Downsizing, To Move or Not to Move? That is the Question

This is my 39th move as husband was military and dad was navy then mom was single mother.
To move costs $12000 and I tried with a move from Texas to Georgia. Saw daughter. 3 times in 9 months yet she lived and worked 3 miles away.
Looked diligently for independent living VERY $200,000 plus expensive to get in and monthly fees $4000 take all social security. Only transportation for 12 miles to doctors appointments.
Age in place is what I am doing. Pay for lawn$80, house maintenance$$, trash pick up $45.00 month, someone to clean house $24 hour minimum 4 hours week, no public transportation no taxi have to beg neighbors or friends to take 25 miles each way for ride to appointments.
Not perfect and if I when expire from this blood cancer orders are to call UT health science center for willed body pick up.
4 children and all are uninterested in helping this mom….dictate YES (“go to an assisted living” building we don’t have time to take care of you and our adult children”……..

Dear Feisty 76, I applaud what you are doing. What do you do with all the family photos, especially from the late 1800s and early 1900? I know who the people are, the photos are labeled, but no one younger seems interested in these photos of ancestors. I am the only daughter of a daughter in a large family. My mother moved to the home farm to take care of her mother (my Grandmother), and I, growing up there, have become the repository for all the family history. Maybe check with my daughter's cousins??? All live on the E coast and I'm on the W. Packages can be mailed. I'll need to do some inventory and take photos of them to see who wants what. And I haven't done my taxes! You have given me a lot of ideas. Thank you!

I am trying to downsize-in-place!

I want to lighten the efforts of maintaining this museum/archive of my life, which has grown every year, and continues to grow.

I want to have as much of my energies as possible available for the work of my current life! And I want the space in our home to be filled with today's life, active and creative.

Books are o.k., if I can keep them within the available 50 feet of bookshelves. That requires annual weeding and consolidating.

Musical instruments...oh my...I cannot play all of them at once, and some I have not played in 30 years as I've moved on to other eras of music history. I'll never live to play all the music I want to play...but what will I continue to play? I'd like the instruments I've loved but no longer play to give their music to people who will also love them.

I think it's important to think forward, not backward. I have never missed the beloved mementoes I've sent to new homes. It's the memories that are precious, not the objects, and I still have the memories.

May I ask how old you both are?
My husband is 71 and I am 75. We finally decided that we would sell and move to a 55+ community here in NC. We are relieved to be here although between the research, pros and cons and executing the plan we are are utterly exhausted

You are lucky you can afford a 55+ Living facility like that....alot of people cannot. And North Carolina is a beautiful place to live. I wouldn't be complaining.

We will eventually relocate, to live in a more affordable state, BUT the health care must be there. I have too many issues otherwise.

We will donate have before. The hard donations would be my craft supply. I really would rather take it with me, it gives me joy.

Everything else can go lol. I right now dont feel too attached to materials. I would love to go to a warmer climate and ditch the much loved snow.

I want to move before it all would fall onto my guys shoulders.

Hi and yes Im 65 and my wife 73, But for now we are waiting. Here in Arizona there has been a large increase in housing cost which would mean we could get a lot for the current house but to buy another would be more expensive. So we are going to wait and see where the market goes.

Good article about how the national association of realtors will have to lower their commissions after the lawsuit. I think it is in the Washington post this morning.

Yes! It’s also in the New York Times.

Nearby medical care is a real bonus.
We live in Durham NC, so multiple hospitals and clinics of the Duke system are within 3 miles.
When my wife had surgeries here I could easily stop in for several visits a day. If you've ever had to travel 30 miles in congested traffic to visit a loved one in hospital or get a blood test, you know what a value it is to have a family health clinic a short, quiet drive nearby.