Affordable California Coastal Retirement Communities

Are you "California Dreaming," but believe that affordable housing, especially near the coast, is out of your reach?  Have your heard stories about all the multimillion dollar homes that you know are absolutely not going to be part of your retirement plan?  Certainly, the California coastal communities of Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, Manhattan Beach, Malibu, Santa Barbara, Carmel and Monterey, to name a few, are far too expensive for the vast majority of retirees.

However, the idea of retiring in a cozy cottage or condo near the California coast is not impossible.  There are small towns, especially along the central California coast, where people are still able to find homes for under $500,000 ... and sometimes much less.  These are not ocean front homes, of course, but they are homes within ten or fifteen miles of the coast, where they are still in a temperate climate just a short drive to where residents can enjoy a variety of beach activities.

California Geography

As in most states, the majority of California residents are clustered around the major urban areas of San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego.  Homes within commuting distances of those cities are often quite expensive, especially the properties near the beach.  Other particularly expensive areas in the state include the Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose, the Napa Valley, Santa Barbara and Montecito, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey and most of the coastal regions of Orange County.

That leaves hundreds of miles of California coast that is dotted with small towns.  Many of them are too far away from any metropolitan area to make it possible to commute to jobs.  As a result, it is possible to find relatively affordable homes in a variety of locations.

California Towns Worth Exploring

If you are considering retiring in California and you think you might enjoy living in a small city or town, especially along the central coast, below is a list of towns worth exploring that are either on the coast or within ten miles of it.  You may want to contact the Chamber of Commerce or a Realtor in these towns and learn more about what they have to offer.  Ask the Realtors to expand your search to other communities in their area that they think might fit into your budget.  Several of the towns listed below have even more affordable retirement areas nearby.  Here are the towns you may want to consider, starting in the south and moving north:

Carlsbad
Oceanside
Laguna Woods Village
Ventura
Nipomo
Oceano
San Luis Obispo
Avila Beach
Pismo Beach
Shell Beach
Grover Beach
Los Osos
Morro Bay
Cayucos
Harmony
Cambria
Pacific Grove
Eureka

Range of California Weather

If you have not spent much time in California, you may not be aware that the weather varies dramatically between the Southern and Northern part of the state.  Southern California tends to get very little rain.  Typical summer highs are in the 80's and 90's; winter highs are usually in the 60's and 70's.    Northern California weather is colder, foggier and wetter, although it rare for weather along the coast to tip below freezing (but it does happen occasionally).  Precipitation ranges from an average of only 13 inches of rain annually in Oceanside to as much as an average of 38 inches of rain in Eureka.  Along the central coast, where you will find many of these small towns, high temperatures in both the summer and winter are usually in the 60's or 70's, although they can go higher or lower.

While the weather along the central and northern coast of California may not appeal to those who hope to spend time swimming in the ocean water, it is perfect for those who enjoy other outdoor activities such as golf, bicycling, gardening, tennis or hiking.  Be prepared for breathtaking views around every corner!

Medical Facilities Serving the California Coast

Most of the cities on the above list have access to medical facilities within 30 miles.  For example, the town of Cambria is about 30 minutes away from a hospital in Templeton; Grover Beach contains its own hospital and is also located a short distance from San Luis Obispo with additional medical facilities; Avila Beach, Pismo Beach, and Shell Beach are also near San Luis Obispo; Pacific Grove is near medical facilities in both the Monterey Peninsula and the Salinas Valley. Eureka contains its own hospitals.  The other towns on the list are also close enough to well-populated areas (like San Diego or San Luis Obispo) that there are a variety of medical facilities available.

Common Community Amenities

All of the communities on the above list have a variety of amenities to offer retirees.  Specifics vary from location to location.  However, in general, within a short drive you should expect to find the services and programs that are listed below.  Contact the local Chambers of Commerce and senior centers in the towns that interest you for more specific information:

Wide variety of places to worship
Golf courses
Tennis courts
Senior centers
Festivals, parades and local celebrations
Colleges with classes/programs oriented towards senior citizens
Farmer's Markets
Art Galleries
Wineries and vineyards
Restaurants
Live theater
Places to go boating, paddle boarding or kayaking
Bridge groups and similar clubs and activities
Airports (in all the major cities, plus San Luis Obispo and on the Monterey Peninusula)

Types of Housing Available along the California Coast

There is a wide variety of housing choices available in these communities, ranging from charming old cottages, manufactured homes, condos, and new home developments such as Shea Homes' Trilogy at Monarch Dunes in the town of Nipomo, with new houses starting at about $400,000.  There are also manufactured home parks in some of the above towns, some specifically designated as over-55 senior communities, with prices that are in the $200,000 to $300,000 range.  In addition, you will have to pay a space rental fee, which can vary dramatically throughout the state.

The community of Laguna Woods Village, located half-way between San Diego and Los Angeles in Southern California, has condos and co-ops available with prices starting as low as $150,000.  The town also contains a large selection of two-bedroom condos in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range.  It is located just five miles from Laguna Beach.  Like most over-55, age-restricted communities, you should expect to pay homeowner's dues.  In Laguna Woods, you must also meet reasonable income and asset requirements.  However, it is one of the most affordable places to live in Orange County, California.

