Retirement Communities Are More Popular Than Ever

Retirement communities are more popular than ever and it’s easy to see why.  We have friends who built a summer home in Pennsylvania and used it with their children for over ten years.  As planned, they moved to that home when they retired.  The home they had loved because of the summer activities became a little bit of a prison when the cold weather settled in.  After a long winter in the mountains of Pennsylvania, our friends moved into one of the many retirement communities that can be found throughout Florida and Arizona.  The summer home they had built was a wonderful place to be in the summer but became too secluded during the winter.  While they made out well with the price they got for their house, building your retirement home in the wrong location can be a costly mistake.

There is no shortage of places to live but you should choose very wisely and get it right the first time.  For many people, the location of their family and friends is the driving factor in where they choose to live.  Keep in mind that this is subject to change as well.  As adults, your children could be the ones who move away and follow a career.  Life is full of changes and it’s worth taking the time to understand what’s important to you and what your preferences are.

Retirement Communities Come With A Built-in Social Network

Retirement communities usually offer a built-in social network and an abundance of activities.  If this idea attracts you, by all means explore it as an option.  Golf communities are particularly popular and, if this is a pastime of yours, it’s hard to argue that this may not something that will bring you great happiness.  Ironically, our friends from Pennsylvania moved into a community where free golf was included with reciprocal benefits on other courses in the area but neither of them play golf at all.  They were attracted to the other activities offered and are very active in a few different clubs.  They love the social interaction and have many new friends.  They could not be happier.  Their children are hundreds of miles away in separate directions but they see them at the holidays and, with the technology available today, the video phone conference has become a reality that lets them “see” their grandchildren as often as they can.

Retirement communities vary greatly in amenities but also in the fees that they charge.  The range of home or condominium prices is also a major consideration.  This website is all about considering all the options available, so here’s one possibility to consider.  Why not rent for a while before you take the full plunge?  It’s probably the only way you can truly experience what life will really be like.

There are many residents who are quite willing to rent out their home or condo while they go on an extended vacation or family visit.  This is true even in the winter in Florida when it would seem that no one would be willing to leave the sun and palm trees.  A little research will provide many opportunities for exploration.  We know one couple who had thought about buying a home in Florida to spend their winters and rented a place for two months only to find out it wasn’t for them.  Two other friends of ours fell in love with a different community than they had originally targeted because they were able to take the time and explore the areas around them during their January rental.

The journey we took to our own retirement community was quite different.  In fact, we don’t live in a place that is considered 55 or older at all, even though many of the residents are.  We came across a little lake community in the Hudson Valley in New York about fifteen years ago and bought a piece of property and planned our home of the future.  We knew that would be our primary residence and that we could still escape the winters by going to a warmer climate.  We love the mountains, the lake and the beautiful countryside and enjoy the peacefulness of watching ducks and geese swim by as we have our morning coffee.  This was something that seemed to take forever to become reality, but it was worth waiting for.  Over the years we had enjoyed family vacations every year and knew there many places in warmer climates that we wanted to see so why tie yourself down to one area or even one community?

We designed our life and it has made all the difference.  This website is designed to help you do the same – to provide ideas and possibilities that you may never have thought of.  We were very fortunate to have many friends and acquaintances who did the same for us and are forever grateful to them.  In a small way, we hope to do the same for you. Whether you're approaching retirement or have reached full senior citizen status, it's time to Enjoy Retired Life!

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