Another Form Of Equality
Readers suggested a topic on houses and retirement. “Where do people who are now leaving the Sunbelt go? In the case of retirees? Back to wherever their kids have jobs so they can see their grand-kids and be gently supervised/assisted until they can no longer take care of themselves. There is a whole subset of older women in my building who seem to be widows who have been moved into apartments by their successful kids.”
“I presume there is a similar, if less independent, version of this happening with grandma or grandpa taking over the den on the ground floor as her or his bedroom all over the country. Older people need help and they can’t get it easily from kids living a thousand miles away. And my understanding is that medical care in Florida is terrible.”
“My parents currently live in a 55+ development. They have finished the basement, so they aren’t actually living on one floor, but the kitchen, dining area, living room area, master bedroom and a large bathroom (with a shower with built in seating and no tub so there is nothing to step over) and small laundry room (off the bathroom) are all on one floor. My dad has a small office and media room downstairs (the rest is open). The guest room and a storage closet are upstairs. There is a small step up to the front door, but it could be easily ramped. The one issue I see is they have a one car garage and it is not close to wide enough to deal with a wheel chair, but there is street parking, so that could be dealt with as well. It would require rearranging the furniture (and getting rid of some of it), but they could manage in place with one of them using a walker or even a chair. All set up with grab bars and whatever.”
“Yes, these places are designed with the idea that you can stay in place with at least one person using a walker or a chair. I think they tend to assume that person has another at least slightly more mobile person to help, but there are other things you could do to make it workable for a person without help. Raising the wall plugs so they can be reached by a person in a chair is one of them.”
A reply, “I think the idea of Florida/Arizona as retirement states is done for. Why bother to move to a low tax state if you’re just going to spend saved tax money on plane trips to see the kids (or vice versa), waiting in wheelchairs at the airport? I think this is going to be the fate of McMansions. I could easily see a developer come in and retrofit a few princess suites as group homes and/or assisted living. It’s not a bad idea either. Any renovation will increase resell value. The question is, how much of the renovation cost do you get back during resell.”
To which was said, “Partly depends on the age of the caregiver and cared for. Have a 62 year old friend that took ‘early’ retirement and moved to Florida to care for aging parents. Bought a $60,000 short sale house in Tampa to be near-ish the beach and 1/2 hour away from the folks. Moving the parents back north seemed impractical as they are now “rooted” in a place they’ve been for 25+ years, have cronies in their neighborhood, and have difficulty coping with winter weather.”
And this, “I could only hope to be so lucky. Please stay home and spare us the congestion and the ideologies about how you ‘do it up north.’ Yankee go home. Yea. I don’t believe it will happen and can only HOPE for this Change.”
And another, “They are still coming to Arizona by the truckload and sucking up all of the affordable small homes that someone like me may consider buying if I had more that 30 seconds to look at it before these fargin cork soakers overbid the crap out of it.”
“I think I will start a movement to have young sunbelt professionals move back to the upper mid west and overbid the homes to keep their kids and grand kids from have the chance at affordable housing. I should probably include some busloads of starry eyed ‘rich dad’ investors to create a real frenzy. Had to release a little bitterness and hostility before my weekend.”
And finally, “Kind of another form of equality. Making homes that accommodate more than one generation of tenants or owners with different needs. Not in a wheelchair yet, but very challenged by our 1916 cast iron clawfoot tub in our 1918 Craftsman.”
“Researching walk-in tubs; they seem absurdly expensive . Any experiences would be very welcome. Pipes under the house are assumed to be from 1918. Some walk-ins have a fast-drain (assumed pump-assist). Don’t know if the pipes can handle it. How does the install affect resale value? We are currently all on one level and don’t want to change. Recommendations?”