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Retirement Inspirement
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Find a retirement home: Bakersfield California, Aurora Colorado, or Toledo Ohio. Find retirement homes Riverside California, Stockton California, Corpus Christi Texas, Newark New Jersey, Anchorage Alaska, Buffalo New York, St. Paul Minnesota, Lexington-Fayette Kentucky, Plano Texas. Find a smaller retirement home or smaller community to retire in, Places to retire with less than / million population: Fort Wayne Indiana, St. Petersburg Florida, Glendale Arizona, Jersey City New Jersey, Lincoln Nebraska, Henderson Nevada, Chandler Arizona, Norfolk Virginia, and Greensboro North Carolina, Scottsdale Arizona, and Baton Rouge Louisiana. Find home care Birmingham Alabama, Madison Wisconsin, New Orleans Louisiana, Chesapeake Virginia, Orlando Florida, and Garland Texas. Retirement homes in Hialeah Florida, Laredo Texas, Chula Vista California, Lubbock Texas, Reno Nevada, Akron Ohio, Durham North Carolina, Rochester New York and Modesto California. Where to retire in Montgomery Alabama, Fremont California, Shreveport Louisiana, Arlingtonc Virginia and Glendale California. Retirement communities in San Bernardino California, Boise Idaho, Spokane Washington, Yonkers New York and North Las Vegas Nevada. Where to retire in Winston-Salem North Carolina, Tacoma Washington, Irving Texas, Huntington Beach California, Irvine California and Moines Iowa. Retirement homes in Grand Rapids Michigan, Richmond Virginia, Mobile Alabama, Gilbert Arizona, Augusta Georgia. Find retirement homes in Columbus Georgia, Fort Lauderdale Florida, Amarillo Texas, or Oxnard California in our Retirement Home Listings in the Resource Directory. Retire in Little Rock Arkansas, and Moreno Valley California, Knoxville Tennessee, Salt Lake City Utah, and Newport News Virginia, Jackson Mississippi and Worcester Massachusetts. Retirement homes in Providence Rhode Island, Ontario California, Brownsville Texas and Rancho Cucamonga California. Retirement homes in Aurora Illinois, Fontana California, and Retiement homes in Tempe Arizona Rockford Illinois, Huntsville Alabama Fayetteville North Carolina. Find retirement homes, home care and care facilities in Santa Clarita California. Find Retirement homes in Overland Park Kansas, Garden Grove California, Oceanside California. Retirement homes in Tallahassee Florida, Vancouver Washington, Dayton Ohio, Chattanooga Tennessee, Pomona California, Santa Rosa California and Grand Prairie Texas. Find retirement homes in Salem Oregon, Cape Coral Florida, Springfield Massachusetts, Springfield Missouri, Corona California, and Pembroke Pines Florida. Find retirement homes in Paterson New Jersey Eugene Oregon, Hollywood Florida, Salinas California. Where to live after 50 in Hampton Virginia, Pasadena Texas, Pasadena California, Port St. Lucie Florida and find retirement homes in Kansas City Kansas. Find Retirement homes in Naperville Illinois, find where to retire in Joliet Illinois, Sioux Falls South Dakota, Torrance California, Peoria Arizona, Lancaster California, Syracuse New York, Hayward California, Lakewood Colorado. Home care in Palmdale California, Alexandria Virginia, Bridgeport Connecticut. Find retirement homes in Orange California, Warren Michigan, Escondido California, Fullerton California, Mesquite Texas, Sunnyvale California, Coral Springs Florida.
Where to retire in
Montgomery Alabama, Fremont California, Shreveport Louisiana,
Arlingtonc Virginia and
Glendale California. Retirement communities in San Bernardino
California, Boise
Idaho, Spokane Washington, Yonkers New York and North Las Vegas
Nevada. Where to retire in
Winston-Salem North Carolina, Tacoma Washington, Irving Texas,
Huntington Beach California,
Irvine California and Moines Iowa. Retirement homes in Grand Rapids
Michigan, Richmond
Virginia, Mobile Alabama, Gilbert Arizona, Augusta Georgia. Find
retirement homes in
Columbus Georgia, Fort Lauderdale Florida, Amarillo Texas, or Oxnard
California in
our Retirement Home Listings in the Resource Directory. Retire in
Little Rock
Arkansas, and Moreno Valley California, Knoxville Tennessee, Salt
Lake City Utah,
and Newport News Virginia, Jackson Mississippi and Worcester
Massachusetts.
Retirement homes in Providence Rhode Island, Ontario California,
Brownsville Texas
and Rancho Cucamonga California. Retirement homes in Aurora
Illinois,
Fontana California, and Retiement homes in Tempe Arizona Rockford
Illinois,
Huntsville Alabama Fayetteville North Carolina.
Boomers
and seniors often move several times. Recent retirees often move
to a smaller home, condo, or lower maintenance piece of real
estate. The decision to choose real estate suitable to the needs
of the individuals result in questions of what is the best place
to live during retirement.
Simply Living - Right Sized for Retirement
by Kristi Nielsen
The decisions about where to live during your 50's and beyond can be complex. Considering your lifestyles, personal needs and future needs make it challenging. Many retirees choose to move to simplify life.
Deb and Harvey McLean of Seattle, found their four-bedroom, four-bathroom home complete with games room, den, formal dining room and family room no longer fit their lifestyle after their kids left home. Suddenly it seemed to become a high-maintenance attachment that was controlling many of their decisions. When they wanted to travel for six months, they felt reluctant to just lock up and leave.However, it had been the family home for twenty-five years; Harvey did not want to lose his workshop, and Deb loved her spacious kitchen. They wanted to move to something more suited to their lifestyle.
