# Good Geographical Regions for Retirement?



## erikmannie (Oct 10, 2021)

I am going to retire in 9 years or less, and I want to use that opportunity to get out of the wildfire zone (I am in NorCal).

I am only interested in welding & machining in my retirement. Hopefully, that is all I do.

My pension program will not pay for health benefits if I go to Montana, so I won’t choose Montana.

I have spent hundreds of hours looking online at real estate across the country. I like the idea of buying a commercial property in town. It doesn’t need to be larger than a 3-4 car garage. I would definitely *not* have a business. This is all hobby stuff.

So do you guys think that the whole northern belt across the US is too cold for year-round machining and welding? Similarly, the southern belt is too hot? I’ve never been to the South. Is it uncomfortably humid? Is that a situation I don’t want to walk into?

As somebody who has usually lived in California and spent a lot of time in Oregon, the wildfire thing is pretty scary. One of my main priorities is to get away from wildfires. I would certainly hate to retire, set up a shop, and then have everything burn down!

I’ve been to Troy, OH. It seems like a nice balance between too cold & too humid. The real estate prices are pretty friendly.

I could also buy a farm property and have an insulated workshop there. I definitely don’t want to bother any neighbors with noise and smoke. That is another problem that I am looking to get away from because where I live now there is one crybaby neighbor who complains about my welding and machining.

So do you guys have any recommendations on places that are out of the way of wildfires, not too cold, not too hot and not too humid?


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## kb58 (Oct 10, 2021)

What's being asked is like "what color should I like?" It's entirely up to you, as no one can know how hot is too hot, how cold is too cold, or how humid is too humid, f_or you_. There will be plenty of opinions, but they aren't yours, and all you'll get are strangers' opinions of what's comfortable for _them_.

Google can provide all the data you need, and beyond that, only you can decide.


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## rabler (Oct 10, 2021)

I was born in Madison, Wi, spent my teenage years in Duluth, Mn, and most of my career in Georgia.  So I've seen a range of climates in the continental U.S.    I've retired to SW Indiana, in part as a climate compromise.  Most places in the U.S. are going to have some climate swing, the west coast is tends to have less just because of the weather patterns.  People tend to have some personal variation in what climate suites them.  So you have to factor that in for yourself.  I found southern Georgia to be hot and humid.  And frequently still, not a decent breeze.  Northern Georgia wasn't bad.   On the other hand my father retired from Duluth Mn to the extreme NE of Iowa, and loves the climate there, but it does require dealing with snow removal.  I find that the few days that our place in Indiana gets snow, just stay home a while and it melts.  Usually 2-3 days at most.  

If you move to someplace that is mostly agricultural, you will probably find a bit more acceptance with machining and welding. Farmers tend to not be as fussy as residential neighborhoods.  You can find small lots in the middle of farm field, probably even with some decent outbuildings that would make a good start to a shop.   And being in farm country does not mean being remote or isolated, we're 3 miles to a small town with an ER, Walmart, Menards, etc.  And 45 minutes to a decent town with malls, etc.


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## Weldingrod1 (Oct 10, 2021)

I would suggest not getting too far out in the sticks for retirement, and not owning too much grass ;-)
Yes, Houston is hot and humid. But, easy to travel from, 98% ice-free, and lots of suppliers of shop goodies. 
If you are in the hot belt, you want A/C in the shop... In the cold belt, heat. Plan for year round shop access!

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk


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## extropic (Oct 10, 2021)

The Fire hazard is a secondary concern to me. If you own enough area, clear it of fuel. Create a safety zone or live with the risk.

I'm in southern Washington State, about 150 feet above the Columbia River. My shop (60' x 80') has hydronic floor heating fueled by used oil. I have developed adequate sources of oil (which is critical) so it works for me. I run the system 24/7 from September to June.

I have a buddy that has a similar shop with hydronic floor heat, but electrically heated (MUCH simpler than oil). I don't know his heating costs.
If you're healthy and want the exercise, you can always find wood to burn.

Oregon has no sales tax and Washington has no income tax.

One other thing, being from CA and moving north, you will probably gain some sense of what it is to be an immigrant. There is no love lost on immigrants from CA (driving up the property costs/taxes and influencing their government). I guess I should say, I'm an escapee from SoCal.


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## matthewsx (Oct 10, 2021)

I'm from NorCal, lived in Arizona and Northern Michigan.

Think twice before you move out of state, that neighbor might go away before you retire and you won't find too many places that top Santa Rosa for livability. 

I have good friends who are retired there and I think they're pretty smart.

