[earlyretirement]

[quote=temeculaguy][quote=briansd1]
There’s something special about an American living abroad. As an expat, you’re cool and special. [/quote]

But I am already cool and special without having to go somewhere else.

Seriously brian, listen to earlyretirement, he is the first person I’ve seen post about the realities of living abroad, not just as a tourist, but as a grown up. You are young, your experiences abroad are probably mostly about going to a cafe, nightclubs, museums and theaters with other young people. Early retirement tells of the reality of doing big boy things like raising a family, buying and owning property, paying bills, paying taxes, dealing with the government, having employees, etc. Argentina is one of those seductive places, Buenos Aries in particular is one of the places that seems perfect to a young person and as you age it will make you nuts. I have a close personal friend, not just an aquiantance, who has lived there for 25 years and also owns a summer home in Punta Del Este and tells the same stories as earlyretirement, only far worse. She’s has been more than a tourist, she has lived more of her life aborad than she has where her citizenship is. Guess what place she wishes she could live? San Diego. In fact she is even envious of my little suburb.

I could detail a hundred things about the reality of living abroad, none of it will sink in until you either see it in person or find someone close to you who has. Being the cool American guy has it’s benefits, just make friends, get the girls and move on. The grown up stuff sucks. I consider it alot like living on a boat, it looks like such a cool idea, then reality sets in and it’s probably better to just rent a boat once in a while.[/quote]

Temeculaguy,

You make GREAT and excellent points about living abroad. I haven’t read enough of the posts to know everyone’s personality and situation. But what Temeculaguy is saying is spot on target.

Living or traveling as a tourist and living as a “local” are two different things. Over the course of the past decade living abroad and traveling around the world on an almost non-stop basis, I’ve seen a lot of American ex-pats try to live abroad. And to be honest, many of them are the “ugly American” types. It’s sad but true.

Most don’t take the time to learn the local language, any desire to understand the country or the people or understand the history of the country.

Like Temeculaguy mentioned, they think they are cool and special because they are outside of their country and “living large”. The problem is most of them don’t have any game plan and are quickly back in the USA fairly quickly.

There is NOTHING cool about moving abroad because you think it’s cool and then blowing through your savings with no game plan. I met lots of ex-pats that THOUGHT they were cool but I just thought they were losers because they didn’t take the time to improve themselves.

Hey, at least it would have been great if they got fluent in Spanish when they moved back to the USA. But more times than not…that never happened.

To make things worse, they are still unemployed, they have blown what little savings they had, they didn’t learn the local language. They party every night.

Of course it’s not everyone but a very large majority of people that I’ve seen have been in that situation. That’s why I never had any desire to hang out with them.

And in the majority of the cases it’s Americans living illegally just renewing tourist visas over and over. They don’t have any desire or won’t take the time to do things legally. They don’t get legal residency, they don’t pay taxes in those countries or really contribute to society.

I know places like Argentina very well. And as mentioned, places like that can seem really sexy, fun, exciting. Which generally they are. However, as mentioned, most people going have no game plan there and no chance to get a job. Plus, it used to be cheap but it’s not anymore. I don’t care how cheap a place is but when you have 25% to 30% inflation each year it gets expensive fast. In fact, when I go to Argentina the cost of dinner is more expensive than the USA.

It can be deceptive. Countries like Argentina for example. It looks perfect…. You could mistake it for Europe. 75% of the original inhabitants were from Spain or Italy. Open up a phone book and you’ll see tons of Italian names.

The architecture is very European in many neighborhoods and there was tremendous wealth there at the turn of the century. But living there you figure out quickly that although the locals are friendly, they wouldn’t hesitate to stab you in the back. Cheating or conning people are a part of society there. Very normal. It can take a while to get used to if you are from the USA where there are agencies to help protect you like the Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, etc. Such things don’t exist in many countries.

I’ve seen family members cheating other family members. It’s really ugly and that part of society is difficult to get accustomed to.

You really have to have a solid game plan if you want to live abroad permanently. In my experience, it’s best suited for people that are retired, have pensions or regular fixed income in dollars/euros/Sterling, etc. and living on the cheaper local currency. It’s often times IMPOSSIBLE for an ex-pat to earn income in the foreign country.

