The prices I’ve seen are closer to $40k, although if your utility does net metering it may be worth it to increase the coverage %age (if the utility will let you).
Our roof will be close to $80k if not more!
@BunsenBurner, Yowza. I actually had to read that three times to be able to process it. I never imagined a roof could cost that much. I think ours was less than $5K and I thought that was bad.
This thread is so interesting and educational. Sometimes I’ll read a post that makes me think I’ll be living in a dumpster someday, but then someone else comes along to give me hope. We’ve done the best we could with saving, but I would have been better off learning what to do with it in my twenties rather than my late forties. But hopefully, my kids will benefit from what I learn here.
One benefit to a Musk roof is it will save you money. A regular roof won’t. So, at least there is that silver lining.
We have a quote for a perfect metal roof for about $30k, that includes the garage and the covered BBQ area. That roof will outlast the last of us. I doubt we will ever save $70k in electrical bills over our remaining lifetime. But a guy wants that stupid roof! Ok, rant over.
How one feels about a retirement community obviously is based on one’s life stage and health. I believe H and I will be content in our home until we have reason to move. DD1 is a nurse, and DD2 has financial sense - so my hope is that they can keep us healthy/happy and hopefully also keep estate intact for them to inherit. Until H and I suffer from aging brain, we can keep health/financials together. And if we both live to H’s parents’ age (now 88) we sure hope we are in better medical shape! We should be in better financial shape because we have been so all our lives.
When I have visited retirement communities, most of the folks living there are 20-30 years older than me and seem MUCH frailer. I really enjoy my current neighborhood but it may change as folks age and sell their homes/move. At least the two homes directly across the street plan on aging in place as does the neighbor next door. The other neighbor lived alone after her H died and recently died at 93 and her home was sold to a guy who is demolishing it to build a new place to sell to someone.
The idea of moving to a place where everyone is aging and needing more help is not appealing at this time.
We have two kids and believe with any reasonable future we should be able to help them financially in our lifetime and leave them and/or any grandkids assets after we die.
Our S is good with his assets and I could see having him help manage ours when it becomes too much for us some decades hence. We should be able to hire the help we need.
Re the Tesla roof: sometimes we get to vote with our wallets. I paid more for my Tesla car than is reasonable ($132k). I told my kids that I was spending their inheritance, that it was a tax on impatience, that it was much more car than I needed or even wanted, but that I wanted to help make Tesla successful and to be part of the “mission.” I also wanted to see what the future would hold, now.
@BunsenBurner, you know you’re proud of H for wanting that roof 
If that’s the worst thing he wants, he’s okay in my book. Good luck with it. If we build, it will have a Tesla roof.
I agree with @Barbalot - there is a big difference between the active seniors/independent living 55+ communities and the assisted living facilities. The continuing care communities that go from independent to assisted to nursing home are nice options, but usually $$$.
And re: Cracker Barrel- http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2006/02/cracker-barrel-sued-discrimination-again/ I wont frequent a Cracker Barrel anymore
I guess calling themselves Crackers is appropriate.
An $80k roof maps to 3500 sq ft at least of solar tiles, based on the prices I have seen. Why do you need so much capacity? Are you trying to go completely off grid? How many battery packs are you getting?
NRE, as GeekWire explains, it would cost more in my area simply because we needs more solar tiles versus dummy tiles per square foot for the stupid roof to be effective:
“For a 3,000-square-foot roof in the Seattle area, the estimated cost is $79,500, plus $7,000 for a Powerwall battery system. (The math works out to more than $21.85 per square foot because there’s a higher proportion of power-generating tiles.)”
@BunsenBurner Wait a couple years and I bet the price will decline. It’s rarely a good idea to be an early adapter from a price perspective.
My husband and I have been dealing with our parents in their 80s. Here are a few things we have observed.
First, preparation can decrease stress and make for an easier transition. Getting rid of ‘stuff’, having paperwork in order and discussing expectations between aging parents and adults may prevent unhappy consequences. Start early!
Second, like college planning, the earlier you research options, the better prepared you will be when making decisions. Knowledge is power.
My husband and I visited senior living communities and talked with a lot of people prior to moving my parents to our area. There is a large learning curve when it comes to buy-ins and different levels of care.
Now we are dealing with my husband’s parents and the circumstances are different. Memory care will eventually be needed. Fortunately, we have a handle on their legal paperwork and finances. We understand how much they can afford and an idea about the cost of various living options. It will be up to them to choose what they want and to a certain extent, the timing.
Anyway, we see many who get up in years, who have trouble recognizing when it’s time to make plans for the next phase of their life…especially if one person needs accommodations while their partner doesn’t. Hopefully, we will be ‘active seniors’, but around 80 I think we’ll consider a senior community. I see that my mom is happy. Getting old stinks, but it’s nice to know there are places where you can age in place safely and not alone. Hopefully, one has the financial means and time to be selective.
Yes. I will wait until the solar technology is more efficient and costs less. With $80,000 we can pay for electricity for more than 16 years ($200 per month). How much insurance and maintenance costs do we have to pay for $80K solar panel?
I think we will be forced to wait a couple of years anyway because the demand is apparently quite strong. Maybe someone will change his mind after all.
Don’t forget the 30% tax credit.
According to DW, who knows a bunch of firefighters (apparently going into RE is a common second job for many of these guys) some fire departments are now, as a matter of policy, not going on to roofs where solar panels are installed. Apparently it’s much more dangerous for the firefighter. This can significantly impact how much damage occurs if you have a fire. It’s not widespread yet, but…
Interesting. They need to figure that one out. We would consider a roof like that, if the price came down somewhat. But we have a flat roof that my husband walks on all the time…it also leaks a lot (we need to replace it). I wonder how the Tesla roof works in that situation, since flat roofs often pool water. At least ours is easy to slap some Henrys on and seal the leaks.
The Tesla solar tiles require at least a 3:12 roof pitch. You can’t use them on flat roofs.