I’m at that point in life where I’m starting to think about relocation for retirement. My oldest child has graduated from college and is moving on to medical school. My youngest is a college junior in art school. We miss them. Now it’s just my wife and I, which is great, but without the maelstrom of kid activities to distract, there’s time to critically examine where you spend your every living day.
We bought our family home in 2006 (about two weeks shy of the peak of the housing bubble…but that’s another story). Like most, we chose the best house we could afford based on job, school districts, safety, and my wife’s desire to be a SAHM. It was a great decision, although I’m a little embarrassed to admit that we ended up on a golf course in ultima suburbia. Life has been grand, I have no complaints, but it’s been two decades of this controlled, planned comfort that’s making me itch for a new, more interesting place to live.
Our current house is located within a mid-sized city on the mid-Atlantic coast. It was ideal when the kids were younger for surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and all the other water sports. But now that they’re gone and my wife and I are in our mid-50s, beach time has really lost its appeal. It gets a little boring just sitting there in your beach chair, as I like to move my body, and I never really took to surfing. The other annoying negatives of our area is heavy humidity, mosquitoes, and tourists. We are practically forced indoors throughout late summer, and I’m not sure if its the wetness, the mosquitoes, or the tourists that are the primary culprit. Some annoying combination of all three, probably.
After long discussions with my wife, we decided that the ideal way to spend our retirement years was by living close to beautiful nature. We’ve decided that the best way to manifest this desire is to target a mountain town as our future “home base”, while remaining somewhat close to our daughters. So my new personal project is planning my final move to our “forever” home …. without wrecking my retirement plan. The good news is that, in our mid-50s, we’re debt free, which gives us some pretty good optionality. If a home checks at least 85% of our must-have boxes, it’s a contender. Anything less, and we keep looking.
Relocation Must-Haves (85% Rule)
Our new home must check at least 9 out of 10 to pull the trigger.
- Proximity to our daughters (Mid-Atlantic region)
- Mountain environment — low humidity, fresh air, inspiring nature, and fewer biting bugs
- Quick access to mountain bike and hiking trails (ride/walk from home or <10 min drive)
- Walkability/bikeability to at least one daily-use amenity (coffee, groceries, or greenway)
- Turnkey quality — solid construction, no deferred maintenance, only cosmetic tweaks allowed
- Quiet street with low traffic noise
- Studio space for my wife (size/light/layout fit for her medium)
- Healthcare access within 20 minutes
- Two guest bedrooms + baths for family and visitors
- Outdoor living space (deck, porch, or patio) with view/privacy
If you’ve made a big relocation in your 50s, what made your must-have list? And if you could do it again, what would you drop? Let me know in the comments — your advice might make it onto my next checklist update.