Welcome to Topretirements.com, where active adults 55+ can find their best place to retire

February 28 - If you are a person that likes to be active, have we got the place for you! It’s The Villages in north central Florida. Spread over a 5 X 12 mile site, there is plenty of room for just about everything. In fact it has so many facilities it is exhausting just to try to list them all.

Topretirements toured this hyper-active retirement community in early February, 2008. We were very impressed with everything we saw as well as its impressive statistics - 60,000 residents, 33 golf courses, 9 churches, 8 country clubs, polo pavilion, plus every sport and activity known to mankind. Here is a link to our complete report on The Villages

February 24 — According to a duo of college professors, suburbia as we know it is headed for trouble. Their prediction is that McMansion-land could become the next depressed “outer cities”, filled with blight, poverty, and crime. Once again baby boomer demographic trends are among the culprits.

Topretirements just wrote a feature in our “Tips and Picks” section which examines this theory. Furthermore we went out on a limb, outlining a sure to be controversial real estate strategy that baby boomers should take now to capitalize on it. The article, “If Suburbs Become the New Slums, A New Baby Boomer Real Estate Strategy“, recommends that boomers put their existing suburban homes on the market now, and get busy looking to buy for their retirement community.

Check out our Tips and Picks article at the link above. For more on what the two college professors, Christopher Leinberger and Arthur C. Nelson, check out the March issue of The Atlantic and Virgina Tech’s Metropolitan Institute.

To discuss this issue please go to our Forum article, Suburbs, the Next Slums: A New Baby Boomer Real Estate Strategy)

February 20 - You’ve heard it before, Americans don’t save enough. Unfortunately, failure to follow this sage advice is going to mean a bleak retirement for many baby boomers, unless they get very busy. The Motley Fool’s recent article, “Prepare for a Gruesome Retirement”, shows just how pathetic those savings are. Of boomers aged 55+, 42% have saved less than $25,000, and only 50% have saved more than $50,000. Those aged 45-54 aren’t doing any better - 44% haven’t saved more than $25,000. With very few years left to for heir savings to compound and grow, these boomers are going to be forced to accept a very low standard of living, or continue working long into the future. As a point of reference, a nest egg of $50,000 that doesn’t raid the principle will usually give you a whopping $2500 a year to live on (plus social security, and a pension if you one of the fortunates to get one).

The article goes on to list some dire scenarios that will happen if people don’t start saving and investing right away. They are definitely worth reading. Fortunately it ends on a high note: “You needn’t end up with a nightmarish retirement. Here’s the “tough love” part. If you take action now, you can set yourself up for a more comfortable retirement. So get going!” We echo that thought, particularly if you want to have a lot of options for your retirement lifestyle.

February 17 - Sales of existing homes in the 4th quarter of 2007 continued the slide seen earlier in the year. According to the National Association of Realtors sales fell in 45 states; down 21% on a national basis vs. the year ago quarter. The median price declined a record 5.8% in the quarter. Prices increased in about half of the markets surveyed.

Hardest hit were Las Vegas, Jackson (MS), Sacramento, and the Riverside and Orange County areas of southern California. Foreclosures are often cited as the major cause of the declines. But all the news wasn’t bad, showing that real estate is nothing if not local. Bucking the trend with double digit price increases was the Cumberland region in Maryland and nearby West Virginia; Yakima, Washington; and Binghampton, New York. Commentators from these regions cited strong local economies, moderate prices, and a desirable lifestyle as reasons for their relative strength.

Industry experts seem to think that the turnaround will take place in the second half of 2008. All are concerned about the large number of foreclosures, which continues to add inventory to an already over-supplied market. Another problem for people looking for a retirement community is that although they might have the money and the interest in buying into an active adult community, they are having a difficult time selling their existing home in this environment. Several experts were emphatic that “when” (not “if”) the current over-supply gets back to normal, the market will resume its upward march. Late 2008 is seen by many as the beginning of the trend.

Your Topretirements editor just returned from a trip through the south where he observed big differences within local markets. Whereas southern Florida seems to be the home of bad real estate news these days, other parts of Florida are flourishing. Gainesville, for example, seems very strong. On the streets of Tallahassee “For Sale” signs are a distinct rarity, “For Rent” signs are more likely to be seen. Orlando real estate is reportedly strong as well.

Time to Buy Yet?
Ads were seen last week on USA Today from REBAC (The Real Estate BUYER’S AGENT Council of the National Association of REALTORS®), which urged buyers that this is now a great time to buy real estate. They cite lower prices, low interest rates, and plentiful supply as good reasons. And as the NAR numbers reveal, buying in the right market makes all the difference.

One of the primary drivers of where people choose to retire is the ability to be near loved ones. Often the perfect choice is a home that is close, but not too close, to those loved ones.

Now the over 55 community industry is joining in on that trend. One of their answers is to be seen in Victoria Park in central Florida near DeLand. This huge development is truly multi-generational, with traditional single family homes. Victoria Gardens also includes a special section, Victoria Gardens, which is a gated and age-restriction community within the overall development. A recent USA Today article described how extended families are enjoying this new mixed generation approach to living. Several families are profiled in the article, and all seemed pleased with the ability for families to see each other frequently. Grandparents were happy to be able to interact with their grandchildren, and adult children were reassured to be near their aging parents. Best of all, this contact is possible without being so close that privacy and the ability to live separate lives were not precluded.

February 6 - Here is a great opportunity to vacation in beautiful Costa Rica, famous for its natural surroundings Topretirements is pleased to announce a partnership with Boomers in Costa Rica, a firm owned by U.S. expatriates Andrew Mastrandonas and Preston Gitlin. They have been leading the most reliable real estate tours in Costa Rica for years - the feedback and references from their tours are a joy to read.

The tour is 3 nights/4 days and focuses on the beautiful Central Valley of San Ramon, the prime international retirement destination. You’ll stay in a charming B & B and be escorted to a range of properties designed for North Americans. Each tour is structured to meet your individual preferences. While there you will find out more about how to buy and move here, as well as meet local architects, real estate agents, and U.S. expatriates who have already moved here. Tour dates are February 25 – 28, 2008, March 10 – 13, 2008, and April 7 – 10, 2008 - sign up now to reserve your spot.

The tours are great fun as well the absolutely best way to evaluate if Costa Rica real estate is for you. Here is where to go for more information:
Costa Rica real estate tours

Or, to make your reservation directly, go to: Costa Rica real estate tour reservations