My aging parents are building a home on a hill away from the city. They will have to drive to everything. They even are building it son they can walk around the home and get to their car without stairs.
I don’t get it at all. When I’m old, I want to be in a city, bottom floor and walking distance to a grocery store, doctors and aerobics class.
A car is a terrible idea. I can’t say much at this point though
Mine over the last year bought a terrible property in the middle of nowhere (tiny town that doesn’t even have a pub) a three hour drive south of their existing home.
I discouraged it vociferously it all the way, pointing out all the ways it would be a downgrade in a pros and cons fashion… Tried to be objective. They ignored. They sold their home of 12 years that was 10 mins from mine (and their grandkids) and away they went.
ONE WEEK later, they gave up on the idea of living down there permanently “it was so much driving” and rented a place nearby me again… About 5 mins from their prior amazing home that backed into a park on two sides.
Boomers gonna boom, man. I doubt there was anything I could have done to change their plan.
The rule of thumb is never to move to a town that has fewer than two pubs. That way, if you fall out with the owners or clientele of one, you’ll still have somewhere to have your pint.
I’ve had this conversation recently. People focused on wanting to live somewhere with the lowest possible taxes. Like, okay, you save 5% of your money on taxes, but then you spend 25% more on driving places, trying to get decent healthcare, finding any worthwhile, enjoyable activities to do, and inevitably having to move back closer to civilization when you do have to give up the car, except now you are moving to assisted living and not just an apartment or little house in a walkable neighborhood.
Even if it all goes to plan, and they endure living somewhere crappy, and they do save money, so what? You die with extra money?
Don’t want to blame boomers necessarily cause I think the propaganda of being hyper aware of taxes while ignoring all the other costs (and what the taxes get you) has hit people of all ages, but boomers are just the ones at the age where it makes them make dumb decisions.