Where do I want to retire is a question that must be asked and answered definitively before you start shopping for houses. That doesn’t mean you can’t take a look at what is available in an area, but you can actually do that online from anywhere you have an Internet connection. Of course, you can and should visit any town under consideration. But some buyers start looking at homes before they even have answered the question, “Where do I want to retire?”
Where Do I Want to Retire?
The reason this is important is because you will confuse the heck out yourself looking at houses in Sequim, then Duvall, then Bellingham, then Ocean Shores, then Spokane, then Eugene, then South Bend, and so on. Too much chaos ends up with confusion and no decision at all. I only know this, because many buyers have taught me this over the past 20 years. Those who come to look at houses, but also tell me they are looking at half a dozen other places, never end up buying anything for many years. They end up going back home frustrated. But there is a practical answer.
Where Do I Want to Retire? The Answer.
Retires who answered the question, “Where do I want to retire?,” long before arriving to look at homes for two days, spent months (years for some) researching to find the exact climate and community and activities and social life they wanted long before they jumped in a car. First they define how they want to live. Then they find that kind of place, and if there is more than one such place, they refine and filter even further until they locate the town or area that seems nearly perfect. Then they visit, and they also contact a buyer’s agent in advance to view some prospective homes. Buyers who go through this orderly process are the ones who seem to find their perfect home, and many years later, these are also the happiest people I’ve ever met.
So there is a process that helps answer the question, “Where do I want to retire?” And it is orderly and has worked for thousands of retirees around the country. Thank God for the Internet and all the wonderful information available at your fingertips 24/7. Including, if I may say so, this real estate blog packed full of answers to thousands of buyer questions. It is our pleasure to serve you by helping you gather information so ultimately you can answer that single most important question, “Where do I want to retire?”
Last Updated on September 7, 2019 by Chuck Marunde