John


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## Aukai (Oct 10, 2021)

I always DREAM about moving to a nice property with shop space, so I check out guys who say they have a house, and shop space for sale.  








						9999 Fm 751, Quinlan, TX 75474 | MLS #14623295 | Zillow
					

9999 Fm 751, Quinlan TX, is a Single Family home that contains 1776 sq ft and was built in 1986.It contains 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms.   The Zestimate for this Single Family is $446,300, which has decreased by $4,706 in the last 30 days.The Rent Zestimate for this Single Family is $1,900/mo...




					www.zillow.com


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## rabler (Oct 10, 2021)

Weldingrod1 said:


> If you are in the hot belt, you want A/C in the shop... In the cold belt, heat. Plan for year round shop access!


I second this.  Tolerance of temperature extremes wanes with age. The ductless mini-splits heat pumps are certainly one reasonable approach that covers a good range of temperatures, although as temperatures start to go below freezing they lose efficiency and best to plan for a backup heat approach.

Plan on insulating any shop.  It'll help with climate control, and noise.


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## benmychree (Oct 10, 2021)

We damn near got burned out last year, only a last minute fire beak saved us and our back fence neighbor has been clearing dead trees from his 100 acres, we now have a couple of hundred feet of clear land, next year he plans to do much more; he lost his house entirely.  My family has owned the land that we occupy since 1847, and I do not intend to move.


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## Asm109 (Oct 10, 2021)

The mountains of North Carolina offer a nice balance between seasons, not too hot and humid summers and minimal snow in winter.


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## benmychree (Oct 10, 2021)

Asm109 said:


> The mountains of North Carolina offer a nice balance between seasons, not too hot and humid summers and minimal snow in winter.


Yes, I have driven through that area, went through Ashville on our way to Ga and Al. Nice while we were there.


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## Liljoebrshooter (Oct 10, 2021)

A lot can change in 9 years. 

Joe


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## RJSakowski (Oct 10, 2021)

Some thirty years ago, I had the opportunity to choose anywhere in the country to move to.  I had just gotten a divorce and the property we were renting was put up for sale.. I had my own manufacturing business with sales mostly by mail or phone so I was literally free to move almost anywhere. My criteria were access to UPS, USPS, and FedEx ship points, hunting and fishing opportunities, reasonable taxes and government regulations and real estate that was pleasing to the eye.  

 I ended up purchasing the property that I was on in Southwest Wisconsin and haven't regretted it.  I wish that I was closer to great fishing but it is reasonable at around 25 miles away.  I haven't hunted deer in some ten years now but in the previous thirty years, I had taken over 100 dear with gun and bow on the property.  I live in a valley, small by Western standards, on 12 acres with a 1/2 mile of creek frontage and my nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away.  I can pound iron, weld, target practice to my heart's content without fear of irritating the neighbors.  I am 18 miles from the second largest city in the state so it's not like I am way out in the boonies.

The governmental regulations have increased since then but they aren't as onerous as many places.  This part of the state does experience some cold winter weather.  The coldest that I experienced in my life was a few years back when the thermometer hit -40 but winters have been getting more mild.  You can always put more clothes on if you're cold but you can only go so far if it's hot.  Summers can be hot and humid and more so lately.  Having A/C has helped considerably in that regard.  We do get occasional severe weather, usually in the form of severe thunderstorms or a tornado or two.  Winter can bring on a blizzard or ice storm but not as bad as other parts of the country.  Wisconsin is blessed with some major aquifers so generally water shortages aren't a problem.  (If you farming, that may be different though)  We will have wild fires but they are usually limited to a few acres.  

For many years now, I have said, "the next rime that I move, it will be in a pine box".

If this area isn't your cup of tea, it gets wilder as you go west.  Regulations tend to be more relaxed and the terrain less civilized.  While I can't personally speak to Minnesota, I suspect that is true there too.


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## Janderso (Oct 10, 2021)

Asm109 said:


> The mountains of North Carolina offer a nice balance between seasons, not too hot and humid summers and minimal snow in winter.


One of our techs is moving to North Carolina in January. He is a conservative hard working good tech.
He was amazed at what you could buy compared to Ca.


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## Dave Smith (Oct 10, 2021)

RJSakowski said:


> For many years now, I have said, "the next rime that I move, it will be in a pine box".



hopefully they haven't already nailed the lid shut when that happens!!!


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## Aaron_W (Oct 10, 2021)

If you want to greatly reduce serious wildfires you can make a line from Montana to Texas and then eliminate everything west (including MT and most of TX). The Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts are less active than the west, but do still have their share of large wildfires. Alaska also gets large fires. Hawaii gets fire less frequently but when they do get them, volcanoes are often involved.

