Are Boondocks Active Adult Communities the Wrong Move
Category: Active adult communities
August 6 — We are constantly on the lookout for the best places to retire. And it’s fun to write about a place so nice that it gives you the itch to move there.
A more difficult problem emerges when we try to seek out the best active adult communities. Many people want to live in these self-contained worlds (and yes, many won’t go near them too!). But when we get excited about an active adult community that sounds just great – the other shoe drops when we find out where it is. Yep, 9 times out of 10 it is in some little town that no one has ever heard of, way out in the boondocks.
This certainly makes some sense for the developers, because a far out location is where the cheap and available land for development is located. It’s not easy to find enough land for a reasonably-sized development and its amenities close to town – or is it?
The idea of living in a development out in the sticks turns a lot of people off. Surrounded by people just like yourself in a adult version of summer camp, the real world can be a significant drive away.
Elsewhere we read about aging in place. This is by far what most older people want to do – stay in their own cherished homes in their familiar old neighborhoods. A boondocks-type problem occurs for these people too, especially the ones who already live in suburbia. These aging seniors are trapped in the ‘burbs, where there are usually no sidewalks, close-by stores, or doctors – and key resources are a harrowing drive away. The result: loneliness and isolation will be a big and growing problem for many who decide to age in place.
Everyone has to find the kind of retirement lifestyle that’s right for them. For some folks, an active adult community like a Sun City is perfect. Everything they want to do is right there, and there is no need to venture outside. But for many others, that seems like an empty life. If you are one of the latter, we recommend looking at a college town retirement, a city, or a small retirement town with plenty of infrastructure. Our opinion is that smart developers will look to buy or build active adult properties in or immediately adjacent to these types of communities. That way baby boomers can have it both ways, living in an interesting, stimulating community with plenty to do. Walking or biking to activities and to see interesting people instead of driving. For developers, the community scale might have to be smaller, or they might have to build in more transportation resources. But our bet is that these type of accessible communities will have more market appeal as baby boomers start to make their retirement location decisions.
Link: Directory of Active Adult Communities
Comments on "Are Boondocks Active Adult Communities the Wrong Move"
Reserva Quepos says:
The new marine that is being built in Quepos, Costa Rica, should be completed shortly and supposedly must bring some important benefits to the entire area.
The first part of the project will provide almost 3.000 jobs for people of the zone. 1000 of these jobs will be on the marine side and the other 2000 on the infrastructure side. Young people from Quepos will have training on boats maintenance as well as protecting the environment.
Obviously in a project of this size some people are worry about the environmental impact that could suffer the Manuel Antonio National Park and the fishermen of the area. However, the project claims that it has taken all measures to prevent water pollution and negative impacts in the national park.
Contributions from the project are not limited just to the jobs for local residents. The project will provide a new and important gateway for all tourist attractions that this area of Quepos and Manuel Antonio offers.
Besides, their main target will be older people that like to go fishing in Florida. The calm water of Quepos is one of the most important attractive of the area for sport fishing. The new marine will be a great incentive for many of these fishermen and sailors that decide to make of this region their second house, or even better a permanent home where they can fully enjoy their retirement.
Reserva Quepos