New Retirement Community Listings and UpdatesThoughts about retirement communities, places to retire, retirement living, programs, news, updates and announcements. Mar 15, 2010, Military Retirement CommunitiesMilitary Retirement communities near va hospitals and military bases. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Military Retirement Communities" Mar 12, 2010, Manufactured Homes CaliforniaFind listings of Manufactured homes California, manufactured homes Southern California and area descriptions. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Manufactured Homes California" Mar 10, 2010, Manufactured Homes Washington StateManufactured homes Washington State--find homes and communities. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Manufactured Homes Washington State" Mar 10, 2010, Real Estate UpdateReal Estate Update for retirement communities. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Real Estate Update" Mar 10, 2010, RV Resorts-ArizonaRV Resorts-Arizona offers listings of RV resorts for seniors. Permalink -- click for full blog post "RV Resorts-Arizona" Mar 9, 2010, Manufactured Homes ArizonaManufactured homes Arizona offers listings of communities and homes for sale in over 55 communities. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Manufactured Homes Arizona" Mar 9, 2010, New Jersey Retirement CommunitiesFind New Jersey Retirement Communities Permalink -- click for full blog post "New Jersey Retirement Communities" Mar 9, 2010, Central Florida Retirement CommunitiesCentral Florida retirement communities Permalink -- click for full blog post "Central Florida Retirement Communities" Mar 8, 2010, Florida Retirement CommunitiesFlorida retirement communities for over 55 Permalink -- click for full blog post "Florida Retirement Communities" Mar 3, 2010, Two Presentations: Meet the Builder and Florida SeminarHere are two presentations by active adult communities I find interesting. If you are in these areas, you may wish to attend. Meet the Builder: Westbury, New York (Long Island) - Imagine being able to meet your builder (Beechwood Builders) personally and ask questions - now that's customer service - I love it. Being able to hear a presentation from the builder is a great idea. Saturday, March 6 2010 - RSVP to Meadowbrook Pointe Links and Spa 631-696-0300 Florida Seminar - in Herndon, Virginia If you can't get to Florida, let Florida come to you. If you would like to know more about the state's different regions, latest trends in home prices and living expenses, where to look for what you want and today's Housing Opportunities, these are topics being presented in this seminar. Terra Vista of Citrus Hills and Brentwood at Terra Vista are two communities in the "Nature Coast," Citrus County. Learn more about Florida and this area specifically. Date: Saturday, March 13th - Hilton Washington at Dulles Airport - or Sunday, March 14th at Tysons Corner Marriott - Advance Registration: 800-511-0814 - Save yourself a trip to Florida. (Please confirm all above information with the communities.) Permalink -- click for full blog post "Two Presentations: Meet the Builder and Florida Seminar" Mar 2, 2010, Food Discoveries for AgingI know, maybe you aren't interested in food discoveries on a retirement communities site, however, what you eat becomes more important as you age and a huge part of retirement. Here are some of my own most important "discoveries." But be sure to check with your doctor before using any of these tips. 1) Use the Herb Shaker more and the Salt Shaker less. Put out several herbs on your dining table. My favorites are oregano, cinnamon, turmeric and basil. As you age, herbs are beneficial in many ways including flavor and nutrients. 2) Drink more water and the liquids cocoa, tea and wine. Cocoa (and chocolate) is being studied extensively since it is showing in some studies to reduce high blood pressure when taken at certain levels. Here is a good website to buy cocoa that is higher in flavanols. Cirkuhealth by Mars 3) Eat papaya I eat papaya daily and informed my grocer to keep a supply for me. I was surprised when he told me they were not popular--so you need to ask. Papaya has papain, a digestant related to that in pineapple--this is good for seniors whose digestion isn't what it used to be. Also, it is very high in Vitamin A and beta carotene which are known to help vision. The other interesting thing about papaya is a special vitamin called beta cryptoxanthin. Read about this nutrient on the Whole Foods website: Beta Cryptoxanthin
