I suppose you know your own mind, but even a new house will have issues and ongoing expenses and work. I really can't see the improvement in your life that comes from leaving a townhome that at least can't be very old, and picking up yard work and a lot more exterior maintenance. Also, it costs more to heat a house, and especially an older house. That may not be an issue with you, but it certainly is for me.
The improvements I see are, no common driveway (thus avoiding other residents blocking my access to my garage), no common wall (so no late-night thudding bass from neighbors' parties), and enough space and sun to grow my own toxin-free veggies and fruit. The house is significantly smaller than the townhouse was (750 sq ft vs 1100), so I don't expect it to cost more to heat. It has wood siding, which I agree is not a point in its favor, and plan to change when I can. But it's also one story, which means I may be able to do at least some of the exterior maintenance myself. That was never a possibility on the townhouse, which was three stories high. The only way I know of to completely avoid exterior maintenance is to live in a home which has no exterior--an apartment or condo--and neither my budget nor my temperament would easily adapt to such a setting. I don't have an extra hundred or two a month for condo dues; I've never liked living in multi-family buildings (and the more units, the less I like it), and I always felt ripped-off when I was a tenant.
Maybe feeling tired is asking you slow down and spend more time planning and for a bit at least, less time acting. (snip)
My current tiredness can, I think, be entirely attributed to chemotherapy. It may take a long while--I've been told to expect not to be back to my previous energy level for a year afterwards--but it should eventually go away once I finish my treatment.
Once we reach retirement age, we really do not know what is in store for us, physically or otherwise, and some stuations are much more flexible than others.
That is true, and it's possible that in the future, I may be forced out of my house by ill-health or disability. But I don't want to live as if that has already happened, before it has. For now, I much prefer a detached house to any other form of residence.
I lived for some time in a popular retirement community outside Seattle. The place supported more Realtors than you might expect in a medum sized city. Many couples came, bought, then discovered the unhandy aspects, particularly if one of them fell ill. Then back to the city they went, with less money and a lot more experience.
Whatever you do, I hope you are happy.
Ha
It's not as if I'm contemplating moving to outer Mongolia! This house is right in town, and within five miles or less of practically every necessity and convenience (hospital, clinic, church, groceries, library, veterinarian, bank, etcetera, etcetera). Most of the above are bike-able (it's pretty flat) and there's a bus line at the end of the block.
Where was the "popular retirement community", and what were the unhandy aspects discovered by the dissatisfied purchasers? Maybe I am missing something.