Where Is The BEST Place To RETIRE?

[Birch Run Farm]

Even with the election year economy I am still planning ahead.

I'd like to retire in 10 to 12 years. I'm 46 now and have 20 years in at a first job and am now almost three years into my current public servant gig (I am a forensic examiner).

I have always wanted to be a full time farmer, ever notice there are lot of old farmers? Yeah, they live long lives.

So Anyway, I need to find a suitable place to retire and I am looking for your input. I already know I don't want to retire where I am, Vermont. While I like four seasons winter is just too long and too harsh here. Last winter I had to plow and find places for 12 feet of snow, the year before 9 feet. Yuck. I'm not a skier and so not particularly interested in winter sports though I do snow shoe.

I will say it is very beautiful here, mountains, streams, low population but a lot of hippies and a large social misfit factor. The good thing is in Vermont you CAN be what ever you want and no one pretty much cares (hence the social misfit enigma). I do have very good neighbors here too. Other negatives: The hunting is poor, too much snow and too much forest, low deer population.

Vermont is also very high in property taxes. The schools kill the average person's budget here. I think this state is #2 in the nation for high cost of living. My public servant salary is barely keeping me above water.

The major drawbacks here are cost of living and terrible winters.

So what I am looking for:

Shorter, milder winters.
Good hunting
Good gardening
Good for livestock
Nice people
Mountains, lakes, streams and good fishing
Reasonably priced.

I'm originally from Michigan (born, raised and educated) and do not want to go back there.

So tell me about your state and why you like it compared to my list of 'wants'! Post photos if you like too!

 

[Dar]

I have always liked North Carolina..

mild winters.
really laid back people

as for the other stuff you mentioned I have no clue but DH and I had to NC every chance we get

 

[Birch Run Farm]

Hello Ontario neighbor! You too can relate to 'winter'. I've been through Guelph a few times. To go visit mom in Mich I almost always go the 401 through Ontario.

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Well I am from the UP of MI and totally understand the need to not come back here as the winters will kill you.

I have friends in SC who swear that is the place to go. My perfect place. Somewhere that is warm not hot all year round and has no poision snake or gators. Find me that spot and I will be moving LOL.

 

[DuckLady]

Oregon has all the things you are looking for.

We are at the north end of the fertile Willamette Valley.
2 hours to the coast, an hour to Mt Hood. Camping is great. Lots of gardeners here. Willamette Tomatoes are fabulous.

We are two miles from the Clackamas River, less than 5 to the Willamette and Tualatin rivers and about 15 miles from the Columbia. Hunting, fishing, camping, nice people.

If you are out rural prices are lower than the city. We are out far enough to do what we want, but close enough that going shopping or to work is not a trek.

 

[Ginger Chic]

Northeast Georgia is the place to be!!

4 distinct season, but mild, mild winters. (Usually 1 snow per year, 2" & gone in 48 hrs)

Beautiful rolling hills

Hunting - mostly white tail deer, dove, duck, & turkey, plus some wild boar. Also possum, coons & squirell, but I'm not eating them. (we have WMAs too which are like public hunting areas owned by the gov't)

Fishing - stripers, bass, crappie catfish & bream. There are also trout streams for fly fishing about an hour north in the mountains.

Low cost of living - gas is currently about $3.09 and a 2,000 sq ft house runs about $150K

Do you play golf? A ton of great courses in this area for < $50 for 18 holes.

Plus this is a very agricultural friendly rural area, but you can be in a major metropolitan area in < 2 hours (Atlanta, GA or Greenville/Spartanburg, SC) Did I mention that our family and our ladies live within the city limits?

Oh, and I almost forgot. we don't really have much crime to speak of. It's kinda like Mayberry, Folks get out and walk in the evenings, kids ride their bikes, and most of the listings in the police blotter (in the weekly paper) are for traffic stops or kids being stupid in general.

 

[CarriBrown]

Northern California (if you can find the property) or Oregon. I have a friend in Bend, Or. It's beautiful.
As for the DH and I, we want to head to Williams, AZ. It's northern AZ, by Flagstaff, so they don't get the heat like the southern AZers do.

 

[Mahonri]

Heber, AZ.

It has:

Shorter, milder winters.... hey it's AZ... but it's up high in the White Mountains on the Mogollon Rim.
Good hunting... plentiful with many elk, deer and javelina. (wild boar)
Good gardening... you might have to irrigate a little bit in the spring. Summer it rains almost daily.
Good for livestock... lots of folks have horses and cows are plentiful
Nice people... it's God's country and you can't find better folks anywhere.
Mountains, lakes, streams and good fishing.... Many with in a short distance.
Reasonably priced... especially now.

You can go shopping either in Payson or Showlow or even Snowflake and in the winter, Phoenix is only about 2 hours away and it's paradise from October to March. (little cool for me now... high 80s.)

I'd love to head there someday.

 

[Carolina Chicken Man]

Well I'm a bit biased because it is my home, but a lot of people do retire here in NC. Several areas that specifically cater to retirees like the Pinhurst area (if you like golf)

But, like the last response that talked about Georgia, NC has many of the same qualities. You can be in a rural area that is very agriculture friendly, but close to a large city like Raleigh, Charlotte, etc. We have beautiful mountains, and beaches.

Check out New Bern NC. It is the old colonial capital of NC, and the royal governors palace is there (Tryon Palace). It is on the Neuse River and is beautiful.

Real Estate is cheap there.

 

[Mahonri]

I've always wanted to go to Mount Pilot and visit Andy's home, see where Opie fished as a kid. Get someone to fix me some sweet pertater pie. Fill up at Gomer's station, see if there is anyone like Aunt Bea left. Speed through a little town like Mayberry so I can meet a Barney clone. you get the drift.

Ah... hometown America.