# Thinking of Moving to a 55+ Community



## linandbri (Feb 11, 2010)

For most of our adult lives we lived in Southern Ca. now living in Austin, Tx.  We are thinking about moving to Southeast Florida and moving into a 1 story home in a 55+ community.  We moved here to be with our grandkids, for the most part we do like living here.  However we don't care for the weather, too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.  Our current community is mostly young families and lots of kids. The tropical weather, the organized activities and the opportunity to meet new people our own age appeals to us. 

Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Linda


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 11, 2010)

*All Kinds Of Sr. Citz. Communities.*




linandbri said:


> Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Last fall we visited old friends we've known since school days who now live in a plush 55+ community north of Sacramento CA.  They moved there from Houston TX to be closer to kids & grandkids.  

They love it.  It's beautiful.  They have a lovely, spacious home.  The whole community is attractively landscaped & meticulously maintained.  They have golf courses & upscale clubs & community centers with activity rooms & nice restaurants featuring plenty of specials including Sunday brunch buffet.  

It is a major serious contrast to the only other 55+ communities we know about, which range from row upon row of downscale single-wides in Pasco County FL to upscale high-rise condos in Arlington VA. 

The older we get, the more appealing all those various 55+ places look, including the Florida mobile homes (although we'd be more inclined to go for a double-wide). 

Our major challenges are (a) overcoming intertia & (b) dealing with years & years of stuff that's not good enough to keep but too good to throw away. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Rose Pink (Feb 11, 2010)

My only concern would be if your family's needs changed and a younger family member became part of your household. Then you'd have to move. There was a thread here on that awhile back in regards to a news story about a couple that were now raising a grandchild.

If you are confident that the housing market where you want to move is going to be a good investment, go ahead. Then, if you have to move for one reason or another, you wouldn't end up owing more than you can sell for. That's general advice for anyone--not just for 55+ communities.

Could you rent or lease in that community for a year to see if it is a good fit for you?


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## Nancy (Feb 11, 2010)

We live 1/2 time in a 55 plus community.  Suggestions for you would be decide what you really need, check out rules of community, etc.  When we bought we turned down one communinty that didn't allow rentals (didn't plan to rent out our condo, but never know when that might change, and another one that was very unfriendly for children to visit.  Our community allows rentals after a year's ownership and children can visit for up to a month.  We also wanted a non-pet community.  Many people rent here for the winter and then later purchase after trying out and getting "feel" for area.

Nancy

ps.  If you have any specific questions, I'll try to help.


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## Joyce (Feb 11, 2010)

we live in a 55+ community and love not having to worry about the snow and lawn. However, one must consider that things are never done the way you would do them and that you cannot make any changes to the outside of your home without board approval. You must also consider the monthly payment made to the HOA to maintain the area.


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## fnover (Feb 11, 2010)

When we moved to NJ from Atlanta (to be near the grandchildren) we were looking at a resale in an over 55 community and found exactly what we were looking for in a older community. The real estate agent insisted that we look at the club house so we did and noticed that older over 55 communities have mostly older residents as there were a number of almost comatose folks sitting around listening to one of their friends tell them about his latest hospital stay, we decided then and there that this wasn't for us.
That said we have a number of friends that live in adult communities in both NJ and FL and absolutely love it. The key is to buy in a relatively new community so that your neighbors are closer to your age ( I am assuming that you are in your late 50's early 60's).
Hope this helps.


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## cgeidl (Feb 11, 2010)

*Visited 20+ adult communities*

We live at Sun City Grand,originally Del Webb community in Arizona. We bought after going to 7 different Del Webb communities and about 15 other places. We rented an RV and made our own scoring sheet.This community won out at the time hands down. Most activities,and best amenities . There is lots to do.
We live here from about late October to late spring and then move to a CA condo.
We have friends who moved to Oakmont ,CA( Average age in late 70'S) and they find it difficult to find friends in their age bracket to do things with and will probably move with a huge loss but wherever they move it will be less also.
A factor to consider is the age of the community and people living there. We found some to be too old but now after 5 years they are not so old.Our community just voted to permit those 45 or older to buy here as one way to keep the average age down.
You will find many HOA restictions which are both beneficial but sometimes seem a hassle so read them carefully before buying.


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## Twinkstarr (Feb 11, 2010)

Joyce said:


> we live in a 55+ community and love not having to worry about the snow and lawn. However, one must consider that things are never done the way you would do them and that you cannot make any changes to the outside of your home without board approval. You must also consider the monthly payment made to the HOA to maintain the area.



My sister lives in a non 55+ villa community and they do not clear snow the way she wants, so she has someone else come in. At 42 I think she might be the youngest one there, from seeing some of her neighbors. 

The HOA is in a lethal battle with one owner who has put a lot of "unapproved" lawn statues etc in the front yard. She also has stuck up a For Sale by Owner sign, when everyone knows she's not going anywhere.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 11, 2010)

My wife and I have looked at 55 and better communities and find that the monthly fees are too high and you have almost zero control over them.  That could be a real problem as time goes on.

Another problem is living in a homogeneous community.  Some people like it, but we don't.  Where we live now there are old people and young people with young children. The community turns over with time, bringing in new people of all sorts and ages.  We like that.

Another problem as we see  is strictly economic.  First, you have a limited group to sell to should you need to sell.  There are an over abundance of these communities and new mortgage rules require that condo communities (which most are) must be up to date on their maintenance fees as a whole.  Banks won't lend to a perfectly qualified buyer if the community as a whole has many defaults on maintenance fees.  This also makes it harder to sell.


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## MoiAl (Feb 11, 2010)

We're in the 60+ group and we moved 2 years ago from a suburb community in Toronto to downtown Toronto, a 5 minute walk to the subway. Love it. In the suburbs if someone walked by your door, you wondered what they were doing. In the city we have a diversity of people walking by our row house 24 hours a day. Young, old, every ethnic group, every manner of dress. It keeps us young. We can drop into the local coffee bar, walk for our groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables. Wish we had moved years ago, no retirement community for us, there's too many old folk there. But to each his own. Enjoy whatever you do and live to the fullest. Alton


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## Keitht (Feb 11, 2010)

This is an interesting topic from a UK viewpoint as this type of community is unknown over here.  There are 'retirement villages' which are more designed for a considerably older age group who want the privacy of their own front door, but have support services available too.
From a purely personal point of view, the idea of living in Wrinklyville on Sea doesn't appeal at all.    I guess it's a cultural thing.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 11, 2010)

We live in Sun City Anthem in Henderson, NV.  It is now "built out" although it has resales, of course.  The property began 10 years ago, and took that long to build out, so the age group is generally from about 55 to 70, with most of us somewhere in the middle.  The longer a development is from its build out date, the older the residents are, generally.

We love it here.  We seem to have a lot in common with folks here, looking to get involved, and make a wide group of friends.  Many people who move here had the same idea, so it works out well.  We both volunteer in several community groups and are active in social things as well.  Last night we went to a community dinner which honored volunteers, and we were suprised how many people we knew there (Our community is 11,000 people!).  When Jerry was ill, many people offered to help with whatever I needed, and it wasn't just idle offers, they really meant it.  That's the kind of friends we made.

There are several things to consider besides the weather, etc (Florida is very humid.  I couldn't live there).  Do you want to live in a large community such as mine, or a small one of, say 500?  Larger communities have more amenities, and more people to spread out the assessment fee (dues).  How much is the monthly fee?  Is it stable?  How do the community buildings look?  In need of repair, or good shape?  Some new communities allow an overnight or three day stay before you buy, you might want to do that, or else visit a couple of times.  

All of the above said, we've found our home.  We won't leave, we love it here.  I hope you find the same.

Fern


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 11, 2010)

*I Resemble That Remark.*




Keitht said:


> From a purely personal point of view, the idea of living in Wrinklyville on Sea doesn't appeal at all.


The more wrinkled I get, the readier I am to move on over to _Wrinkle City_ -- not that there's anything wrong with that. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 11, 2010)

MoiAl said:


> We're in the 60+ group and we moved 2 years ago from a suburb community in Toronto to downtown Toronto, a 5 minute walk to the subway. Love it. In the suburbs if someone walked by your door, you wondered what they were doing. In the city we have a diversity of people walking by our row house 24 hours a day. Young, old, every ethnic group, every manner of dress. It keeps us young. We can drop into the local coffee bar, walk for our groceries, fresh fruit and vegetables. Wish we had moved years ago, no retirement community for us, there's too many old folk there. But to each his own. Enjoy whatever you do and live to the fullest. Alton



We have been Toronto and loved it.  Wish we could join you there but hear it is difficult for American's to move to Canada.


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## Pat H (Feb 11, 2010)

I will be moving to Sun City Hilton Head sometime this year. I'm 62 and sure hope I don't look like wrinkleyville! SCHH has both stand alone homes and villas. I purchased a villa so that all of the outside maintenance is taken care of. I am attached to only 1 other villa so I do have windows on 3 sides. 

I bought here because I love the area. I have lived in NJ & PA all of my life and I have always hated the cold and winter. I will never have to shovel snow again! There are lots of activities which was my #2 reason for buying. I wanted to be in an active place with as much or as little as I wanted to do. I live in the country now and there is little to do that doesn't require a 5-10 mile drive.

My neighbors are super and everyone is from someplace else. I can't wait to move down.


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## linandbri (Feb 11, 2010)

Pat,

We have considered Sun City in HH, we love the area, however we want it to be a little warmer in the winter.

I am enjoying everyone's comments, it is a lot to think about.  We have moved several times in our life time, but always because of jobs or kids.  We are just starting the process of deciding where to go.  It is always easier to just stay put, but not sure if that is what we want to do.  Keep the comments coming they are very helpful.
Thanks, 
Linda


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## Pat H (Feb 11, 2010)

Also remember the possibility of hurricanes in SE FL. For me HH is a heat wave in the winter especially after the snowstorm we just had!


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## Conan (Feb 11, 2010)

Personally we plan to stay put in our suburban New England town so long as being able to drive is not an issue or until Winter living becomes intolerable.

Rather than buy a second home we'll see if timeshares can fill the gap.

