I am looking to cash out in the red hot Annapolis real estate market and move somewhere with reasonable weather, cheap house prices and some place to play golf. I don't need a job so a weak local economy isn't a problem.

I visited Roswel, New Mexico and I like the general size of the town and the cheap house prices. I stopped in Fort Smith, Arkansas on the way back but I don't know much about that area except the house prices look OK.

What's it like living in western Arkansas? I would be looking for a nice small house less than $150K and it looks like plenty are available if the Internet real estate links can be believed.

 

I'm a little further north than Fort Smith, and I'll just say New Mexico... Housing up in this corner is getting insane... and traffic just keeps getting worse. Bella Vista is really nice though... It's a retirement community of just golf and fishing... I don't think it's too bad up that way for what you want...

I really like the southwest myself, though...

 

don't know much about Arkansas, but how about Santafe or Alberquque. Nice weather, great food too. Been a while since I've been in that part of the country so not sure of the cost of living now. I just like the western and southwestern feel there.

 

Arizona- (Sierra Vista/Bisbee/Nogales)

Not big at all, but not too small. You get all 4 seasons, and the heat is a dry, high desert heat.

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Louisiana- If you love to fish and hunt, or just sit at the mall and gaze at thick, shapely, corn-fed, nice and polite women- that can cook; there's no better place.

If you want one with all her teeth, I suggest staying in Northeastern Louisiana, Baton Rouge or New Orleans. Sell your house, and with the profits you can buy a new home, 3,500 sq. feet, with 2 acres of land for under $100,000; then use the rest as a cushion to supplement your retirement; or get that new BMW you've always wanted. If you need a job to supplement that though, I'd suggest passing on the ArkLaMiss area. If money's not a problem, you'll love it.

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Killeen/Harker Heights/Copperas Cove/Kempner, TX
Yeah, it's a military area; but it's a nice area- very picturesque (Marble Falls). All the conviences of a big city, but- not a big city. 1 hour drive to Austin, 2-hours to Dallas, 2-hours to Ft. Worth, 2-hours to San Antonio, TX, 11-hours to El Paso, 5 hours from Shreveport, LA and Casino's.

Nice houses, for little or no money- comparitively speaking.

http:\\www.realtor.com

 

Go to Roswell, New Mexico. They have UFO's and stuff. I'd be out every night looking for them. No lie.

 

Well, In NM you can use the money you saved on your house to buy a pit bull and bars for your windows...

AZ is a little better suited for Retirement IMHO...

 

Have you thought about getting a small patch of land down in Texas? You could get a 20-30 acre patch of land, maybe a couple cattle. That is my plan for when I retire, or as soon as I get enough money.

 

Texas is the only place to live! Cheap cost of living, great state, tons of golf courses.

 

I didn't much care for Louisiana when I drove through last spring. The comment about looking elswhere for women with a full set of teeth seems accurate, although I'm not really relocating with expectations of improving my love life.

I have no desire to be a hobby farmer with 2 head of cattle on my 35 acre ranch. The idea is to fatten up my bank account so I can 'feel' wealthy with $100K in savings and get a house with a garage and a fireplace, feel safe, play some golf, enjoy the weather and have a little scenery. After spending 50 years near DC I want to live in a place that doesn't have traffic reports as a regular feature of the local news. I am a car guy so I'd need some nice country roads to cruise with the top down.

I'll check out the suggestions.

 

'k, now you got some 'splainin' to do...

Whatcha got???

 

Look around just south of Fort Worth ,TX. You have lots of country roads, unbeliveable number of golf courses, and Fort Worth is a great, easy going, laid back city when you need to "go to town". I live in the Burleson area just south of Fort Worth and love it.

 

BlueJay...I am also from Btown. I live in Irving now, but my roots are all Burleson.

Dale as for retiring, I am far from it. But, the hill country around the Austin area here in Texas is beautiful in my opinion. Lots of windy country roads. I am sure they have golf courses in the area. I plan on retiring there if I will be able to retire.

 

I love my Chrysler Sebring convertible with the smooth 2.7 V6. Heated seats + convertible top = heaven. Also a Subaru STI... nice little hot rod. Just bought an 05 F150 work truck about 6 weeks ago.

If I sell my house and put $100K in my wallet I could get rid of the STI and Sebring and get this.

 

I have a cousin that has a lot in Hot Springs Village, outside of hot springs AR,
for sale she is asking 32,500, it is next to the first fairway on a golf course that was built last year. I think there are 5 courses at hot springs village.
Plus it is just alittle ways from Hot Springs which anyone who has been there can tell u its a great place. Horse racing, lake, more golf courses, shops & places to take grandkids. All around good time and did i mention great weather.

 

Matjera beat me to it. I was going to recomend Hot Springs Village, several golf courses in golf cart range. There are also several lakes some fairly large in the area. Plus the weather is better in Hot Springs than in Ft. Smith. The northwest corner of the state gets the most snow still only a couple of times a year but the rest of the state might get 1-2" once a year. It is in the Ouchita (pronounced Wash-a-taw) mountians, so the roads are great for fast cars. Plus the land is cheap, and you are close (about 1 hr) to Little Rock and the only real airport in the state. Little Rock also has the best hospitals, I don't know if it matters but most "older" people require more "warranty work" than us youngsters.

Joe