A couple of years ago, we started to plan seriously for our retirement years - years which are over 10 years away, but the clock is just not slowing down. We decided that a good starting point would be to make an early investment in real estate (experience saying that it won't be getting cheaper as we near retirement). Our approach was to find a part of the country that was well suited to our beliefs and anticipated lifestyle, incorporating a high percentage of our wants, needs and desires, utilizing a best guess of how we will feel at that future age and time.

We grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down in front of a computer, playing 20 questions (okay - more like 100 questions) with a clever application, the subjects ranging from views on politics, weather, religion, healthcare, academia, recreation - you name it. The application returned a list of 24 cities that were perceived as a good match for us. A report was made available on each of the 24 cities. We then took a long weekend at a B&B to read the reports thoroughly and used some specific, top-priority criteria to rank the finalists. Some of this final ranking criteria included taxes, area attractions (something to make certain our grandchildren would be entertained, in addition to just us), hospitals, proximity to a decent airport, etc.

We expected to have 3 finalists and planned to visit the 3 areas to make a final selection. When the tally was complete, Branson-Springfield was ranked more than 10% above the 2nd place city - a clear-cut winner. Instead of visiting all 3, we just started the hunt in Branson. In a fairly short period of time, we selected a fabulous real estate professional at that end. With several e-mails and telephone conversations, we identified our target property type, found a few to look at and set a date for an exploratory trip.

The trip and showings narrowed us down to the community we wanted in less than a day. Unfortunately, there was not a home matching our desires available at that time. However, the property manager hinted that one particular condo in the development could possibly be available and consented to let us take a sneak peek. One step out onto the balcony and I knew it was "the one" for us. I looked into our Realtor's eyes and said, "get us this condo". That was on a Sunday. Our Realtor called the following Saturday and said, "okay - it is officially available". Not bad - 6 days to buy a home that was not for sale. Did I mention "fabulous real estate professional?"       

Here is the view from our little piece of paradise:  

Now one of our missions in life is to facilitate getting more Minnesotans in touch with the magic of the Branson area of the Ozark Mountains. Hey - we could be neighbors someday.

If you would like to learn more about our experience and investigate how Branson might be a part of your future, I invite you to invest an hour of time with me in my Chanhassen office. Here you can view a 15-minute movie about the Tri-Lakes area, ask questions about our journey and receive a Branson informational packet that will get you started on your Branson adventure. Ready to set up a time? Give me a call on my mobile at 612-720-0394 or simply submit a meeting request form and I will contact you to confirm.