Dear Liz: I’ve been following the discussion of the reader who was 70 and trying to decide between renting in a senior living facility versus buying a second-floor condo with no elevator. There is a third choice for people who are older and cannot stay in their present residence. We moved to a senior citizen manufactured-home park. It has a clubhouse, and before the COVID epidemic the park had all kinds of activities. It is a great place for seniors.
Answer: That’s a good suggestion and actually just one of many choices people have to age safely. Many mobile home parks are “naturally occurring retirement communities,” a term for areas that weren’t necessarily created for seniors but that nonetheless have a high concentration of older folks. At their best, these organic retirement communities provide services and activities that benefit seniors, including opportunities for socializing and the sense that their neighbors are looking out for them.
Careful with the mobile home parks. I lived in a MH Park from 1984 until 2019, I move after retiring and bought my own home and property. The reason I mention careful is because so many parks are being bought by investor groups and the first thing they do is jack up the rents. As the mom & pop MH Park owners retire the investors swoop in for the kill offering astronomical bucks. My old place was sold for over 3 times the value of the park. Mom & pop had passed away and the kids just decided to take the money. (couldn’t blame them either) Resident got screwed immediately.