By Akaisha Kaderli

My husband and I retired in 1991 and began traveling the world. We have utilized Arizona as a home base since that time. We live in an active adult community in Mesa, Arizona, and we feel that we have the best of both worlds.

We are able to live this footloose life with comfort and ease, and without breaking the bank. Although our choice, when we retired may not fit everyone’s idea of The Perfect Domicile, it works spectacularly well for us.

From our perspective, there are many reasons why we choose this style of living.

* Value for money spent

* Lots of activities, amenities and neighborhood involvement

* Clean environment, manicured gardens

* Release from the burden of high property taxes

* Savings on home owners insurance

* Savings on transportation

* Reasonable maintenance costs

* Safety

Value for Money Spent

There are some who feel that manufactured housing aren’t real homes, that they are like toys, or somehow, inferior places to live. These types of houses have improved greatly over the years, and the attractiveness of their affordability has been proven by their rise in sales.

Our home is paid for so we don’t carry a mortgage with the financial weight that this brings to any lifestyle. This is a very attractive arrangement and it frees us up to roam the world, renting apartments or hotel rooms without thought of draining our finances in the housing category. However, there are lots of options in these communities. You can spend a few thousand dollars for a place – or millions. You can choose to lease the property or buy the lot and build from the ground up. It all depends on one’s personal needs for freedom or security.

Some of these Planned Communities offer memberships to country clubs and championship golf courses, and most usually have a long list of amenities such as full-time Lifestyle Directors, organized social clubs, dinners and ballrooms for dancing, computer centers and free wi-fi, state-of-the-art fitness rooms and spas, swimming pools, tennis courts, lapidaries, billiard halls, card rooms, athletic pro shops, sewing rooms, libraries, softball fields, language and lecture halls, travel offices and theaters.

We live close to both college and professional sports arenas, have world class shopping nearby, and an international airport for quick get-a-ways. Living in a breathtaking residential environment gives us extraordinary value.

Tax and Insurance Relief

In our location we have chosen to lease the land on which our home stands. It is a common option that many retirees prefer and we are comfortable about our decision.

We have lived here since the early 1990’s, and our Lifestyle Fees are less than most homeowner’s property tax bill. During these many years, our lease has increased a couple of hundred dollars total, but it is still a measurable value for all of the amenities included. Another benefit is that our home owners insurance has not doubled as they have in other locations in the country due to being in the path of a natural disaster.

Owning less and being lighter also allows you to insure for less. Not owning the property itself loosens up thousands of dollars a year for other activities such as travel, gifts for the grandchildren, or pursuing hobbies.

Savings on Transportation

Having entertainment and dining options nearby or within walking distance saves a surprising amount on transportation costs.

Granted, we do travel the world, but we have done the math, and our average miles driven per year (over the last dozen years) is 1,200. This is a huge cut back on gasoline charges, and wear and tear on our vehicle. We have even gotten an insurance discount based on the few miles that we drive per year.

We like to bike or walk to many locations and this helps us keep fit and active. Many of our neighbors utilize their golf carts or motorbikes to run their errands.

Safety

One additional point worth mentioning is that I don’t fret about my personal safety in our resort. One morning I found myself

awake at 3:30 am and so at 4, I decided to take an early morning walk. I felt completely safe, and it never crossed my mind to feel otherwise. In fact, I met other neighbors who were walking their dogs waiting to catch the sunrise. Being anxiety-free walking my neighborhood alone, in the dark, at this time of morning is a rarer mood when my husband and I are traveling
in many cities and towns across the globe.

For the numerous singles in our community having the familiarity of neighbors close by is also comforting.

To sum it up, it’s important to make a list of what is important to you. See if you like your neighbors, the restaurants, the traffic patterns, the weather, the prices. Then rent before you buy.

Billy and Akaisha Kaderli operate the website www.RetireEarlyLifestyle.com. They are the authors of The Adventurer’s Guide to Early Retirement.