Another excellent group that living abroad will work for is people that have the ability to work from home or can work via phone/internet/emails. The cost of living in many countries is less than in the USA so if you can earn dollars and spend in pesos, etc. then it can work out.

But again, you still have the headaches and inefficiencies of the foreign country. It’s one thing to go on vacation for a few weeks/months to a foreign country and living day in and day out for years.

Some things that you are used to in the USA will be much different abroad. I’m not saying you can’t get accustomed because you can and many do. I did and had a great life. But many can’t because they drive themselves crazy comparing life in the USA to life abroad.

There are many things that sound good on paper or that you read on various blogs or internet sites. But until you live there day in and day out and experience life there and understand the history of the country….a pleasant retirement can turn into a nightmare quickly.

I’m not saying it’s all bad. Because it’s not. In some countries or locations if you have a steady stream of income/pension/cash flow, you can live like a king! Just depending on the location. I had a full time maid, a full time chef that came in every day. Things like that you will NOT have in the USA unless you are mega wealthy.

But there are many things about the USA that I really love. I could go on and on and on. Someone mentioned the food sucking in some places. So true. Or the food might be great but there is NO variety and you’re eating only one type of food or a few types but no large variety. Plus some places the fruit/vegetables suck or you can go into a grocery store and see many selling expired meats, cheeses, etc.

So much variety of food, produce and it’s all fresh. Plus with all the consumer protection agencies you are almost assured the food will be fresh and you won’t get sick or food poisoning buying stuff from the store.

Also, everyday stuff like buying things in the store here. If something doesn’t work or you just change your mind and don’t want it… places give you plenty of time to return it. In other countries, even if it’s defective, it’s like pulling teeth trying to get it fixed or exchanged. Tons of everyday examples like that.

People complain about the US government, the problems here, the unemployment, etc. But after traveling around the world and living abroad, I can honestly say that NO COUNTRY can match the overall quality of life of the USA. Not even close.

Also, something important is that for the most part the USA has a working judicial system. And there is a system of checks and balances. Such is not the case in many places around the world.

Sorry if this thread has gone off topic…

Some interesting points on this thread. I also don’t think if you’re making $200,000 + you need to act or live like you’re making $20,000, etc. I’ve known people that died extremely wealthy but didn’t really “live” life. They never went anywhere, they only worked. They died with a vast fortune. Some didn’t even have any family to pass it on to.

I don’t think that is necessary. You can’t spend money when you’re dead. I don’t think you really even need to pass on large sums of wealth to your kids. I think it’s important to live within your means but also you should enjoy life. Drive the car you really enjoy, eat the food you want to eat, see the places you’ve always wanted to see, live in a nice house. As long as you can afford it, there isn’t any reason not to do those things or not have those things IF YOU CAN AFFORD THEM.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=briansd1]

But having lived abroad, I must say that there are other attractions to living overseas. You live abroad for the culture and the adventure.

There’s something special about an American living abroad. As an expat, you’re cool and special. And if you take the time to learn the foreign language you can make friends that you would never meet in America so your life and experiences are richer. People are always fascinated and curious about American culture and you can be sort of an ambassador for the American way of life (whatever you think it should be).

I’d be happy to live in a one-bedroom apartment in a foreign capital somewhere in the world. My plan for retirement is to spend most of my time abroad with a base in San Diego.[/quote]

Totally agree with you Brian. The culture and adventure are really amazing. I still remember when I was telling family and friends I was going to quit my job, sell my house and properties, cars and move out of the USA, everyone thought I was crazy! To me the adventure was so exciting.

And you’re right..you DEFINITELY have to learn the language if you want a truly rewarding experience. To be honest, most of the Americans I met abroad never took the time to learn the local language. For that reason I never had any real desire to hang out with too many ex-pats that didn’t want to learn the local language. My most rewarding and long-lasting friendships I made were with the locals.

I also plan to spend a good bit of time in retirement abroad. Once the kids are out of the house and in college. I still would keep a property in San Diego but as you mentioned Brian, in a world capital city, properties are much smaller and everything is closer. You can get away with a fabulous one bedroom apartment in the heart of the city.

