Category: Active adult communities
Updated October 17, 2016 -- This is the 2nd of a 3 part series of articles about homeowners associations, the organizations that have an outsized influence on your life in a condo, 55+, or active adult community. Sometimes they are called Property Owners Associations, or simply Community Associations. The first article, “Meet the New Boss, Your HOA”, talked about many of the problems to be of aware of concerning Home Owners Associations. Part 3 focuses on "What You Need to Know When the HOA Takes Over from the Developer". In this article we were fortunate to gain an in-depth interview with Joe West, CEO of Community Associations Network, who provided his insight on the basics everyone should know before they commit to living in any
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Published on December 1, 2009
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Nothing gets us quite as pumped up as finding another interesting spin on a "Best Places to Retire" list. This week we were pleased to discover National Geographic Magazine's list of "Best adventure towns. While it is not new (it's from 2007) or exactly aimed at retirees , it is a fun list. Here is our take on their selections
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Published on December 7, 2009
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Category: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues
December 13, 2009. Thanks to everyone who took the time from their busy day to fill out the Topretirements member satisfaction survey last week. We received hundreds of comments and suggestions from our visitors. What we learned is that we serve a very diverse group of people with an interesting range of opinions and desires. Some of the comments were contradictory (particularly about regions to focus on), a few suggestions are easy to fix while others are more difficult, but all of the comments were thought provoking. We enjoyed reading them. Thanks, this input will help us build a better Topretirements.
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Published on December 13, 2009
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Note: This is a 4 part series. See links to the other parts in Further Reading below.
Nov. 2014 -- College towns make great retirement towns for a lot of reasons. Above all they are interesting places to live with plenty of cultural opportunities, adult education, and athletic events. The shopping, infrastructure... even the day-to-day ambiance is a lot more fun. For many retirees, having young people in the community provide a pleasant antidote to a steady diet of older people.
This article will explore some of our favorite college towns with 3 selection criteria:
- They had to be affordable (median homes below the national
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Published on December 14, 2009
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Category: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues
Just in case you are as desperate as we often get at this time of year, here are some very different, last-minute gift suggestions that might be "age-appropriate" for the baby boomers on your gift list:
"How Not to Act Old:185 Ways to Pass for Phat, Sick, Hot, Dope, Awesome, or at Least Not Totally Lame". By Pamela Redmond Satran. This very funny book gets rave reviews at Amazon. (recommended by our friend Linda).
- Roku HD player. You might ask yourself, what the heck is a Roku HD player (and why would I want one)! Trust us on this one, if you subscribe to Netflix or rent movies, you must have this device, which lets you watch online movies and TV shows on your TV (not just your computer). It works a lot more simply than you would guess. The device connects to your internet cable or your wireless system. From there you can play Netflix, Amazon, or other movies on your TV set, using simple on-screen controls. Read the reviews to find out more - we love it!
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Published on December 15, 2009
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
If there was ever a subjective question, "what is the best state for retirement" must certainly rank right up there. After all it is a very personal question, almost as personal as your preference in mates or sports teams. To try to avoid too much controversy we shall answer the question in terms of what you, our Topretirements visitors, seem to prefer when it comes to retirement states. Note: Don't miss our late 2010 piece on the other side of the equation, "10 Worst Retirement States". Or the 2011 edition of this story, "Best States for Retirement - 2011".
For most people the best state to retire question is easy - some 80% or more retire in the state where they live now. But for those folks who are thinking about moving on down the road in later life, the reasons why some
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Published on December 21, 2009
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Category: Green Retirement Communities
Baby boomers looking to retire in a very "green" way often end up being frustrated. The main reason is that most active adult communities are anything but environmentally friendly - they are located far from community centers so they require lots of driving, they don't always use the most energy-efficient materials and systems, and they usually ignore alternative energy sources and low carbon footprints. The alternative for those truly dedicated to the movement is to strike out on their own, which though might be fun, can also be expensive and prone to trial and error.
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The Wall Street Journal published an eye-opening article earlier this year on the "Green House of the Future". The Journal asked 4 leading architects to come up with a home design that was environmentally friendly - and possible. The results were amazing:
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Published on December 22, 2009
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