@rosemarya, Thank you for sharing your mil's downsizing experience. I'd earlier read the Charter House article and thought it raised important points to consider. It speaks volumes to your strong relationship with your mil that she so readily gifted you "ahead of time" with the pendant you so admired.

Like your mil, I'd been thinking along similar lines for my own downsizing and relocation to d.'s area. One thing I noticed early on as my d. and I toured different places in 2 diff states was that I'm a person who needs space to feel comfortable so "open-concept" floor plans held most appeal. Another biggie for me is that I need a ready "escape hatch" so being on the ground floor with an outdoor exit would be my much preferred choice. Of course those are high demand so the waits for vacancies would take longer but still if wishing, why not for those accommodations that would bring most comfort at the time of entry?