Seniors are downsizing to 55+ communities vs. younger people who usually look to upsize.

The past year and a half brought about significant life changes for many of us. For some, it meant entering retirement earlier than expected. Recent data shows more people retired this year than anticipated. According to the Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis, 2021 saw a retirement boom:

“At least 1.7 million more older workers than expected retired due to the pandemic recession.”

If you’ve recently retired, your home may not fit your new lifestyle. The good news is, you’ve likely built-up significant equity that can fuel your next move. According to the latest Homeowner Equity Insights report from CoreLogic, homeowners gained more than $50,000 in equity over the past 12 months alone. That, plus today’s sellers’ market, presents a great opportunity to sell your house and address your changing needs.

You Can Move Closer to Your Family or Friends
The 2021 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) provides a look at the reasons people buy homes. For those reaching retirement age, the number one reason to buy is the opportunity to be closer to loved ones, friends, or relatives.

If you find yourself farther from your loved ones than you’d like to be, retirement and the equity you’ve built in your home may enable you to move closer to the people in your life who matter most.

You Can Find the Right Home for Your Needs
Not only can your equity power a move to a new location, but it can also help you purchase the right size home. Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist at NAR, says many homebuyers 55 and older choose to downsize – or buy a smaller home – when they make a purchase:

“Clearly from the age patterns, young people want to upsize, and the older generation is looking to downsize. . . .”.

Seniors are downsizing to 55+ communities in Torrance, Redondo Beach or Palos Verdes.

Whatever your home goals are, a trusted real estate advisor can help you to find the best option for your situation. They’ll help you sell your current home and guide you as you buy your next one while you move into this new phase of life.

South Bay has many great options for active 55+ seniors – our 55+ communities offer wonderful options for active seniors such as worry and maintenance free living, opportunities to meet new friends. Torrance 55+ communities are not only attractive homes but also come with clubhouses, gyms, golf courses, tennis courses and many activities that seniors find attractive.

If you’ve recently retired and your needs are changing, you’re not alone. Contact your local expert – Krystyna Baty Ryan at (310)918-5027 to review your options and how to find a home that will match your situation.

About active senior 55+ communities – What are they and how do they differ from other types of senior or any living communities?

These are communities that offer relatively maintenance-free independent living residences to those age 55 and over. There are two types of active senior communities:

Age-restricted – According to the Fair Housing Act, at least 80% of residences must have at least one person over the age of 55.

Age-targeted – These communities are marketed to the 55+ age bracket, but aren’t limited to those over age 55.
Residences in these 55 and over communities can be owned or rented single-family houses or patio homes, townhouses, apartments, condos or even mobile homes. These communities are often near shopping, restaurants and local attractions.

The Benefits of Active Senior Communities

Retirement communities for active adults make it easy to enjoy worry free lifestyle:

Less maintenance

If you’re tired of lawn care, painting and exterior upkeep, low- or
no-maintenance living may be appealing. HOA will take care of the outside maintenance.

Rightsized living space

Many people find they use only a few rooms in their houses on a regular basis. Having a residence with a smaller footprint means there’s less to worry about.

Surrounded by your peers.

In an active adult community, your neighbors are your peers, so you’re at similar stages in life with similar interests. Children and grandchildren are welcome to visit, but for the most part, neighborhoods are relatively quiet and retirement-friendly.

Convenient amenities

You’ll typically have easy access to amenities like fitness centers and swimming pools. Many communities have, or are near, golf courses, tennis courts and walking trails. You’ll also find opportunities for socializing through events, clubs and volunteer groups.

Other Considerations

As you weigh your options, it’s just as important to pay attention to what active senior communities do not typically offer.

Limited services and amenities. Availability of housekeeping, laundry and transportation varies. Residents may be responsible for their own meals.

Care services not included. There are no on-site care facilities in 55 and over communities. You may arrange for in-home care services, if you need them. Some communities may have agreements with home care service providers, but you have to pay for those services.

Tips for Choosing an Active Adult Community

Prioritize the location.

