The Cheapest Places to Retire
Affordable places to retire in the USA
CheapPlacesToRetire.com searches for communities with homes you can buy cheap – most for less than $100,000, and explore places in the USA or abroad where the cost of living is surprisingly affordable. We do have standards: low crime rate, and low cost of living, along with adequate attractions, recreation, shopping and nearby medical services. If you can afford a home costing a little more, say up to $250,000, and you also want to avoid winter, Great Retirement Places helps you find the best places to retire in warmer climes.
Where to retire cheap depends on your desired standard of living and your willingness to relocate. The cheapest places to retire generally require forsaking the single-family home in favor of villas, townhouses, and condos, although there are some great single-family homes under $125,000 if your requirements are modest. The current economic situation and housing price collapse represent a great opportunity to find a cheap place to live and retire. Caution is advised, however, as many bank owned homes and short sales suffer from deferred maintenance. We suggest you should rent in the community you wish to buy in for long enough to know if you’ll be happy there.
Cheap Places to Retire Lists
It seems like almost every day, some major news or finance website publishes a “Top XX (10, 100…) Places to Retire for People with XXX (Social Security, no savings…)” article. Some even claim to highlight “cheap” or “affordable” places. Some are good lists and some miss the mark. GreatRetirementPlaces.com profiles some of the cheapest places to retire lists in their blog under “Cheapest Places to Retire – USA“.
Manufactured Homes Retirement Communities
If you are willing to overlook the outdated stigma associated with manufactured homes, they clearly represent the best value in cheap retirement living. Some of the new and most of the resale manufactured homes for sale are priced well under $100,000; some are even under $10,000. Read summaries of communities in Central Florida in this blog - Florida Manufactured Homes Communities.
Cheap living in an RV
Cheap places to retire could be anywhere in the USA, especially if you can live in an RV. RV parks are not like trailer parks, your neighbors are fellow Baby Boomer “home” owners whose home happens to have a steering wheel. Living in the confined, but functional space of an RV helps you learn what is really necessary and reduces waste. RV living gives you maximum flexibility; you can find one place you really like and settle in or follow the seasons around the US. Enjoy winter in Florida, spring on the West Coase, summer in the Rockies and fall in New England, for instance.
Financially, you also have flexibility as an RV dweller. Save on taxes by establishing your residency in a state with no income tax; Florida for instance. Move around less often and take advantage of cheaper long term RV pad rates.
Cheapest Places to Retire Abroad
You’ve read numerous articles about such and such country is the best place to retire. Most of these articles are written by marketing and sales people who offer deluxe oceanfront homes for sale. In reality, most of us (the 99%) just want to live a simple, healthy, happy and comfortable life somewhere when we retire. One of the primary reasons people look for the cheapest places to retire overseas is to reduce their current cost of living. $1000 Social Security checks might be insufficient to exist in the United States, but more than ample somewhere overseas.
Although retiring overseas is not for everyone and there are many obstacles and choices that would have to be made, finding a cheap place to retire overseas is looking more attractive everyday.