Here is a great description of papaya by Whole Foods website: We are all unique and some foods may be more beneficial for you than these. Explore food's properties and eat the rainbow. Be sure you have your favorite foods available to you at your retirement community. Part of my goal is to help you plan for a better retirement and increase your awareness of retirement needs ahead of time. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Food Discoveries for Aging" Mar 2, 2010, New Retirement Communities for Spring 2010Yes, I'm on it--looking for new retirement communities that come out for the Spring market. They usually appear along with spring flowers starting in January. Well, it's March and Spring is not far away--for me, that means there are new active adult communities to post to my website. Although not as plentiful as in the last few years, here are a just a few of the great selections I will be posting: Coming: Four Seasons Del Ray Beach, Florida, by KHovnanian Homes and Long Acre Village in Camden, Delaware also by Khov. Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club by Lennar in San Antonio, Florida Greenbrier Fox Ridge by Lennar condominiums from the $200,000's in Wharton, New Jersey. Del Webb - Orlando in Davenport, Florida-coming soon. It's time to take another look at your favorite builders new communities. Permalink -- click for full blog post "New Retirement Communities for Spring 2010" Mar 2, 2010, Smaller Homes by Big BuildersSmall homes by big builders are definitely the new thing in retirement communities. Before our economy took a dive, it was hard to find small single-family homes, and so many retirees were left out who like small homes for retirement. Not everyone needs a large home or wants one. But also due to the economy, not everyone wants a higher-priced large home. Builders do extensive surveys and this is what they report. So here are some builders of active adult communities with smaller home offerings. The way I found them is to go to their website and select "Find Homes," and then select the "Advanced Options." Usually the Advanced Options will allow you to put in the square footage you are looking for. (Be sure to click on Active Adult.) Even Toll Brothers, known for large homes and luxury, have a couple nice smaller square footage homes: 1795 SF (small for them) at low $300,000's in Cranbury, NJ. (they have some smaller square footages in their townhouse and condominiums.) Dell Webb - A main, large builder, has many, many options in various states nationwide. Sun City Festival in Arizona has a 1099SF plan starting from $141,990. Shea Homes - Trilogy at Rio Vista in California has a 1153SF home priced from $176,990. They show 3 collections at this community and one is a smaller home collection. KHOV - We are looking forward to their semi-attached villas coming soon starting at 1087SF and upper $190,000's starting price in Durham, North Carolina. Lennar - Virginia Heritage at Lee's Parke - Fredericksburg, VA from $219,990. Time to re-check those builders for all the wonderful new small home plans coming out. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Smaller Homes by Big Builders" Feb 25, 2010, Coq Au Vin, Egg Noodles and LoveYesterday I made coq au vin after watching Martha Stewart's show where she prepared it with chefs Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert. I try to eat meat only once or twice a week because I want more fish and veggie meals. However, this recipe as they cooked it looked so good--chicken cooked in wine--that brown savory sauce covering all--it was just too much. So since I was shopping that day, I bought a nice organic chicken already cut up. I even bought an inexpensive wine since the recipe called for a whole bottle. There was one other part of the show that didn't look so easy but inspired me. That was the egg noodles--homemade. Now if you've ever made homemade noodles, you know it can be a challenge--if you don't have a pasta maker. I remembered the last time I made noodles--they turned out lumpy, heavy, doughy--they couldn't be worse. But believe it or not I had a grandmother who made the best egg noodles you would ever eat. I remember the day she was showing me how to make them--I wish I had listened. Her egg noodles had a lightness and fluffiness that made them seem to be made in heaven. They were fresh and fragrant as they slid into the chicken soup. So that did it, once again I would try making those noodles. I followed the instructions on the Martha show--seemed simple enough. Egg, flour, a little water. Blend them together, roll out the dough. Rolling the dough--my dough was plain stubborn. As I rolled to make it thinner, it would stretch and then shrink back into its thick former self. So it went on--roll, stretch, shrink back. I pictured my grandmother and began to pray, thinking if those who went before us can look down on us, surely she could help me figure out how she did it. Tell me what to do, grandma, I thought. Then, was it a miracle, my dough as I rolled it out, formed a perfect heart shape. This is true. I disbelievingly stared at it with eyes smarting. Well, the egg noodles weren't too bad, but not even close to grandma's. If it was grandma sending me a message through that perfect heart shaped dough, I realized she was telling me she loved me all the same. That was grandma. If you missed this fun show and fabulous recipe, Coq Au Vin Martha Stewart video Permalink -- click for full blog post "Coq Au Vin, Egg Noodles and Love" Feb 22, 2010, Saving Home Energy Begins at Home with Green BuildingSaving home energy - start saving with Green Building Permalink -- click for full blog post "Saving Home Energy Begins at Home with Green Building" Feb 16, 2010, Assisted Living CommunitiesAssisted living communities and continuing care communities in the United States. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Assisted Living Communities" Feb 13, 2010, Southeast Retirement CommunitiesSoutheast Retirement Communities listings and reviews. