30 Mar Don’t Wait Forever!

Written By Legacy Member, Sue O’Neal

My husband and I picked Legacy at Mills River because it puts an exciting and new twist on retirement.  Being planners, we were looking for a place that encouraged a healthy, active, independent lifestyle…but with the comfort of knowing we had healthcare support when we needed it.  We had seen too many of our family members and friends get backed into undesirable situations just because they waited too long to get things set up for the next stage of their retirement life.

That being said, we hadn’t really looked around and done all of our homework until recently.  This is what we have found out about senior living:  1).  waiting lists for larger units and homes are long and getting longer as the baby boomers are creating unprecedented demand for Continuing Care Retirement Communities (CCRCs).  2). Few CCRCs even have inventory of larger units, cottages and single family homes.  3). There is little new construction available that features the latest 21st century floor plans.

We recently visited a large luxury CCRC in Florida and were told that a duplex home had a 10-12 year wait list!  The only way we could shorten it was to put our name in for a studio and then contract for it, paying monthly fees until a home became available…maybe in another 5 years.  Closer to home, many of our friends in Western North Carolina have been on local CCRC lists for over 8 years waiting for a larger home…luckily, they haven’t absolutely needed to move yet, but it may never happen.  Other friends have given up waiting locally after 5 years and moved elsewhere…still sacrificing on what is available.

SO why wait that long when it comes to retirement planning?  Get the home you want at Legacy, located in Mills River, North Carolina, and be ready to move in 2 years to a brand-new place that you put all the finishing touches on to make it your own.  Think about it; we look forward to meeting you and getting to know you at Legacy.

About Sue:  Sue, along with her husband Jim, had a lifelong career in the Air Force.  Sue spent 32 years in Civil Service for the Air Force and Department of Defense with her last role as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Air Force Installations and Logistics in the Pentagon.  They moved around many times during their working years landing in Ohio, Oklahoma, Northern California and Washington D.C. and, finally, settling in Port St. Lucie, Florida where they lived for 13 years prior to moving to WNC.