Author Topic: Retiring But where?  (Read 25604 times)

DavidJohn

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Tom

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #16 on: February 11, 2019, 02:35:53 PM »
It seem ironic, but for Americans retiring in the United States is very complicated and difficult. I've been very lucky but a lot of my peers are having a difficult time of it. Seems some of the best off are those that are living mostly or part time in foreign countries. 

Zooport

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #17 on: February 11, 2019, 02:45:50 PM »
Hey zoo good to hear from you. It’s a thought. For sure  thing is our family  all the kids are out here in ca. And even though I don’t see them a lot  we still see them. How are you adjusting to the colder winters.  Did you get snow? I looked at some possible places. And they all have snow in the forecast.   Wow!

Thanks OW!  We get a little snow, but not much, and it doesn't stay on the ground.  Not very cold this winter, light jacket needed most of the time.  But moving far from your family is something you would regret.  Being near my kids and grandkids is why I let them talk me into moving out here, away from the beach. 
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Zooport

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #18 on: February 11, 2019, 02:52:37 PM »
Pets are a far bigger expense and restraint than most people realize--or care to acknowledge.

Agree.  I love our two dogs, but they are a money pit and an anchor, soaking up almost all of our opportunities to travel for pleasure.  I bought them for my daughter and, as you would expect, she did not take care of them, so they became mine. 
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Dwight (DW)

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #19 on: February 11, 2019, 03:08:15 PM »

supthecreek

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #20 on: February 11, 2019, 03:12:56 PM »
Outside..... I feel ya!

The good news is.... you don't have to settle for less.
There are plenty of places that would love to have you and give you an awesome full life!

Same thing happened to me.
Built a business from scratch... had a 30 year lease.
When lease came up for renewal, my landlady realized that if she didn't renew my lease.... it became HER bar.
So she stole it & I lost everything at 62.

I am in the process of starting life over with nothing at 70.... but it has to revolve around surfing and has to be cheap.... most of all, it has to be amazing. I don't settle for ordinary.

This winter is a big test at becoming an Ex-pat.
I chose Portugal because it is super affordable, stunningly beautiful and has endless waves.
The waves are very powerful and access is challenging, but there are plenty of options.
I ranged around this week a bit and found an amazing area near Lisbon, with waves that suit me, awesome people and very nice living for a congested waterfront community on the outskirts of the city.

To put living expenses in perspective....
Rent 700 yards from the beach = $550 per month - sweet 1 bedroom with garden patio, ground level, parking in front.... quiet and middle of everything.... and my landlady does my laundry and cleans my apartment every week!
dozen fresh eggs = $1
3 big fresh tomatoes = 75 cents
1.5 liters water = 28 cents
12 rolls of toilet paper = $1.99
1.5 lbs ground beef = $4

Lunch today
Big wheat bread club sandwich with ham, cheese, hardboiled eggs, lettuce, tomato = $1.90

I got a haircut, beard trim... full hour with complete with hair wash and straight razor edging by a true artist for $12

beautiful AirBnb in Nazare' this week for $31

Parking has been free wherever I go, beach or downtown.
Camping is allowed free, just about everywhere.... and many towns provide free toilet facilities for travelers.

There are places that look like Tuscany, Baja, or midwest farming country.
The entire coast is stunning and water around me looks like the Caribbean.
There are endless miles of green grass and beautiful trees with grazing free range cattle, sheep or horses.

I hike all the time.... I have never seen a snake or a spider
No sharks, jelly fish, urchins or stingrays
No leash laws... and dogs have never paid any attention to me as I ride by on my bike. BUT... they bark all night.

Gas is $6.50 per gallon and tolls are expensive. No one drives on the highways.

Residency requirement is only $500 USD monthly, per person.

You can buy a pretty nice place for $100,000 and Mortgage rates are maybe 2.2% for 20 years.

Enjoy the hunt..... maybe here, Greece, how about Ireland? or an Island somewhere... but it can be done!

Here's my Garden patio







jsb

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #21 on: February 11, 2019, 03:18:22 PM »
I started a book on retirement but never finished it.

[snip]

Here's a link to as much of the book as I wrote. It's a bit of a mess, but there's some good stuff. https://retirement.pressbooks.com/front-matter/introduction/

Pono- Good stuff!  Do you happen to have a PDF version (or better yet, mobi)?  It would be great to be able to read the book on a kindle, rather than having to click through a bunch of bite-sized chapters on a web site.

