Category: Travel
March 4, 2008 -- Here's a different approach to selecting a retirement community - don't bother. Instead, why not travel the world. It can be cheaper, and it certainly will be more interesting than staying in one place. Topretirements came across 3 such recommendations this week, so there must be something to it.
Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, the dynamic former President of George Washington University, proposed on his higher education blog that one might consider taking up Cunard Lines on its
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Published on March 4, 2008
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Category: General Retirement Issues
March 11 - They've dreamed about it, and they have talked about it. Many have actually planned for it. But the one thing they have in common is this - just about everybody is worried about it. The "it" being retirement, which is drawing nearer and nearer for tens of millions of U.S. baby boomers.
Conversations on various discussion retirement forums on this site and at other baby boomer communities such as www.city-data.com reveal another side to the current retirement community diaspora that it is about to happen. That side of retirement and retirement communities is an anxious one, showing a depth
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Published on March 11, 2008
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Category: Active adult communities
March 18 - Maybe it is the softer market for real estate and active adult communities. It could be a bold move to capture market share when many real estate developers are down. Or perhaps it is just an awakening to the possibilities. Whatever the reasons, a number of leading active adult communities have been on an advertising tear lately, placing their ads in venues where they haven't been seen before.
Leading the charge has been The Villages, the active adult behemoth south of Ocala, FL. Anybody who has been watching golf on network television lately has been exposed to their messages many times by now. In Topretirements' experience, this is the first time that a retirement community has gone to national television to look for prospects.
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Published on March 18, 2008
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Category: Active adult communities
March 24 -- The stereotype would have you think that the hordes of baby boomers moving into active adult communities can't wait to move into a smaller house. According to a new study from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), however, the reality is somewhat different.
The study, "Profile of the 50+ Housing Market", points out that more than 85 million people will be 55+ by 2014. Many will be buying in homes specifically built for 55+ buyers, and these won't be all that small - the average home will still have more than 2 bedrooms and over 2,000 square feet for living. Yards and other maintenance-requiring items will be downsized, however.
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Published on March 24, 2008
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
March 28 -- January housing statistics from Case-Shiller were released this week - and the news continues bad for sellers, good for buyers. Of the 20 metro markets that this firm tracks, only 1 metro managed higher real estate prices vs. the year ago period, Charlotte (+1.75%). The 19 others had declining prices, with 10 of them experiencing double digit declines. Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Diego had the biggest drops (Las Vegas went down over 19%). Overall the 20 city index showed a 10.7% decline in January 2008 vs. Jan. 2007.
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Published on March 28, 2008
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Category: Green Retirement Communities
March 31 -- Baby boomers are known for their devotion to preserving the environment - at least when they are not driving their SUV's. So the big question is, will the folks who pioneered Earth Day look for green (sustainable) retirement and active adult communities? Just as important, will the marketers of those communities recognize the need and make the product available in an appealing concept?
We recently came across some examples of green communities, which is encouraging. Shea Homes, a large national home builder, has announced that environmentally friendly homes will be the focus of some of its new developments in Florida and other sun belt states. These homes will be so-called "eco-friendly", and will have energy saving features such as solar attic fans, motion-sensor triggered lighting, energy-efficient windows and appliances, and garages with electric-vehicle charging stations. Some materials like insulation will be recycled. According to a report in Off the Grid, Shea says
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Published on March 31, 2008
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