Cruises to popular port may cost more as city hikes docking fees
As economic uncertainty seems to be leading many Americans to vacation closer to home this summer, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, and other lines are offering major discounts on last-minute cruises to this bucket-list region.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival salute veterans with major perks
Like Europe, Alaska is a sought-after summer cruise destination that some travelers have apparently decided against visiting this year due to economic concerns. This has unexpectedly left cruise lines with unsold cabins.
If you've been dreaming of an Alaska cruise and can travel this summer, booking now might be a smart move.
Not only are the rare last-minute deals enticing, postponing your trip until 2026 or 2027 may cost you more than ever, as Alaska's popular port cities begin to implement both new restrictions and higher fees for cruise ships visiting the region.
Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter to save money on your next (or your first) cruise.
On May 19, the Juneau Assembly voted to approve a significant increase to the dockage fees vessels pay to berth at city-owned cruise terminals and other port facilities, as reported by Juneau's KTOO Public Media.
Fees vary based on ship length, but under the new fee structure, cruise ships can also be charged based on their passenger capacity. Because of this, most large cruise ships will pay about double to dock at city-owned port facilities in Juneau.
The new fee structure will take effect at the start of the 2026 Alaska cruise season.
Related: Popular cruise destination to get new downtown cruise port
Local officials say the change will bring dockage fees for city-owned port facilities more in line with fees charged by private cruise ports in Juneau and nearby areas of Alaska. The city of Juneau owns two of Juneau's four cruise ship docks.
Recently, the Juneau Assembly also approved the development of an additional private dock in downtown Juneau that will become the city's fifth when it opens in 2027. Backed by Norwegian Cruise Line, the new port development is expected to help ease downtown congestion in the booming summer cruise destination.
Be the first to see the best deals on cruises, special sailings, and more. Sign up for the Come Cruise With Me newsletter.
Along with new port development projects and increased dockage fees, a new cruise passenger limit will also come to Juneau in 2026 as the city takes careful steps to combat overtourism in the typically in-demand cruise destination.
As Alaska's most-visited cruise destination, Juneau has been overwhelmed by more than 20,000 visitors on busy days in recent seasons. With the 2025 Alaska cruise season underway, Juneau is currently managing the crowds with a five-ship daily cap, but restrictions will tighten further next year.
Related: Norwegian Cruise Line passengers share crucial cruise insight
Under a new agreement reached with major cruise lines that will roll out in 2026, Juneau will cap the number of cruise passengers able to disembark in the city to 16,000 people on most days and 12,000 people on Saturdays.
Activists have recently called for even stricter limits in the destination like "Ship-Free Saturdays," but those measures have failed win enough support from local voters.
(The Arena Group will earn a commission if you book a cruise.)
Make a free appointment with Come Cruise With Me's Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
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USA Today
36 minutes ago
- USA Today
Here's why an alarming number of workers cash out 401(k) plans
A 401(k) retirement account is supposed to be hands-off. It's not your money, in theory, but savings for the future you. And yet, when Americans leave jobs, one-third of them cash out their 401(k) accounts. That's called 401(k) 'leakage,' and it costs workers untold billions of dollars in lost retirement savings. In a recent paper, Vanguard ponders why so many Americans liquidate retirement accounts when they exit jobs – about 33%, by their estimate -- and what employers and employees can do about it. The 401(k) was designed to help American workers build retirement savings, using tax breaks as an incentive. Nearly $9 trillion sits in 401(k) accounts nationwide, according to the Investment Company Institute. Half of all private-sector workers now participate in the plans, a record high. But 401(k) dollars don't always end up funding someone's retirement. At least $1.7 trillion sits in lost or forgotten 401(k) accounts, according to research by Capitalize, a financial services firm. A new Vanguard research note focuses on another problem: Workers cashing out retirement accounts when they leave jobs. Cashing out a 401(k) is often the worst option When you depart a job, you have several options with a 401(k). You can do nothing, keeping the money in the account. You can execute a 'rollover,' transferring the funds to another 401(k) or Individual Retirement Account. Or, you can cash out. And if you're exiting a job, a cashout might sound alluring. You may not have another job lined up. Perhaps you're planning a move. Maybe a new child has arrived. 