domestic/overseas retirement?

[jdd2]

Okay, amidst very much more important things like the daily thread, electric mowers, selling your (burnable) garbage to Sweden, ordering checks, and the multiplicity of things that a smart phone will do these days...

Where are you going to retire? And why?

Tuscany? South France? *Hawaii?

Okay (again), maybe just retiring is important, and where is not important at all. Please know that I get that-->being retired anywhere is better than not being retired (in that same place). And some people like my dad, who is 94, apart from spending Januarys in AZ, gets along fine in north Illinois. (“It’s not bad if you don’t have to go out in it,” which I can understand.)

But being an expat, and reading how Duck is on the verge of moving from Canada to Mexico, I kind of wonder--are people here thinking of staying where they are, maybe going to FL and AZ (or someplace close to those).

Or maybe planning (as Duck is) a more radical move:

www.cnbc.com/id/41409224

www.cnbc.com/id/41407154

internationalliving.com/2009/09/cotacachi-ecuador/

Of course I doubt those kinds of articles, the same way I doubt similar articles about the “best places/towns to retire in the U.S.” (Some of those places, like Ft. Collins, CO, may be nice, but they are so much drier than where I am now.…, I guess I’m not sure I want to move a desert, and a desert that’s colder than where I am now.) So wherever you are, maybe sticking close to home, or staying home, has plenty of positives so that it’s the “best” choice?

Another factor: Kids.

Ours look like they’re gone, or well on the way to that, enough so that they won’t come back to bite us, tho that could change.

And is anyone thinking that kids could be a positive? That they may provide a little support instead of being a drain?

~~

Here: My younger wife, who also works, is six years behind me for retirement. If possible (if my school, or someplace else around town, would have an ageing me), I’d probably teach a little more over that time.

For me, Okinawa (outer islands) is a whole lot closer than south america, and thru the winter it’s definitely warmer than Phoenix. (Maybe a little cool for outdoor showers.) And it’s domestic, and my phone would work, as would my health care.

A little further south, and it might be Palawan or El Nido (google either for images), and from there on to Malaysia or on to south or north Thailand.

And so on.

(*I actually had some junk land in Hawaii, the big isle, but sold it in 2007. That’s okay, it wasn’t a place that I’d want to retire to.)

[Deleted]

If I had the money, which I just may someday if I work hard and eat a balanced breakfast, there is some place in the area where Wiltshire, Somerset and Gloucestershire intersect that has my name on it. If not there, then certainly somewhere around Salisbury would be nice, such as up in the Woodfords. Maybe Sting and I could be neighbors.

Now, more realistically, when I retire in the US, I haven't thought much about it yet. I would be damned pleased to hold onto the very house we own now in Platte City, Mo. The kids are putting down roots, and I'm tired of moving around. Fooey.

[Doug]

If Mama ain't happy..............

[Cornflake]

Interesting question, as the subject has been on my mind. Not that I'm in a rush. We'll almost certainly retire where we live now, in Arizona. I don't want to live in any country other than my own. If it were entirely up to me, I'd consider other parts of Arizona, as well as New Mexico, but my spouse is a native Phoenician. Besides, this is where our friends and communities are.

What I'd really like is to figure out a way to be a reverse snowbird and go somewhere cooler from mid-June through mid-September. There aren't that many places that are cool in the summer, though, and the ones that do exist are pricey.

[ducktrapper]

If plans go according to dreams, as if they ever do, I won't need to double dip. We can retire without a mortgage and live very well in Mexico without ever seeing snow again unless we want to. Besides, as crazy as it may seem and in my humble opinion, Mexico has better and less expensive health care than (my part of) Canada (and good beer).
Pace political opponents.

[dickt]

I read the occasional article about best places to retire, etc. and one of our staff retired last year and moved to Ecuador where she intends to grow a lot of her own food, build a house, and live cheaply. We are on the verge of retiring--probably 2015--and we will probably be stuck at first in our current large home with it's underwater mortgage. My wife talks about upstate NY where many of her relatives live. There is some consideration of the children (two in VA and one in Chicago) and grandchild. Our once empty nest is not so empty at the moment. Things could change in two years so anything is possible.

I'll tell you one thing--we won't be moving to Florida as that flat sandbar has no appeal to me. Another thing I'll add--maybe the best retirement advice I've heard is do not decide right off the bat that you want to buy somewhere. You could end up hating it and having to move--that's happened to some of our friends. Better to either make extended visits or rent for a year before settling.

[Deleted]

OK work with me on this one. I wonder if native Phonecians ever tyre of the place?

My work is done here.

[ducktrapper]

A man dies and goes to heaven. Upon his arrival, he notices there is a mysterious door which is never open. After a few days St. Peter comes by to see how he's settling in, and the man says "Everything is great, but I just have to ask: where does that door lead?"
St. Peter answers "That is the door to hell," but doesn't offer any further explanation.
After a few weeks, the curiosity gets the better of him, and the man again approaches St. Peter.
"St. Peter, I can't stand it, I have to see the other side of that door!"
St. Peter answers "God knew that this would happen, so He has arranged everything for you. You are to have a personal tour of hell, guided by Satan himself. However, you must realize that upon your return to heaven, you can never go through that door again. If you do, you will have to stay in hell for all eternity."
The man agrees, and waits with bated breath for his tour of hell. Finally the day arrives, and St. Peter takes him to the door and lets him through. Satan and several minions greet the man and usher him into a fine club where a huge party is taking place. The man is given a fine Italian suit, Cuban cigars, single malt scotch, pure cocaine, the best pot...you name it, it's offered to him and he accepts. He spends the entire night drinking and gambling with Satan, having a great time. Finally, his allotted time is over and he has to return to heaven. Satan himself sees the man off.
Several weeks go by, and the man is getting bored with the usual routine in heaven. He informs St. Peter that he's decided to cross into hell, to spend eternity partying with Satan. St. Peter acquiesces, and takes the man to the door. As soon as he enters hell, he is seized by a horde of demons, his skin is stripped, and molten lead is poured all over him. The man cries out "But Satan, why, why are you doing this to me? I thought we were pals!"
Satan answers: "My dear fellow, you have to understand: Tourism is one thing, but immigration is quite another!"

