I’m very specialized in my work (game industry) and being in Sweden doesn’t help with the amount of job opportunities. So finding another job and move isn’t very likely, unless I switch career…

At 23, do you guys think it would be smarter to go back to school and pick a different career that would in the long run be more beneficial and not so specialized?

The post is dated, but if you’re still interested in NH real estate, Trulia is a good site for listings:
http://www.trulia.com/city/NH/

And for Maine:
http://www.trulia.com/sitemap/Maine-real-estate/

Some of the properties are well within your price range.

I have some great memories from both of those states; the White Mountains are beautiful, and Maine farmhouses are just wonderful places to be.

If you banked $780k and took 40 annual equal distributions, that is an income of $19,500. Someone like Jacob is only spending $7,000 annually, so why wouldn’t it last?

I am in my mid 40s and have zero desire to retire early. My siblings and friends are all in the late 40s, early 50s and can’t even imagine retiring this early. Yes quite a few are stuck in corporate rate race as well.

I think for many people under 60 it’s not retirement that they really seek but rather a sabatical (ie:a year off) or even a change of scenery or career.

Retiring too soon before being financially ready to do so can seriously jeopardize financial security in old age when one is less likely to be able to return to work.

I am sorry but having 780K at age of 37 doesn’t mean money will last, in the absence of employment, until your 80s or even 90s.
When you consider inflation, the rising cost of living etc. that money will be long gone in less than 40 years.

Futhermore, as more people lose homes in this country, the cost of staying in an RV park will rise substantially. You see others will seek ways to survive with their families and living in an RV will become much more appealing to the masses that had not considered this lifestyle in the past.

I sold our RV in 1994. Back then we paid between $5 & $15 a day at a park (including water, electric, sewer)
Nowadays you are looking at $20-50 per day depending on the location.
I suspect that number will rise as the masses turn to Rv’ing as a means of survival on limited incomes.
Unless you are childless and with considerable income in bank and investments, please please please reconsider early retirement.

One of my neighbors (in her 40s)absolutely HATED her abusive corporate job which gave her 95K income. She had invested and saved for years and decided to change careers to a more “socially concious” one. She now does tours at a natural museum and teaches children about the environment. She absolutely loves it. While it doesn’t pay anywhere near what she made before, it pays the bills and certainly made her life and career much more enjoyable. In addition, since she lives frugally, has no debt, and substantial savings/investment (which she doesn’t touch)she feels safer knowing that she will be financially set in her old age.

I’m 37 and have followed a similar path to you. I have a 6 figure job that I hate and I’ve been saving 60% since I was in my mid 20′s. Living way below my means. My net worth is about $700k. I’m ready to leave this corporate nightmare that is killing me day by day.

I’m single and want to live in an RV. My goal is to follow my fly fishing passion through the Rocky mountains, Alaska, Canada, etc. I want something small, but nice. Large enough for 2 people to comfortably live out of. I would prefer a used RV (I always buy used – depreciation) Any recommendations you have would be appreciated.

RVs, too, really suck in cold winters. They weren’t designed to be lived in during cold conditions. They are very energy inefficient and too many water pipes are exposed to the elements.

Finally, it’s hard to have dogs especially large dogs when living in an RV. Some parks place limitations on dogs. Even the best behaved dogs can be tough on walls and doors and RVs just are built sturdy enough to take the continual abuse.

It’s a shame there are so few housing options. For me, I didn’t want to live in apartments with their thin walls and lack of outdoor living areas. I bought a townhouse when I moved out my mothers house when I was 22. A house *is* a huge financial drain. But, for me, I still can’t think of any viable alternatives.

My house is now paid for. I’m considering building a 400sq ft studio on 40 acres I own and then either sell the house or rent it out. Now that I no longer pay interest on a mortgage, I could pull in $1000+ a month in income renting it.

I’m not an RV person, so looking for real estate deals offers the fantasy that we could make a lifestyle change. Right now, in western Oregon and SW Washington, there are some sweat equity opportunities for homes with a half acre or more starting at $80k. Some are livable as-is if you do basic clean-up & painting. Most would benefit greatly from an added $10-20k and then you’d be set.

These are always rural properties, sometimes scenic or coastal, but property taxes typically run $1000-2400/yr depending on size and vicinity (Castle Rock, WA, for instance, has higher property taxes than most locations).

The homes run from 700 sq ft to 1600 sq ft, so many are suitable for small families.

Favorite things about living in an RV: cleaning time is kept to a minimum, we move if we don’t like the neighborhood, we can follow the (good) weather; we meet very interesting people; we get to sample incredible regional foods. Naturally, if you are still working, the only one that applies is the minimal cleaning needed!

Plus: there is a sense of adventure living in an RV (or on a boat, which I did prior to meeting my husband) that you don’t have in a house. Maybe it is simply because you are living life a little differently than the norm?

We are retired, and not ERE. My husband retired at age 60 from a job he liked for many years. When he retired, I quit, at age 52. When I read Jacob’s recent post about 5 years of stringent savings early on, I thought how I wished someone had explained that to me at age 20… and I plan to explain it to my niece and nephew. Thanks for being a role model, Jacob. I wish there were more like you… but then I guess our economy would collapse. Hooray for the worker bees and their endless consumption!

I live in Lake Elizabeth California. It is 40 miles from Los Angeles, but it is a slice of heaven to me.

I retired from teaching (i’ll be 35 next month) and while I am not fully retried (extreme if you will) I do enjoy my life much more.

Buy the land Jacob. San Fran is over rated.