'It can be very tempting. You're having this big decision in your life,' said Rob Williams, managing director of financial planning at Charles Schwab. 'Especially if it's not a large amount, your first instinct is to take the money.' But cashing out a 401(k) is generally the worst option, at least in financial terms. If you liquidate a 401(k) before age 59 ½, you generally pay income taxes on the amount, plus a 10% penalty for early withdrawal. Moreover, you miss out on the chance to collect years of compounded returns on your 401(k) investments. If you cash out a $7,000 retirement account at age 40, you may net as little as $4,270 in actual cash to spend, after penalties and taxes, Fidelity estimates. But if you leave the same $7,000 invested for 20 more years, and the investments increase at an annual rate of 8%, the sum will grow to nearly $35,000, according to a NerdWallet calculator. 'You think it's a small amount of money. You take it out. But if it stayed invested, it could have grown to a much larger sum,' said Anqi Chen, associate director of savings and household finance at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Why do departing workers cash out their 401(k)s? Exiting workers cash out 401(k) accounts for several reasons, retirement experts say. Vanguard researchers theorize that financial need, more than anything else, drives workers to liquidate retirement accounts. Hourly workers are more likely than salaried employees to cash out 401(k)s. The reason, Vanguard says, may be that hourly workers have more income fluctuations. Those ups and downs can leave them short of cash. Workers with lower incomes are more likely to cash out than those with higher incomes. That data point, too, suggests financial need. 'It's really short-term cashflow liquidity challenges that are explaining a lot of these early withdrawals,' said Aaron Goodman, an economist at Vanguard. Vanguard found that workers with emergency savings were much less likely to cash out a 401(k) when leaving a job. Thus, Vanguard urges workers to save for emergencies. Even $2,000 in rainy-day funds, researchers found, allowed workers to leave jobs without raiding retirement funds. Employees are also much more likely to cash out a 401(k) account with a small balance. The typical cashout involves 'a few thousand dollars,' Goodman said. Some workers, especially younger workers, cash out retirement accounts because the sum seems too small to bother with. 'It's easy for them to fall into this mindset, 'It's not a lot of money,'' said Mike Shamrell, vice president of thought leadership at Fidelity Investments. 'If you do that every other year in your 20s, that starts to add up.' Rolling over a 401(k) can be 'incredibly hard' Cashing out a 401(k) is relatively easy. Rolling it over into another retirement account, by contrast, can be 'incredibly hard,' said Chen of Boston College. That's another reason why many workers cash out retirement plans. In a rollover, you move your retirement savings to another 401(k) account at your new company, or into an IRA, a personal retirement savings account. Rollovers can get complicated, especially when the funds are going into a new 401(k) account managed by a different firm. Research by Capitalize, a retirement savings platform, found rollovers 'outdated and painful': Only 22% of savers managed to roll over an account without help, and 42% said the process took them at least two months to complete. In many cases, rollovers involve laborious forms and old-fashioned paper checks. Some employers encourage departing workers to cash out low-balance retirement accounts, "just because it's easier for them," said David John, a senior strategic policy advisor at the AARP Public Policy Institute. The ability to move a 401(k) from one employer to the next is called 'portability,' and the lack of it has thwarted workers from preserving retirements savings, according to Chen and others. When exiting employees contemplate rolling over a 401(k) account, 'they're just a little bit overwhelmed by the process,' said Shamrell of Fidelity. 'They feel it's going to be time-consuming and complex.' A recent initiative in the retirement-savings industry aims to solve the portability problem. In 2022, a consortium of private retirement-plan providers announced a collaboration to boost the portability of small retirement accounts. When someone leaves a job, the network of providers will make sure that retirement funds 'move seamlessly from one job to another,' said John of AARP. The auto-portability program applies to accounts valued at $7,000 or less, which are more likely to be cashed out or forgotten. Most big retirement-plan providers participate in the effort. 'I do think there's an evolution, as there should be, in terms of making this more of a point-and-click exercise,' said Williams of Schwab.
