uhhh... Duluth, MN?

It may just be 2020, but retirement isn't working for me.  Exactly why would be another post-- my thoughts haven't really gelled on that.

No offers in hand at this point, but my experience fits several opportunities at an aircraft manufacturer I'm interviewing with up in Duluth (no points for guessing which one-- it's not hard).  The opportunity to get back to working with aircraft where it's actually within the realm of possibility that I could own/fly them is pretty exciting after 30+ year career with much heavier iron.  Though actually getting back to flying myself is a diminishing probability-- my vision has shifted considerably and arthritis is driving another shoulder replacement next month.  It's nice to think about in more manic moments though.

I wouldn't do a full relocation at this time-- just establish a second household (rent an apartment).  It's a 6 hour drive, and I've done the weekly commute thing in the past before when it was an 8 hour drive.  SWBOs position needs consideration, but she was OK with that in the past, and is even interested in the Duluth area for a full relocation or vacation home once she retires from/sells her vet clinic.

If I take it as declared that I've retired, everything I make after taxes and the expenses of a second household is a kind of retirement savings.  This gives me the freedom to consider jobs that might be enjoyable without worrying about what they offer as far as long term stability (though this company looks pretty fair for that).  I've even had some nibbles at one of the supersonic business jet and an electric aviation company-- pretty sure not everyone at those tables is going to leave a winner.  One of the few downsides it that, once employed, there's only a finite amount of vacation time (so not a 2020 issue).  Upsides would include what would be an obvious reduction in the health insurance I'm currently buying.

Easy button is contract work back at my former employer on the same project I was working.  Already had calls from folks to consider coming back once I'm eligible to do so.  I'm not sure I could stand that more than three days a week though-- I was quite happy to escape that project by retiring.

Anyone have any tips on the Duluth area to pass on?  Apartment rent is not cheap up there, but I'm not sure that's any different from anywhere else anymore.  I have heard that an apartment with heated parking is highly desirable.

It's cold. 

And I think Fueled by Caffeine is up there working for a aircraft manufacturer. He probably would be the gent to talk to. Shoot him a PM. 

It's gorgeous, it's historic. It is berkeleying cold. Very hilly. I'd love the area if it wasn't for snow. 

There's a lot of taconite up there.  

Mndsm said:

It's gorgeous, it's historic. It is berkeleying cold. Very hilly. I'd love the area if it wasn't for snow. 

it doesn't get any colder than where we are now in Iowa-- it just stays that way (a lot) longer. 

...and there's more snow

...and it's darker longer

Mosquito season might be shorter though.

Datsun310Guy said:

There's a lot of taconite up there.  

Well who doesn't love taco nites.

Wife's people are from that way, but further up the North Shore.  Pretty area.  Never been up there when it's freezing though 

I'd think rent prices will drop quite a bit if you locate further out of town, but I think a big part of the charm of Duluth is living in the city.  One thing about being right on Lake Superior is it acts as a buffer for the temperature - in the winter it may actually be milder there on the shore than if you go inland, and then also cooler in the summer.  I've driven there on a 90 degree day in the summer, and felt the temp drop 15 degrees as I headed down the hill into the city.

If you need large swaths of wilderness at your doorstep you can do much worse. Between the lake, the north shore, BWCA, and lake superior national forest it is an outdoor lovers paradise. Especially if you like snow sports. Someday I'd like a place outside of Duluth for most of the year and a live aboard sailboat for January-March someplace tropical. I don't like snow sports so much.

The food and beer scene is great up there right now too. Decent barbeque, a couple of great micros and the best sandwich shop in the world.

jimbob_racing said:

Datsun310Guy said:

There's a lot of taconite up there.  

Well who doesn't love taco nites.

Exactly what I was thinking!

Heck, we could even eat them in the daytime!

It is the San Francisco of the midwest. It is really beautiful, and though I've only driven through it, everybody I know who has lived there or spent time there says it is a quirky, eclectic town. You coming from Iowa, I'd expect there to be zero culture shock. Two hours away from the Boundary Waters. Great hockey. It is on my list of places that "if it weren't for family".

Coincidentally there was an article in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune today about high real estate prices in Duluth:

----

DULUTH – Home sellers in the Duluth area are firmly in control of the market, leaving some buyers in the cold as sale prices continue to set records.

“It’s low inventory, multiple offers — we know real estate has just been on fire this past year,” said Shaina Nickila, Lake Superior Area Realtors board chairwoman.

In November the median sale price in the Duluth area reached a record $215,000 — 25% higher than November 2019 — in a month that typically sees activity slow down and prices start to drop, according to Lake Superior Area Realtors data.

Compared to 2019, home sales rose 21% as buyers and sellers more than made up for time lost to the pandemic this spring.

“The same vibe is continuing on into December,” Nickila said. “Everyone is predicting this momentum will carry into 2021 because of those record-low mortgage rates.”

Low rates have helped buyers offset the increase in prices in the area. But their choices have grown extremely limited — the number of homes for sale dropped by 35% year over year in November.

“The main concern for most folks is inventory — what do we do, and how do we tackle this?” Nickila said. “A lot of folks are trying to put an emphasis on grants and financing programs and educating the public on why we need more housing.”

Across the border around Superior, Wis., the trend is similar. Home prices rose 10% in northwestern Wisconsin as inventory fell 27% year over year.

Earlier this month, Duluth officials announced more than $30 million in state money to support local housing programs. The money will help build 52 new units of affordable housing and rehabilitate nearly 100 units.

“Housing is a basic human right,” Mayor Emily Larson said at a news conference last week. “It just feels so good to finally have a piece of good news in the dumpster fire that has been 2020.”

The housing crunch is felt statewide. Minnesota Realtors CEO Chris Galler said in a statement this month that agents were “hard pressed to match clients with the right home at an affordable price.”

“As we look toward a new year, we can be hopeful that new listings will increase in the spring, relieving some market pressure,” he said.