Rental Houses and Apartments on the California Coast

All of the communities listed above have apartment complexes and rental homes available, often with prices in the $1250 to $2000 a month price range. Low income seniors may also qualify for Section 8 rent subsidies, so don't hesitate to apply.

Whatever housing prices and amenities you desire, the California coast has a variety of possibilities that may work for you.  You may even want to take a road trip along the California coast and explore the possibilities.  Talk to Realtors, look at the various towns and have a great vacation at the same time!

If you are looking for more ideas about where to retire, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article to find links to hundreds of additional articles.

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How to Prevent Colon Cancer

Do you have a family history of cancer, especially colon cancer?  While that increases your risk of developing colon cancer, there is no reason to believe that it is inevitable that you will get it, too.  The vast majority of people can avoid this horrible disease.  Approximately 90% or more of all colon cancers can be avoided with proper screening and lifestyle changes.  In other words, Baby Boomers and other retirees do not have to accept the inevitably of developing this cancer, even if they have a family history of it.

Unfortunately, far too many people fail to take the necessary steps to prevent colon cancer. Here's what you need to know.

Get a Colonoscopy

According to a number of studies, most people can dramatically reduce or even completely eliminate their colon cancer risk, simply by getting colonoscopies starting at age 50.  They may want to start getting them sooner in some cases, especially if they have a personal or family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease.

Colonoscopies are more than a screening test.  During the exam, the physician is able to remove precancerous polyps.  Since these polyps are usually slow growing, removing them dramatically reduces your odds of developing this cancer in the following five to ten years.  By then, it will be time for another colonoscopy.

Thanks to insurance changes that were made under the Affordable Care Act, this life-changing procedure is either free or very low cost under most insurance plans.  This is a money-saving development for both insurance companies and Medicare.  Very simply, it is less expensive to administer a series of colonoscopies than it is to do surgery and chemo on someone after they have developed colon cancer.

Lifestyle Changes to Prevent Colon Cancer

Prior to your first colonoscopy, and in between the ones you have later in life, there are a few simple lifestyle changes you can make that will also lower your colon cancer risk.  If you make these changes, combined with colonoscopies, it is very unlikely that you will develop this potentially fatal disease.

Here are some practical changes that could make a significant difference in your overall health, including your colon cancer risk:

1. Lose weight.  Obesity raises your risk of developing several types of cancer, including colon cancer.

2.  Enjoy your morning coffee.  According to a National Cancer Institute study done over 15 years, drinking four or more cups of coffee a day can lower your colon cancer risk.

3.  Take a multi-vitamin or combination of vitamins that contain 400 mcg. of folic acid and 1000 IU of Vitamin D.  Both have been shown to cut your colon cancer risk.

4.  Eat a healthy diet that includes onions and curcumin (the yellow pigment in the spice, turmeric). The right diet can also reduce your odds of developing colon cancer.

5.  Stop smoking and drink only moderate amounts of alcohol.  Smokers and heavy drinkers have a higher rate than normal of colon cancer, as well as other health issues.

Remember: These are steps you should take in addition to regular colonoscopies, not instead of them. Only colonoscopies can virtually eliminate the colon cancer risk for the majority of adults.

For more information on colon cancer:

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/colonandrectumcancer/

http://www.ucirvinehealth.org/medical-services/colorectal-disease

For other health and retirement information, check out the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article.  They contain links to hundreds of other articles on health, finances, family relations and where to retire.

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Lumosity Brain Games for Your Memory

Are you interested in trying to use brain building exercises to improve your mental acuity and, perhaps, postpone the symptoms of dementia?  Scientists have developed a program called Lumosity that you can use for just that purpose.

Because so many Baby Boomers have begun to subscribe to Lumosity, I thought it would be worth exploring.  I began by going to www.lumosity.com.

When I clicked on "Start Training Now," I was asked which aspects of my memory I wanted to challenge.  The choices were:

Remembering patterns and locations;
Associating names with faces;
Keeping track of multiple pieces of information in my head;
Recalling sequences of objects and movements.

Of course, I checked them all!

After I hit "next," I discovered that I was also given choices regarding the areas I wanted to concentrate on in other aspects of my memory.  In each category, I was given four choices.  I checked most of the boxes for each category.  However, I skipped a few that I did not think were particular problems for me.  For example, under "Attention," I did not check avoiding distractions.  I am generally able to stay pretty focused (and my later test score showed that I was correct).  Other people may want to choose that item.

I only made a couple of choices in the thinking speed category.  (When I received my score, however, I realized that I may not think as quickly as I thought I did!)   Under flexibility I checked all the choices.  

After choosing the areas that I thought needed the most development, I was asked to set up an account and give them my email address so I could start my free Fit Test.  They began by asking my gender, level of education and occupation.  This was followed by more questions regarding how much I exercise, how much sleep I get, etc.  Then they generated my assessment tests.