Newsweek
38 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Trump's 401(k) Change: What Administrators and Employees Need to Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. President Donald Trump's recent executive order has opened the door for alternative investments to be included in 401(k) plans, potentially reshaping how the savings of millions of Americans are managed. In the order, entitled "Democratizing Access to Alternative Assets for 401(k) Investors," the president laid out a road map for the incorporation of such assets, including private equity, real estate and cryptocurrency, into Americans' retirement accounts. What to Know The executive order does not alter existing laws around workplace retirement plans, but instructs the Department of Labor to examine how to revise guidance to make such investments more accessible. However, the announcement marks a major win for those in the respective asset industries, who have long been lobbying for a chance to tap into the roughly $12.2 trillion held in retirement savings plans. President Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters in the Oval Office on August 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. Coins in a jar. President Donald Trump listens to questions from reporters in the Oval Office on August 07, 2025 in Washington, DC. Coins in a jar. Win McNamee //Getty Images / GDA via AP Images "For decades, public pension funds have invested in private assets because they deliver strong returns over the long term and are a smart, safe way to diversify retirement savings," said Will Dunham, president of the American Investment Council, a trade association and lobbying group that represents the U.S. private equity industry. "President Trump's EO [executive order] is a great step that will help all Americans enjoy the same benefits of stronger returns and a secure retirement." But others believe retirement portfolios should be conservatively managed, and are wary of introducing any additional complexities or risk, as well as the higher fees that could themselves eat into savings. "Alternative investments are typically less liquid and volatile, meaning that investors may not have immediate access to funds and are likely to be exposed to more risk," said economist Gopi Shah Goda, director of the Brookings Institution's Retirement Security Project. "They also typically carry higher fees, dipping into the return premiums mentioned earlier." Newsweek spoke with attorneys and private equity experts about what those participating in the plans—and those benefiting from them—need to know before embracing these new investment options. What Administrators Need to Know Simon Tang, Accelex "For administrators, the biggest challenge is the transparency gap," said Tang, director and head of U.S. at Accelex, a fintech firm that provides tools for private markets investors. "General partners of private funds are steadfast in maintaining privacy and confidentiality when it comes to their investments in private companies, which should drive their competitive advantage over other fund managers," he told Newsweek. "However, retail investors will expect the same clear, timely information that they're used to in public markets and even in crypto but where private equity still falls short." To bridge this transparency gap, Tang said administrators will "need to invest in private markets-specific AI and automation to access, extract, standardize, and present insights to the retirement investors; otherwise, they risk losing these investors to competitors who can." Bill Cox, KBRA "Private markets are a source of systemic strength, and their democratization can benefit both retail and institutional investors when accessed with proper due diligence and understanding of their unique characteristics," said Cox, head of corporate, financial, and government ratings at the New York-based rating agency. Cox told Newsweek that expanding into alternative assets "requires careful consideration of liquidity risks, fee structures, and the critical importance of manager selection." "Performance variability will have far more to do with which managers 401(k) investors select, rather than whether they allocated to alternatives, and we expect this manager differentiation to grow over the next 3-5 years," he said. Carol McClarnon, Carlton Fields McClarnon, an attorney specializing in the financial services industry, said the main thing plan sponsors and fund managers must be aware of is increased "litigation risk." "There are law firms that focus on filing 'excessive fee' lawsuits against 401(k) plan sponsors and financial professionals," she told Newsweek, but noted that Trump's executive order also instructs the Department of Labor to address this in its upcoming guidance. "Plan sponsors and employees who are open to private equity but lack the expertise can focus on pooled investment funds that are managed by advisers with significant expertise," she added. John Hunt, Sullivan & Worcester "Currently, the biggest exposure is to plan fiduciaries, and the liabilities they have in deciding which investments to make available to plan participants," said Hunt, a partner at the global law firm. "For both plan fiduciaries and employees, the most significant questions are understanding the risks and expenses of alternative investments, that is, how financially literate do they need to be before it is prudent for them to invest in these