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Does anyone here live in a vaguely nomadic way in retirement? I'm interested in the nuts and bolts of that. Say we put our most valuable stuff in storage, sell our house, and just live in different geographical areas in rentals, or as guests, or Airbnbs, or whatever. Time will come when we'll eventually end up back here where we are to be close to the kids, but between now and then we'd like to just live lightly, go where and when we want. Not really looking at a van life sort of deal, but just rentals, temporary or indefinite stays, that sort of thing.
I'm wondering about the nuts and bolts of that. What would constitute a "permanent address"? I'm assuming a person needs one. What about our medical insurance (Medicare is not the issue so much, just thinking about our Medigap policy)? I assume we'd have to pay state income tax somewhere, register and insure the car, etc.
Any books, websites, personal knowledge anyone has to share would be very appreciated!
While not exactly what you describe, I have bought a tidy little condo in a low cost area. I thus live cheaply and simply with a fixed address and can range about to my hearts content when I retire next year.
No need to store stuff or worry about any significant overhead while having a fixed address and place to regroup as needed.
IMO this seems to be a far easier solution than to completely detach when you are not looking to embrace "van life" etc.
Best of luck with your choice. My condo after upgrading cost maybe 155k, although I'll probably put another 15k in for bathrooms. (New AC, furnace, flooring, furniture, applicances, counter tops, etc.) So, going forward I will just roam as I see fit with family etc.
Consider planning for "decades" of retirement, or
Go-go
Slow-go
No-go seasons of retirement.
This is a simple, useful model. We've been in go-go for 4 years now, although our "go" was thrown off right from the get by COVID. We had to make some decisions we'd hoped to delay making and I think we might want to un-make and redirect. We've probably got another 5+ years of go-go left to live.
Not sure what slow-go is going to look like.
No-go is a time by which we want to be living close to the kids, for sure, which in our case means the NE. Not my favorite part of the country, but it's all about attachments and trade-offs and how time wears us all down.
What a great idea, Jessie Mitchell, and I bet you can figure out how to make it work.
My husband passed away recently but we had a good seven years of traveling around with our Airstream. When he couldn't handle it anymore, it was sold.
Now that I'm on my own, it is doubtful I'll hit the road again for camping trips but it sure was wonderful. At the end of each trip, though, it was good to be home.
We live in various and nice regions via owning multiple rural homes with separate cabins, / apartment for us whenever we choose to visit. We rent out the main home and keep an inexpensive car near airport. All apartments are fully equipped, so we travel light and often. We do the same with our main (tax free) domicile, where we rent out our 2000sf daylight basement apartment, and keep our stuff on the main floor.
Nothing's really perfect, but there are lots of options. Several RV friends build a barndominium with RV hookups+ apartment+ shop+ indoor laundry, kitchen, bath. Then they rent out RV spots, + have storage and a home to return to.
Escapees.com has lots of ideas, including their own medical rehab / aging facility.
Consider planning for "decades" of retirement, or
Go-go
Slow-go
No-go seasons of retirement.
Great blog / thread on C-D named "looking for Mayberry"
They authored a very detailed website that is still posted (afaik).
They ended up back home 24 months later, and still there last I heard.
I could not find it on CD. Is it possible to provide a link? Also, the book reference?
While not exactly what you describe, I have bought a tidy little condo in a low cost area. I thus live cheaply and simply with a fixed address and can range about to my hearts content when I retire next year.
This would be my absolute ideal, honestly, and so good for you that you've got that all lined up. Our problem has to do with the high COL in the places where this would make sense (friends and family wise) and would be desirable for us. This opens up an entirely different topic though! One also of great interest to me.
This would be my absolute ideal, honestly, and so good for you that you've got that all lined up. Our problem has to do with the high COL in the places where this would make sense (friends and family wise) and would be desirable for us. This opens up an entirely different topic though! One also of great interest to me.
Condos/tics/coops in high COL areas are affordable, if you don't insist upon the best neighborhoods, eg:
I own a small condo in this condo complex, though that is not my primary home. I used to rent it out for 11 years, then stopped due to damage by the tenants/ no longer wanting to take risks with tenants. It's a low income area but quite safe, and you can find similar neighborhoods in all high COL cities. That kind of property will not appreciate, but the purchase price and maintenance+tax costs are so low that lack of appreciation doesn't matter - it has its utility as a home base and a storage space.
I love this idea. We plan to go to AZ for 3 months in the winter but I can see making this work for a few years. We love to travel. Our kids are both in WI but there are planes etc.
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