Otherwise Toronto sounds like a great idea, but for us it would be too far from family. I'd consider buying in Boston or Manhattan if they weren't so expensive!


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## rapmarks (Feb 11, 2010)

We live in wisconsin in the summer and Florida in the winter.  Neither is an age restricted community, but we find that most people are older and retired.  Our community in Florida is loaded with amenities and activities and we do pay a monthly fee.  More and more young people are moving into our neighborhood, which has 966 "doors".  
But I have come to one conclusion, when the time comes that you need and expect help from your family because of health issures, you have to be close to them.  You can not expect them to move to you.
We went thru this with my mother in law for 6 years while we were still working and she would not move closer.  Now my twin aunts, age 87, need constant help in Tucson.  I try to do everything over the phone, but it is hard.  I say if you are considering moving near your family, you should do it.


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## Pat H (Feb 11, 2010)

My kids live in PA, OH & AZ and who knows if they will stay there. In my case it makes no sense to live near any of them. Maybe as I get older, I will change my mind.


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## laurac260 (Feb 11, 2010)

*The Villages, Florida's Friendliest Hometown!*

I keep in touch with the Asst Principal of my middle school.  He recently retired and moved from OH to The Villages.  He absolutely loves it there!  Golf all year long, 55+ communities, etc.  

www.thevillages.com


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## vacationhopeful (Feb 11, 2010)

Having dealth with elderly relatives (current one is 85 yo aunt), move nearer to the most competent, business orientated and younger relative.  You can buy nice friends but the business of living is too full of paperwork which seems to explode as you age and have poor health.


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## chriskre (Feb 11, 2010)

I've got several friends whose parents live in (CVPP) Century Village in Pembroke Pines near Fort Lauderdale.  

It's a very active lifestyle if you want it to be.  I know one lady whose calendar was always full.  Majong, golf, movies, travelling with the other residents to China, cruising the Caribbean, Bingo night and on and on.
Once I helped her sell her home and I had to make an appointment to see if she could fit me into her active schedule.  

The one thing she did say that was disturbing was that every week they were attending a funeral or hearing that another neighbor was sick and dying.  I think that is probably the biggest negative to living in a senior community.  

Death is inevitable but who wants a weekly reminder.  

Most are not pet friendly and don't want renters so it makes it very difficult to resell in these communities.  Buying from a developer is almost certain that you will not get your money back.  Afterall, when you want or need to sell you are competing with a dead seller alot of times and face it they aren't asking for much.  Most of the heirs just want to dump the place.


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## Conan (Feb 11, 2010)

If I had to pick a retirement location in the U.S. and being near family were not a factor, I'd choose a condo (not gated, not age-restricted) in a medium-to-large city with a well-educated population and cultural (and medical!) amenities.  

[Maybe because I don't golf?]

Boston MA, Charleston SC, Santa Fe NM, Colorado Springs CO, Ann Arbor MI, Portland OR, Philadelphia, PA, come to mind and I'm sure there are more....


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## bobcat (Feb 11, 2010)

linandbri said:


> For most of our adult lives we lived in Southern Ca. now living in Austin, Tx.  We are thinking about moving to Southeast Florida and moving into a 1 story home in a 55+ community.  We moved here to be with our grandkids, for the most part we do like living here.  However we don't care for the weather, too cold in the winter and too hot in the summer.  Our current community is mostly young families and lots of kids. The tropical weather, the organized activities and the opportunity to meet new people our own age appeals to us.
> 
> Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Linda



I would not. Move to a place that does not have an age limit. Some of those places place rules you will not like.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 11, 2010)

*Timing Is Everything.*




bobcat said:


> Move to a place that does not have an age limit. Some of those places place rules you will not like.


If I wait till I'm _really_ old, I'll no doubt be oblivious to all those pesky rules & regulations & restrictions & covenants, etc. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Sea Six (Feb 11, 2010)

Since you're considering Florida, you might want to check out Sun City Center, just south of Tampa.  My wife's aunt moved there 10 years ago and loves it very much.  Gated community where people drive around in golf carts, and a cart path goes right to the grocery store.  HUGE clubhouse, with so many clubs and planned activities, indoor pool, outdoor pools, golf, and so much more. I was very impressed with the place.


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## pjrose (Feb 11, 2010)

I don't want to play Bingo and golf; just because I might be getting a teensy-tinesy bit older doesn't mean my interests have changed. 

As noted by Conan, I'd rather be somewhere with a well-educated population and cultural amenities.  

Are there over-55 communities that are geared toward people who have things in common other than their age?  Just b/c we're the same age bracket doesn't mean we'd enjoy the same things or be friends!


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 11, 2010)

*Being Sr. Citz. Does Not Mean Being Nothing More Than Sr. Citz.*




pjrose said:


> Are there over-55 communities that are geared toward people who have things in common other than their age?


Even though I am old folks myself, I get the idea that sr. citz. has become a such a stereotype that it's easy to forget that sr. citz. are mainly just regular people, same as middle age people, same as younger adults.  

The main differences among the age groups have to do with how far along people are in the ages & stages of development of their children or grandchildren or both.  Other than that, membership in any particular age group of adults is pretty much _mox nix._ 

The 55+ neighborhood where our California friends live does _not_ consist of people sitting around talking about being sr. citz.  Far from it.  Any & every kind of social & musical & hobby & intellectual activity you can think of is available via the various clubs & associations & groups open to everybody in the whole community.  Being sr. citz. is strictly secondary to people's main interest in enjoying life via all sorts of interests (other than age) that they have in common.  

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## rapmarks (Feb 11, 2010)

we live in Estero - we have cultural events in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Rep, Barbara Mann Theatre, Naples Symphony, etc, etc. and we have Florida Gulf Coast University less than 5 miles away for more cultural activities. I am sure other parts of Florida have the same thing. We also have an arena 5 minutes away with hockey, stadium football, and concerts, and a large library outside our gate which offers mini classes and presentations. This is compared with living in Wisconsin Dells in the summer which has nothing cultural, period.

As I mentioned, our community is mixed, but I have never seen such active people. I think some people exercise all day. Walkers, bike riders, exercise room users, swimmers and water aerobics users and exercise and yoga class. then these people go out ont he golf course after 2:00 and walk 18 holes. .
Tennis is very big here both playing in a group for fun and competitive leagues against other subdivisions. 
book clubs, card clubs, craft clubs, and lots of charity work too in addition to golf.  Also they have functions at the club, dinner dances, plays, etc, at least twice a week.


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## Pat H (Feb 11, 2010)

pjrose said:


> I don't want to play Bingo and golf; just because I might be getting a teensy-tinesy bit older doesn't mean my interests have changed.
> 
> As noted by Conan, I'd rather be somewhere with a well-educated population and cultural amenities.
> 
> Are there over-55 communities that are geared toward people who have things in common other than their age?  Just b/c we're the same age bracket doesn't mean we'd enjoy the same things or be friends!



Boy, do you have the wrong idea of places like Sun City. I don't even think they have bingo. There are 2 golf courses but I don't golf either. What I'm interested in are things like dancing, strength training, aerobic exercises, bicycling, travel, socializing and staying young rather than being bored to death here in PA. Univ of SC has has a campus right next to SCHH and they offer free classes to senior citizens. 

SCHH has it's own theater with plays, movies and musical events. Savannah & Hilton Head also provide cultural opportunities. I find your comment about a well-educated population rather insulting. I consider myself to be well educated as are a lot of residents of retirement communities.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 11, 2010)

Yes, we have "rules."  When we moved here, I didn't find it a problem, but Jerry wasn't sure he'd like it.  Most of the rules consist of aesthetic things...your house color has to be approved, as does the style of your landscape.  They are pretty specific about how much vegetation you must have (no front laws allowed by city ordinance, but you can't put all concrete, either).  Landscaping must be maintained.  Also, you can't park all night on the street, and you can't have visitors or people under 19 living with you for more than 180 days a year.  

The rules aren't that hard to adhere to, and it keeps things nice looking.  If you don't, you have to go to a hearing, risk fines, etc.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 11, 2010)

*Its more than Bingo and Golf*

I play Bingo once every three months, to benefit our foundation.  I don't golf.  We have activities for everyone.

First, there's the Community Standing Committees and Volunteer Activities:

Architecture Review Committee
Election Committee
Finance Committee
Lifestyle Committee (in charge of Clubs)
Plans and Process Committee
Properties and Grounds
Restaurant Advisory Committee
Community Service Club
Security Patrol
Emergency Preparedness Committee
Neighborhood Watch
Activities for the next two months include (many free, none more than $15. except Palm Springs):

Billie Holiday Tribute Show with Genevieve
Sweetheart Dance "Sock Hop
Parking Lot Sale and Shredder Truck
Two day bus trip to Palm Springs Follies
A Shakespeare Sampler (LV Shakespeare Company comes to us)
Home Expo
Putting it Together Variety Show (Professional residents song & dance)
Tribute to Nat King Cole by Donny Ray Evins
Spring Crafts Sale
Bus  trip to Laughlin
We have a full fitness center with many pieces of aparatus, an indoor walking track (with a view of Las Vegas), two pools, hot tubs, bocce ball, tennis, golf, pickleball, water aerobics, beamfit, Zumba, many more classes and also personal trainers.

Then there are the clubs:

Anthem Authors
Aquacize
Arts and Crafts (sewing, ceramics [we have a kiln], caligraphy, stained glass, quilting, jewelry making and many more)
Balroom Dance
Bid Whist
Billards
Bocce Ball
Book Club
Bunco
Chinese Heritage
Computer Club
Current Events/History Dscussion Group
Duplicate Bridge
Financial Club (has speakers from LV Businesses)
Gardening
Havurah
Hicking Club
How to, Can Do
International Culture Connection
Italian Forum
Lifelong Learning
Mah Jongg
Opera Lovers
Pan
Pets
RV
Scrabble
Veterans
Women's Club (donated over 60K to womens' causes last year, and has speakers of interest to women at their lunches)
much more
Then There's Performing Arts:

There are groups who put on musical shows
Choraliers
Reader's Theater
Karaoke
much more...performances are $5., membership free
Single?  We have an active Singles Club.  Not just "meeting for drinks and meat." There are dining groups, movie groups, game nights and more.

