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Try It NOWCategory: Retirement Real Estate
March 6, 2019 — You might call this article, “SALT in the Wound”. The federal tax law that went into effect last year capped state and local tax (SALT) exemptions at $10,000. It was feared at the time that this decrease would depress real estate values in some high tax…
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Category: Active adult communities
March 5, 2019 -- We were curious to find out which of the thousands of 55 plus communities at Topretirements attract the most attention from our Members and visitors. So after examining the data from the last 6 months of 2018, here are the 17 most popular communities in the Southeastern states of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. This article complements a similar one for the Southwest: "15 Most Popular Active Adult Communities in the Southwest for 2019".
The results are a combination of those that are: "of course" (The Villages and several very large Cresswind and Valencia communities that advertise here), a few "head shakers" that we never expected to make this list, and some pleasant "surprises". The choices cover a wide range - from really big (The Villages), to 55+ communities within larger master planned developments (Cresswind), to special interest (Indian River Colony Club), to inexpensive manufactured home and RV communities popular with snowbirds (Citrus Park and others). Note that most, but not all, of these communities are designated 55 plus. But the majority of residents probably would meet that qualification in all cases.
While these are the 18 most popular active adult communities on this site for these three states, they might not necessarily be the "best". That is for you to determine, based on how well they fit your needs. One big takeaway here is how important it is to spread your net wide when researching active adult and 55 plus communities. There are thousands of choices that might work for you, but you won't even find out about them unless you look around. If this list does anything for you we hope it expands your horizons. If you are interested in moving to a particular area, at least do an Internet search to get a good idea of the possibilities before you just settle on one you or your friends have heard of. There are many good choices awaiting you!
The most popular 55+ communities in the Southeast
1. Cresswind at Victoria Gardens, Deland, FL . Located within the master planned Victoria Park in Deland, this 55+ community offers an impressive array of amenities. Those include pickleball courts, horseshoe pits, event lawn, numerous parks, lakes and nature trails, not to mention the championship golf available at the Victoria Hills Golf Club. There’s also a bank, pharmacy, salon, nail spa, dry cleaners and other services at the adjacent Village Center.
2. Valencia Cay At Riverland, Port St. Lucie, FL Here is another 55+ community located within a much larger development. Homeowners will enjoy resort-style living with an array of wonderful amenities right in their own neighborhood, and will also have the added benefit of being among the first residents to live at Riverland. The amenities include a spectacular 34,000 square foot Clubhouse and over 5 acres of recreation.
3. Cresswind at Lake Lanier. Gainesville, GA. Located in Gainesville on Lake Lanier, Cresswind offers 55+ lakeside living and an Audubon-designated sanctuary. There is a full suite of social and recreational amenities designed for the active adult lifestyle.
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Category: Retirement 101 Course
February 28, 2019 — We thought it would be a good idea to have a central page where all of the various Modules in our Retirement Planning 101 Course would be listed. So here is that list. As new modules are produced we will include them here. When we produced…
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Category: Green Retirement Communities
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 20 - Laundry rooms and energy-saving features such as Energy Star appliances, windows and whole house certification are among the most wanted home features, according to survey results from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). NAHB surveyed nearly 4,000 home buyers--those who have either recently purchased a home or plan to purchase a home within the next three years--ranking 175 features based on how essential they are to a home purchasing decision. The survey was done among home buyers of all ages, so the results might differ somewhat from retiring baby boomers. You might want to keep these in mind whether you are looking for a new home or planning on improving your existing one.
The top 10 features also included home-storage needs, such as garage storage and walk-in pantries, as well as hardwood flooring, a patio and exterior lighting.
Housing trends across the board include a continued decline in the average home size and decreased demand for upscale features such as three-plus-car garages. In 2018, according to information from the U.S. Census Bureau, the average home started declined to 2,576 square feet--down from its peak at 2,689 square feet in 2015--driven in part by increased production in townhouses, which comprised 14 percent of new home starts. Over in the UK, we've been following housing prices fluctuate by using this free tool from TheAdvisory called PropCast.
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Notes: This is a reprint of an article from 2012, which appears to have disappeared from our site. Over the years we have produced many of these "Worst States for Retirement Lists". Connecticut has been the "winner", so has Illinois. Hope your state is not next! In Feb. 2018 we updated this article - see"Worst States for Retirement - 2018".
January 10, 2012 -- There are plenty of best places to retire lists. But how about the places where it's not such a good idea to retire? Last year our "Worst 10 States for Retirement" article caused quite a sensation, so we are back at it again for 2012. The purpose is to try to help baby boomers understand where, all other things being equal, they can enjoy their hard-earned retirement without taking on more problems. To make sure you don't miss updates to this and other lists like it, sign up for our Free weekly "Best Places to Retire" newsletter.
Your retirement is unique
Every individual has to consider his or her own criteria for identifying the worst or best states to retire. One of the most important factors for anyone is proximity to family and friends. So, if you want to be near your grandchildren the worst state on our list could be the best state on your list. Likewise, you might not share the same considerations we used to develop this list. Tax issues might be most important for you, or you might not care about spending winters in a warm state. Our 2012 list is based on 5 considerations that we think will be <!--more-->important to most people, but freely admit that these factors could be totally irrelevant to many other folks.
