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Boomers
Beyond Borders
 Boomers
beyond borders! It seems as though we
Americans have started a worldwide wave.
Since the world’s first active lifestyle
community was built in Sun City, Arizona in
1960, we’ve come a long way, baby. The
National Association of Home Builders says
that the United States currently has over
4,000 age-restricted communities. And,
several other factors are causing that
number to grow…
Perhaps it’s
the fact that the 55+ segment of the US
population is the fastest growing segment of
the population. Home sales within
age-restricted or active lifestyle
communities are also the fastest growing
segment of the residential real estate
market AND the new home market as well! At
this point in time, over 60 percent of
builders are building for the boomers and
beyond…
Canadian
builders and developers saw the success of
American age-restricted and active lifestyle
communities and saw fit to follow the lead
of the Yanks. There are now multitudes of
such communities throughout the Canadian
provinces.
 And now, with
the Mexican government allowing foreign
ownership of real estate, the active
lifestyle and age-restricted communities
boom is about to begin there. A recent
national newspaper article announced the
development of the first Mexican
age-restricted community, which will begin
sales of luxury beachfront condominiums
soon. It will be a joint venture between
American and Mexican companies.
American
developers and consultants are also
providing their know-how in joint ventures
as far away as Spain. And it doesn’t stop
there. The world is now offering retirement
possibilities with active lifestyle and
age-restricted communities in a diversity of
places such as Australia, South and Central
America, as well as a multitude of eastern
and western European countries.
 What is it
that Americans are finding so attractive in
retirement opportunities beyond our
borders? Perhaps it’s a lifetime dream of
owning a beachfront home, which for many of
us may never be financially attainable with
housing prices here in the U.S. Perhaps
it’s the availability abroad of quality
healthcare at really affordable prices.
Perhaps it’s a more relaxed pace of life.
Maybe it’s a great exchange rate, or it
might be that some folks are just plain sick
of shoveling snow…
Whatever the
reasons, the world is now beginning to offer
a multitude of truly wonderful active
lifestyle and age-restricted communities.
And now, with VoIP (voice over Internet
phone) service and Skype readily available,
you can even stay in touch with friends and
relatives back home for free!
With this
issue of Active Living News,
we are proud to announce the expansion of
our website,
www.ActiveAdultLiving.com, to now
include directories of active lifestyle
communities within Canada and
Mexico. Check it out, and let us know
what you think!
By Stephan
LaCount
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