AUTHOR: Catherine on 6/19/2026 FIRST: Dan Smith on 6/19 | RECENT: Catherine on 6/21
Comments
I'm in my third year of part-year residence in the southern Arizona desert in a 55+ community. I've learned so much from my neighbors and travelers passing through. Since it's an "RV resort" and not strictly/solely a mobile home park, we have many younger oldsters (who are still in the go-go years of early retirement) as well as some very old. It's still a toe-in-the-water exercise for me, while my brother and his wife have lived here full-time since 2019. There is a fair amount of turnover in unit ownership. Among the reasons I've seen:
Ready to go somewhere else. Time's a wastin' and the world is a fun and interesting place to explore.
Need to move closer to a family member who is facing challenges for which the person currently here is a good choice to manage.
Trading up to a bigger/better/newer place that they will own, instead of rent (often within a mile or two from here and these people usually come back for holiday parties and pot lucks)
New girlfriend and moving in with her elsewhere (this seems to be mostly a gentleman's motive).
Sickness in one spouse that is more than the other spouse can handle on their own here.
Switching fulltime to their other home (in a northern or rainy state) instead of maintaining the second place, an ersatz fishing cabin in the desert, simplifying their lives. (Some switch to fulltime here.)
Annoyance with large rent increases, based on revenue maximizing software used by latest park ownership, it seems. Enough already!
And, yes, a few have died. I have rarely been around so many people who value good times with one another. Maybe it's the nature of the RV lifestyle? Don't know exactly why. Also, because we are not so young, everyone keeps a watch out for everyone else. Which is great for a single person. Also, I've met more than one couple who are barely 55 and moved here full-time. Because it's a less unaffordable choice and the park comes with better community amenities. Excited to hit 55 and be eligible to buy a unit. Can you imagine?
Congrats on your 1st anniversary on the far side of employed life. Sounds like you are getting plenty of the good stuff in. Here's one strategy if you like, to guard your time for yourself without saying "no" (works for me when I find "no" difficult but want to say it), This technique comes from former governor Jerry Brown, who instead of "No" (politicians are into saying "Yes"), would say "I don't know..." Most people immediately unconsciously recognize "Thanks, but I don't know if I can go to the rodeo with you on Saturday" as a soft/polite "no." Takes a bit of practice but you have time to practice now, right? Retirement's been something of a wild ride for me, since I left earlier than expected to manage health and household responsibilities. Hard to believe this is my seventh year as a retiree. I've treated retirement as a time to experiment with places and roles and activities and pastimes I never had opportunity to try when younger due to work/family constraints, so that's been fresh and fulfilling. Making new friends in your new neighborhood will likely bring you much joy and satisfaction. Community volunteering in one way or another is also great. I haven't taken any OLLI classes yet but the suggestions in this thread have me looking at the university website and thinking about signing up. Public lectures (UC Davis for one hosts a boatload) on all sorts of topics I know nothing about is another idea. The family dog loves that I am retired. He's sure that's the way dogs and people should be: together, most all the time.
Thanks for your comment. Learning to listen better to my inner voice has been essential to retirement. As "experts" frequently offer seemingly contradictory guidance.
Having access to funds (even at a loss) might be all we need for most household emergencies. I've also seen reference to use of credit cards for a very short term cash flow problem. A few weeks to stretch out invoices payments can help.
Thanks for you thoughtful comments. It's been worth the mild angst of the slow rebuild of accounts to also have the pleasure of being debt free. "Good enough" is my preference, not perfect, not even optimal.
Thanks for this assessment after your eight years in your "new" place. You might remember I'm spending half the year in my "tin can casita" on a rented lot in an over-55 RV resort in the Sonoran desert, where my brother and sister-in-law moved outright circa 2019. I've made great new friends, year-rounders and snowbirds. My "new" place is way smaller than the big house which I have yet to sell as my kids move in and out from time to time. So I haven't cut my costs at all, yet. But the new place is pretty cheap and lots of fun. Several older couples in my old neighborhood have considered downsizing nearby. However, in seeking smaller homes, they compete directly with young families looking to buy their first homes. As a result, the prices of the small places are hardly lower than the larger "forever" homes. After prep costs to put a house on the market, and realtor fees, most figure they won't save any money in a move. As a result, many retirees are stuck with too much house, it seems, for now.
