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And I know it's just me, bet I just can't live in Florida. Not my cup of tea.
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Originally Posted by Spuggy
Florida has no appeal for us either.
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Originally Posted by SportyandMisty
I agree. It's full of New Yawkers, bugs, and humidity. Plus there is no snow skiing.
The subject of the article and this thread is that the real estate industry is starting to focus on a new kind of retirement lifestyle living for seniors. It just so happens that this article is about some new developments in the Miami area.
Can we possibly have a macro discussion about this trend without the usual anti-Florida comments?
Frankly, I've never understood why people who have no interest in moving to Florida always want to shout that out to the world as if anyone gives a flying you-know-what to what their individual preferences are. But that's a subject for another thread. Perhaps in the Psychology forum.
At 56 I don't see myself able in 10 years to go into some continuing care or even 55+ place - because it seems everyone waits until they are older. I know there can be waiting lists but psychologically I don't want to be WAITING to get older and to need such a place! It's not even the stigma it's just the thought of almost immediately going from working to actively planning for a downhill slide. It seems unfair and such a downer!
I know what you mean. It's painful to think about.
Up until recently I thought I would be aging alone. And that, to me, is more terrifying than planning for the downhill slide, as you put it. At least in a community one would make friends and be able to help others as they help you.
But I agree with you. I think that "waiting" in general is a bad idea. Keep living life to the fullest and deal with the challenges as they come.
I don't know....being around old grumpy people all the time gets old fast. Especially the ones who can go on for hours about all their medical conditions. Ailments are a poor substitute for entertainment! People who have nothing better to do than get all in my business. The other side of this coin is it's not great to be alone all the time either.
I bought a small home for my retirement. I still have to maintain it but I have no yard work and it's a simple home with nothing fancy. Taxes are cheap here. If I was to trade it in for a rental I wouldn't be gaining anything. It's pretty hard to throw someone out of a house they own but a landlord can do anything they want! I think renting would make me feel less in control of my life.
How about just buying homes next door to or on the same street as your adult kids and grandchildren? This would be a lot cheaper than assisted living. Your own home would be a lot nicer as well.
Pinochle, shuffleboard and early-bird specials are out. Yoga, happy hours, computer classes and potluck dinners are in.
While advertisers and the media fawn over the lucrative millennial audience, the real estate industry is starting to focus on another segment of the U.S. population: aging baby boomers.
Increasingly, those empty nesters are selling their homes for a nice profit and becoming renters, according to a report on Kiplinger.com. But they’re still young enough to lead active lifestyles and want to live in areas with plenty of options for recreation, instead of traditional nursing homes or senior citizen centers.
I'm 70. I don't see homeowners selling and renting, but I see previous renters looking for senior rentals when they retire, and there seems to be a shortage.
The retired homeowners I see mostly stay in their homes for about 10 years before selling, and then they buy into some sort of retirement development. The ones who do sell immediately after retirement usually move to an entirely new city or state and then buy there.
In my 55+ community there are very few residents younger than 65. And the few younger ones we do have are mostly single still working full time. Most homeowners here are able to stay in their homes well into their 80's before either passing or moving into assisted living or with family.
I can see the appeal of this type of development, particularly, but not exclusively, for single retirees. Although I currently own a single family home, I am not certain that I want to continue living here after retirement. I do not enjoy yard work, I am not handy, and continually dealing with the need for reliable lawn care, appliance replacement, etc. is tiring. One of these senior rental developments recently opened near me. I do not know how it is doing, but the emphasis is on lifestyle. It is located in a downtown area and it is emphasizing walkability, proximity to restaurants, theaters, etc. In a way, it reminds me of upscale off campus apartments aimed at college students -- only with more luxury and at the opposite end of the age spectrum. Although I realize that a condo would be another alternative to single family home ownership, I must confess I was attracted by the concept. Now for the cost, however, that is another issue because this concept is certainly not inexpensive. However, if one can afford it, and wants to live the lifestyle without any issues associated with property ownership at all, I can see the appeal.
How about just buying homes next door to or on the same street as your adult kids and grandchildren? This would be a lot cheaper than assisted living. Your own home would be a lot nicer as well.
Help from families can definitely help seniors stay in a home longer. Some reach a point where they need more assistance than family can provide, so they go into assisted living. Statistically, however, I think only about 6% of seniors ever go to AL if I remember correctly. One of the advantages of a home in a senior community is more activities and associating with other seniors. We were lonely in a regular neighborhood because we were the only seniors there and everyone else on the street went to work every day. Here in our senior community we have lots of friends and activities.
At 56 I don't see myself able in 10 years to go into some continuing care or even 55+ place - because it seems everyone waits until they are older. I know there can be waiting lists but psychologically I don't want to be WAITING to get older and to need such a place! It's not even the stigma it's just the thought of almost immediately going from working to actively planning for a downhill slide. It seems unfair and such a downer!
I'm still working and still in my late 50s, but as soon as I was old enough, I couldn't wait to unload my large, big upkeep house for a much smaller, newer townhouse in a 55+ community. I couldn't be more pleased that I'll never rake another leaf or call to schedule another gutter/downspout/roof cleaning ($$$) or pay for another month's landscape service or another repair. The townhouses here have small yards, where some owners do enjoy gardening, but the HOA by default maintains all the landscaping, all the common areas, plus all exterior items (siding, roof, gutters, downspouts, lighting, windows, irrigation system, sidewalks, drains).
I don't see the move to 55+ as "planning a downhill slide." I see it as freedom from chores and expenses that I never wanted in the first place. The HOA fees are low because there's no pool or community center. It's just a small, green complex of townhouses that backs up to an enormous system of hiking trails. For a 3-year-old community, we've already built up respectable reserves for future repairs, and that warchest will keep growing steadily until the repairs are actually needed. Psychologically, unloading the big family home has been a huge relief. There were so many unneeded items and systems, and the scale of house and yard was so large, that repairs and upkeep every year added up shockingly.
Last edited by josie13; 04-02-2018 at 12:16 PM..
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