We also have "shared interest groups."  Some are for politics, and some are just groups too small to be clubs. 

If you can't find anything to do here, you don't need to be here.  Most of us have to keep a day book to keep everything straight.

Fern


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## thheath (Feb 11, 2010)

Impressive Fern, thanks for setting us straight.


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## linandbri (Feb 12, 2010)

Thanks Fern for posting all that info, all the things to do is the main thing that is attracting us to a 55+community.  

Linda


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## rapmarks (Feb 12, 2010)

And the thing to realize is that when you move to a new community and you are retired, you have lost your base of activities and friends and it isn't easy to establish a new one because you don't meet people.  If you move to a neighborhood of younger people, all working, you will find you have few contacts.  
I know this sounds ridiculous, but we are so busy here, we end up being exhausted.  We have to start turning things down.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 12, 2010)

Linda,
I forgot to mention a couple of special things about our community, both of which I am involved in.

Our computer club has a classroom and a lab, with over 30 machines (we are a large community), free wifi, and free classes.  Need to know how do use spreadsheets?  How to do taxes by computer?  Windows 7?  There are free classes on all of them.  Have problems with your computer, need help setting up a new one, or need one on one tutoring in home?  Its $20. per visit for members.  Club dues are $15. a year.  

The other of my faves is the Community Service Club.  I've been secretary and a committee chair of this.  We provide rides to doctors' offices for those who need it.  We also have a home maintenence group who will come out and replace furnace filters for those who can't get on a ladder (it is in the ceiling).  We have the largest durable medical equipment lending center in Nevada, and lend wheelchairs, walkers, canes, crutches, bath & shower seats, etc.  I've used them occasionally, and they will bring you what you need within an hour or so.  They are remarkable.  We also have support groups in Community Service, including Cancer Support, Bereavement, Friends of Bill W. and our new Brother/Sister Keeper Project.  Its a wonderful group of people.

Fern



rapmarks said:


> And the thing to realize is that when you move to a new community and you are retired, you have lost your base of activities and friends and it isn't easy to establish a new one because you don't meet people.  If you move to a neighborhood of younger people, all working, you will find you have few contacts.
> I know this sounds ridiculous, but we are so busy here, we end up being exhausted.  We have to start turning things down.


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## ricoba (Feb 12, 2010)

Having had the super privilege of visiting Fern, Jerry & Irene at their beautiful and very comfortable home in Sun City, really got Cora and I interested in buying into a 55+ community.

I turn 55 in July and the more I read and think and see about 55+ communities the more appealing they are to me.  The clubhouse/activity center and programs at Sun City Anthem are amazing.  Fern & Jerry are very fortunate to call this great community home.


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## Rose Pink (Feb 12, 2010)

From reading all of the above posts I realize that different people want different things.  No surprise there.  Also, that even though you may be perfectly content in your current neighborhood, be it restricted or not, things change.  What works for someone 55 to 75 (or 95) may not work once his or her health becomes very fragile.

I am dealing with aged parents.  My mom opted to move in with my brother.  It's not her ideal situation--but her health isn't her ideal, either.  My FIL, as I've agonized over time and time again on Tug, has decided to stay in his own home and that has made it difficult for us to care for him.  He has put is own wishes above those of his adult children.  I do not say that as judgement on him or on us.  It makes it so much the harder (or so much the more worry) on us to care for him. We aren't spring chickens ourselves. DH travels on business and so in the one or two days he is home, he has a lot of stuff to do around our house.  Adding in caring for his father and his father's house just doesn't get the attention it needs. In short, Dad doesn't get the care he needs, but he seems satisfied with that--or at least not dissatisfied enough to make changes. He always says he doesn't want to move in with us because he doesn't want to burden us but not moving in with us is the greater burden.  

Just something to think about when we get to the point that we cannot care well enough for ourselves.  Our living arrangements should be flexible--*we* should be flexible and not think once we have moved into a senior community that we are settled forever.  Some communities have graduated housing options.  Single residences, then assisted living apartments and finally, the dreaded nursing home.  That way, people can stay in the same community.


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## rapmarks (Feb 12, 2010)

Rose Pink said:


> From reading all of the above posts I realize that different people want different things. No surprise there. Also, that even though you may be perfectly content in your current neighborhood, be it restricted or not, things change. What works for someone 55 to 75 (or 95) may not work once his or her health becomes very fragile.
> 
> I am dealing with aged parents. My mom opted to move in with my brother. It's not her ideal situation--but her health isn't her ideal, either. My FIL, as I've agonized over time and time again on Tug, has decided to stay in his own home and that has made it difficult for us to care for him. He has put is own wishes above those of his adult children. I do not say that as judgement on him or on us. It makes it so much the harder (or so much the more worry) on us to care for him. We aren't spring chickens ourselves. DH travels on business and so in the one or two days he is home, he has a lot of stuff to do around our house. Adding in caring for his father and his father's house just doesn't get the attention it needs. In short, Dad doesn't get the care he needs, but he seems satisfied with that--or at least not dissatisfied enough to make changes. He always says he doesn't want to move in with us because he doesn't want to burden us but not moving in with us is the greater burden.
> 
> Just something to think about when we get to the point that we cannot care well enough for ourselves. Our living arrangements should be flexible--*we* should be flexible and not think once we have moved into a senior community that we are settled forever. Some communities have graduated housing options. Single residences, then assisted living apartments and finally, the dreaded nursing home. That way, people can stay in the same community.


 

Just what I said earlier.  We went through hell for 5 years because my mother in law thought we should quit our jobs and come to take care of her.  This the same mother in law who visited back home a few years earlier but did not even tell her children because she just wanted time to visit her friends.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 12, 2010)

*Upscale Retirement Community Living Is Not For Everybody.*




Rose Pink said:


> From reading all of the above posts I realize that different people want different things.  No surprise there.  Also, that even though you may be perfectly content in your current neighborhood, be it restricted or not, things change.  What works for someone 55 to 75 (or 95) may not work once his or her health becomes very fragile.


Friends & neighbors of ours -- parents of a guy we've known since we were in high school -- almost waited too late to move from their suburban home to a modest but comprehensive hi-rise retirement complex.  They should have made the move 5-10 years earlier.  As it was, we helped them deal with some of their excess belongings & get their home ready for sale -- even did repairs to fix the 2 items that got gigged on the purchaser's walk-through.  They felt that they got in just under the wire, based on their personal timetable mainly governed by their declining health. 

My stepmother made a semi-panic move into a gorgeous upscale hi-rise retirement complex when my father went in for cancer surgery.  He went along with her, feeling that taking care of her big ranch-style home on 3½ acres in Arlington VA would surely be more than they could handle.  We expected it to be a good move.  No more housework.  Plenty of new & old friends around.  Lots of fun activities.  Indoor parking for the old man's Cadillac.  Internet.  Restaurant meals.  New audiences for the old man's big store of great stories. 

Wrong. 

He hated it.  Groused & complained & fussed & fumed & just didn't not settle in.  Before long, they moved back to their oversize home on its oversize lot, paying for most of the service work needed to keep it up & running.  But the old man was content & stayed largely content until my stepmother became completely lost due to dementia & he started losing his own battle against 2 kinds of cancer.  Even so, they stayed there for the rest of the old man's life, assisted by full-time in-home help, who worked in shifts so that somebody was always there, 1st for my stepmother & later on for both of them.  

That worked out more or less OK as long as Dad was alive.  After he died, the center could no longer hold, & my stepmother's daughter soon made the decision to move my stepmother to an upscale facility for the care of people with Alzheimer's dementia.  My stepmother lasted another 2-3 years, but she was completely lost just about all the time.  Extremely sad. 

In Dad's case, I think his fear of loss of control of his life & his surroundings soured him on the retirement community idea, no matter how upscale & luxurious.  Also, his medical predicament I believe heightened his fear of financial insecurity, even though his wife was very well off & she bought the upscale condo & paid for lots of their expenses.  Even so, he felt frightened, I think, by his share of the monthly fees they had to pay.  Before, living with his wife in her paid-for home, some of the actual costs were hidden, or at least not so right out front for him to confront every month. 

I am not playing the _What If_ game.  What could have happened, did.  The whole experience, however, has made me aware of the need to have at least a rough idea of what I want to do when I am hard-core old folks, so that I can figure out what I need to do to get ready for that. 

Getting old is automatic (if you're lucky).  

_Growing_ old, with some measure of control, takes some forethought & some effort -- & no doubt a little bit of luck also. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## Rose Pink (Feb 12, 2010)

Alan, what you have described, living in one's own home, paying for housekeeping assistance and so on, can be ideal. _ It can also be very expensive_.  In our case, Dad is not willing to pay for any help so he and his house are filthy--and I mean *filthy*!  The house is in disrepair.  The yard is dead.  DH does not have the time to fix it up--we're still trying to keep our own house up on limited time.  Now, I am going to be tending my granddaughter two mornings a week so I have even less time to manage a second household.  (Of course, I'd have more time if I spent less time on TUG.  Would you miss me? )

I'm all for people being able to age in place, but there comes a time when we need to let go gracefully. I hope I recognize that when my time comes--should I live that long.


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## PStreet1 (Feb 12, 2010)

Fern gave a good summary.  We live (part time) in Sun City West, Arizona.  There are over 200 clubs, 7 golf courses, 4 beautiful Rec. Centers with bowling alley, indoor pool, indoor track, out door pools, woodworking shop, metalworking shop, stainted glass workshop, jewelry making facilities.......and the list goes on and on.  You can find a group that's interested in what you're interested in simply by going down the list of clubs. http://www.scwclubs.com/ 

Re-sale is, of course, limited to those old enough to purchase--but those people are the most stable buyers:  they generally have cash and they are capable of making a quick decision; they also have money enough that a home in a 55+ community could be a second home.

