Willa

I'd find a job there first especially in this economy. Then by all means go be with your family. So many businesses now only accept applications on line so use your vacation for interviews. I know people who have been out of work more than 2 years which is extremely stressful. Meanwhile start going through stuff and maybe even start packing[( the stuff you don't use often but won't part with) write on the boxes what all is in them], painting(if suggested by realator for sale of house), etc.

seleyrn

Sounds like an adventure to me. If I were in your position, I would probably give it a shot, but as another person commented, is your job one that is easily transferrable. I am an RN retired now, but if I were in your shoes I would be heading west.... And hoping it wouldn't take until retirement to sell the house...
Sherri , OH, residing in FL for the winter, (Which I hate)

amandasgramma

Arizona is in a slump jobwise, just like all other parts of the country. You could put your house on the market, sell it, move into a rental for a while and then try to find a job in Az. By the time your house sells, the market may be up for jobs in Az....THEN move to Az. Of course, finding a job could be easy for you --- all according to what kind of job and your skills. One perk there is that with the first move, you'll get rid of lots of junk (yes, we all have it)....then the move to Az won't be as expensive. BTW -- living where you have cold winters and milder temps, remember, southern Az can get VERY hot in the summer. :) :)

on edit: One fun thing is to go on www.realtor.com and scout out the cost of homes in the area you might move to....homes in Az were a lot more expensive that those where we live....shocked us. I don't know the comparison for you though.

mama's place

My gut instinct is to jump up and run to Arizona....then, my inner logical self says....take a breath. Check out your prospective new home...at its best and worst. Go visit during the winter and see what it's like, then at its peak during the hot, hot summer. Some people end up hating the heat as much as you do the snowy winters. Sometimes the grass isn't really greener, just a change. But change can be wonderful!!!
So, I say Go For it, but at a slower pace and with as much info on your new environment as you can muster. Good Luck.
Wish we could move but I'm a dreamer...probably will never move again. But then again, who knows what the future hold!!!!!!!!!!!!

mama's place

Correction...."what the future holdS" Retired English teacher, here.LOL

Laura22

Provided the market in your area will bear the sale of your house without you losing a lot of retirement funds, I'd say go for it. Especially if your grand baby is going too :)

Kooklabell

I would have packed yesterday! House up for sale today and gone tomorrow!

ljsunflower

I'd do it in a New York second!
Go for it! It will be a new adventure & you are never too old for that.
Warm sounds good to me & you have to be tired of all that stuff up there in NH.
Do it & then tell us about it.

akrogirl

Housing is still surprisingly expensive here, but there are some great bargains to be had on repos, if you aren't in a hurry to buy. However, I have to agree about the job market. There are very few jobs in my field and I have been out of work for several years. I could probably find a job elsewhere, but it doesn't make sense for us to move because DH has a good job here. Wages are also low relative to the cost of living in most cases - right to work state.

I honestly don't see the job market picking up any time soon. The companies that used to be our biggest, and best, employers have either moved or outsourced most of their jobs, and the replacements are mainly minimum wage call center jobs. That said, if you are an RF design engineer, DH could probably get you a job today ;-)

Butterfli19

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful responses. Those of you currently in AZ brought up some things I had forgotten. I was in my twenties last time I visited but am thinking of visiting in July again, just to see.

I've been at my current job for almost 6 years but have been in manufacturing administration / management for 30. This is the longest job I've had since 1992, after being laid off from AT&T. It really is a good job and pays well. The three prior to this one: one got sold, one went bankrupt, one lost business, so I am familiar with being out of work and don't like it at all.

Daughter is talking about going / moving to AZ this fall with my GS who will be 10 mos then. She has an old flame there so I am not sure if she's thinking with the smart part of her brain right now, but Oct is still a way off, so there is time to save her. ;) I told her to do what she feels she needs to do, but right now is not time for me to pack up and move. I also told her I may want to check out the Carolinas as they have a coastline and seasons, but not so extreme.

I love my old house as I feel a kinship to it, and we've lived here 13 years this year - the longest I've lived anywhere. We are aging together and my plan was to spruce her up a bit this year - paint the entire inside, new carpets, kitchen and living room set. It's a New Englander with an attached barn, has 19 windows, and it's perfect for the other three seasons.

Maybe I feel overwhelmed because I'm single, by choice actually, and have always lived with someone, either parents, husband (now ex) or kids. I really don't know who I am or what I can do and I'd like to find that out. If she does move and DS goes to VT college, I'll get to know me as me, and maybe my future residence will become clearer.

Since DD was an infant I've wanted to start a business sewing clothes and things for babies and toddlers and that would be my chance. Since GS has been born I have been able to sew some things for him and I feel that I want to pursue this. I'm a domestic at heart and somewhat of a loner, and between sewing, photography, and sitting on the porch with my coffee on a nice spring day, I feel like the richest and happiest person in the world.