As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
New: Community Explorer. Discover Your Perfect Community Quickly Based on Lifestyle, Amenities, and Unit Type.
Try It NOWCategory: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues
Remember the great fear of a few years ago: baby boomers will be retiring in droves, creating a severe shortage of skilled workers and driving up costs for employers. Whew – there’s one less thing to worry about. A recent survey on the impact on retirement of the recession…
more...
Category: Best Retirement Towns and States
The Sunshine State just had its first population loss since 1946, according to research from the University of Florida. The State lost 58,000 residents in the year ending March, 2009, the first such loss since military personnel left the State when WWII ended.
This decline is sobering to Florida, a state used to nothing but unending growth. The experts are quick to provide a multitude of reasons for this change, leading the casual observer to think Florida might have lost its (retirement) mojo. The current recession and attendant housing crisis is the most important reason for the decline. Construction is hugely important in this state, yet
more...
Category: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues
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.
more...
Category: Retirement Real Estate
August home starts were positive. Unfortunately sales of existing homes including single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops declined 2.7 percent in August, breaking a four month streak of increases. That led to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.10 million units in August from a pace of 5.24 million in July.
more...
Category: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues
Note: This is the 1st of a 3 part article. Here is a link to the second, "Conflict Looming on Suburban Retirement: Desire Vs. Reality". Part 3 is a Self-Assessment for Baby Boomer Retirement Preferences.
As the largest demographic in American history, the baby boomer population is a well-studied group: all sorts of marketers are anxious to know what we will be up to next. Part II of a 55+Housing joint study done by the National Association of Home Builders and The Met Life Mature Marketing Institute was just released: "What are Builders Building, What Do Buyers Want", and the results provide an interesting insight into what is happening in the 55+ housing market.
One important fact to know is that some 62% of all boomers plan on staying where they live now,which is generally in the suburbs. That percentage staying home is probably lower than their parents' generation, but it still represents a very large number of people who intend to age in place. Only 9% are interested in living in a city, and 28% would prefer rural life.
more...
Category: Retirement Real Estate
The Commerce Department released August construction numbers last week to the great joy of economists and builders. Overall, construction of new homes and apartments increased 1.5%. Advanced construction permits also increased (2.7%). Construction levels are now almost 25% ahead of where they were in April. The good news in construction…
more...
Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
With many of us baby boomers increasingly worried about their finances in retirement, reducing what we pay in taxes is an attractive option. It's one option that might not impact our lifestyles in any way. So, if you already live in a high tax state, voting with your feet to escape some of those taxes might be a good idea.
The principal state taxes you typically face in retirement are income, property, and sales taxes. Gasoline, cigarette, and estate taxes certainly exist, but they probably
more...
Category: Baby Boomer Retirement Issues
First we must start with a question for you: "What is the best way for a member of Gen Y or Gen X to bait a baby boomer"? Answer: Be less than reverential when discussing the Beatles. (Thanks to Seth Schiesel of the New York Times).
So the music and the game world is, shall we say, "rocked" about 2 new releases about and from the Beatles. First up is a new video game that is garnering rave reviews, "The Beatles: Rock Band". It comes as the latest release in the highly successful Rock Band and Guitar Hero series.
more...
Category: International Retirement
Our friends at International Living Magazine have just published their annual list of best places to retire in the world. In what appears to be a tight contest, Ecuador beat out Mexico for the number 1 spot on the Annual Global Retirement Index. Latin and Central American countries head up the list, with only two European countries (Malta and Italy) making the list. In our minds the list shows an unhealthy bias towards Latin America and a disregard of
more...
Category: Financial and taxes in retirement
For many baby boomers one of the questions we have always loved to debate is about to change. The old question was - how much do we need to accumulate in savings to afford a comfortable retirement? The old question had a corollary which is also changin - when will we be able to retire and start spending?
These questions will change direction because retirement is either here for a lot of us boomers, or it will be here within just a few years. We will have saved and invested what we did, and that is what we have to work with. for many of us, our traditional careers are over. So now the question has mutated into - how much can we safely spend each year and not run out before we die in 30 years or so from now. The decision is a momentous one, because if we miscalculate we might end up working as a greeter at Walmart to make ends meet. Or almost as bad, we will reach the age when we can no longer do anything with a pile of money, but regret that we never took the trips or had the fun we actually could have afforded.
more...
