10 Bargain Retirement Destinations

Buying a home can be expensive in a volatile market. However, luck may be on your side as there are some places that provide you with bargains when it comes to buying your home. Although this may be devastating for the homeowners, for you, it is a great wish come true! You get to live in a place that was beyond your budget a few years ago. Here are ten bargain retirement destinations to consider.

Portland, Oregon – Portland is a city that offers retirees a multitude of activities – and most of them are free! If you are into biking, northwest Oregon has bike-friendly roads to enjoy. Visit Forest Park, a 5,000-acre public municipal park and one of the country’s largest urban forests if interested in hiking or mountain biking. The International Rose Test Garden provides you the ability to stare in awe at more than 7000 different varieties of rose bushes from all over the world. Walk among more than 1,100 species of trees for free at The Hoyt Arboretum.
Tallahassee, Florida – This is another city where you can afford an enjoyable retirement. Trails, nature, and wildlife abound at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, one of the oldest wildlife refuges in the country. It is an ideal place for outdoor enthusiasts. Interested in stargazing? For $5 or less, you can do so at the Challenger Learning Center Planetarium. Apart from this, the Dorothy B Oven Park and the Knott House Museum are also open for consideration for free.
Tucson, Arizona – With more than 340 sunny days and home prices falling 88%, in 2009 and 2010, Tucson, Arizona is currently a hotspot retirement destination. Tucson offers many bargain places to ensure an active lifestyle. Visit the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, a retreat and home of artist Ted DeGrazia, where you can check out his impressionistic paintings of the southwest’s Native People. Admission is free. Then there is the University Of Arizona Museum Of Art, home to a gorgeous collection of Renaissance and 18th and 19th-century art. You can also get to know downtown Tucson by taking a historical walking tour on the Presidio Trail which covers the historic Fox Theater and many more attractions.
Wake Forest, North Carolina – Wake Forest has seen a plummet of 88%, since 2009 in the housing market. A great place to retire, the Falls Lake State Recreation Area, in Wake Forest, enables you to stroll along 26,000 acres of woodland and take in the splendor of the 12,000-acre lake. Here, you also get the active adult community, The Trilogy® Lake Norman by Shea Homes Villas of Wake Forest. Wildbrook by Freedom Homes is also in the vicinity.
Cathedral City, California – Cathedral City is well-known for its majestic canyons and its proximity to prestigious Palm Springs. Excellent weather, plenty of golf, and low home prices make this place an ideal bargain retirement destination.
Wahiawa, Hawaii – Although home prices in Wahiawa are high, they are extremely low (82%) compared to the prices of homes in 2009. A half-hour drive away from Honolulu, Wahiawa has many cultural and historic sites. Beaches, parks, hiking, and nature and wildlife areas abound and you can enjoy all these for free.
Weatherford, Texas – Weatherford is a historic town and is a suburb of Fort Worth. This is a great place to retire. In addition, it is also a great place to consider continuing education. If you are 65 or older, you can audit classes or earn up to six credit hours per semester tuition-free at Weatherford College.
Dover, Delaware – A 66% drop in home prices since 2009, has made Dover a bargain retirement destination. Dover is the capital city of Delaware and offers a great number of attractions for retirees. You have free access to Silver Lake, Delaware Bay, and the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge a 15,978-acre park. Although there are no 55+ communities in Dover, there are several in and around Delaware. Some of these are the Courtyards at Brandywine in Wilmington and Heritage Shores in Bridgeville.
Sycamore, Illinois – This small city, 60 miles west of Chicago has many affordable activities and attractions for seniors. All these can be enjoyed as city buses are free if you are over 65. So make the most of this and have a great retirement in Sycamore, Illinois.
St. Charles, Maryland – St. Charles is a planned community in Charles County. A 46% drop in home prices in 2010 enables you to consider this community for retirement. St. Charles offers an 18-hole public golf course and plenty of walking and biking trails.

If you are looking for more bargain retirement destinations, visit us at ActiveAdultLiving.com®, a great online resource for all your retirement community needs.