Traveling and getting to know the world is one of the most amazing things to me…

[earlyretirement]

Thanks sdrealtor. I just sent you a PM.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=UCGal]

As I hinted at in the retire early thread, I have a hard time factoring in the home equity into “wealth” calculations. You can’t spend a house and if you want to live in it, you can’t sell it. Home equity is only wealth when your ready to sell. If the bulk of your wealth is in an illiquid asset that you’re unwilling to sell, are you really wealthy?[/quote]

I TOTALLY agree with you UCGal. I don’t think anyone should be factoring in any home equity or supposed home equity in their retirement assets. Even if the home is paid for and worth a million bucks. I still think you have to count any assets besides your asset in your home.

As you mentioned, home equity is only wealth when you are ready to sell but also IF you are able to sell it. I think anyone counting their equity in their home in their retirement plans isn’t being conservative enough.

Sdsurfer,

Yes, absolutely safety is a big factor. There are some gorgeous places around the world that are wonderful to visit for a vacation of a few weeks or even a few months but living there full time isn’t the best or the easiest.

Some places the cost of living can be GREAT but there can be safety issues to deal with. Then other places the real estate might not be as expensive as San Diego but the utilities can be sky high. Some places I own I was getting $500 a month water bills!

Even in some beautiful cities that aren’t dangerous you still have a hassle factor of petty crime. I owned a house a few blocks from the beach in Punta del Este, Uruguay (“St. Tropez of South America”) and while it is VERY safe there, the summer is only the real time that it’s busy. Many houses are owned by wealthy owners that only use it during the summer. So you have to deal with break ins the rest of the season.

I had my house broken into twice even having a good security system and also being a few doors down from a police station. Both times they got expensive LCD TV’s where they are 300% more expensive than in the USA. And to make it worse, thieves figured out that they can rob people even during summer so they will go in and rob their houses while they are at the beach.

So you have things like that you have to deal with in some locations.

In other countries you have to deal with corrupt police or run away inflation. In countries like Argentina, where I own properties, you have 25% to 30% ANNUAL inflation. So your expenses go up each year typically by large amounts. Or if you have employees, you’re forced to give 25% to 30% a YEAR raises mandatory by law!

In places like Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where I bought many years ago….yeah the place is worth a LOT more than a decade ago but with the horrible fluctuation in the exchange rate, things are much more expensive. It’s more expensive there vs. the USA with many things. Plus even in exclusive and expensive areas like Ipanema, you have luxury condos not far from the slums. And again you have to deal with crime.

So you just have a multitude of things to deal with vs. the USA. For as many problems and issues that the USA has…people don’t realize how wonderful it is to live in and the excellent quality of life.

In other places it just comes down to tons of red tape and not efficient to be full time. Like not getting mail or it constantly getting lost, waiting in line at the post office up to 2 hours to get a package, waiting in lines for up to 45 minutes at the grocery store, power outages, etc.

Like I said before… San Diego is paradise. Yeah, there are many pikers here but I agree with sdrealtor that San Diego North County is full of truly affluent as well that are living within their means. It’s all relative…

[earlyretirement]

[quote=sdsurfer]
North County is pretty much the best place in the world as far as I’m concerned. One of my old neighbors confirmed it the other day. He said that he has homes around the world(including one in Bali) for work in the oil industry because he travels a lot. He said that if he could retire and sell all the places the one he’d keep in the one on Neptune. He said he’d just go for a walk down neptune everday with his dog and wife and that would be all he needs.

I know lots of people like him.[/quote]

sdsurfer,

I’d have to absolutely 100% agree with you. SD North Country to me is one of the best places in the world when you look at all the quality of life factors in play.

I’ve been all over the world (550+ cities and counting) and I also own a few homes and properties in other countries and while some have certain factors that are great… none can match the overall quality of life, safety, year-round weather, and convenience of San Diego.

When we were deciding to settle down with our kids to raise them, we could have moved to any city in the world and San Diego was a no brainer. This is one of the best places on Earth to live.

[earlyretirement]

I don’t think you necessarily aren’t down to earth just because you drive an expensive car or have nice things. It’s all relative. I consider myself extremely down to earth as well are many of my clients/friends that are what I’d consider affluent.

Yeah, many of them drive around expensive cars, have nice clothes, take expensive trips but the biggest difference is they are living within their means (or below their means when you consider most could go out and buy whatever they wanted in life) and most of them have no debt at all.

There are plenty of truly affluent people in San Diego that are down to earth. There are a lot of pikers/fakers as well that have no net worth and driving around a fancy and expensive car but make no mistake San Diego is full of affluent down to earth people.

