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"A
house is a home when it shelters the body and comforts the
soul."
~ Phillip
Moffitt |
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1. Consider moving to a less expensive area.
There are wonderful
small towns in
the country
with low-cost housing. Sell the big house in the city,
bank the money, and scale down a bit. Meet new people, expand
your horizons. Investigate on the web. Start at
Realtor.com.
Then search on the web for info on the state and area where
the town is located. I have done this myself, and will be glad
to talk with anyone needing help about my process. Bob, New
Castle, PA springpure@aol.com
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2.Great Retirement Housing on Less than a Shoestring
A Quality, but cheap, place to retire.
Are
you entering retirement
fearing that you may not
be able to make ends meet?
You have a "little" equity in a home,
or "some" savings but are paying rent. Or no savings and are
paying rent. You know that you can't afford to stay in the
high-cost area where you have been, but don't know where to
go?
 One of our
volunteers faced the exact same situation, and
has created a special SeniorArk feature to show
you what he and his wife did about housing
as they entered retirement.. This section is
probably not for those with lots of options. It is
about going back to basics in housing in order to
survive in retirement. No, he doesn't live in a
van---down by the river. He lives in a nice home
in a wonderful community. This
article shows us that there are affordable
places for retirees to live for
around $50,000. .
Great Retirement Housing on Less than a Shoestring |
| 3. Go to
tips/household
for information on
maintaining a
home. |
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4.
If you want to
retire near or on a college campus, let Campus Continuum
know. The company, based in Newton, Mass., is conducting
a survey to determine the college campuses that would be
most attractive to prospective residents. The company
builds and operates university-based residential
communities for people 55 and older. To participate, go
to
www.campuscontinuum.com and click on “Consumer
Survey.” |
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5.
Live golden years near campuses
 
Lloyd Huck, 83, a retired chairman of the board of Merck
& Co, lives on the campus of Penn State University, his
alma mater. He takes a class and enjoys football games
and theater. (Alan Wycheck/ Getty Images) |
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6.Pittsburgh
ranks 9th on magazine's list of 'smartest places to
live'
Kiplingers
Magazine
ranked the Pittsburgh metropolitan area ninth in the
nation in its list of the smartest places to set down
roots, the magazine said yesterday. Affordability,
cultural and leisure activities, education options and
quality housing were major factors. |
| 7. Mortgage and
amortization calculations.
Kiplingers Calculations |
| 8.
50 Smart Places to Live.
Kiplinger.com, June
2006 "You told us your ideal city is fun, vibrant
and affordable. We found dozens that fit the bill."
Another Kiplinger article discusses the
Five Smartest Cities
for Retirees |
| 9.
Go to:
Care Facilities by State (Arizona, California, Pennsylvania,
Texas, so
far) |
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10. Don't miss the Business Week
Article on
"Where the Affordable Homes Are" |
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11.
It
appears that Pennsylvania is rapidly becoming a favorite
retirement destination.
Why Folks are
Retiring to Pennsylvania:
53 Great Pennsylvania Retirement Towns |
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Really cheap, and cool,
housing! |
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12.
When looking for an affordable place to retire,
find out how
property is taxed. Learn what type of property is
taxed, what the tax rates are, and what the exemptions
are. For instance, Florida has no income tax, but in
addition to a high sales tax there is an intangible
personal property tax that taxes a person's investment
portfolio. So it might not be the cheapest place to
retire. Watch out for local income taxes. States can
levy income taxes either at the state, county, or city
level. See charts on
taxes by state. Also see the expanded section on
tax rates
favorable to seniors in Pennsylvania. |
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13. The
biggest
consideration in finding an affordable place to retire
is housing. A good rule of thumb is to assume
your housing costs will probably consume at least 30
percent of your expenses. When looking for a cheap place
to retire, consider that even though most mortgages have
been paid off by retirement age, taxes and upkeep will
increase. |
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14.An
Inexpensive Small Town Gem for Retirees and
Reader submissions for inexpensive areas to retire. |
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15.
See how your state ranks in taxes in the 2007
assessment done by the Bureau of Economic Analysis,
Census Bureau and Tax Foundation. |
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16. Article on the top ten
American cities for retirees, based on
cost-of-living. |
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17.
Top American Cities for Seniors---Study, Bankers Life and Casualty
Company |
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18. One more thing to put
into the equation when deciding where to retire. Survey
of top 25 US cities.
Least to Most Courteous drivers. |
Most Livable Cities in
America
19. Places
Rated Almanac has published its 2007 list of the
"Most Livable
Cities in America" |
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20.
While Americans used to travel south to enjoy the golden
years - and many still do, studies have shown an
ever-increasing number of retirees are moving back home.
Northward. Others, referred to as "half-backs" are
returning in the general direction whence they came -
but stop short in the middle. The University of Florida
has offered the term "temporary migration" to describe
this trend in a 2004 report on the matter. It turns out
that 89% of those who returned home from Florida within
six months had originally gone there for lifestyle
reasons. Younger families in their 40's tended to stay
longer.
http://www.bebr.ufl.edu/system/files/SDA2006_TempMigr.pdf |
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21.
Nine things to consider when choosing a new
retirement location |
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22. Finding a new location
involves more than just a house. An independent federal
agency, the Corporation for National and Community
Service, has just published a list which ranks the 50
largest US cities by the number of "helping hands" in
the community. Read
"Which
U.S. Cities Have the Most Helping Hands?" |
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23. Check out the
invaluable U.S. Government
H.U.D
site for many a lot of information on a variety of
living options. |
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24.
"Where
to Live and Play: 31 Adventure Towns"
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25.
20 States with no (only Pennsylvania) , or reduced
(19) , state income tax on
retirement
benefits. |
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26. Forbes has just
published a review of the 10 most stable U.S. housing
markets in 2007.
Forbes:
10 Most Stable 2007 Housing
Markets |
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27.
World's Cleanest Cities Forbes |
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28. AOL "Money and
Finance": December 26, 2007 Where are the 13
worst places to retire? Read the
complete article. |
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29.
After all those decades of stashing money away for
retirement, retirees should look for a place that will
not only make them happy, but also keep their nest egg
intact. Areas with a track record of slow, steady
economic growth and home price appreciation are ones
that will hold onto their value best. notes Walter
Molony, a spokesman for the National Association of
Realtors. These same places are also more likely to
rebound quickly when nationwide economic conditions
improve. www.SmartMoney.com discusses
7 Recession-Proof Cities Retirees Should Consider.
2-25-08 |
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30. There is a lovely 4-bedroom
home in my neighborhood.
Four seniors
have banded together to rent, and share, this
substantial residence. Although I am not on the inside
to see for myself, it seems to work out quite well. I
would think you would need to have some good written
rules, and would need to select your housemates very
carefully. |
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31. Forbes.com lists the top 7
States for Retirees from a perspective of being TAX
HAVENS.
And
here they are. |
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Seniors
are waiting for your tip here.
Or submit a useful link for a links section. |
