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Residents Under 55 Enjoy Soleil Laurel Canyon Too
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Jesse and Sue Irwin were in their early 50s when they moved to Soleil Laurel Canyon, a 330-acre resort-style community in Canton that is designed for homeowners ages 55 and older.
“We were living in a big house on three acres in Woodstock when our youngest child grew up and left home,” Sue Irwin said. “We wanted something smaller but we didn’t want to move again when we retire. It may have been a little early to downsize but there was no reason to stay in our other house.”
Joe and Lois Rebele were still in their 40s four years ago when they became empty nesters and moved to Soleil.
“Our children were grown and it was just the two of us in a large house. We were looking for a one-story home with neighborhood amenities and a maintenance-free environment. Soleil offers the lifestyle we were looking for,” Joe and Rebele said. Read More→
Thinking About Your Mortgage After You Retire? Consider This
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Having a mortgage can be stressful in the best of times, but amidst the fallout of a financial crisis and your approaching retirement, the stress can be greatly amplified.
Financial advisor Roger Wohlner, one of the Equifax Personal Finance Blog experts, offers guidance. His recent article, “6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Taking Out a Mortgage for Retirement,” suggest questions to ask yourself that might help you work through the decision process.
In summary, you’ll need to consider the amount of cash you’ll have during your retirement and how a mortgage payment will affect your budget. Wohlner also suggests that you think about the lifestyle you hope to have during your retirement. You’ll need to think beyond the cash or investments required to support that lifestyle and also consider where you want to live. Is the home you’re buying in the location you hope to call home for many years? If you hope to travel extensively, who will care for it? Should you consider a low-maintenance community? Read More→
Thinking of Renting Out Your Real Estate? How to Be a Good Landlord
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There are two main reasons people entering retirement find themselves as landlords:
Scenario 1: You have your heart set on the perfect active adult community, but can’t sell your current home quick enough or for the price you think it deserves.
Scenario 2: You have bought the perfect second home on the beach or in the mountains, but don’t plan to be there year-round. To make a little extra money, you decide to rent your vacation home for others to enjoy while you aren’t there.
Either scenario can be frustrating for newly minted landlords. Luckily, the Equifax Personal Finance Blog has some tips to help you become an excellent landlord and protect your assets. Read More→
Celebrate Spring At Soleil’s Spring Fling Event
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Life at Soleil Laurel Canyon is full of surprises. From cooking demonstrations and wine tastings to Friday night movies, every day brings something new and different to the active adult community. And on April 2, Soleil’s Spring Fling event will help guests and residents celebrate the new season in style.
Guests will be treated to a gardening clinic and demonstration hosted by Walter Reeves. Reeves is an expert in the field, having written nine gardening books. He also writes a gardening column for the Atlanta Journal Constitution and hosts radio and television shows about gardening.
Those interested in sports can attend one of two golf clinics at the adjacent Fairways of Canton golf course or watch a tennis round robin.
Refreshments will be available at the 28,000-square-foot clubhouse and giveaways will take place throughout the day.
And speaking of Soleil’s spacious clubhouse, guests are invited to tour the community and get a taste of what makes life at Soleil so unique.
The full schedule is as follows:
- 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Golf Clinic at Fairways of Canton Golf Course
- 12 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. Gardening Clinic in Soleil’s clubhouse and horticulture center
- 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Tennis Round Robin
- 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Interior Design Clinic in Soleil’s Design Center
- 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Golf Clinic at Fairways of Canton Golf Course
At the event, shuttle buses will be on-hand to transport visitors from the clubhouse to the sales gallery and from the overflow parking lot at the golf clubhouse.
For more information about active adult living in Cherokee County, visit the Soleil Laurel Canyon website.
Study Reveals Practicality of 55+ Buyers
Posted by: | CommentsIn today’s real estate market, buyers are more concerned with financial issues as opposed to those dealing with design. In a recent joint study by the 50+ Housing Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the MetLife Mature Market Institute, it was shown that 55+ buyers are more practical than ever when selecting a new home.
The study, “Housing Trends Update for the 55+ Market,” focuses on data that was recently released from the Census Bureau’s 2009 American Housing Survey (AHS) on the 55+ demographic, primarily those living in active adult communities.
Here are some of the interesting conclusions from the study:
- In 2005 and 2007, no active adult community buyers reported having to tap cash or savings for a down payment. In 2009, 45 percent of the average buyer’s down payment came from cash or savings.
- Living near friends and family ranked first in importance for 55+ buyers. A desire for less expensive housing was second.
- 55+ buyers showed a decreased interest in the design, amenities and appearance of their residence and communities when compared to data obtained before the recession.
- Proximity to work is much more important to today’s 55+ homebuyers. In 2009, 12 percent said it was of importance versus 2 percent in 2001.
- Several homebuyers also reported that they work from home, which further shows evidence of a delayed retirement trend.
For more information, the survey can be downloaded from www.nahb.org/55PlusResearch or www.MatureMarketInstitute.com.