No state is wildfire free, but I just eliminated about half the country for you.


extropic has a good point, if you get enough land (5-10 acres is probably adequate, but as little as 1 acre can be done), buy it in the right location, maintain the vegetation and build from fire resistant materials then you can eliminate a great deal of the risk even in a wildfire prone state. Also consider what you are trading for wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms and blizzards are not common in the western states. I'd rather prep my property for fires than deal with tornadoes or hurricanes and you can keep that sub zero stuff.


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## Gaffer (Oct 10, 2021)

I'm 5=8 years from retirement and doing my best to make it 5. My wife and I went through what you are doing. I'm from WA and have family in ID and MT. We toured the NW states looking for a retirement property and it was a beautiful country. RE prices have soared everywhere, and since climate (heat and humidity are a deal-breaker for my wife), we looked further south from our present location and settled for the Fallbrook area in N. San Diego county. We acquired a 2.53-acre lot in South Morro Hills. It's a beautiful agricultural area, technically in Oceanside, that meets our needs - privacy, a great climate, and we're close enough to civilization and hospitals to appease my wife, and it has an existing, though in rough shape, a 20X54 building on a concrete slab. There's no house or utilities, so this is going to be a painful process to build, but it will be worth it - I hope! 

I used to say that when I retired I was leaving CA, but changed my tune, and hope I don't regret it because the investing has begun! I wish you the best in your journey.


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## MikeInOr (Oct 10, 2021)

We have wild fires here in Oregon every year and it is only getting worse.  In addition to the danger of getting burned out the air quality is very poor due to very thick smoke for 2 to 3 months out of the year even when the fires are a hundred miles away or more.  With all the complaining about COVID masks the N95's are actually kind of good to have on during the summer.

As for climate I have always found it is easier to warm a place up than it is to cool it off hence my preference to live in a colder climate.


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## Dave Smith (Oct 11, 2021)

you didn't mention where your wife wants to live and where your relatives are. unless you are single that may mean a lot in your decision. I made a move 11 years ago to a very nice location just 15 blocks south of the Mayo Clinic. I can weld and do machining and my other projects with no problems from neighbors. a perfect place is out there as long as you know what your needs are and being ready to move quickly when you find it. real estate is less costly here in Minnesota than in your area, so you should have a good move. nine years is a long time and things may change a lot by then.
Dave


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## Nutfarmer (Oct 11, 2021)

The wild fire problems can be very different from property to property in the same general area. Look at defensible space and type of building materials. Investigate the information out there on making your home less at risk for wild fires. What is done on the individual property and house make a big difference in surviving a wild fire. Just having a hundred feet of clearance around the home makes a big difference. Talk to your fire department. Lots of times after a fire there are homes that come through intacked. The biggest reason is defensible space around the home. It is mostly sweat equity to improve the defensible space around a home. There may be a lot that can be done with out moving.


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## Janderso (Oct 11, 2021)

Aaron_W said:


> If you want to greatly reduce serious wildfires you can make a line from Montana to Texas and then eliminate everything west (including MT and most of TX). The Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts are less active than the west, but do still have their share of large wildfires. Alaska also gets large fires. Hawaii gets fire less frequently but when they do get them, volcanoes are often involved.
> 
> No state is wildfire free, but I just eliminated about half the country for you.
> 
> ...


I spent a week in Richmond VA at the University of Virginia.
Me and two buds were there on a Civil War learning experience.
This was late May. Professor Gallagher was talking about The Battle of the Wilderness in May of 1864, I believe.
He mentioned how the wounded were burned from the forest fires set by the cannons and musket fire.
I looked around and asked, how could this place ever burn?
It was green and wet. They had a very dry Spring that year.
I guess even Virginia, PA, NY... have dry periods.


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## macardoso (Oct 11, 2021)

The midwest gets a lot of smack talk, but honestly it is a very comfortable place to live. I've lived in Chicagoland, Mid-Michigan, Cleveland, and we are moving to Metro-Detroit in a few weeks.

You can find any type of living from big city to small town America and anything in between. Weather is fairly mild, often better in recent years than the famously mild climates (Pacific North-West for one). Everywhere I've lived rarely gets colder than 10F in the winter and 90F in the summer. We have 4 distinct seasons, where that line is quite blurry in other parts of the country. 

Also with several of these being "swing" states, you get a wide variety of political ideologies, obviously more liberal in metropolitan areas and more conservative in rural areas. Cost of living is rather reasonable compared to many places in the country.