types of investments," he said. Tom Hogan, Haynes Boone Hogan, employee benefits counsel at the corporate law firm, said that the higher fees associate with private equity could "subject the plan sponsor to fiduciary litigation." "A plan sponsor is subject to a fiduciary standard of care and prudence under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the statute that applies to private sector retirement plans) when selecting or monitoring investments." Hunt noted that there also exist "liquidity and valuation issues," given alternative investments are not easily sold or converted to cash, and that the clear, real-time value of private equity is hard to determine. The Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) Private market assets are "are harder to value and harder to exit," the private equity watchdog told Newsweek. "It's harder to know what something is really worth. Unlike stocks, private equity funds don't trade on an exchange, so the value is based on what the fund says it's worth. That makes it easier to get wrong—and could lead to disputes or lawsuits from workers if they feel they didn't get a fair deal." The group added that private equity "often reports returns in ways that make them look better than they are." "Without clear, standardized yardsticks, it's hard for plan managers to tell if the investment is actually worth it." What Employees Need to Know Simon Tang, Accelex "For employees, there are several concerns of private equity investing including the higher fees, inherent complexity and opacity, and also the unique return, risk and liquidity profile of this asset class," said Tang. "Resolving these concerns will require substantial education and data-driven knowledge transfer." "Another key risk that needs to be examined and understood is asset allocation and portfolio construction," he told Newsweek. "The general public is used to parking their paycheck money in a 401(k) and then simply selecting from the different flavors of listed equities and bonds." Introducing private equity into this mix, Tang believes, will require employees "to determine their exposure and diversification goals," as "allocating their entire 401(k) to private equity would indeed be a risk." "Anyone considering allocating part of their retirement savings to private equity should understand and educate themselves on the nuances, advantages and disadvantages of private equity," he added. "And they should expect a very different experience from the instant pricing and real-time updates of public markets." Rob Sichel, K&L Gates Sichel, a partner at the global law firm, said the main risk for plan participants will be in "ensuring that they are investing in products that have been prudently designed to effectively operate within a defined contribution plan." In other words, participants must first understand whether a fund has sufficient liquidity and manageable fees, and whether it is "overseen by a fiduciary with sufficient expertise." "Even if such an investment is available in a plan's investment lineup, plan participants should make sure an investment is prudent given the participant's specific situation," he added. Private Equity Stakeholder Project (PESP) "Higher costs eat into savings," the watchdog told Newsweek. "Private equity funds usually charge much higher fees than index funds—sometimes multiple layers of them—and those fees add up over time, leaving you with less money at retirement." It added that money in private equity investments is typically "locked up longer." "You can sell a stock or bond fund any day. With private equity, you may have to wait years to get your money out, and even then, you might get less than you expect." PESP was also surprised that the executive order encouraged investments in private equity, given that private equity funds have largely underperformed the S&P 500 over the past few years. Russ Ivinjack, Aon "For employees, it means potentially higher costs and less liquidity," said Ivinjack, Aon's global chief investment officer. "Unlike public equities, private investments don't offer daily pricing or straightforward disclosures," he told Newsweek. "That's why we recommend using private assets only in professionally managed portfolios, like target date funds, where trained fiduciaries are making decisions on your behalf." What Happens Next? As the experts noted, the executive order only instructs the Department of Labor to review existing regulations and guidance around alternative investments. "At the moment, there are no formal proposals," said John Hunt of Sullivan & Worcester. "Just a direction to the DOL to think about and come up with a plan—and thus nothing to react to other than the optimism of potential changes." "This isn't an overnight transformation," Simon Tang told Newsweek. "Private equity won't suddenly appear in every 401(k) plan." "Returns can be attractive, but fees are higher, investments are less liquid, and performance data is harder to come by," he added. "It remains to be seen how this change will be implemented." Trump gave the Department of Labor 180 days to reexamine guidance and clarify the government's position on alternative assets—including private market investments, real estate interests and digital assets—in 401(k)s.
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
They fled cities in the pandemic exodus, seeking a cheaper cost of living, safety, and more. Here's how it's panned out.
