Retirement and Real Estate

In my previous entry, I lightly touched on the retirement and real estate connection and voila, here's an article on thestar.com that covers it a bit more in depth.

Something to keep in mind when you're thinking about a retirement home in some other area.
As we age, our medical/specialist needs are likely to increase, too. So when you're thinking "Gee, that place way out in the country would be a great, inexpensive place to retire", make sure that you also give some thought to

• how far is the medical treatment I might need?
• is that kind of specialty even available in that area?

We have friends who moved out to the countryside, but still have to drive into town to get regular medical treatments. Likewise, we also have some friends who are contemplating a retirement move out into the country but their current medical-specialist requirements are keeping them here, where these services are available, nearby.

On another consideration, while I could easily see us eventually retiring into something smaller in the country or "near-country", I could never give up high-speed Internet - that's a big factor on our own list.

So while considering your real estate-related retirement options, take a step back and look at the larger picture per your personal needs. There's more to it than just the house.