Men and Women retiring alone to a new city/state -- where will you go and why? (55, weather)

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by mmhere

...Maybe it would help if we reached out to specific organizations and gathered information about similar movements, then bring it back to everyone here. There still will be a lot of new things to discover, but maybe we can avoid reinventing the wheel.

NCB Capital Impact

If I could buy a mobile on land of my own, that'd be even better ..

ROC USA - Making Resident-Ownership of Manufactured Home Communities Viable Nationwide

sorry for the short reply... I'm busy writing thesis + wrapping up some internships (due next week).

Attending Senior Co-op conference in May, and national Co-housing convention in June (Just info gathering, NOT BECOMING ONE (Yet)+ getting the 'mansion' (Casa Grande) ready to sell. It's gotta go. I'm feeling a serious cash crunch with having to cough up $6k for property taxes on 30 April (only 1/2 yr's worth).

But my first order of business is to go buy a senior Mobile Home park in an income tax free state. I need long-term 'steady' income, I may live there, but I doubt it. I may keep a place there and rent it to a site manager, and hopefully have an activity building with a small apartment for me, when I happen to be around . (very seldom) Mine will be very low restriction, exchange students, boomerang kids, and grandkids will have some restrictions, and will be 'guests', subject to expulsion if they can't fit in

Eventually I hope to build a cottage community with large greenspace / orchard / gardens / workshop, within proximity to a jr college, medical care, an airport, and public transportation (with friendly LT Taxes... mine used to be $800/ yr, instead of $12,000).

I'll let you know when that happens. But I may be my own first 'senior' customer. (limping around, and hunched over, but that's OK, at least I will have accomplished my dream)

[Umbria]

Co and I will come - if it's a real concept (in the process of being built). I would hold off buying something until this is ready - of course, I'd have to like the area but so far it sounds good. CO really needs something like that and you are a former CO person if I remember right. It would have to be the cottage concept - I just am not intersted in a mobile home park - no offense to anyone.

[StealthRabbit]

I would love to do Colorado again (Loveland of course ). I would probably do passive solar mini-homes there. I've had my eye on a perfect hillside for that, for about 40 yrs... Still vacant! Overlooks the river, valley, and front range. I'm afraid I'm currently priced out of the market there, but... I don't think this is your average 'down-turn', so... If I get a good cash flowing MHP or two, it might be possible. Colorado has some really nice areas, it would be hard to choose, but as we age... getting closer to services has a better luster, and my eyes are fading, so I might not mind the front range 'haze', but it was one of the reasons I left in 1980 (But coming to Mt St Helens brought a whole new meaning to HAZE!)

[Umbria]

How mini? 1600 SF is as low as I will go - that's stretching it.

[Umbria]

Originally Posted by anomoly

Ok, Once again, Miruca, this stuff's all been said before, which just shows most of us really want a similar concept, including the men thing.
Now why aren't more of you moving on these ideas?
No one's even talking on the phone??
I don't mean to sound rude, but after 3 or 4 times of saying the same thing, I don't understand the lack of progress.
If we're just happy sharing ideas, then let's just say that. But for those who are planning on making this reality,
What is really stopping most of you??

Did Anomoly get out of the wrong side of the bed?

What's stopping me? Pick up any newspaper or turn on any news channel. My home is part of my investments and I can't sell when it's at the bottom - how stupid would that be? I'm not in a position where I have to move, so I'll be a snowbird next winter. Fear isn't keeping me here - common sense is. I've always had lots more common sense than $$. So, relax.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by mmhere
OK -- about the topic of getting older and losing the ability to take care of yourself.

Isn't that one of the big reasons why we are looking for others like ourselves? I'm looking for a place with people where I can enjoy the environment as long as I can. If other people in the 'community' become ill or break something, the others help out.
-----------------------

I think folks have to be really really realistic about the above. First of all, in any group of older people, just women or whatever, there's going to be a very wide range of health issues, abilities, and disabilities. No one can be expected to actually take care of anyone (physically, that is)...and even driving others to appointments, etc. can be difficult to keep up without some kind of group system for sharing all the various stuff of living in community and helping others out. Some of us may need to give up driving (re: expense), others may not be able to drive b/c of physical problems, now or later...others of us will be revving up a storm on the highway till age 90. While it's tempting to think that we can help take care of each other, can we, really? If a community is "planned" for the benefit of helping each other, it might make sense to think aboutwhat kind of folks would best be supportive of one another...like, within the group coming from a number of professions, have an elder affairs attorney, and someone who knows about Medicare and social issues for the aging, someone who could help others maneuver the system in terms of getting the basics they need such as Medicaid, disability, senior transportation, prescription discounts...folks savvy about all kinds of things affecting getting older. If it's not that kind of a somewhat-planned group, then it's a bunch of buddies getting together and though wonderful and fun and supportive on a lighter level, the heavy-hitting issues of aging can break up a community IMO. We need friendship as a basis, for sure...but in other words, what I'm asking is, just what can we do for one another if we're not as hale and healthy (relatively speaking) as we are now?

I like the premise of ElderSpirit a lot. Check out their website. It's just that thing of giving 50% of your proceeds from your unit sale back to the community that stops me from pursuing it. Living in close proximity, residents more easily see each other daily and know what the needs are in terms of support. Anything other than that kind of setup....living in close proximity....may not yield what everyone wants in terms of support.

Just my thoughts for now. I keep reading the posts to see ideas and action plans as they develop. I wish I could be part of the West or PNW relocation groups!

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by MN2CO

How mini? 1600 SF is as low as I will go - that's stretching it.

Why can't we live in less than 1600 sq ft? That's huge! Who wants to clean that much space?

[Umbria]

I have 2400 Sf - it's an average home here. It's not considered huge. I understand that homes/land are more expensive on the coasts so space is smaller. 1600 is hugh to you - small to me. It's all relative.

[Umbria]

More space is easier to clean than a tight space that tends to get cluttered faster and looks messy if anything is out of place.

[RiverBird]

Originally Posted by janb

Attending Senior Co-op conference in May, and national Co-housing convention in June (Just info gathering, NOT BECOMING ONE (Yet)+ getting the 'mansion' (Casa Grande) ready to sell. It's gotta go. I'm feeling a serious cash crunch with having to cough up $6k for property taxes on 30 April (only 1/2 yr's worth).

Janb,
Are you really paying 12 grand per year for prop taxes?
Is that for a huge mansion with a lot of land? That sure beats NY state and NH which IMO are out of sight. Your amount for taxes would give me apoplexy. I'm freaking about my taxes rising to 3 grand next year!!!
I could never pay 1,000 per mo. just for taxes I'm looking for a location where they're 1,200 per year or less. Anyone know where?