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Southeast Retirement Communities" Jan 29, 2010, Updates to Military Retirement CommunitiesHere are a few updates to my military retirement communities page. I am very excited to report that I have heard from the expert who will be interviewed for upcoming article. This means it won't be long now for those of you waiting for this new exciting expert interview. Maybe a couple of weeks. Check back. Please email me soon with your questions if you'd like me to cover it in the interview. Also, notice the new video I have posted to the military page. This is an excellent video I found for anyone wanting to view some stories about retirees. The homebuyers 2010 Tax Credit is extended for military beyond the normal deadline. See page for link and qualifications. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Updates to Military Retirement Communities" Jan 29, 2010, Best Guide Is Now on Twitter--Follow MeA few days ago I joined the Twitter network. While at my daughter's, she took the time to explain this phenomenon to me and I was fascinated. I would like to occasionally blog about how seniors can go about joining and participating in Twitter. Many do not and I think they are really missing out. Maybe it's because they don't know how to do it or don't understand it--as was the case for me. Check back for my Twitter education for seniors--and tweet. Follow me--just sign in to www.twitter.com/guideretirement--sign up for an account if you haven't joined yet and click the Follow button to follow me. Or see the Twitter icon on my site's home page, click to follow me. More on this later--still learning.
Permalink -- click for full blog post "Best Guide Is Now on Twitter--Follow Me" Jan 27, 2010, Maryland Retirement CommunitiesMaryland Retirement Communities Permalink -- click for full blog post "Maryland Retirement Communities" Jan 19, 2010, Retirement Frederick MarylandRetirement Frederick Maryland area and retirement communities in Middletown and New Market, Maryland. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Retirement Frederick Maryland " Jan 18, 2010, Volunteering at Retirement CommunitiesThere are many opportunities for volunteering at retirement communities. I recently visited a community where it was actually pointed out to me that there was an active involvement and interest in volunteering there - The Village at Foxfield in Frederick County, Maryland. They call it Foxfield's "Spirit of Giving." Their donations support the Heartly House for Frederick County victims. Giving can take many forms such as new clothes donations, food donations, gift cards from local merchants, car repair payments, personal care items, and household items. The Eastern Shore community of Symphony Village has a community outreach program, volunteering in local schools. Cookbooks were created by residents and sold for a local hospice. Opportunities to volunteer are typical at retirement communities everywhere. Often seniors want to give back at this time in their lives when they have the time. When people come together in a "spirit of giving," good things happen. Ask what is at the community for volunteer interests. If you wish to volunteer, this is another good reason to consider a retirement community lifestyle. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Volunteering at Retirement Communities" Jan 18, 2010, Retirement Community Basement Premium LotsYou can't always rely on getting a basement premium lot whenever you want it. This is usually an option but can only be for certain selected premium lots. Premium lots also cost more with an additional cost premium added. Premium lots are things like golf course lots, extra large lots, basement lots, waterfront lots, view lots, better location--physical attributes that are superior. Usually these lots are allotted in limited numbers for the year. When these lots are sold, you can miss out altogether for that year. You may have to wait until more lots are released. Why a basement in retirement? A basement will add to your square footage when it is finished. Some communities give you a choice of finished or to leave unfinished--some do not. Possibilities: Large separate family room, wine cellar, large game room, hobby room, dusty workshop, getaway and anything requiring large extra space. For example, Celebrate by Del Webb in Virginia, has notified me that they only have two premium walkout basement lots available for all of 2010 and possibly into 2011 (please verify all information). Follow-up on your favorite community to make sure you don't miss out on the community offerings you are interested in, and especially for premium lots. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Retirement Community Basement Premium Lots" Jan 18, 2010, Florida mobile home retirement communitiesFlorida mobile home retirement communities are spread throughout Florida. Find them by county and city. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Florida mobile home retirement communities" Jan 16, 2010, Feel the Breeze - See the Stars (For fun low and high Homes)
I was thinking the other day about things that are high--things that are high have better views--and I love good views. Mountains are high, hills are high, cliffs are high, high rise apartments are high--airplanes are high--they all have good views. So if you like good views go high-- what else is high trees are high, so go above the trees hilltops are high, ski slopes are high I've had some great homes with views--reverse floor plan homes are high--3rd floor apartments are high, so high you can touch the sky feel the breeze, see the stars go high
