Maybe, for this time of year you want to visit the desert instead of the mountains.Or take a vacation along the coast. Or islands – like Catalina off the coast of Southern California or one of the Hawaiian Islands.
Photo: Visual Hunt
You may just decide to live there for six months and somewhere else for the other.In the mountains for skiing and snowboarding and then at the beach for surfing and sun bathing.
It may begin with a vacation to a friend’s favorite destination.
Maybe it’s someplace where you’ve never been before.
Where do you find neighborhoods with similar families?
For your first time you’ll want to figure out your route and itinerary.
Usually you have a region in mind, with some ideas where you might want to visit.
Western United States – Texas A&M Transportation Institute
You may start with a map of a region within the West or of Hawaii.
You can start saving bookmarks about potential places, to revisit later.
Or you recall a trip you took out west a few years ago.
From California to Nevada and Arizona.
Up to Colorado and back through Utah and Nevada to your return to California.
A name rings a bell when you read an article in a file saved years ago that you stumble across while cleaning up your office.
It lists the top places for retiring published by AARP – Loveland, Colorado.
You spend a little time on the Internet and discover, it’s been singled out as a great place to retire on the water.
In 2009 it was singled out as a best place to live.
Colorado Regions
You recall the fun you had hiking through the nearby Rocky Mountain National Park.
What were the names of some of those other places you saw on the way?
You wonder if Loveland is right for you?
After all, US News & World Report ranked it 7th on their top 10 places to live in 2009; right ahead of San Luis Obispo, California and behind front runner Albuquerque, New Mexico, # 3 Austin, Texas and #4 Boise, Idaho.
Now you’ve got your work cut out for you. Follow these 11 steps to turn your dreams into your dream home. Let’s use Loveland as an example:
1.I recommend beginning with Wikipedia and WikiTravel for a quick summary, local history some pictures and the zip code or zip codes.You’ll see a map of the state, a subset of that map for it’s county.WikiTravel profiles vacation attractions – directions and transportation, where to stay overnight, where you should eat and play.It gives you ideas for visiting local attractions and doing more when you consider a broader vicinity.So you can plan for a long weekend or a one or more week vacation.
2.If you aren’t interested in Loveland you can stop there and consider San Luis Obispo next.Maybe, for this time of year you want to visit the desert instead of the mountains.Or take a vacation along the coast. Or islands – like Catalina off the coast of Southern California or one of the Hawaiian Islands. But, if you like lakes and rivers, then Loveland may be worth further investigation.
3.For our purposes, we are assuming that you really want to move, invest in, work in, start a business or retire in a new community that doubles as a vacation resort and with pristine quality of lifestyle activities.Otherwise, why bother?
4.So, grab the zip code and go to Google and search on the 5 digits.You’ll find a map which will show you where this destination is in relation to its surrounding area.You see photo slide shows and videos of the area.You can switch to satellite views and hybrid map views.
5.Still believe this town may be a keeper?Jump to Claritas to check out the types of people who already live in the neighborhoods. “Birds of a Feather Flock Together.”Neighborhoods change slowly.They attract the same kinds of people over time.If you plan to move, invest, work, start a business or retire, you’ll want to see if residents match your criteria.
8.Let’s say you’ve compared and narrowed your search for real estate investments.Check out City-Data for in-depth demographics and regional, county and zip code statistics – including the number of registered sex offenders.
9.If you plan to move, you should search by zip code on Weather Underground to find a wealth of weather patterns including tornadoes, hurricanes and other disasters for each season, but especially for January and June to determine just how inviting your new vacation resort will be.You may just decide to live there for six months and somewhere else for the other.In the mountains for skiing and snowboarding and then at the beach for surfing and sun bathing.
10. Need a job?Check the openings by zip code from two Internet sites – Indeed and Simply Hired.You’ll want to take a couple of job hunting or house hunting trips before your final decision.Make a vacation of it by returning to WikiTravel to line up the best accommodations, or visit My New Place for a listing, map and photos of rentals by zip code.
11.We know that the best positions are hidden.You find them by a chain of referrals and introductions.How do you create a new network?Use your zip code and key word description of the town in LinkedIn’s advanced search function and begin contacting the first few of 100 local introductions.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
Photo: Visual Hunt
For our purposes, we are assuming that you really want to move, invest in, work in and around, start a business or retire in a new community that doubles as a vacation resort with pristine quality of lifestyle activities. Otherwise, why bother?