Few homes in our community are condos; most are single family homes.  The condos there are consist almost exclusively of duplexes.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 12, 2010)

AwayWeGo said:


> If I wait till I'm _really_ old, I'll no doubt be oblivious to all those pesky rules & regulations & restrictions & covenants, etc.
> 
> -- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​



Your killling me with these one liners!:rofl:


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 12, 2010)

Retirement (senior) communities and assisted living are two different things entirely.  You go to a retirement community if you like what it has to offer - not for care.  When you are infirmed and unable to perform certain functions by yourself, a retirement community is not the answer.  You need an assisted living community with trained and certified helpers.  Assisted living is very expensive but necessary if you have nobody in the family to take on your care.  

Some places offer "life care".  In other words, you start in your own apartment (condo, unit, whatever) where you take care of yourself.  When you can no longer perform all needed functions by yourself you move to the assisted living portion of the community.  When you need full time care, you move to the "nursing home" portion of the community.  The advantage to this is that you and your family don't  have to desperately search for help when it is need and circumstances change.  There can be economic advantage.  I think the main advantage is the peace of mind.


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## linandbri (Feb 13, 2010)

rapmarks said:


> we live in Estero - we have cultural events in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Rep, Barbara Mann Theatre, Naples Symphony, etc, etc. and we have Florida Gulf Coast University less than 5 miles away for more cultural activities. I am sure other parts of Florida have the same thing. We also have an arena 5 minutes away with hockey, stadium football, and concerts, and a large library outside our gate which offers mini classes and presentations. This is compared with living in Wisconsin Dells in the summer which has nothing cultural, period.
> 
> As I mentioned, our community is mixed, but I have never seen such active people. I think some people exercise all day. Walkers, bike riders, exercise room users, swimmers and water aerobics users and exercise and yoga class. then these people go out ont he golf course after 2:00 and walk 18 holes. .
> Tennis is very big here both playing in a group for fun and competitive leagues against other subdivisions.
> book clubs, card clubs, craft clubs, and lots of charity work too in addition to golf.  Also they have functions at the club, dinner dances, plays, etc, at least twice a week.



We are now thinking about the Naples area, it is difficlut when you know nothing about the area, except a week or 2 in a timeshare resort.  Why and how did you select your community? 
Linda


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## Rose Pink (Feb 13, 2010)

Consider the offerings of the city and county as well.  Many have parks and recreation programs that offer classes.  Some communities have colleges that offer adult education classes in a variety of subjects.  You don't have to worry about grades unless you want credit.  Even some school districts have these types of enrichment classes for adults.  You can take languages, a variety of excerise classes such as dance or martial arts, cooking classes, gardening, photography, computer and so on.

Some of my neighbors attend a senior center provided by the county.  They can buy a lunch for a $2 donation.  They have entertainment, various classes, card groups, and a host of other activities.  My 90 year old mom has started going to the one in her area.  The senior bus comes to pick her up as she can no longer drive.  She loves the commeraderie.  Not everyone is 90.


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## opusX (Feb 13, 2010)

If you want a very active lifestyle check out The Villages in central Florida. A true golf cart community, we have cart tunnels going under the main roads and a golf cart bridge going over Rt 441 & 27, with over 400 holes of golf plus anything else you can think of. It is a over 55 community but it is so large we have our own school for employee's children.

Currently over 35,000 single family homes from $100,000 up to $1,000,000. We have over 70 restaurants that are golf cart accessible along with every store from Wal-Mart's, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble etc., and I think there are about 12 grocery stores now. Live music at the town squares every night from 5-9 365 days a year. 

We are snow birds for the time being but every winter we stay longer. 

We had friends come down last year that visited Sun City near Tampa and they made the statement that people move to Sun City to die and they go to The Villages to live.


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## Pat H (Feb 13, 2010)

The Villages is a swinging place.

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/9283707/detail.html


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## ricoba (Feb 13, 2010)

Pat H said:


> The Villages is a swinging place.
> 
> http://www.clickorlando.com/news/9283707/detail.html



ewwww!


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## pedro47 (Feb 13, 2010)

We are looking into the Villages community in FL to relax and to enjoy the many cruising discounts that are offer to Fl residents.

Any thoughts on taxes advantages or disadvantages for the state?


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## Pat H (Feb 13, 2010)

There is no state income tax in FL. However, if you die in FL and your estate is over $80,000 it must go thru probate. If you own property it can be tied up for a quite a while before your heirs can sell it.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 13, 2010)

opusX said:


> If you want a very active lifestyle check out The Villages in central Florida. A true golf cart community, we have cart tunnels going under the main roads and a golf cart bridge going over Rt 441 & 27, with over 400 holes of golf plus anything else you can think of. It is a over 55 community but it is so large we have our own school for employee's children.
> 
> Currently over 35,000 single family homes from $100,000 up to $1,000,000. We have over 70 restaurants that are golf cart accessible along with every store from Wal-Mart's, Home Depot, Barnes and Noble etc., and I think there are about 12 grocery stores now. Live music at the town squares every night from 5-9 365 days a year.
> 
> ...



Your picture of heaven.  My picture of hell.  Golf cart accessible restaurants!  I may lose some sleep over this image. 

 I am not saying I am right and you are wrong.  We just have different taste.  I am sure it is the right fit for many people.  Unfortunately for me, too many retirement communities fit this mold.


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## John Cummings (Feb 13, 2010)

You need to carefully evaluate what is important to you. Don't be carried away by the glitz and glamor, etc. of these senior villages. Sit down and ask yourselves if that is what you really want.

We spent 10 years researching where we wanted to retire. We settled on what we wanted and moved here in 2002. I made a spread sheet listing our preferences, etc. We considered various states plus Mexico and Canada. We have lived in both Canada and Mexico and are fluent in Spanish. Canada was eliminated at the beginning and Mexico shortly after. We lived in Florida for 8 years and certainly did not want to live there again. Nevada was a definite no, no even though we visit there a lot but would never want to live there. So we ended up with either California or Arizona. For us it was a no brainer. California was where we wanted to live as we love it here.

Next we had to decide where in California we wanted to live. We owned homes in the San Diego and San Francisco Bay area and went back and forth between them. We love both areas as well as other parts of California. We lived several years in both Southern and Northern California. After everything was considered we bought a new home here in Murrieta. We then sold our other 2 homes.

My parents moved from Canada and retired to a seniors village in Arizona. We visited them often as we lived in San Diego at the time. I learned a lot from them about what NOT to do. They were 62 and very healthy when they retired. Their idea was to go away during the brutal summer heat so they stayed in Idaho and Colorado during the summers. That was fine when they were younger but as they got older it became more difficult to leave each summer. We decided that we wanted to live in an area where we didn't feel any need to go somewhere else. We do travel a lot but not to escape where we live.

We looked at seniors villages. There is a very nice one here in Murrieta and Sun City is only 7 miles from here. However we decided that we definitely did not want to live in one of those places. Though they look very appealing to some, they definitely aren't for us. We aren't interested in clubs, group activities, community pool, etc. We like to do our own thing how we want and when we want. I also am not interested in hearing about other's operations, aches, and pains which is quite common.

We bought a new home in a very nice neighborhood here in Murrieta, CA. We have our own pool and spa that we designed ourselves. We landscaped our home and made it into our personal resort. We don't have to do any of the work because we have a gardener that takes care of our yard, but my wife decides how we want it. We have a pool service. These 2 things together don't cost anymore than others pay in association fees.

I posted this not to tell others that our way was right but to make others really plan what they want based on their personal preferences. Make a spread sheet and document what you want. Take into account weather, nearby activities that you like to do, etc. Just make sure you really plan it out so you don't have to move later because you made a mistake.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 13, 2010)

Linda,
We knew the Vegas/Henderson area quite well from many visits over the years.  We had toyed with the idea of moving to the area many times, and had always thought that if we did we would move somewhere in Henderson, never in Vegas.

When we came to Vegas to visit, unlike most tourists, we always had a car and visited neighborhoods.  We made it a point to see how people lived, traffic patterns, where amenities were, etc.

You need to spend some time in Naples doing that, including some time in various seasons, especially the most brutal of them, which for me would be Summer.  Is Naples humid?  

You need to think about your lifestyle and what you want to do.  We are relatively near our community center, and that is good for us.  Some people are as much as three or more miles from a center.  We have a golf cart, too.  I know some ridicule it, but it works for us.  Inexpensive to run, ecologically sound, and easy to park.  Plus its solar heated in the winter 

Fern



linandbri said:


> We are now thinking about the Naples area, it is difficlut when you know nothing about the area, except a week or 2 in a timeshare resort.  Why and how did you select your community?
> Linda


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## opusX (Feb 13, 2010)

HaHa Like I said , it's an active lifestyle but we have never encountered the swingers LOL. Must just be who we hang out with. With any community as large as The Villages you get all types of people. This time of year the population is 70,000-75,000, it drops to around 60,000 during the summer

Don't know why you think a golf cart community would be hell. It is really like Disney World for adults.

There is no state income tax but they make up for it in other ways. The cost of living is what I would say is moderate.


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## rapmarks (Feb 13, 2010)

Pat H said:


> There is no state income tax in FL. However, if you die in FL and your estate is over $80,000 it must go thru probate. If you own property it can be tied up for a quite a while before your heirs can sell it.


 
Never knew this, have to ask my lawwyer.  Does this apply if everything is in a trust.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 13, 2010)

opusX said:


> HaHa Like I said , it's an active lifestyle but we have never encountered the swingers LOL. Must just be who we hang out with. With any community as large as The Villages you get all types of people. This time of year the population is 70,000-75,000, it drops to around 60,000 during the summer
> 
> Don't know why you think a golf cart community would be hell. It is really like Disney World for adults.
> 
> There is no state income tax but they make up for it in other ways. The cost of living is what I would say is moderate.





My wife and I don't particularly like Disney world.  We go with and for the grandkids.  But, like I said in my post it is strictly a matter of taste and would not think of ridiculing anyone for their choice.  What matters is what makes you happy - not what other people think.

The key points in this thread come down to doing your research and finding something to suit your taste, lifestyle, and IMO your health.  I think the health issue is important.   It seems that moving to an active lifestyle senior community is better done when you are younger - mid to late fities or early sixties.  This is particularly true if you are moving away from family.  Senior or retirement communities may take care of the grass and home maintenance but they don't take care of you.