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
Note: This is a reprint of the 2010 version of our "Worst States for Retirement", which disappeared from our site. Over the years the "winners" for Worst State have gone back and forth. Illinois won the dubious distinction in 2010, then Connecticut and Illinois took top honors. Our methodology has changed over the years in an effort to be fairer and more objective. Don't miss the 2018 version of this list, "Worse States for Retirement: New Tax Law Takes it Toll". Note: Some tax and other info from the 2010 article may have changed.
December 7, 2010 — The 50 U.S. states are in a beauty contest. Whether they know it or not, they are being judged by a tough jury of 76 million or so baby boomers looking for the best place to retire. These baby boomers are hard to please, they are used to moving to new places, and are not going to settle for second or third best when it comes to enjoying their retirement years. This article provides our list of the 10 (or so) worst states for retirement, 2010 edition. Note: We are honored to report that this report was quoted extensively in Robert Powell’s “10 Worst States for Retirement” at WSJ-Marketwatch, the Huffington Post, and AARP. To get regular updates on articles like this sign up for our free weekly “Best Places to Retire” newsletter.
Everybody’s situation is differentEvery individual has to consider his or her own criteria for selecting a list of the worst or best states to retire. For retirees who enjoy strategic games, consulting a guide to the best online poker sites can enhance their leisure time by providing engaging entertainment options. Lists from USAA.com and Military.com are a perfect example of a list that makes sense for a specific set of retiree needs. Their lists were carefully tailored to U.S. military retirees who typically have a nice pension that they don’t want taxed at the state level, and who need to be close to a base for shopping and healthcare.
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Category: Retirement 101 Course
February 20, 2019 --- By now you have hopefully taken our online "Retirement Preparation Quiz" and seen your score. If you haven't, you can take it here. Please realize that the original passing score (70%) was chosen subjectively - your opinion of the state of your retirement preparation is undoubtedly better than ours. We hope that by presenting the questions and reasons for the correct answers you can increase your understanding of retirement preparation. Note that for most of the questions we have provided a link to an article on that topic so you can explore it in greater detail.
Notes about the results
Almost 1100 people had taken the quiz as of Feb. 26. The average score for everyone taking the test was about 69%. That prompted us to lower the "passing" grade to 60% (from 70%), since many of the factual questions were difficult. In addition, for some of the questions that had more than 2 choices (e.g.; yes, no, somewhat) more than one answer might be considered acceptable. We have posted the percentage (%) of people who got each question right next the correct answers.
The questions that were most often missed were #3 and #8. Number 3 asked which of three investments had the best guarantee of income. Only 39% selected the "correct" answer, annuity, probably because people didn't realize the key word was "income", and assumed we meant "return". Number 8, age of breakeven for delaying SS until age 70, was answered correctly by only 34%. We can see why, because not all experts agree on the consensus answer of 81-82. All of the questions we asked about progress on preparation and/or discussion with spouse/family members had strong results, usually 80% or better. That is good news, indicating that there is a lot of planning and discussing going on. Somewhat distressing were the responses to questions 9 and 10 on wills and health care directives. Almost one third of quiz takers do not have one or the other of those, so it is time for them to get busy on those important tasks. Only about half (53%) have spent time thinking about "late" retirement. The questions with the highest % of correct answers were those that had to do with planning on what type of community or home they want to live in - 90% or more said they had.
Question 01 What is the average life expectancy of a woman and a man aged 65 years?
90 and 86
87 (woman) and 84 (man) - Correct (64%)
80 and 77
Comment: If you manage to live to the age of 65 you still have a long way to go - on average! This is a good thing to know when you consider when to take Social Security and budget your retirement - outliving your money is not pleasant. (Note: We added the age of a woman to this question following a Member suggestion).
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Category: Retirement 101 Course
Note: The 4th module in our Retirement 101 Online Retirement Preparation Course is a 20 Question Quiz February 20, 2019 — One of the wisest pieces of advice we have ever heard is to “know what you don’t know”. The adage applies perfectly to the world of retirement, where good planning can lead to a…
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Category: Travel
February 17, 2019 — A potential solution to one of the biggest problems facing older retirees is on the road in The Villages, the world’s largest retirement community. Voyage, an automated taxi service, is testing driverless cars within parts of that community’s road system. If successful, the project will help older residents enjoy the freedom and mobility that comes with a car - even if they are not behind the wheel of that vehicle.
To begin with a certain number of “pioneers’ are able to use these taxis at no charge. The pioneers can call up a driverless car to go shopping, doctor’s appointments, recreation, visit friends - whatever they can reach within the neighborhoods involved in the test. The cars have a backup “driver” and a top speed of 25 m.p.h.
Giving up driving
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Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
February 11, 2019 -- Our "Dueling States" comparison articles remain all-time favorites at Topretirements.com (see complete list at end of article). Yet none is more popular than the one on "Dueling Carolinas". At last count there were 631 Member comments going back several years, and right up to several made yesterday. In fact, although the main article laid out the facts about each state when it comes to real estate prices, taxes, climate, geography, and where to retire, the best information about what it is like to retire in either of the Carolinas is contained within all of those comments. This article will reprint two recent comments which were exceptionally interesting. We'll also give you a tool on how to use these Comments to do customized Carolina research on topics that interest you. We look forward to even more comments too!
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