Looking for a good place to relocate on retirement

[Skybrd]

My Mooney is based at BFL (Bakersfield, Ca.) and I'm looking for a good place to retire and relocate. BFL use to be a great general aviation airport but has changed with the TSA limitations and security. They removed many supporting features such as FSS station, Restaurant, Motel, self serve gas pumps and open access. Anyway, I would like to find a good town and airport that supports general aviation. I'm open to moving out of California. I checked Carson City Nevada and after calling, found out there is no hanger available. I checked Columbia, Ca and the hanger problem is the same unless I want to buy a 150k hanger. Do any of you know of a great retirement place and airport with available hangers. Thank you.  

[philipneeper]

Quote: Skybrd

My Mooney is based at BFL (Bakersfield, Ca.) and I'm looking for a good place to retire and relocate. BFL use to be a great general aviation airport but has changed with the TSA limitations and security. They removed many supporting features such as FSS station, Restaurant, Motel, self serve gas pumps and open access. Anyway, I would like to find a good town and airport that supports general aviation. I'm open to moving out of California. I checked Carson City Nevada and after calling, found out there is no hanger available. I checked Columbia, Ca and the hanger problem is the same unless I want to buy a 150k hanger. Do any of you know of a great retirement place and airport with available hangers. Thank you.  

[Parker_Woodruff]

Texas or Florida. Spruce Creek is excellent in FL. 

[David Mazer]

I think there are more airport communities in FL than any other state.  They are all over the place.  Some a lot better than others.  There are some that have paved or grass and even one that has grass and water.  Spruce is great but also very busy and pricey.  But the busy part means services.  The weather is pretty good for flying as long as you have some cooling system (I use Arctic Air).  Check us out.

[Mcstealth]

If you could build, there is an airpark here in Kerrville called Silver Oaks. Has some lots for sale,  and a two or three hanger houses also for sale. Nice strip and KERV is a touch and go away. The Hill Country of Texas is a well known retierment area with lots of medical because of it. Another community is Tierra Linda. Don't remember its sign. It has a paved strip and large hangar, also a touch and go away from KERV, and some beautiful homes in it.

[GeorgePerry]

Quote: Skybrd

My Mooney is based at BFL (Bakersfield, Ca.) and I'm looking for a good place to retire and relocate. BFL use to be a great general aviation airport but has changed with the TSA limitations and security. They removed many supporting features such as FSS station, Restaurant, Motel, self serve gas pumps and open access. Anyway, I would like to find a good town and airport that supports general aviation. I'm open to moving out of California. I checked Carson City Nevada and after calling, found out there is no hanger available. I checked Columbia, Ca and the hanger problem is the same unless I want to buy a 150k hanger. Do any of you know of a great retirement place and airport with available hangers. Thank you.  

[johnggreen]

Skybird,

The best places are probably those you never heard of.  Start with airports with good facilities and hangars.  Then look at medical facilities.  The lack of either is a eliminator.  Then, if you can find a community with a good university, the quality of life just took a jump.  Do you like the mountains, the ocean, or both.  The Mooney gives you the ability to get to either quickly.

The southeast is hard to beat for the hospitality of the people.  They still have roots and are proud of it.  That being said, they will take in "foreigners" with open arms.  I'm from Mississippi and our coast is pretty hospitable and has the facilities I mentioned.  Starting in eastern Tennessee you can just follow the Appalachians northeast with some of the prettiest country in the world.

You will find the cost of living affordable in the southeast and houses so cheap compared to CA that you simply won't believe it.  I live in Grenada, MS, with a incredible airport, the world's best crappie lake, hunting to die for and a really nice public golf course.  My home, ++++ s.f., and ranch, +++ acres would simply be unaffordable to me in most parts of the country, but I'm not trying to sell you on coming here.  Just pointing out the advantages of the area.  Eastern Tennessee, Cleveland for example, well, you should visit.  Hundreds of families moved down here during the migration of industry to the south and 99% never went back.

I guess what I'm saying is, don't let any pre-conceived notions stop you from looking and making your own decision.  Take a month and make a flying trip to places you never thought of before.  

Oh, and the Tennessee River from Mississippi through Alabama to Knoxville.  The lakes around Knoxville are absolutely georgeous; I fly over them all the time going to Virginia.

My children have attended some of the best universities in the world, but all four (one semi-adopted) have said a thousand times that they will never live anyplace but the south.  Right now, they are all in VA and NC.