If is a fact of life that debilitating illness is more likely the older we get.  I would not want to get hit by alzheimers or other age related illness while living away from family in a retirement community.  First, I would have to move out of the community to a place suited to my health and I would have to do it without the help of my children.  It is very hard to help someone who is further than a short car ride away when they have work and thier own children to care for.  I have seen this happen.  It can be a real mess.   I know of people who have moved to retirement communities in their seventies because they were still healthy and thought it would last forever.  I wish for their sake it would have worked out that way.  Unfortunately, their health deteriorated and it left them and their children in a real bind.  It all worked out eventually but at great emotional and financial cost.  This of course, is not how everyone feels about family and children.  For many it is not a factor.


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## zinger1457 (Feb 13, 2010)

I don't live in one but I'm a member of a golf club where many of the members live in an adjacent 55+ community so I get to hear all of their stories and complaints.  Sounds like one of the big problems is that many of the retired folks in the community have nothing to do and spend a great deal of time complaining or looking for things to complain about.  Some will walk around the community looking for any minor HOA infraction to write up against their neighbors, there'a a lot of infighting among the HOA members.  Some of the stories are funny to an outsider like me, it's like watching the Seinfeld episodes with his folks in Florida.  Personally I would prefer a mix of young and old in my neighborhood.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 13, 2010)

You forget, children move.  They have lives of their own.  There is no guarantee that your children will be in the same location in ten or fifteen years that they are now.  THEY might be across the country or even around the world.  

Fern



pgnewarkboy said:


> If is a fact of life that debilitating illness is more likely the older we get.  I would not want to get hit by alzheimers or other age related illness while living away from family in a retirement community.  First, I would have to move out of the community to a place suited to my health and I would have to do it without the help of my children.  It is very hard to help someone who is further than a short car ride away when they have work and thier own children to care for.  I have seen this happen.  It can be a real mess.   I know of people who have moved to retirement communities in their seventies because they were still healthy and thought it would last forever.  I wish for their sake it would have worked out that way.  Unfortunately, their health deteriorated and it left them and their children in a real bind.  It all worked out eventually but at great emotional and financial cost.  This of course, is not how everyone feels about family and children.  For many it is not a factor.


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## linandbri (Feb 13, 2010)

There are certainly a lot of different opinions.  I guess that is good, other wise we would all live in the same place.  We are planning on going to Florida in May, which I am sure at that time we will enjoy the weather.  Also if we think we want to move forward we will go back in July.  One of the reasons we want to move, is central Texas is very HOT in the summer and there is no ocean.  Some very good advice and it's always fun when the discussions gets lively.

 Linda


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## Pat H (Feb 13, 2010)

rapmarks said:


> Never knew this, have to ask my lawwyer.  Does this apply if everything is in a trust.



I don't know the answer to that.


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## ricoba (Feb 13, 2010)

I have found this thread interesting.  In fact it motivated me to watch the DVD that The Villages sent me awhile back. Not to say we are going to pack up to Florida, but this place is very interesting.

Overall, I think that the advice here is quite good.  Places like this work for some folks and they don't work for others.

As for us, we sort of like the idea of these types of communities especially when you see all the amenities that are available.  Yet again, I know it's not for everyone.  For example, The Villages DVD really plays up their golf advantage, but not being golfers, this just doesn't interest me in the least.  On the other hand, I like the continuing educational programs they offer.  So I guess everyone has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages for themselves.


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 13, 2010)

Fern Modena said:


> You forget, children move.  They have lives of their own.  There is no guarantee that your children will be in the same location in ten or fifteen years that they are now.  THEY might be across the country or even around the world.
> 
> Fern



Quite true.  We would probably move near at least one of them..Lucky for them.


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## opusX (Feb 13, 2010)

The Villages has a great hospital, I think it is over 200 beds. Many Many medical specialists, two very large assisted living facilities along with several nursing facilities. We do not plan on our kids taking care of us as we need it but are making plans for our own needs as we age.
We started coming here when we were 55 and are active, the active lifestyle keeps you young. I play golf with a fellow that is 102 and he plays 3 times a week and is still active playing cards and golf, getting out and visiting friends. 
You are right it is not for everybody but if any one is considering Florida for retirement they should visit The Villages. More people move to The Villages from Florida than any other state.
Fern, you are so right about kids, our son is about 5 hours from us in Florida but when we are in Ohio he is 14 hours. Our Daughter and her family have lived in Ohio, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Washington and now Virginia in the past 12 years. He works for a large corp. and gets transferred although they have been in Virginia 4 years but you never know for how long.


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## Rose Pink (Feb 13, 2010)

zinger1457 said:


> I don't live in one but I'm a member of a golf club where many of the members live in an adjacent 55+ community so I get to hear all of their stories and complaints. *Sounds like one of the big problems is that many of the retired folks in the community have nothing to do and spend a great deal of time complaining or looking for things to complain about. Some will walk around the community looking for any minor HOA infraction to write up against their neighbors*, there'a a lot of infighting among the HOA members. Some of the stories are funny to an outsider like me, it's like watching the Seinfeld episodes with his folks in Florida. Personally I would prefer a mix of young and old in my neighborhood.


 
Some of this--though certainly not all-might be attributed to vascular changes in the brain. It can be the beginning signs of certain dementias. It isn't limited to people living with an HOA but you would expect to find a greater concentration of people with dementia in a community limited by age. The same types of things can happen in any neighborhood with one neighbor reporting all the others for city or county ordinance infractions. It isn't limited to HOAs although I would guess it is more common there than out in the general county areas. Not that I think it is common in all developments.

Both of my sisters have lived in developments with HOAs. Both have been on their boards. One was president. Both have reported problems with compliance. Based on their experiences, I would not want to live in a community with an HOA but I would think a larger area (such as the one Fern lives in or the Villages) would be less likely to have big issues. Too many people. Small groups tend to fight more, IMO.

One of my sisters is looking at buying another home. She is almost 64. We talked on the phone today and one of the things she mentioned about buying property in this age of foreclosures is that if the home, condo or apartment has an HOA and a significant number of owners/renters default on the HOA dues, then the others have to make up the difference. They get hit with special assessments and other costs. If the properties foreclose or remain vacant, no one is paying the HOA dues on those properties. It makes a hardship on the other owners.

I would advise checking out the percentage of houses that are up for sale and the average time they are on the market. If possible, check out the finances of the HOA where you want to move. How much of a cushion do they have?


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## rapmarks (Feb 13, 2010)

pgnewarkboy said:


> My wife and I don't particularly like Disney world. We go with and for the grandkids. But, like I said in my post it is strictly a matter of taste and would not think of ridiculing anyone for their choice. What matters is what makes you happy - not what other people think.
> 
> The key points in this thread come down to doing your research and finding something to suit your taste, lifestyle, and IMO your health. I think the health issue is important. It seems that moving to an active lifestyle senior community is better done when you are younger - mid to late fities or early sixties. This is particularly true if you are moving away from family. Senior or retirement communities may take care of the grass and home maintenance but they don't take care of you.
> 
> If is a fact of life that debilitating illness is more likely the older we get. I would not want to get hit by alzheimers or other age related illness while living away from family in a retirement community. First, I would have to move out of the community to a place suited to my health and I would have to do it without the help of my children. It is very hard to help someone who is further than a short car ride away when they have work and thier own children to care for. I have seen this happen. It can be a real mess. I know of people who have moved to retirement communities in their seventies because they were still healthy and thought it would last forever. I wish for their sake it would have worked out that way. Unfortunately, their health deteriorated and it left them and their children in a real bind. It all worked out eventually but at great emotional and financial cost. This of course, is not how everyone feels about family and children. For many it is not a factor.


 
I know all about wht you are saying.  I did this for 5 years for my mother in law, we working in Illinois and she in Arizona with Alzheimer's.  Meanwhile, my father had a stroke in 1988, could not drive, my mother never drove, both parents were frequently hospitalized.  My mother is still alive at 91, she lives near my sisters.   realize that for 22 plus years anywhere she (or he) needed to go, one of us took them.  
Now my two aunts are 87 in Tucson.  since Thanksgiving, i have spent one to 4 hours every day on phone, computer, or doing paperwork for them.  they want to stay out there, they are in assisted living since jan 13.  My aunt with Alzheimers fell on Tuesday.  I was out, so my husband told them to call 911.  then two days later her hip was hurting and she went to emergency room.  I called the ER and i overheard how rude the nurse was talking to them.  They got in a taxi to go back to Assisted Living, and discovered two needles still in my aunt's arm.  Then the pain got worse and the Assisted Living had the doctor visit her.  Well, I called last night to see what the doctor said and my one aunt puts me on the phone with the one with Alzheimer's, so i have no idea what the doctor said as she doesn't know. She thinks she drove to Kmart to get a perscription.They are in Tucson and i am in Florida.So this is not easy and I am not sleeping well at all. Add to this some 'friends" who want to help them by helping them clean out their safety deposit box. i figure by the time everyone passes on, i will be in a nursing home myself.


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## Rose Pink (Feb 13, 2010)

*Rapmarks*

Hugs.  You need them.  If you have POA and can manage it, move them closer to you so you can manage their care better without having to kill yourself in the process.  Caregivers dementia is a real condition.


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## rapmarks (Feb 14, 2010)

Rose Pink said:


> Hugs. You need them. If you have POA and can manage it, move them closer to you so you can manage their care better without having to kill yourself in the process. Caregivers dementia is a real condition.


 
Problem is I live in Floria in winter and Wisconsin in summer.  Two of my sisters have too much to do with working and caring for my mothers.  Can't drop them on my sisters.  
Now my aunt called last night to say someone is coming to talk to them about Carmel's care.  I do not know who she is or who she represents, so I will be calling her early Monday morning to find the purpose of her visit.