Barb and Dave Larson of Toronto found themselves in a similar quandary when they decided their three bedroom house and 48-foot motor home no longer fit their lifestyle. They wanted to move to a comfortable condo on Lake Huron. They faced challenges because Dave had owned several businesses over his career, and their home was chock full of memories and left over inventory, not to mention all the crafts Barb had created and accumulated over 35 years in the same house.
Most Boomers facing similar situations can empathize with the challenges of deciding what has to go and what is too sentimental and worth keeping. Memories are an extension of your life and it is not easy to let go of them. Possessions have the ability to morph, no matter where one lives. And, living for decades in one location results in countless miscellaneous goods and numerous pieces of broken or outdated furniture and household items. Simply put, these items add clutter to your life.
From Heirlooms to Rubbish
Both couples have no regrets since making the tough decisions and downsizing. Once you get down to the task of sorting, it becomes apparent that much of the clutter fits nowhere other than the dump. It can be a lengthy job to separate items into garage-sale worthy, charitable donations, and true heirlooms that should be kept in the family. Some items of noteworthy historical value can be donated to museums or archives, which may be the most meaningful second home for them.
Donations to a registered non-profit organization, such as a museum may provide you a gift in kind donation receipt which can also be a tax advantage if you have enough of a “collection”. A man who had spent decades photographing events, important buildings and people in his community, went through his photos with the local archivist, deciding what had historical value. They selected approx 300 photos, then he had them evaluated by a conservator and received a tax receipt for thousands of dollars when he donated the photos to his local Museum archives.
The National Association of Professional Organizers, formed in 1985, is a membership organization comprised of professionals who help people take control of the clutter in their lives. Their website, www.napo.net provides a source of help for people who are looking for an organizer in their area. When it is all sorted, and garage sales have been held, rubbish removal companies thrive on the removal of years of accumulated items.
Those who are in denial of the necessity for a de-cluttering session are forcing their family members to deal with it, when family time would be better invested in other ways. It is difficult for all concerned when a parent is elderly, preparing to move into an extended care facility, and has a house filled with 50 – 60 years of accumulated items. Most of us do not want to put this burden on our children.
Focus on Experiences not Possessions
There comes a time when most of us realize we value life experiences more than possessions. Rather than being “stuff” oriented, learning to focus on lifestyle frees us to be able to choose a living situation that leaves us with more time to enjoy the things we really enjoy and allows us the financial and mental freedom to be able to travel without worrying about who is going to maintain our property in our absence.
Most homes built in the past 10 years forgo the living room and formal dining room in favor of a Great Room. Which is more valuable to you at this life-stage, a sunny settee on the porch where you can sip your morning coffee or the formal dining room? If your guest bedroom is akin to a posh hotel suite, complete with private ensuite and jetted tub, how long will your house guests remain? Unless you are planning to run a Bed and Breakfast as a means of supplementing your retirement income, it may not be the way you want to go.
Retirement Dream Home
Rememberwhen you planned your family dream home? The same excitement can evolve from planning your retirement dream home. It will not have the same list of ‘must haves’. Priorities for near-by amenities shifts; the once important elementary school gives way to health care facilities. Focusing on the positives can make the transition an exciting opportunity.
Living near the water was always a dream of the Larsons. To be able to have a boat and explore Tobermory to Penetanguishene on a leisurely boating trip far outweighed continuing to live in the hustle and bustle of Don Mills. They began with an internet search, a far cry from the way they went about looking for their family home. Researching the type of retirement condominium they wanted was much easier than they had originally anticipated. Once they had a better picture of the possibilities, it became much easier to dispense with the belongings that tied them to life in the city.
Both Deb and Barb found charitable organizations that were happy to take their business clothing. Organizations such as Dress for Success, has more than 75 affiliates in the United States, New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom. It is their aim to assist unemployed women reintegrate into the workforce by providing them with clothing for job interviews, and to help with relieving the expense for people who may not otherwise be able to afford work-appropriate clothing.
The shift to living a life less attached to possessions is suiting Harvey well. He found he had very few must-keeps, when sorting out the memorabilia he wanted to take when they moved. He also found a practical solution for his lost workshop. He admits the workshop would have resulted in him creating more items to clutter his house and the homes of his friends. He has found a woodworking shop in an assisted living community, where he volunteers as time permits. It is a feel-good opportunity to combine his hobby and some time giving back to the community.
Travel Account
Barb and Dave were surprised how much property taxes, maintenance and excessive utilities added up to per year. They calculated the real savings of downsizing to be $4300.00 per year, money they now put into their travel account. Although, Deb and Harvey opted not to buy a condo; they too are happy with their new home, a smaller home in a college-town with an income-generating basement suite. They rent the suite to a college student. The security of having someone in the house enables them to leave for getaways and longer trips without concern.
Both couples have enviable situations among their peers. “The difference between dreamers and doers” says Dave “is the doers are willing to deal with the temporary discomfort of upheaval, because they focus on the long-term result of change.” Barb agrees. She says, “it is a lot of work; do it sooner rather than later. It would have been harder to do the work and make the adjustment if we waited until we were 75.
There are lots of services available to help with the process ranging from professional organizers, to movers, to rubbish removal, realtors, and it isn’t hard to find flea market dealers to unload some of the unsold garage sale items, once you become honest about the real value of some of your used trinkets, household items and tools.” The Larsons are leaving on six-month trip to Africa and Barb’s sister and husband are living in their condo while they are gone, while awaiting the completion of their own condo they recently purchased. Obviously, uncluttered living is contagious.