The Great Lakes (Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana (somewhat), Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania) are a haven for outdoorsy people, with great hunting, fishing, boating, camping, etc. Definitely feels less confining than some of the more land locked states.

Personally I wouldn't move back to Chicago due to taxes and corruption, but I've loved Michigan and North-East Ohio. 

Just an opinion from a Midwest guy.


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## Bob Korves (Oct 11, 2021)

There are lots of places in California that do not have problems with wildfires.  Here in Sacramento the weather is good year around, with cool evening sea breezes from the San Francisco bay area in summer.  It is a big city, and that may not fit your needs.  However, the central valley is about 500 miles long north to south, and you can find quiet farm areas, small and medium size towns, and different weather as you go north and south in the valley.  Find property that is not low and close to rivers and the flood risk that they bring.  I live only about 15 miles from the major confluence of all the central valley rivers, but our house is 70 feet higher than they are and absolutely not going to have floods.  Of course, pick your own place, a place that will keep you happy, you are the one(s) who will be living there...


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## 7milesup (Oct 11, 2021)

200 million people worldwide will be moving by 2050 due to climate change and the resultant rising oceans, fires or the land is no longer productive (farming).  You aren't the only one that is going to be faced with this dilemma.  
You have not mentioned if your wife is going with you or if you are going by yourself.  I personally love where I live, but the "_ _ _ _ for President 2024, eff your feelings" flags waving in yards is getting really old.  I let it bother me too much.  Sorry if that was too political.


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## pdentrem (Oct 11, 2021)

Funny we were just having the same conversation. We could move back home, Nova Scotia in the Yarmouth area but winters are damp, some snow but does not stay as the Gulf Stream is along side. West coast just too wet period and a summer that is just too short. Victoria BC is pretty good though as it gets half the rain of Vancouver BC. Here in Southern Ontario amongst the Great Lakes is about the best. Milder winters, not too hot summers temps and better daylight hours year round versus being further north. 
Pierre


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## JimDawson (Oct 11, 2021)

If I were in a position to move, I would seriously concider Uruguay.  Mild climate, politically stable constitutional republic, stable economy, every bit as modern as the United States.  Predominate language is Spanish, but English works also.


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## FOMOGO (Oct 11, 2021)

We spent years traveling the country, and up into Canada looking for potential places to live, and like Dorothy, found there is no place like home. Dry climate, no mosquitoes, 30 acres, great setting and views, low taxes. Longish winters, but much milder than 40 years ago, and last year was the first winter I spent here in the last twenty, and I actually enjoyed it. The 300 days a year of sunshine make winter a little easier to take, and I actually enjoy plowing my driveways. Climate change is definitely being felt, but I think that is happening pretty much everywhere in one form or another. Good luck in your search, and hope you find what your looking for. Mike


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## TorontoBuilder (Nov 8, 2022)

IMO, and it is not because I live here, but due to extensive research, rural southern Ontario is the best place to retire if you can find an affordable property.

Come on housing crash...

Ontario is among the lowest risks for environmental disasters. We have good stable energy supply for now. the only real risks of changing extreme climate is increasing severe thunder storms and flooding. Build ICF house above flood plane with flat roof of solid concrete. Bomb proof, energy efficient as hell. Super insulate by furring out the interior walls and adding dense packed cellulose and you wont need a heat source provided you orient and design and select glazing to take advantage of solar gain.

Design exterior shutters of steel plate for tornado and zombie resistance and you're golden. Rooftop terrace and hydroponic garden for fresh greens for cooking... greenhouse and larger garden for sustainable living, and a few different back up energy sources and you can survive apocalypse with little impact on a modest lifestyle.

Radiant floors, geothermal heat pump, with ecm motors or even a new cold climate heat pump mean cheap heating when the grid is active. They also mean it is possible to size whole house back up electrical generation without breaking the bank.

Of course you need basement walk in refrigerator and freezer, a cheese cave, and secret tunnel to your underground shop.

Of course central NY state would provide similar benefits, except less secure energy grid. Forget Michigan, my cousin lives there so you want to avoid that place. Quebec has a few nice places but they've taken to extreme to violate the rights of immigrants and anglophones, so that's out for me.

I'd considered vancouver island, I love the ocean, the mountains and west coast architecture but damn they're a hot mess otherwise.


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## Cadillac (Nov 8, 2022)

Tennessee


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## benmychree (Nov 8, 2022)

I think I'll stay where I am, Other than the fires that nearly burnt us out a couple of years ago, and the 118 degree day this summer, this place is wonderful; my family has been on this land since the mid 1840s.


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## great white (Nov 8, 2022)

Full disclosure: haven't read the whole thread so I'm just replying in generalities.

