Archive for December 2015
Vacation Home Sales Continue to Soar
Vacation Home Sales Continue to Soar Sales of vacation homes are showing no signs of going on vacation. At least that’s the mood at many luxury master-planned communities or private club and resort-style developments throughout America. Indeed, six months after the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported vacation home sales boomed in 2014 to an…
Read MoreFind Your Escape
Find Your Escape Happy homeowners share their stories of how they found their ideal homes. Hilton Head Lakes, Hardeeville, SC Greg and Elaine Bosserman “We love going to the shows [ideal-LIVING Resort & Retirement Expos]. We had gone several years. It was great to have everything in one location so we didn’t have to run…
Read More7 Winning Ways to Get Your Home Sold in Today’s Market
Price Your Home Properly Pricing right is a necessity – pricing your home for sale higher than market price is a recipe for disaster. In some areas, sales are averaging over three to four months. Even in the areas with faster sales only the properly priced homes are selling swiftly. Pricing your home right will…
Read MoreChanges to Social Security Strategies
Changes to Social Security Strategies There are many choices pre-retirees have to make as they approach retirement. One of the most important, yet often underestimated, is when and how to start Social Security benefits. The majority of Americans take social security at the earliest possible age, but is that the right strategy for everyone? No…
Read MoreTrading in a Snow Shovel for A Pickleball Paddle
Trading in a Snow Shovel for A Pickleball Paddle What do you do when the snow gets so high that you can barely shovel it? The answer is simple—move to a warmer climate. And, that’s just what Seymour and Patrina Goldstein did in 2014. The Goldsteins had lived in Brookville, MD, for over 40 years.…
Read MoreToday’s Energy-Efficient Home
By Andy Sinclair. Previously published in the 2016 Winter Issue. Whether Tudor, Colonial, log cabin, Cape Cod, bungalow, Craftsman, A-frame, ranch, Pueblo, bi-level, split level, farmhouse, townhouse, cottage, Adirondack, rammed earth, or geodesic, today’s home can (must) be energy-efficient. In today’s economy, you literally cannot afford to have an energy-inefficient home. What exactly is an…
Read MoreFeed and Grow Your Friendly (Gut) Flora
Feed and Grow Your Friendly (Gut) Flora By Jan Cullinane. Previously published in the 2016 Winter Issue. Tom M.’s elderly dad was treated for pneumonia. Following his hospital stay, the 95-year-old Long Islander was placed in a rehab center for additional convalescence and contracted a nasty bacterial infection, C. diff (Clostridium difficile). This bacterium produces…
Read MoreWith a Little Help From My Friends
With a Little Help From My Friends By Jan Cullinane. Previously published in the 2016 Winter Issue. Yup, Ringo sure knew what he was singing about with that 1967 Beatles song. Social support is a critical ingredient for a successful retirement. Study after study documents the importance of friends for longevity and health. For example,…
Read MoreSpring Training Road Trip
Spring Training Road Trip By JG Walker. Previously published in the 2016 Winter Issue. For some sports lovers, it’s an annual tradition, a seasonal marker of fresh renewal that separates the old from the new. For others, it’s a “bucket list” desire, one of those many things that we say we’ll get around to doing…
Read MoreThe Auto Train – Getting There is Half the Fun
The Auto Train – Getting There is Half the Fun The Auto Train is the only train in the United States that carries both passengers and their vehicles (autos, vans, SUVs, small trailers, jet-skis, and motorcycles). Daily service is offered between Lorton, VA (about 20 miles south of DC), and Sanford, FL, (about 20 miles north…
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