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Choosing The Best Retirement Communities When Buying Or Building A New Home

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The decision to buy or build a new home is a momentous occasion at any phase in life, but the decision to buy or build a new home and choose the best retirement living community can be especially intimidating. While some of the best retirement communities are springing up everywhere in the United States, Florida remains one of the most popular choices for retirement because of its favorable climate and variety of active senior lifestyle communities. When considering buying or building a home in a retirement living community, the first and most obvious things buyers taken into consideration are qualities of the community itself. However, there are many additional factors that should be considered in making a decision about buying or building a home where you will spend the rest of your life. Knowing what to look for as a potential homeowner in a retirement living community can help buyers make better decisions for their golden years.Several things to consider when trying to choose the best retirement communities for your new home:

The community’s qualities – Consider the positive things the retirement living community has to offer. Does the community promote an active senior lifestyle? Offer a variety of activities? What types of amenities are available to its residents? Is the surrounding landscape pleasing? Consider the location and nearby attractions. What is it like getting around the area? What is traffic like? Another thing to consider is the community’s demographics – what types of people live there? The best retirement communities are places where one would feel comfortable and be happy living day in and day out.

The builder’s reputation – Another important thing to determine before buying a home in a retirement living community is whether or not the builder is solely responsible for the homes or if they contract work out to other builders – the best retirement communities use builders who do the work themselves. Some retirement communities will actually hire several contractors, which can affect the quality of work – and may even put buyers in a situation where an outside contractor is responsible for their home warranty. Another important thing for a buyer to consider is the contractor’s stability. Will they be around in two years?

Taxes and fees – Find out if the community is truly resident-owned – many retirement living community home buyers are often surprised to find that they are paying additional hundreds or thousands of dollars in annual living costs. These additional costs can come from the Community Development District (CDD), which places taxes on homes in the community in order to cover the costs of public roadways, utilities and other improvements. Other fees may include leases paid to the developer or a third party for recreational facilities, golf courses and other amenities. The best retirement communities will disclose any additional costs you might have prior to closing. Some builders will put these costs on residents’ shoulders, failing to inform the buyer of this in the initial purchase price or closing costs. Often times, buyers are not even aware of these additional costs until they receive their first tax bill or association fee statement. A builder may claim that placing the responsibility of paying these taxes or fees on the resident allows them to build homes at a lower initial cost. Prevent surprise taxes and fees by asking your retirement living community developer to tell you about any additional CDD taxes, leases or other fees upfront.

Closing costs – Buyers often get caught up in the excitement of a home purchase and don’t think to ask how much it will actually cost to get into the new house. Buyers should be wary of additional closing costs as many developers tack thousands of extra dollars onto closing statements for attorney fees, and other miscellaneous fees that they may claim to be necessary or standard practice. Generally, a contract cannot be closed until these additional fees are paid. Some of the best retirement communities will actually cover all of part of the closing costs themselves, which will save hundreds of dollars in up-front charges and eliminate the possibility of a finding a “big surprise” in the closing statement.

Construction satisfaction guarantee – Does the builder offer a construction satisfaction guarantee like those available at the best retirement communities? With a satisfaction guarantee, you can be confident in the builder’s commitment to your satisfaction. In these guarantees, the builder pledges to fix any construction you are not happy with and may even buy the house back if you are still unhappy at that point. Essentially, choosing a builder in a retirement living community that offers a satisfaction guarantee will bring peace of mind in the construction process.
ConclusionWhen considering buying or building a home in a Florida retirement living community, performing a thorough evaluation of the builders and their policies is just as important as evaluating the community itself. Once you’ve compared the best retirement communities and found a retirement living community whose location and amenities fit your lifestyle, look for builders that build their own homes, have a good reputation for quality and service, and offer construction satisfaction guarantees, and be sure the builder tells you about all potential costs upfront. You might save thousands of dollars, and you’ll be certain to enjoy an easy transition to retirement.