I don’t necessarily think driving a cheap car makes you “down to earth”. I think it’s all about living within your means.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=earlyretirement]. . . You’re right it can be done more affordably. Check out http://www.homeexchange.com if you can. While we would never swap with our primary residence we live in, we have all of our rental properties we own up and we get exchange requests just about every day for all over the world.

Airline tickets are still very expensive flying for 4 but at least most of the times we don’t stay in hotels anymore. Some of the places are incredible. Never had a bad experience doing a lot of screening. And in many places people have offered to let us use their car.

We don’t do the car swap just for liability reasons but the home swap is a GREAT way to travel in retirement. We are spending next summer in Paris and in the French Riviera all on home exchanges….. January in Lake Tahoe on a home exchange and February in San Francisco on a home exchange.

Check it out if you haven’t already…. the way to travel…[/quote]

Thanks, ER. I have thought of this. My home is in a walkable community with a lot of public transportation nearby and only 10-11 miles from dtn SD and about 9 miles from the Int’l border. I actually COULD lock up file cabinets and “stage” my home for a “Home Exchange.” However, I have issues with pets being cared for at home while I’m out of town and also a resident kid attending year-round school, so this idea is unworkable at the moment. As I posted here last year, I have stayed in South Lake Tahoe a few times as guests in other parties’ timeshares – for the sole purpose of skiing Heavenly.

see: http://piggington.com/what_of_your_net_income_goes_to_saving

These opportunities will always be available because timeshare owners cannot often use their weeks and need reimbursement for their 1/52 portion HOA dues and property taxes that they have to pay every year, whether they use the property or not. This route is more comfortable, has more amenities, sleeps more people and MUCH cheaper than commercial lodging, due to the high transient occupancy tax in Lake Tahoe (to fund needed firefighting services and improvements).

I LOVE both Lake Tahoe and SF. I can stay in SF for free with my kid(s), who have free slant pkg and also are on bus line(s). One can ride ALL DAY in SF (bus/streetcar/cablecar/BART) for just $2![/quote]

Ah, yeah it’s tougher if you have pets but MANY of the home exchanges we have done but they kept the pets with someone else or a neighbor. We didn’t want the responsibility of it.

Maybe when your child is done with school it will be workable. A few of the home exchanges we have done have been 2nd homes or vacation homes but the overwhelming majority are places where people live as their primary residence.

Definitely you have to have a lot of trust and do a bit of screening but we’ve not had any negative experiences in over 30 exchanges around the world.

You’re right about Lake Tahoe and the endless amounts of timeshares there. We’ve gone to Lake Tahoe every year on home exchanges and going again in February.

Plus once you make some good connections, you have a place to stay each year. We’ve become good friends with some home exchange partners and do home exchanges with them each year. Really convenient when it comes to expensive cities like London or Paris or New York City.

I always recommend home exchanges to anyone close to retirement or especially those that own rental properties. It sounded really strange to me a few years ago before we started it but now it’s become almost a way of life for us to see the world and experience life as locals in every city we go to.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=earlyretirement]. . . You’re right it can be done more affordably. Check out http://www.homeexchange.com if you can. While we would never swap with our primary residence we live in, we have all of our rental properties we own up and we get exchange requests just about every day for all over the world.

Airline tickets are still very expensive flying for 4 but at least most of the times we don’t stay in hotels anymore. Some of the places are incredible. Never had a bad experience doing a lot of screening. And in many places people have offered to let us use their car.

We don’t do the car swap just for liability reasons but the home swap is a GREAT way to travel in retirement. We are spending next summer in Paris and in the French Riviera all on home exchanges….. January in Lake Tahoe on a home exchange and February in San Francisco on a home exchange.

Check it out if you haven’t already…. the way to travel…[/quote]

Thanks, ER. I have thought of this. My home is in a walkable community with a lot of public transportation nearby and only 10-11 miles from dtn SD and about 9 miles from the Int’l border. I actually COULD lock up file cabinets and “stage” my home for a “Home Exchange.” However, I have issues with pets being cared for at home while I’m out of town and also a resident kid attending year-round school, so this idea is unworkable at the moment. As I posted here last year, I have stayed in South Lake Tahoe a few times as guests in other parties’ timeshares – for the sole purpose of skiing Heavenly.

see: http://piggington.com/what_of_your_net_income_goes_to_saving

These opportunities will always be available because timeshare owners cannot often use their weeks and need reimbursement for their 1/52 portion HOA dues and property taxes that they have to pay every year, whether they use the property or not. This route is more comfortable, has more amenities, sleeps more people and MUCH cheaper than commercial lodging, due to the high transient occupancy tax in Lake Tahoe (to fund needed firefighting services and improvements).

