Active Adult Retirement Communities: Ten Things to Know
Most articles about active adult retirement communities state this important fact: Baby boomers have turned 60. Some will choose to sell their homes for a variety of reasons: financial, to downsize, to be closer to children. As homebuilders are building more retirement communities and discovering what features boomers want making them more appealing, more boomers are considering retirement at active adult retirement communities.
Here are ten things you should know when you begin your research into active adult retirement communities:
1) Choose an Area: First thing decide where you would like to live by region, state and then city. A variety of websites now cover this subject thoroughly and are very helpful. My website also gives descriptions of the areas if you are wondering what it would be like to live in California, for instance. Find the communities listed under that area or city. The type of community we are talking about here will be categorized as Active Adult and sometimes Independent Living. Make a list of the active adult communities you want to consider further. There are many types of active-adult communities so notice what kind it is. For instance, some communities only have rental apartments. There are some that are manufactured homes only or RV. Some have assisted living available. The most common type is the outright purchase plus homeowners fee.
2) Make a list of your wants and needs: Is a golfcourse necessary? What are your hobbies and can you pursue them there. What other activities are there that you may wish to try in the future. Do you want a resort-type active adult community. Is having a college nearby important or your favorite medical facilities. How about scenery. Is a view important to you. Make a list putting your highest priorities first.
3) Decide on your budget: Do you wish to purchase or rent. What is the homeowner's fee and what does it cover. Are there any other fees. Make a list of your total expenses. What is the policy regarding raising fees. Are there other active adult community plans that you find more desirable than outright purchase. There are many types of financial plans, however, the most typical is purchase plus a fee. My fee covers property tax and insurance, utilities, basic cable TV, security services, Clubhouse, and amenities such as fitness center and tennis. My tai chi class is an additional small fee. Usually there is an extra fee for golf and outdoor pool. For the greatest security, make sure you can cover your monthly expenses for the rest of your life.
4) Make appointments to Visit: A good plan is to contact the community or homebuilder and let them know you are interested. I find the retirement community will then send a generous packet of information. Sometimes they may have a visitor's program offering a tour of the property and sometimes an overnight stay at reasonable rates. Visiting gives you more detailed information.
5) During your visit, be observant: Notice if the seniors appear happy and active and sometimes greeting you. Ask them if they like living there. Notice if the landscaping is well kept and beautiful. What amenities are offered. Where do you put out your trash and do your laundry. Seriously, both of these are conveniently right outside my door. My trash shute makes my life a lot easier. The building is cleaned every week. Sometimes, of course, you will have your own machines in your home. Make sure the floorplan makes your life easier. Are there any unique health programs for seniors such as restaurants serving a menu that is lower in fat, salt and sugar. Get the newspaper or activities calendar and ask if there are resales, check out the local real estate office. They can also give you an objective opinion on the community.
6) Is there transportation for residents? Is there a shuttle bus? This is wonderful if you take the one car to work and your spouse stays home all day. You may not want the expense of two cars anymore or any car at all. You don't want to be stuck in your home and no way to get around. How far is the shopping center. Can you walk?
7) Where are the grocery store and major shopping: Is there a shopping center located nearby and where is the major shopping mall. Ours is conveniently next to the community and we can walk if we want to.
8) Emergency Services and Hospitals: Fortunately, most active adult communities are located near these facilities since adult community homebuilders know it is important. However, some that are in more remote areas may not be near enough and you may have to weigh this in your decision.
9) Security Services: What does this consist of? Is it an electronic gate only, a 24-hour manned gate, or manned gate and patrol. The manned gate plus 24-hour patrol is best. Our security service also handles just about anything that may come up that we need assistance with or are concerned about. It is wonderful and gives so much peace of mind.
10) Now choose which communities you like best: Once you are in a community, you will only then know how important having all these conveniences will be to you. Get the names of persons you came in contact with for any questions you may have later. Narrow your list down to only one or two. Get more details on the community and maybe try to rent there first to try it out. Retirement communities usually have short-term rentals available. You may wish to do a follow-up visit.
Choosing which adult community you will reside in will be easier than you think. The people you come in contact with at retirement communities are very gracious and helpful. Soon you will enjoy the new sense of freedom and pleasure that only a great active adult retirement community can offer.