I'm in Nova Scotia (Canada), so winter is not an uncommon occurrence. Got myself a John Deere X750 with all the summer and winter attachments, so now neither growing grass in summer nor dealing with snowstorms in winter are a problem:




Get in with a coffee, turn the key and winter actually becomes kind of "fun". Nice to be able to clear the driveway in the middle of a snowstorm in a t-shirt.



We were both military, so I've lived all over the country and have traveled to more international places than I can remember. We considered Vancouver Island in BC (for it's temperate climate) and many other locations across Canada. Looked at the UK, Australia, France, Italy and Switzerland (wife is bilingual and I can usually "muddle though" enough French to be understood). We also considered places like Hawaii, Jamaica, Belize, Malta etc.

Any and all locations in the CONUS were ruled out for us at a very early stage in the process. Nothing against the ConUS, it has some friendly people and fantastic natural areas, but I've never felt safe anywhere I had spent any time there. Heck, there's places I didn't even feel safe driving thorough at 50 miles and hour! It's a very surreal experience for a Canadian to wake up several times a night to a "rat-a-tat-tat" sound somewhere out in the the city and have the desk person talking about a shooting a couple blocks over the next morning. And we never stayed in poor locations (the crown pays good rates for hotels). Seems like the situ in the CONUS is not getting any better with age either. It was an easy decision to just side step all of that business and stay north of 49.

But as someone posted above, "there's no place like home".

Plus, most of our family (both sides) are in the province. It's nice to be able to help out family when they need it and them you. Health concerns were also a factor as my mom isn't getting any younger. Nothing sucks more than being far away and a family member enters an end of life transition. Been there, done that, have the emotional scars of not being able to get there in time. My daughter also lives in the province (insert sh!!ty ex-wife story here), so that's another reason to retire here.

My criteria for a physical retirement home/house were first and foremost driven by health concerns, economy, and accessibility to services.

I made sure I was within 15 minutes of a major hospital. Not only in case something happens, but also because it's a very short trip if you need blood services, testing, etc. Not to mention; if the ambulance ain't coming for a couple hours, you can survive the trip to emerg in your own car/truck.

Next was community amenities. 10 minutes down the road is a small industrial park, where I can get pretty much anything I need. Major chain Drug stores, groceries, hardware stores, dept stores, etc are all within a 20 minute drive at the most.

The region I'm in is somewhat economically "depressed" at the best of times, so my pension incomes tend to go further.

We built our retirement home rather that settle for something already built and the compromises that are always involved when buying used. The house is all on one level (slab), single surface flooring through most of the house, minimal/no transitions where we go from laminate to tile, Walk in showers (big enough to fit a wheelchair through) with grab bars and seats where shower wands can reach you, every room is design so that should a wheel chair be needed it can get through easily, all the doors are at least 36" wide, etc. I'm not in a wheelchair, but may be one day so it just makes sense to plan for it now. A nice bonus is it makes the house feel large and open, which makes you feel good just being here.

Building the house also meant that I could specify the size of the garage (30x36 and a separate detached garage), where and what type of power outlets it would have (min 20A GFCI, couple welding plugs, camper 30A plug, lighting, etc), in floor heating, heat pump for summer cooling, etc.

If it's intended to be a retirement home, you can't beat "roll your own".

The land itself we found in a relatively "remote"  subdivision that was mostly all old growth trees. It's 1.6 acres (lots are all 1.5-3 acres) and we only cleared enough to make a space for the house and front/back yards so we have lots of privacy. Lots of the yard is still wild, so 30 secs walk into the back lets you literally sit totally immersed in nature. The back border of the lot is a river and flood plain behind that, so no worries about future development behind us and all the lots around/across from us are built.

Nice thing is you can throw a line in the river and pull out Brown and Rainbow trout, catfish, perch and sometimes Atlantic salmon, but we're pretty much too far up the river to see them much. I'm not a big sport fisher, but it's nice to have the option so close.

We do have the second highest Provincial tax rate in the country, but nowhere is perfect. You just gotta pick your poison and go with it.

My advice is to sit down and make a list of what you _NEED _in a home and once that's done, make a list of what you _WANT _in a home. Plan from there once you have those two lists finalized.

Good luck.


