7 Places to Retire During an Economic Downturn

Smartmoney Website ^ | February 25, 2008 | Kelli B Grant

[Brian S. Fitzgerald]

Panama,?

Wouldn't you be right in the middle of a major migration bottleneck or even battlezone (someone might try to destroy, or take control of the CZ)?

[cinives]

I’m hoping that RE values will drop around Aiken over the next year so I can take advantage of even lower prices for 10-20 acres.

[Ann Archy]

30 plus years ago, Australia was PAYING Americans to MOVE there!! I knew a guy who did that.

[Ann Archy]

Is Aiken near Cary?

Cary is NORTH Carolina...I think AIken is SOUTH Carolina......Cary is great...used to live there in Lochmere.

[Ann Archy]

Is Aiken near Cary?

Cary is NORTH Carolina...I think AIken is SOUTH Carolina......Cary is great...used to live there in Lochmere.

[freespirited]

Can you be more specific re: Sussex County? Aren’t some of these towns expensive places that fill up with tourists in the summer?

Would like to hear your opinion of the nicest towns there for retirement purposes.

[Holicheese]

I am thinking Costa Rica. Open a small hotel, surf, drink beer, watch the red Sox on satellite.

[Liberty Valance]

ROFL!

[Gritty]

It's too bad they didn't continue the article on and name the 8 Places to Retire in an Economic Downturn. Then they could have added Detroit to this fanciful list,... lots of cheap housing, plenty of empty spaces to wander, gambling, the colorful Rouge River, a world class government, and no matter how bad the economic downturn gets you won't be able to tell the difference any more....

[Just another Joe]

I'll be moving to the Philippines but NOT Manila.

You couldn't pay me enough to actually live in Manila.

Now let's talk about Palawan or Zambales.

[Mr. Jeeves]

So their welfare systems are like ours - they don’t check for citizenship ?

Permanent residents are covered - but illegals get deported.

[cinives]

You misunderstand my question.

If I emigrate as a retiree with residence visa (or whatever they call it) but keep US citizenship, does their welfare/health system consider me a resident entitled to services or just a “long-term visitor” with no services ?

IOW if I have resources and can pay my own way, they don’t want me as a retiree ?

[Mr. Jeeves]

If you obtain permanent residence, you are entitled to services. But it's hard to do that if you are over 55. You probably have to qualify as an investor and bring a certain amount of money into the country.

The New Zealand Immigration site is really good and has all of the answers.

[Lancey Howard]

That works for me!

[Trajan88]

Dyersville... no.

Beyond the outfield... into the tall cornfield... yes. Must find out what's out there... maybe I'll ask Doc ;-)

[discostu]

We don’t hit that high. Our highest ever was 117, and that was almost 18 years ago. Most summers it’s 101 to 105, maybe in August we’ll spike up towards 110 but very rarely past it. And really that’s why God gave us AC, I don’t care how hot it is outside 5 minutes in a well ACed room and you’re cooled off, heat doesn’t sink into your bones like cold, and you never have to shovel it out of your driveway. We’re tagging the 80s this week.

[SuziQ]

Oh goody, none of them are places we were planning to go anyway. This way, everyone else will go there, and where we are won’t be so crowded! ;o)

[lewislynn]

Yea I know, "it's a dry heat"

I was using my brother in-law's reports on temperatures in his area of Arizona between Kingman and Havasu....

BTW, I live in the central valley of California, we get our fair share of heat too. I don't care where you are, when it gets over 100 it's not "a warm sunny climate" it's frigg'n hot.

[SuziQ]

I gotta end up on a beach somewhere. I’m thinking Florida or the Carolinas.

Check out Ft. Morgan AL, just West of Gulf Shores. Just gorgeous!
The MS Gulf Coast is nice, too. They're slowly rebuilding from Katrina, but there have been some beautiful condos built along the Coast Highway, looking right out over the MS Sound. There are lots available in Pass Christian and Waveland, if you don't mind building your house up off the ground, otherwise the insurance costs will eat you alive.

[SuziQ]

Our #1 son went to Cornell Law School, so we went up to Ithaca a couple of times. It IS a gorgeous area, but the town itself does have that hippie feel. Go out of the city and you’re in beautiful country! I wouldn’t want to live there because it’s too dang cold. I can’t wait to get out of MA; 20 years of cold and snow (actually 27, if you count the time we spent in NJ, before moving to MA) is enough for me!