I'm rambling, sorry.  Just open your options and look.

JG

[kerry]

I would check out Arizona.  I've seen some good deals on Barnstormers.  Have you ever heard of Grassy Meadow in Hurricane Utah.  You should look it up online.  It's absolutely beuatiful.  Next to Zion's National Park and not to far from St. George UT.  Mild Climite in the winter.

 

[johnggreen]

Skybird,

I forgot to make one point.  Florida is not a southern state.  No offense to my Florida friends.  Lots of them love it.  Some like beets too.

jg

[Immelman]

Oregon has some great terrain, and no sales tax.

[Piloto]

If you are into flying Florida is defnitely the state for retirement. A lot of places to fly to like the keys or the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Lots of airparks, lots of FBOs and lots of hangars. VFR weather all year around. Lots of MRIs and health care facilities. Have lived in Florida for over 30 years and would not move out.

José

  

[Cruiser]

CNN moneystaff ran an article on best places to retire. You can read it here:

http://finance.yahoo.com/retirement/article/113504/best-places-retire-2011-cnnmoney

[moodychief]

Take a look at Arkansas or Southern Missouri.  The Ozark Mountains have a lot to offer in quality of life and recreation.  World record trout and walleye have been caught in Arkansas.  If you want acreage, the cost of land is very reasonable in both states.  If you want a house in an airpark, there are several options to consider in both states.  Even in my old C model, my four hour flight ring includes Atlanta, K.C., St. Louis, Chicago, Tulsa, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, Shreveport, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Wichita, Destin, Nashville and the list goes on. 

 

[RJBrown]

 I just bought a lot on Pegasus Airpark (5AZ3) in Queen Creek in the SE corner of the Phoenix metro area. Lots that were over $300k are now about $100k. With the crash in prices in Phoenix real estate now is the time to buy. I am considering buying a $45000 house in the area to live in while I build. Right now a 1000-1200 square foot 5 or so year old house within 5 miles of Pegasus can be found easily. Does get HOT in the summertime. I plan on being a snowbird.

[Rustler]

Skybrd--

 

This place has interested me for some time, and before moving to Taos we considered it.

             http://www.holleymountainairpark.com/

It is about as well thought out as any air park I've seen.

 

[Skybrd]

Thanks everybody for your suggestions. I will check over your ideas. I'm not too excited about wanting to live on an airport but possibly live close by. I've already considered Florida a while back and it still looks good.  I like friendly airports,  medium size towns and good weather.  

[dcrogers11]

I'll have to plug Pecan Plantation (0TX1) here in Texas where my plane and I reside.  It's a unique subdivision about an hour SW of the DFW area.  We have two airparks and runways where you may either choose to live right on a runway or several blocks away and taxi your plane from you home on one of the dedicated taxiways leading through the subdivision.  We have a lot of active and retired aviators from the industry, mostly airline pilots and a very active EAA chapter.  I think at last count there were about 120+ aircraft located here and probably half have been built here by their owners.  The Landings is the newest edition and runway where they have just opened up and new lots are available.  If you're a golfer, we have two courses.  You can check out www.ppoaweb.com.  Granbury is our nearest town and is a lakeside community with quaint feel to it and lots of attractions in all directions within an hours drive. 

There are no public hangers in the subdivision as everyone has a hanger on their lot.  I'm renting from a friend at present, but i'm in the process of purchasing a lot to build on.  Granbury Municiple is full right now, but I think Cleburne Municple which is about 20 minutes away has a few spots. 

Good luck in your search.  PM me if you have any questions. 

Don

[Amelia]

When Rob and I began to think seriously about retiring, we spent many weekends exploring by Mooney. We knew we wanted to be somewhere with fairly mild winters, yet a change of season, a place with plenty of 'pretty', with cordial neighbors, and with affordable waterfront property. We were looking for a small town, having had our fill of crowds, traffic, noise, and locked doors. The airport would have to be close by, with hangar space available, and there'd have to be a real town with a hardware store, a family-owned pharmacy, a hospital, a weekly newspaper- a sense of its own identity, not just sprawling suburbia or exurbia.

We found it! The airport, KEDE, is 3 miles from the "prettiest small town in the South", has a 5000-foot runway, an ILS, and excellent GPS/LPV approaches. There are a batch of good-ole-boys who hang out on weekends fiddling with their rag-wing antiques and homebuilts and telling lies. (It's the kind of place where you have to lock your car door or you'll come back to find the back seat full of zucchini, tomatoes, and home-grown melons.) My hangar rent is $155/month, and I don't have to share. 100LL this week is $5.25.