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## great white (Nov 8, 2022)

pdentrem said:


> Funny we were just having the same conversation. We could move back home, Nova Scotia in the Yarmouth area but winters are damp, some snow but does not stay as the Gulf Stream is along side. West coast just too wet period and a summer that is just too short. Victoria BC is pretty good though as it gets half the rain of Vancouver BC. Here in Southern Ontario amongst the Great Lakes is about the best. Milder winters, not too hot summers temps and better daylight hours year round versus being further north.
> Pierre


Hmmm, When I lived there, I found Ontario to be killer humid in summer (bay of quite area is absolute misery!) and deep freeze cold in winter. NS can be a bit humid in summer, but nothing like what I experienced in most of Ontario. Heat pump in summer makes the house nice and dry. I also found most of ontario just too busy and crowded, unless you were up north.

Beautiful country though, lots to see and do and we do have some family there.

It's just not our cup o' tea.

Plus, there's that "Ford gov't" factor to deal with......lol!


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## TorontoBuilder (Nov 8, 2022)

Cadillac said:


> Tennessee


my uncle bought property in mountains of Tennessee, built a retirement home there, but only got to spend a few years there until his health deteriorated and my cousins had to take him back to Michigan. Then covid came and killed him.

So when you build people, design to age in place...


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## Winegrower (Nov 8, 2022)

Funny, many people would think Sonoma County, CA would be about as good as it gets.  For sure I do.  

When I considered purchasing a home and vineyard in Healdsburg, I checked a website that ranked locations by adverse weather risk.   For example, Denver scored 100, Oklahoma City scored 200.  Healdsburg scored 7.   So I  bought the place.   It was pretty safe from fire.

I have friends who moved to Nevada City from Berkeley because of a fear of earthquakes.   They bought a big home surrounded by the beautiful Sierra forrest.   Now they are very concerned about fire. 

Every place has some kind of problem!


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## TorontoBuilder (Nov 8, 2022)

great white said:


> Hmmm, When I lived there, I found Ontario to be killer humid in summer (bay of quite area is absolute misery!) and deep freeze cold in winter. NS can be a bit humid in summer, but nothing like what I experienced in most of Ontario. Heat pump in summer makes the house nice and dry. I also found most of ontario just too busy and crowded, unless you were up north.
> 
> Beautiful country though, lots to see and do and we do have some family there.
> 
> ...


We dont have hurricanes. 

Back in the 1970s I was on Cheticamp Island in  tent during a hurricane... then you just had a bad one this year. 

I did consider many locations in NS including cape breton, but damn few trees in the north, and too much risk of flooding. Ultimately is is what eliminated a two properties near Falmouth. One near sea level with aged old dikes along the Avon, and another right outside Hantsport on Hwy 1. Beautiful and laughably cheap compared to here, but right at sea level. Had a HUGE shop, and a barn, and an orchard, and TWO houses.  

I near horror stories about lack of primary HC providers which wont fly for my family


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## Bone Head (Nov 8, 2022)

I'm in SW Ohio on a dead end road and pretty happy with it.  Any place you go nowadays you'll find weather changing.  I just deal with it.
Neighbors who like to complain.  I've got a couple who complain about me...and everyone else around here.  We've had these types before and they either change and settle in or get out.  Life is what you make of it.


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## great white (Nov 8, 2022)

TorontoBuilder said:


> We dont have hurricanes.
> 
> Back in the 1970s I was on Cheticamp Island in  tent during a hurricane... then you just had a bad one this year.
> 
> ...


You're right You just have massive heat waves, need the military to dig out your cities in winter, massive thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes. I've had several friends loose half their house in tornadoes over the past few years. At least when a hurricane is coming you have lots of notice and can prepare for it.  Not so much with a tornado, lived through a couple of those in the prairies...never again. I'll take a hurricane risk over a tornado risk any day.

I suppose you could go north and escape all that, except the black flies will drain you dry in under a minute when you step out the door.

Every location has it's upsides and downsides. Pick your poison....


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## TorontoBuilder (Nov 8, 2022)

great white said:


> You're right You just have massive heat waves, need the military to dig out your cities in winter, massive thunderstorms, hail and tornadoes. I've had several friends loose half their house in tornadoes over the past few years. At least when a hurricane is coming you have lots of notice and can prepare for it.  Not so much with a tornado, lived through a couple of those in the prairies...never again. I'll take a hurricane risk over a tornado risk any day.
> 
> I suppose you could go north and escape all that, except the black flies will drain you dry in under a minute when you step out the door.
> 
> Every location has it's upsides and downsides. Pick your poison....


hey now.... dont blame the province because Mel Lastman was a fool.

snow here is nothing like on the rock, and quite manageable in rural areas... when you dont need to rush to keep commerce going and commuters getting to work they really should be doing at home. 

The flooding yes does impact poorly designed cities like Toronto, but only suckers would retire there. 