Thanks for your comments and the list of what gets looked at for retirees seeking a HELOC. Useful for more than just me, though I seem to recollect one good time to set up a HELOC is shortly before retirement.t
thanks for your comment.
I like the idea of one or two (or more) years of cash.
seems like a straightforward calculation and might be. yet my cash needs have varied year to year with three college-aged kids. I have a fair amount of secure income and so focus my one or two (or more) years calculation on the somewhat discretionary expenses that exceed my fixed and covered expenses. not sure if others calculate that similarly. maybe my strategy misses the mark somewhat due to variabily associated
with a moderate amount of ongoing if declining support for young adults.
thanks for your comment. I totally agree with your point about zero liquidity creating stress. my personal exploration of my own "best" liquidity revolves around changing needs. more to Bill Bengen's suggestion of somewhere between 1% and 5% depending.that's a huge range! I had a lot more liquid assets when I had
twins in college and was paying tuition bills regularly and per plan. now, the last few years' combined inflation of somewhere around 20% has me rethinking how much "cash" is the right amount for me. overall, regarding money and stress, I'm surprised at how some years I am sanguine and other years less so, depending on my situation and that of my family. Things change more often than my younger self might have imagined.
Thank you Michael for your comment. One thing this work has helped me consider is the difference between "cash" and "ready cash". Similarly, cash in a taxable account or bank account vs. stable value contracts in a retirement account. when I was working I didn't have much time to think about asset classes. luckily I've developed some interest in financial management as a retiree.
Comments
I'm in my third year of part-year residence in the southern Arizona desert in a 55+ community. I've learned so much from my neighbors and travelers passing through. Since it's an "RV resort" and not strictly/solely a mobile home park, we have many younger oldsters (who are still in the go-go years of early retirement) as well as some very old. It's still a toe-in-the-water exercise for me, while my brother and his wife have lived here full-time since 2019. There is a fair amount of turnover in unit ownership. Among the reasons I've seen: Ready to go somewhere else. Time's a wastin' and the world is a fun and interesting place to explore. Need to move closer to a family member who is facing challenges for which the person currently here is a good choice to manage. Trading up to a bigger/better/newer place that they will own, instead of rent (often within a mile or two from here and these people usually come back for holiday parties and pot lucks) New girlfriend and moving in with her elsewhere (this seems to be mostly a gentleman's motive). Sickness in one spouse that is more than the other spouse can handle on their own here. Switching fulltime to their other home (in a northern or rainy state) instead of maintaining the second place, an ersatz fishing cabin in the desert, simplifying their lives. (Some switch to fulltime here.) Annoyance with large rent increases, based on revenue maximizing software used by latest park ownership, it seems. Enough already! And, yes, a few have died. I have rarely been around so many people who value good times with one another. Maybe it's the nature of the RV lifestyle? Don't know exactly why. Also, because we are not so young, everyone keeps a watch out for everyone else. Which is great for a single person. Also, I've met more than one couple who are barely 55 and moved here full-time. Because it's a less unaffordable choice and the park comes with better community amenities. Excited to hit 55 and be eligible to buy a unit. Can you imagine?
Post: Thinking about downsizing? Think seriously
Link to comment from July 3, 2026
Congrats on your 1st anniversary on the far side of employed life. Sounds like you are getting plenty of the good stuff in. Here's one strategy if you like, to guard your time for yourself without saying "no" (works for me when I find "no" difficult but want to say it), This technique comes from former governor Jerry Brown, who instead of "No" (politicians are into saying "Yes"), would say "I don't know..." Most people immediately unconsciously recognize "Thanks, but I don't know if I can go to the rodeo with you on Saturday" as a soft/polite "no." Takes a bit of practice but you have time to practice now, right? Retirement's been something of a wild ride for me, since I left earlier than expected to manage health and household responsibilities. Hard to believe this is my seventh year as a retiree. I've treated retirement as a time to experiment with places and roles and activities and pastimes I never had opportunity to try when younger due to work/family constraints, so that's been fresh and fulfilling. Making new friends in your new neighborhood will likely bring you much joy and satisfaction. Community volunteering in one way or another is also great. I haven't taken any OLLI classes yet but the suggestions in this thread have me looking at the university website and thinking about signing up. Public lectures (UC Davis for one hosts a boatload) on all sorts of topics I know nothing about is another idea. The family dog loves that I am retired. He's sure that's the way dogs and people should be: together, most all the time.
Post: Retirement, One Year On
Link to comment from July 3, 2026
Thanks for your comment. Learning to listen better to my inner voice has been essential to retirement. As "experts" frequently offer seemingly contradictory guidance.
Post: Leverage
Link to comment from June 21, 2026
Having access to funds (even at a loss) might be all we need for most household emergencies. I've also seen reference to use of credit cards for a very short term cash flow problem. A few weeks to stretch out invoices payments can help.
Post: Leverage
Link to comment from June 21, 2026
Thanks for you thoughtful comments. It's been worth the mild angst of the slow rebuild of accounts to also have the pleasure of being debt free. "Good enough" is my preference, not perfect, not even optimal.
Post: Leverage
Link to comment from June 21, 2026
Thanks for this assessment after your eight years in your "new" place. You might remember I'm spending half the year in my "tin can casita" on a rented lot in an over-55 RV resort in the Sonoran desert, where my brother and sister-in-law moved outright circa 2019. I've made great new friends, year-rounders and snowbirds. My "new" place is way smaller than the big house which I have yet to sell as my kids move in and out from time to time. So I haven't cut my costs at all, yet. But the new place is pretty cheap and lots of fun. Several older couples in my old neighborhood have considered downsizing nearby. However, in seeking smaller homes, they compete directly with young families looking to buy their first homes. As a result, the prices of the small places are hardly lower than the larger "forever" homes. After prep costs to put a house on the market, and realtor fees, most figure they won't save any money in a move. As a result, many retirees are stuck with too much house, it seems, for now.
Post: Thinking about downsizing? Think seriously
Link to comment from June 21, 2026
Thanks for your comments and the list of what gets looked at for retirees seeking a HELOC. Useful for more than just me, though I seem to recollect one good time to set up a HELOC is shortly before retirement.t
Post: Leverage
Link to comment from June 20, 2026
thanks for your comment. I like the idea of one or two (or more) years of cash. seems like a straightforward calculation and might be. yet my cash needs have varied year to year with three college-aged kids. I have a fair amount of secure income and so focus my one or two (or more) years calculation on the somewhat discretionary expenses that exceed my fixed and covered expenses. not sure if others calculate that similarly. maybe my strategy misses the mark somewhat due to variabily associated with a moderate amount of ongoing if declining support for young adults.
Post: Leverage
Link to comment from June 20, 2026
thanks for your comment. I totally agree with your point about zero liquidity creating stress. my personal exploration of my own "best" liquidity revolves around changing needs. more to Bill Bengen's suggestion of somewhere between 1% and 5% depending.that's a huge range! I had a lot more liquid assets when I had twins in college and was paying tuition bills regularly and per plan. now, the last few years' combined inflation of somewhere around 20% has me rethinking how much "cash" is the right amount for me. overall, regarding money and stress, I'm surprised at how some years I am sanguine and other years less so, depending on my situation and that of my family. Things change more often than my younger self might have imagined.
Post: Leverage
Link to comment from June 20, 2026
Thank you Michael for your comment. One thing this work has helped me consider is the difference between "cash" and "ready cash". Similarly, cash in a taxable account or bank account vs. stable value contracts in a retirement account. when I was working I didn't have much time to think about asset classes. luckily I've developed some interest in financial management as a retiree.
Post: Leverage
Link to comment from June 20, 2026