and the reverse--is there anything good about low - well, here goes:oceans are low, deserts are low, golf courses-low, but I've seen some go high
if you like try a home at the ocean that is up high in a tower by the ocean a home on a cliffside
or a low slung rambler in the mountains high Permalink -- click for full blog post "Feel the Breeze - See the Stars (For fun low and high Homes)" Jan 14, 2010, Savings at Retirement CommunitiesSo many savings now on your retirement home at our communities. See below for some of many examples: K Hovnanian is having a President's Day Sale until Feb 15 of double the tax savings at communities in four states that I know of which are Maryland, Virginia, Delaware and West Virginia. Del Webb's Riverwood at Nocatee in Ponte Vedra, Florida has some great price incentives from $6,000+ on selected quick-movein homes. WCI Communities has some beautiful homes that are available for immediate movein including a 2 BR/2Bath condo in Ft Myers for only $114,990.(check for availability) Symphony Village in Centreville, MD, Eastern Shore has a featured home for $399,990 with $10,000 toward closing. (Check for availability and see restrictions) Please see their websites for details and restrictions. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Savings at Retirement Communities" Jan 8, 2010, KB Home Seminar on How to Buy a HomeKB homes is offering a seminar on "How to Buy a Home." One day--January 16th only. While KB does not specialize in the over-55 buyer, these seminars can be informative. They are especially good for those wanting to know more about the homebuyer tax credit, for first-time homebuyers, buyers upgrading from mobile homes and renters. KB does have one over-55 community that I know of--coming soon to La Quinta, California. This one will be with Martha Stewart. They have done homes before with Martha Stewart designs but this will be their first one for the over-55 buyer. The Martha Stewart brand is an upscale look without the upscale price tag--very beautiful but practical living. Find a home and RSVP in these states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, DC metro, Nevada, New Mexico, North and South Carolina, Texas. Other topics will be on how to determine your price range and how to choose a neighborhood. Receive a lunch and free gift (while supplies last--see details on their website KB Home seminar info.) Many of you have children who are first-time buyers--get together and enjoy a fun and informative outing. Permalink -- click for full blog post "KB Home Seminar on How to Buy a Home" Jan 7, 2010, Be a Survivor: Help Comes from Low Income Retirement CommunitiesSurviving is important. On the road of life, you encounter an obstacle. What do you do and how do you do it. For most of us, we were out on our own after high school or college. Once there, it is hard to return to mom's house. No matter what, you feel you have to survive. And so you do, somehow. You do that your whole life. That feeling comes natural to most of us. What does this have to do with retirement communities. Many have a hard time surviving in their senior years. But their survival may come in the form of help from others. Receiving help from others can be a form of survival. This help comes in many forms. From meals on wheels to low income retirement communities. Seek out community resources. Find them through a local senior newspaper. Go to HUD. Go to the county Office on Aging for lists of housing for low income or assisted living communities. Once you find a community, telephone and inquire or visit and get on the waiting list. Go to Y's, Senior Centers and discover if there are aging resources nearby. There are long waiting lists for low income housing, so start early. Ellen was a lovely senior lady who leased at the upscale apartment community I once managed. She was well educated, elegant in appearance, had no family but one sister, and she was just barely making the rent each month. When the annual rent increases came around, I asked the owner to exclude her. I knew she was having a hard time. Then she told me she was looking for something she could better afford and would move soon. She came to me one day and said she found a low income senior housing apartment she liked. Her happiness shone. She had been on a wait list and her name finally came up. Hooray for her. She was a survivor. Not having the rent or mortgage payment is only one obstacle you may have in your senior years. Maybe you have all the money in the world but no family or friends. That's another story but retirement communities are good places to make new friends, too. After all, in a sense, we are all survivors. Jan 7, 2010, Best Places to RetireWhen I was in my thirties (long time ago), one of my favorite books to read nightly was Norman D. Ford's "The 50 Healthiest Places to Live and Retire in the United States." I still have that dog-eared book (not even Amazon would allow it in their used book category, but it could win an award for most dog-eared) after all this time--and still read it. To me now, it seems prophetic.
