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There will always be people that want to live in a 55+. We have 3rd generation people in mine and many of them in the same house/ condo the grandparents bought 50 years ago. As the Gen X people come to visit parents they will see that many of them like it and will move here when old enough. Just like when the Lost Generation moved in, their children The Greatest Generation came and liked it, Then The Silent Generation who are mostly still here and then their children the Baby Boomers came and liked it. Do you think the people born in 1900 had similar interests as the ones born in 1960?
As long as the community keeps preparing for and changing for the next generation it will never end. My community opened in 1960. Do you think it only has the same things now that it had then? Every generation will change it. There is no traditional 55+ community. They evolve as younger people move in and the older die off.
What if your neighborhood changes for the worse? I am sure that happens much more often than a 55+ community falls apart or even just becomes somewhat undesirable.
I couldn't imagine my now 20 year old daughter living with me in her 30's! She's one year away from graduating college, has a great job with benefits, and is saving for a house of her own because she knows it's a better investment than renting. She just bought a car with cash. She pays for the insurance. The next step is for her to pay for her gas and her cell phone. I tell her it's baby steps into the reality of life.
As for the 55+ retirement living, I really don't want to live in one of those. I'd rather still be around a bunch of different age groups. I like hearing kids play etc. But I do live in a pretty good neighborhood with 1+ acre lots, so my neighbors aren't that close. I couldn't live in town with the houses stacked up so close and all looking the same. No way.
My mom lives in a 55+ retirement community in Oregon and the rules are one person has to be 55. Her neighbor's daughter lives with her mom and she's in her now late 40's. I recall that young children can only stay a few days, and you have to get permission for longer than that.
Every morning I wake up and thank God that I live in a retirement community where no kids are allowed. If I had neighbors who still had 30 year-old "adults" living at home (not the quotation marks around adults), I'd have to seriously consider moving.
On the other hand, snowflakes won't last very long in the Arizona heat...
Probably because with 30 years olds who are still living with mom and dad (full time, that is) have something that prevents them from keeping and maintaining a job or being able to work (which usually-not always- amounts to prison records, substance abuse issues, etc.). I have an elderly couple living across from me who have their 40 year old son living with them. He has been in prison for armed burglary, and has also been involved in prowling and burglaries in our neighborhood. Sorry, but it's usually an indication of a deeper issue. If kids come back and live for a small portion of time, it's because they had a traumatic event occur, but those kids usually get on their feet quickly and want to move out on their own.
Rich67 did a good job of answering for me in his response, below...or now, I guess it would be above.
You ask how does this "effect" me? (Actually, it should be affect, not effect...two different words...but I digress.)
It affects me because of my personal preference to not have to deal with other people's kids, unless I choose to. I worked in an industry where I was always dealing with other people's kids and now that I'm retired I would prefer peace and quiet among people in our similar age range. That is precisely the reason we chose to live in a 55-plus community in the first place.
Even 30 year-old "kids" still act like kids...they are Millennials, after all. There have been several instances of people in our retirement community who have had their kids (yes, Millennial age) visiting and using our pool. Raising hell, shouting, blasting "music", drinking in the pool and basically making a nuisance/spectacle of themselves until the staff comes to ask them to stop or leave. The thought of having to live next door to this every day is not very appealing.
Call me a curmudgeon...that's fine...but I spent all of my working life looking forward to a peaceful retirement.
So let me ask you a question. How does how I feel affect (not effect) you??
I enjoyed reading this post. Being part of the generation above it's hard, but it's life. I moved out from my parents house at 21. While under the roof I was working PT up to 38 hours and in community college FT. Present Day--> My husband works 55-65 hours a week [min] and I can't afford to work anything under FT and 15.00 an hour or I don't net over 50$ a week profit. Around my area jobs with a Bachelors degree start at 12$ and up. We are homeowners, restrict ourselves to one vehicle, no pets, Garage Sales and Thrift Stores are the families Mall [I've always lived like that though enjoying the thrill of a good bargain or two]. We buy in bulk, are NOT on government assistance* etc... and it still feels like we struggle. Vacations is an hour drive to a beach that only costs gas money then we pack a picnic. Great family memories with a budget. We save and both work hard in our own ways. ***I don't think there is one answer to solve the problem of living at home due to costs. If I didn't have a "husband" I couldn't live on my own, even working FT at most places around here. I constantly blame the state of MI. I think the key is the surrounding area. If the town/ city is rich with culture and opportunities then there is no excuse, if the adult child is working and making strides then I see a temporary stay okay but as a lifestyle with no directions, no. It's all about priorities and no one is entitled to anything
Like anything else, 55+ communities that are well run and offer good value will thrive. Marginal ones will fail when times for that particular niche gets leaner.
The reason 30 year old kids are still living at home is their parents coddle them and buy into the nonsense written by columnists and the social analysts spewing their propaganda. The "millennial" generation wants to drive new expensive cars, buy clothing on credit, drink Starbucks every day, shop at places where t-shirts cost $50 a pop, and have the latest iPhone...and then they wonder why they can't afford a home. When I was 19 I moved out and lived with roommates in an apartment. When I was 25 I moved out of Southern Cal so I could afford a home and moved to Florida. You can still find homes in my area around $50k to 100k...I would say anyone with a savings account and some credit can pull that off. I bought my most recent home for $140k, after losing everything in a divorce 5 years prior. Where there is a will, there is a way...unless your parents enable your poor financial choices.