Carol Fena
http://www.bestguide-retirementcommunities.com (c)2006
Carol Fena, after many years of real estate employment, resides in an active adult retirement community and enjoys writing articles about them for her website
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Why You Should be Writing to More Than One Russian Woman
My recommendation is for you to write to as many women as you possibly can. The reason for this simple: How many Russian women have you met? Probably none. What do you know about them? Probably nothing.
How much are you going to learn from one woman? You are going to learn a lot about her particular peccadilloes, her preferences, her likes and dislikes, her behavior, et cetera. But what do you have to compare it against -- your experience with American women?
By widening your choice to the maximum amount you can handle from a time and energy standpoint, you will get to meet a wide cross section of women. It will help you to hone your own ideas about the kind of woman you want for a wife.
I guarantee you that when you start to meet a number of women, the cream will rise to the top. You will develop personal preferences for them. I can almost assure you that, after a while, you will know which one is the one.
You will be thinking only of her. You will want to spend all your time with her. When you think of her, your heart will leap. Hey, youre in love!
I will give two examples of why you want to meet more than one woman. The first example is from a man who corresponded with a woman for about six months. He went to meet her in her home country and scheduled two weeks to be with her.
After a few days, the woman was no longer interested in him and broke off their relationship. He now had the balance of two weeks in a city where he didnt know anyone. He had paid for the airline tickets and the hotel for two weeks so he was committed to being there.
Eventually, a day or two later, he broke out of his depression, and with the help of the local marriage agency, met a number of women. One of the women later became his wife.
Another Example:
The second example is from a man who corresponded with one woman for over a year. Finally, he got on an airplane and went to meet her. She had not made arrangements to take time off work, so he could only meet her in the evening and on weekends.
Ten days later he was on his way home. He made another trip a few months later with the same result. Finally, after two more trips, he realized that she wasnt that interested in him and gradually their relationship stalled.
If he had met other Russian women along the way, he may have had something to compare her reactions to him with and he may have figured out earlier that things werent working out as planned.
On the other hand, I know of a number of men who have been one woman men and their relationships have worked out fine.
My personal feeling is that the more women you meet in the beginning stages, the more experience you have to gauge your relationships with the women you meet, the more likely you are to meet the one, and the more likely you are to realize she is the one when you do meet her.
Were not talking about being unfaithful to someone you have established a formal relationship with. We are talking about the letter writing and casual dating stage at the beginning.
John Kunkle has been married to a Russian women for over five years. He has travelled the path from finding her, to traveling to Russia, to bring his wife to America, and adjusting to married life. He will show you step by step how to do this yourself.
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Safeguard Your Assets In A Divorce
When going through a divorce it is very important to protect your assets. It is possible for an unsuspecting spouse to find on top of everything else, bank accounts were raided, stocks sold and insurance policies cashed.
If you are a woman going through a divorce try to have joint liquid accounts transferred to your name. You may have to get your husband to sign documents but some banks just need one party to do this.
The process is not so simple with assets such as stocks, mutual funds, bonds and other investments. Usually it is necessary to have both signatures to liquidate these assets, but, if you have signed a power of attorney in the past or if your husbands new girlfriend tries to sign up in your place, you may in trouble. To combat these circumstances, make sure all institutions are aware you are going through a divorce and ask them to check for identification before accepting a transaction.
One bad scenario would be if your husband runs off with a cash value of a life insurance policy. In this case, to protect yourself try to get that policy in your name. Sometimes the courts would require a husband to keep up the policy while you are separated. Another way to safeguard the assets is to keep track of account numbers and balances. Make copies for your attorney too. A wife should know what a husbands pension looks like. Knowledge is power. At the very least, this would reduce some anxiety around an already stressful situation.
The safeguarding goes both ways though. At this stage assets should be considered money you intend to protect until it can be divided equitably. However if you need to take out some money to pay for another marital asset like your home or child support then make sure your attorney understands the situation and has an account of it.
Abby Johnson is a staff writer at
http://www.legal-journal.com and is an occasional contributor to several other websites, including
http://www.lifestylegazette.com.
