot for kids/grand kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Momof3littles Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 DH and I would like to live in a university town I think. I'd like to live in a small city with access to lots of arts events, book festivals, and classes. I would like to have a house for my kids to come home to, but I also expect our kids will end up all over the place with their jobs, so I am not sure it is worth it to keep a larger house. We have moved several times in our adult lives, and I don't think I'd mind moving in retirement if we haven't moved to a university town before that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maela Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I'm hoping Dh will be up for moving to a condo/apartment in a metropolitan area when we're about fifty until we can't take care of ourselves anymore. I'm hoping at least one of our kids lives nearby too. I'm looking forward to living in a more liberal area and using public transit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supertechmom Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 I don't know about our retirement plans but my MIL just sold her house and purchased one in another state 5 hours on a good trip away from us. There is no family there or any vacation spots or anything..... They just up and decided they liked the house and thought why not? Expect they are 70 and 82. And not in great health and she's losing her sight and he's losing his mind. And the home is a split tri level with LOTS OF STAIRS on a great big sloping yard. The home will need serious updating. I'm not sure what her thoughts are as to why she is moving there but it doesn't sound like a good plan. I saw the house online. Someone is going to trip down the stairs and break something. She won't go in my daughter's room because she can't navigate the stairs. whatever we do for retirement will involve moving CLOSER to my kids not moving what essentially is a trip to Mars. (yes, we don't travel well and do very little of it, well known among the family that we don't travel) I am seriously upset over this but not a darn thing I can do. Other than that is exactly what I will not do in retirement. Worrying my kids and causing them stress over how to manage their life and troop of littles and take care of me 5 hours away is not the plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted October 8, 2014 Share Posted October 8, 2014 We plan to move to be close to our children, or at least one of our children. We probably won't retire until we are close to 70. Our experience of trying to look after our own parents from a distance, and of trying to persuade them to move in old age, has convinced us that it would be kind to spare our children that. L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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