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I would not be opposed to the neighborhood for the reasons you seem concerned.
The only thing is within a few years you'll likely have young neighbors with small children as the current residents give up their homes.
I personally would enjoy a neighborhood that was quiet. I find screaming kids, and barking dogs all day long an irritant to my backyard peace and quiet.
Otherwise, go for it. You may be young enough to add some new ideas and support. Also I know plenty of vibrant 70-80 year olds, many are on this very forum!
Last edited by JanND; 03-21-2017 at 06:21 AM..
Reason: edit text
I'm going through a similar conundrum. I am a young 62 and have been considering 55+ communities. I figure they are probably safer and you won't have your neighbor blasting their stereo at midnight. However I'm not sure how I feel about living with only "older" people, never hearing children laughing or playing and having ambulances there on a regular basis (I'm exaggerating a bit here). I'm more of an introvert and I also don't want 75 year old Margaret from next door stopping by every day to chat because she is lonely. And before you guys jump on me for saying that (because I know there are some on here who will) there is a difference in having a friendly neighbor and one who just stops by all the time without being invited.
Like everything there are pros and cons. Make a list, see how many are on each side and try to make a decision from there.
Where are you getting these "census demographics"?
A few places. I've been researching real estate in Williamsburg for quite some time and have been to this neighborhood many times. So, personal knowledge and observation. Also, my realtor gave me specific data and the listing on Trulia said the same thing. (I use the Williamsburg MLS to look at listings, but Trulia is helpful when it comes to demographic info, etc.)
I did mistakenly say average instead of median. My bad, but the point remains the same. It's dramatically older than the other nearby communities. Most of the residents are the original home owners who built in the 1960s and 70s.
Quote:
Originally Posted by runswithscissors
There's a Target there. Trust me it's not all old people. Go THERE and to the grocery stores to figure it out. Guarantee you'll see pregnant women with 2 kids tagging along immediately.
LOL, yes I've been to Target many times over the years. It's in an entirely different neighborhood, however. An area that is much more newly built, and still has new construction.
The house I had been interested in had been for sale for almost 2 years. In November they took it off the market, and then relisted in this past week. They repainted a few rooms, but otherwise didn't change anything (and only retook 2 of the listing photos).
The house sold yesterday, after being back on the market less than a week. Wow! And congrats to the sellers! I was assuming it would be around another year since nobody seemed interested before. But it got snapped up right away.
A striking example of what can happen if you take a house off the market and relist once spring returns.
Good to remember if the house I'm selling falls into the same situation.
IMO, a lot of the "fit" issues are going to be based on what your hobbies, routine, and stage of life are.
As a retiree, you are going to fit into a similar pattern and behavior as the other residents of the community - primary commonality is going to be not working. Of course, being younger means you're probably going to be more active.
For me personally, no, I wouldn't want to buy a house in a neighborhood where most of the residents are over 70, but I'm 30. My childhood neighborhood, and especially my grandmother's neighborhood, are going through this type of transition.
My childhood neighborhood had many young families with kids when I was growing up. Those children are now grown and have moved on. Most of the residents are 60+ with no kids. Properties are being maintained, but you rarely see any kids walking down the street, dogs out, etc., like you did 1995-2005 or so.
Grandmother's neighborhood is older and farther along in the transition. The neighborhood was built in the 1960s. Probably half of the original residents remain - most are in their 80s-90s. The ones who have died had their homes bought by younger people (grandmother's immediate neighbors are in their 40s) and are not keeping up the homes up as well as prior residents.
Neither neighborhood has many up to date homes. Many have original fixtures and are dated. We're also in a slow real estate market locally. I don't see these neighborhoods being revitalized.
Just because you live among retired people doesn't mean you can't still go out and have a good time. Living in a retirement community and still able to afford owning a home at all can be very nice.
The only thing is within a few years you'll likely have young neighbors with small children as the current residents give up their homes.
Yup.
I live in a neighborhood where the residents purchased their homes back in the 60's and never moved out. Now they are all 80+ years old. We are the only 30-somethings on the street with young kids.
Average day in the summer, I can sit out in my hammock in the yard and not hear a peep. It's great.
But now, as some of them pass away unfortunately, houses go on the market and new people come in. Secretly, I hope they are older, in their 60;s and up, as I love the peace and quiet, but recently one family with a child the same age as my kids moved in diagonally from me.
I'd have no qualms living around older people now, and I'm not retired. My neighborhood trends older (over 40) but as the original owners move on, younger people (40 and below) are moving in, skewing things downward. My block is mostly retirees and original owners and they are great neighbors. I have kids, and I love kids, but it is nice to not have an entire block filled with parties, teenagers, etc. Retirees are also home during the day, which is great since we work. Also remember that today's 70 year olds can be spry and "with it". My mom is pushing 70 and she was a 60s child. Today's 70 year olds are of a different generation.
I think the bigger issue is how the neighborhood itself changes as the original residents leave. For example the neighborhood where my wife grew up (Florida) has taken a couple steps downward just since we've been married as older families die off and the new generation moves in. The new families moving in are lower economic/educational status than the original owners so the net value and quality of the neighborhood is going downward. Homes and yards aren't as well maintained; a few homes with junk in the yard. Which just drives the downward spiral. Younger families in the same economic class aren't buying there; they're buying new homes.
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