Margaritaville for seniors

GR111 said:
Lost shaker of salt - sounds great a little further down the road.

I have only seen senior developments online but they do seem to have some advantages.

Anyone with first hand experience living in senior living ?
Click to expand...

We’re in a 55+ community. We like it. Most residents are in their 60s and 70s. Still new homes being built and the younger end of the range moves in. Not too many folks in their 80s - they tend to relocate to be closer to family or move to a CCRC.
 
I have always found it sad that nobody likes old people; not even other old people. I mean, we're all gonna be old people, pretty much. Why can't we like each other more?

FreeBear said:
Yep, reminds me of what an older buddy of mine said when I asked if he ever looked into a retirement community: "Nope, too many old people!" He was in his early 80's.

..
Click to expand...
 
Jimmy Buffett - saw him once in Wrigley Field. Went at my wife's insistence. Wasn't a fan of his music before I went and the concert did not change my opinion.


It was a long afternoon. I just don't get the Buffett experience.



People in their 50s should not be running around drunk and wearing parrot heads. Just my opinion.:cool:
 
We have looked at a few 55+ as we are members of that group of rare birds that like HOAs and how they ensure the landscaping etc. is kept nice an fresh. But our biggest complaint, at least in Florida is they seem to be in very hot inland locations. While this is OK in the Winter, it is nice to have the sea breezes in the summer. Margaritaville is no exception, it is on the wrong side of 95 on LPGA boulevard near the AutoMall. That is quite a way from the coastal areas and most of the main shopping. There is a great hospital very close though.
 
I have a buddy that grew up with Buffett in Mobile, and their parents were best friends.

He went to the World Series one year in Atlanta with Jimmy, and their seats were even better than Ted Turner, then owner of the Atlanta Braves.

He asked Buffett how he got the seats. "Ticketmaster", Jimmy said. "I made them a fortune last year."

Jimmy Buffett has gone on to be an industry. He's just smarter than your average entertainer. We can see him in our town with Mac MacAnally recording his next album in an old house overlooking the Tennessee River.
 
Well, I haven't yet figured out this "where to live in retirement" thing, and I haven't seen any of the above-mentioned retirement communities. But to me, a mid-sized town with various aged people and lots of events and things to do seems like it would "fill the bill." (Take a look at some of the things going on in Grand Rapids, MI, where I plan to retire. https://www.meetup.com/cities/us/mi/grand_rapids/?_cookie-check=LaIX5LTDvJXJnjZc) If you want to spend a lot of time with 65+ aged people, you could go to events and groups that cater to that crowd, make some friends, and hang out with them (breakfasts, etc.). You could also meet people that age in vibrant churches, at yard sales, in senior centers, etc. And a mid-sized house near downtown or out a bit, or a decent-sized condo, seems fine to me. :)
 
Most 55+ that I have seen are built on cheaper land, since most retirees want "low cost of living." In Florida, the closer to the ocean, the higher the cost.

ShokWaveRider said:
But our biggest complaint, at least in Florida is they seem to be in very hot inland locations. While this is OK in the Winter, it is nice to have the sea breezes in the summer. Margaritaville is no exception, it is on the wrong side of 95 on LPGA boulevard near the AutoMall. That is quite a way from the coastal areas and most of the main shopping. There is a great hospital very close though.
Click to expand...
 
Amethyst said:
I have always found it sad that nobody likes old people; not even other old people. I mean, we're all gonna be old people, pretty much. Why can't we like each other more?
Click to expand...

I think you have identified something important. Nobody seems to want to be around “old” people. It really is very sad.
 
audreyh1 said:
I think you have identified something important. Nobody seems to want to be around “old” people. It really is very sad.
Click to expand...

Is that really any different in us not wanting to be in a development where there are a lot of kids playing in the streets? I just think it is personal choice. Our development is mainly older folk like us (But not a 55+) but it is fine. I think it is just the nature of the beast(s).
 
ShokWaveRider said:
Is that really any different in us not wanting to be in a development where there are a lot of kids playing in the streets? I just think it is personal choice. Our development is mainly older folk like us (But not a 55+) but it is fine. I think it is just the nature of the beast(s).
Click to expand...

I do think there is a knee jerk response not to want to be around old (80+) people. That folks in that age group can seem somewhat pitiable as obviously they have lost their youth and vigor compared to their younger years. More physical frailty even if the mind is still sharp. It’s probably more a reflection of our fear of our personal mortality. Many people in that age group express concern about being around other old people too.
 
