With so many, doing your research now pays dividends for life
By Danielle Rexrode
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE
According to a study by the American City Business Journals, today’s retirees are thinking beyond traditional hot spots like Florida and putting higher emphasis on maintaining personal connections, like family, friends, and community.
With a greater percentage of Texans of retirement age than ever before, the variety of housing for those seeking retirement lifestyle options has grown exponentially. As those options have increased, so have the chances of making a decision one might regret. There are significant differences in the amenities, services, and financial structure of every retirement living option.
What do you want to do?
Before thinking about the options available in a new home, consider what is important to you. The freedom to travel without finding someone to look after the house, plants, and pets may be appealing. Perhaps finding people who share similar interests and hobbies would be important. Primary concerns may revolve around personal safety or access to a variety of healthy opportunities and medical services.
A full-service community like Eagle’s Trace in Houston combines spacious maintenance-free apartment homes with an outstanding selection of on-site, worldclass amenities that appeal to many retirees like Jim and Pat McKinley, who moved to Eagle’s Trace from the Memorial area.
“We didn’t want to think about the upkeep of a house or worrying about the yard,” they say. “The thing we enjoy most is the freedom we have here. We have all the advantages of home ownership without any of the disadvantages. Everything here is taken care of for us.”
People who live at Eagle’s Trace don’t have to give up their ties to their current neighborhood. They stay as involved with local organizations and friends as they want to be—while making new ones—a huge benefit.