I LOVE both Lake Tahoe and SF. I can stay in SF for free with my kid(s), who have free slant pkg and also are on bus line(s). One can ride ALL DAY in SF (bus/streetcar/cablecar/BART) for just $2![/quote]

Ah, yeah it’s tougher if you have pets but MANY of the home exchanges we have done but they kept the pets with someone else or a neighbor. We didn’t want the responsibility of it.

Maybe when your child is done with school it will be workable. A few of the home exchanges we have done have been 2nd homes or vacation homes but the overwhelming majority are places where people live as their primary residence.

Definitely you have to have a lot of trust and do a bit of screening but we’ve not had any negative experiences in over 30 exchanges around the world.

You’re right about Lake Tahoe and the endless amounts of timeshares there. We’ve gone to Lake Tahoe every year on home exchanges and going again in February.

Plus once you make some good connections, you have a place to stay each year. We’ve become good friends with some home exchange partners and do home exchanges with them each year. Really convenient when it comes to expensive cities like London or Paris or New York City.

I always recommend home exchanges to anyone close to retirement or especially those that own rental properties. It sounded really strange to me a few years ago before we started it but now it’s become almost a way of life for us to see the world and experience life as locals in every city we go to.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=earlyretirement]. . . You’re right it can be done more affordably. Check out http://www.homeexchange.com if you can. While we would never swap with our primary residence we live in, we have all of our rental properties we own up and we get exchange requests just about every day for all over the world.

Airline tickets are still very expensive flying for 4 but at least most of the times we don’t stay in hotels anymore. Some of the places are incredible. Never had a bad experience doing a lot of screening. And in many places people have offered to let us use their car.

We don’t do the car swap just for liability reasons but the home swap is a GREAT way to travel in retirement. We are spending next summer in Paris and in the French Riviera all on home exchanges….. January in Lake Tahoe on a home exchange and February in San Francisco on a home exchange.

Check it out if you haven’t already…. the way to travel…[/quote]

Thanks, ER. I have thought of this. My home is in a walkable community with a lot of public transportation nearby and only 10-11 miles from dtn SD and about 9 miles from the Int’l border. I actually COULD lock up file cabinets and “stage” my home for a “Home Exchange.” However, I have issues with pets being cared for at home while I’m out of town and also a resident kid attending year-round school, so this idea is unworkable at the moment. As I posted here last year, I have stayed in South Lake Tahoe a few times as guests in other parties’ timeshares – for the sole purpose of skiing Heavenly.

see: http://piggington.com/what_of_your_net_income_goes_to_saving

These opportunities will always be available because timeshare owners cannot often use their weeks and need reimbursement for their 1/52 portion HOA dues and property taxes that they have to pay every year, whether they use the property or not. This route is more comfortable, has more amenities, sleeps more people and MUCH cheaper than commercial lodging, due to the high transient occupancy tax in Lake Tahoe (to fund needed firefighting services and improvements).

I LOVE both Lake Tahoe and SF. I can stay in SF for free with my kid(s), who have free slant pkg and also are on bus line(s). One can ride ALL DAY in SF (bus/streetcar/cablecar/BART) for just $2![/quote]

Ah, yeah it’s tougher if you have pets but MANY of the home exchanges we have done but they kept the pets with someone else or a neighbor. We didn’t want the responsibility of it.

Maybe when your child is done with school it will be workable. A few of the home exchanges we have done have been 2nd homes or vacation homes but the overwhelming majority are places where people live as their primary residence.

Definitely you have to have a lot of trust and do a bit of screening but we’ve not had any negative experiences in over 30 exchanges around the world.

You’re right about Lake Tahoe and the endless amounts of timeshares there. We’ve gone to Lake Tahoe every year on home exchanges and going again in February.

Plus once you make some good connections, you have a place to stay each year. We’ve become good friends with some home exchange partners and do home exchanges with them each year. Really convenient when it comes to expensive cities like London or Paris or New York City.

