Delete the last three letters (hen) of the link and it works.
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Thanks for mentioning - link now fixed. (VeryHappy was correct, I somehow had gotten extra junk characters at and of url)
Those are a lot of reasons to stay.
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Such great insights.
I really do feel a bit more hopeful thinking that there might be several stages to the latter third of life (reflected in the housing locations).
I do see the benefit of having a few years to ramp up connections prior to the āneedy end stageā. Not sure if this is practicable and makes sense. But based on the years Iāve put into friendships where I currently live - I know I have people who will (and have already) helped me out if I need a doctor, a second option, a visit while Iām in the hospital, a check in, etc.
If I move to a completely new place (say, second of two retirement residences) and need that kind of support, not sure that my ānew friendsā would have that level of commitment! Might be overthinking it a little but the support always seems helpfulā¦
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Silvernest program for home sharing was mentioned on a local FB group. I donāt think we have it in our area, but it seems a good idea. I have some older neighbors and church friend homeowners who might like to participate in this type of program, if the roommates were properly screened.
silvernest.com
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golden girls?
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Colorado_mom - so interesting! And, helpful, Iād bet!
rockymtnhigh2 - haha - itās really a thing! Senior Living Options: The Golden Girls Model
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Iāve been thinking ahead to the ādownsizing lifeā (been holding yard sales and clearing out house!). Really trying to envision the pros/cons of a single family downsized home vs. a condo or townhouse.
After lots of research Iām figuring that - although it looks amazing! - a beautiful timber house up in the mountains might not be the best choice, lol. Keep readng about the need for community, the importance of avoiding isolation as you get older. So, unless it were a house part of a little community, I donāt think that would work. Boo. 
Am struggling to picture condo-life --whether Iād be okay with all the close neighbors, lack of ability to walk out the door and head into nature, etc.
A condo pro: when I picture a second-stage single family home - itās appealing but logistically overwhelming. I think: āIf I were alone someday - how would I possibly be able to take care of the plumbing, heating, electric, yard, etc. issues?ā Hub is super-duper handy and has handled all of that re: our house (Iām trying to slowly learn it all now - late to the game!).
Wondered if anyone has done the transition from house into condo and had thoughts on the pros/cons?
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@Jolynne_Smyth : They also have single family homes in home associations where the entire outdoors is handled by the association.
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A big con for me would be any shared walls. Newer designs may avoid that obstacle, but many older designs do not.
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I have the same issue. Dh and I went to check out a few condos. I loved one property that was a four-plex, but I couldnāt get past the idea of how so much is shared. I could throw open the windows, but what if my neighbors were smokers? Or loud on the shared patio? I would find that annoying. This was an older property full of charm. We also looked at a newer property with a top-floor unit. It was great, and the complex was a better size for us, I think, and I loved the high ceilings on the top floor. Lacked the personality of the other place, but I loved the underground parking space so no worry about digging out in the snow.
If we ever relocate, I think Iāll look for a place like my former neighbors found in Colorado. Itās a small 55+ community of side-by-side duplexes and four-plexes so no one above or below them. They are on an end unit so it feels more private than sandwiched between others. Nice patio out front and a two-car garage so plenty of storage. We havenāt gotten to visit them yet, but it looks and sounds ideal.
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We live in a townhome in San Diego so we do have shared walls, but with the garage below and our upstairs we have no one above or below us. Our complex is gorgeous with beautiful landscaping, a pool and two tennis courts. We have our own outside area which has a dining table we use year round and outdoor seating and our barbecue. We are just over 2 miles to the beach and walk there most days each week. We also have hiking within a couple of miles at Torrey Pines along the ocean cliffs. We can walk to 3 grocery stores, a movie theatre and restaurants. We have a large shopping mall just over a mile away with shops, more restaurants and movies. We can also walk to the trolley which we can take to many areas of San Diego .
