Top tips for downsizing in the city.

Retirement is not as clear cut as it used to be - many people are working longer and that dream of a retirement by the beach may be more difficult to achieve, and less attractive for some.

Downsizing but staying in the city, close to family, friends and familiar services is a more practical option for many. Selling the family home can free up cash or finally get rid of the mortgage, and enable people to move to a new, lower maintenance property in an area they know and like but keep their options open. 

Being close to the city can mean more work opportunities if people want to work for longer.  And for downshifters, you might choose a location offering the sort of activities you would like to spend more time doing.

There are lots of great new retirement properties being built in established urban areas or on the city fringes with lifestyle benefits, such as close to golf courses or beaches.  Any many retirement properties offer a lifestyle and quality of life at a lower price than surrounding real estate.  Yes this may be because the type of legal title or occupancy rights are structured differently, but so long as you go in with your eyes open and you are fully informed of all the financial implications, retirement properties can offer value buying in attractive areas.

For example, in Sydney there has been a lot of recent interest in retiring to the northern beaches. A number of retirement properties in the area are well priced - so people can still enjoy a great beachside lifestyle with the advantage of proximity to the city.

And there's no reason why you can't keep working either full or part time if your new home is within commuting distance, even if it is a retirement village or another type of over 55 housing.

And for some, retirement is about doing all those things you enjoy in the city but just haven't had time to do while still working. If you like playing golf or bowls, there are many city based retirement properties with nearby sporting and social activities and entertainment facilities.

A big issue is thinking ahead - no one want to think about getting sick or frail, or losing a loved one.  But the reality is that sooner or later you will need to face some of these problems.

Even if you are fit and well now, buying a house or apartment is a big investment and you need to think ahead and ask yourself some questions such as:

• Are there lots of stairs?
• Is home and garden maintenance taken care of?
• How much are the weekly/ monthly costs?
• Will I use the onsite facilities?
• Is there reasonable access to public transport if I can't drive?
• Are there nearby activities and services I want to access?
• Are there good medical services nearby?
• How far are the shops?
• What is this community like?  
• Will I like my new neighbours?
• Can I keep a pet?

More on the www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au News page.

Attend a Retirement Master Class hosted by Andrew Winter

Andrew Winter, presenter of the popular TV show “Selling Houses Australia” on the LifeStyle Channel and residential property expert, is hosting a series of Retirement Living Master Classes which will outline current local real estate trends, effective home selling strategies and how to create an action plan for living your ideal retirement lifestyle.

The classes are being held in a number of Australian Unity villages in New South Wales and Victoria during March and they will address many practical questions such as:

•    How do I downsize efficiently and where do I start?
•    How and when should I prepare my home for sale?
•    What are my lifestyle options in retirement?

Dates and locations in the article on the Seniors Housing Online News page.

Retirement might be more stressful than you think!

Retirement is theoretically a relaxing time designed to reward years of hard work, but it can be anything but calming for retirees used to living with the routines and financial security of full time employment. It is a major life change, and retirees face the pressure of making a series of major financial and lifestyle decisions such as selling the home to downsize, moving house, sorting possessions, revising living expenses and budgets, re-negotiating relationships and perhaps relocating to a new area at the same time.

Such changes can be liberating and life-enhancing, but this transitional period followed by extended leisure time can be more stressful than expected. Experts offer constructive suggestions for managing this adjustment, and settling into a new lifestyle in retirement while maintaining physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Read more including expert tips to help with the adjustment in the article on the www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au News page.

Retirement Villages - 90 day "settling-in" period.