My grandma's house in Ohio was relocated by a tornado and one was near my home when i was a kid but hey I know how to build tornado proof house. Sadly that same design would become a tomb in hurricane storm surge 

I'll admit though, NS is not a bad place, better than most in fact.


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## 7milesup (Nov 8, 2022)

TorontoBuilder said:


> a cheese cave


Now you are talking my language!  Plus, a wine cellar!


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## TorontoBuilder (Nov 8, 2022)

7milesup said:


> Now you are talking my language!  Plus, a wine cellar!


the wine cellar is a given


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## Gnpenning (Nov 9, 2022)

Very interesting to read through this.  Everyone has some things in common and others not the same.   As several have mentioned time will change things and pick a place that works for your needs.   

I never understood why someone moves someplace they like, then decide it needs to be like where they left??  For some reason they don't realize that the people who live there would have moved  if that was what they wanted or already changed it themselves. Never move someplace that currently isn't what you want it to be, you will be universally hated if you talk about how the area should change to what you want/what you left. When in Rome do as the Romans or go somewhere else. There is a place for everyone's ideas without forcing yours on others.  They run things they way they want.  You would not take kindly to people who move to your current location and try to change it to what they just left.  Many ways to skin a cat, we all don't have to be the same. Every place has its differences accept them or move on.


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## Aukai (Nov 9, 2022)

My sentiments exactly, I've lived in Hawaii since 1956, and the people that love Hawaii because of what it WAS now want to make it where they came from. There are more of them now than were here before, and it has been wholesale changes, I could go on.


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## pdentrem (Nov 9, 2022)

We grew up in small towns, at times less than 1500. Mostly farming communities and loved it. Currently still in a not too large place but the big city people with their big city attitude is changing the character of it and leaves much to be desired. The “me me” is just sickening. We are looking to move further away from this for another smaller town with a good south view for one of my hobbies, astronomy.
Pierre


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## pontiac428 (Nov 9, 2022)

The difference between a lethal heart attack at 50 and living another 25 years is often determined by the amount of time an emergency response takes.  So don't move too far from civilization.  Besides, if you survive it you'll need to be close enough to make all of your follow-up medical appointments, which is a real beetch when you're two hours and $150 in gas to get out of the hills and into town. 

No man is an island.


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## JPMacG (Nov 9, 2022)

I like my location.  PA is tax friendly to retirees.  We are in a semi-rural area yet close enough to Philadelphia to get to a premier teaching hospital for healthcare if we need to.  Our weather has four distinct seasons with some but not too much snow.  Property taxes are not too bad.   And I have a wine cellar (AKA a crawl space).


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## TorontoBuilder (Nov 12, 2022)

pontiac428 said:


> The difference between a lethal heart attack at 50 and living another 25 years is often determined by the amount of time an emergency response takes.  So don't move too far from civilization.  Besides, if you survive it you'll need to be close enough to make all of your follow-up medical appointments, which is a real beetch when you're two hours and $150 in gas to get out of the hills and into town.
> 
> No man is an island.


Very very true.
My uncle was a paramedic. He lived in the country. His wife had an aneurysm and would have died had he not recognized her symptoms and gotten her right into ER where she got emerg surgery.

I'm looking close enough to Toronto that air orange can get me into city quickly, and close enough to a smaller town with good hospital and ambulance services and close enough that I can keep my city based primary care physician and so my brother can keep his PC phys, and cardiologist.


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## Larry42 (Nov 12, 2022)

It's hell to get old! I'm 80 and still reasonably mobile. I live in Lincoln, NE. A decent town of about 300K. Climate is "variable." Rarely gets below -10°F or above 105. Occasional tornados, guess that's why they call it tornado alley. A small one took out the dairy store and power lines a few blocks from my house last year. 

Two months ago I collapsed face first onto the concrete floor of my business building that I now rent out. The guys called the emergency service. They got here quick, but I was up by then. My heart rate was then 26 B/M. A wee on the slow side. I've now been through multiple tests with nothing showing. I've been implanted with a "Loop" device that records abreactions in my heart and sends it to the doctors every night.  If they see big drops in rate they will insert a pace maker. For as long as I can remember my heart rate has been a bit on the slower side, 46 to 54 typically. How far you are from services may become important as you get older!


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## TomKro (Nov 12, 2022)

Since you mentioned Ohio, I thought I'd share a few observations from our relocation quest.

Our daughter is outside of Ostrander, OH, and my wife has been looking around the Marysville area.  It may be peculiar to that area, but I was shocked as to the number of seriously screwed up basement walls in that area.  Lots of clay soil (?), at least in that area.  Pics from various real estate web sites show all kinds of basement wall retrofits to keep them together.  It appeared odd to me, possibly a regional problem.  