I always recommend home exchanges to anyone close to retirement or especially those that own rental properties. It sounded really strange to me a few years ago before we started it but now it’s become almost a way of life for us to see the world and experience life as locals in every city we go to.

[earlyretirement]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=cvmom][quote=bearishgurl]
I think a simpler life is what we should all aspire to in “retirement.”[/quote]

Sounds good, except in addition, I’d really like to travel more…[/quote]

Understand completely. I’m a self-described “queen of road trips.” I just got back from one in July that was 4600 miles and have 3 more (shorter ones) to take this year. HOWEVER, I stay 75% of the time at friends’ and relatives’ homes and help with groceries to keep my expenses down.

This is why I think that even if you are “old,” you still need a vehicle (preferably an older one where the insurance premiums aren’t too high), even if you don’t use it much. It’s nice to be able to “hit the road” as long as you are still able to drive :=]

As far as flying, I usually only do so with deeply-discounted tix, complimentary tix, or tix purchased with “points.” I don’t like to fly because I like to drive my own vehicle when I get there. I don’t care as much to drive borrowed vehicles or rental cars that I’m not as familiar with or don’t feel as safe in.[/quote]

Hey BG,

Wow…that’s a long road trip! With 2 young kids we typically don’t like driving and they are VERY good on planes as they are so used to flying so we mostly fly but as they get older we’ll drive more.

I think traveling is one of the best and funnest things you can do in retirement (if it’s within your budget). Seeing new cities and new cultures for me is the best and always fascinating to me.

You’re right it can be done more affordably. Check out http://www.homeexchange.com if you can. While we would never swap with our primary residence we live in, we have all of our rental properties we own up and we get exchange requests just about every day for all over the world.

Airline tickets are still very expensive flying for 4 but at least most of the times we don’t stay in hotels anymore. Some of the places are incredible. Never had a bad experience doing a lot of screening. And in many places people have offered to let us use their car.

We don’t do the car swap just for liability reasons but the home swap is a GREAT way to travel in retirement. We are spending next summer in Paris and in the French Riviera and Rome all on home exchanges….. January in Lake Tahoe on a home exchange and February in San Francisco on a home exchange.

Check it out if you haven’t already…. the way to travel…

[earlyretirement]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=cvmom][quote=bearishgurl]
I think a simpler life is what we should all aspire to in “retirement.”[/quote]

Sounds good, except in addition, I’d really like to travel more…[/quote]

Understand completely. I’m a self-described “queen of road trips.” I just got back from one in July that was 4600 miles and have 3 more (shorter ones) to take this year. HOWEVER, I stay 75% of the time at friends’ and relatives’ homes and help with groceries to keep my expenses down.

This is why I think that even if you are “old,” you still need a vehicle (preferably an older one where the insurance premiums aren’t too high), even if you don’t use it much. It’s nice to be able to “hit the road” as long as you are still able to drive :=]

As far as flying, I usually only do so with deeply-discounted tix, complimentary tix, or tix purchased with “points.” I don’t like to fly because I like to drive my own vehicle when I get there. I don’t care as much to drive borrowed vehicles or rental cars that I’m not as familiar with or don’t feel as safe in.[/quote]

Hey BG,

Wow…that’s a long road trip! With 2 young kids we typically don’t like driving and they are VERY good on planes as they are so used to flying so we mostly fly but as they get older we’ll drive more.

I think traveling is one of the best and funnest things you can do in retirement (if it’s within your budget). Seeing new cities and new cultures for me is the best and always fascinating to me.

You’re right it can be done more affordably. Check out http://www.homeexchange.com if you can. While we would never swap with our primary residence we live in, we have all of our rental properties we own up and we get exchange requests just about every day for all over the world.

Airline tickets are still very expensive flying for 4 but at least most of the times we don’t stay in hotels anymore. Some of the places are incredible. Never had a bad experience doing a lot of screening. And in many places people have offered to let us use their car.

We don’t do the car swap just for liability reasons but the home swap is a GREAT way to travel in retirement. We are spending next summer in Paris and in the French Riviera and Rome all on home exchanges….. January in Lake Tahoe on a home exchange and February in San Francisco on a home exchange.

