Hopefully in the next year we will be relocating to warmer weather. My wife leases and runs a horse farm and the rent is killing us ( 70K plus last year ). This money is there to be made but winters are killing her working outside. The contenders are the southern states ie. Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and out west ie. Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, maybe Texas. Ive been watching the weather and it seems to be pretty cold everywhere this year.

Heres the dilema and I am open to any thoughts. Maybe some have you have been in similar situations. I am retiring at 37 years old from a police department and I have 10 years of loving my job to put behind me. I have to leave due to an injury that will prevent me from chasing bad guys I have my pension and some cash but not sure what I want to do with the rest of my life. I dont know if I should look for work and then move to the work or live where I want and make the money however it works out. Just not where I expected to be in the middle of my career. I dont see myself working in a corporate enviornment and honestly, I'm leaning toward worrying about a carreer after I get my wifes busines relocated. Wife keeps talking Florida and we may just sell the house and go buy a little condo while we see what we really want. Any thoughts on this appreciated.

P.S. Gotta be near the water!

So, what the heck would you want to move to the desert for then????

My vote, if I was in your position, would be somewhere South. Its a big decision. I know it would be for me. If it were me, I'd get eveything taken care of on the homefront and sell the house or at least put it on the market. Then take some extended trips to the areas you considering to get a better feel for the areas.
Good luck with your decision.

Lots of horse riding in Florida. Polo all over the place.

Jon

Chris-
Lots of horses in the Ocala area in Florida, but that is more central in the state. I would seriously look at the area just north of Royal Palm, (northwest West Palm Beach). Equestrian is huge right around there, and the properties are all good size without breaking the bank. Plus, the ocean is very close by!
Jim

Yea, it is cold down here, @ 9pm last night it was 72 outside. Had to turn the AC (air conditioning) on. I have lived in Milwaukee, Pittsburg, & Houston. If I had choice I would move to Austin but other that that I am going to stay here & just visit other parts of the country. After moving down here from up north it took me a while to get use to the summer heat but I rather handle that then shovel show. Hell, grass had grown so tall that I had to cut it last weekend.

Easy TJ, you know law enforcement people frequent this board

p.s. We all know you really want to move to Eliminator land aka Havasu

That was going to be my suggestion, Ocala in central Florida. Here, just north of Atlanta there is a pretty good size equestrian community. My sister shows her horse just about every weekend. Then you have Lake Lanier to boat on on the weekends . Let me know if you want to visit and I'll show you around.
Robert