As for retirement communities, I don't see those phasing out anytime soon. There are some that are more lax with their rules, and I have seen some younger kids (30 somethings) living with retirees, under the guise they are "visiting" or only "temporary". And I disagree with the "there is no pension" comment you made. I am a Gen X'er and I have one. My stepdaughter, who is an engineer with the city, has one (and she's 26). You have bought into the hype that these people are trying to sell you. These things still exist; you have to look for them, work hard to get them, and then stay with them long enough to reap the benefits.
If you love your kids, you will teach them to be frugal, to be thrifty, and to invest in their futures. You are NOT helping them by letting them buy a new BMW and let them live with you while they pay $800 a month in car payments, insurance, and auto upkeep. You are NOT helping them if they live with you and they are going out with friends and blowing $500 a weekend, drinking booze at a $7 a drink joint, and letting them shop at a luxury mall for their latest stretch jeans and designer trucker hats. And most importantly, stop telling them the American dream is dead, there is no retirement, and why even bother, just live in our house until mommy and daddy kick the bucket so you can inherit it. A kid who invests in a Roth IRA and maxes it out each year or invests in a deferred comp program through work WILL have a retirement. Some state, county and city employers DO still offer pension options! Some employers offer 401k's that they match significantly! If these kids aren't working and CONTRIBUTING to their 401's and IRA's in their 20's and 30's, they are GOING to be in dire straits when they turn 50. So stop teaching them they'll never afford things, and they'll never retire. Teach them to go out there, get it, save money, invest, and get a house ON THEIR OWN. Our materialistic society is going to be the death of us.
Oh, and go ahead and buy your home in the 55 and older community if that's what you want! Trust me, your kids will figure it out on their own and they will manage. Enabling them won't help them, it only hurts them.
The reason SOME kids stay at home is because of the economy and the rising costs of apartments, not because we coddle them. My son is still with me because he can't afford to get a place of his own. He does not drive a BMW, go to Starbucks or buy clothes on credit. He rarely buys anything. He has joint custody of his daughter so he has to have a 2 bedroom which around here is going to cost around $1200 a month unless he moves to the ghetto which I won't let him do with a small child. He makes less than $2K a month. He has an iPhone because he has bought his cousin's when she upgraded to the newer model. He has a cheap cell phone plan.
Yes, years ago young people could move out at 18 or right after college. The cost of living was less, hell my first apartment in 1973 cost $150 a month and that was furnished! Salaries have not kept up with inflation.
The reason SOME kids stay at home is because of the economy and the rising costs of apartments, not because we coddle them. My son is still with me because he can't afford to get a place of his own. He does not drive a BMW, go to Starbucks or buy clothes on credit. He rarely buys anything. He has joint custody of his daughter so he has to have a 2 bedroom which around here is going to cost around $1200 a month unless he moves to the ghetto which I won't let him do with a small child. He makes less than $2K a month. He has an iPhone because he has bought his cousin's when she upgraded to the newer model. He has a cheap cell phone plan.
Yes, years ago young people could move out at 18 or right after college. The cost of living was less, hell my first apartment in 1973 cost $150 a month and that was furnished! Salaries have not kept up with inflation.
As part of the "millennial" generation (mid 20's here), I cannot agree more with this post. I know I'm branching away from the original question, but I feel this needs to be shared.
This article does an incredible job summarizing schooling, wages, and the cost of living for young adults.
Quote:
Originally Posted by The Simple Dollar
The minimum wage in the United States has gone up 353% since 1970, and average incomes have gone up approximately 500%. In that same span, however, the cost of basic household goods has gone up 482%, the cost of a four year education has gone up 994%, and the cost of an average home has gone up 917%.
Unfortunately, the world has become a much more expensive place, and the current wages do not go as far as wages did 40 years ago. The current generation of retirees literally had more chances for success. Nowadays, college degrees are prohibitively expensive to obtain (most people going tens of thousands of dollars into debt to get one), but are essentially required to get your foot in the door with an entry level position. There are no more blue collar jobs, no more apprenticeships, no more people joining the workforce straight out of high school. Homes are too expensive to afford, and savings are slim once you've paid for the roof over your head, your basic services, transportation, and food on your plate.
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enjoying the thrill of a good bargain or two]. We buy in bulk, are NOT on government assistance* etc... and it still feels like we struggle. Vacations is an hour drive to a beach that only costs gas money then we pack a picnic. Great family memories with a budget. We save and both work hard in our own ways. ***I don't think there is one answer to solve the problem of living at home due to costs. If I didn't have a "husband" I couldn't live on my own, even working FT at most places around here. I constantly blame the state of MI. I think the key is the surrounding area. If the town/ city is rich with culture and opportunities then there is no excuse, if the adult child is working and making strides then I see a temporary stay okay but as a lifestyle with no directions, no. It's all about priorities and no one is entitled to anything 