Our house looks out over a lovely little bay fringed with bald-cypress trees and across the western end of the Albemarle Sound. The yacht club has regular informal races and parties, the historical societies and garden clubs have all kinds of projects, tours, and lectures, there are many outreach opportunities- community food bank, Habitat for Humanity, etc.  The local community college offers good continuing ed classes, there are musical groups and a good regional chorale, and more, for those with a yen to be involved. There's a summer-league baseball team (college players) that call our nostalgic wooden stadium home. It draws a big crowd several days a week all summer. There's often live music in the waterfront park, decent restaurants, art exhibitions and gallery openings, a little Saturday farmer's market, several fitness centers, a nice public library, good medical care, both general and specialist, with major academic medical centers an easy drive away. And all this with a town of less than 5000 people.

There are drawbacks, or would be to most people. If you want a wide range of fancy gourmet groceries at a moment's notice, a symphony orchestra/opera/pro-sports-team/fabulous glittering social scene in town, lots of late-night dining options, a fancy shopping mall just down the street, and a Mega WallyWorld a block away, this ain't your burg. (All that's at least 45 minutes to an hour and a half away from here, through swamp and cotton fields.) If you want anonymity, if you're offended if the neighbors invite you to church, keep on looking. If you expect to get in and out of the grocery store without stopping to chat--- um-- good luck. If you hate warm, humid summers, mosquitos at times, and the occasional storm, this may not be the Promised Land for you.

If you want to crab off your own dock,  though, if you've always wanted to spend 10 months out of the year sailing or fishing, if you're a revolutionary war history buff, if you long to live in your own fabulous antebellum mansion, if you're an artist, gardener, naturalist or writer, if you want to have a say-so in local politics and love a good coffee-shop at which to expound on  your political views, you might find it perfect.

Happy? Oh, yes. Our big-city-sophisticate children/grandchildren are one-tank trips by Mooney, for when we feel the need for a traffic-jam-and-big-city-museum fix. I love hopping over to St. Louis to see grandsons, down to the Gulf Coast to visit relatives there, or up to College Park to hug my Washington DC granddaughter on the spur of the moment, but Home is here in the Back of Beyond. Our children and theirs seem delighted to come visit us, laughing about how noisy the geese, frogs, and crickets are. Begging for a sunset kayak ride.  It's a truly nice place, one of many such towns here in coastal North Carolina.

Come see.

[orangemtl]

My wife and I moved from the Chicago suburbs (born/raised) to Lake Havasu City, AZ. Skybrd, it's perhaps a 90 minute flight from Bakersfield.  We. Will. Never. Leave here.  Snow? Thank you; no.  Taxes are dramatically better (about 2/3 of the town consists of CA emigrees) than IL; since LHC is a new town (founded 1964), everyone is from elsewhere, and hence it's a small town w/o the "Y'ain't from 'round there parts, are ya?" response to newcomers.  Population 52,000; growth of approximately 30-40% per decade.

Downside?  HOT in July and August. If you like to shop a lot, it's 150 miles to Las Vegas; 200 to Phoenix.

Upside?  It's 150 miles away from LV and 200 miles away from Phoenix. Incredibly congenial populace; great volunteerism, and very supportive of active and retired military. A staff member's son returned from active duty w/the Navy after a year or two; FIFTY vets on their motorcycles, flags on every one, were in front of his home to greet him.

I wake up to go to work every day, look out at the mountains and am amazed that I'm paid to work here, and get to live here forever.  Oh, and BTW:  KHII has a nice, broad 6000 foot runway, two great FBOs, and outside of the occasional nasty crosswind, 365 days of excellent flying weather.  Just flew to Bisbee AZ yesterday; had dinner, stayed over, visited the art galleries, and flew home in 1:50.  LV is 45 minutes; Phx is an hour, and ditto San Diego.

Sorry to go on endlessly, but as a lifelong metro dweller, I'm amazed at how much I really, really love it here.  Fly over some time.

[ELT]

Amelia,

Don't tell everybody about eastern NC or it will become like my home town of CARY (Congested Area of Relocated Yankees).

Just kidding!!! 

[GeorgePerry]

I've got to agree with Amelia...Edenton is an undiscovered gem.  I'd be nice if it could stay that way...