Baby Boomer City!

“Let’s cheer as the first of the baby boom generation, the healthiest, best-educated and wealthiest in the nation’s history, turn 65.  Celebrate their vitality and especially their variety -- a generation that spans the Beatles and Springsteen, that crusaded to end a war and stop the spread of nukes, that powered an explosion of new technology, fueled the feminist revolution and joined the battle for civil rights,” according to AARP, the American Association for Retired Persons.

Approaching retirement, Boomers are becoming seniors and are beginning to prepare for retirement and to move into active adult communities.  Sun City West, Arizona has taken notice of the arrival of the Baby Boomers with marketing plans geared toward them and the study of future social gathering places.  The community is prepared to change for this new generation of seniors. 

“Sun City West will transform itself due to the activities and social preferences of those just entering the “boomer generation“, says Jack Steiner, a member of the Boomer Club in Sun City West. “Those activities will be more vigorous and be totally different than what existed when Del Webb built this community“ 50 years ago. 

A Baby Boomer is someone born in the 20 years following World War II.  A lot of the boomer seniors are still working and Sun City West restaurants and retailers may have to accommodate these working golden agers by staying open a later than the usual 8 PM closing times. 

Baby boomers think (and sometimes act!) like they are still 30 years old and in order to appeal to more active seniors, the area will include additional nighttime  activities plus adding a few sports bars and or dance clubs within the walls so residents can continue acting the age the Boomers feel they are.  Boomers are not out to disrespect older seniors, just want to enjoy life as they have come to know it.  

Sun City West offers many amenities that would attract seniors of any generation including four community recreation and fitness centers, seven golf courses and a 30-lane bowling alley.   There are outdoor concerts most of the year and with this new rock generation arriving, you can be sure there will be some outstanding classic rock coming to town.  

For more info on Sun City West, visit: www.suncitywest.org or contact Kathleen McMullen, Dream Home Catchers, www.dreamhomecatchers.com, 623-512-8152.

Focusing on Purchasing a Closet, Not Staying in It.

As a real estate professional and member of the gay community, I am often asked, “Why do you focus on the gay community?”  I am a real estate agent; I help people buy and sell houses.  Sexual orientation does not change that fact. But it occurs to me that the majority of Realtors do not understand the gay community or their wants and needs.

It’s not that gay and lesbian home buyers are that different.  Actually, we are quite the same. However, as a real estate professional, I understand that a good agent does more than just “find a house.” We Realtors provide understanding and guidance on the largest purchase in a person’s life. But more than that, buying a house should be a fun and personal experience.

Over the years, I have worked with several clients that have come to me after a negative experience with other realtors. It’s not that these real estate professionals aren’t good Realtors.  Rather, that buying a house is still a process firmly associated with a “traditional” heterosexual family.  The advantage in working with a professional who specializes in the gay market is the process and perhaps the result.  Instead of defining (or defending!) yourself against the assumed norm, you are allowed to be you, without the embarrassing questions.

In buying your previous homes, you may have heard, “Surely you want separate bedrooms and baths, so I’ll show you homes with two master suites.”  What possible answer is there:  1) Make it clear that you are sleeping in the same bedroom…..and then the awful answer, “oh, I see”, followed by the uncomfortable pause; or 2) Say nothing.

Some of my clients are still not “out” or want their privacy or just don’t want to answer these kinds of questions.  The buyers may fear being disrespected by the agent, not getting quality service or perhaps creating an uncomfortable situation for both parties.   

Or buyers are asked, “Which one of you will be on the title?” The assumption being that one person is making the purchase and the other will be a renter.  Many laws that govern home ownership and property are still based upon heterosexual norms and legal definitions of marriage. Understanding those regulations and protecting the rights of both parties does require a level of expertise and knowledge that many real estate agents lack.

My partner Kris and I know all too well the pain and discomfort that comes from these questions.  The good news is, not all real estate agents ask them. That’s why I specialize in the gay community. Instead of questioning your personal sleeping preference, what we really want to know is “Do you want a pool?”, “How many bedrooms and baths would you like?”, “How much do you want to spend?”  You know the important stuff in buying your next home.  It’s this level of understanding, protection and empathy that every home buyer deserves. So, yes, I do specialize in the gay community not because they are special, but they are special to me.