55+ senior retirement communities

[Teacher Terry]

Locally they cost a ton of money plus don’t appeal to me. A friend 10 years older looked into some and said no way.

[JaneV2.0]

My old condo was a de facto retirement community. I've known people who lived happily in 55+ mobile home parks.

[Teacher Terry]

My condo has many seniors as well as younger people. It’s really quiet. It was really well built in the late 70’s.

[pinkytoe]

I think it depends entirely on the specifics of the place and how much one values certain aspects like privacy. I guess if I am old and by myself that would be a better choice than a non 55 1 BR apartment somewhere - at least for the socialization aspect. We have looked into a couple of places and I'm too much of a gardener to like the mow and blow sterile landscapes that they have. There is a higher end 55 plus place near us with the full spectrum - completely independent townhouses on up to full care. I am told that assisted living there starts at $10K a month but one can buy townhouses for around $450K and up.

[pinkytoe]

This reminds me - there are quite a few 55+ mobile home communities where we are considering a move to. We checked some out and thought they were kind of cute with a sort of village feel. Lot fees are around $500 a month though but that usually includes water, sewer and trash pickup.

[dado potato]

If my dear wife required long-term care beyond my ability to provide/obtain it for her in our house, I would try to place her in a Green House (with the shahbazim working for the wellbeing of a small group of residents) similar to Mirasol in Loveland CO or Jamie's Place in Winthrop WA.

If the shoe were on the other foot, I hope my DW would place me in a Green House.

Atul Gawande wrote about Green Houses approvingly in his book, Being Mortal

It is important to know the needs and wants of the elder person(s). Discussions with them may be revealing!

[JaneV2.0]

This reminds me - there are quite a few 55+ mobile home communities where we are considering a move to. We checked some out and thought they were kind of cute with a sort of village feel. Lot fees are around $500 a month though but that usually includes water, sewer and trash pickup.

A friend pays $400 a month, which isn't bad. if I had a choice, I'd buy in a park where everyone owned their own lot. "Blow and go" sounds like heaven to me...

[Yppej]

If my dear wife required long-term care beyond my ability to provide/obtain it for her in our house, I would try to place her in a Green House (with the shahbazim working for the wellbeing of a small group of residents) similar to Mirasol in Loveland CO or Jamie's Place in Winthrop WA.

If the shoe were on the other foot, I hope my DW would place me in a Green House.

Atul Gawande wrote about Green Houses approvingly in his book, Being Mortal

It is important to know the needs and wants of the elder person(s). Discussions with them may be revealing!

I looked at the second one. You cannot hug your family members. I would rather die than live in such a control freak environment.

[catherine]

I saw a really nice house in the Princeton area a while back and was surprised at how reasonable the price was for the area. But then I saw the HOA fees. I had good friends who used to live there.

Here's an example. https://www.compass.com/listing/2424...420188881/Even if you pay almost a half a million for the house, you still have $10k in taxes and a couple of thousand a month for HOA fees.

My preference is not to make my "forever home" a 55+ community. I'm hoping I can age in place here, with my similarly aged neighbors there to keep an eye on DH and I and we will do the same. DH said today as he was plugging up drafty doorways, "It's work to live here" but what are you going to do. I like waking up with purpose, even if that means mowing lawns, stoking fires and plugging drafts.

[JaneV2.0]

I like waking up; I could do without a purpose--especially if "purpose" means chores. So I aspire to the lowest-maintenance life possible.