Our area of interest doesn't have a whole lot of elevation changes.  Be sure to check for flooding risks.  One of the big realty web sites has an easily accessible flood map which is very informative.  I'm not clear on the criteria used to develop the graphics, but I was astounded at predicted water levels, not just on the various lots, but on access roads to the various properties.  I guess every area has it's own particular hazards.  

I'm really fond of central PA.  Great real estate prices, and lower taxes compared to Maryland.  Unfortunately, not on my wife's wish list.


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## Bone Head (Nov 13, 2022)

TomKro said:


> Since you mentioned Ohio, I thought I'd share a few observations from our relocation quest.
> 
> Our daughter is outside of Ostrander, OH, and my wife has been looking around the Marysville area.  It may be peculiar to that area, but I was shocked as to the number of seriously screwed up basement walls in that area.  Lots of clay soil (?), at least in that area.  Pics from various real estate web sites show all kinds of basement wall retrofits to keep them together.  It appeared odd to me, possibly a regional problem.
> 
> ...


Poor basement walls are usually the cement block walls with poor consideration to water drainage or ignorance.  People will run a car or other heavy equipment right up next to the house where the weight puts pressure against the blocks.  Pushes them in causing some of the problems.  In a wet location, that probably probably adds to the problem.  Somewhat common throughout Ohio.  Choices are no basement with a crawl space or houses built with a poured basement.
I was lucky.  My house was built in 1966 by an old guy who was familiar with this.  Plus he believed in over-building from the ground up.  Example is I have 6" stud walls inside the sealed brick outer walls with 6" insulation.  just me and the wife now, real cold weather hasn't hit yet; my last electric bill was $60.80.


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## JohnDB (Nov 13, 2022)

I've lived on both coasts and 3 corners of ConUSA and AK.  

Can't say that I hated living in any of the places...all had bennies and detractors....Bay Area CA had more detractors than the others as well as the other big cities.  

Humidity is the only thing with machining steel and welding...it can cause some considerable rust if you aren't quick to stop it.  And in the more humid climates you need something to stop the bugs from trashing your painted finishes.  

I like the rural areas and with the UPS, Fed-ex, USPS, and other trucking firms you can get anything delivered just about anywhere.   

However....look around....ALL of the big cities are emptying out.  There are more offices and commercial spaces available than ever before.   Them people are going somewhere.   So if going to a rural place...don't expect it to remain that way.  We are in a period of de-urbanization.  Look at Detroit...some neighborhoods are completely abandoned and have crumbling infrastructure.   

The Smokey Mountains around Gatlinburg caught fire a few years back...it wasn't a big fire like N.Cal and the whole NW has...but bad enough because of population density.  A few cabins and homes were lost.  

Like people say....pick your poison.   But "buying the farm " is a very old euphemism for retirement.   Maybe because it is a thing.


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## Larry42 (Nov 13, 2022)

JohnDB said:


> ALL of the big cities are emptying out.


Not so sure about "All". I go to Atlanta fairly often, nice town haven't noticed it emptying. 


JohnDB said:


> Look at Detroit...some neighborhoods are completely abandoned and have crumbling infrastructure.


Detroit is a "special" case. A nearly one industry town, frequent labor problems, racism, bad government ....

I like the advantages cities offer, just not some of the high costs. I live in a _smallish_ town with most things readily available. I don't have to take a 30 mile round trip every time I want something.


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## JohnDB (Nov 13, 2022)

Larry42 said:


> Not so sure about "All". I go to Atlanta fairly often, nice town haven't noticed it emptying.
> 
> Detroit is a "special" case. A nearly one industry town, frequent labor problems, racism, bad government ....
> 
> I like the advantages cities offer, just not some of the high costs. I live in a _smallish_ town with most things readily available. I don't have to take a 30 mile round trip every time I want something.


Atlanta is so big and has a severe case of urban sprawl.   You wouldn't notice the office vacancies.  
I didn't say that cities are bad....hey I live in one....but I am planning on retiring in the country on a farm.  Fixing to buy one I think and build a shop on it...plant an orchard and Vinyard and grow some fruit and learn how to make chips.  

Just a lot of noise in a big city and that since the pandemic people are less confined to going to an office on a daily basis.


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## Nutfarmer (Nov 14, 2022)

I retired to a farm and never worked as hard in my life. I am to old for 12 hour days 7 days a week at harvest time. Son says he wants to run the farm , but can’t quite figure out the day stops when the work is finished not because of what the clock says. Just make home where ever you find yourself.


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