Ideal-LIVING’S Simple 3-Step Process

Begin with the questionnaire at the front of this guide to help you identify your needs and wants.

Think about what you want out of life. There is no right or wrong answer.

Where do you want to live? By the coast? In the mountains? On a lake? In another country?

What do you want to do with your time? Engage in a healthy lifestyle? Play golf or pickleball? Become more socially active?

This retirement guide is organized by state, followed by regions and communities within those regions.

Where you live affects how you live.

It’s best to start your search wide by choosing the states that match your desires for climate and taxes. Then, look for regions of interest such as coastal or mountain.

Next, bring it down to the city and community level where you can compare amenities and types of communities.

You won’t know until you go.

Choose to make your ideal life happen. Seeing the location first-hand gives you the opportunity to see what living there might be like.

Experience it. You’ll know a place is right for you by the feeling you get from being there.

Choose a region, then visit four to five communities within that area. You won’t know if a destination is right for you until you visit. Be prepared to purchase if you find your ideal place.

Consider the Lifestyle You Desire

“If you had told me that I would be living in South Carolina, I would have told you that you were crazy,” said Leslie Jacobson, formerly from Montgomery County, VA. The Jacobsons travelled from Virginia to Georgia looking for their new life. “On this trip a light bulb went off for me … This is what my life could be? …This is what my taxes could be? … This is what the weather would be? I now tell everyone we live in paradise!”

Leslie and Bill of Dataw Island

1. CLIMATE

Choose a destination with a climate that supports the life you want. You might want a mild four-season climate, or maybe you want it warm year-round with lots of sunshine. No more shoveling snow unless you want to.

2. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS

Taxes — According to our surveys, the number one reason people are looking to relocate is to live in a low-tax state. There are several states with no income tax, as well as those with lower property taxes. (See tax comparisons on page 166)

Cost of Living — Everything from groceries to housing and healthcare affects your cost of living. (Compare cost of living for various cities on page 161)

Housing — See page 166 for median home values and property taxes.

3. QUALITY OF LIFE

Everyone deserves to live their ideal life. Imagine how you want to live your life. How will you spend your time? This is an exciting time of life; it’s that time when you get to choose who you want to be and what you want to do with your life. It’s important to find what makes you happy and can bring you fulfillment. One of the best things that happens for people when they relocate in retirement is finding a sense of community and a feeling of belonging.

When you move to a planned community, it’s easy to create an entirely new network of lifelong friends. Most people are just like you and have moved there from somewhere else. When taking advantage of Discovery Travel, talk to the people who live there about their lives.