# Where Would You Retire To? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 17, 2012, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764 "2012-08-17T11:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/21 "2012-08-18T02:17:22Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > This would be my answer as well. I also think it would be great to live 6 months here, a year there, etc. E.g. I would love to spend a whole year in NYC, then be able to move on. Or maybe something like Endless Winter. > > For those that would prefer to stay put, why buy a home? Wouldn’t the money last longer if you just rented? Depends on how long you live and the housing market , the same as buying a house before retirement. Back to the OP- if it’s an additional $300K over the retirement income I’ll already have, then I’m moving to Myrtle Beach for the winter and staying in NYC for the rest of the year. ---
**Author:** ![goonhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@goonhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goonhead)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/22 "2012-08-18T02:20:50Z")
Would probably want to retire somewhere in western North Carolina. My sister lives in Morganton, and if she still lives there when I’m of retirement age, that would give me some family to visit. Outside of Asheville property is fairly affordable, and the climate is not too cold in the winter nor unbearably hot in the summer, but still has some change of seasons. The Appalachians and Atlantic Ocean are both within a day’s drive for recreation opportunities. ---
**Author:** ![LegsAkimbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@LegsAkimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LegsAkimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/23 "2012-08-18T02:21:10Z")
We are closing on our retirement home in a smallish town in western NC in about a week. Not moving there quite yet but will enjoy the house and explore the area during visits until we do. That is precisely where we both want to be. Paying cash for the home; when we move up there we will have ~$500k, get about $3k a month SS (if it’s still viable), and ultimately hopefully money from selling this house. Just give me a deck with a mountain view, a comfortable chair, and a good book and I will be happy. Ha–just saw goonhead’s post when I posted this! Yes, it’s a great area! ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/24 "2012-08-18T02:34:49Z")
> [@](#): > > For the “I’d buy an RV and travel crowd”…ummm, ok, but what are you going to do when you run out of money? I said I’d hit the open road, but I didn’t say anything about an RV. I sort of already “retired” from '01 thru '06 when I took a buyout and got a fairly nice lump sum. My best friend rented a room to me for $400/month so I had a place to come home to, and I made several leisurely cross-country trips in my 4Runner (full of travel/camping gear and my bike) and went to NZ and Oz a couple of times. After that, through sheer luck I went back to work with my old company, and I’ll accrue 30 years of service next month. Now, that room at my friend’'s house is still available, and I think 300K tax-free would last me almost a decade. Whatever happens after that doesn’t matter so much to me… I will have had all those years of freedom and grand adventures where otherwise I would be spending 40-plus hours a week at a job that bores me to fucking death. ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/25 "2012-08-18T03:19:07Z")
> [@phxjcc](#): > > For the “I’d buy an RV and travel crowd”…ummm, ok, but what are you going to do when you run out of money? > > RV costs are going to be $75/day without food or PITI on the RV itself. > Here is a cite, since SDMB’ers like cites: [http://twofortheroad.tripod.com/id48.html](http://twofortheroad.tripod.com/id48.html) > > Even if you max out on SS, you are going to be in serious negative cash flow each month. Then we’d just move back home, I suppose, or we’d sell our house and drive around on that for the rest of our lives :D. We’d drive off a cliff before we’d pay money into an HOA or buy a condo in Arizona. (And really, there are still [tripod.com](http://tripod.com) sites? Wow!) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/26 "2012-08-18T03:31:57Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > We passed through a town in Washington on the Sound last year that looked like just where I’d like to retire to. Washington’s a no-state-income-tax state, right? That would make a big difference to folks on a fixed income. I don’t know how the colder, wetter weather would feel to old bones, but California’s an expensive state to live in. No income tax, but a hefty sales tax. Looking back, there is no way I would have retired with only $300K in the bank. We’re living on our SS money and the small retirement checks we get, which is easy if you don’t have a mortgage payment, but the money is there if we need it. If you’re _only_ going to live on the $300K, you’re going to run out of money fairly soon. Even if you’re frugal and don’t have any long-term debt, you’re only likely to make it about ten years or so. Add travel and the other things mentioned, and you’ll be broke in half that time. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/27 "2012-08-18T04:20:40Z")
Taiwan or Thailand. Ideally somewhere near the coast. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/28 "2012-08-18T04:28:44Z")
Panama, where I am right now. Lots of retirees from the US think the same. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/29 "2012-08-18T07:25:22Z")
Back to Finland, where I lived for a couple of years back in the early sixties. Turku, probably. A nice medium-sized city on the coast. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/30 "2012-08-18T07:34:26Z")
I don’t want to go anywhere. I’m happy to stay where I am after retirement. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/31 "2012-08-18T10:07:27Z")
Thankyou everyone, the replies are informative and interesting. Thinking about it overnight, here’s a few places that occurred to me: Thailand, Fiji, Costa Rica, Botswana, Turkey, India, Bhutan. Some criteria to apply would be: Stable politically, stable economy, basic infrastructure (clean water, sewerage, telephones, internet), medical care, some English spoken, access to an international airport to visit family. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/32 "2012-08-18T17:05:31Z")
> [@kenner116](#): > > Taiwan or **Thailand**. Ideally somewhere near the coast. Yeah, just watched an episode of House Hunters International and a guy moved to an inland city in northern Thailand - rents were ridiculously cheap (he picked an apartment for $230/month that was quite nice, but declined a $620/mo four story modern house that was spectacular!). Plus, they mentioned most people never cook at home as food is so cheap and such and abundance of places to eat. Not quite sure about things like health care, political climate and language barrier (I would imagine learning Thai is a bit of a challenge), but otherwise, seems like a great choice for someone with limited budget and wanting adventure and great weather. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/33 "2012-08-18T17:18:20Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > We passed through a town in Washington on the Sound last year that looked like just where I’d like to retire to. What town was it, if you don’t mind me asking? ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/34 "2012-08-18T21:04:03Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > What town was it, if you don’t mind me asking? Gig Harbor, and the neighborhoods to the north and west of it. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/35 "2012-08-18T21:20:32Z")
300k is probably not enough to retire the way I want. Unless I get to keep my pensions too. Some place warm. On the ocean. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/36 "2012-08-18T21:51:53Z")
Goa. Definitely Goa. I’m Konkani and my fiance fell in love with Goa when he worked there for a year and a half for his first post-college job. It’s pretty weird-my parents immigrated to the West from India in the early 80s for economic prosperity and better opportunities and my SO and I are thinking of going back within this decade. For me it’s definitely going to be an Immigration Event to a foreign country because I am very thoroughly American at this point and pretty attached to living here. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/37 "2012-08-18T22:13:09Z")
A nice log home around Charlevoix, MI. close to lake Michigan, a couple acres of land, tall pine trees and amazing sunsets. I’d never leave. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/38 "2012-08-18T22:14:18Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Panama, where I am right now. > > Lots of retirees from the US think the same. oooh, tell me more! why do you like Panama? is it the weather? is the living inexpensive? more, more!! ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/39 "2012-08-18T22:44:17Z")
Montreal. It’s where I’ve lived all my life, but I love it so much I’d like to stay here. Maybe also Vancouver, but housing prices are three times what they are in Montreal, and $300,000 there wouldn’t last me the rest of my life (I’m only 27.) ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764/40 "2012-08-19T01:08:48Z")
Well, since I probably couldn’t live in Barcelona on that budget, Andalucia it is. As long as I could find a place with modern heat and air conditioning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-would-you-retire-to/631764.md?page=3)