Is moving somewhere else in your retirement plans?

[babylonsister]

I'm just curious as we've started thinking about it, though we have several years to decide. But time's awasting, and we know we want to move eventually. Also, nothing is going to get cheaper!

I thought I'd share two sites that might help anyone, or if you just like to dream
of faraway lands and opportunities, these could help!

www.escapeartist.com

www.boomersabroad.com

[AllieB]

1. My husband and I are a long way from retirement

We are looking at Costa Rica as a possibility. Friends of my parents live down there now and they love it. I think it would be a wise investment to buy something now and rent it out until it's time for us to retire in 30 years.

[sandnsea]

2. I can't leave my grandbaby

Be forewarned, when the grandkids come, everything changes... again. My husband and I had always talked about retiring in Mexico or somewhere. No big deal to visit our kids once in a while. I took one look at that grandbaby and fughetaboudit. We're here for the duration. :) Just thought I'd add that tidbit for consideration, for those who haven't hit that milestone yet. Not that it would matter to everybody, I know some families have had to move for jobs and stuff anyway. But my attachment to that grandbaby sure took me by surprise!!

[babylonsister]

4. We have 3-1/2 grandkiddies, but they live in different

states, so sadly we don't get to see them often.
Perhaps that's why my heartstrings aren't so attached.

[sandnsea]

9. I think it does make a difference

I didn't grow up around my grandparents, neither did my kids, so it never really occurred to me that where I retired would matter. So I totally understand. I honestly didn't expect the attachment myself.

[Maeve]

3. We want to move to Ireland in a few years

Semi-retirement, probably (storytellers never retire and a large percentage of us don't even start till we're 50!)

Yes, we'd be leaving the kids and future grandkids, but we've lived most of our lives in different states from our parents and managed to keep in touch. Shoot, we're in closer contact with the ones 2000 miles away than the ones 40 minutes from here...

[tenshi816]

14. Any particular part of Ireland?

One of the grandest places on the planet, isn't it?

[Maeve]

15. The west, if possible

But the Midlands may be more affordable. We spent most of our time in Counties Cork, Clare, Galway, Mayo, Tipperary, and Limerick and loved them all but Hubby said he'd live in the Burren, just to be there.

[tenshi816]

16. Galway and Cork are my favorites,

but if I could choose where to live it would be on the Dingle peninsula. It's a little slice of heaven.

[Maeve]

17. I have a poster of Dingle in my livingroom right now

Made from a shot we got just a bit past the strand at Inch. And I've a friend who grew up out that way (her brother was the last child born in the Blaskets before they were emptied). Now, if could just get fluent enough to understand her Irish...

[tenshi816]

19. Have you seen Fungi the dolphin? n/t

[Maeve]

21. Didn't get to

We were over during Regatta week and there were too many tourists in Dingle town, so we headed back to Limerick after a quick walk-around.

We saw way too much in the first three days--landed at Shannon, drove to Cashel, back to Blarney the first day, totally exhausted; next day, hit Blarney Castle, Muckross House and farms and supper at Kate Kearney's Cottage. The third day, we had a strange & mystical experience in a national forest before driving out to Inch for a walk on the strand, so by the time we got to Dingle town, we were getting frayed. We slowed down after that.

[Fatima]

32. Hope to be there someday myself n/t

[HeeBGBz]

5. Moving somewhere is in my plan

However, retirement isn't an option that presents itself to me.

Moving back to Biloxi in a few months.

Running to Canada is also always on the back burner.

[mike_c]

6. absolutely, although I'm still 12-15 years away from retirement....

I will likely retire in Mexico or Central America-- my pension will not allow a decent quality of life in the U.S. but will be just fine in most Central American countries. Plus, I LIKE it there!

[babylonsister]

7. We're thinking MX, too, but land is being bought up

fast and furiously, and prices are rising accordingly.

[mike_c]

8. that's why my focus is shifting southward....

By the time I retire, I MIGHT still be able to afford to live in Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere. Or maybe Venezuala will welcome us old lefties....

[Fatima]

31. Betcha Chavez would

welcome American ex-pats there. You should check it out as a real possibility.

Also consider the Philippines. I have many Filipino friends and they tell me you can live very well on a modest pension. Lots of ex-pats there.

[chascaz]

10. I want to sail around on a big sailboat...

for a few years, atleast, and maybe drive around in a motorhome for a few more.

Peace - :)

[jannyk]

11. Am writing this from our retirement home

on Vancouver Island. We bought a funky log cabin on 10 oceanfront acres back in 1999. My husband retired 4 years ago at 53 and I joined him last year at 52. We still live mostly in San Francisco but that will change later this year when we ship all our furniture up to Van Isle.

So yes, we're not just thinking about it - we've done it!

[Matariki]

24. was it difficult to move to canada from the US?

what did it entail?

