The New Retirement Community Paradigm

After postponing home purchases during the recession, people over the age of 55 have been the first group to return to the home buying market.

1 minute read

June 2, 2014, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Old Skool

chrisdorney / Shutterstock

"At a time when many housing markets remain stagnant, projects catering to older people rank as one of the hottest fields. In 2013, there were 21,000 starts of age-restricted homes, up from 13,000 in 2012, according to the National Association of Home Builders," reports Stanley Luxenberg.

As a response to expected continued growth in demand for senior-friendly housing, developers are thinking more creatively about housing options for "a demanding generation that has begun to reach retirement age."

What does that mean? "Instead of focusing on traditional Sun Belt retirement communities, builders are seeking to lure older people who want to remain active or continue to work." The article goes on to examine examples of new retirement communities all over the country.

Friday, May 30, 2014 in New York Times

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