If you were to buy a house in retirement where would it be?

[retep]

So, we are 15 years out more or less. Might be able to swing a place now. Figure $500k in todays dollars. we aren't rich, i sold one lung and a kidney. Ha!

Wife loves the ocean. We both love golf and tennis. California is just too much $$$.

Where in Florida ?

Charleston?

Wilmington?

Savannah?

I must be missing a bunch of locations and ideas. Help! We are going to a southern living thing at some point.

 

[rvgolfer]

You have a possible choice in far south texas,,South Padre Island. Housing would be fairly cheap as well as overall living. There is also a nice golf course nearby, in Laguna Vista and obviously you have the Gulf as well. There are other courses within an hour drive but for most that would be a bit too far.

[Buzzkill]

Hawaii is right around the corner for me as soon as the San Diego market rebounds. I'm not rich by any means - I won't pay more than 20 bucks for a round even though I love the game.

[highscoreinky]

Inside the gates on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina or on Anna Marie Island in the Sarasota/Bradenton area.

[Colby327]

I'd vote South Carolina. There's a lot to love.

[sunbeltgolfer]

Florida is becoming a bit more popular due to the lack of a State income tax and a buyers market in quite a few areas. Tons of golf courses and the beach is never very far away unless you settle in the center of the State. Tampa to Sarasota has a lot of options on the West coast. Melbourne up to the Space Coast on the East is quite nice also.

[ExProGoingBack]

Lots of places... But i do love PGA National.... Nice gated community...prices are reasonable... Only add on is you need to join the golf club to play.

[Stretch]

[quote name='ExProGoingBack' timestamp='1362334663' post='6539089']
Lots of places... But i do love PGA National.... Nice gated community...prices are reasonable... Only add on is you need to join the golf club to play.
[/quote]

Good call. I'd look around Juno Beach or Jupiter or Tequesta. House values are still way down and you can be close to the ocean and surrounded by more golf courses than you can shake a stick at. Quick round at Seminole in the morning, then drop by the Bear's Club on the way home to give Rory some tips!

[apprenti23]

Texas gets the worst weather of the warm options; they get everything and its always wondy. Florida has hurricanes and humidity so no thank you there on 100* and 100% humidity. My pick would be Arizona. Stuff is dirt cheap there right no- you have no humidity and every once in awhile you have to deal with a dust storm. No hurricanes, no humidity, no earthquakes or tornados. Paradise

[bradski]

california is doable if you buy low and retire with roth money(avoid state income tax). you can take advantage of prop 13. (property tax get locked in with minimal movement from the purchase price of the home). Example. My parents bought a little rental house built 1996 in the suburbs of san diego little 3 bd 2 bath two car garage where the back of the house looks up a golf course (265k). Not easy to find but possible. The home value when they purchased was 535k according to the county but they pay taxes based on half. They have had renters nonstop for 2100 per month since they bought it in 2009.

But- Texas is going to be one of the best places for golf and weather. If I had my way I would winter in arizona and summer somewhere like seattle/Portland.

[ExProGoingBack]

[quote name='apprenti23' timestamp='1362335534' post='6539143']
Texas gets the worst weather of the warm options; they get everything and its always wondy. Florida has hurricanes and humidity so no thank you there on 100* and 100% humidity. My pick would be Arizona. Stuff is dirt cheap there right no- you have no humidity and every once in awhile you have to deal with a dust storm. No hurricanes, no humidity, no earthquakes or tornados. Paradise
[/quote]

Love Arizona too.... Depends on where you live.. From NY... Fly into west palm.... Drive 20 mins and thru the gates of PGA National. Pick up a foreclosure.... Still some around.

[SkyyDesigns]

My wife and I already have money set aside for our retirement and I have coxed her into retiring and settling down In Monterey/Carmel area. I live only a hour and 30 min from there so we would still be close to family. Monterey is my favorite place to be on earth and I've traveled all over the country and many other countries. I hope my health allows me to play golf until I'm 6 feet under as I plan on joining a course down there such as Quail Lodge CC or even one of the Pebble courses if my income allows it. Yes Florida obviously has the weather but the laid back atmosphere and overall quality of life down there is something I've been planning for and hopefully I will be blessed enough to call it my home until the end...

[wbealsd]

Good luck to you, despite the weather and beauty of California (and fond memories of living near that area in the 70s), even if I had the means to move there now, I doubt any lifestyle I can currently support, or would find sustainable would withstand the effect of CA's taxes, over time.

As one who IS planning on retiring this summer, I suggest you seriously consider the effect of taxation and inflation, over an extended period of time. We can't really predict the future, but do need to look at probabilities.

I'm living where I am, mostly due to family and circumstances but actually find South Dakota a rather good place to stake my retirement. It was far cheaper for me to build an indoor golf building on my property and remain in a state with no state income tax, low unemployment and lots of really inexpensive (but good quality) golf courses in my area, than it would be to relocate now.

If I ever consider relocating in the future, it will likely be based more on the location of my grandkids than anything else - lol

I truly do wish you the best

[retep]

We love Arizona, but long term water concerns scare me. And no ocean. Keep em coming!

[Bubb]

If you want an easy sell for your wife, the two best warm-weather beaches I've seen in the contiguous United States are Siesta Key beach (Sarasota / Bradenton) and the beaches of South Walton between Destin and Panama City Beach. I would choose the latter because of the golf, but the winters will be significantly warmer with the former. I hope to be able to retire to the panhandle someday and my wife is fully on board.

Go play Camp Creek, show your wife the housing in that area, eat at Red Bar, McGuire's, and Louis Louis, and the rest will take care of itself. My only hard-and-fast advice would be to go for warm weather so you don't throw half of your life away. I'm still kicking myself for not making it happen when I had the chance. Life is too short to endure winters.

