If money were no object - what city/state would you live in?

[Douglas Dubh]

When I was younger I wanted a big house on plenty of land to have horses and toys. But now if I could I wouldn’t have a house at all. I’d live out of suitcases, buying things as I needed them and donating them when I no longer did. Maybe buy a bunch of timeshares points and spend a couple weeks in each place. I could follow this map:

 

[ClaraOswald]

Interesting. I love to travel but after a week or two, I miss my home.

 

[QueenIsabella]

When I was younger I wanted a big house on plenty of land to have horses and toys. But now if I could I wouldn’t have a house at all. I’d live out of suitcases, buying things as I needed them and donating them when I no longer did. Maybe buy a bunch of timeshares points and spend a couple weeks in each place. I could follow this map: View attachment 947168

I like the map, but for leisure travel, you couldn't pay me to go up I-95 along the east coast. It's awful! When we head north (NC-NY), we go about an hour inland. It's a touch longer, but we figure, one good traffic jam would add that, anyway, and it's much more scenic and easier on the blood pressure. The really terrible part of I-95 is through NJ-NY-CT--if I were leisurely traveling, I would take I-87 up to Albany, then east on I-90 and back down again. I really, really hate I-95!

 

[citruscurtis]

Lincoln City Oregon.... Gated HOA north of town... it's on a. Cliff so would have to walk a bit to beach and door dash would not take that long... Chinese food at the Safeway is fantastic.... I don't mind the winds or rain... what I have learned at the age of 68... sunrise and sunset is the happy hour every day

 

[Sykes]

Pretty much where I am now in one of the warmer areas of the San Francisco Bay Area. I can ride my bike comfortably, outside, 330 days of the year. My neighbors complain any time it's below ~60F or above ~80F. It's an easy drive to beautiful woods, picturesque (but sometimes cold) beaches, or a bit longer drive to some of the best skiing in the country. We're a short flight anywhere west of the Rockies, and have nonstop flights to a lot of the rest of the world. While I have a lot of minor complaints, cost is by far the only big one.

A close second would be San Diego.

 

[lovin'fl]

We are from MD and was living in PA 2.5 years ago when we sold that house and moved to FL because that's where we wanted to be. So if we were rich all the sudden we'd also buy a condo, near Hilton Head SC, as a vacation place.

 

[DVCjj]

Florida for sure.

 

[sasywtch]

Money isn't the issue, it's where the kids/grandkids are. Right now, they have good jobs here in CA so here we will be. I'd rather move to Tennessee. My cousins are loving it there. I do have to say, where I do live in CA it's in an area that has good weather, the ocean 90 minutes one way, snow skiing 90 minutes the other way and great fresh fruits/vegetables.

 

[snappy]

We are in Florida near the beach, not far from another big waterway, very close to an airport and with a new teaching hospital to open in 2027. New, low maintenance, well insulated home. HOA takes care of all yard stuff. Resort type pool and many activities each week. Made many new friends. We love the white sand, beautiful clean water in the gulf, and the plentiful seafood available in restaurants and in the seafood markets. Our 3 kids live in 3 different states, one 4 hours from us. They love visiting us. We feel like we chose the perfect place to live for this stage of our lives.

 

[hertamaniac]

I currently live in central Florida for 20+ years now. Since we're playing make believe, I would want out of the hurricane paths and population explosion we have. One place I've been to many times, while the other is TBD.

1) San Diego - more specifically, Coronado or Point Loma area.
2) Hawaii - Mākaha

 

[Turn the Page]

We are in Florida near the beach, not far from another big waterway, very close to an airport and with a new teaching hospital to open in 2027. New, low maintenance, well insulated home. HOA takes care of all yard stuff. Resort type pool and many activities each week. Made many new friends. We love the white sand, beautiful clean water in the gulf, and the plentiful seafood available in restaurants and in the seafood markets. Our 3 kids live in 3 different states, one 4 hours from us. They love visiting us. We feel like we chose the perfect place to live for this stage of our lives.

You bring up a good point.

DH once mentioned wanting to buy a second home in Florida when it comes that time for us but I told him it would depend on what the kids do. DH and I and our siblings all still live in our home town so the grandparents have easy access to the grandkids if they want it and I couldn't imagine wanting to spend a huge chunk of the year elsewhere if all the kids stay local. I never really considered them coming to visit us if we were down there. That's certainly a thought.

 

[DizneyFamof4]

Multiple homes in multiple states and countries.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

DH and I have discussed having a summer residence and a winter residence that gets rented out for profit/income when it's too hot or cold for us.

We both have talked about Colorado. Part of us would like to stay on the eastern side of the front range because there are more plentiful resources, but we also like being nestled away in some of the cute mountain towns. He's more interested in some of the ski town areas while I'm more focused on things around RMNP.

