Prudential
Gouger O'Neal & Saunders
has recently partnered with Where
to Retire Magazine
as part of our marketing strategy to attract
retirees. The editorial below, by the managing
editor, will explain why we think that this
opportunity is a good for us and for our clients. In
the short time we have been associated with the
magazine, as a provider of information about
retirement opportunities, we
have had over 500 leads requesting information about
our area!
We
think that Moore County has many of the attributes
and amenities that are mentioned as desirable for
this growing population segment as the editor
mentions in "Rocking the Housing Market".
(direct
link to the online magazine)
Letter
from the Editor
"Rocking
the Housing Market"
It's not hard to figure out why communities across
America have the welcome mat out for retirees.
They want your charity and your tax dollars, and
they want you to spend your grocery money in their
stores. They also want your time, ideas and
expertise as volunteers. It's like marrying
for money and then discovering that you're in love.
Although
many seniors sometimes feel constrained by fixed
incomes, they probably have more financial clout
than they think. "Retired Americans hold
70 percent of the personal financial assets in this
country," says Mike Woods, rural development
specialist at the Oklahoma State University
Cooperative Extension, which offers advice to rural
communities seeking growth opportunities.
There
are other reasons that small communities want you in
their population base. Many older Americans
have the time and money to move. They tend to
use less tax-supported services than younger
residents, although they contribute a significant
amount of the taxes. They tend to spend their
money locally.
They
research their retirement options for 10 15
years. Many want to move out of the cities to
get away from hassles like traffic and crime.
And they often explore for retirement the places
they have most enjoyed on vacation.
For
that reason, more resort towns might do well to
consider coordination relocation and tourism
efforts. "Each community should be aware
that middle-aged visitors may be scouting out
retirement locations while they are
vacationing." Woods says.
The
Urban Land Institute also has noted the attraction
of moving to a perpetual vacation location.
But in its book, "Developing Active Adult
Retirement Communities," the nonprofit
association says retires no longer are content with
clubhouses and golf course. Now they also want
concierge services, massage therapy and fitness
centers with lap pools and jogging tracks.
And
many communities don't wait for retirees to knock on
the door. OSU's Woods cites one community that
identified Oklahomans who had followed a successful
marketing strategy that recruited those former
residents home in retirement.
This
all goes to show that if you don't feel appreciated
where you're living now, it may be time to move.
There are towns in all elevations and climates, all
sizes and persuasions, where you will be appreciated
greatly.
Here
at Where to Retire, our own readers generally clue
us into trends before we have time to read about
them in scholarly studies and commercial surveys.
But we have to agree with the Urban Land Institute
when it says that with 45 percent of baby boomers
expecting to move to another home in retirement,
that's "a force that will rock the housing
market."
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