If you buy a retirement village unit and then find you really don't like it and want to move out, under retirement village laws in NSW, SA and the ACT you have a 90 day “settling-in” period which allows you to change your mind and get a refund of the purchase price.  These retirement village laws are state based, so each jurisdiction enacts separate legislation outlining the charges which may apply, including a market rent for occupying the unit during the 90 day “settling-in” period. New residents who permanently vacate their unit within the first 90 days of moving in are only required to pay a fair rent for the time the unit was occupied and a reasonable administration fee to the operator in New South Wales retirement villages. The maximum administration fee the operator can charge is $200, departure fees do not apply, and you are entitled to a refund of your purchase price plus any recurrent charges paid under the contract. Similar laws apply in South Australia and the ACT, and the issue of introducing a “settling-in” period for retirement villages has recently been under review in other states such as Western Australia. If you are in one of the other Australian states which do not currently have a "settling-in" period, or if you have occupied the unit for more than 90 days, you will need to consider the termination provisions which apply under the terms of your contract and the relevant retirement village legislation in your state. If you have bought a retirement property which is not in a designated retirement village, then different legislation may apply, and you will also need to carefully consider the terms of your contract with the operator. As always, it is essential to seek legal advice before you agree to buy a retirement property, to make sure you are fully informed of all the legal and financial consequences. More in the article plus helpful website links on the Seniors Housing Online News page.

WANT TO BE A FILM STAR FOR A DAY AND EARN $1,000?

A casting agency is seeking older couples willing to talk about their retirement plans and experiences. You need to be in the Sydney region and available for a day's filming. If you are interested in participating find out more and contact them via the article on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Retirement Property Survey.

What sort of retirement property are you looking for?  A holiday resort destination? A city apartment? Do you want to stay in your local area?

Take our quick survey to help produce statistics on demand for retirement property in Australia!

It's completely anonymous and takes less than 2 minutes!  You will not be contacted or put on any mailing lists afterwards...we have a strict policy respecting your privacy.  And interestingly, you can see the statistics collected to date after you've taken the survey.

We'll use the results to make sure Australia's leading retirement website www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au continues to closely monitor and meet the needs of our audience, and to promote the needs and wants of this often invisible demographic with property developers, not for profit organisations, marketers, the media and Government.

Thanks for taking the survey!

Share properties using Facebook, Twitter, email and more.

Did you know you can easily share your favourite retirement village and other retirement property listings from the Seniors Housing Online website with your family and friends via Facebook, Twitter, email and more using the sharing tools at the top left hand side of each property details page under the heading "Property Tools"?
 
Find a property you like and send it to others so they can see it and comment. 

Or you can "Like" us on Facebook to help other people find the website more easily, or follow us on Twitter to get regular updates. 

More on these social media tools on the News page.

Worried an elderly parent may need aged care?

If so it's always best to find out about what aged care services are available in your area before an accident or emergency makes it urgent, and discuss options with other family members.  Many issues need to be considered in advance so everyone is prepared and decisions can be made without delay when required.

For older people who resist moving until there's an emergency and no longer any choice, the move is likely to be even more disruptive and traumatic.  To avoid this, it's worth considering whether they would consider moving to a retirement village unit or low care apartment at an earlier stage while they are still more independent.  This way they can settle in and become accustomed to their new environment and make new friends, with the confidence that more support services are available on site should they be needed and they may even be able to entirely avoid a later move to a high needs facility.

Aged Care is a very complex area with many financial and health issues to consider. Frequent questions family members ask about aged care include:

• Will an accommodation bond apply?  
• Will the house have to be sold to pay it?  
• Will renting out the house affect their eligibility for the aged pension or other benefits?
• Will a reverse mortgage help pay for care? 
• What other financial options are there to fund aged care?
• What if there is no house or other assets and the aged person relies solely on the pension?
• Do other family members all agree on an approach?  
• Is there a “living will” in place to express an older person’s preferences if they are no longer able to make decisions for themselves?
• Has power of attorney been granted to enable financial management of their affairs?
• What aged care services are available in your area, and do they have long waiting lists?
• How will you know which facilities offer good quality care?
• Is respite care available and if so is this a good interim step?
• Is moving into an independent living unit or low care apartment a good interim step if higher level care services can be provided there later?
• What other in-home support services may be available to reduce or defer the risk of having to move into an aged care facility?
• How will the Government's new Aged Care reforms impact on any plans to move to an aged care facility?

We've selected a range of helpful website links to help families navigate these complex arrangements on the www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au News and Information page, so you can find out more. You can also search the property data base by area, price and level of care to locate suitable retirement communities and aged care facilities.