WhatsSUP

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #22 on: February 11, 2019, 03:31:22 PM »
Always a fun discussion!!!  After 30 years of moving every 2-3 years we had the benefit of living at multiple locations on the East and West Coasts as well as the Gulf Coast here stateside - courtesy of Uncle Sam. I honestly thought we might have a summer get away here in Rhode Island but never permanent year round.  Ended up buying here in late late 2016 and moved in August of 2017.  Since then (some 18 months) I've been surfing each and every month - most times 6-12 outings a month - haven't missed a month yet.  My beach commute is about 5 mins and although this time of the year it can be cold I can't remember a time when I felt compelled to get out of the water because I was cold...always seems to be just spent after 2-3 hours of water time. This time of the year its usually single digit participants.....love it!  One of the best choices we ever made. And the fact that its the place my wife was born and raised and still has family and friends is a huge bonus!

Your paradise is out there and awaits!!!!!!  Have fun!!
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RideTheGlide

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #23 on: February 11, 2019, 05:31:36 PM »
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-16/melbourne-named-worlds-most-liveable-city-for-seventh-year/8812196

Last time I checked, you didn’t let retired people in  :-[

Age 45 or close to it, was the limit.

I know someone from England who was getting frustrated going through customs in Oz and when the officer asked him if he had ever been arrested, he asked "Is that still required to enter your country?"  ;D
I don't think that sped things up much...
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RideTheGlide

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #24 on: February 11, 2019, 05:43:01 PM »
Hey zoo good to hear from you. It’s a thought. For sure  thing is our family  all the kids are out here in ca. And even though I don’t see them a lot  we still see them. How are you adjusting to the colder winters.  Did you get snow? I looked at some possible places. And they all have snow in the forecast.   Wow!

Thanks OW!  We get a little snow, but not much, and it doesn't stay on the ground.  Not very cold this winter, light jacket needed most of the time.  But moving far from your family is something you would regret.  Being near my kids and grandkids is why I let them talk me into moving out here, away from the beach.

That's one thing that will probably keep me east coast. I have some FL family that I know is staying put. Only one of my kids is launched and he is in White Plains, NY for an outstanding job opportunity. It's a contract that has been extended a couple of times and he may get on staff but if he doesn't, he would likely be looking in CA because that's where the jobs are. He is a special effects animator and got a job with Blue Sky (Ice Age, Rio, Ferdinand, Horton, etc) right out of college. They are about the only large (they're #4 behind Disney, Pixar and Dreamworks) animation studio in the east. Pretty cool; this fall I will get to see his name roll by at the theater. Anyway, others are more likely to stay east.
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eastbound

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #25 on: February 11, 2019, 06:31:38 PM »
my partner died---he didnt steal from me, and was a great guy--but ive had to find new sources of capital and processing that he provided me--painful--i am currently 110% committed to restarting my business, with one foot out the door---i am on my way, but it had better launch quick and right, or bye bye--not enough time left, to waste flogging a horse that wont run---while im still running..........

where? CR is a nice place--and has good medical for good $$--lotta medical tourism there, in fact--still cheap in more remote places--fully priced in many at this point

how about a cheapo apartment in the mouth of little cottonwood canyon in slc ut?

35 min public bus ride to some of the best lift-serviced and backcountry skiing on the planet--same bus in the summer to world class granite--and quartzite a canyon over

salt lake, for years mormon-dominated, has gotten some good secular culture of recent--and it's certainly clean and safe----super cheap

lake-paddling only, but who says youd be there year-round?



« Last Edit: February 11, 2019, 06:40:35 PM by eastbound »
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toolate

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #26 on: February 11, 2019, 10:19:56 PM »
Pets are a far bigger expense and restraint than most people realize--or care to acknowledge. I like dogs, but wouldn't have one if my wife wasn't so attached to them. I've been looking at our expenses per year and dog expense is big enough to pop up on the radar. That was a surprise. Add to that, there are a lot of things we don't do, or have to do in a contorted way, because of the dog. Our dog is a service dog--a diabetic alert dog, but with a continuous glucose monitor, the benefit is hard to justify on a medical basis.

