Why is it so hard to find an economical, ranch-style home? With the active, senior citizen population rising so fast, why are so many, even new homes, designed with no mind to the fast growing elderly senior population (I AM TALKING ABOUT HOUSES THAT A SENIOR COULD LIVE IN WITH NO HUMAN ASSISTANCE, HERE, NOT NURSING HOMES)------ Developers would make TONS of $$ doing this! Also, Why doesn't organizations like AARP work with builders, developers, federal housing officials along with city/county and state officials on this?
But, we are not old enough to want to give up 80% of our possessions to move to independent living.
Senior communities are great but the homes they offer have no basement, no storage building for hubbies tools and hobbies, and usually garages too small for his pickup truck (used to pull camper). Also, most IL's don't provide a lot or place to park a boat, camper because you can't put it in the driveway.
Every newer home is a mini-mansion with open floor plan and 10 foot ceilings, lots of stairs and not senior friendly (or appealing). We would like to stay in a "residential neighborhood setting" but builders don't want to put up small homes because they "don't fit" with their mini mansions with peaks and gables. None are building "starter homes or senior homes". We considered buying land and building but it will cost us more than staying where we are and its hard to find single lots that aren't on a main road of some sort .
We have found plenty of "older" single story homes in older developments - all needing a LOT of remodeling and money to update them.
I wish we could go back to the "good old days" when a nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch (of about 1500-1800 sq ft) with a basement and garage was the norm, not the rarity. Why won't IL housing provide more choices?