Seniors Housing Online Featured on TV show "A Current Affair" Channel 9 - Again!

Channel 9's TV program "A Current Affair" featured the Seniors Housing Online website and some of our retirement properties for the second time on Friday 20th July 2012!  Titled "Budget Retirement Paradise", this time they filmed in three over 50's villages in warmer climates in northern NSW and Queensland and interviewed Amanda Graham from Seniors Housing Online about retirement property trends.

Link to view program: A Current Affair "Budget Retirement Paradise".

Link to featured property: Peregian Springs Country Club at Peregian Beach, Queensland.

Link to featured property: Mountain View at Murwillumbah, New South Wales.

Link to featured property: The Lakes Village at Coffs Harbour, New South Wales.

Economic Uncertainty And Your Retirement Plans.

A new report on financial planning by baby boomers has just been released as the latest in a series of research publications by the National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre, concerning the impact of the GFC, increasing pension age, changing superannuation rules and expectations about a self-funded retirement.

Find out how this research and these reports can assist your retirement planning on the Seniors Housing Online News page.

Retirement Village Deals of the Month.

Make sure you don't miss out -- see the latest deals on retirement villages and other retirement properties including price reductions of up to $50,000, cash back offers, fee free periods, free household bills for up to 12 months, stamp duty exemptions, deferred settlements and more on the Seniors Housing Online website. (Link below).

These specials may be a good reason to think about timing your move and buying before June 30. For downsizing babyboomers and retirees, the current real estate market presents great buying opportunities, and the perfect retirement property may be more affordable than you think.

You can also sign up for the free email newsletter and new property alerts so you are regularly updated on the latest special deals. Just go to the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page to read the article on the latest specials and sign up for the newsletters.  (You can easily unsubscribe at any time.)

Will rent assistance help your retirement budget?

If you are on an age pension you may be eligible for rent assistance. Even if you buy a retirement village unit or a relocatable home, you may still be able to access rent assistance to help cover weekly charges and boost your budget, making your preferred choice of home more affordable. 

And of course there are many senior rental units and senior rental villages available so you can still enjoy all the benefits of retirement village living even without the up front cost of buying. This can be a great way to easily and more flexibly relocate to be near family or friends, or try out living in an area or a village before committing to buy a new home. Alternatively rental villages can offer a great long term budget option without tying up your savings in your home.


Many seniors rental villages are geared to seniors on the age pension, making them very affordable for those on a tight budget.  There are a range of purpose built rental retirement villages available which offer new villages with resort-style facilities such as swimming pools and bowling greens. Some offer extra services such as meals and laundry too, with rates pegged to the age pension and rent assistance rates.

Find out more about eligibility for rent assistance and how to locate seniors rental villages on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Survey shows what over 50's are looking for.

A survey of 1,068 people visiting the Seniors Housing Online website shows what the over 50’s are looking for in a retirement property. Tastes and expectations are changing in the retirement property market now the baby boomers are starting to retire or downsize.

Results show the over 50’s now want larger units: 49.6% say two or more bedrooms is essential and another 35.8% say it is desirable; over 97% want an independent living unit; 78% want it in a community setting with access to facilities such as a community bus, a club house or recreation centre, and a swimming pool, and which is pet friendly (60%).  88% expect a garage or parking space but 85.3% also want to be close to public transport.  While 70.8% say they would prefer to live close to family and friends, a whopping 80.1% say they are prepared to move out of their local area to find the right retirement property and lifestyle.

Many people are not ready to retire from work in their 50’s but they do want to downsize their home and get rid of the mortgage once their kids have grown up. Retirement is changing – more people are transitioning into retirement with part time work, and a significant number of people intend to keep on working indefinitely or even pick up a second career as a volunteer. The focus is more on lifestyle – having the time and money to pursue your interests and do those things you’ve always wanted to do: play sport, get fit, travel, spend more time with friends and family.  Some prefer to move to a different suburb while others are happy to relocate to coastal or regional areas or even interstate to get the lifestyle they want within their budget.

