A Retiree’s Scenario: Margaret’s Move to Denver

Sometimes, the best way to understand a complex decision is to walk through it with someone else. Let’s consider a fictional but realistic scenario featuring Margaret, a 68-year-old widow living in a paid-off home in Sarasota, Florida.

Margaret’s only son, David, lived in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, with his wife and two young children, ages 5 and 7. Margaret loved her Florida life—her friends, her garden, the warm weather. But every video call with her grandkids left her with a pang of longing. She was missing out. After much thought, she decided to seriously explore moving to be near them.

Step 1: The Family Conversation. Before doing anything else, Margaret flew to Denver for a week. On the second night, after the kids were in bed, she sat down with David and his wife. She said, “I’m thinking very seriously about moving here. But I want to be a help, not a burden, and I need to have my own life. What does that look like for you?” They had a wonderful, honest talk. They told her they would love her help with picking the kids up from school two days a week but did not expect or want a full-time caregiver. They also expressed their hope that she would make her own friends so she would not be lonely.

Step 2: The Trial Run. Margaret was tempted to sell her Florida home immediately and buy a condo in Denver. But she wisely decided to test the waters first. She found a furnished one-bedroom apartment to rent for three months, from October to January. This would allow her to experience the transition from fall into the heart of winter. She put her Florida mail on hold and arranged for a friend to check on her house.

Step 3: The Reality Check. Her trial run was eye-opening. She loved being able to have spontaneous dinners with her son’s family. She cherished taking her grandkids to the park after school. But she also learned a few hard truths. The cold, dry air was a shock to her system. Driving in the snow, even a little, terrified her. And she discovered that her Florida-based Medicare Advantage plan was useless in Colorado. She spent hours researching new plans and trying to find a primary care physician who was accepting new patients.

Step 4: The Decision. At the end of her three months, Margaret knew what to do. She decided against buying a home in Denver. The real estate market was expensive, and she did not want to be locked in if she decided the winters were truly not for her. Instead, she decided to become a “snowbird.” She sold her large Florida home and bought a smaller, low-maintenance villa in her same 55+ community. She then found an unfurnished apartment to rent year-round in a retirement community in Denver, just a 15-minute drive from David. Her plan was to spend May through October in Colorado and the winter months, from November to April, back in Florida with her established network of friends. This gave her the best of both worlds: precious time with her grandkids and a sunny escape from the snow. It was a more complex solution, but it was the right one for her.