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## PStreet1 (Feb 14, 2010)

One aspect to check out very thoroughly is property tax; it may well be totally different from what you assume it to be.  We were stunned at the property tax in Florida and Texas (no state income tax, so of course, the state has to get revenue somewhere) but from our perspective, they were getting too much.  We looked at places, which cost roughly the same as our house, in both states and discovered in some cases, property taxes/municipal taxes/water district taxes, etc. MORE than doubled the state income tax plus the property tax we were paying at that time.

As John says, there's far more to selecting a place you'll be happy with than just checking the weather.  Our advice would be don't make a snap decision; there are lots of factors worth investigating.  As we searched, we made a point of finding people who lived there to ask "What made you move here? and Would you do it today?"  We found people to be very willing to talk and very honest.  Sometimes the factors they brought up as pluses and minuses didn't matter to us, but a lot of the time they did, and we factored them into our evaluation.  Take your time.


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## Pat H (Feb 14, 2010)

PStreet1 said:


> Our advice would be don't make a snap decision; there are lots of factors worth investigating.  As we searched, we made a point of finding people who lived there to ask "What made you move here? and Would you do it today?"  We found people to be very willing to talk and very honest.  Sometimes the factors they brought up as pluses and minuses didn't matter to us, but a lot of the time they did, and we factored them into our evaluation.  Take your time.



When I was trying to decide, I did what Pat suggests. I was on a cruise with Fern and two of her lady friends from Sun City. I asked why they had moved there and would they do it again. They were both from NY and the weather was a big consideration. The 2 women were very different but they both said they would do it again. Both of them had been widowed after moving to SC and they felt that the support they had received was more than they would have gotten in their former locations. They also liked the active lifestyle because it kept them active and busy.

I've also read articles that say that people living in an active community stay healthier and live longer.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 14, 2010)

*Better Too Soon Than Too Late.*




Pat H said:


> I asked why they had moved there and would they do it again. They were both from NY and the weather was a big consideration. The 2 women were very different but they both said they would do it again.


The people I know who moved to 55+ communities mostly say their only mistake was not doing it years sooner.

The exception to that is my later father, who hated it over at the upscale hi-rise retirement haven even though he & my stepmother had a penthouse double-wide with all the amenities. (Their "double-wide" was built as 2 separate back-to-back large 1BR condos.  The common wall dividing them was between the living rooms of the 2 independent units.  The original buyer, a retired general, bought both side-by-side condos & had them joined by taking out part of the wall separating the 2 living rooms.  One of the 2 kitchens was converted to a regular room by removing all the appliances & cabinets & fixtures.  One of the 2 front doorways was walled over on the inside, although the actual door remained on the outside & from the hallway it looked like a regular condo door even though it did not open.  My father & stepmother paid a double monthly condo fee, because they owned 2 condos, despite the fact that the 2 units had been remodeled into 1 double-size condo.  But they only paid 1 monthly service fee, which covered cleaning, service, meals, parking, activities, recreation, & all that.) 

Despite living in the lap of retirement home luxury, the Old Man just could not accommodate himself to being in such close daily proximity to what he referred to as "all those decrepit old folks riding up & down in the elevators all bent over on their walkers," etc.  He made disparaging remarks all the time.  He complained out loud about the dining room meals & the service & the staff, even though those things were also very upscale & nice.  

When the old folks moved back to my stepmother's place, nobody at the retirement complex was sorry to see them go (except my stepmother's 90-year-old sister, who had her own condo in the other tower).  If my stepmother had been of sound mind, possibly she could have kept the old man in line.  Unfortunately, by then she was fast losing her mental concentration & was pretty much oblivious to the old man's fussing & complaining.

Everybody in the family pitched in & helped them clear out their excess furniture & belongings & get moved & settled in to the retirement place.  Then everybody pitched in all over again to get'm moved back when they left the retirement place after several unhappy months there.  Then after that, the old man complained about all the stuff they used to have that had been "stolen" from them in the move.  After hearing that a few times, I politely but pointedly told Dad that the people who helped him move twice did not appreciate hearing about his "stolen" stuff, in that everybody involved those 2 moves did major exertions for no reason other than to help him & my stepmother.  

What really peeved my father, I believe, was that he sensed he was on a decline that could only end at the graveyard & he was mad as hell about it.  He couldn't fuss & gripe about that, however, because that's ultimately where we'll all end up.  So instead he gave everybody both barrels about his "stolen" stuff & the awful food & the bent-over cripples riding up & down in the elevators, & all that.  

So it goes. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## fnover (Feb 14, 2010)

*Mox Nix*



AwayWeGo said:


> Even though I am old folks myself, I get the idea that sr. citz. has become a such a stereotype that it's easy to forget that sr. citz. are mainly just regular people, same as middle age people, same as younger adults.
> 
> The main differences among the age groups have to do with how far along people are in the ages & stages of development of their children or grandchildren or both.  Other than that, membership in any particular age group of adults is pretty much _mox nix._
> 
> ...



I haven't heard this expression since being stationed in Germany 1957 to 1959.


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## AwayWeGo (Feb 14, 2010)

*Everything Old Is New Again.*




fnover said:


> I haven't heard this expression since being stationed in Germany 1957 to 1959.


Useful expression -- I'm doing what I can to revive it. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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## fnover (Feb 14, 2010)

My wife and I currently live in a townhouse in West Central NJ (not age restricted) and are considering moving back to Atlanta because of the weather, cost of living and a daughter-in-law that is more apt to be less resentful of any care that we may require then our kids in NJ. 
Resentment by care givers is an important consideration as my sister-in-law discovered when she moved to an assisted living apartment in Birmingham AL at the insistence of her son and daughter-in law who also live in Birmingham . 
To cut to the chase, my sister-in-law and her daughter-in-law aren't speaking and my nephew is in the middle. This has happened because my sister-in-law had expected more in the way of support from my niece and nephew and they expected to have to do less as they are relatively young and both very busy and because of the assisted living arrangement.
After considering this and thinking all this through we came to another conclusion, that is sell to our townhouse and rent instead of buying a place in Atlanta. There are several reasons we came to this conclusion, by not buying we alleviate the burden on our children of having to sell a house when we pass, we can keep from using our IRAs except for the mandatory withdrawals and use the cash from the house for living expense and thereby reduce out tax burden. Since we want to move back to the Buckhead area we have many excellent rental choices. I am sure this strategy would not work for many people but we think it would work for us.


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## PStreet1 (Feb 14, 2010)

As far as whether a community (age restricted or not) would suit you, we found it important to try to access how it would be for us when we moved in, presumably as younger residents, but we also thought it important to talk to those 10-15 years older than we are.  Older people typically have problems with transportation and health care.

We looked for a community where we could find everything we needed "in the compound" if necessary:  grocery stores, recreation, doctors, hospital, hardware stores, etc.  So many of the elderly fear driving on main roads that, while we hope that never applies to us, we thought we should be where it wouldn't be necessary if we could no longer do it.  We wanted a hospital very close to us and doctors available "in compound" for the same reasons.  I have always considered myself extremely healthy and take only one regular pill; however, I found myself in the hospital for 2 weeks.  Having the hospital 8 blocks away was a tremendous help to my children and husband.  We also looked for a community that had health care shuttle buses, again, in case the time ever came that we needed to use them.

We also wanted to be sure that the community had airport transportation readily available in case we couldn't make the 45-60 min. drive on freeways someday.  

Anyway, while you can always move out, every year you age, it gets harder to manage big things like a move.  We have friends who just moved to a much smaller house while both are having health problems; it was very, very difficult for them.  10 years ago, one of them could have done it alone with no problem; not anymore.


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## csalter2 (Feb 14, 2010)

*Started Looking at a Younger Age*

I have found this thread very interesting. I have been thinking about retirement for a while and I just turned 50. When we vacation in other parts of the country we think about what it would be like to live there. Our timeshare experience has given us a peak at that. I moved here to Mission Viejo ten years ago with retirement in mind. I had mo ved to California 26 years ago from NY and had no intentions even back then to go toward snow again. I have lived in San Diego, Torrance and Redondo Beach in southern California and have found all of those places great spots. However, when I moved to Mission Viejo, I made the move with the thought that I was not going to move any more. I was thinking about retirement at 40. There are several restaurants, an upscale mall and a movie complex within a five to ten minute walk. Most importantly, there are several physicians and specialists that are also within walking distance with a major medical facility, Mission Hospital, also within walking distance. These were huge factors for me. As one get older you need exercise and driving may not always be possible so you don't have to be limited.  I love being able to drive 10 minutes to the beach as well. In addition, there is a community college that has various art events, along with Univ. of Calif. Irvine. Mission Viejo has senior communities and there is a major one in a neighboring city, called Laguna Woods. I have visited there several times for various reasons and it is well kept and they have all kinds of activities there. What is really interesting is that one of the houses next to me is a senior care facility. Someone has actually turned a home into a facility for senior residents. There are about 8 of them who live in it. I have been inside and it's actually nice in there. 

My decision was to stay where I could perhaps pickup some work projects when I retired. It's easier if you can stay close to your connections. I will have some maintenance on the yard and slope. I pay people to do it now and am thinking I can either continue to pay for it or since I will have more time , maybe I can do it myself so I won't get bored.  Also, with our timeshares, we can visit almost any place we want for a while. I like Hawaii, but I can't live there all of the time. I like Florida, but I also can't live there all of the time. However, I can stay in Florida, Palm Desert, Hawaii for a month or more using our timeshares. It gives us a lot of flexibility. Also, if my kids decide that they will live outside of California, that's not a problem because I can visit from my unit. 

The only downside to living in California is the cost of living. It is very high. Taxes are very high here. I hope to not have a house note when I retire and that should help me immensely. 

I love having my freedom and lots of things to do. I can't imagine living any where else. It is not too hot and not too cold. If I want to go skiing, it's only a couple of hours away.


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## ricoba (Feb 14, 2010)

csalter2 said:


> ....The only downside to living in California is the cost of living. It is very high. Taxes are very high here. I hope to not have a house note when I retire and that should help me immensely.



For us this is the major killer and a big reason we want to get out of LA in spite of the beautiful weather...like today at 80 degrees... 

