Admit it. If you're a
Boomer (or older), you've pictured the "ideal" retirement village.
Something, perhaps, out of a Currier & Ives postcard (but without
the snow!).
Well, there's certainly nothing wrong with dreaming about it. But just be sure that your dream is still in touch with reality.
The
ads in newspapers, magazines, and TV are beautiful. But, just remember -
they're meant to sell something. Which is why I tell my clients to do
their homework before signing on any dotted lines.
Retirement communities
often boast pools, clubhouses, and sometimes even restaurants and golf
courses. Many project an image that's almost like a resort...except that
you can actually live in this resort.
But a retirement home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. And you have to treat it as such.
If you want to bring
your dream retirement village into reality, start by thinking carefully
about your "needs," "must-have's," "wants," and "would-be-nices." And
then set your financial parameters, to see how many of your wants,
needs, etc., you can afford, and the type of location in which you can
afford them.
Do you want a private
home? Villa? Apartment? Townhouse? And would you be willing to
compromise, say, from a private home to an apartment or townhouse if it
meant living in a nicer area?
Would you like to live in a city? Suburbs? Small-town "Exurbia?" Or out in the country (again, if you can afford it)?
This, folks, is a business decision...not one based on emotion!
Where you live is a big decision as you age...and a complicated one. But we can help.
At The Law Offices of
Alice Reiter Feld & Associates, we practice Elder Law. We've been
helping South Florida families make big decisions for the past 34 years.
And we can help them with big decisions, such as comprehensive estate
planning, wills, trusts, powers of attorney, long-term care planning,
asset-protection plans, and assistance with Medicaid and the VA.
We can help your family, too. And we're just a phone call away.
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