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. I'd like to have more people my own age around but it's not going to happen. I have no interest in moving to the south because this is home.
There was something about it on the radio the other day--the developers want to make lots of money, of course, so they will only build expensive senior apartments and condos. No incentive for anything else.
It's suprising how many folks on this thread appear to want to be by themselves in retirement, even if they're married. The sad reality of retiring as a married couple is one will die before the other. I for one want and desire to be around other like minded folks so I'll never be lonely. Have watched my mom grow old alone and if that's what I have to look forward to, take me out back and shoot me please.
One of the benefits of a cohousing community is the 'Common House' which is usually a large building built for folks to gather in, share meals, and entertain themselves. The building is usually built with several 'guest suites' for visiting folks to stay and thus reducing the need for that 'spare' bedroom that never gets used.
Think about where you spend most of your day and if you're anything like my wife and I, it's in the kitchen, bedroom, or family room. Who needs a special room for dining 3 or 4 times a year or a 3rd or fourth bedroom. More taxes to pay... more house to heat.
Good points all, but my guest bedroom is a second bedroom, not a third or fourth one. But you are right that it doesn't get used very often. For me, it's well worth it to have despite the slight ineffiency. As for taxes, the property tax is probably the only California tax which can be called reasonable, and as for heat and air conditining, we don't need to use those very often in the Los Angeles Basin. Housing stock of the size I have is on the small end of what's readily available in this area if one wants to be a homeowner. Of course one-bedroom apartments are also readily available and during my younger years I lived in a few.
Originally Posted by in_newengland
. I'd like to have more people my own age around but it's not going to happen. I have no interest in moving to the south because this is home.
There was something about it on the radio the other day--the developers want to make lots of money, of course, so they will only build expensive senior apartments and condos. No incentive for anything else.
Quote:
Originally Posted by RTYD
It's suprising how many folks on this thread appear to want to be by themselves in retirement, even if they're married. The sad reality of retiring as a married couple is one will die before the other. I for one want and desire to be around other like minded folks so I'll never be lonely. Have watched my mom grow old alone and if that's what I have to look forward to, take me out back and shoot me please.
That's what I am saying. I don't want to be just with my husband or one of us left alone someday but there seems to be no other option except to move far away. I checked out moving many years ago, before retirement, and never found any place I wanted to move to.
I've never found any over 55 mobile home communities around here although we were always going to check out a few in CT. The trouble is that the fees are sky high and you have no control over them going higher. So my only plan is that we might move down to Virginia to be near my sister someday.
Some people may look down on mobile home communities but I think they're ideal for a lot of seniors. Many of us don't like apartment or condo living. We want more privacy, our own little yard, a porch--sort of like a mini house--and mobile homes would seem ideal. There are very few in my state.
I've never found any over 55 mobile home communities around here although we were always going to check out a few in CT. The trouble is that the fees are sky high and you have no control over them going higher. So my only plan is that we might move down to Virginia to be near my sister someday.
Some people may look down on mobile home communities but I think they're ideal for a lot of seniors. Many of us don't like apartment or condo living. We want more privacy, our own little yard, a porch--sort of like a mini house--and mobile homes would seem ideal. There are very few in my state.
I agree. I have been in some mobile home complexes (or whatever they are correctly called - parks perhaps?) which were very nice. I've never lived in one, but I am talking about visiting someone who did. They were clean and attractive and people had flowers in the front, or other nice landscaping. A mobile home, as a category, can be run-down and seedy or can be very nice as I just described, just like an apartment can be as a category, or a house can be as a category, or a condo can be as a category.
Our dream home size is <1500 sf. (Even though our current home of 20+ years is some 2200 sf, that's way too much.)
How do I know? For the past several years, we've travel extensively throughout the US, taking advantage of vacation rentals for periods ranging from a week to a month at a time. These places include condos and townhomes but mostly are single family homes, ranging from some 700 sf to 1400 sf. Many of them are repeat rentals for us. In NC, NM, AR, CO, LA, and Hill Country, TX, we've rented the same places multiple times, and in not one case has a place exceeded 1500 sf. Most are far smaller.
Our favorite all time rental is a single-family home in AR that was built in the 1940s and is approx. 1300 sf. We've been staying there annually for some 10 years now, the last time for 4 weeks, it's our dream home and size.
I agree. I have been in some mobile home complexes (or whatever they are correctly called - parks perhaps?) which were very nice. I've never lived in one, but I am talking about visiting someone who did. They were clean and attractive and people had flowers in the front, or other nice landscaping. A mobile home, as a category, can be run-down and seedy or can be very nice as I just described, just like an apartment can be as a category, or a house can be as a category, or a condo can be as a category.
I don't know why we continue to call these homes "mobile homes." Probably a kickback from when they were called "trailers" and "trailer parks." I think of them as "manufactured" or "prefab" homes and some of them appear well designed with cathedral ceilings and spacious rooms. They are designated as "single-wide" or "double-wide" indicating size. All such parks around here have these homes that are quite fixed to the ground, they aren't going anywhere.
