Rugged mountain rentals for active adult 55+ folks (move, communities, relative)
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So... I'm 45 - still a few years off from official 'senior' status.... but wait for it... there's a reason why I'm in the retirement forum...
Growing up, my grandmother ran a small senior care home in Arizona. She cooked 3 meals a day, did laundry, made sure folks were up and dressed in the morning, and undressed and sleeping at night, taking their medications, and helping with showers, etc. She's long gone and I miss her a lot, and I'm growing older, would like to get more involved with senior care someday.
About five years ago, my wife and I had opportunity to move to the southern Blue Ridge Mountains, near Asheville, NC, and we took it. Although we're only about 30 minutes to the Asheville airport, 10 minutes is spent just getting off our mountain, it's a rugged 4x4 dirt and gravel road. There are hundreds of acres of adjoining property to hike and roam.
Sold our rental property up north, and picked up a few mountain lots adjoining our primary home. We're building two single-floor cabins with big wrap-around porches, marble counters, hardwood floor, propane fire place, in-suite laundry. My wife is RN with hospital experience, and I raise therapy dogs. Someday, we hope to offer senior services more like my grandmother did, but for now, looking to just rent these cabins on an ANNUAL basis to 55+ folks. (Fair housing law seems to allow this, as long as there is a minimum of 2 contiguous houses/units, can't just be one.) Friends keep telling us to do AirBNB, but we'd rather have neighbors and annual renters, even if we make literally 25% of what we could.
It's a unique community, not entirely 55+ and very close to Asheville airport, but we're 'up in a mountain' and a 4 wheel drive is needed much of the year... it's a rugged community with dirt roads, black bear, coyote, target practice, and that sort of thing. Pretty much any sort of domestic pet, chickens, goats, or horses are allowed and encouraged. YES: there are challenges, it is rugged, but we'll address most of those: backup propane fireplace (heat), backup water cistern, backup electric generator... that's part of the deal, we're here to help. You'll need tire chains or be snowed in - but it's pretty moderate climate, usually only a few days a year.
Most 55+ communities focus on great access to emergency care, lots of amenities, and easy access, we'll offer something completely opposite, for the very few who might be looking for solitude and this a peaceful but rugged, rural environment. Maybe they'll just want to try it out for a year or so before deciding to purchase in the area, or maybe longer.
Getting the word out has proved challenging. Most senior housing sites/companies specialize in advanced care, not just 55+ independent living. Most 'regular' housing sites have no way to specify '55+' (even though it's permitted under those housing laws). Not sure if a link to more info for this sort of thing is permitted on the forum, I'll peek around and see, and if so, will post more info. But more just looking for thoughts and opinions on our general concept, not really here to advertise. Thanks for having me.
You lost me at "rugged, 4x4 dirt and gravel road". Otherwise it sounds lovely. Will the cabins have garages? If I were to rent there, I'd want to have a safe, dry, and secure storage for my vehicles and outdoor "toys".
We have a vacation rental, and we make a lot more $$ on it than a long term rental, but there is also much more maintenance, expenses, and hassles versus a long term rental like we have done in the past. I'm not sure we will keep this one beyond 10 years, or that we would do it again in the future.
I would look at ways to reach outsdoorsy active seniors, even through the 'camping' groups (such as those church / youth camps they enjoyed as kids).
REI type blogs. http://ava.org/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volksmarching
(and local focused / Blue Ridge similar clubs)
Advertise in Houston...(or any southern Metro) people flock from Houston back to their childhood paradise of the Hill Country Texas to retire.
Join IC.org, or Ecovillage or similar. Look into 'equity sharing', there are innovative people doing that (And I would like to do that in 4-5 places around the globe).
(I would put in a good road... I LOVE to play on my bulldozer and excavator!)
As a 50% traveler I dislike Air B&B and experiences I have had. There are much better options (for owners and travelers). Several of the Air B&B hosts we stayed in Europe would tell stories of the 'Demanding' guests, vs those of us seeking and delivering "Hospitality Stays".
You can PM me if you want to further discuss. (We have 12 rural USA residences (all rented with separate living space for us when we happen to be nearby).
We have built homes / cabins... shops with apartments... energy efficient styles...
You are 45 years old and do not have a good perspective about the desires and needs of most retirees, especially those well into their 60s and beyond. Four wheel drives and chains and mud and a generator do not cut it for many of us. At least not for a permanent home. Then there is the difficulty of reaching medical care.
If you are going to do this right, you will need a decent road, snow removal, garbage service, reliable water and electric and heat.
BTW, assisting living is not just some idle idea. You will need very substantial services and appropriate certification and licenses that assure you meet minimum standards of care.
My husband and I personally might LOVE it, but not after age 70 (being realistic), so I think you are wise to operate it on a kind of one-year lease so that people can experience it, and if they do love it, they can decide if they want to renew each year. It might also be good for very active and rugged seniors to use as a home base while they search for their retirement home (or lot on which to build) in the area.
I must confess that would not be something I would want to own, however.
For less then $100 per year we are members of Mercy Flights Helicopter & AMC Ambulance . They provide emergency transport to a hospital with skilled surgeons.
We live out in the country on side of a beautiful forested mountain in southwest, Oregon. We have a steep long dirt, gravel logging road driveway. My vehicles are 4x4.
I imagine NC might have a similar service for rural folks.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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Originally Posted by Hawk J
For less then $100 per year we are members of Mercy Flights Helicopter & AMC Ambulance . They provide emergency transport to a hospital with skilled surgeons.
...
AMR I presume? (as a 'ground' alternative?)
We also have lifetime Heli-evac, but.... if the 'incident commander' says we don't need go by air, we pay dearly. (time and mileage via ground). Since our local EMS gets a 'cut' on the ground transport, it is very rare they allow air.
Yes, emergency vehicles can definitely get up our road. Perhaps the 1 or 2 days a year we get a lot of snow or ice, it could be possible there is a problem requiring our county technical rescue squad, which would take much longer. Although there is over a mile of dirt road and switchbacks, our nearest Fire & Rescue squad is only 3 miles away - half of that is a nice paved road. All Fire & Rescue squads in the area are fully staffed 24/7. We are relatively close to town, however, we are definitely in a rural area. If super fast EMS is a priority, then a less rural location would likely be more appropriate.
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