Time to think outside the hammock, author says.

Just think: every eight seconds, one more boomer turns sixty.

And, while that may signal trouble for some, most believe they’re just getting started at this age. So instead of retiring, it's more like graduating. And that means moving away from home.

Moving touches every part of your life, however, and not all aspects are necessarily for the better.

That’s why, if you're thinking about picking up the stakes and relocating in your retirement years, it's never too early to start planning, says author Barbara Corcoran in her book NEXTVILLE: Amazing Places to Live the Rest of Your Life.

Corcoran identifies the top eight trends that are changing where (and how) boomers are retiring. And she helps you figure out what’s most important to you in your next place – whether it’s pursuing your passions, living green, building community, living young in a college town, or even becoming a “boomerang”, i.e. living in multiple places in far-flung spots around the continent.

While the actual “how-to buy” advice isn’t as substantial as you’re going to need, there are plenty of checklists and "Where to Live Happily Ever After" quizzes to help guide potential retirees unsure of just what they might want to do with the next quarter century.

If you want something a bit more specific, howver, check out Top Retirements’ Boomers Guide to Selecting a Retirement Community. The most important items on their list: Taxes, cost of living and health care.

What's your plan? Staying just where you are or pulling up stakes? Or have you made a move already?

By Gordon Powers, MSN Money

Posted at 08:12 AM in Personal finance, Real estate, Retirement, Travel | Permalink