No more coffee-worthy parties in nursing homes: in the United States, retirees are moving to residential complexes that represent a party and vacation atmosphere. There are already more than 2,000 of these “55+ communities” and new ones are constantly being built. Very few residents here are actually 55 years old, but the majority are between 60 and 80. They take care of themselves, want a wide range of leisure activities, but no longer have to worry about house repairs, gardening or snow removal .
“When my wife and I moved to a 55+ community ten years ago, when I was 55, we were by far the youngest,” Mike Hawkes of Phoenix, Arizona, tells FOCUS online. “However, from the beginning we had more fun than we had since school: partying every night!” The pensioner is enthusiastic: “There are three golf courses, hiking groups, reading clubs, swimming pools and a large theater with magnificent performances. You can learn how to mix cocktails. The restaurants are great. And unlike many other 55+ facilities, there's an assisted living home right next door. So, if things are no longer working, the step is not far away.”
The largest and best-known nursing homes in the United States are the “Villages” near Orlando, with 150,000 residents. Florida's “55+ community” didn't just make headlines for its high rates of sexually transmitted diseases. During the last presidential election, bitter, sometimes violent arguments between Trump fans and Democrats caused a stir.
Drunk mood and Christmas style
The new “55+” chain called “Latitude Margaritaville” is much quieter and much smaller, with “only” a few thousand bungalows each. In a nod to the Margarita tequila drink, this aims to create a boozy mood and festive flair. Named after American musician Jimmy Buffett's hit “Margaritaville,” these three retirement havens in Florida and South Carolina spread a party atmosphere with plenty of pools, beach and dance bars, and, of course, margaritas on the beach. happy hour.
“Get old but don't grow up” is the advertising slogan for “Latitude Margaritaville.” “Growing Older but Not Up,” like “Margaritaville,” is a hit for Buffett, who died of cancer last fall at age 76. For countless American retirees, Buffett and his songs continue to embody the lifelong dream of an eternal beach vacation with a margarita. This is how they want to spend their last years.
In typical Florida pastel colors and surrounded by palm trees, Margaritaville's colorful, mostly single-story residential buildings exude a tropical style. The bungalows are located between tennis courts and golf courses, swimming pools, dog parks, burger joints and, of course, margarita bars. If you don't want to drink cocktails during the day, you can choose between tennis, Zumba classes in the pool, petanque or aqua kickboxing. At the latest during happy hour, people can dance to Buffett's music in the bars.
In 2035, 75 million Americans will be over 65 years old
“It's very important to have fun in life,” Buffett said in the American retirement magazine AARP before his death. “We offer a bit of escapism and humanity.”
It is predicted that in 2035 there will be 75 million Americans over the age of 65. In addition to the US economy and healthcare, “The Great Retirement” will primarily affect the housing market. More and more older people are changing their single-family homes for something simpler and smaller. They invest the proceeds from the sale of the house in a condo or bungalow in a “55+ community.”
Depending on location and level of luxury, there are more modest retirement communities with apartments from $150,000 to multi-million dollar villas on impeccably maintained grounds with impressive golf and tennis courts, wellness areas, restaurants, spas and swimming pools. Monthly maintenance costs for the systems range from $100 to more than $1,000. With home prices starting at $300,000 plus additional costs of $300 per month, the “Margaritaville” bungalows are in the mid-range.
Almost none of the new properties have been on the market for more than ten days
Most retirement centers are located in sunny, warm US states, such as California and Arizona, where the first “55+ community” was founded in 1954. But even in colder areas, They are increasingly building facilities for seniors who feel too young for assisted living services and want to spend their healthy final years with other active, like-minded retirees.
Many Americans are also specifically looking for a “55+ community” near their children. “Our buyers often move here for their children and grandchildren,” said Jaime Pacheso, manager of a new “55+” luxury development in North Carolina. Demand clearly exceeds supply, he tells the American network ABC: Almost none of the new properties remain on the market for more than ten days.