Check it out if you haven’t already…. the way to travel…

[earlyretirement]

[quote=bearishgurl][quote=cvmom][quote=bearishgurl]
I think a simpler life is what we should all aspire to in “retirement.”[/quote]

Sounds good, except in addition, I’d really like to travel more…[/quote]

Understand completely. I’m a self-described “queen of road trips.” I just got back from one in July that was 4600 miles and have 3 more (shorter ones) to take this year. HOWEVER, I stay 75% of the time at friends’ and relatives’ homes and help with groceries to keep my expenses down.

This is why I think that even if you are “old,” you still need a vehicle (preferably an older one where the insurance premiums aren’t too high), even if you don’t use it much. It’s nice to be able to “hit the road” as long as you are still able to drive :=]

As far as flying, I usually only do so with deeply-discounted tix, complimentary tix, or tix purchased with “points.” I don’t like to fly because I like to drive my own vehicle when I get there. I don’t care as much to drive borrowed vehicles or rental cars that I’m not as familiar with or don’t feel as safe in.[/quote]

Hey BG,

Wow…that’s a long road trip! With 2 young kids we typically don’t like driving and they are VERY good on planes as they are so used to flying so we mostly fly but as they get older we’ll drive more.

I think traveling is one of the best and funnest things you can do in retirement (if it’s within your budget). Seeing new cities and new cultures for me is the best and always fascinating to me.

You’re right it can be done more affordably. Check out http://www.homeexchange.com if you can. While we would never swap with our primary residence we live in, we have all of our rental properties we own up and we get exchange requests just about every day for all over the world.

Airline tickets are still very expensive flying for 4 but at least most of the times we don’t stay in hotels anymore. Some of the places are incredible. Never had a bad experience doing a lot of screening. And in many places people have offered to let us use their car.

We don’t do the car swap just for liability reasons but the home swap is a GREAT way to travel in retirement. We are spending next summer in Paris and in the French Riviera and Rome all on home exchanges….. January in Lake Tahoe on a home exchange and February in San Francisco on a home exchange.

Check it out if you haven’t already…. the way to travel…

[earlyretirement]

[quote=CA renter]Not sure what your schedule is like, or if you’re willing to do your own work on the transaction, but if you want to save on commissions, you can list with a “listing only” broker and save a ton of money. I would recommend 2.5% to the selling (buyer’s) broker who will show the house and deal with that side of the transaction. You can also show it yourself if that’s what you want to do if a potential buyer contacts you directly.

Here’s the info for Jeff Karchin, a local broker who will list for a flat fee (~$300, IIRC):

http://www.karchin.com/

If you want an attorney to help you with any questions, I highly recommend Kingside (that’s his username here on Piggington’s) — you can PM him through the messages function in the top left corner of this site.

Good luck![/quote]

Is this guy still around? His website doesn’t seem to be working?

[earlyretirement]

[quote=CA renter]Not sure what your schedule is like, or if you’re willing to do your own work on the transaction, but if you want to save on commissions, you can list with a “listing only” broker and save a ton of money. I would recommend 2.5% to the selling (buyer’s) broker who will show the house and deal with that side of the transaction. You can also show it yourself if that’s what you want to do if a potential buyer contacts you directly.

Here’s the info for Jeff Karchin, a local broker who will list for a flat fee (~$300, IIRC):

http://www.karchin.com/

If you want an attorney to help you with any questions, I highly recommend Kingside (that’s his username here on Piggington’s) — you can PM him through the messages function in the top left corner of this site.

Good luck![/quote]

Is this guy still around? His website doesn’t seem to be working?

[earlyretirement]

[quote=CA renter]Not sure what your schedule is like, or if you’re willing to do your own work on the transaction, but if you want to save on commissions, you can list with a “listing only” broker and save a ton of money. I would recommend 2.5% to the selling (buyer’s) broker who will show the house and deal with that side of the transaction. You can also show it yourself if that’s what you want to do if a potential buyer contacts you directly.

Here’s the info for Jeff Karchin, a local broker who will list for a flat fee (~$300, IIRC):

http://www.karchin.com/

If you want an attorney to help you with any questions, I highly recommend Kingside (that’s his username here on Piggington’s) — you can PM him through the messages function in the top left corner of this site.

Good luck![/quote]

Is this guy still around? His website doesn’t seem to be working?

[Author]

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