Our new to us house came with a huge finished basement. I did not like it… then Covid hit, and I converted one portion of it into a personal office. Then more grands came, and now we have a nice play area for them! Plus, as the laws of thermodynamics state, the higher the entropy aka kids’ mess, the lower the energy aka my efforts to keep the rest of the house toy-free. 
Or, as my college bio major roommate would have called, it - benthos. Always falls to the bottom.
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We recently had a minor renovation done on our house of almost 30 years - took screens off our back porch and turned it back into an open-air porch with covered columns. I was chatting with the contractor who couldn’t believe we stayed here that long, given that our neighborhood is known mostly for starter homes (although that’s changing).
I told him “it’s the best way to get ahead” and he agreed.
The houses in my neighborhood are selling for scary high numbers. Ours is probably middle of the road in terms of age and size, but very well-kept, which means it would likely go fast. But where would we go? We aren’t selling until we are ready to leave the area, and the article above is partly why.
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I saw a similar article some time back that mentioned Mirabella, the ASU affiliated CCRC. I would love something like that (and I could afford it!) but it is too far from D. I do not particularly enjoy flying and it would be a long drive for her (and her pup).
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A few years ago, my brother/SIL built a house in the Latitude Margaritaville community in Hilton Head mentioned in that article – and sold it two months after moving in because someone wanted it and offered them enough money to buy the lake house in Michigan they currently enjoy. We spent a couple of nights with them at the Margaritaville property and have to say that the vibe was too much on the side of adults trying too hard to get back to high school. I’m sure I’m known as the CC lush, but that community was too much for me. No one needs tequila for breakfast.
A good friend from my stitching group moved from our community to the ASU Mirabella property with her diabetic husband. Both were teachers/principals in various school systems before retiring to our community, but her husband’s health got to the point where they needed to look into AL. Mirabella was the place where his needs could be addressed while providing a lifestyle they could both enjoy, and it was still close enough to the friends they had made in our community that they did not lose those connections. They are very happy there.
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I took that quiz and it was totally off for me. I specified I wanted the Midwest and the places recommended for me were in places like Florida ( I hate heat/humidity), etc.
I didn’t find a quiz but would be curious.
We hope to age in place with our aging neighbors.
I was curious about the quiz too but couldn’t find it … 
Me neither. Where is it?
@cinnamon1212 was there a quiz someplace we all missed?
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I think the quiz is found through a link in the article. You can search for communities in your preferred geographic location as a starting point.
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Yes the quiz isn’t in the article, it’s linked at the end of the article. As noted uptrend it’s pretty much completely useless though.
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We’re thinking about CCRCs, but for the services (in-house meals, housekeeping, access to rehab/assisted living etc.) you’ll end up paying a lot between the ages of, say, 67-80 before you really need them. You also have to look at the financial health of these organizations. They take a hefty bond from new residents, but unless they are run well, you run the risk of losing your deposit, which for many can be several hundreds of thousands of dollars. Caveat emptor. There was an article in the NYT recently about a CCRC in upstate NY that went bankrupt and the residents lost everything. My dad lives in a CCRC associated with the Mayo Clinic and they have cheap Midwestern wages for staff, and we are all involved in the “family council” Zoom meetings, but this place is facing serious financial pressures. Too many aging Boomers. I have no answer, but you have to look very closely at these places. The longterm economics are grim.
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There is a CCRC in my area connected to LaSell University. I think it is the only CCRC the requires residents to sign up for a certain number of classes a year. The only problem for me would be that I don’t think LaSell is the place I’d want to take classes. It’s very small and has had a declining enrollment. https://lasellvillage.com/
I know it won’t solved the AL problem, but I’d like to move to a condo or over 55 community near a university with a strong OLLI program. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute - UMass Boston . Especially one that makes allows registration for university classes.
I’d love to move to Fort Collins. There are no specific over 55 communities, but there is a great bus system, good social support agencies, a wonderful recreation program that also includes a senior center and you can take free classes at CSU starting at 55 (the youngest I’ve seen anywhere). There Olli class catalog is the most extensive I’ve seenhttps://courses.online.colostate.edu/ and Fort Collins is just a great city. (I also assume S23 will settle out West). I suspect we will end up splitting our time between New England and CO (as DS22 has no plans on leaving our area). It seems like a perfect set up to take classes in CO over the winter and then come back her for the summer to enjoy the coast.
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I know a lot of retired people who just audit classes they are interested in taking at a wide variety of colleges. Why do you need a special program to do that? It’s an inexpensive way for colleges to maintain good relationships in the surrounding community and the participants love it.
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My sister has been taking a few continuing ed courses—astronomy, flower arranging & cooking so far.
Do you mean why do you need the Olli program? They tend to have a mix of college courses and “old people” courses. As for auditing, I don’t think it’s free until over 65 at many places. DH retired young and I’m about to in the next year or two, so I’m still a decade away from that.
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Love Fort Collins!
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My mother lives there. She does have to take a certain number of classes a year. I believe that was a requirement for them to get a variance, defining it as an educational facility. The majority of the classes are not Lasell classes but are taught by residents. Many, many of the residents are former educators from the Boston area or held interesting positions in society. There are several artists whose works are displayed around the buildings.
My mother moved in 7 years ago at 85, and has thrived there. They did a great job during COVID. Students cross through the grounds to get to classes, and most of the dining room workers are students. She loves seeing the “kids” most of whom take the time to interact with residents.
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Where? I still don’t see a quiz!