Where to retire?

[Navy87Guy]

Okay, since the end of my "first" career is just over the horizon (probably within the next 5 years) I'm starting to think about where I want to end up in the long run. I have kids entering college and kindergarten next year, so I expect I will probably stick out 5 more years in the Navy, then work for about 10 years in private industry before I try to call it quits for good (at the ripe, old age of 57!)

Since we have so many members from all over the country, I'm looking for any insights on goods and bads about various locations. Here's the general list of requirements:

- Decent amount of land (10-40 acres). No particular intention -- I just want to be able to do my own thing away from everyone else (and that includes shooting whenever I feel like it).
- Decent sized house (2500-3500 sq ft). We want room for ourselves and to play host to the kids (and eventually grandkids) whenever they want to visit.
- Cable and computer access. Can't live without it these days!
- Relatively easy access to transportation for cross-country travel (i.e., major airports, highways)
- Nice scenery...prerferably some mountain views. (Proximity to majestic sites is a plus!)
- Reasonable cost (preferably under $150K for land)

I'm leaning toward buying the land now and building on it in the future once retirement is a lot closer. In the meantime, I want to do my homework and start looking in the right areas -- maybe plan some vacation trips to check out likely areas.

If you have any general inputs about a state in particular or a specific location within the state, I'd be glad to hear them. Links to good information sites or land for sale are appreciated, too.

I'm looking forward to the inputs.

Thanks!

Jim

 

[ziadel]

Montana, accept no substitutes

 

[Old Partner]

Tri Cities

I'm headed for the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee. It has areas that have all of what you, and I, are looking for. The Tri-Cities are Bristol, Kingsport and Johnson City. I plan to live in that general area but not in one of the cities. I already have a realtor sending me selections. Easy to find enough land to shoot on anytime you want, plus, a lot of other people are doing the same thing so minimal chance of 'bothering' someone...

 

[Babarsac]

Central VA!!!

All the counties around Charlottesville (not Albemarle) still have pretty affordable land. It's a beautiful place to live as well. especially if you are near the Blue Ridge Mountains. Plus you can always drive to Dulles for a flight or connect out of Charlottesville. I don't know why but Augusta\Rockingham counties are coming to mind.

 

[Cosmoline]

Parts of Montana and Wyoming are good choices. There are even some good options up here in AK if you can cope with wet and cold winters. If you're looking for warmth, I'd say forget the AZ/So.Nev/NM/SoCal area because it's getting overcrowded now and will be MASSIVELY overcrowded in a few more decades. I'd suggest some out of the way areas where property is still cheap, such as the high desert in SE Oregon and northern Nevada. Or parts of Utah. There's plenty of sun, but FAR fewer people. Buying some acres now as a vacation spot and adding more over the decades might be a good idea. If you don't mind humidity, the deep south has some very inexpensive property. Where I used to live in Western LA has a lot of nice towns, as does the corresponding area across the Texas border. The area has a lot of tree farms, lakes and agricultural land and hasn't been taken over with the sprawl yet. Even Mississippi is a nice place, in spite of the bad rep.

 

[Old Partner]

Tennessee

I agree that Virginia is nice if you stay away from the northeast, but remember, Tennessee has no income tax and for seniors, they freeze your property tax.

 

[Justin]

This discussion is more suited to APS