Our beautiful state is in such a financial mess, I just think way too many of us are going to be looking for the door out in the future...kind of sad


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## rapmarks (Feb 15, 2010)

Just to mention:  our original intention was to look for an over 55 community.  when we decided on Southwet Florida, we discovered that most communities were not over 55.  we moved to a mixed community, but it is pretty geared toward older.


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## John Cummings (Feb 15, 2010)

ricoba said:


> For us this is the major killer and a big reason we want to get out of LA in spite of the beautiful weather...like today at 80 degrees...
> 
> Our beautiful state is in such a financial mess, I just think way too many of us are going to be looking for the door out in the future...kind of sad



There are many other states in pretty bad fiscal condition. Arizona is one of them.

There are beautiful areas of California that are much cheaper than Los Angeles. Where I live in the Temecula Valley is great and the cost of housing is very cheap now. You can get a nice 3,000 sq. ft. home for $200,000 or less. Those same homes sold for $600,000 3-4 years ago.

I never compared cost of living nor taxes when I did my research. All I was interested in was could we afford to live there, not which place was the cheapest.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 15, 2010)

*Freebies for Retirement*

There are a few things you should think about getting.  The first is a publication called Where to Retire.  You can request a free copy from their website, or you can buy it from many bookstores if you can't wait.

There is also a website called Find Your Spot, that asks you a series of questions, then points you towards places to think about.  They also have information about the price of houses, cost of living, etc., of your choices.

Fern


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## linandbri (Feb 15, 2010)

rapmarks said:


> we live in Estero - we have cultural events in Naples and Fort Myers, Florida Rep, Barbara Mann Theatre, Naples Symphony, etc, etc. and we have Florida Gulf Coast University less than 5 miles away for more cultural activities. I am sure other parts of Florida have the same thing. We also have an arena 5 minutes away with hockey, stadium football, and concerts, and a large library outside our gate which offers mini classes and presentations. This is compared with living in Wisconsin Dells in the summer which has nothing cultural, period.
> 
> As I mentioned, our community is mixed, but I have never seen such active people. I think some people exercise all day. Walkers, bike riders, exercise room users, swimmers and water aerobics users and exercise and yoga class. then these people go out ont he golf course after 2:00 and walk 18 holes. .
> Tennis is very big here both playing in a group for fun and competitive leagues against other subdivisions.
> book clubs, card clubs, craft clubs, and lots of charity work too in addition to golf.  Also they have functions at the club, dinner dances, plays, etc, at least twice a week.



As  I mentioned we are now exploring your area, can I ask what the name of your community is?  Sounds like something we would like.

Thanks, Linda


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## csalter2 (Feb 15, 2010)

*Costs Matter*



John Cummings said:


> There are many other states in pretty bad fiscal condition. Arizona is one of them.
> 
> There are beautiful areas of California that are much cheaper than Los Angeles. Where I live in the Temecula Valley is great and the cost of housing is very cheap now. You can get a nice 3,000 sq. ft. home for $200,000 or less. Those same homes sold for $600,000 3-4 years ago.
> 
> I never compared cost of living nor taxes when I did my research. All I was interested in was could we afford to live there, not which place was the cheapest.



Cost is a major consideration for people when they are considering where to retire. Most people are looking to stretch their paychecks/retirment checks as far as possible. I like the Murrieta area. It is nice there. However, it is way too hot for me during the summer.


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## John Cummings (Feb 16, 2010)

csalter2 said:


> Cost is a major consideration for people when they are considering where to retire. Most people are looking to stretch their paychecks/retirment checks as far as possible. I like the Murrieta area. It is nice there. However, it is way too hot for me during the summer.



There is no way that I would retire somewhere just because it was cheaper. I am retired and my point is that I was NOT looking for cheap but looking for the best place we could find that we could afford to live the lifestyle that we wanted. We love the hotter drier weather here than the coast but not the brutal heat like Phoenix, Palm Springs, Las Vegas, etc., nor the humidity of Florida. When we first moved to San Diego several years ago, we lived in La Jolla at the cove. It was nice but I didn't like the marine layer and dampness.

It takes all kinds to make a world. It would be pretty bad if everybody wanted to live in the same place.


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## rapmarks (Feb 16, 2010)

linandbri said:


> As I mentioned we are now exploring your area, can I ask what the name of your community is? Sounds like something we would like.
> 
> Thanks, Linda


 
We live in The Villages of Country Creek, Estero Fl 33928.
It is off exit 123 from I75, 3 major malls within 5 miles, beach nearby, and Ft Myers and Naples 12 to 15 miles away.  Also the University close by and the airport less than 10 miles away.  We also have a golf course, but pay only $38 per quarter to support it, it is paid for by $20 green fees. /we are really happy we found it.  We live in one of the sections of single family homes, but all lawn, yard, irrigation, pest control etc, is done by the association.


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## pwrshift (Feb 16, 2010)

I don't think it's more difficult than for a Canadian to move to the U.S., especially when I see the cost of healthcare down there ... something aging people must prepare for. When I was in NH last Sept I think I ate something that gave me vertigo ... couldn't walk or drive and very scary, so had an ambulance take me to the hospital about 10 miles away.  My insurance company got the invoice and just for the EMS service it was $1500 -- in Canada it's $45 for an ambulance.  

As others have mentioned, it's difficult to decide where to live long term in retirement ... most of the nice places are too hot in summer and/or too cold in winter.

Didn't DaveM move to a Sun City development in Hilton Head? Wonder how he feels about it now ... that is if he is ever home anymore from spending his chache of Marriott Reward points. 

Brian



pgnewarkboy said:


> We have been Toronto and loved it. Wish we could join you there but hear it is difficult for American's to move to Canada.


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## Fern Modena (Feb 16, 2010)

Health insurance is an important consideration for Americans, especially if you plan on moving before you are Medicare eligible.  We both did (I still am not 65).  Luckily our retirement carries nationwide PPO health insurance through United Healthcare.  I pay $172. a month (it was only $79. a month seven years ago).  I have a copay, but it is small, and I am mostly covered for medicines...in fact, Jerry is eligible for a Medicare Part "D" waiver due to the coverage we have.

I have friends who moved without healthcare, and on the open market it was very expensive to obtain coverage...$600-800. a month, with steep deductibles.  So this is something you need to check into before you move.  Had we not had the healthcare insurance we do, we wouldn't have moved.  At this point, Jerry has had about $1. Million in billable healthcare since he retired...

Fern


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## pgnewarkboy (Feb 16, 2010)

pwrshift said:


> I don't think it's more difficult than for a Canadian to move to the U.S., especially when I see the cost of healthcare down there ... something aging people must prepare for. When I was in NH last Sept I think I ate something that gave me vertigo ... couldn't walk or drive and very scary, so had an ambulance take me to the hospital about 10 miles away.  My insurance company got the invoice and just for the EMS service it was $1500 -- in Canada it's $45 for an ambulance.
> 
> As others have mentioned, it's difficult to decide where to live long term in retirement ... most of the nice places are too hot in summer and/or too cold in winter.
> 
> ...



I am not sure at all but have the idea that there are issues with buying property there if you are not canadian.  We really enjoy Canada.  We have been to Toronto and outskirts, Vancouver, Whistler, Montreal, Quebec.  Canada has much in the way of natural resources and the weather may become warmer with time.  My only real problem would be moving away from the children and grandchildren.  Don't want to do that.  I would have to convince them to move there with us.


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## hvacrsteve (Feb 16, 2010)

We thought about it, we are too much fun to do something like that!

I work for a bunch of them and I like to see the young blood to make me feel and stay young, whether I am or not!


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## John Cummings (Feb 16, 2010)

pwrshift said:


> I don't think it's more difficult than for a Canadian to move to the U.S., especially when I see the cost of healthcare down there ... something aging people must prepare for. When I was in NH last Sept I think I ate something that gave me vertigo ... couldn't walk or drive and very scary, so had an ambulance take me to the hospital about 10 miles away.  My insurance company got the invoice and just for the EMS service it was $1500 -- in Canada it's $45 for an ambulance.
> 
> As others have mentioned, it's difficult to decide where to live long term in retirement ... most of the nice places are too hot in summer and/or too cold in winter.
> 
> ...



Americans 65 and over receive Medicare so health-care is generally not an issue for retired folks. I have a Medicare Advantage plan which covers everything with no co-pays, no deductibles, and there is no monthly premium. Some folks have medigap policies that cover the things that are not covered by Medicare.

I don't want this to develop into a political issue. I am just pointing out that the cost of health-care is not really an issue for the vast majority of retired people. The issue is living somewhere that has good medical facilities nearby.


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## linandbri (Feb 16, 2010)

rapmarks said:


> We live in The Villages of Country Creek, Estero Fl 33928.
> It is off exit 123 from I75, 3 major malls within 5 miles, beach nearby, and Ft Myers and Naples 12 to 15 miles away.  Also the University close by and the airport less than 10 miles away.  We also have a golf course, but pay only $38 per quarter to support it, it is paid for by $20 green fees. /we are really happy we found it.  We live in one of the sections of single family homes, but all lawn, yard, irrigation, pest control etc, is done by the association.



Thank you, sounds great.  Do you find the weather similar to Naples?


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## Pat H (Feb 16, 2010)

John Cummings said:


> I have a Medicare Advantage plan which covers everything with no co-pays, no deductibles, and there is no monthly premium.



Can you explain this? Is it a one time upfront premium?


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## John Cummings (Feb 16, 2010)

Pat H said:


> Can you explain this? Is it a one time upfront premium?



No, there is no additional premium of any kind. You just have to be enrolled in Medicare parts A and B. There are 11 million seniors that have Medicare Advantage plans. There are 48 different Medicare Advantage plans offered where I live. Mine is from Health Net. You can check the official Medicare web site for a comparison of all the plans offered in your area. They are not offered in all areas of the country. They are financed by Medicare which pays the insurance company for each subscriber.

It also covers prescription drugs, and many other additional benefits.


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## Pat H (Feb 16, 2010)

Thanks, John. I didn't realize there was such a plan. I wonder why my mom pays $300+ month to BC/BS? I'll have to look into it for her.


