The next step?

[ua_guy]

We cooled our jets for a few weeks but booked a few days down there and rented a house in a community where we'd enjoy being. Looked at a bunch of places and got some good insight from realtors, found a few places we'd enjoy in theory (not ready to buy yet). It was a great trip, and it was a somber return home where it is currently dark, cool, and dumping rain for the foreseeable future.

The other half says it would be smart to sell our home now and then rent until we figured out where we're going. I was really excited about the idea but can't seem to fully release my grip on what we currently have. I don't know how to emphatically move in one direction or the other, regarding this. Some if it is trauma from a prior move which didn't work out well! I think this one will, but...it's tough!

[GoodLiving]

Spouse and I are moving, we need to because of a detached garage. In the winter it's just way too icy to walk to the garage and my spouse has likely permanent challenges with knees, stability(can't risk another head injury) so we are moving. We initially thought about just buying in the same metro area but to find similar housing, we'd probably need to take a small mortgage out. We're so close to retirement, we don't really want to do it. We're going to be moving an hour away near my adult child and their spouse. It's not idea because there's some challenges politically but it's $70-80k less than what we'd pay here, plus lower property taxes and HOA fees. It does really seem like we're easing into retirement, FA said last year - 4-5 more years paying bills and working for health care. When we move, I'm probably closing the door on my career of the last 18 years but I need less, perhaps just work some easy job from home for the health insurance. The difference is what we clear when we sell our current home will fund our travel vehicle for retirement. Like, you, I'm anxious but the truth is...you can always change plans again if it doesn't work out.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

We cooled our jets for a few weeks but booked a few days down there and rented a house in a community where we'd enjoy being. Looked at a bunch of places and got some good insight from realtors, found a few places we'd enjoy in theory (not ready to buy yet). It was a great trip, and it was a somber return home where it is currently dark, cool, and dumping rain for the foreseeable future.

The other half says it would be smart to sell our home now and then rent until we figured out where we're going. I was really excited about the idea but can't seem to fully release my grip on what we currently have. I don't know how to emphatically move in one direction or the other, regarding this. Some if it is trauma from a prior move which didn't work out well! I think this one will, but...it's tough!

Are you living up PNW this winter or snowbirding this winter? That'll influence my decision. I think next spring PNW is better for selling but that's seasonal. If you weren't staying it in then sell but if you are then keep.

Right now the market still can be hot in some pockets. Depends on where you are localized mostly because inventory is not aplenty. Some places yet, but others well when there are no homes on the market what is there to buy? I think that's the bigger problem in PNW is there isn't much inventory because people are holding and refusing to budge on their homes. LOTS of people have LOTS of equity but with no where to go you just sit

[ua_guy]

Well, we are back in the Coachella Valley, spending a month here in our RV. We left Seattle, cold, dark, and raining, a little more than a week ago. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and sunny here in the valley and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset while eating outside after 3 miles of walking. It's not hard to enjoy life here for a little while.

Every house we toured back in October is still for sale. One has taken a full $100k price cut. We spoke to two of the same realtors yesterday at two of the homes we liked, and they both said the same thing. Put in an offer if you'd like, anything, really, see if it sticks. In both situations, the sellers have reached the end of their ropes. Both now have other homes and expected to be sold by now. Two more homes we like have come on the market since then: The owners of both of them, older people with health issues who can no longer come down to visit, and/or need funds to pay for their care.

I'm glad we haven't done anything yet, we are in a wait-and-see pattern. I think the housing market will continue to get softer from here. It doesn't make sense to live here full time because of taxes, and we are uncertain about a split-time living situation. But it is fun to look and dream!

[disneysteve]

Well, we are back in the Coachella Valley, spending a month here in our RV. We left Seattle, cold, dark, and raining, a little more than a week ago. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and sunny here in the valley and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset while eating outside after 3 miles of walking. It's not hard to enjoy life here for a little while.

Every house we toured back in October is still for sale. One has taken a full $100k price cut. We spoke to two of the same realtors yesterday at two of the homes we liked, and they both said the same thing. Put in an offer if you'd like, anything, really, see if it sticks. In both situations, the sellers have reached the end of their ropes. Both now have other homes and expected to be sold by now. Two more homes we like have come on the market since then: The owners of both of them, older people with health issues who can no longer come down to visit, and/or need funds to pay for their care.

I'm glad we haven't done anything yet, we are in a wait-and-see pattern. I think the housing market will continue to get softer from here. It doesn't make sense to live here full time because of taxes, and we are uncertain about a split-time living situation. But it is fun to look and dream!

Sounds like you're in the driver's seat waiting for the very motivated sellers and a softening market to hand you an opportunity you can't refuse. Patience is a virtue. Good things come to those who wait. And all of that sort of thing.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Well, we are back in the Coachella Valley, spending a month here in our RV. We left Seattle, cold, dark, and raining, a little more than a week ago. Yesterday it was 70 degrees and sunny here in the valley and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset while eating outside after 3 miles of walking. It's not hard to enjoy life here for a little while.

Every house we toured back in October is still for sale. One has taken a full $100k price cut. We spoke to two of the same realtors yesterday at two of the homes we liked, and they both said the same thing. Put in an offer if you'd like, anything, really, see if it sticks. In both situations, the sellers have reached the end of their ropes. Both now have other homes and expected to be sold by now. Two more homes we like have come on the market since then: The owners of both of them, older people with health issues who can no longer come down to visit, and/or need funds to pay for their care.

I'm glad we haven't done anything yet, we are in a wait-and-see pattern. I think the housing market will continue to get softer from here. It doesn't make sense to live here full time because of taxes, and we are uncertain about a split-time living situation. But it is fun to look and dream!

Sounds like a dream. Are you enjoying it? Do you want to relocate or just snowbird?

[ua_guy]

Sounds like a dream. Are you enjoying it? Do you want to relocate or just snowbird?

We always enjoy our time down here, but we cherry-pick the season. It's dreadfully hot May-September. December-March is peak season here, what people come for. I wonder if the hot season is any better or worse than dark/gray/rainy from October to May back home. Tradeoffs.

I had an appetite to relocate here, but income taxes make that unattractive. We don't currently pay any state income taxes and they are as high as 14% here. I don't have an appetite to be a tax cheat, but that is very rampant here, you see it all over.

So the only real option right now is to purchase a 2nd home here and actually utilize it less than 180 days per year--or, continue what we're doing and just keep doing our winter visits. That has its ups and downs.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

We always enjoy our time down here, but we cherry-pick the season. It's dreadfully hot May-September. December-March is peak season here, what people come for. I wonder if the hot season is any better or worse than dark/gray/rainy from October to May back home. Tradeoffs.

I had an appetite to relocate here, but income taxes make that unattractive. We don't currently pay any state income taxes and they are as high as 14% here. I don't have an appetite to be a tax cheat, but that is very rampant here, you see it all over.

So the only real option right now is to purchase a 2nd home here and actually utilize it less than 180 days per year--or, continue what we're doing and just keep doing our winter visits. That has its ups and downs.

If you retire CA is a nice place to retire. The taxes are not as high. I say that after talking with an old coworker who relocated down to california and California is retiree friendly. Between prop 13 and not taxing pensions, it's a nice place to retire.