Eventually I had children. I wasn't single anymore. Many of the dream places in the book just wouldn't be practical today. My criteria had changed. And healthy places have changed also. Where once there were places to breathe pristine air, I wonder how many places are left that have clean air. We need a new book, Mr. Ford. But here I was so fascinated by this subject and I had my lists. Each place was either a Yes or a No. Some of my yesses were North Carolina, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. My No's included Michigan, Colorado, Ohio or Nevada. I didn't like cold even then. But though I never came up with my goal of knowing where i wanted to retire, I did learn some priorities that I wanted. My notes back then on the cover of the book indicated I wanted to be in a college town with clean air, lower cost of living and cultural amenities. Today I would add walking and biking trails, being close to medical facilities and healthy restaurants. And have I found that perfect place to retire to yet. Unfortunately, no. I am in a retirement community that makes me happy but is not the ultimate fulfillment of my youthful dreams. Still working on that. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Best Places to Retire" Dec 29, 2009, Retirement Communities on Long IslandRetirement communities on Long Island easy to search listings of new and older communities and reviews. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Retirement Communities on Long Island" Dec 28, 2009, Equestrian CommunitiesEquestrian communities Permalink -- click for full blog post "Equestrian Communities" Dec 21, 2009, The True Meaning of the Holidays
That is pretty shameful, I know. I am afraid to go into the stores because they will be full of marketing ploys, beautiful merchandise, and beckoning me to buy things I don't need. It doesn't help the economy that many people feel the same way. They ask, do we need it or just want it. One of the things you need to plan for in retirement is the giving of gifts--To charities, to your children, grandchildren, holidays and to yourself. This can add up to quite a lot of money. I have talked to some retirees and they have outright told their children they can't help them this year. I have told my kids not to bother about gifts to us (for the second year in a row), and I am giving money. It's not that I can't think of anything else to give but that young people are smarter as regards shopping. They know what they want so I am afraid of getting the wrong thing. They usually want contemporary so when I surprise them with something quaint they are delighted. If they like expensive, a cruise is nice, but something simple like hand made soaps is too--not too simple--make it clear they were expensive soaps. It seems I always think of these good ideas a few days before Christmas when it's too late. I think it's beginning to be a time when people feel they have everything they need, don't need anything else and are cutting back. This isn't good for the economy so we should try to force ourselves to go out for dinner at least once or go shopping and spend a little. With all the harder times, and the recent deep snow, where we cannot go out and shop, maybe we can once again get in touch with the true meaning of Christmas and our Holidays. We wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year, and thank you for visiting us this year. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The True Meaning of the Holidays" Dec 10, 2009, Celebrate by Del WebbA review of Celebrate by Del Webb over 55 community in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Celebrate by Del Webb" Nov 24, 2009, Retirement Communities in MassachusettsRetirement communities in Massachusetts--History surrounds Massachusetts planned retirement communities in Eastern, Central and Western regions - listings of over 55 communities Permalink -- click for full blog post "Retirement Communities in Massachusetts" Nov 16, 2009, Senior Apartments for Over 55Senior apartments-senior citizen apartments-rental communities listings for over 55 throughout the U.S. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Senior Apartments for Over 55" Nov 13, 2009, The Happy Times at Grandmom's HouseI remember my grandmother's home and the way it was furnished. My grandmother came from a fairly well- to-do family, yet my grandfather never achieved the financial heights of my grandmother's father. Their furniture was inherited from her parent's home after they died so it was elegant and expensive yet their own furnishings of the home did not live up to the former glory years. Of course it wasn't their fault. Everyone in those days had hard times. I remember the curtains on the windows were thin sheers covering the glass. The newly purchased moderately-priced sofa stood out in great contrast to their other expensive mahogany furniture from grandmom's mother. There was a large carpet covering the hardwood floor which was thin also yet upstairs there was a grand Victorian grandfather clock standing in the hall. Her large heavily-framed paintings adorned the walls--paintings from her young adult years when her mother sent her to Europe for art lessons, yet there were no centerpieces on her dining table. In those days, though the Christmas tree was large and adorned with expensive frosted balls, there were no elegant appetizers, fancy desserts or drinks served. They were frugal times. Those days were, nevertheless, happy indeed. I loved to hear my feet clattering on the hardwood floors as my cousins