It's been roughly five years since America's big-city dwellers were suddenly faced with the opportunity for a major life change: a move to the country. With no commute required, an emphasis on the home, and low interest rates,a wave of millennials and Gen Zers moved to suburban or exurban areas during the pandemic. These rural or metro areas with fewer than 250,000 residents made up the top 10 counties with the highest net percent population increase among this age group between 2020 and 2023, the latest years for which data is available. On the other hand, cities have seen stagnant or declining populations among the 25-44 age group. Of the 10 most populous US counties, five had declines, while two stayed the same. Business Insider interviewed seven Americans who left big cities during the pandemic in search of more space, stability, or a different pace of life. Some moved across the country, while others stayed closer to home, trading New York City, Los Angeles, or Houston for Rockford, Illinois; Wayne, New Jersey; or Palm Desert, California. Now, five years after the pandemic began, life outside big cities hasn't been perfect. It may be cheaper — though not in all cases — but it also can come with longer commutes, less satisfying food and culture, and distance from friends. Here are their stories, in their own words. Their quotes have been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has heard from hundreds of Americans who have moved in recent years for personal and financial reasons. If you have a story to share, please fill out this quick form. Read more on the topic below: Moving from NYC to Illinois came with career changes and a lower cost of living Andrew Blevins, 35, is an insurance agent who lives in Rockford, Illinois, which has a population of 147,000 and a median home sale price of $175,000. In 2020, my wife and I moved from New York City to Rockford, Illinois, where we bought our first home. We were traveling nationally as part of the Broadway tour of Cats — I was the production stage manager, and she worked in the merchandise department. But we both lost our jobs due to the pandemic. We decided to move to Rockford because we're both from the area and felt comfortable knowing that it would be a safe place to settle down. We appreciated the difference in cost of living and wanted to be closer to our family. The cost to rent our one-bedroom apartment in the Inwood/Washington Heights area of NYC was about the same as the mortgage payment on our three-bedroom home in Rockford. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to buy before the market took off, as we were able to build equity in our home rather quickly. We leveraged that equity into a different home and now reside in something much more comfortable. The move coincided with my career change to an insurance agent. I opened an agency in January 2021 in an effort to help establish our roots in Rockford. I grew up in an insurance family and worked in my father's office during college, even earning some initial licensing at the time. Around the time I lost my job, an insurance recruiter reached out to me. It felt like the right moment to return to something familiar. My wife is the office manager for our agency. We work side by side, building our business together. We have no plans to leave anytime soon. We took this opportunity to rebuild our lives after COVID, and we set out to build a comfortable life. We found that and more in Rockford. Family reasons made moving from LA to New Jersey the right choice Francheska Stone, 36, is the founder of a podcast and consulting platform. She lives in Wayne, New Jersey, which has a population of 53,000 and a median home sale price of $1.5 million. My husband and I relocated from Los Angeles to Wayne, New Jersey, in October 2021. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with dementia, so we wanted to be closer to family support on the East Coast. One month after arriving, I learned I was pregnant with our daughter, which reinforced the decision to stay in New Jersey. I'd never even visited New Jersey before moving, but family ties have made it work. The first year in New Jersey was tough. It was a new state, I was pregnant, and I had to adapt to East Coast winters. But I have no lasting regrets about the move. In Los Angeles, I worked on-site as a paralegal, but the move nudged me into remote legal work with the same law firm and then into entrepreneurship. I eventually launched my podcast and consulting platform business, and earlier this year, I left my full-time job to focus on it full-time. We're rooted here for now and have no immediate plans to move. We love that New York City is a short drive away while we enjoy suburban space. Overall, the cost of living in New Jersey has felt comparable to LA. We're renting for now, but buying a home here is a goal once my business income fully stabilizes. We didn't want to have a family in a big city like Houston, so we moved to suburban Texas Blanka Molnar, 40, is a parenting coach who lives in Sugar Land, Texas, which has a population of 110,000 and a median home sale price of $500,000. My husband and I moved in June 2021 from Houston to Sugar Land, Texas. We were looking to buy a home and start a family, but we were unsure about raising a child in Houston. The area we lived in started to feel dirtier and less safe, we didn't have a backyard, and the schools were not as good as we'd have liked. Overall, we think moving was a great decision. We have much more space, a better school system, and a beautiful neighborhood. There are plenty of green areas and playgrounds, and our daughter enjoys our lovely backyard with her little slide. The downsides are that we drive more than we did in the city, the food scene isn't as good as Houston's, and we live further from the airport. My husband's commute is also about twenty minutes longer. Our housing costs are also higher now. We do not regret buying — we wanted to buy our own home, and we like our purchase — but adding up all the costs and expenses, it's much more than our rent was. After we moved, I resigned and left my corporate life behind due to medical reasons. I now work independently, and I'm happy