Ann's Choice	UPDATED: Friday, February 01, 2008
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Retirement research pays off

Posted on Friday, February 01, 2008

By Mark Abromaitis
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Searching for a new home is easy if you know what you’re looking for and have a set of priorities.

Dick Cummings says that when he was looking for a new home, he knew he didn’t want a lot of extra rooms that he wouldn’t use. Instead he wanted a place that gave him options and a variety of amenities to fit his active lifestyle.

“I won’t knock what other people like, but this was just the right choice for me,” he says of the deluxe studio-style home he chose at Ann’s Choice. Cummings has lived in his studio for four years. “When I was first looking at Ann’s Choice I loved the community and everything it offered but didn’t need all the extra space. So when I asked if they had studios, and I saw they did, that was as far as I wanted to look.”

Questions to ask yourself
Retirement Counselor Marie Dmoch says Cummings’ situation is a common one. “Single, active people find that the deluxe studio homes provide just the right amount of space to live comfortably without the hassle of cleaning and dusting the seldom-used extra rooms. Most people do the bulk of their living in a den, bedroom, and kitchen,” she says.

Dmoch says when deciding whether to stay in your house or move to a retirement community, there are a number of questions you should ask yourself:

• Will I have to keep up with the maintenance on my house and yard?

• Will I have to clean a lot of unused rooms?

• Is everything I need conveniently located nearby?

• Will I have opportunities to remain active both physically and mentally?

• Will I have friends nearby?

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Value = cost plus amenities
Harry Hafft says that he did his research before moving to Ann’s Choice less than a year ago. He considered the value of a deluxe studio home and the amenities that the community offers, like 24/7 home maintenance; fewer rooms to clean; on-site restaurants, medical center, fitness center, and convenience stores; and hundreds of clubs and activities he could join. “Really, I don’t think you can do much better,” he says.

Hafft asked himself many of the questions Dmoch recommends and now says he couldn’t be happier with his new home. “And I’m completely satisfied with it. It’s all that I need.”

He says that for years he had “too much room,” and now it “only takes 20 to 30 minutes to clean my new home.” Hafft says he spends the time he used to clean his old home swimming in the indoor pool, and he has even started going to the on-site fitness center. “It’s one heck of a nice feature,” he says.

Find time for things you love
Cummings says the good value was the main reason he chose his studio-sized home. “It has a kitchen where I can make my breakfast every morning, and then I prefer to go out and eat at the restaurants for lunch and dinner,” he says. “I think you get a lot for the money.

“I call my place Dick’s Bachelor Pad,” he says with a laugh. “Really, I like it because it has everything I need, is less to clean, and leaves me more time to do other things that I really enjoy.”

Cummings says since moving to Ann’s Choice he has taken up a hobby that he hadn’t done in years. “In the mornings you can usually find me down at the billiards room,” he says.

Be a smart shopper
Cummings says that he’s even given a few billiards lessons to people who are interested in learning the basics. “I’ve met a lot of great people and made a lot of great friends here,” he says.

Dmoch says, “The people who want a deluxe studio-style home are usually the smart shoppers who also enjoy dining at any of the on-site restaurants or working up a sweat at the fitness and aquatic centers. These are engaged people who just want to spend less money than those living in one and two bedroom apartments.

“So often our society says that bigger and more expensive is better. But that’s not always true,” Dmoch says.

She says that more and more people are realizing the value of researching their retirement options and finding the right-sized and right-priced home for them. She adds that it has resulted in consistent demand for studio homes at Ann’s Choice. She reports, “We only have a few homes remaining on campus, and the last deluxe studios are going fast.”