and I chased each other around grandmom's house. I remember the intensity of the heat coming from the coal furnace and fireplace, and reading the books from her extensive collection in glassed-up bookcases lining the living room walls. Drinking tea, admiring the color and comparing the flavors of honey-- small things enjoyed more because there was less. But there was love--my mother visiting her mother. You knew it was good and right. When an aunt invited us over, it was right, especially if she made us a berry cobbler from the fruits we picked in the wild fields. A simple time. No excess for sure. Toys for the kids were thin and cheaply made but highly inventive--games, pick up sticks and I still remember the day Dad came home with a new toy, the Slinky. In earlier days, there weren't toys, just marbles, dollhouses, baby dolls, bicycles and penny candy. Have you visited today's toy stores. Nuff said. I was shopping today for curtain sheers to cover my window glass. First I went to an expensive store with expensive prices, then I went to Kmart and bought them for $6.99. I remembered the sheers on my grandmother's windows. If it was good enough for her, it was for me, and we are living in nearly the same kind of times. The way those sheers hang reminds me of those windows and those happy days. Think I'll keep em. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The Happy Times at Grandmom's House" Oct 30, 2009, Delaware Retirement CommunitiesDelaware retirement communities over 55 listings and reviews. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Delaware Retirement Communities" Oct 20, 2009, Manufactured Homes Communities for Over Age 55Manufactured homes communities for over age 55 Permalink -- click for full blog post "Manufactured Homes Communities for Over Age 55" Oct 19, 2009, International Retirement CommunitiesListing of international retirement communities as we see more of them coming. Permalink -- click for full blog post "International Retirement Communities" Oct 19, 2009, The future of retirement communitiesThe future of retirement communities looks good. They will be built for a long time--at least the next twenty years, we should see a constant stream of new ones. Every large builder has some active adult communities. You might say in this recession, thank goodness for the active adult communities, as these homes sales have done well comparable to other age groups. However, major builders in 2008 had a very tough time and that continues into 2010 and beyond. Millions of dollars have been lost by builders. Bankruptcies shockingly filed by name builders. (In this current economic climate, you may wish to check the financial rating of your builder.) Profits have been cut for many builders by 50%. Sales are down by half, inventories have swelled. Contracts by buyers canceled. 2009 has been better and some builders have seen inventories reduced. Builders that have been prudent and have substantial amounts of cash on hand are in a good position to rebound. The builders are concentrating now on the future--many have found it necessary to sell off their lands, create mergers, delay new projects, continue to save, not deplete their cash supplies, and have a plan to survive in the future. Many other builders have gone bankrupt. This is a competitive field and the keyword is survival--many major builders are planning to succeed when others fail. Green building is becoming huge. We will be having an excellent future article by an authority on green building. Please check back for it. Wondering how manufactured homes fit into the green building revolution--the article will address that also. The upcoming article will be titled, "Energy Savings Begin at Home." Some builders like KB Homes have started new innovative programs to lead the way in the future-- smaller square footages and more flexibility. And green building is definitely in mainstream--The NAHB now has a Green Building Award for best green designs and construction. I would guess most of us still don't understand that complex topic--when my article comes out--you will understand it better thanks to one of the expert builders speaking out on this topic who is involved in educating the public on this subject. Meanwhile, there are new communities, not as many as in 2006, when over 55 communities were overbuilt. As soon as inventories are depleted, we will again see new retirement communities exploding on the scene and better than ever. It's an exciting time to be a senior--especially when you live in a retirement community or a home built or remodeled for your retirement. Permalink -- click for full blog post "The future of retirement communities" Oct 16, 2009, Florida Senior Mobile Home ParksFlorida senior mobile home parks for over 55. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Florida Senior Mobile Home Parks" Oct 16, 2009, Florida Retirement ParksFlorida retirement parks for over 55. