Retirement Home, Good Investment Prior To Moving

Added February 20, 2009 by Ilyce R. Glink

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Summary: When selecting a home for retirement, make sure the property is a good investment, especially if you're buying several years out. A couple wants to buy a retirement condominium in a place they take vacations now, but they will not be moving for 15 years. Ilyce cautions the couple to choose their retirement home in a place where it will be good investment property, where they can get rental income or the land appreciates since they have 15 years before the actual move.

Q:I want your advice on something. My wife and I have a strong desire to retire in a certain area in about 15 years. We have taken mini-vacations there for the past 8 years and we feel like it is already our second home.

My idea is to purchase a Condo there. We may rent it out 9-10 months or more out of the year for the next fifteen years. Possibly, we would spend both of our mini-vacations in the Unit if we could work that out. But, that is not mandatory to me.

My goal would be to take in enough rental to either break even or maybe even take in a little more then what our annual expenses would run.

What are the plus's and minus's in doing something like this? What are the main things to look for? Is this a wise thing to do. We are both 50 years of age by the way.

A: Make the decision based on how good a potential investment this is, not whether you'll want to live there in 15 years (a long, long time by the way, in which a whole lot can happen to change your mind). If the condo is a good investment and will more than pay for itself either in rental income or in appreciation, then decide if you really want to do it.

If not, then wait until you're closer to your actual retirement.

Jan. 1, 2004.

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