Read more and take the survey - see the article on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Sell your retirement property faster!

If you are thinking of selling your retirement village unit or other retirement property, advertising on Australia's favourite retirement property website will generate more prospective buyer enquiries immediately and help sell it faster.

It's easy and cheap to advertise your retirement unit on www.SeniorsHousingOnline.com.au retirement property website, whether you have an agent or village manager selling it for you, or if you are selling privately. You or your agent get enquiries directly by phone or email and set up inspections with prospective buyers. We do not charge commission - just a flat advertising fee. Just upload your property photos and description and pay by credit card and you're away!




Make sure you don't miss out on finding a buyer from the 24,000 visitors per month looking for their perfect retirement property.  There's no better way to advertise your retirement property!

Read more including handy selling tips and advice in the article on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Seniors Housing Online Featured on TV show "A Current Affair" Channel 9.

Channel 9's program "A Current Affair" featured the Seniors Housing Online website in a story about retirement living. Three of the best retirement properties in Australia, from the website, representing different price points were filmed - Valhalla Village on the NSW Central Coast, Tranquil Waters at Victoria Point in Queensland, and Watermark Residences Castle Cove in Sydney.

Reporter Howard Gipps interviewed residents and presented information on activities, lifestyle and cost in each location in the story "Making the most of retirement living".

Amanda Graham from Seniors Housing Online was interviewed about trends in retirement living and the website.

You can view the video on the Channel 9 website.

New RSS feed available!

Now you can easily subscribe to our RSS feed to get automatic notifications of new properties for sale. 
Just click on this link:

Please note that this is an alternative to signing up for our free email newsletter and new property email alerts - which has the advantage of allowing you to select your area/s of interest and includes properties for sale AND rent AND higher needs aged care facilities too.

You can easily unsubscribe at any time and also be assured we respect your privacy and will not pass on your details to third parties, as set out in our Privacy Policy! 

Retirement planning tools.

Thinking about retiring?  Want to know how soon you can afford to retire?  There are a number of helpful online retirement planning tools, such as retirement calculators, superannuation calculators and pension calculators.

You can work out your preferred retirement age; how much income you will have after you retire; how to increase this; and how to boost your super, using links to these handy online tools on the Seniors Housing Online News and Information page.

Plus a whole lot of other useful links such as senior tax offsets, whether your investments will affect your aged pension, finding financial advisors and more.  You need to investigate these things well before you actually retire, and for many that happens sooner than expected, especially if it is a result of events beyond their control!

As well as checking out the website for news articles, you can also easily follow us on Facebook and Twitter to get regular updates:

LIKE us on Facebook and FOLLOW us on Twitter?

If you have found the Seniors Housing Online website helpful in the search for your perfect retirement property, and you also use Facebook, you can easily SHARE our property listings with family and friends via Facebook, using the handy icon on each property details page. 

We'd also encourage you help others find us by "LIKING" our Facebook page too, as it really helps with our search engine rankings and general promotion.

You can also FOLLOW us on Twitter to get regular updates when we post new articles on the News and Information page.  Just go to the website News page to find the links to our Facebook page and Twitter profile.

ABS findings on retirement intentions.

Did you know that many people intend to NEVER retire?  Some plan to work part time as a transition to retirement, and others plan to undertake a new career in voluntary work. While retirement age is getting younger, many find their expected source of income does not provide as much as anticipated.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics report on retirement intentions, released in December 2011, “The 2010-11 Multipurpose Household Survey” (MPHS) provides some interesting facts and insights.  You can read at summary of the findings on the News and Information page on the Seniors Housing Online website.

 

New Seniors Housing Online retirement survey.

A new short survey has been created to assess the impact of current economic conditions on people's retirement plans.  Have you had to defer your retirement plans or cut your budget?  Lost your job and had to retire sooner than expected?  Are you working longer and harder to make up for superannuation or sharemarket losses?  The survey will help demonstrate just how older people are being affected. 

It's anonymous and only takes a couple of minutes - just go to the News and Information page or click on this link to take the new Seniors Housing Online retirement survey.