Here’s what we know already.
Neighborhoods change slowly.
“Birds of a Feather Flock Together.”
They attract the same kinds of people over time.
You’ll want to see if current residents match your criteria.
We’ve already done the heavy lifting for you: identifying neighborhood characteristics by age and the stage of life of their residents.
Single (20-29, 25-54, or 30-44).
Couple (55+ or 65+).
Family (20-44, 25-54, 35-54).
Mid-Lifers (30-44).
Empty Nests (45+).
Baby Boomers (55+).
Seniors (65+).
And, we’ve compared neighborhoods by population density.
From urban and suburban Wealthy Influentials and Permanent Temporaries to premier quality-of-life Wireless Resorters to pristine small town and rustic High Country Eagles.
So, if you want to narrow your focus to neighborhoods with, say, 25-54 year old families in Wireless Resorts, then you can find a list that suits you best.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
Refer to 66 lifestyle segment descriptions grouped in sets of ten, beginning with the most affluent and ending with the least. You’ll see that we’ve identified a sample town where you’ll most likely find each lifestyle listed.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
But to zero in on the best place for you you’ll have to visit and schedule time to explore potential new homes in a region.
Oh, darn!
Lifestyles Segments: Urban to Rustic Density
Country Communities
Photo: Visual Hunt
Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM estimated that country communities represented 39.6% of United States population in 2011.
“Town and Rural areas (T) have population density scores under 40.
This category includes exurbs, towns, farming communities, and a wide range of other rural areas.”
Should you include these Birds-of-a Feather (BOF) lifestyles on your Bucket List?
Let’s turn to six Wireless Resorters household lifestyles. The first five live comfortable country lives, but are a little less affluent than the sixth. Here are the first five:
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
The five segments in Country Comfort are filled with predominantly white, middle-class homeowners.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 11,851,298
Median Household Income : $55,843
“In their placid towns and scenic bedroom communities, these Americans tend to be married, between the ages of 25 and 54, with or without children.
Photo: Visual Hunt
They enjoy comfortable upscale lifestyles, exhibiting high indices for barbecuing, bar-hopping and playing golf as well as home-based activities such as gardening, woodworking and crafts.
Reflecting their rural, family environment, they prefer trucks, SUVs and mini-vans to cars.”
Where will you find those five lifestyles?
Google Maps: Aspen, CO
We’ve identified two in California, and one each in Colorado, Texas and Utah.
Aspen, CO
Park City, UT
Truckee, CA
New Braunfels, TX
St. Helena, CA
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “A segment of middle-class exurban couples, Greenbelt Sports is known for its active lifestyle.
Most of these middle-aged residents are married, college-educated and own new homes; about a third have children.
Summer Outdoors
And few segments have higher rates for pursuing outdoor activities such as skiing, canoeing, backpacking, boating and mountain biking.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Lands’ End
Gone horseback riding
Read Modern Bride
Watched Fox Sports Net
Drove a Subaru Legacy“
33F3T2, Big Sky Families, 25-54, Mainstream Families, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (Park City, UT)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,130,960 (1.82%)
Median Household Income: $55,553
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Scattered in placid towns across the American heartland, Big Sky Families is a segment of young rural families who have turned high school educations and blue-collar jobs into busy, middle-class lifestyles.
Residents like to play baseball, basketball and volleyball, besides going fishing, hunting and horseback riding.
To entertain their sprawling families, they buy virtually every piece of sporting equipment on the market.
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Like the old Andy Griffith show set in a quaint picturesque berg, Mayberry-ville harks back to an old-fashioned way of life.
Photo: Visual Hunt
In these small towns, middle-class couples and families like to fish and hunt during the day, and stay home and watch TV at night.
With lucrative blue-collar jobs and moderately priced housing, residents use their discretionary cash to purchase boats, campers, motorcycles and pickup trucks.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Sherwin-Williams
Went hunting with a gun
Read Bassmaster
Watched Daytona 500
Drove a GMC Sierra Diesel”
32F3T2, New Homesteaders, 25-54, Mainstream Families, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (New Braunfels, TX)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,102,864
Median Household Income: $56,181
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Young, middle-class families seeking to escape suburban sprawl find refuge in New Homesteaders, a collection of small rustic townships filled with new ranches and Cape Cods.