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## hvsteve1 (Feb 16, 2010)

When my dear old dad's friends kept asking him to follow them to Florida, he would say, "I don't want to live anywhere the neighbor's refer to us as "the kids".:whoopie:


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## CarolF (Feb 16, 2010)

I have never considered moving to a 55+ community but this informative thread has made me realise it is never too early to think about the future.





Fern Modena said:


> There is also a website called Find Your Spot, that asks you a series of questions, then points you towards places to think about.  They also have information about the price of houses, cost of living, etc., of your choices.
> 
> Fern



I did this quiz just for fun and think it's terrific.  Thanks Fern.  Apparently I would be right at home in:

Honolulu, Hawaii 
San Luis Obispo-Atascadero, California 
Ojai, California
Santa Cruz, California 
Valencia, California 
Santa Barbara, California 
Ventura, California 
Makawao-Paia, Hawaii 
Las Vegas, Nevada 
Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii 

amongst many others.  

Now I just have to work out where exactly they are .


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## pwrshift (Feb 16, 2010)

John .. I was referring to what I thought was the high cost of medical in the USA for anyone moving from Canada - or are you suggesting that Canadians can get medicare too?

Brian



John Cummings said:


> ...Americans 65 and over receive Medicare so health-care is generally not an issue for retired folks.
> 
> ...I am just pointing out that the cost of health-care is not really an issue for the vast majority of retired people.


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## John Cummings (Feb 17, 2010)

pwrshift said:


> John .. I was referring to what I thought was the high cost of medical in the USA for anyone moving from Canada - or are you suggesting that Canadians can get medicare too?
> 
> Brian



I misunderstood you. Canadians can get Medicare if they immigrate as a permanent resident ( aka Green Card ) and pay for it. It is a little more complicated than that. My parents moved from Canada to the US when my dad retired. They immigrated as permanent residents and got Medicare but I don't know the details other than they had to pay for Part A which is free for Americans. They paid the same amount for Part B as Americans do. They have both passed away so I can't ask them. I do know that my mother had a Medicare Advantage plan like I do.


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## rapmarks (Feb 17, 2010)

linandbri said:


> Thank you, sounds great. Do you find the weather similar to Naples?


 
we have the same temperatures as Naples, basically the same weather.  sometimes it will rain there and not here, other times the opposite.  it does not rain very much in the winter.  We looked at Naples and liked it, but the traffic was so heavy.  They do have a lot of North South roads and Estero and Bonita now have some options too, but Fort Myers  needs more north south roads or you get tied up in traffic.  



Just a comment.  Not everyone is entitled to Medicare at age 65.  As Illinois teachers we did not pay into Medicare and I had to go out and earn 40 credits after I retired so I could be on Medicare and my husband gets on as my spouse with my SS number on his Medicare card.


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## fnover (Feb 17, 2010)

pgnewarkboy said:


> I am not sure at all but have the idea that there are issues with buying property there if you are not canadian.  We really enjoy Canada.  We have been to Toronto and outskirts, Vancouver, Whistler, Montreal, Quebec.  Canada has much in the way of natural resources and the weather may become warmer with time.  My only real problem would be moving away from the children and grandchildren.  Don't want to do that.  I would have to convince them to move there with us.



I don't know if there are any hurdles to buying property in Canada for US citizens but my daughter-in-law's uncle, who lives in Alabama, own a summer home in Whistler and he and his wife love it there.


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## John Cummings (Feb 17, 2010)

rapmarks said:


> ...Just a comment.  Not everyone is entitled to Medicare at age 65.  As Illinois teachers we did not pay into Medicare and I had to go out and earn 40 credits after I retired so I could be on Medicare and my husband gets on as my spouse with my SS number on his Medicare card.



Did you not get health insurance as teachers if you weren't part of Medicare?


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## linandbri (Feb 18, 2010)

rapmarks said:


> Just to mention:  our original intention was to look for an over 55 community.  when we decided on Southwet Florida, we discovered that most communities were not over 55.  wye moved to a mixed community, but it is pretty geared toward older.



I discovered a 55+ community very close to you called The Cascades.  Have you seen it?

Linda


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## Ann-Marie (Feb 18, 2010)

We built a house in Sun City, S.C. 3 1/2 years ago.  My hubby was 53 and I was 52 at the time.  We have both retired early, however not by choice.  My DH has wanted to move south for years.  I was very particular about where I lived, and the house I lived in.  Also, if I was going to a 55 and over community, I wanted to build so that chances are my neighbors were young as well.  Maybe not as young as us, but a lot younger than if you buy in a neighborhood where many of the owners are in their 80's.  BTW, we bought at ago 51 because 10% of the community can be between 50 and 55.  We have had it rented because unfortunately the economy took a nose dive and we needed to make some more cash and pay off our parent plus loans.  That being accomplished, we are now taking the plunge.  We will be part-timers, keeping our house on LI for a few more years.  I can't wait to go.  The interesting thing is that I can't wait for all the companionship and availability of things to do including much needed exercise.  My DH is 56 and I am 55.  I actually think that some of the older folks that I have seen in the gym can do dances around me. I am so out of shape that I need that encouragement of older people being in better shape than me to get me moving again.  Our goal is to be there by Jan., 2011, maybe sooner if our tenant moves out sooner.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Feb 18, 2010)

John, teachers in California and some other states, don't pay into Social Security and therefore, until 19867, when this was changed (but had to be offered by each district), didn't pay into and couldn't get Medicare. My mom didn't have Medicare, but did have her continuing insurance through LA Community College District. Unfortunately, very few districts now offer insurance past retirement and any teachers who were to close to retirement in 1987, would not have been able to get the 10 years required of Medicare deductions to qualify.
Liz


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## rapmarks (Feb 18, 2010)

John Cummings said:


> Did you not get health insurance as teachers if you weren't part of Medicare?


 
we paid out of pocket to the Teachers Retirement Insurance system til we reached 65, then we had to go to non Medicare primary or Medicare primary.  There are a lot of retired teachers in the non medicare primary pool, and it is expensive.  I earned enough credits to get us on Medicare, but we get hit with the income bump, so it is costly for us.  Then we buy the supplemental insurance from the Illinois retired teachers .  We ended up paying more insurance costs now that we are on Medicare than we did before we hit 65.  But we pay less out of pocket with deductibles.  
I went to fill my Prevacid perscription and with my insurance it is $500 co-pay.   
Any teacher hired after 1986 has to pay into Medicare, so the issue will be resolved in a few years.


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## linandbri (Feb 18, 2010)

One of the reasons we are considering moving is my DH has a terrible time here in Austin during Cedar/Mold season.

Rapmarks

 I understand that he may also have problems with allergies in Southwest Florida.  Do you have any experience with that?

Thanks,  Linda


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## rapmarks (Feb 18, 2010)

re allergies:  I have a terrible time with allergies, but mroe so in Arizona and Wisconsin/Illinois than Florida.  But we don't stay here in the summer.  I have trouble when they put mulch down in the entire subdivision.

Earlier I mentioned my aunts in Tucson.  My aunt (the one without Alzheimers) went to the hospital today, turned out to be a stroke.  They say they won't find anything out til tomorrow.  The other sister is calling and calling.  Both have very severe hearing loss and my aunt can't speak right now, and Carmel keeps calling the hospital and getting Madlyn agitated with worry.  They asked me to tell Carmel not to call, which i have done, but she doesn't remember. 
The assistant to their financial advisor is going to go to the hospital after work, and see how my aunt is, and let me know.  I don't know why, but my aunt called me and all my sisters last night, not to complain or to need anything, just talked.


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## Rose Pink (Feb 18, 2010)

rapmarks said:


> ... I don't know why, but my aunt called me and all my sisters last night, not to complain or to need anything, just talked.


Maybe she knows it's her time.  I had a friend do that.  She called me a few weeks before she died.  I was at work at the time and did not have the time to talk at length.  Little did I know it was the last time in this life that I would hear her voice.  I had no idea she was that sick.


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## linandbri (Feb 18, 2010)

rapmarks

thanks for the info and good luck with your Aunt.  It is so difficult when they are that old and sick.

Linda


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## Bxian (Apr 26, 2010)

Awaywego-what is the name of the community you visited north of Sacremento?


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## PStreet1 (Apr 26, 2010)

Pat H said:


> Thanks, John. I didn't realize there was such a plan. I wonder why my mom pays $300+ month to BC/BS? I'll have to look into it for her.



Medicare Advantage plans vary a great deal from place to place: some are terific; some aren't.  The Medicare Advantage plan that covers all of the Sun Cities area in Arizona (Sun City, 100,000 people; Sun City West, 40,000 people; Sun City Grand, 20,000 people) is called Medisun.  You assign your Medicare benefits to the program, and that's the end of your cost, except for some small co-pays.  We aren't part of Medisun because we travel a lot and live part of the year in Mexico, but everyone I know who is part of Medisun loves it; they, too, travel, and emergency medical services are covered no matter where they occur.  I'm not sure why we haven't joined, but now, I think we'll wait and see what shakes out of the Health Care Bill  (not intended to start a political discussion--just a statement of my needing to see what happens).


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## pwrshift (Apr 26, 2010)

*Robson Communities*

I must have filled in a form with Robson Communities in Phoenix years ago as each year they send me some material, videos, etc. that really look nice.  They always treat me with respect when they call.

As a Canadian, aging in America`s healthcare system really concerns me and suspect I`d be better to weather our weather and stay here, close to my kids and their families.

However, if you can stand the summers, this place does look very nice.  

http://www.robson.com/page.cfm?name=PebbleCrk_

Brian


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## DeniseM (Apr 27, 2010)

Bxian said:


> Awaywego-what is the name of the community you visited north of Sacremento?



He visited friends in Reno, which is actually east of Sacramento, in Nevada,  and I believe this is the community there.   

There is a Del Webb community north of Sacramento in Roseville.


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## AwayWeGo (Apr 28, 2010)

*Sun City Lincoln Hills.*




Bxian said:


> Awaywego-what is the name of the community you visited north of Sacremento?


The location is Lincoln, California. 

I'm pretty sure the community must be Sun City Lincoln Hills. 

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​


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