These articles are specifically designed for Senior real estate owners. The issues facing seniors require strategic decisions and this newsletter hopes to be both informative and thought provoking.

Super Senior Sojourners

Faster than a speeding tour bus, more powerful than a luggage-handler, able to leap tall turnstiles in a single bound.  It’s Super Senior, helping America’s travel industry soar to renewed heights of prosperity.

Use of the airways, roadways, and seaways by seniors is increasing as discounts, privileges, and other amenities for mature travelers become industry standards.  Retirement, a life stage that in 1900 represented a meager 3 percent of one’s existence, now accounts for 20 percent of the average adult’s life span.  This explosive extension of the retirement years is a result of a 50 percent increase in life expectancy, from 49 to 74 years since 1900. Today, instead of spending an average of only 1.3 years in retirement, adults can look forward to at least 14 years of retirement living.

How are these Super Seniors capitalizing on this windfall of free time? Scores are packing their bags and heading for adventure, traveling the open road, soaring the friendly skies, and cruising the high seas. Don’t bother trying to reach granny at home. She’s away on a jet tour of the Orient with her new beau. In fact, seniors account for nearly 40 percent of all package tours and one-third of all air travel and hotel stays.

Here are some travel tips for all you retirement ramblers:

Group tours are also a favorite with many senior travelers because they often meet new people. Fifty percent of seniors take at least one trip per year because the benefits are endless. Here are just a few:

So what are you waiting for? Start planning for a new adventure.  You’ll be glad you did.

Source: David Demko, Age Venture News Service, Boca Raton, Florida

Seniors Population Grows in 11 States

Thinking of relocating to a different state when you retire?  Eleven states experienced faster senior growth than Florida in the 1990's, according to American Demographics magazine. Nevada experienced the highest senior population growth rate (70%) followed by growth of more than 25 percent in Alaska, Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii, Utah, and Colorado. South Carolina, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia each recorded growth of at least 19 percent in senior populations.

Wake-up Call for Senior Housing Communities

A survey conducted by the National Investment Center for the Senior Housing & Care Industries seems to be a wake-up call for senior housing communities.  

The survey of 4,511 mature households aged 60+ found that these communities need to focus less on the care provided and more on the lifestyle benefits of the community.

While the proportion of 60+ households thinking of moving to a retirement community more than doubled from 1998 to 2000 (1.9% to 5.2%), there has not been an increased proportion of seniors actually moving into communities.

Respondents in the study have stayed in their own homes longer (a mean of 26.8 years) than in any of the previous studies. Results indicate seniors are delaying the move until they actually need care.

Of course your comments are welcomed.

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