Photo: Visual Hunt
With decent-paying jobs in white-collar and service industries, these dual income couples have fashioned comfortable, child-centered lifestyles, their driveways filled with campers and powerboats, their family rooms with PlayStations and Game Boys.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Best Buy
Bought toys
Read American Baby
Watched Cartoon Network
Drove a Chevrolet Uplander Flex Fuel“
28M2T2, Traditional Times, Empty Nests, 55+, Couples, Conservative Classics, Country Comfort, WRMR Maturing Resorts, Wireless Resorters (St. Helena, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 3,300,488 (2.82%)
Median Household Income: $55,175
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “Traditional Times is the kind of lifestyle where small-town couples nearing retirement are beginning to enjoy their first empty-nest years.
Typically in their fifties and sixties, these middle-class Americans pursue a kind of granola-and-grits lifestyle.
On their coffee tables are magazines with titles ranging from Country Living and Country Home to Gourmet and Forbes.
Photo: Visual Pursuit
But they’re big travelers, especially in recreational vehicles and campers.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from Gevalia Kaffe
Traveled domestically by motor home
Read AARP The Magazine
Watched Antiques Roadshow
Drove a Chevrolet Impala Flex Fuel”
Upscale Country Resorts
Should you include this Birds-of-a Feather (BOF) lifestyle on your Bucket List?
The sixth Wireless Resorter Lifestyle rounds out our Maturing Resorts bucket list:
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 9,812,689
Median Household Income : $82,323
“Widely scattered throughout the nation, Landed Gentry social group consist of wealthy Americans who migrated to the smaller boomtowns beyond the nation’s beltways.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Many of the households contain Boomer families and couples with college degrees, professional jobs—they’re twice as likely as average Americans to telecommute—and expansive homes
With their upscale incomes, they can afford to spend heavily on consumer electronics, wireless and computer technology, luxury cars, powerboats, books and magazines, children’s toys and exercise equipment.”
Google Maps: Boulder, CO
Where will you find this lifestyle?
We identified a university town northwest of Denver, Colorado.
Maturing Resorts (WRMR): “When city dwellers and suburbanites began moving to the country in the 1970s, God’s Country emerged as the most affluent of the nation’s exurban lifestyles.
Today, wealthier communities exist in the hinterlands, but God’s Country remains a haven for upper income couples in spacious homes.
Typically college-educated Baby Boomers, these Americans try to maintain a balanced lifestyle between high-power jobs and laid back leisure.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from zappos.com
Took golf vacations
Read Yachting
Watched Bloomberg Television
Drove an Audi S6″
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
Young, single and working-class, these residents pursue active lifestyles amid sprawling apartment complexes, bars, convenience stores and laundromats.
Photo: Visual Hunt
Found in second-tier cities, these mobile, twentysomethings include a disproportionate number of recent college graduates who are into athletic activities, the latest technology and nightlife entertainment.
With the help of our knowledge bank, you can choose for variations in your new neighborhood by:
We use Claritas / Nielsen PRIZM lifestyle segmentation profiles to evaluate best places for relocation to more authentic, quality-of-life communities.
And, if your community already includes the following profiles, you’ll have a better understanding of what’s going on in your neighbors’ lives.
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 9,023,807
Median Household Income : $46,335
“The five segments in the C2 social group consist of a mix of Americans—old and young, homeowners and renters, families and singles—who’ve settled in the nation’s satellite cities.
Photo: Visual Hunt
What they share is a middle-class status, some college educations and a lifestyle heavy on leisure and recreation.
The members of City Centers tend to be big fans of home-centered activities: computer surfing, video renting, TV viewing and playing games and musical instruments.
Outside their homes, they go to movies, museums and bowling alleys at high rates.”
Google Maps: South Lake Tahoe, CA
Where in the West will you find those five lifestyles?
Napa, CA
South Lake Tahoe, CA
San Marcos, TX
Aurora, CO
Santa Fe, NM
Which of the following lifestyles best describes you?
