Retirement Community Design San Diego CA

Note: This article is a continuation of our earlier article, “ 55+ Home Buyers and Builders Not Exactly in Synch “. See Part 3, a Boomer’s Retirement Self-Assessment .

Baby boomers’ expressed desires about where they want to retire are pretty clear: we want to continue living where we do now - in suburbia∗. That sounds fine as long as we are in our 60’s and 70’s. But think about what will happen when we get into our 80’s and 90’s. Studies find most people outlive their ability to drive by 6 to 10 years. In the suburbs if we can’t drive, we will be in very big trouble. Also, at that age moving and starting over with friends and neighbors is not that easy. It sounds harsh, but the reality is that many of us will become trapped in our homes with no easy exit.

Living in the suburbs is also incompatible with several of the attributes baby boomers say they want in their next homes. Chief among them is low maintenance (since suburban homes tend to be big with large yards to maintain). Another is proximity to doctors and shopping. As the Wall St. Journal puts it: “the suburbs are proving a tough place to grow old”. Bottom line: the conflict between where we want to live and the skills necessary for survival are setting up for a very big problem for millions of baby boomers down the road.

A Bright New Idea - Transform the Suburbs
One obvious solution to this problem is to scrap the suburbs as a retirement destination. Instead, we could move to a city, small town, new urban community, or active adult community where driving is not necessary. A place where proximity to life’s essentials is easy by walking or public transportation. But now another idea, transforming the suburbs so they are more livable is emerging. The implications of this movement are exciting for many suburban towns.

The Wall St. Journal had a fantastic article written by Glenn Ruffenach on this development last week: “ Making Suburbia Livable “. The piece centered on towns on the south like Fayetteville (Georgia), Lakewood (Colorado), and Atlanta (GA). These forward-looking towns have hired urban planners and design firms to help them solve the problem of the future - how to make the suburbs livable for all of the boomers that want to grow old there.

One of the most interesting solutions is happening in Lakewood, where a failed shopping mall provided the necessary land for a planned community, Belmar. Here many delighted residents are enjoying 22 blocks of city living —offices, homes, shops, restaurants, and entertainment— right in the middle of suburbia. As opposed to homes set on 1 acre lots, here there is sufficient density to allow “walkability”, where one can walk or to take public transportation for access to shopping, restaurants, and medical services. “Walkability” comes right from the New Urbanism movement, which builds easier access to essentials while le...

Click here to read the rest of the article from TopRetirements.com

Note: This article is a continuation of our earlier article, “ 55+ Home Buyers and Builders Not Exactly in Synch “. See Part 3, a Boomer’s Retirement Self-Assessment .

Baby boomers’ expressed desires about where they want to retire are pretty clear: we want to continue living where we do now - in suburbia∗. That sounds fine as long as we are in our 60’s and 70’s. But think about what will happen when we get into our 80’s and 90’s. Studies find most people outlive their ability to drive by 6 to 10 years. In the suburbs if we can’t drive, we will be in very big trouble. Also, at that age moving and starting over with friends and neighbors is not that easy. It sounds harsh, but the reality is that many of us will become trapped in our homes with no easy exit.

Living in the suburbs is also incompatible with several of the attributes baby boomers say they want in their next homes. Chief among them is low maintenance (since suburban homes tend to be big with large yards to maintain). Another is proximity to doctors and shopping. As the Wall St. Journal puts it: “the suburbs are proving a tough place to grow old”. Bottom line: the conflict between where we want to live and the skills necessary for survival are setting up for a very big problem for millions of baby boomers down the road.

A Bright New Idea - Transform the Suburbs
One obvious solution to this problem is to scrap the suburbs as a retirement destination. Instead, we could move to a city, small town, new urban community, or active adult community where driving is not necessary. A place where proximity to life’s essentials is easy by walking or public transportation. But now another idea, transforming the suburbs so they are more livable is emerging. The implications of this movement are exciting for many suburban towns.

The Wall St. Journal had a fantastic article written by Glenn Ruffenach on this development last week: “ Making Suburbia Livable “. The piece centered on towns on the south like Fayetteville (Georgia), Lakewood (Colorado), and Atlanta (GA). These forward-looking towns have hired urban planners and design firms to help them solve the problem of the future - how to make the suburbs livable for all of the boomers that want to grow old there.

One of the most interesting solutions is happening in Lakewood, where a failed shopping mall provided the necessary land for a planned community, Belmar. Here many delighted residents are enjoying 22 blocks of city living —offices, homes, shops, restaurants, and entertainment— right in the middle of suburbia. As opposed to homes set on 1 acre lots, here there is sufficient density to allow “walkability”, where one can walk or to take public transportation for access to shopping, restaurants, and medical services. “Walkability” comes right from the New Urbanism movement, which builds easier access to essentials while le...

Click here to read the rest of the article from TopRetirements.com

With a fresh avalanche of baby boomers sliding into senior-hood every day, there is a lot of interest in 55+ housing trends. This article provides the Topretirements list of the top 10 active adult community trends for 2009. (We did the same exercise for 2008 . There are many similarities on both lists, but also some new ideas).

The ultimate trend for 2009 – and the great unknown – is will the real estate market, after the bashing it took in 2008, come back to some type of equilibrium? We say it’s hard to imagine it getting worse (but we’ve said that before!). Our bet: a modest upturn will start to accelerate in late 2009.

1. Sustainability. Finally there is real momentum, not just talk, in the sustainability movement. A lot of new communities, both 55+ and CCRCs (Continuing Care Retirement Communities), are being built green, even to the point of getting LEEDS certification. Many boomers will pay a bit extra to know that they are in an energy-efficient, environmentally responsible facility. Shea Homes is one of the first builders to embrace this trend as a point of differentiation.

2. Accessibility. The concept of Peter Pan homes (I will never have to grow up, I will never get old) is still alive, but less pervasive. More and more builders are building homes with universal design principles that will allow baby boomers to live in them for decades, not just years. Single floor levels, 1st floor master suites, counters and appliances that anyone can use, and ramps vs. steps are in.

3. Serious energy savings are in. Obviously this is a big part of environmental sustainability, but we are very impressed with the more widespread use of solar panels and hot water heaters, inline hot water heaters, and even geothermal. Energy prices might be down now, but it will be a while before anyone forgets their 2008 utility bills.

4. Programs for baby boomers. There is continued interest in developments that have a wide range of activities and clubs. Shuffleboard is out; Wii, art classes, and baby boomer clubs are in.

5. College and cultural programs. The most attractive developments will have built in links with local colleges and universities – or online classes as well. Some classes will be “on-campus”; convenient transportation will take others to local institutions.

6. Financial Creativity. The 55+ and active adult communities market has been put in a bind with the current housing slowdown. New residents would like to buy, but many won’t have the money until they sell their primary residence. We predict that many facilities will get creative about how to fill this gap with rent-to-own, price guarantees, time shares, and other incentives to increase revenues.

7. Baby boomers refuse to be labeled. 76 million prospects would get any marketer salivating. A lot of boomers will skip the active adult community thing as too contrived, too stereotypical, or too old; they’ll end up staying in their homes, moving to college towns, urban setti...

Click here to read the rest of the article from TopRetirements.com