Budget Breakdown: They Built a Home in Newfoundland for Retirement. Until Then, You Can Book a Stay
Photo by: Jane Brokenshire
Ann and Joe Bennett were thinking ahead. A public school teacher and an associate director at a biotech company, respectively, they were imagining what their lives could be like in retirement, even though that milestone was still a few years away.
The couple have grown children and established lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and thought they might stay put. But then they went up to Canada in 2019. "We fell in love with Newfoundland while on a family trip," Joe says. "After returning home, I contacted a realtor who sent us weekly listings, and he found this property on the Bonavista Peninsula."
Since the cod fishing industry faded some three decades ago, about as long as the Bennetts have been married, the area has shifted its attention to tourism. The couple were charmed by the natural beauty of seaside cliffs where otters and whales routinely dot the surface, and hiking trails that lead to icebergs. The land their realtor helped them find overlooks the Atlantic but is still only a few minutes from town.
