Florida as the "Magnetic State" makes sense, though the powers that be, probably have no desire to change the Sunshine State's nickname. But Pittsburgh as a top retirement destination?

You betcha, says Warren Bland, an award winning geographer who recently released his latest top ten picks for the best places for seniors to grow old. The Pittsburgh renaissance is real, the award winning geographer and Cal State professor says.

"The city has evolved from Steel City, to a corporate headquarters and service economy, and its air is now cleaner than that of most large American cities," Bland reports. "Pittsburgh offers excellent transportation, retail services, health care, and a mix of cultural and recreational activities unmatched by cities of its size."

The best part, though, is that the place is affordable, both in terms of amenities and housing. According to the latest figures from the Federal Housing Finance Board, the average price for houses in the Pittsburgh area is $239,000. That's up nearly 18 percent from a year ago, but it's still way below the national average of $277,900.

Bland uses a dozen criteria he deems most important to retirees in his new book, "Retire in Style, 60 Outstanding Places across the USA and Canada" ($22.95). They are landscape, climate, quality of life, cost of living, transportation, retail services, health care, community services, cultural activities, recreational activities, work/volunteer activities, and crime.

Here are his Top Ten: Boulder, Col.; Portland, Ore.; San Antonio, Tex; Asheville, N.C.; Austin, Tex.; Boca Raton, Fla.; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Colorado Springs, Col.; Madison, Wisc., and Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, according to people who let their feet do their talking, the South is where it's at, hands down. At least that's the direction most people are heading.

"In terms of numbers, the states below the Mason-Dixon Line attracted the most people" last year, reports Mike McMahon of SIRVA Inc., a global relocation company, and the parent company of Allied Van Lines.

Allied tracks U.S. migration patterns, at least those of folks who use the company to ship their goods. And according to its annual "Magnet States Report," a strong Southern flow emerged for the first time in 2004.

"Past reports haven't illustrated such a pronounced regional pattern," McMahon says. "Warmer climates, better employment opportunities, and a continued migration of retirees no doubt played a role."

Despite last year's spate of Hurricanes, Florida was the Top Magnet State of 2004, a testament to its reputation as a great place to work and play. The Sunshine State experienced the largest net relocation gain (inbound moves minus outbound moves) in the country.

"People know storms are the exception rather than the rule," says Doug Wheeler, vice president of grassroots advocacy with the Florida Chamber of Commerce. "Our temperate climate and favorable business environment combine to make Florida a great place to live and work, and that far outweighs most other concerns."

Florida experienced 10,722 inbound shipments compared to 8,987 outbound shipments for a net relocation gain of 1,735 last year. Its 19,709 shipments also made it the second most mobile state behind California.

The second most popular state was Arizona, which had a net relocation gain of 1,451 out of 8,603 total shipments. North Carolina was next, followed by Georgia.

In percentage terms, though, Alaska was the Gold Rush State last year. 72 percent of the state's 175 moves were inbound.

California, on the other hand, earned the rather dubious distinction of being America's No. 1 outbound state in 2004. According to the Allied Van Lines' report, the state posted 11,886 outbound shipments compared with 9,402 inbound, for a net relocation loss of 2,484 shipments.

Other outbound states included: Illinois with a relocation loss of 1,758 shipments out of a total of 9,172; New Jersey, 1,270 out of 5,190 and New York, 965 out of 7,623 total shipments.

In terms of percentages of outbound moves, North Dakota rated number one with 62.3 percent of its 653 total moves being outbound. But New Jersey was a very close second with 62.2 percent of its moves being outbound.

For the second year in a row, the most mobile states -- those with the most inbound and outbound moves combined -- were California with 21,288 total shipments, Florida with 19,709 and Texas with 15,232.

Published: March 23, 2005

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When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated. He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year. Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association. He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972. The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country. He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others. Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.