[jannyk]

25. You can live up to 6 months a year

in Canada as a 'seasonal resident'- you do not qualify for any 'benefits'. If you want to live year round, which we do, it's a beaurocratic nightmare!

You can enter as an 'Entrepeneur', must have run a business before. Must employ 2 Canadians - full time, minimum investment required.

or, an 'Invester'. You give the Canadian Governement $400,000 cdn for 5 years. At the end of 5 years, they give it back with no interest.

or, if you have a specialized skill, lots of formal education and years of real experience, you may have enough points to enter as a 'Skilled Worker'.

Any of the above take a minimum of 2 years, mountains of paperwork, medical exams, FBI/Police clearances and a very possibly a formal interview with an immigration officer (for the whole family).

We haven't 'finalized' our move yet, will do so later this year.

If you have any specific questions, let me know - I'll answer what I can.

[On the Road]

12. It Would be Tough to Choose Only One Place

Ideally, I would like to spend several months a year in another country. First place might be India. But it's hard to choose.

[tenshi816]

13. My husband is hoping to retire at 50,

or by 55 at the latest (he got involved in a business venture a couple of years ago that has turned out to be successful, so what used to be just a dream for him looks like it might actually become a reality in 5-10 years).

I used to want to move back to the States (I'm American) but hubby is British and doesn't want to live in the USA permanently, so we've thought about buying a condo there when the time comes. However, we're leaning more towards getting a 1-bedroom apartment in Banff, Canada, because we go there every year for skiing and have done for years - it's already like a second home to us, and we and our kids love to ski so much. We're really cold weather people. I'd be very happy to downsize our UK house to enable us to buy a place in Canada, and then split our time between the two. Of course, like you say, there's a good few years before we get to the point where we actually have to decide.

Thanks for the links!

[XNASA]

18. The west coast of Mexico sounds mighty inviting.

We've talked about it.

[mike_c]

20. mainland or baja...?

I absolutely love the peninsula.

[we can do it]

22. Thinking About It

Definitely out of ohio....maybe rehoboth beach, sedona arizona or new mexico. Unless it gets really bad in the US - then its New Zealand or Canada.

[Crazy Dave]

23. Definitely!

My wife and I live in a Red State in an even more Red town, mostly for my career and taking care of an elderly relative who does not want to move to a colder climate like a New England state or Oregon.
But one day....(off to dream)

[babylonsister]

26. Dave, you got it all wrong! Don't people swarm

TO Florida when they retire? My dad is there as we speak; he's in Ft. Meyers and says the traffic is getting unbearable.
I'm married to a man originally from MA who refuses to live in a cold climate anymore. So that cuts our options significantly. We'll find somewhere, and it won't be TX!

[Crazy Dave]

27. Your right but....

...it's been a long time for me and I do miss the season changes. I love mountains and snow. Fall in some states is really nice too. Here it's hot and humid all the time and for a couple of weeks it's in the 40's. My wife and I truly hate it but we take care of my mom who is from Puerto Rico and lived here in Florida before she married my dad and she fears us moving to a cold climate. Plus she still drives and I fear her driving in snow even more.
We lived in Spain one time. The weather there gives you all the seasons and it was never in the extremes. Never too hot or cold.

[MasonJar]

28. No, I love Kentucky. I love horses and basketball and bluegrass

and trees and the arts. Come visit and see. However, if the neocons do not get kicked out, I am going to think about going to Europe for much of the year. These last five years have been very hard on my psyche and morale.

[spindrifter]

29. It's too hard to decide!

On the one hand, I love South America and feel really comfortable there. On the other hand, I could definitely get into living in Turkey, where I have some relatives. I was looking at houses in Bulgaria, as that seemed like a possibility, as well. Then there is Thailand, which is also inexpensive.... I doubt that I'll win any big lotteries, and with Bushco screwing everything up, I probably will be working well into my 80's.:banghead:

[Fatima]

30. Yep, maybe sooner than retirement

I'm the granddaughter of Irish immigrants and am compiling the paperwork (mostly birth, death, marriage and divorce records) needed to have my name entered in the Register of Foreign Births- thus making me an Irish citizen- and then the passport. I will be making trips over there over the next few years. Unless the TSA has me on the No-Fly list. Has anyone here run into a problem with the list yet?

[undergroundrailroad]

33. This is an excellent post and thread!

Thanks for the links.

:hi:

[paulk]

34. I would do it tomorrow, if

I could talk my wife into it. And I'm not even retired!

Thailand is my destination of choice - I'd open up a guesthouse or an internet
cafe.

I want out of the USA.

[GoneOffShore]

35. We're looking at France

Best health care on the planet, great transportation system, fabulous food and cheap wine.

If I win the lottery we leave tomorrow, if not we have to wait five or six years.

We're looking at real estate on http://www.pap.fr and Http://www.fnaim.com.

The International Living Newsletter just published their list of places to live - because of civil liberties issues the USA dropped to #6.

There's a surprise.