After working hard, saving money, and building equity in your home, it’s nice to have options and be able to choose where you want to spend your retirement!
But before you pick a spot based solely on sunny brochures or an old neighbor’s suggestion, you might want to dig a little deeper.
Here are 4 tongue-in-cheek things to think about before packing up your home and moving to somewhere you might regret:
1) Is it actually a swingers club?
One option you may consider is an “active retirement” village, which probably conjures up visions of golf, tennis, dining and other recreational activities. The pictures on their website and brochure likely support that assumption, too…
But some retirement communities may be better defined as “sexually active retirement” villages! Not a bad thing if that’s what you’re looking for, but if not, you could find yourself fending off some invites from frisky neighbors.
Be sure to spend some time in any community and get to know the vibe before you commit.
2) Are there enough pickleball courts?
Is pickleball a fad, or here forever? Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain, people get suckered into trying it and the next thing you know you’ll be out buying a $600 paddle. First, it’s a friendly game; next thing you know you’re in a league, sporting elbow bands and matching outfits.
Whether it’s golf, fishing, or bingo nights, make sure your hobbies are covered—pickleball included.
3) How close is the nearest airport?
Unfortunately, the perfect place to retire is often a plane ride away from family and friends, so you want to make sure you’re not too far away from an airport—you don’t want to give your friends and family any excuses for not visiting! Your kids will visit more often if it doesn’t require three flights and a donkey ride to get there.
However, you may want to choose a spot just far enough away from the in-laws or “that one cousin” you hope never visits. Balance is key, folks.
4) Could I live here for another lifetime?
Between healthier lifestyles and medical miracles, people are living longer than ever. What if you break a record and end living until you’re 138 years old?!
Moving is never fun or easy, and it only gets more tiring the older you get, so you don’t want to wake up one day in your early 100’s feeling like you need a change of scenery. Make sure your retirement spot is somewhere you’ll enjoy spending a lot of years.