That book is well done Pono!
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OUTSIDEWAVE

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #27 on: February 11, 2019, 10:27:24 PM »
Wow guys alot to think about   for us we have 4 dogs and my wife says i was a dog in another life. but 2 are getting along in years and i will miss them terribly when they are gone. I am a geologist and work out doors so they have been constant companions and occaissional guardians.

 Family is  very important to us. We have 6 kids  blended family  and 4 are in calif 1 in flagstaff  1 more also  in cal but travels all over the world promoting  music .

 On top of all else  my wife is experiencing symptoms  that are looking like ms   so that may be the deciding factor is her health.

So for those of you that  moved out of your state or out of the country. Does it feel foreign  or are you adjusted?  Do you have kids  Or grand children? how does that work   ?

 I haved lived in socal since 1964. Its hard to imagine anything else  let alone another country.

  Ifigure i have maybe 2 years maybe 5  but not much more? 

 Along long time ago when i was maybe 23,   i was surfing in newport beach at the pier  it was a weekday   there was a grandfather and his 2 grandsons  maybe 9 and 10  just us 4  i didnt know them never saw them again   but i always remembered them   cause i really wanted to that someday.       One of the most fun days ever!  Thats why family is so important .   One thing is amazing  is how many stories plans and really good guys are on this site
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surfinJ

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #28 on: February 12, 2019, 12:52:40 AM »
I was lucky to have moved to a place a long time ago that I can afford to remain in when retiring this spring. I’ve got some buddies back in NY where that isn’t the case and one is going to N Carolina and the other Panama. Panama seems very attractive for the pesionado benefits and a decent healthcare setup.

Moving has social challenges as most friends are formed when we are young and just showing up somewhere you start alone. If you speak the language contacts are easily made but deep friendships will require patience.  And you have to realize the bonds you have with your old school days buds won't be reproduced as a relocated adult.

Europe while very attractive is a bit financially difficult as they will require income and health insurance proofs.  While not as big of an obstacle as Oz or NZ there are minimums to be met. Basically they are trying to avoid newcomers going onto the very supportive social system.

After having moved abroad over thirty years ago and living in multiple foreign countries all I can say is, i feel like a world citizen. Kind of floating in between the different languages and societies. For me it’s really home is where the heart is.

And family. Yea that’s a tricky one. In this mobile society it seems to be a rare one when we all end up in the same place growing old together.  My family back home is broken and scattered. A shame.  My two girls here are studying and though the idea of them staying local is nice it probably won’t happen. I guess if you have kids young they are settled by the time retirement rolls around you can plan accordingly.

All the luck with your search. 

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Re: Retiring But where?
« Reply #29 on: February 12, 2019, 10:12:30 AM »
This is a great thread. The big question is do you need waves and how close of access do you need?

The thing I like about surfing is that it is a healthy pursuit and demands you to be in shape, flexible, strong, etc. So, I don't want to give it up as a retirement goal.  I love golfing, fishing and hunting as well, but these are sports that can be pursued pretty much in any state. Plus after a day golfing with my buds I generally come home half drunk and sick from eating a bunch of shitty bar food.

We really had fun down in South Texas and I could almost see myself down there for the long haul, but we could not leave our kids for that long and assume that they will be out on the West Coast somewhere. However a monthly rental for 4 people in Port Aransas or Galveston near the beach is going to be $3k so you can easily spend time there. The surf isn't great if you are used to the West Coast, but the people are really cool.

I live in Washington and can tell you that it would almost be impossible to not have some kind of paddling within 15 minutes of you anywhere in Western WA. If you want surf you are going to be looking at Westport for the closest and most consistent surfing. There are lots of other spots, but Westport is going to be your most consistent. It is my home beach. I live 45 minutes away. A little too far for pre-work surf unless I can get a meeting in the area apres surf.

So right now we are looking at staying with some form of home here in WA. I would like a camping van as part of that to allow multi day trips to OR coast and spots North. Probably winters in AZ/FLA for golf. We will spend summer and fall in WA. I will be managing a cranberry farm and probably hanging on to my commercial real estate during my retirement which is out here on the WA coast. Leaving the spring for the surfing getaway months. I will surf WA/OR during the summer.

I don't want to work too much, but I think the farm and rentals are going to spin off enough extra cash to do whatever we want.

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