Where would you want to live when retired.

[FelixEsq]

I grew up in coastal paradise - Morro Bay, California. But that got cost prohibitive while I was growing up. I have lived all over the western states (Chicago, Austin, Denver, SoCal, SF Bay, Sacramento) and I have been on long vacations a bunch of places (New England, DC, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii). I live in Northern California near Sacramento, which is good so far, but has become so expensive that I doubt any of my kids will want to come back after they finish college. I guess my ultimate retirement location is wherever is closest to the kids after they start their lives (oldest is a junior in college now).

Denver or west would be preferable. And somewhere with easier emissions regulations. And fewer gun laws. And lower taxes. Am I retiring to Idaho?

[dannyzabolotny]

I grew up in coastal paradise - Morro Bay, California. But that got cost prohibitive while I was growing up. I have lived all over the western states (Chicago, Austin, Denver, SoCal, SF Bay, Sacramento) and I have been on long vacations a bunch of places (New England, DC, Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Hawaii). I live in Northern California near Sacramento, which is good so far, but has become so expensive that I doubt any of my kids will want to come back after they finish college. I guess my ultimate retirement location is wherever is closest to the kids after they start their lives (oldest is a junior in college now).

Denver or west would be preferable. And somewhere with easier emissions regulations. And fewer gun laws. And lower taxes. Am I retiring to Idaho?

That's a big part of why I picked Arizona.

- It's warm here (might be an understatement).
- Gun laws are pretty much zero— I bought a gun in like 15 minutes, and I didn't need a license nor a permit of any kind. You can open carry and conceal carry without any permits.
- Taxes are very reasonable. Sales tax isn't super high, and property taxes are very reasonable too.
- Emissions testing here is a joke. If you have a 1996 or newer car, all you need is to not have a CEL. There are no visual inspections so you can engine swap and supercharge anything you want.
- No safety inspections whatsoever.
- Cops don't really care about dark tints or loud exhausts.
- Car registration here is dirt cheap for older cars. I paid like $50 to renew the registration for my 2000 540it.
- No rust on Arizona cars.
- Housing is still affordable.
- Gas is cheaper than the national average.
- It's close to LA, San Diego, and Las Vegas, so there are plenty of fun trips you can do on a weekend.

[Franktea]

What about water supply?

[FelixEsq]

That's a big part of why I picked Arizona.

^^^ It has been 105+ degrees here in Sacto for weeks now, which is tough without a ski boat around me. Not sure Arizona is a good fit. Though I moved around for school and jobs, I never seriously considered living anywhere other than California in the long run -- until the last two or three years. Colorado and Utah are trending toward California. That leaves ...

[cooose]

+1 for somewhere in the carolinas. depending on what suits you most, but you could be ~2-3 hours from the mountains, ~ 3-4hrs from beaches, nice lakes, & major int'l airports (atl & clt) are also ~ 2-3, and you get 4 seasons. Also, nice scenic curvy mountain roads are very plentiful.

[adm750]

South pole.

no more swapping wheels....just rock some natty Hak's or Blizzaks year-round. You'd certainly be able to hone your drifting skills.

[adm750]

I think I'd head to Tenn or NC. We dig the mountains and the roads (...and the people). I'd have to live in a place where I could get my drive on with two and four wheels...I'm tired of wearing the centers out of the bike tires.

Spent nearly 20 years in Florida...absolutely hated it at first with that sulfur smell from all the yard sprinklers, Q-tips behind the wheel, and a bunch of posers...! But as time went on, I came to love it...9 months of car/bike/anything-outdoor bliss punctuated by a 3mo. heat wave with daily rain.

Cars stay nice, roads are smooth (albiet a tad boring...), and we spent a lot of time on or near the water.

Awesome little bars tucked away by lakes and rivers of these black-hammock areas that you'd have to fight your way in to and out of. Perfect place to sit and drink day or night with the locals and out of the hustle and bustle of people, traffic and bull$#!t associated with Orlando or Daytona. Bring your flashlight with you at night, shine it out on the water (that your sitting on the bank of) and look at all those gleaming red eyes staring back at you....

My wife an I would do 300+ miles a day together on the ol' GSXR barhopping the central and east coast areas on the weekends. You could drive whatever you wanted to year 'round. I bought my wife an '89 Corvette which was her DD

Everything has changed so much though. If I went back...the only way would be to live on the west coast and on the water.

There are so many interesting places (just in the States alone...) that it would be a hard decision to make...and it's coming fast for me as well.

[amancuso]

I'm happy to stay just where I am, 4 seasons, and close to many destinations. Sure it's expensive, but it's well worth the price of admission, much like our 4 wheeled friends.