7 Places to Retire During an Economic Downturn

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

[AmericanInTokyo]

In Tokyo, that will provide you a cramped 1 bedroom place in Minato-ward, for many three days, at best. $3000 a month, bottoms, for a decent expat place in Tokyo, unfurnished, no frills. As you well know.

[Ditter]

Have you picked a spot in Texas for your upcoming move?

[chilepepper]

Unfortunately, the Chilean Peso is about 465 per US Dollar these days (down 10% since January!)... Dollar has been dropping steadily since 2001, when you could get about 750 Pesos per dollar :(

Along with inflation, the cost of living has gone up steadily here - gas is almost US$6 a gallon.

But all things considered, Chile is still a great place to live, still much cheaper than Kalidfornica, and very similar climate wise - quality of life here can be top notch if you stay out of Santiago.

[Mr Rogers]

Damned lies. I live just outside Tucson. Housing prices - not asking, but selling - are probably down 30-40%.

Tucson is a liberal bastion in increasingly liberal Arizona. I love the desert, but we’ve imported way to many people from California and Mexico, and they’ve brought their values with them.

[ottbmare]

shhhhhhhh......don't tell anyone, we have a nice small town now and don't want all the rest of the world to know how wonderful it is...

Sorry, everybody I know already has a winter house there--I didn't realize it was a secret! Or maybe it's just a secret if you don't ride or drive.

My only question is, what the heck do I do for a living there? I have to feed the horses somehow.

[oh8eleven]

I gotta end up on a beach somewhere.
Me too - I'm thinking Onslow Beach.

Semper Fi ...

[Intimidator]

LOL, Ithaca NY, I’ll stick around with this thread just to read some of the ‘bunch of commies’, ‘bunch of socialists’ comments from the neo-con far right on FR. Sounds like a nice place to live actually, a bit cold for this NC country boy but nice nonetheless.

[quincysbuddy]

Ditto that post on Sussex county Delaware. We moved here 5yrs ago from the peoples republic of N.J.. Property tax alone was worth the move. Applying now for concealed carry permit. Sweet.

[McGruff]

Think I’d like to be a snow bird. Have some trailer on a lake in N.Y. State during the summer and another trailer/Condo in sunny Florida when the first snow flake hits the ground.

[presently no screen name]

Is Aiken near Cary?

[presently no screen name]

San Antonio
Me too, but never been there - have you?

[cinives]

They’re talking retirees, not working stiffs...

[cinives]

But if you’re not looking for a job - do they still want to keep you out ?

[cinives]

I second Aiken - that’s where I’m going.

[cinives]

My kid and her horses are “winter residents” in Aiken - we love the place.

[CholeraJoe]

6. San Antonio, Texas
Nice town, but it’s going to be behind the lines in Aztlan.

I just hope USAA has the foresight to relocate before their servers are overrun. Most user-friendly Banking, Investment and Insurance company there is.

[Mr. Jeeves]

But if you’re not looking for a job - do they still want to keep you out ?

Even more so, because they presume - probably correctly in most cases - you are coming to sponge off of their health care and welfare systems. New Zealand is a lot smarter than we (or England) are about these things.

[cinives]

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

[CORedneck]

I would prefer Christchurch - large enough to have some good amenities but not so crowded. I do like Auckland though. I would like to move to NZ though.

[ottbmare]

The real estate is certainly cheaper in Aiken than where I live!