with my current work situation. Right now, we are satisfied with where we are. Unless my husband changes his job, we are not planning to move in the next three to five years. We couldn't afford a home in the Bay Area, so we moved to Texas Joscelyn Moen, 48, is an executive assistant who lives in Cedar Park, Texas, which has a population of 78,000 and a median home sale price of $491,000. In October 2019, shortly before the pandemic started, we moved from Burlingame, CA — a town in the San Francisco Bay Area — to Cedar Park, Texas. We moved because my husband found a new role with his tech company in Austin. While my husband initially wanted to live in Austin, I insisted on Cedar Park because the housing costs were lower. We would have never been able to purchase a home in our area of California, even though at the time, we both worked at tech companies and made over six figures. We looked at housing, and before leaving California, I made it a goal that if we were going to uproot our family, we would buy a house in Cedar Park, which we did in June 2021 after renting for a while. The cost of living is exponentially cheaper than in the Bay Area, and Texas's lack of state income taxes has made a huge difference. I do miss the Bay Area's Asian food, but it's getting better here in Cedar Park. Texas is also massive, so driving out of state takes forever. Additionally, the beaches are further away, and the culture shock was real. The vibes from Texans are so different from Californians. The move also affected my career. When we moved out here, I quit my job, and I don't have the same career I used to. However, I found I can make good money, have a work-life balance, and still enjoy a comfortable life. Our NYC rent soared, so we moved to Phoenix Maryia Jimenez, 30, is a publicist who lives in Phoenix, which has a population of roughly 1.6 million and a median home sale price of $450,000. I moved in December 2021 from New York City to Phoenix with my boyfriend, now husband. Several factors pushed us to leave, but the decision really began to take shape after we witnessed violence on the subway. It shook me to my core. I no longer felt safe in a city I had once loved. Shortly after, our landlord tried to increase our rent by $700 a month. It felt like a clear signal: we were being priced out, and staying would mean compromising too much. Overall, I don't have any regrets about the move. The home we're renting is more spacious, and it feels like we're actually getting our money's worth. While Phoenix hasn't brought the dramatic cost savings some people might imagine when leaving a major city, it still feels like a financial upgrade. That said, my husband and I miss New York's culture and energy. If the right job opportunity comes up on the East Coast, we might be packing our bags. However, I don't see New York City itself being part of that plan again, at least not for the long haul. We're trying to find the best of both worlds. Ideally, we want to live in a place that's not as crowded as a major city but still offers space, land, and strong job opportunities in our fields. That kind of balance is hard to come by, but we're still searching and hopeful we'll find that happy medium. I realized I didn't need to live in LA to build my business, so I moved to Scottsdale Toni Ferrara is the founder of a PR and talent management business. She's in her 40s and lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, $810,000. I moved in July of 2020 from Beverly Hills, California, to Scottsdale, Arizona. It was one of those life-defining moments. The world was in lockdown, and I found myself sitting alone in my penthouse on my 40th birthday. That night, I realized LA no longer felt like home. The city no longer felt safe or joyful, and I had outgrown the glitz. I now own a three-bedroom, three-bathroom home with a mortgage payment less than the rent on my old one-bedroom apartment in LA. While housing prices have risen with the migration boom, it's still far more affordable than California. My money stretches further, my home is more spacious, and I can still fly into LA anytime I want for business or a quick recharge. It's the best of both worlds. When I first moved, people said I was sabotaging my career. "How can a PR and talent manager not live in LA?" they asked. But I've made it work. I do miss my LA inner circle and the beach — Scottsdale sand doesn't quite compare. But I'm in LA monthly for work, so it's a quick fix. And yes, Arizona's triple-digit heat is no joke, but I'd still choose peace in the desert over chaos in the city any day. I'm not sure I'll stay in Scottsdale forever. I'm a single woman with no kids, which gives me freedom. If 2020 and the lockdown taught me anything, it is that happiness and safety are non-negotiable for me, but for now, I am staying in Scottsdale. There are way too many business opportunities to expand on the horizon. We wanted a change from Hollywood, so we moved to a smaller town Christopher D. Kaufman, 60, is a professor, consultant, and author who lives in Palm Desert, California, which has a population of 53,000 and a median home sale price of $549,000. In March 2020, my wife and I moved from Hollywood to Palm Desert, California. We moved to get more space during the pandemic, and we were having some issues with neighbors having all-night parties. We were also frustrated by how our HOA was run. We're both very happy with the decision to move. The lower housing costs in our area allowed us to buy a home with a pool, build a new bedroom, add solar panels, and install a great new A/C system. Additionally, living in a more walkable town has helped us get healthier. It took a while for me to get professor gigs due to the pandemic, but I was able to once classrooms opened up. After selling our home in Hollywood, we started by renting in Palm Desert. We rented for about a year while looking for a home, and we're very happy with the decision to rent in the new area before buying. We visited and loved the area, but that was a hotel experience. We needed to feel the environment and understand the community and local resources first. So I recommend always renting first and then buying if moving to a new place.