How to Make Money Investing in 401K Plans in 2015-2016 and Beyond

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Torie, like millions of other people, knows that she needs to make money investing in 401k plans in 2015-2106 and beyond (she has a couple) in order to retire comfortably. What she also needs to know: 401k asset allocation, how to pick and manage her best 401k investment options, and the outlook for 2015 and 2016. Let’s take a look at how she and you can make money in 2015, 2016 and beyond (or at least make the best of it) if you’re in the same boat.Although it’s been easy to make money investing in 401k plans in recent years, this is not always the case. The first thing Torie and you need to do is to set a goal (Torie’s is to retire in about the year 2040). Second, be honest about your personal risk tolerance. Torie’s is “moderate” – but definitely not aggressive! Third, review your present 401k asset allocation to determine whether the investment options you hold are in line with your risk tolerance. Are you in the best 401k investment options, and in the right proportion?Finally, you need to understand that 2015 and 2016 could be a difficult time to make money investing in 401k plans. The reason: weak economic forecasts make yesteryear’s best 401k investment options vulnerable to losses. Stocks are pricey and so are bonds. Assuming your risk profile is similar to Torie’s (she would like to make money but wants to avoid heavy losses) what can you do now to stay on track, make money, and avoid heavy losses if 2015 and beyond turns ugly? We’ll use Torie as our example.A number of years ago Torie decided that she wanted to make money investing in 401k plans, but wanted to keep things simple. She had changed jobs once and was planning on another change in the future. With both employers she had set her plan up with 50% going to a safe stable account and 50% to a Target 2040 fund. She was busy and pretty much ignored her statements over the years. After all, her goal was to make money investing, and she could see at a glance that her portfolio balance was growing. Now, she needs to take a closer look at her 401k asset allocation to see what percent is invested in each of her two 401k investment options.In early 2015, a closer look revealed that both plans had a portfolio asset allocation far riskier than she had expected. The target fund represented almost 80% of her assets in her first plan and 75% in her current plan. What happened, and what action should she take to get back on track and still keep things simple? What happened was that her target 2040 funds turned out to be one of the best 401k investment options in her plans and they far outperformed her safe stable accounts.The other best 401k investment options had been stock funds, but Torie considered them to be too risky. With the target fund most of her money was actually invested in stock funds, with the rest in bond funds; and both fund types had performed well heading into 2015. Her plan was to continue to make money investing in her 401k by holding her target fund and a safe investment. That way she was invested in stocks and some bonds as well to give here her portfolio some balance.What she now needs to do is to REBALANCE her 401k asset allocation so that 50% of her portfolio assets are again equally invested in each of her two chosen investment options. That cuts her risk considerably and it fits her comfort level. Now, can you or Torie make money investing in 401k plans in 2015-2016 with a 401k asset allocation that is allocated half to safe investment options (money market funds or stable accounts) and half to stock funds or target funds? Yes, unless the stock market falls and bonds also take a hit.How can you make money investing in 401k plans in 2015 and beyond if both stocks and bonds get hit hard? You would need to move the vast majority of your money to the safe havens available. In other words, your best 401k investment options would be the stable account that pays interest (if one is available) or the money market fund (which your plan should have, but currently pays very little in dividends). For the average investor who needs long term growth (like you and Torie) this is an extreme measure.Remember, your real objective is to make money investing in 401k plans, so you can have a secure retirement. Moderate risk is part of the program. I use Torie as an example because her situation is typical. Her 401k asset allocation fits her (and likely your) risk tolerance and should produce growth over the long term. She has chosen the best 401k investment options to reach her goal of retirement in 2040 (if you plan to retire in 2030 go with the 2030 target fund, and so on). Half of her money is safe and the other half has growth potential.Plus, she has a plan to manage her 401k investment options. If the markets get ugly in 2015 and 2016 she will not make money investing in 401k plans, she will lose money. But she has money going into her target fund every pay period buying shares at cheaper and cheaper prices, and money going into and accumulating in her safe investment. Anytime her 401k asset allocation shows that 60% or more is in the safe account she will REBALANCE back to 50%, which means taking money from the safe account and adding it to the target fund. Then, when the markets turn, she’s well positioned to make money investing in 401k plans for a secure future.

How is Parkinson’s Disease Treated?

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Parkinsons disease is a comparatively common condition of the nervous system which is as a result of problems with the nerve cells in the part of the brain which generates dopamine. This is a chemical substance that is needed for the smooth management of muscles and motion, so the symptoms of the disorder is a result of a reduction of that chemical. Parkinson’s disease mostly impacts individuals aged over 65, but it can and does come on at younger ages with 5-10% developing before the age of forty.

The chief clinical features of Parkinson’s disease are a tremor or shaking, that will commences in one arm or hand; there is often a muscle rigidity or stiffness along with a slowness of motion; the stance gets more stooped; additionally, there are equilibrium concerns. Parkinson’s can also cause greater pain and result in depression symptoms and create problems with memory and sleep. There isn’t any specific test for the diagnosis of Parkinson’s. The identification is usually made primarily based on the history of the symptoms, a physical along with neural evaluation. Other reasons for the signs and symptoms also need to be eliminated. There are imaging assessments, such as a CAT scan or MRI, that can be used to eliminate other issues. From time to time a dopamine transporter diagnostic might also be utilized.

The actual cause of Parkinson’s isn’t known. It does appear to have both genetic and environmental elements with it plus some specialists think that a virus may induce Parkinson’s as well. Decreased amounts of dopamine and also norepinephrine, a substance which in turn is responsible for the dopamine, have already been found in those with Parkinson’s, but it is not yet determined what is causing this. Unusual proteins which are named Lewy bodies have been located in the brains of those who have Parkinson’s; nevertheless, experts don’t know what role they may play in the development of Parkinson’s. While the specific cause just isn’t known, studies have identified risk factors that establish groups of people who are more prone to develop the condition. Men are more than one and a half times more prone to get Parkinson’s as compared to women. Caucasians are much more prone to get the condition as compared to African Americans or Asians. Those who have close members of the family who have Parkinson’s disease are more likely to develop it, implying the inherited contribution. A number of toxins could raise the potential for the problem, implying a role of the environment. People who experience difficulties with brain injuries can be more likely to go on and have Parkinson’s disease.

There is no identified remedy for Parkinson’s disease. That will not imply that the signs and symptoms can’t be handled. The main method is to use medicines to raise or replacement for the dopamine. Balanced and healthy diet together with frequent exercise is crucial. There may be changes made to the surroundings at home and work to keep the individual involved as well as active. There are also some options sometimes for brain surgical treatment which can be used to relieve some of the motor symptoms. A diverse team of different health professionals are often involved.