[apprenti23]

[quote name='ExProGoingBack' timestamp='1362335740' post='6539171']
[quote name='apprenti23' timestamp='1362335534' post='6539143']
Texas gets the worst weather of the warm options; they get everything and its always wondy. Florida has hurricanes and humidity so no thank you there on 100* and 100% humidity. My pick would be Arizona. Stuff is dirt cheap there right no- you have no humidity and every once in awhile you have to deal with a dust storm. No hurricanes, no humidity, no earthquakes or tornados. Paradise
[/quote]

Love Arizona too.... Depends on where you live.. From NY... Fly into west palm.... Drive 20 mins and thru the gates of PGA National. Pick up a foreclosure.... Still some around.
[/quote]

Florida- hurricane season no thank you!

New Yorkers love wpb Chicagoans love ft Myers- funny how it is down there

[Nick4DX]

I'm a fan of desert golf so I think that Tucson would be good for me. More affordable than Scottsdale or Palm Desert with good courses and good weather, the WGC last week notwithstanding. Scottsdale is just a couple of hours away if I want more golf choices.

[33 Handicap]

St Croix, USVI.

[Holy Moses]

[quote name='Bubb' timestamp='1362351987' post='6540591']Go play Camp Creek, show your wife the housing in that area, eat at Red Bar, McGuire's, and Louis Louis, and the rest will take care of itself. My only hard-and-fast advice would be to go for warm weather so you don't throw half of your life away. I'm still kicking myself for not making it happen when I had the chance. Life is too short to endure winters.
[/quote]

Panama City Beach is a great place. I have relatives who live there (on Shark's Tooth Golf Course) and I play Camp Creek all the time. Very difficult course. Incredibly tough greens. PCB has seen housing prices tumble like no other. Houses where my relatives live went from $800K for a 3 bedroom townhome to $200k. Now would be a great time to buy while the prices are still low.

[10of14]

Love SoCal, Palm Springs first and San Diego next. The golf and consistent warm, dry weather in PS is unbeatable. San Diego is sexy and fun, but crowded and expensive. I lived in SoCal for 10 years and love it, but the State politics and taxes are both out of control. With that said, the best of both of these is Phoenix or The Carolina's. Though the Carolina'a are not bug or humidity free, they are much better than Florida in my opinion.

[LaterOn61]

Surprised I haven't read anyone saying Myrtle Beach. So many golf courses. Why not?

[ExProGoingBack]

[quote name='apprenti23' timestamp='1362351987' post='6540593']
[quote name='ExProGoingBack' timestamp='1362335740' post='6539171']
[quote name='apprenti23' timestamp='1362335534' post='6539143']
Texas gets the worst weather of the warm options; they get everything and its always wondy. Florida has hurricanes and humidity so no thank you there on 100* and 100% humidity. My pick would be Arizona. Stuff is dirt cheap there right no- you have no humidity and every once in awhile you have to deal with a dust storm. No hurricanes, no humidity, no earthquakes or tornados. Paradise
[/quote]

Love Arizona too.... Depends on where you live.. From NY... Fly into west palm.... Drive 20 mins and thru the gates of PGA National. Pick up a foreclosure.... Still some around.
[/quote]

Florida- hurricane season no thank you!

New Yorkers love wpb Chicagoans love ft Myers- funny how it is down there
[/quote]

Just went thru sandy.... Was brutal

[Ocean30]

Spent 6 months searching before I decided on Juno Beach and Jupiter. Love having the Jupiter Inlet for access to the Ocean, West End of the Bahamas is less that 60 miles away, love all the golf courses and rarely need a jacket!!!

There is a reason all the PGA Golf pros are moving here and it's more than Florida's Tax friendly status...

[10of14]

[quote name='LaterOn61' timestamp='1362358886' post='6541309']
Surprised I haven't read anyone saying Myrtle Beach. So many golf courses. Why not?
[/quote]

I went there with friends last year and while the golf was ok, it was a bit cheesy, for kids and sorry, but not very clean.

[ladahl]

AZ

less rain = more golf

[ChrisBouriat]

Recently visited AZ for the first time and was pretty WOW-ed by the weather and the courses down there. I'm nowhere near retirement so I'm less aware of other aspects to be considered, but as far as golf is concerned it was pretty much amazing.

[Holy Moses]

[quote name='ladahl' timestamp='1362360825' post='6541543']
AZ

less rain = more golf
[/quote]

Do people still play when it is 110 out?

[Oriole05]

Pinehurst, NC

GREAT golf, good weather, and nice people

[10of14]

[quote name='Fore(ged)' timestamp='1362362523' post='6541737']
[quote name='ladahl' timestamp='1362360825' post='6541543']
AZ

less rain = more golf
[/quote]

Do people still play when it is 110 out?
[/quote]

Yes. Lived in PS for 10 years and played up to 118. If you "live" there it is better than the bugs and sweat mines of SE summers and the OP is asking about a place to live. Besides, if you live in Palm Springs and it gets too hot for you, go 90 minutes or less to a 20 degree and dry drop in temp. In the Southeast, that option is days drive.

[whysguy]

I've posted many times of my love for Palm Springs, but the wife want ocean. Her sister lives in Cardiff by the Sea , 15 minutes north of Torrey Pines and it truly extremely nice. I prefer the course choices in PS, but Avaira and Maderas And LaCosta and Torrey and Grand Del Mar, yeah, I could survive it there.
The Inland Empire offers a bunch of courses, and Palm Springs is just a 2 hr drive as well.
In all my travels, other than the Pinehurst area, Cally is my fav.