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Old 03-01-2015, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Tennessee
37,757 posts, read 40,852,602 times
Reputation: 62051

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Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl View Post
There doesn't seem to be any middle ground for 55+ condos and apartments...they're either the cookie-cutter mini mcMansion communities, unaffordable to so many, or really low-end depressing subsidized apartments that no senior deserves to live in. Nothing in between, for ordinary retirees. No money in the middle ground.
The one thing I like about being in a non-55+ apartment complex is in my current building within the complex, only myself and one other person don't go to work. That means I always have a decent parking space right in front of my apartment for lugging in groceries. Right now there is a single older man above me who still works and next door is, I think, a single woman who works. I think I've seen her once since July. My area is primarily government workers (national lab and another large government facility, also science related, plus a Social Security building) and government contractors for those facilities plus retirees who used to work for those federal government facilities and contractor companies. My apartment complex reflects that scientist/engineer/other-related field/federal government mix of people and since I'm a former fed, I feel we all are in the same approximate income range, pension or paycheck. But, I live in a suburban apartment complex. No high rises here.
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Old 03-02-2015, 09:29 AM
 
Location: Heading Northwest In Nevada
8,893 posts, read 20,289,882 times
Reputation: 5635
Well, since selling our 2-story house, on 1/4 acre in Parker in 2007, we've lived in an apartment. As for the house we had, the lawn maintenance and inside upkeep started getting to much for us. After my two surgeries (hip replacement and RC surgery) of which the RC surgery was due to a fall in ice/snow, we decided to sell the house and move in 2007 to a less "winter" type area. Lived just north of Charlotte, NC for a little over a year, until my wife got laid off from her job and we decided NC winter's were even to much for us.

Ended up moving to northeastern Florida, where we are now BUT, are giving it some serious thought about returning to south metro Denver in a couple years after wife retires. Could handle the winters there much better if we didn't have to go to work. Both of us would be retired then. Yes, we liked living in the Denver metro area that much, that we would return. Of course, that would also depend on our health status, at the time.

Don't ever think we will buy another house, but perhaps a condo someday.

Yes, apartment rent can/does go up each year, but that is just part of renting an apartment. Unlike the house, if anything goes wrong inside the apartment, it doesn't cost us a cent to fix.........call Maintenance and that's it. With the house, we had to pay for watering front/back yards, had to move both, pull weeds, fertilize, shovel snow, have the water heater fixed (not cheap) and replace the large microwave over the stove (not cheap). Good thing was, we were both working and bringing in descent incomes, but under $100k a year.

With the house in CO, we had an HOA, but had to problems with them at all. They wanted us to repaint our garage doors (2) because the paint was fading and peeling. We bought the paint/supplies and they reimbursed us. We painted both of the doors and head enough paint left over to paint the entire front porch. Looked great! Neighbor across the street got into trouble with the HOA because they weren't watering their lawn enough and the lawn was turning brown.

As far as bad neighbors go, we've had our share from ones living above us in apartments. Noise, noise and more noise. Since the first of 2009, we've been living in a "bungalow" 1-story apartment that is connected (at the end) to a regular 2-story apartment building. We love it. Have nobody over us.

Apartment living sure isn't for everyone, but, at least for us, it's better than having the expense of upkeep of a house and a lawn. And, we don't have any Property Tax to pay!
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Old 03-02-2015, 06:18 PM
 
39 posts, read 85,847 times
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Thank you all for your great replies, advice and opinions! I think we will try renting when we sell this house. We currently live in central California. Would like to leave CA for tax and other reasons and try Tn. Middle Tn. where my family is from and while we have only distant cousins there now, we are familiar with the area, etc. Not sure about humidity but I guess if it's too much we can move. Hubby said I could just stay inside in the air-conditioning .

The one reason to stay in CA would be that I have had some health problems, and have good doctors here and we know who is good and who is not so good. In a new area you don't always know that. Also, TN is much better in regards to taxes.

I think there is one senior apt. complex here. In a bad area. Lots of section 8 apts. Only 2 apt. buildings I would want to live in. Condos here, like I said were built in the 80's and not that great.

The place we own now has 20 acres, a 2 acre yard, pool, etc. I used to take care of it and now I pay someone to take care of it. I'd like to get rid of the burden.

I told my husband I thought it would be fun to live in a place like TN. We could take weekend driving trips and most everything would be new to us. Since we both have lived in CA most of our lives, we've pretty much visited everyplace here. To go someplace new we'd have to fly and spend lots more money.
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Old 03-03-2015, 03:59 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,639 posts, read 57,672,293 times
Reputation: 46084
Quote:
Originally Posted by CRobin4564 View Post
Thank you all for your great replies, advice and opinions! I think we will try renting when we sell this house. We currently live in central California. Would like to leave CA for tax and other reasons and try Tn. Middle Tn. where my family is from ... TN is much better in regards to taxes.

...
I told my husband I thought it would be fun to live in a place like TN. We could take weekend driving trips and most everything would be new to us. Since we both have lived in CA most of our lives, we've pretty much visited everyplace here. To go someplace new we'd have to fly and spend lots more money.
TN will be a great change for you, and can explore. Don't be afraid of spending the money to fly. As a retiree, I fly / drive nearly every week.

Can't buy much gas for $89 airfares that I get on SWA. (or $23.10 on Spirit... PDX to SAN, nearly 1500 miles!).

I rent car on Hotwire <$15/day, and eat using grocery stores ($3/day) and stay in Hospitality homes ($10/ night worldwide been doing it for 25+ yrs) . Hospitality exchange - Wikitravel

Cheaper for me to travel than to stay home ($44/day in Property Taxes alone)

Renting allows ez'r escapes and even some Long term ones. (Next yr plan to be gone all yr, last yr was traveling 8 months in Asia and weekly while at home in USA.)
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