I just found this site and hope to find a lot of good information (as well as some fun!) as I figure out the next stage(s) of my life. I've been retired for a few years now and trying to figure out what to do/where to go next (I either get bored easily and/or have a really short attention span because it seems like I've made big changes in my life every 5 years).
Even though I've lived in two other states and two other countries, I've always been a die-hard Californian, and now it's time for another change. If I can work out the details, I hope to move to France or Portugal - the only two European countries where it's reasonably easy to gain residency (although France has some really brutal inheritance tax laws so that may preclude moving there full time).
I think I still want to retain a residence in the US and am thinking east coast - specifically northeast. (Yes - I know winters are cold, but I've lived in Russia so I think - hope? - I can handle a northeast winter.) My big issue is moving with my dogs, and while I have arrangements made for them if something happens to me here, I'm not quite sure what would happen to them if something happened while I was living overseas (no family to fly over and get them and I've seen articles in French magazines about people dumping their dogs on the side of the road when they go on vacation, so I don't have much hope they would be cared for there.)
I debate as I consider my next residence whether I should buy a home in a regular neighborhood wherever I end up, or buy into a 55+ community - though some of the comments I've seen on posts here have me concerned about the latter. With 2 noisy pups (a Chi X and Yorkie) apartment living isn't a possibility. Anyway - happy to have found this site!
Even though I've lived in two other states and two other countries, I've always been a die-hard Californian, and now it's time for another change. If I can work out the details, I hope to move to France or Portugal - the only two European countries where it's reasonably easy to gain residency (although France has some really brutal inheritance tax laws so that may preclude moving there full time).
I think I still want to retain a residence in the US and am thinking east coast - specifically northeast. (Yes - I know winters are cold, but I've lived in Russia so I think - hope? - I can handle a northeast winter.) My big issue is moving with my dogs, and while I have arrangements made for them if something happens to me here, I'm not quite sure what would happen to them if something happened while I was living overseas (no family to fly over and get them and I've seen articles in French magazines about people dumping their dogs on the side of the road when they go on vacation, so I don't have much hope they would be cared for there.)
I debate as I consider my next residence whether I should buy a home in a regular neighborhood wherever I end up, or buy into a 55+ community - though some of the comments I've seen on posts here have me concerned about the latter. With 2 noisy pups (a Chi X and Yorkie) apartment living isn't a possibility. Anyway - happy to have found this site!