Where do you want to grow old?

In a Condo on the Beach

Check out “Amelia & JP” on YouTube. They have a YouTube channel, a website, etc. with loads of well researched information about places for expats abroad, describing such things as healthcare, crime, weather, visa process, cost of living, etc. (We got to know them a bit while we were living in Cuenca, Ecuador for a while. They are great folks, Americans from Denver.)

Good description of senior living cooperatives, Diane.

A few other things I might add:

There are some co-ops that are now building being built, and you can get into them and custom design your apartment. Those that have been around for a while require you to be on a waiting list, costing sometimes $200-$500, refundable at any time. The cool thing about the co-ops is that they are self run; i.e., the policies and such are set by committees that are staffed by residents. They generally have one coordinator or manager, and one or more maintenance people. Minimal staffing. In Minnesota they are in Mankato, lots and lots in the Twin Cities; in Winona, and other places. The concept began decades ago in Minnesota so there are probably more here than anywhere else. they are building lots of them in Colorado and many other states. My wife and I hope to relocate to one soon. It’s a bit of a crapshoot as to when you can get into one from being on the waiting list. So if you own your home, once you find a co-op apartment you want, you generally have to move fast to secure it, (no closing costs ) and sell your house as soon as you can as well.

A huge allure for us is that the apartments are generally sold far below market value, and the monthly fee makes your expenses entirely predictable, since you don’t have to worry about repairs and maintenance, property taxes, and such.

Many co-ops will give money toward report replacing kitchen appliances etc.

The apartments are often many different sizes and they vary in quality.

We are SO looking forward to not having to mow the grass on our 5 acres in the country, shovel snow, worry about replacing a roof etc. and having a community of fellow seniors. And being able to simply walk out the door, lock your apartment and travel without worries.

We will be going into a community with at least one good college or university, so that there is some young and vital energy in the town. Good luck with your search!

I live in Winona at the Willow Brook Cooperative. Winona is a gem along side the Mississippi River. Winona is diverse and full of the Arts. I love living here.

Near family and friends.

Which community is that? This is such a huge decision. I have looked at smaller homes (I live on a ridge near GSMNP). It’s beautiful here, but the road down is pretty bad for the first mile. I am starting to feel a bit isolated. My family seems to be drifting south to FL, and while I’d love to be closer to them (grandkids, especially), things are always changing. I live alone, divorced after a lengthy marriage, and just now starting to feel comfortable with that. I’d like to be proactive about my future but there are so many things to consider and choices to be made. How did you all decide?
Thank you!

We live in a co-housing community in Durham NC.
Ours is the "working class" co-housing community, and we were able to purchase our home for cash.

Our house has geothermal heat and AC, which keeps electricity charges low. We may add solar panels to the south roof.
The house is a little bit small by MacMansion standards, but families of three and four people have lived well in these homes.
We're still trying to figure out how to "enlarge" a rather small kitchen/dining area, perhaps connecting into an enclosed back porch.
From the back we see a small woods and my little shop building. It's a feeling of quiet space.
It's a two story house. Upstairs could be arranged as a caregiver apartment if we couldn't manage the stairs.
This worked out well for a neighbor with Parkinson's disease. Of course that assumes you can find a good helper...maybe a grad student at Duke.

Community life is complex.
We love being in a multigenerational community, and so do our dogs who have several friends with two and four feet.
There are some interpersonal difficulties, and I have no easy fix for that, it's part of living in an extended community.
One must learn to not look for too much from neighborly friendships and to enjoy what is. We've also learned by observing neighbors who age-in-place well, and some not so well.

The rural/suburban location is fully developed, so we don't expect more traffic.
We're on a cul-de-sac and are 1/4 mile down the road from a little used access to the Eno River State Park. Air quality is great.
Food stores, hardware, pharmacies, library, auto service and Duke hospitals and clinics are within five miles. Unfortunately the roads don't favor bicycles.

We can always find something to gripe about, but we can also always find things to be grateful for, so perhaps we have found our last home.
I hope so.

Do you happen to know what the starting price for the smallest unit would be? Thanks!

Tell me where not to move to. please. Tell me about North Carolina by the Ocean. I have allergies/hay fever and lived in Monterey, CA for 10 years where I did great. But now I'm in Sacramento Area foothills. Terrible spring allergies. Does N.C. Ocean area have good air?
I think Florida would be too humid for me....how is N.C. re: humidity?
Judy

NC has many choices of environment from the ocean the the mountains.
Air is great in many places but watch out for pollen in the spring.