I completed three tests that were designed to assess my speed, attention and memory.  They were a bit more challenging than I expected.

Here were my final results, when compared to other people in my age group of 65 to 69:

Speed - 42% of people
Train of thought - 87% of people
Memory matrix - 61% of people

I was right that I am able to stay focused and maintain my train of thought.  My memory, on the other hand, was only slightly above the typical score.  My speed, however, was slower than my peers, which surprised me.  This is definitely an area that needs work.

After completing the tests, a screen popped up that said they were creating a personalized training program for me.  When nothing changed on that screen after several minutes, I logged off.  Then I went back to the site and my personal results were awaiting me.

Once you have done the free assessment, they invite you to take advantage of their full program.  You can continue to play a few of their games for free, which I have done periodically in the following months.  This is a good way to determine whether or not you think you will consistently use the program.

If you decide that you do want the full, personalized program that is designed specifically for you, those games are not free. However, they do offer a range of price options ... paying for the program monthly, yearly or as a two year subscription.  It can cost as little as $3 a month for an individual who pays two years in advance or as much as $11.95 a month for those who prefer to pay monthly.

If you wait for a few weeks, you will be offered an opportunity to purchase the program at a discount of 25% to 35%.  It is worth it NOT to sign up the minute you do the first assessment.

If you do sign up for the personalized program, the daily games you will be given will be based on the mental areas that you think are most important for you to exercise, as well as the results of your tests.  Lumosity will continually challenge you to perform better and better.

According to the Lumosity website, the exercises are designed by neuroscientists and are continually evaluated through independent research studies at institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, and the University of California at Berkeley.  This program could prove to be a fun, interesting and helpful way for Baby Boomers to keep their minds as sharp as possible.

The site also claims that just ten to fifteen minutes of doing these exercises each day can lead to improvements in your mental function, at least as measured by the Lumosity tests. 

Lumosity members can be found in 180 different countries.  People all over the world are finding that these brain challenges can improve the way they think.

You can try Lumosity for yourself at www.lumosity.com.  At the very least, you may want to take the assessment tests and decide if you think you either need the program or whether it would be helpful to you.

Please note: I have no financial interest in the company, nor do I receive any commissions if people decide to sign up.  I just thought I would give the program a try, since so many Baby Boomers have expressed interest in it.

In addition, it is important to remember:  You may be able to get similar improvements in your thinking skills by doing crossword puzzles, playing video games such as the ones created by BrainAge, playing card games like Bridge and staying socially, physically and mentally active.

If you are interested in reading more about health and retirement issues, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this article.  They contain links to hundreds of additional articles on a variety of topics related to retirement and aging.

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MIND Diet Reduces Alzheimers Risk

Are you worried about your Alzheimer's Disease risk?  Follow the MIND diet and you may be relieved to know that there is something you can do to cut your risk in half ... simply by eating a healthy diet.  Even better, you do not have to be 100% compliant in order to benefit from this diet.  You just need to follow it most of the time!

This vegetable based diet may also explain the long, healthy lives of people who live in the Blue Zones (the places on earth where people routinely live to be 100 years old and have a lower than normal incidence of dementia).  If the idea of living longer, while staying healthy and thinking more clearly sounds appealing to you, you may want to try following this diet, too.

Facts about the MIND Diet

The MIND Diet was developed by Professor Martha Clare Morris and other researchers at Rush University in Chicago.  It is a mixture of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet (a blood pressure lowering eating plan). 

MIND stands for Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay.

The researchers came up with the MIND diet after following 923 people between the ages of 58 and 98 over a period of nearly ten years.  While the Mediterranean and DASH diets also significantly lowered Alzheimer's risk, this was only true when the participants were rigorous about following those eating plans.  The MIND eating regimen does not need to be followed quite so carefully.  In fact, those who followed the plan only moderately were still able to reduce their Alzheimer's risk by 35%.

If you are interested in trying out this eating plan, what are the foods should you be eating and avoiding?

Foods to Eat on the MIND Diet

Vegetables - both green and other colors
Nuts
Berries
Beans
Whole grains
Fish
Poultry
Olive oil
Wine

Foods to Minimize on the MIND Diet

Red meat
Animal fats
Sugary foods
Fried foods
Fast food

Eating Rules for the MIND Diet

Eat vegetables and and nuts daily
Eat poultry twice a week
Eat berries twice a week
Eat less than one tablespoon of butter a day

As you can see, even the foods you need to minimize, like animal fats, do not need to be eliminated completely.  Having a little real butter on a slice of whole wheat toast still keeps you within acceptable ranges.

In addition to lowering your Alzheimer's risk, there is evidence that this eating style will also lower your risk of heart disease, as well as certain cancers.  The good news is that there is nothing harmful in this eating style and, if you "cheat" once in a while, you are still reaping the overall benefits.

Sources:

http://news.yahoo.com/diet-could-considerably-reduce-risk-alzheimers-161522019.html

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/food/article/new-diet-could-considerably-reduce-alzheimers-risk

If you are interested in learning about other health issues that could affect you during retirement, use the tabs at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of other helpful articles from this blog.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

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