Do you want to stay close to the neighborhood you already know, or are you up for an adventure in a whole new city? Do you want to be near the kids and grandkids? Are you ready for a change of scenery or climate? Once you know what area you want to live in, you can start searching for active adult communities there.

What are your lifestyle needs.

If you’ve never played golf, do you need to pay to live in a community on a golf course? Do you need a large floor plan or would a smaller plan be better?

Look at the community’s financials.

Ask for the most recent audit or annual report so you can determine how fiscally sound the organization is.

Review their rules and CC&RS.

Ask to see the bylaws or any rules that might impact your lifestyle. If it concerns you, find out if amenities such as the pool are open to those under age 18.

Evaluate your transportation needs.

If driving is or may become an issue for you, make sure you’ll have easy access to transportation alternatives.

Know your budget.

Ask what’s included in the monthly fees, and if there are any add-on costs. The more amenities there are, the higher the fees may be. Get pre-approved for a mortgage if needed.

Visit several communities in your area.

Compare residences and amenities, but also compare programs, classes and the general culture. Do you feel like you’ll fit in, feel at home and have plenty to do?

Torrance & South Bay Active Adult Over 55+ Communities

If active adult community living sounds like something you want to look into, you can start searching here to see if there’s one near you.

Contact your 55+ real estate specialist – Krystyna Baty Ryan for a Free Tour of South Bay 55+ homes for sale. Call (310)918-5027 or fill out the short form below:

Torrance 55+ communities would be an option worth consideration. Many seniors would like to “age in place” instead of downsizing and moving to a new smaller single level house or a condo. They would rather avoid moving and remain in their own home for the retirement years.

There’s a comfort and many advantages in remaining in a home you have lived in for many years instead of moving to a totally new or unfamiliar environment. However, new studies suggests this might not be the best option for everyone. The potential financial drawbacks to remodeling or renovating might actually be more costly than the long-term benefits. Many seniors do not want to be burdened with the yard work and necessary house upkeeps.

A recent report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS) titled Housing America’s Older Adults explained, “Given their high homeownership rates, most older adults live in single-family homes. Of the 24 million homeowners age 65 and over, fully 80 percent lived in detached single-family units…The majority of these homes are now at least 40 years old and therefore may present maintenance challenges for their owners.”

If you’re in the similar situation, 30 or so years ago you probably had a growing family and had purchased a 4-bedroom house on a large lot with good schools and safe neighborhood. It was a great choice for your growing family, and you still love that home.

Now, your kids had moved out, so you don’t need all of those bedrooms. Yard upkeep is probably very time consuming, too. You might be considering taking some equity out of your house and remodeling the house to better fit your current needs and preferences.

It may appeal to you, you may really enjoy the new upgrades, but you’ll still have to climb those stairs, pay to heat and cool a home that’s larger than what you need, and continue fixing all the things that start to go wrong with a 30-year-old home.

Renovations, however, are just a part of what you need to make aging in place work for you. While it’s typically less expensive to remain in your home than to pay for assisted living, that doesn’t mean it’s a slam dunk to stay put. You’ll still have a long to-do list. Just one example: You need to plan ahead for how you will manage maintenance and care—for your home, and for yourself.

So, at some point, the time may come when you decide to sell this house anyway. That can be a big challenge if you’ve already taken cash value out of your home and used it to do the type of remodeling we mentioned above. Realistically, you may have inadvertently lowered the value of your home by doing things like reducing the number of bedrooms. The family moving into your neighborhood is probably similar to what your family was 40 years ago. They probably have young children, need the extra bedrooms, and may be nervous about the pool.

If you’re thinking about selling click below to get your Free home evaluation:

What’s my Boise home worth?
Before you spend the money to remodel or renovate your current house so you can age in place, reach out to a local real estate professional to determine if it is truly your best option. Making a move to a smaller home in the neighborhood might make the most sense.

Torrance 55+ communities are very popular among seniors and 55+ active adults. 55+ homes and condos are selling quickly due to the enormous demand from both the locals and seniors relocating to Torrance from out of state. Check out our 55+ communities, currents listings.

Call Krystyna Baty Ryan at (310)918-5027 for expert advise. I’ll be happy to help!

Torrance California 55+ Active Adult Communities