As for a warmer place in the winter months...we live in the Houston area and are pretty used to mild winters. That being said, while I know there are all sorts of nice beachy options as you head towards Galveston, that is just not exciting to me and I honestly don't think I want to stay in TX. I thought about something in FL because I've joked about trying to become one of the Voices of Liberty at Epcot in my retirement but DH wants nothing to do with FL and I was not a fan of the 6.5 years I lived there (even though it was a different area). SoCal is appealing until you look at the costs and congestion. We're not really beachy people so the desert could work, but I've been to Phoenix and Tucson in the winter and it didn't scream home. So, maybe CO year round and we just embrace winter?

If we were to leave the country, I'd want to go to Austria. When we visited, I joked that Vienna could easily serve as my main area of residence but I'd love some little something or other in a place like Innsbruck so I could get away from the world now and then.

 

[HannaBelle]

Hawaii, either Maui or maybe the big island. I would have to spend a couple of months visiting both locations to decide.

 

[jimmymc]

If I'm staying in the US and money is no option, I'd be living in a penthouse in New York City. Lots of things to do, great food, good public transit, and great airport connections to the rest of the world.

Expanding to the rest of the world, I would probably go for Amsterdam. Similar benefits, easy to get around with English, and unique culture that's different but still possible to join in as an American.

 

[DisneYE]

Not going anywhere. I am nearly 68 and have lived in 4 places, all within 6 miles of where I am right now. Moved when I was 3, 24, and 25. Moving is just not my thing. Forget money is no object, moving is just too much work.
I married an Air Force brat, and a child of divorce. First 10 years of her life, she moved 12 times. From age 10 to 16 she moved another 8 times as her mom changed residents and boyfriends. She has made it clear she NEVER wants to move ever again.
So different reasons but my wife and I have no plans to move ever, although a care home might be necessary at some point.
If money was no object, I would travel a lot but not move.

I like this response. I'm the same because moving is such a hassle, too stressful, especially after 40 imo.
I've moved 8 times in my life and most were due to bad neighbors. I believe once you find a peaceful place, stick to it, don't move, regardless of location, cost or weather... people who live around good neighbors, or away from any, have no idea how lucky they are, they hit the jackpot.

 

[mjkacmom]

I like the map, but for leisure travel, you couldn't pay me to go up I-95 along the east coast. It's awful! When we head north (NC-NY), we go about an hour inland. It's a touch longer, but we figure, one good traffic jam would add that, anyway, and it's much more scenic and easier on the blood pressure. The really terrible part of I-95 is through NJ-NY-CT--if I were leisurely traveling, I would take I-87 up to Albany, then east on I-90 and back down again. I really, really hate I-95!

One of my kids goes to Clemson and drives back and forth to NJ, never 95, always inland.

I like my location, 20 minutes from NYC, 1 1/2 from Philadelphia, 4 from DC and Boston, beaches, mountains, lakes, culture, great food, every need is close by, and if money was not a problem, I’d just get a bigger house with a bigger lot. My sister is living this problem, money no object, she’s planning on at least 2 homes in the US, her plan is to book Airbnb’s for 2 months at a time in different areas.

 

[ClaraOswald]

I like this response. I'm the same because moving is such a hassle, too stressful, especially after 40 imo.
I've moved 8 times in my life and most were due to bad neighbors. I believe once you find a peaceful place, stick to it, don't move, regardless of location, cost or weather... people who live around good neighbors, or away from any, have no idea how lucky they are, they hit the jackpot.

Our last house, we were next to the worst neighbors combined with not the best built homes so the noise was just so much for me and my misophonia. We've been in our current house for 5 years and while it's had its own issues....loudness hasn't been one of them. Because of that, I always say the only thing that would get me to move now would be if we had a house on more property. I can never go back to the closeness/loudness of our old neighborhood.

 

[Jodo98]

I would probably stay in florida and just buy land and build a house. I do love California weather and some areas are beautiful. MOney just really would have to be no problem because taxes in Cali are out of this world.

 

[snappy]

You bring up a good point.

DH once mentioned wanting to buy a second home in Florida when it comes that time for us but I told him it would depend on what the kids do. DH and I and our siblings all still live in our home town so the grandparents have easy access to the grandkids if they want it and I couldn't imagine wanting to spend a huge chunk of the year elsewhere if all the kids stay local. I never really considered them coming to visit us if we were down there. That's certainly a thought.

We realized our kids had little interest in visiting us in Louisiana once their last grand parent passed, unless it involved either jazz fest or a few days in other seasons in New Orleans. They are very inclined though towards taking advantage of staying with us for the beaches and fun things to do (boating) in the gulf and the intercostal. Even our youngest living in Jax now much prefers the gulf beaches and water to the Atlantic side. We are thrilled!