Housing and Home Equity

One of the biggest financial concerns Americans have today is whether they’ll be able to afford retirement. According to a 2014 Gallup poll, 59 percent of Americans rate having enough money for retirement as their top financial worry. Fortunately, there are options for those who fret about budgets. Retiring overseas can mean a better living…

As we prepare for life after retirement, we want to prepare for every contingency. This includes long-term healthcare, fixed rates, and a number of other factors to eliminate as many variables as possible in order to make sure you and your loved ones are well taken care of. Terence O’Malley is an expert on a…

Retirement is supposed to be all about rest and relaxation, but lately the term “R&R” has taken a new meaning for retirees thinking about their living situations during their non-working years: Renovate or Relocate? Whether you are planning to take on a home improvement project or thinking about packing everything up and shipping out to…

If you have visions of spending your retirement years on a sunny beach or in a sleepy, small town—you are not alone. Many retirees decide to pack up and relocate away from their primary residence when they’re no longer working. Three in five Americans (60%) want to spend their retirement years in another city or…

When it comes to choosing a place to retire, a lot of people nearing retirement age gravitate towards Arizona, Florida, and the Carolinas. Natural choices, granted, but perhaps it’s time to think outside the box just a little and consider the Lone Star State. That’s right, the second largest and second most populous state in…

Many people approaching retirement are left to decide if they should sell their home or stay put. This decision is an important one as housing often makes up about 30% of retirement expenses. For some people, selling the house is a necessary way to help fund their lifestyle in retirement. For others, keeping the home…

Sixty-four percent of retirees are likely to move at least once — looking for the best places to retire. The top motivating factors might surprise you, as revealed in a new retirement study by Merrill Lynch conducted in partnership with Age Wave. Where are the best places to retire?  What are retirees looking to find…

Deborah McLean of Maine Senior Guide understands that retirement planning can be difficult. With the Maine Senior Guide, retirees have the option of examining multiple options pertaining to retirement benefits, healthcare, senior communities, and a host of other issues relating to one’s retirement years. In this interview, McLean discusses the benefits of the Maine Senior…

If you own a home, it is important to keep your home equity in mind when making decisions about your property and planning for retirement. If you use home equity effectively, it can help you pay for some of your retirement expenses. The first step to using home equity wisely is understanding what is home…

Many people assume that getting older is a drag but be.group disagrees. The California-based senior living company is unapologetically optimistic about aging. As one of the state’s largest nonprofit providers of senior living communities, be.group serves nearly 4,000 older adults in seven licensed senior living communities and 26 very-low-income senior housing communities. be.group’s communities vary…

Are you worried about making ends meet for an American retirement? Then you may be among the 3.3 million pre-retirees who are planning to retire abroad, seeking destinations that offer not only more bang for their buck, but accessibility, favorable climates and rich cultural experiences. For some in this cohort, retiring abroad is all about…

You’ve probably seen endless articles with lists of the best places to retire. These rankings often change as home prices and cost of living fluctuates. Though these might be a good place to start your search, the truth is, choosing a location to retire to is an extremely personal decision that depends on a number…

It’s a largely held belief that baby boomers are downsizing, seeking to trade in their suburban single-family homes for urban multi-family residences when they approach retirement as “empty-nesters.” However, that’s not always the case. While this cohort is experiencing a number of life transitions, one key metric of boomer housing consumption hasn’t changed: the proportion…

If you’re looking for a way to retire comfortably on a modest budget, Margit Streifeneder, founder of RetirePedia, thinks you should consider living out your golden years abroad. Depending on where you choose to live, you’ll find many countries that offer a pleasant climate and a high-quality standard of living at lower costs. On RetirePedia,…

There are hundreds of places across the country where you can choose to live when you’ve finally saved enough and are ready to retire, but some areas are better for your retirement than others, regardless of whether you’re into urban city living or small town peace and quiet. The Best Cities for Successful Aging, a…

Where are the best places to retire?  If you are choosing a location based on weather and golf courses, the answers from a recent analysis by Bankrate about the best states to retire may really surprise you. Bankrate ranked states using health care, cost of living, crime rate, tax burden and weather.  Using these criteria…

While some baby boomers believe paying off a home mortgage is a better financial decision than saving for retirement, industry experts say home ownership is often overrated, and soon-to-be retirees should consider more liquid investments. In part due to the recent housing bubble, Americans are now more likely than they used to be to have…

Not all Baby Boomers are headed for a retirement community as they get older. In fact, many are finding walkable, action-packed urban areas as the perfect setting for aging in place, according to recent U.S. Census data analyzed by Trulia. Trulia’s big finding: Baby Boomers, defined as adults between the ages of 50-69, are getting…

When you picture retirement living, if your mind immediately goes to golf courses, bingo night, or water aerobics, think again: the future of retirement living is changing. Retirement Living Is Changing Rather than more traditional golf-based retirement communities, affinity communities and other nontraditional living arrangements are becoming more popular, especially among the extremely diverse Baby…

When it comes to older adults and homeownership, there’s good news and bad news, suggests a new federal report that shines a light on a growing debt problem. The good news is that the 65+ demographic has the highest homeownership rate in the United States of any age group. The bad news: more and more…

Are you one of the millions of Americans approaching retirement and are thinking of moving to a top retirement destination? Whether you are seeking golf, an oceanfront locale or an urban environment with accessible amenities, there are many cities and towns nationwide that are increasing in appeal among retirees. Each year, TopRetirements.com compiles a list of the…

Reverse Mortgage or HELOC – Which is Best?  If you’ve decided to tap into your home equity during retirement, there are a few different ways to go about doing this. Most likely, your options will come down to a Reverse Mortgage or a home equity line of credit, or “HELOC”. Reverse Mortgage vs. HELOC A…