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Best Retirement Spots
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Today's baby boomers are planning for retirement at younger ages than previous generations ever did, and many are considering non-traditional retirement destinations. Of those already retired, more than 500,000 travel from their home states each year in search of the ideal retirement spot, whether it be by the water, in the mountains or near the desert. Retirees these days are enjoying active lifestyles that include golf, shopping, antiquing, travel, boating, tennis, theater and much more. And retirement today is expected to last 30 or 40 years, so it is possible that the place you choose to retire today will be but one of several retirement spots in which you live. Perhaps the first 20 years of retirement will be spent on a lake while the second 20 years will be spent near a golf course. But where do you start? Where are the best places for your retirement? Retirement is not what it used to be, and so here we look at the options. Florida, Texas and Arizona continue to top the list as popular destinations, but they are not the only options! Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, New Mexico and even places like Colorado, Oregon and Delaware are appealing to more and more baby boomers. Even foreign destinations such as Mexico, Thailand and Costa Rica draw U.S. and Canadian expatriates for their low cost of living and warm climates.And once you have chosen the best state for your retirement, you might want to think about retirement communities. These come in all shapes and sizes. Some cater to people 55 and above; others are not age-restricted and attract people in their 40s, empty nesters and retirees. Some are master-planned communities while others are more organic. Many are maintenance-free. Some specialize in selling real estate whereas others lease property, which is an option many retirees often overlook. More and more provide RV storage. Many communities offer amenities that include large clubhouses, pools, golf courses, tennis courts, planned activities, state-of-the-art fitness centers, lakes, equestrian centers, organized classes, on-site medical clinics, trips and more. More and more are designed with aging in mind, having design elements such as single-story living, non-slip surfaces in bathrooms, lever door handles, wider hallways and 24-hour security systems. Some communities have assisted living facilities on-site for later down the road.There is even a movement afoot called "aging in place," in which neighborhoods with citizens who have lived in them for years establish a non-profit group to manage things like home repair, shopping excursions, home visits, etc. for residents so they can stay in their homes longer. Today, the options for retirement living are many. Retirement is changing indeed.
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*Proud to be an NBC Nightly News resource. Best Retirement Spots, a partner of Webwerxx, Inc., 2770 S. Elmira St., Denver, CO 80231. Tel: (303) 358-0512. Fax: (303) 755-9661. Copyright © 1999-2011. All rights reserved. |
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