Originally Posted by windsong

No, you ought to go back as soon as possible. I wish I had gone back years ago. Sometimes you make the mistake of staying thinking, "Oh, it will get better" but it never does. You simply live a half-life.

Originally Posted by Lorry1

Are you back in England now?

I know what you mean, I am getting worse every day. Don't think I can last 2 years. Just wanna get on a plane and leave right now

Originally Posted by windsong

No, unfortunately. I am still in the USA. Had I planned a move 10 years ago, I could have gone back in a heartbeat. I stayed too long and the lousy job market and economy ate away at my savings so now I am in the savings mode. If you want to live a life of quality, I truly don't believe the USA is the place to do it. Even living a life of quantity is hard these days.

If I ever win the lottery I will be gone within six months. I have to stay that length of time to prep my pets who are all going with me.

Originally Posted by sallysimmons

I've seen that in the areas I've been watching. I look at houses that have been on for a year while others have been snapped up in weeks, and wonder what those people are thinking.

I had a chat with a real estate agent here and she said there is no shortage of buyers if the price is right. The problem according to her is that too many people are in denial about the current value of their home.

Originally Posted by windsong

No, unfortunately. I am still in the USA. Had I planned a move 10 years ago, I could have gone back in a heartbeat. I stayed too long and the lousy job market and economy ate away at my savings so now I am in the savings mode. If you want to live a life of quality, I truly don't believe the USA is the place to do it. Even living a life of quantity is hard these days.

If I ever win the lottery I will be gone within six months. I have to stay that length of time to prep my pets who are all going with me.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

Decided to have another gander at east Devon which we haven't really looked at much before. Chard which is close by came up yesterday (rumpuss and bandrui).

Found this in the village of Upottery near Honiton (I remember Upottery from scenes in Band of Brothers) . The streetview image of the village looks good too but I'm not sure about the pub being close by, as always

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-18662391.html

The building opposite is an old coach house, I think:

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-18266445.html

Good links by road east and west. Rail in Honiton. Sea about 15 or so miles away.

As modern places go I like the look of this for its location, price, layout. Beautifully placed in the heart of Somerset - In Sparkford, near Queen Camel (Camelot? one of many!)

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-...-17488698.html

Rail is 15 mins away by bus (every hour) in Castle Cary.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

I've been to the Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park, walked in Bryce's Canyon and through the Painted Desert in Arizona into Utah and indeed they are spectacular but there are spots in England & Wales that are in their own way equally spectacular and full of flora and fauna, architectural and historical interest and then there's the Highlands and Western Isles. What's more they are extremely well written up for explorers to discover on foot or on a bike.

Devon still has an awful lot going for it as can be witnessed by its huge popularity as a retirement destination but for some its tougher access to London is a problem.

I noted last week that Plymouth Airport is to close and this was a speedy link to London and onwards for travelers from that area of Devon. Exeter will probably get a couple of extra flights but is already important access to Europe and the North by air which is often much cheaper than rail, if you are flexible.

I'm not sure how much work you've already done on this but:

Dorset, East Somerset and the Quantocks and Wiltshire and Avon are pretty well covered in research on these forums. We have covered up to Nailsworth and the Stroud area pretty well on the edge of the Cotswolds.

As soon as you become commutable to London by road or rail, prices start to rise quite steeply which marks Oxford, Winchester and Hampshire in general plus Berkshire as pricey.

Nobody, so far, has looked at Bristol or Bath, but Bath is pricey.

Originally Posted by bandrui

These are both good properties. I absolutely love the first one and would move into it in a heartbeart. And you know I don't give my property praise lightly. Excellent find. I love the feeling of comfort that it has, design, colour, the real terra cotta in the kitchen, and of course the garden. Great location. Good price. What more could you want! It is the first property that completely fits the bill for me.

The second one doesn't have my personality but would be good for someone who it does fit.

Originally Posted by aries

I've been looking at hundreds of places (via the internet) over the past year, originally intending to return to my home town of Torquay which I know so well. Decent flats there are easily affordable, but of course it is not exactly handy to other places in England, and I stopped driving 10 years ago. It is why towns nearer to London have been in my sights for the past couple of months.

I've even considered seaside resorts which have become rundown, resulting of course from holidaymakers now travelling abroad. However, being a proud Torquinian, it is difficult to consider the likes of Margate or Southend, not my cup of tea. I've also looked at Eastbourne, Folkestone, Tunbridge Wells, Maidstone, St Albans, and many other towns every point on the compass from London. Without a car I need good access to transport, and having cardiac problems, I also don't wish to be tucked away in a village too far from a hospital.

It has been said that money doesn't make you happy, but it would certainly make choices in life easier.

Originally Posted by Pistolpete2

My mother, who is in her eighties, swears by Tunbridge Wells. She lives in a flat in the desirable Grove area (Grove Ave, Warwick Road) which is about 150 yards from the station and close to the Pantiles and High Street. There are several open spaces in the centre of the town for fresh air/relaxation. The main shopping area is about 500-600 yards away.

There's a very good supply of flats in that Grove area.

I'm not sure where you family connections are but how about Bury St Edmunds, also?

I accept your primary loyalty to Torquay and maybe you should consider that rail-wise there are very good links to the Midlands, Manchester, Nottingham, York, Newcastle and Edinburgh on CrossCountry.

See their route maps here.

http://www.crosscountrytrains.co.uk/...es/Routes.aspx

Torquay/Manchester 4hrs52mins

Originally Posted by aries

Thank you for that information.
It was only last week that I thought of Tunbridge Wells, a friend here thinks highly of it. My family members are in Warwickshire, and another soon to be in Essex, but I would also like reasonable access to an airport for Frankfurt. I think I've all but discounted Torquay because of its location.