14 Things To Consider When Deciding Where to Live
Deciding where to live is one of the most important decisions you can make. Whether you plan to keep you main home and live in your second home part time.

Climate
This is a big one. For those living in cold weather climates that thought of never having to shovel a walk or driveway or deal with the cold weather is very appealing. Be aware that many places that are comfortably warm in the winter an extremely hot and muggy in the summer. Many people think about retiring to areas where they vacationed in the winter. Make sure you experience your location in its toughest season so you know what to expect.

Accessibility
Basically how easy is it to get there? This is important for a number of reasons. First if you want to have family or friends visit can they get there quickly, easily and cheaply or are they looking at a long drive from the airport. Secondly if you want to get away how easy is it? Can you drive to another attractive location? Is the airport part of a major hub?

Health Care
OK, no one really wants to think about getting sick but unfortunately one of the side effects or getting older is that you are more susceptible to needing good health care. Are there good hospitals near by in case of emergency? Does the area have the type of specialists that you may need if you have a family history of a particular problem? These are some of the things you need to look into when picking an area to retire to.

Education
One of the most important things to do to stay young is to keep your mind active. Many people like to take courses in areas that have always interested them but maybe they never had a chance to explore. While on-line eLearning has opened up this horizon the accessibility to local educational opportunities is something to consider. Proximity to a college or university also means that there will be a local population of young active people. For many this is very stimulating for others it is an annoyance. Either way it is something to consider

Arts Entertainment
The more time you have the more opportunity you have to experience the arts and entertainment. Unfortunately the price of live entertainment has skyrocketed although local theatre still remains a great buy. The advent of lower priced large screen high definition TVs has broaden the appeal of home entertainment but many would argue that nothing can match the experience of live entertainment. Having access to art galleries, museums and civic centers where professional dance, music and theatre productions visit is a big plus. It is definitely something to consider.

Cost
There are actually two costs and they are somewhat related. The first is the cost of the property and the requisite maintenance and condo fees (which are now approaching what we used to think of as rent levels), taxes, utilities, etc. Usually the higher the property costs the higher the fees and maintenance associated with the property. The second factor is the cost of living in the area. This includes such things as food and gas prices, climate factors (heating and plowing bills for the north, air conditional bills for the south), restaurants, state income taxes to name a few. Usually if you live in a high priced housing area the surrounding services are usually also more expensive but often a 10 or 15 minute drive gives you access to less expensive services. Just something to consider. In general people want to live in the nicest area they can afford. Here the key word is afford as once you are retired you need to pay much closer attention to where the money is going and what type of future expenses can you anticipate. Being retired usually means having much more time to spend around your home so you are getting much more use and benefit from your housing expenses.

Proximity to Friends/Family
Socializing is one of life’s true pleasures especially when it is with good friends or close family members. A major decision for many people is whether to move to a new area away from friends and family. Often people move to an area that other friends have moved to setting up a little enclave in the new location. Access to your kids and especially your grandchildren is a very big concern. If you are reasonably close (say within an hours drive) it is much easier to play a more active role in their lives with regular visits and the occasional baby sitting or support role thrown in. If you live to far away then chances are you will only see your children on special occasions. One option that a lot of people take if they can afford it is to keep two homes. One for the winter and one for the summer. This way at least part of the year they can remain close to where they have lived for many years and have developed deep roots.

Growth
Is the area you are looking to move to growing and expanding or has it reached its peak and is a state of decline. Growth usually means new services, restaurants, new neighbors new opportunities; it also usually means more congestion and more disruption as roads are dug up to add more utilities and services.

Work Prospects
I know we are talking about retirement here but if you look at our new definition of retirement we are expecting a large portion of the population to continue working in a more limited capacity during a large part of their retirement. Depending on your area of interest or expertise you should look into potential employers in the area. Getting a job in the area might be the perfect impetus to make the move. It might even accelerate the process and move the timetable up. If you can get a job in the area you can move there even before your plan retirement schedule. Work full time for a while and then scale back. You would have already reestablished your credentials and contacts in the area making it easier to find part time work. Firms are also much more likely to hire you on a part time basis if they have already had a good experience with you on a full time basis and already know your skills and capabilities.

Attractiveness/Visit Appeal
This can actual mean a number of different things. It can mean the physical beauty of the area or it can mean the lure of the area to tourists and guests, especially friends and family. If you live near Orlando for example you can be assured that any grandchildren will be visiting the area to take in the theme parks. Many areas hold attraction as tourist destinations or as great places to get away to. Living in or near one of these types of areas makes it easier to get your family to visit. It also means that you are more likely to have friends stop by who are visiting in the area.

Accommodations
This is really an issue no matter where you live. When you think about your retirement home you have to take into consideration not only your own daily needs but also how you will accommodate guests. A one bedroom unit is really going to limit having any company stay with you. For some that might be great but for most having friends and family staying in your house is a pleasant experience. Conversations and opportunities are greatly expanded when you are living together under the same roof for a few days. Think about having an extra bedroom that you use as a den or study but that has a pullout sofa or can accommodate a portable bed for when guests visit. Three bedroom units are usually ideal as you can keep one of the bedrooms set up as a full fledge guest room while you use the other as a den or study. When family or friends come to visit you can accommodate kids in one room and parents in another or you can have a number of you children visit at the same time. Cost is obviously a big consideration here but if you can it has a lot of benefits beyond the day to day extra space.

Neighbors
What type of people are your neighbors going to be? While individual neighbors may move and there is always constant turnover in most communities the type of people that make up you neighbors is very important. Being retired means having more time and usually means spending more time around the house both inside and outside. If you community has a clubhouse, pool area or group activities you will be in much closer contact with your neighbors than you might have previously experienced and should take this into consideration.

Services/Facilities
New over 55 communities are being built with much more extensive facilities and services than we were used to. Many communities seem more like luxury resorts in what they have to offer. Usually you will have to pay extra both in terms of the original purchase price and in the ongoing maintenance fees. Being that you are going to have more time to access these facilities they are often worth the extra price. They also serve as a good social enhancer as they put you into social contact with your neighbors and allow you to build friendships that might not otherwise occur.

Recreation