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Florida Retirement Parks" Oct 15, 2009, Maine Retirement CommunitiesFind Maine Retirement Communities Permalink -- click for full blog post "Maine Retirement Communities" Oct 15, 2009, Retirement Community Marketing Brochures--Does the Community Live up to the HypeI recently had an email from a visitor who said they would like some real reviews of mobile home communities. They said they were tired of seeing only colorful brochures that weren't accurate. They had wasted their time going to see communities that weren't at all like the brochure or the photos on websites. The community they visited showed a gorgeous mountain scene. Thinking it was scenery they could see from the community, they visited, only to discover the mountains were 20 miles away. This is a good example of the power of marketing. So be wary of the brochure. Check out the facts before you go. Don't just take a brochure at its face value. As the visitor requested, We will try to do more reviews of mobile home communities so you will be aware of some things to look for in them. The writer's email goes on to explain many things about this community that were negative and contrary to the description in the brochure. One of these was that the community turned on the air conditioning in the clubhouse only when there was a major function--and this in Arizona. They said at first glance many of these negative things about the community they visited were not apparent, only after they moved in! I have suggested many times that you talk to the residents of a community when you visit and try to get feedback--especially if it is negative. Consider a Discovery Tour where you can stay in the community for a few days. Or if that isn't long enough, I have suggested to consider renting in a community before buying to make sure you will fit in, that you like it, and now I warn also that you can see if the community lives up to the marketing hype as expressed in brochures and websites. But, a reminder, renting may require a second move when you purchase which requires more moving expenses. While the descriptive words in a brochure may not be deceptive, they may be a little hyped. You need to check the accurate facts of any community you are considering, and even before you visit. While many communities may practice a mild degree of over-hyping, marketing hype to this extreme degree doesn't apply to all communities, but may to the one you happen to be interested in--So be aware. Oct 15, 2009, Flu Facts for SeniorsMy article "Flu Facts" has just been posted -- you can link to it from the home page. You can read about how the current 2009-10 flu season applies to the senior population and why this year is different for those born before 1957. Read it now. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Flu Facts for Seniors" Oct 14, 2009, Flu FactsMy report on flu facts for the 2009-2010 flu season geared especially to seniors. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Flu Facts " Oct 8, 2009, Seeking More Adventure Programs at Retirement CommunitiesSeniors at retirement communities are looking for more--more adventure. If it is up to Scott Hyser of Merit Property Management, they will have it. Included in his active adult adventure programs are skydiving, hangliding, white water rafting, mountain biking, on-site college programs, and much more. Mr. Hysler began his career as an adventure planner at Del Webb's Anthem community in Denver, Colorado, where adventure activities seem natural for that area. Now Mr. Hysler works for Merit Property Management and heads their Adventure Planning programs at the numerous communities they manage. One such community in Sept 09 announced plans on offering Merit's Adventure program is Heritage Park in Sacramento, California. MERIT assumes management responsibilities on October 1st, and will host a complimentary welcome champagne toast and barbeque reception for Heritage Park residents on Oct 18. When Scott Hysler was hired by Merit to manage their active adult communities, he was quoted in their 2008 press release: "I believe that age is an attitude, not a number," said Hysler. "Attitude drives the vision and expectations for active adult lifestyle communities. With my experience and passion, I'm excited to bring a new approach to the retirement market." Further, Mr Hysler is quoted in Merit's Sept press release: "Our goal is for residents to take a vacation without leaving their community,” adds Hysler. This is a new concept for retirement communities that builds upon his earlier successes in this area. I believe we need to provide activities at retirement communities and the stimulation of these types of programs may be very forward looking for today's active adult seniors. So we look forward to seeing more innovative programs of this type. We will be on the lookout for them and report them here. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Seeking More Adventure Programs at Retirement Communities" Oct 8, 2009, Fall Visitor Programs at Retirement CommunitiesJust a reminder that Fall is a great time to visit retirement communities. The communities know it and are offering some outstanding deals. Go to your favorite communities website and see what they have to offer, then take that trip. Great weekend getaways to see the color of Fall, the fruits of Fall, the beaches that are still warm yet uncrowded, the cities preparing for the holidays, a change of season spa treat in the mountains--try to see at least one community per season to see the climate and activities in that area. Communities are anxious to welcome you with their planned Fall festivities. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Fall Visitor Programs at Retirement Communities" Oct 6, 2009, Short-Term Furnished RentalsShort-Term Furnished rentals for winter getaways at senior apartments and resort communities. Permalink -- click for full blog post "Short-Term Furnished Rentals"
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I just loved reading about places to retire. Ford described these places in such exquisite detail that I could envision myself already there. 