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Debt Consolidation With Unsecured Personal Loans
Everyone knows how quickly monthly credit payments can add up. Between credit cards, auto loans and medical bills, it can be very overwhelming. Add high interest rates to the equation and it can be virtually impossible to get out from under the burden of all that debt. It truly is a vicious cycle a cycle that enriches the profits of many creditors. Take, for instance, a credit card with a 5000 balance that carries a 22% interest rate and has a minimum payment of 130. At this rate, it will take seven years to pay off the credit card at a cost of about 10,000. Thats twice the principal balance on the credit card! Add one or two more credit cards, an auto loan and a hospital bill and its no wonder that consumers are becoming prisoners to their creditors.
Many people today have found a way to manage their debt through unsecured personal loans. This type of debt consolidation is really geared toward those who do not meet the normal lending criteria, meaning those with lower credit scores and/or those considered sub prime or high risk by traditional lenders. Many things can contribute to a less than desirable credit rating, the worst, obviously, being things like bankruptcy and foreclosure. More commonly however, credit scores are tarnished by late payments and an unfavorable debt-to-income ratio. Unfortunately, once the damage is done and it can be done rather quickly it can take years to repair. Whats a person to do in the meantime?
In the past, there was not much that a person could do except wait until enough time passed and all the blemishes were erased off. Creditors viewed those with low credit scores as abusers of the credit system. When so many consumers today are living paycheck to paycheck, it is virtually impossible to not have some kind of derogatory mark on your credit report. A 30-day late payment can lower a credit score by 30 - 75 points. Imagine what a month or two of unemployment can do to a credit score. In a matter of weeks, someone with great credit can fall into the abyss of the sub prime - a hole from which it will take years to emerge. However, a new trend is developing as many lenders have found that a low credit score does not equate to a deadbeat, non-paying borrower. In fact, many lenders are specializing in working with those with problem credit to help them get back on track.
There are several companies out there who specialize in making unsecured personal loans to individuals with sub prime lending criteria. Most will grant loans for amounts as little as 250 and as much as 25,000. Loans are available with same-day approval and no upfront fees. To ensure a loan company is reputable, be sure to look for one that is regulated and registered as a finance broker. Borrowers may also want to look for a lender that offers comprehensive insurance in case of an illness or unemployment.
An unsecured personal loan helps a persons financial position by consolidating all debt into one manageable monthly payment. Instead of writing, for example, five different checks to five different creditors, the five accounts are consolidated into one with a single lender; therefore, only one check is issued. Most often, the interest rate on the personal loan is lower than that on the credit cards and the single monthly payment is generally less than the sum of the five individual payments. Homeowners would generally use a home equity line of credit to accomplish this, but since an unsecured personal loan requires no collateral, it is ideal for UK Council Tenants, Housing Association Tenants, Private Tenants, MOD Tenants. In fact, individuals with any residential status can take advantage of this type of credit.
While approximately half of these types of loans fall into the debt consolidation category, about 20% are requests for new car loans. Borrowers are also looking to fund such things as holidays, weddings, even cosmetic surgery. The loans offer an opportunity for someone to splurge on something that is important to him or her.
It is important to borrow only as much money as you can afford to repay. Thats why its a good idea to do an income and expenditure exercise before applying. Income should always outweigh expenses and money for savings and emergencies should be included in that budget. It is also important to remember non-regular expenditures such as gifts, vacations, entertainment and clothing. If it turns out that there is more money going out than coming in each month, debt consolidation can still help, but it may be necessary to give up some of the non-necessities. To assist with preparing a budget, The Office of Fair Trade website offers a free budget tool. The site also provides information about credit, finance, and loans. It prompts certain questions to ensure that the consumer has shopped around for the best deal and that he or she is making a wise financial decision.
An unsecured personal loan can mean different things to different people. Whether its used for debt consolidation or otherwise, here are some of the benefits:
Lower monthly payments
Pay off debt more quickly
Increased monthly disposable income
Rebuild credit
Enjoy that dream vacation, car, body, stereo system, etc.
Choosing a lender can be tricky. Borrowers should look for a company that:
Is regulated
Is registered as a financial broker
Charges no fees upfront or otherwise
Offers insurance policies to cover illnesses or unemployment
When done correctly, debt consolidation with unsecured personal loans can mean a better financial position for many.
