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Try It NOWCategory: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues
Our good sport this time of year is to go out on a limb with predictions about the hot baby boomer retirement trends for the coming year. Surely we will be wrong on some, but hope that in general we can be useful in predicting what factors will be most…
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Category: Active adult communities
The growing problem of delinquencies is a very serious problem that is starting to affect almost every Home Owners Association (HOA) in the country. And unfortunately, the problem gets worse every day.
At the Kensington of Royal Palm Beach condominiums on Florida's east coast, 70 percent of the owners are in arrears on their association fees. Many other associations have delinquencies in the 40-50% range. These fees typically pay for insurance, maintenance, landscaping, some taxes, staff, and energy. Clearly when not everyone pays their dues, which represent an equitable sharing of costs among all the owners, financial problems will ensue. Usually that means the remaining owners in the community association
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Category: Active adult communities
Stay and Play Packages are a great option as you contemplate retirement. You, and perhaps your significant other, might be obsessing about how to find your best place to retire, and what you might do once you get to the state of retirement. The process is fun for many folks, but an intimidating hassle for others. Wherever you come out on this spectrum, this article, in which we will discuss Fly and Stay packages, will be a help.
Stay and Play Packages
Stay and Play packages (also called Discover and Stay, Weekend Getaway, etc.) are the fun and low risk way to check out various best places to retire. You can usually purchase them at low cost from active adult communities, or you can make up your own for the towns you might be considering. The offers are so attractive that you just shouldn't pass them up (but hurry, the high season is starting
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Category: Retirement Real Estate
As 2010 begins most experts predict that record numbers of foreclosures will continue. That being the case, home prices will probably go nowhere until that distressed inventory is cleaned out.
Rentals are the way to go. The Wall Street Journal reports that apartment vacancies hit a 30 year high late last year, and landlords are scrambling to fill them. Reis, Inc., a research firm, said that rents fell 3% last year, led by declines in west coast cities. Conclusion - you might be better off renting than buying. Particularly in a lot of active adult communities, there are plenty of places to rent.
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Picking towns for "best places to retire" lists can get to be a lot like selecting prom dates - the bright lights overshadow the deserving candidates who don't get asked to the big party. All too often the result is best places to retire myopia - too many lists that share the same old towns and cities - Asheville, Athens, Austin, Beaufort, etc. Don't miss Part 2 of this series: "Beyond Asheville: More Under-rated Places to Retire", or Part 3: 5 More Under-Appreciated Places to Retire.
This week we set out to identify 20 best retirement towns that aren't on that many lists. We looked for towns that we know are terrific, but don't seem to have the press that their more famous brethren do. Some will be familiar and some will not. Our apologies to all of the other great places to retire whose lights are still hiding under the basket; please give us your nominations in the Comments section below.
Bisbee, Arizona. Bisbee is an historic mining town in south central Arizona, almost at the Mexican border. If you are looking for an interesting, off-beat place to retire, Bisbee might be the place.
Flagstaff, Arizona. At an altitude of 6910 feet the climate is dry and much cooler in the summer than anywhere else in Arizona. Cecil B. DeMille tried
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Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
Let's just say that Plan A for your retirement didn't quite work out the way it was supposed to do. Whatever the reasons, the fact is you are a 60-something baby boomer looking to retire on a lot less money than you thought you would have. Luckily for gritty you, sulking is not an option. Here are 10 of our best ideas on what you can do to retire in style - and on a budget.
1. Move, now. Most people about to retire are living in a lot more house than they really need. So downsizing, the sooner the better, is the smart
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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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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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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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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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