We have lovely neighbors that we get along well with and our community is quiet even with so much going on around us. I love that we donāt have to take care of a yard and that as we age we have so many resources close by. Two major hospitals are also within a mile of us. All of this does come at a premium as the cost for our townhomes is not cheap.
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If we have to downsize, Iāll definitely want some kind of patio of balcony to grow potted plants. My retired mom did that in one of her apartments and enjoyed showing her produce to her parents that shared the apartment.
Gardening is a hobby that I hope to be able to do for a long time, even when too old to run. So I hope to stay in our house. It has even occurred to me if older hubby canāt get out much someday Iāll like having that outlet.
I was talking to an older couple at church this week. The wife says they love their new condo (or maybe townhouse?). When I mentioned Iād miss gardening in my yard, the wife did say that she missed her flower gardens. Her hubby in late eighties and gets his gardening fix at the church giving garden, where we grow about 1000 lb of vegetables each year for distribution at local food bank. So that could be a way for me to keep my hands in the dirt if we ever move.
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H and I did this in NoVA before we moved. Iām not really a gardener but I loved doing this. I have been looking for a similar opportunity here.
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H has many potted plants on flowers on our large back deck and also we have a nice private front area for his plants.
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My sil volunteers for three gardens: at the governorās mansion, at the school for the blind, and at the historical preservation society.
Iām not sure how she learned about these opportunities.
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I have mentioned here several times our experiment where we are living halftime in a 55+ apartment close to our daughter. I have never lived in an apartment in my life and was worried about shared walls, etc.
Well, it has been much better than expected. We have a patio (if I want to have plants), we are in a brand new building, we overlook a park, there is a gym and pool, and many of the people in the building socialize together often. I strongly feel that the ease of calling the maintenance guy if we want something fixed, far outweighs having shared walls. We are the top floor so we donāt hear anybody above us and the place is very well insulated so we in general we donāt hear our neighbors. Unlike a condo, we have no maintenance responsibilities at all (inside or outside).
I imagine we will be selling our long time house soon (no timeline yet) and living in the apartment full time. The only downside to the apartment is that we will never be able to get rid of enough stuff to not need some kind of storage facility (for the Xmas decorations, bulky stuff like that).
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Thanks for all the feedback! I love hearing how others have navigated housing changes, what the priorities are (various!), and the pros/cons.
@showmom858 - if I remember right, you shared a pic of a nearby townshouse for sale in your area? Stunning! Have been looking at CA (since I like the mountains and hub likes the warm weather/water). But since weād ideally like to pay cash/have no mortgage on a future locale - budget seems like it wouldnāt get us even near a cute place in a fun location there, LOL (remembering coralbrookās tales of CA real estate!)
I like the idea some have mentioned about trying out apartment living. Thatās on my list for this year - go to an AirBnB or VRBO for a week at a place we might consider for snowbird times or fulltime living and see how we feel about apt (or townshouse) life.
One consideration ā we have loved having big dogs 
(maybe someday, again?) That might be a challenge in an aptā¦!
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@kiddie Curious how you found your senior apartment? I only find continuing care type facilities when researching online. Even without buy-in requirements, monthly rents for these tend to be extremely expensive. We once toured what we thought to be senior apartments, but the rent included much more than we wanted or needed (occasional meals, transportation, etc.).
Like you, we also live halftime in an apartment. It is a wonderful, convenient location, but tends to be occupied by a much younger crowd ā with music and parties to match. Since it is near a hospital, their hours are also quite varied, and unfortunately sound insulation is not the best. Both of us are ready for a āgrown-upā apartment, but hesitant to spend double the amount when it sits empty 6+ months/year. Weāre wondering if an apartment that caters to, or even limits to senior occupants, might be a better option. Theyāre just hard to find!
kjofkw - have you searched online just for 55+ communities? When I do that I invariably come up with some sub-sets of those that are townhouses and sometimes condos. Maybe one of these might help?
https://www.55communityguide.com/classified/55-apartments-for-rent
Also you can do a tailored Zillow search that might turn up something youād like?
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