In most of them you do not own the land, just the home. In rare instances you do own the land. But in a "condo" you don't really own the land either. The advantage of a separated dwelling is that you don't have neighbors above, below, or on the other side of the wall from you.
There's a lovely such park on the way out of town from here, very nice property. I know someone who retired rather well financially who lives there. The only thing that would make me hesitate is the monthly fee (as in_newengland said), and of course the possible noise factor.
My apartment is about 650 sq ft because it's what I can afford. It's fine for me and the cat. I wouldn't mind a bigger place but where I live, it's all I can afford and I am lucky to be able to afford it. What bothers me is places like Portland, the city in which I live, that has no thought for anyone but young, well to do people. Not families and certainly not elders.
There is a huge proliferation of giant apartment buildings going up everywhere in the city. In some cases, older single dwelling homes are torn down to make way for them. They are usually four stories high, mostly expensive studio and one bedroom apartments with no elevators. If you cannot climb stairs these are not for you. If you have kids, you are out of luck for space.
I am not big on planned communities where only the elderly live but I am also not big on other communities where only the young live either. I like a mix. But I can see why older people will gravitate towards areas that are more welcoming for them in terms of cost, convenience and housing.
My place is small too, about the same as yours. It's quite comfy for me and two cats.
I read in our paper that they are rehabbing a big building in town to turn it into senior housing. We have long been a magnet area for retirees and have tons of 55+ communities...mostly mfg. homes but realllly nice AND cheap. I did give some thought to what it might be like to live in a place like that but as much as I hated apt. living I wouldn't really want to.
I suppose it's okay for me to jump in with my own tangent.
I really don't get how people manage to live in small spaces. Of course, 'small' is relative. But anything under 1000sq ft is way too small for me. Or rather, for my stuff. Most of my hobbies take up a good deal of space. And, well, I am just a space hog.
It's not that I need or want a McMansion. Heck, no.
I live alone, with pets, and rarely have company.
I need space for all my activities: wet felting, quilting, painting, etc. One very large work space plus a large storage space for supplies and books would work fine. I also need 'office' space for my more cerebral activities.
I would like for the first time in my life to have a decent kitchen to work in and a bathroom big enough that I don't have to turn sideways to get to the toilet. "Social space" is not important to me. But practical space is. In my present house there is no linen closet, no place to put the vacuum or steam cleaner, or even the dang broom; the kitchen cabinets are too few and too shallow and anything beyond the first shelf is too high for me anyway. Pantries are a much smarter option. I could design a house that would work for me. But, well, that's not gonna happen.
People who require less space live much differently than me, I guess. Travel. Outdoor recreation. Socializing. Outside of gardening, hiking, and the rare camping vacation, my life is lived inside. Oh that's a neat image: I live inside my own head that lives inside the house away from the madding crowd.
I think I have always lived in fairly small places. Some a lot smaller than others! My minimum...which I don't have now...is 2 BR/1 BA. Ideally a third BR for an office/hobby room. The thing about small spaces is it keeps me from trying to fill it up! I like things simple and easy to care for. I think McMansions have way too much wasted space. I pretty much live my life inside too but I'm never bored so I guess it's okay.
My vacuum and steam cleaner both fit in the back of my closet. I have plenty of kitchen cabinets and a nice linen closet. I have a nice pantry too.
I don't know why we continue to call these homes "mobile homes." Probably a kickback from when they were called "trailers" and "trailer parks." I think of them as "manufactured" or "prefab" homes and some of them appear well designed with cathedral ceilings and spacious rooms. They are designated as "single-wide" or "double-wide" indicating size. All such parks around here have these homes that are quite fixed to the ground, they aren't going anywhere.
In most of them you do not own the land, just the home. In rare instances you do own the land. But in a "condo" you don't really own the land either. The advantage of a separated dwelling is that you don't have neighbors above, below, or on the other side of the wall from you.
There's a lovely such park on the way out of town from here, very nice property. I know someone who retired rather well financially who lives there. The only thing that would make me hesitate is the monthly fee (as in_newengland said), and of course the possible noise factor.
We have some really nice 55+ parks here. I've looked into buying in one of them because the homes are really cheap but the space rents are outrageous.
One of the nicest places I ever lived was big double wide on two acres. I did think that a living room and two family rooms was a little overkill though. The second family room was an add on. I did like having one entire end of the place all to myself. Bedroom, bathroom, office and family room. Sigh....
Florida has a humungo amount of these over-55 mfg home communities. The fees on the lots run about $600 a month, give or take, but you can literally find people on Craigslist saying they will given them away. Usually the kids when mom and dad have passed away and they can't use the unit. Retail cost is $15K or less, often including furniture and golf cart. Higher priced units say $40K to $150K are in parks where they own the lots, HOA dues are $150-250 a month sometimes higher, depending on the development, etc. Taxes are minimal, insurance not bad. So for $600-700 a month plus some utilities you have a home to retire in, no ice or snow, warm temps, with pools, tennis courts, golf courses, etc.
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