24Y2C2, Up-and-Comers, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (Napa, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,510,327 (1.29%)
Median Household Income: $50,556
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Up-and-Comers is a stopover for young, midscale singles before they marry, have families and establish more deskbound lifestyles
Found in second-tier cities, these mobile, twentysomethings include a disproportionate number of recent college graduates who are into athletic activities, the latest technology and nightlife entertainment.
Best of Whitefish, Montana
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Ethan Allen Galleries
Done Karate
Read Maxim
Watched MTV
Drove a Nissan Xterra”
35Y2C2, Boomtown Singles, 25-54, Mainstream Singles, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (San Marcos, TX)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,617,454 (1.38%)
Median Household Income: $39,838
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Affordable housing, abundant entry-level jobs and a thriving singles scene-all have given rise to the Boomtown Singles segment in fast-growing satellite cities.
Slowly Evolving Neighborhoods
Young, single and working-class, these residents pursue active lifestyles amid sprawling apartment complexes, bars, convenience stores and laundromats.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Victoria’s Secret
Done Karate
Read Elle
Watched VH1
Drove a Suzuki SX4″
34F3C2, White Picket Fences, 25-54, Families, Mainstream Families, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (Aurora, CO)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 1,536,574 (1.31%)
Median Household Income: $51,800
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Midpoint on the socioeconomic ladder, residents in White Picket Fences look a lot like the stereotypical American household of a generation ago: young, middle-class, married with children.
But the current version is characterized by modest homes and ethnic diversity-including a disproportionate number of Hispanics and African-Americans.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from BMG Music
Rented/bought kid’s videos
Read People en Espanol
Watched Latin Grammy Awards
Drove a Saturn ION”
27M2C2, Middleburg Managers, 55+, Couples, Conservative Classics, City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (South Lake Tahoe, CA)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,276,009 (1.95%)
Median Household Income: $51,769
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Middleburg Managers arose when empty nesters settled in satellite communities which offered a lower cost of living and more relaxed pace.
Photo: Visual Pursuit
Today, segment residents tend to be middle-class and over 55 years old, with solid managerial jobs and comfortable retirements.
In their older homes, they enjoy reading, playing musical instruments, indoor gardening and refinishing furniture.”
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Shopped at Office Depot
Bought books on tape
Read VFW Magazine
Watched Inspiration Network
Drove Mercury Grand Marquis Flex Fuel”
41M3C2, Sunset City Blues, 55+ Cautious Couples, Empty Nests – City Centers, HCESC Satellite City-zens, High Country Eagles (Santa Fe, NM)
2011 Statistics:
US Households: 2,083,443 (1.78%)
Median Household Income: $39,366
Satellite City-zens (HCESC): “Scattered throughout the older neighborhoods of small cities, Sunset City Blues is a segment of lower-middle-class singles and couples who have retired or are getting closed to it.
These empty-nesters tend to own their homes but have modest educations and incomes.
Photo: Visual Hunt
They maintain a low-key lifestyle filled with newspapers and television by day, and family style restaurants at night.
Lifestyle & Media Traits:
Ordered from QVC
Collected coins
Read Ladies’ Home Journal
Watched One Life to Live
Drove a Kia Borrego”
Will you find a 100% fit?
No.
These lifestyle descriptions are intended to paint a picture of a new neighborhood you’d enjoy, because you share some of the same traits with current residents.
8) Sit down with your spouse, partner or friends and write-up your bucket list of places.
20) Pivot. Maybe the lists of best places don’t appeal to you. Where can you go to make a fresh, new start? Don’t limit your imagination. Think anywhere — across the globe. Where do you really, really want to live, work and play? Why not live where it’s a vacation all year round?
21) Spend the time to find the best place to live and invest. It will be worth your while. The great thing about living where others spend their vacation is the year round quality-of-life.
26) If you know the zip code you can discover the lifestyles living in the community. You can compare your profile with theirs to estimate your degree of fit.
27) Estimate how well suited you are for the resorts. Refer to “Profiles-at-a-Glance” comparing 2008-2009 and 2013-2014 for changes in Life Stages – Singles, Couples, Families, Midlife, Empty Nests, Baby Boomers and Seniors; Ages – 20-29, 25-54, 30-44, 45+ 45-65, 55+ and 65+; and mix of Lifestyles in neighborhoods. Does the resort still offer the age, life stage and lifestyle profiles you prefer?
diversity-including a disproportionate number of Hispanics and African-Americans.