By PA Davis sponsored by
http://www.tenantloansuk.com/ who provides Unsecured Personal Loans:
http://www.tenantloansuk.com/ from 250 to 25,000 for any purpose for non home owners. Please link to this site when using this article.
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Specialization of Labor - Alienation
The logic seems to be a no brainer, that is with the continuous increase in the number of employees, the cheaper their services become. A simple construction of the law on supply and demand dictates that when supply for a particular factor in the production process is abundant, then the reaction is that the cost in acquiring said factor would be decreased because of competition. This is what happens when what is talking are the numbers.
Now consider what is not seen, consider the eventual effect of an increase in the number of labor force, and the constant decrease in the value thereof. Would it actually be detrimental to the production process? Or would it foster a more dynamic and accountable production force? The answer, with history standing as a witness is obvious, and that is when labor has been deduced to mere numbers, a working man merely considered as a number in the production process, then that would actually alienate the worker from the duty he is trying to fulfill, and consequently lead to negative effects to the production process.
When an employee is merely an incident in the production process, and when it is viewed merely as a number in the workforce, then such employee usually loses his identity, and works as though he is already a machine. As like that of a machine, he becomes so indulged to that part of the production process that he specializes and more often than not removes himself away from the picture of the complete production process.
This alienation is detrimental to the working force. Primarily because he loses sight of the bigger picture, and he has this impression that what he is doing is already the be all and end all of his worth. With specialization, an individual is removed from the realm of finding a way to prosper himself, and to learn other things in the production process. With this continuous trend in our capitalist production state, then we will soon the day that these employees would perceive themselves as machines, cold and stiff machines.
Atty Gabriel Cosh is a legal advocate and a practitioner of law for over 10 years now. He is also an expert in the field of social legislation and personal injury cases.
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Immigrants to Toronto: How they are Shaping Canadian Municipalities
The City of Toronto, situated in Ontario Canada is the 5th most populous municipality in North America behind Mexico City, New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Toronto is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), which has a population of almost 6 million and is one of the fastest growing urban areas in North America. Toronto is Canadas top financial, economic, medical and cultural centre. In addition, it has been named one of the Worlds most livable cities by The Economist. In 2004, the United Nations Development Program ranked Toronto, second, behind Miami, in its List of World Cities with the Largest Percentage of Foreign-born Population. Although Miami had the higher foreign-born population (mostly Hispanic and Haitian), Torontos foreign-born population is significantly more diverse. Toronto also ranked ahead of Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Singapore, and Sydney for having a higher immigrant population. Toronto Canadas immigrants, past and present, shape and define all that the city has become more than any other factor.
Every year, roughly 260,000 new immigrants come to Canada and approximately 30% choose to settle in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Toronto immigration is huge and it is immensely important to the city, as well as the province and the country, both economically and culturally.
Immigration to Toronto enhances the community economically by providing a much-needed workforce, and immigrant entrepreneurs have also created new jobs that are the life-blood of the Toronto economy. The Metropolitan Toronto Area continues to be attractive to immigrants due to its vast immigrant population, large job market, and an abundance of services for the newly arrived immigrant, delivered by all three levels of government.
Immigration to Toronto Canada has also affected this city culturally by turning it from a quaint, provincial backwater, primarily white and English speaking into one of the most multicultural and ethically diverse cities in the world. It is estimated that about 44% of Torontos population in 2001 was born outside Canada. This type of world-wide immigration to Toronto has made it extremely diverse with over 100 different languages and dialects spoken in the city. For this reason, the City of Toronto includes a large number of ethnic areas. The wonderful cultural mosaics that reside in Toronto are an ethnic delight and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city for the diversity of cultural attractions, art, shopping and cuisine. Tourism is now one of Torontos the most important industries, providing huge revenues and jobs.
Immigration to Toronto has helped define the city and make it a more interesting place to live and visit. Toronto has set it apart from other world cities because it brings with it diversity of race, religion and lifestyle. Toronto Canadas immigrants are, in fact, what makes Toronto a special place on the world stage.
Michael H. Niren
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