Chuckanut said:
It's not terrible. It's what some people choose since it meets their needs, wants and desires.
Click to expand...

Yep. Our neighborhood is strict about what is visible from the street, parking cars in the street overnight, etc. It always looks very nice, and nothing sterile about it.

We like it. Lots of junky neighborhoods in our city.
 
Rianne said:
Friends of ours live in a 55+ community in Texas. They will have 10,000 houses built in the near future. There are 5 floor plans to choose from. You can't plant a bush or paint your outside house without approval. There are several hundred pages of rules you must follow. They love it. I would not like it.
Click to expand...

It’s great. Folks usually get approval unless something is particularly egregious. They just can’t do things willy nilly in their front yards. Neighborhood always looks great.

It’s a choice to live here. Nobody was forced to live here.
 
audreyh1 said:
It’s great. Folks usually get approval unless something is particularly egregious. They just can’t do things willy nilly in their front yards. Neighborhood always looks great.

It’s a choice to live here. Nobody was forced to live here.
Click to expand...

Same as with our 55+ community of 437 homes with the WG jones State Forest adjacent to us.
 
golfnut said:
People in their 50s should not be running around drunk and wearing parrot heads. Just my opinion.:cool:
Click to expand...


You’re absolutely right. I think that’s much more appropriate for us in our 60’s.

But there’s booze in the blender, and soon it will render, that frozen concoction that helps me hang on!!
 
Yeah, seniors shouldn’t be allowed to party. It’s undignified!

NOT! Fortunately there is noone who can stop us. ;)
 
I found the article interesting, and possibly a way to go, but seen from an eye that is younger, and somewhat opinionated.

Jeanie and I have "been there, and done that"... no, not quite the same, but the first 20+ years in our Florida Lake Griffin Harbor community. A young and super active life that most can only dream about. Close knit, happy, busy community with everything a retiree could wish for. Dances, parties, boating, pool bobbing, and short travel to Daytona once a week with the local car-a-van.
And a loving help-one-another feeling. Something to do, each day... every day. Several youtube videos.
A wonderful life at a very low cost.
That was half the year. the other half, no less busy, close kit smaller neighborhood. Eight close knit families with one objective... FUN. Yeah, in a campground with 6500 sites.

We could have continued, but we got older, and looked around for a better fit.
Yeah... I admit it... older, slower, no late nights, no seven to midnight parties or dances. No more emceeing or organizing trips.

Contentment is a matter of perception. Our CCRC DOES have activities and trips, and just about anything we want or need, but the peace and quiet of our home... watching TV, playing in the computer and indulging all of those interests that we never had time for are more in line with what we enjoy as we go through our eighties.
I gave up my 25 mile bike rides a few years ago, and my canoeing is more like half hour rides... no more rivers.

An interesting aside. Of the hundreds of people who lived the "over55"" dream when we were snowbirding, almost all have returned to their northern homes and families as they got to their 70's. Plus... believe it or not we like the seasons... snowing lightly right now. :)

We love hearing stories about those guys and gals in their 90's...still touring the world, running marathons etc... but it ain't us.

Margaritaville... nice to have choices, eventually a lot like The Villages...choices unlimited, but eventually limitations of age. If it had been an option back in the '90's we would probably have looked, as we did with the Villages (which we couldn't have afforded).

Still, no regerts :LOL:
 
Last edited:
We had a HOA once. It was awful. Once got a letter to pull weeds in the front yard. We couldn’t find any. Finally found 2 small weeds. Then had to call and they had to inspect. They aren’t supposed to hassle military personnel on orders but they do. Hard to fix stuff when you are halfway around the world. When we wanted to park our RV our front to load had to call and tell them and then the time was limited that it could be in our own driveway. Ugh! After 7 years we left.
 
aja8888 said:
Bring money, lots of it. :D
Click to expand...

housing cheaper than Portland prices! Geographic arbitrage :D

let's see. Trade 40 days & 40 nights of rain & mist? Or a couple months of pleasant weather?

I'm really not sure if I could do it though. After a while your skin needs that cool damp & musty weather
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

ls99
Blow Everyone else's Dough
2
Replies
31
Views
3K
Mdlerth
Mdlerth
M
  • Poll
Do you have a bucket list?
2
Replies
27
Views
2K
Car-Guy
Car-Guy
I was misinformed
Article on current market for corporate debt
Replies
11
Views
2K
Gumby
Gumby
imoldernu
Decluttering
2
Replies
40
Views
6K
Animorph
A

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom