**A Retirement Odyssey: Transitioning from Colorado to Florida, and Now Raleigh**
Several months prior, a heartfelt post circulated in the Millionaire Money Mentors forums, featuring a couple who detailed their pivotal choice to relocate from Florida to North Carolina. While initially presented as an update, the post provided more than just insights into what appeared to be an impulsive move. Instead, it mapped out a reflective, intricate journey explored with considerable depth. For those who relish the ups and downs of retirement planning and geographical changes, the narrative delivers a relatable account amidst practical life transitions.
This article aims to bring readers of ESI Money up to date, emphasizing how the writer and their partner maneuvered the intricacies of relocating across several states during retirement. As highlighted in the post, what started in Colorado took various directions before arriving in the Raleigh area of North Carolina.
Let us revisit those milestones.
### The Formative Years: Insights from Colorado Living
At the outset, the couple resided in Colorado Springs, close to their daughter and son-in-law, while their son lived in Denver. Life was pleasant; their daughter intended to remain in Colorado Springs for a couple more years before potentially seeking new surroundings for new experiences. Simultaneously, retirement opportunities began to present themselves, prompting the couple to earnestly contemplate their next chapter.
Here is where **The Villages**, a retirement community in Florida, first made its appearance. During a vacation in early 2022, they were enamored with the lively, active environment that The Villages offered—so much so that they considered making it a more permanent choice. Discussions with their children also evolved, leading to several conversations regarding the family’s potential future.
### A Planned Transition to The Villages, Florida
Fast forward to their discovery of a developing area called the **Village of Richmond**, located near The Villages’ Brownwood town square in Florida. The location—just 1,200 steps from a vibrant town center—immediately piqued their interest. They encountered a competitive housing market, where homes were scarce, and many developments had long waiting lists. However, through determination and the support of a realtor, the couple succeeded in acquiring a home on their **first attempt**. This unexpected success felt almost fated, leading them into life in Florida with a purchase price of $450,000—paid in cash from the sale of rental properties they had managed in states like Colorado.
### Settling In (But Not Fully): The Reality of Dual Residences
As 2022 concluded, the couple found themselves managing two residences—one in **Florida’s Villages** during winter and another in Colorado for the warmer months, a setup that initially appeared faultless. The combination of climates was appealing: warm winters in Florida contrasted with cooler summers in Colorado. However, over time, this arrangement came with its share of **logistical challenges**. Handling two homes far apart proved cumbersome, costly, and emotionally draining.
Furthermore, their children expressed a growing desire for new experiences, primarily outside the mountains of Colorado.
By 2023, they recognized a shift in their desires toward streamlining their lifestyle. They sought to reside closer to where their family envisioned settling permanently, with the children eyeing potential moves **toward Florida**—at least to start with.
Consequently, the couple made a significant decision in **April 2023**: sell their Colorado home, relocate full-time to their Florida residence in The Villages, and anticipate their children’s possible move south.
Yet, as the saying goes: **The best-laid plans often go awry…**
### The Reality of Life in Florida
Despite the couple’s aspirations of living near their daughter and son-in-law in **Florida**, opportunities for their children to find career prospects in the Sunshine State dwindled quicker than anticipated. Over several months of trying to fulfill the Florida dream, the outlook shifted from hope to disappointment. The family connection they were eager to sustain began to seem distant.
Meanwhile, in Florida, the couple held mixed views about their newly adopted lifestyle. While the retirement community was **perfect** for the wife—offering favorable weather, recreational amenities, and newly formed friendships that aligned with her vision for retirement—the husband had a different perspective. **The heat**, which soared to uncomfortable levels for much of the year, proved more challenging than expected. Additionally, other lifestyle aspects (such as healthcare and living space) didn’t meet their expectations.
### A New Direction: Redefining the Move
With mutual dissatisfaction regarding their children’s plans not to relocate to Florida, along with the struggles of being miles apart, the couple started to rethink their retirement destination altogether.
Through research and perusing “best places to live” lists, the couple found themselves drawn to **Raleigh, North Carolina**, and particularly its broader **Triangle area** (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill). The area