I think you should seriously look into how secure your retirement funds are, how many more years you plan to work, how long you can survive without working, the cost of living there, the housing market (how fast you can sell your house and how much profit you'd make) and the job market. Would it be possible for you to take a 30 day leave of absence and go West to check out the housing and job markets? I wouldn't go into a move like this blind but I'd sure be using this snowy winter to do some checking. And yes, if there was any way possible to move I'd do it.