My wife and I have been thinking about buying a home to retire to lately. We've owned a house on both coasts (San Diego and DC metro) and while those areas are nice, the housing prices are not and the cost of living is high. My body has decided it doesn't really like the cold anymore either.

I've just been browsing around Realtor.com in my free time and it seems the houses in the Ozarks fit the bill. You seem to get a lot for your money. They have nice views of the water and the mountains/hills which is on our wish list. Most houses have large garages or extra buildings where I can setup my woodshop again. We've vacationed in Branson a few years ago and there seemed to be a lot to do, but it wasn't crazy like Orlando.

Is the riding good (safe) out there? I'm mostly a roadie but wouldn't mind some gravel, too. Although I'm not built like a hill climber, I do enjoy climbing them. My parents live in dead flat southern DE and although I can hammer for an hour, it's just not that much fun. My wife's main caveat is that it can't be in a tornado zone. I think the Ozarks are, but I haven't heard about it being hit--maybe because of the terrain.

Thanks,
Paul