Tuesday's News- Setting Site on Retirement.

As we reach retirement age, one thinks of where they want to live. Most folks think of downsizing cause the kids are gone and the house is too large. However does that really matter in the century?
The thing I have notice in the neighborhood and with friends  is the kids come back home in their 30's. Also the Parents and brother and sisters seem to move in also. It seems harder in this century for them to keep a job and hold down a apartment at the same time.  Families are more and more occupying one  house, Living together and sharing the expenses.
Do not think this is a bad thing. Just need a bigger place, so we are not on top of each other. That is why we are looking into a five bedroom, three bath large home. So no down sizing for us. Looking at the options make us realize that we can surely do this. Location  is the thing to look at. A place that will provide the activities we seek as well as the health care we think we will need. The more we look at places in the United States the more we learn about areas.

The questions one need to ask are:

1.  What kind of seasons are you looking for? Do you want snow sometimes. Maybe you want hotter or cooler seasons.  Perhaps you want it drier  with less humidity.
2. What kind of activities are offered?   Outdoor fun is high on some list. Even plays, shows  are a desire. Not to mention the festivals throughout the year.  Different cities and towns have various activities that are a constant reoccurring item.
3. What about Health Care? The Most important thing in aging folks. Is there good medical facilities. Does the area take our insurance. So many aspects to look into to with this question.
4. Are the colleges and school good? Ratings of the school is important. Even if one thinks I will be in this home forever, that might not happen.For many reason one might need to move. You want to make sure the house is marketable. We found that some college give free admission to seniors. Giving them the abilities to  keep their minds going. We are always learning until we die.
5. How close to family do you want to be? Another question to be explore.
6. How close is the church? This is also important so we can be involved in  week activites.
7. How close to a city do you want to be? Country or City living, Which one? We prefer City living, however country is nice also. So our choice is within a 15 minute drive to a fairly large city with a international airport. We still love to travel.

We asked ourselves all this questions and keep them in the back of our minds. Often the answers change and make us rethink things. However the size of the home is still steady. The area might change. Our likes might differ from time to time. The one thing we did decide is that we will probably purchase a New home in a New community near a big city. It is important to make friends and will be a lot easier  in a new community. Also a large city offer an array of activities. Living in a tri-city area has spoiled us.Baltimore, Annapolis and Washington DC area has been so great for us. So many opportunities in the area.

Retirement can be an exciting time. We just need to plan it out, leaving the move to be less stressful. Allowing ourselves to enjoy the relocation. Making our hearts leap with joy with the new adventure in our live.