Sherry, Thanks for setting up a chat thread! I was intrigued by your "off the grid" comment. At a younger time in my life, that would have been an appealing goal, but I can't imagine having the energy or stamina for it as I age. We bought our house seven years ago & demo'ing & re-doing our landscaping was a big adventure, but I can see that taking care of a big yard (by SF Bay Area standards) on a hill would be challenge as I age - as it is, I have a lot of near misses - ie. falls - that could be more serious in the future. Observing our elderly Mom's being able to continue life as usual, due in large part to the closeness of conveniences, medical facilities & friends has been an education, when we compare it to areas that I thought might appeal to me for retirement - ie. we have close friends in Nevada City, who have to take their parents to Davis for more sophisticated medical needs - that becomes a major inconvenience when daily doctors visits are required. Also, when referring the my DH's life in the Santa Cruz mountains after the earthquake, I think of the fact that there was no water for months after the earthquake - they trucked in water & showers for the residents a few times a week. I'll be curious to see where you end up, because you've spoken of moving every summer since I started following DG/Cubits threads...
Rebecca, house prices are really amazing in the Bay Area. As you mentioned, both ends of the spectrum. We always said that our kids would never be able to buy a house in CA, but it just might be possible today. Of course, the flip side of that is that our retirement equity has diminished as well. Sigh... Sounds like your life may be taking a new direction - hope things go whichever way you want. Looking forward to hearing some Mishka & Uncle stories in the future!
Liz
