Update on My move to Arizona, Sold house in California

[Don Baer]

As some of you might know LOML and I have been planning on moving to AZ for our retirement. I have the the opportunity move sooner due to a change in my employment status. We put the California house on the market less then a month ago and recieved and offer which we accepted last weekend so we are in escrow. When I was in AZ last week I picked out our lot (1/4 acre) and the first week of July LOML and I will meet with the builder to finalis plans for the house. Right now my new shop will be 2/3rds of a 3 car garage. Later If I need to I'll built a stand alone shop. Now hear's the gloat part. We will pay cash for the new house from the proceeds from the sale of the California house and still be able to bank some money. Man it feels good to know that I'll never have to make another house payment. For the picture police, I'll post picture of the new house construction once it comences...:D

[Joe Pelonio]

That's the good thing about moving from CA you get a LOT more for your money. When we left in '93 the economy in CA was terrible, but we still sold our 1,300 sf house on 5,000 sf lot for the same as we paid here for newer 3,000 sf on a 1,3000 sf lot. Just don't ever think about trying to go back. . .That house we sold is now worth $750,000.

Congratulations!

[Chris Padilla]

If I can muster it and convince the wife (yeah, right?! :( ), when we leave the Bay Area, I'd like to keep our house there and rent it because as you alluded to already, once we sell it, I doubt we'll be able to afford to move back to the area.

However, my wife LOVES the weather here so I doubt I'll ever get back to my beloved Colorado...but I sure miss snow and 4 seasons.... :(

[Bob Childress]

Well Don, I guess everything is relative. While you were selling out in California to get to cheaper Arizona, we were selling our house out in Anthem (just north of Phoenix) in a sizzling market and moved to South Carolina where we did about the same thing you are doing. Got so much for the Arizona house it was (almost) embarrassing:o House had doubled in 3 years!

Here in South Carolina real estate is still sane (except at the coast), so I had better not plan on moving back to AZ--I couldn't afford to get my old house back:)

[Don Baer]

Bob I've had this house for close to 20 years so I'm looking at 500% profit..:D

[Jim DeLaney]

...We will pay cash for the new house from the proceeds from the sale of the California house and still be able to bank some money. Man it feels good to know that I'll never have to make another house payment..:D

Don,
My wife and I sold our California home in 2004. It was a 1600 ft², 35 year old ranch on a 60 X 100 foot lot. With less than one third of the proceeds, we bought a similarly sized fifteen year old house - on 1½ acres - in Ohio. Like you, we paid cash, and banked the rest. It's great to have no house payment, for the first time in over 35 years! Also, for the first ime ever, I have a dedicated 26 X 32 shop building, and my wife has a 14 X 32 quilting studio for her hobby, too. We think we made a pretty good trade...

We're really enjoying the retirement thing. Welcome to the club!

[Vaughn McMillan]

Somewhere down the road I'd like to do something similar, Don. Much like Chris' situation, LOML loves SoCal, so extracting her from this area will be a challenge, but I'd like to get back to where they have four seasons a year, and where I don't have to share them with 8,000,000 of my closest friends. Fortunately, when we do leave, I expect to be able to pay cash for the next place with the proceeds from the current one.

- Vaughn

[Lee DeRaud]

...but I'd like to get back to where they have four seasons a year...Let's see: rainy season, tourist season, fire season, and summer...that's four, innit?

[Don Baer]

Somewhere down the road I'd like to do something similar, Don. Much like Chris' situation, LOML loves SoCal, so extracting her from this area will be a challenge, but I'd like to get back to where they have four seasons a year, and where I don't have to share them with 8,000,000 of my closest friends. Fortunately, when we do leave, I expect to be able to pay cash for the next place with the proceeds from the current one.

- Vaughn

Arizona only got 2 seasons. Sunshine and Monsoons..:D

[Brett Baldwin]

Plus that one cold day in January, Don. Don't forget that one.;)