[aquaduct]

Retire?!?

I won't be able to retire. I will continue to work wherever the wife decides she wants to live.

And then I will fall out.

That's the plan anyways.

[Cornflake]

"I wonder if native Phonecians ever tyre of the place?"

[Deleted]

I had to fish around for that one, Flake.

[Marshall]

Apr 15, 2013 8:39:43 GMT -5 Cornflake said:

"I wonder if native Phonecians ever tyre of the place?"

You guys are GOOD !

[Marshall]

Apr 15, 2013 8:11:07 GMT -5 @ducktrapper said:

. . . , Besides, as crazy as it may seem and in my humble opinion, Mexico has better and less expensive health care than (my part of) Canada (and good beer).
Pace political opponents.

Apr 15, 2013 8:35:02 GMT -5 @ducktrapper said:

. . . , Satan answers: "My dear fellow, you have to understand: Tourism is one thing, but immigration is quite another!"

I find that hard to believe. I think that healthcare would be the big reason not to move to another South-American country. I hear people who retire to Nicaragua, still fly home for anything serious medically.

For Sue and I, we're just starting to talk about this. Being close to the kids will be important. So, SA is out of the question. But someplace with slightly better weather and much less tax burden will be in consideration. Probably somewhere in the middle of the country, like TN or KY. You're within striking distance of just about anywhere; still get change of seasons; proximity to some urban life; nice scenery; cheaper cost of living.

[Cornflake]

I've heard that Kabul has a lower cost of living.

[Deleted]

Westcliffe, Colorado. It ain't for everybody. Maybe that's why nobody lives here ;D. But ... sunny winters keep the deep winter brain fog away. Bugless summers. Beautiful mountains and lakes and plenty of hiking trails. And, because the nearest downhill skiing is an hour away, real estate here can be had for a song. Two of our three boys live in Denver which is still a reasonable 3 hour drive from here. We can load up the camper and head to Utah for adventure as well.

If we were to live anywhere else it would probably be the Moab area. A lifetime of adventure in SE Utah and relatively mild and sunny winters as well.

For us it's all about the outdoor adventuring.

[ducktrapper]

Apr 15, 2013 8:55:58 GMT -5 Marshall said:

Apr 15, 2013 8:11:07 GMT -5 @ducktrapper said:

. . . , Besides, as crazy as it may seem and in my humble opinion, Mexico has better and less expensive health care than (my part of) Canada (and good beer).
Pace political opponents.

Apr 15, 2013 8:35:02 GMT -5 @ducktrapper said:

. . . , Satan answers: "My dear fellow, you have to understand: Tourism is one thing, but immigration is quite another!"

I find that hard to believe. I think that healthcare would be the big reason not to move to another South-American country. I hear people who retire to Nicaragua, still fly home for anything serious medically.

Notwithstanding the fact that Mexico is part of North America, you have obviously never been to Thunder Bay Regional Science Centre as we euphemistically call our hospital. Besides, Canada is the only country in the world that forbids you to have private healthcare even if you can afford it. Well, unless you play for the Blue Jays, that is. Star Medica in Merida is a world class facility. You can look it up.

[ducktrapper]

Who the hell would retire to Nicaragua, by the way?

Nicaragua, the poorest country in Central America and the second poorest in the Hemisphere, has widespread underemployment and poverty. The US-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) has been in effect since April 2006 and has expanded export opportunities for many agricultural and manufactured goods. Nicaragua relies on international economic assistance to meet internal- and external-debt financing obligations. Foreign donors have curtailed this funding, however, citing accusations of fraud in the November 2008 elections. In early 2004, Nicaragua secured some $4.5 billion in foreign debt reduction under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. Managua still struggles with a high public debt burden, however, it succeeded in reducing that burden substantially in 2011. The economy grew at a rate of about 4% in 2011.[3]

[PaulKay]

Funny you should ask since we are planning all that right now. 2 years from now I plan to quit working and we'll be moving to either Sun City Phoenix or Sun City Tucson. We are tentatively planning to go spend time in Tucson later this year to see if we like it better than Phoenix. Temps are a little better there because of higher altitude and much better views.

Years ago, I looked into going to Baja Mexico, or somewhere else in South America, but abandoned all those ideas since we just didn't know enough about those places and neither of us speaks spanish.

[theevan]

Wherever family is. By then that should mean grandchildren...and we know not where.

[Resolve]

Home is where the heart is. That is so true.

MrR and I are retired. We'd always talked about becoming snowbirds at the very least. I hate Wisconsin winter...more and more with each passing year. However, I will stay here because no amount of nice weather could give me the joy that I am now enjoying via kids, grands, a few close friends and my music endeavor with Lar.