Category: Active adult communities
February 6, 2025 -- Condo and HOA Boards face a daunting list of challenges these days. Insurance, aging infrastructure, and new government regulations are just some of the issues. But just as difficult are the many tricky situations that arise when a group of people share spaces and common property.
Last week Topretirements attended a conference held by Becker, a law firm that has a specialty in community, condo, timeshares, and HOA law. The presenters covered explanations of the many complex new requirements that communities must follow. But the most interesting part of the meeting were the non-stop questions from members of the audience. It was abundantly clear that these boards are being put to the test by many difficult situations.Those attending were mostly HOA and condo board managers with a mix of Community Managers too. The questions gave a good picture of the tough challenges that condo and HOA board members have to deal with everyday.
Top 7 Condo and HOA Problems
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Published on February 5, 2025
Comments 8
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Climate, Insurance, Costs Driving Trend
February 9, 2025 -- At least since the beginning of the 20th century, Florida has been a magnet for all kinds of people, particularly retirees. Covid boosted that trend, as working people escaped crowded cities to find sunshine and lower taxes. The era of Florida continuously adding new residents appears to have come to an end, however, according to two recent studies. Data from other sources come to the same conclusions. With 23 million people, it is still one of the fastest growing states in the Union.
Neutral net migration occurs when about the same number of people move to a state as move out. Florida has traditionally had very positive net migration, turning pastures into cities and developments as people flocked to the state. UHaul published a recent report showing that 50.4% of its recent Florida moves came into the state, while 49.6% moved out. Atlas Van Lines came to a similar conclusion: it reclassified Florida from an “inbound state” to one that shows a balance between inbound and outbound movers.
Not all of Florida affected
South Florida, with its more expensive housing, seems to have more folks fleeing the state than the northern part of the state. Younger people looking for better opportunities and lower cost housing are also driving emigration. Foreign buyers have also slowed down their purchases.
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Published on February 8, 2025
Comments 10
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 13, 2025 -- Good news is coming to 8 states this year when it comes to income taxes. It is part of a trend to lower taxes, make themselves more competitive, and enjoy the surpluses many of them experienced from the Covid years. Others, though, are concerned that the lower taxes will result in the cutting of public services. Seven of the 8 states that lowered their rates are controlled by Republicans.
Most of the reductions were relatively minor, usually less than a half a percentage point. Two of the states have moved to a flat tax instead of income brackets.
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Published on February 12, 2025
Comments 4
Category: Social Security
The range of possible retirement benefits from Social Security is huge. As of 2025, the average monthly Social Security retirement benefit is $1,976, reflecting a 2.5% Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) from the previous year. But some people get less, based on their lifetime earning history and at what age they started taking their benefits. How does your benefit (or expected benefit) stack up against that average - are you getting more, or less?
Minimum - Average - and Maximum Benefits
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Published on February 19, 2025
Comments 13
Category: Active adult communities
February 25, 2024 -- Following up on our recent article about the issues that Keep HOA Boards of Directors up at night, here is the other side - the things that HOAs do that drive home owners crazy.
Homeowners often have love-hate relationships with their Homeowners Associations (HOAs), but here are the most common complaints and frustrations:
1. Excessive Fees & Increases
Many homeowners feel that HOA dues are too high or increase too frequently without justification.
Special assessments for unexpected expenses can be a financial burden.
With proper planning and budgeting, most assessments should be unnecessary.
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Published on February 24, 2025
Comments 9
Category: Retirement Real Estate
March 1, 2025 — It looks like the messages of doom for Florida real estate might actually be starting to come, according to the real estate firm Redfin. The number of homes for sale in Florida hit 172,209 at the end of January (up 22.7%). This is the highest number…
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Published on February 28, 2025
Comments 3
