By ANN GOWANS 

Published Monday, January 14, 2002

Because many builders understand where the world is going, most of the housing being constructed these days is put on the market with the claim that it will be a perfect place for the baby boomers to retire.

In order to get into the minds of aging boomers to determine exactly what they want, Professional Builder magazine and the president of Marketing Directions Associates of Colorado decided to ask them. They sampled the minds and hearts of 100 boomers age 45 to 54 in five cities and came up with a bunch of interesting information.

First of all, the respondents said there should be no age restrictions in the new boomer housing developments. They also said that although they wanted the overall design of the development to meet the needs and desires of baby boomers, there should be no rules keeping anyone from living within the community because they don’t fall within the boomer age range. Both young and old should be welcomed to live and enjoy an interactive community.

Boomers don’t want to be isolated. They want to walk to restaurants, theaters, exercise centers, sports events and other activities. They also want to simplify their lives by setting up a home business or office and reducing the amount of work they must put into the maintenance of a house, both inside and out. A fully maintained community is what they are after, especially one where they know they can simply lock the door and take off to see the world with the understanding that everything will be kept safe and in good order while they are gone.

Although the huge homes being built in many of our suburbs belie it, these boomers said they wanted smaller houses such as those in which they grew up. They want to go back to a familiar basic lifestyle where they can make friends with their neighbors and personalize their homes without the restrictions of a cookie cutter interior and a self-appointed development board telling them what color they can paint their front door.

A great many folks in the boomer generation are very concerned with the environment and have always loved nature. They want a housing community that not only utilizes the natural beauty of the area but also enhances it. These boomers want a challenging walking and biking trail and lots of mature trees and landscaping. In addition, they want the look and feel of an older home rather than a starkly new construction.

If builders intend to keep up with the latest fitness fads among boomers, they need to include recreation areas within their housing developments. Small golf courses, rock-climbing walls, rollerblading tracks and volleyball courts are popular additions. This generation tends to be very competitive and expresses a strong desire to keep their bodies in good shape.

When boomers were asked about where they would like their homes to be located, many chose the option of having a home base and a nearby vacation home at the beach or in the mountains. Most of the boomers I have talked to say they want the opportunity to get away from home but not have to spend a lot of time on the way back and forth and that a nearby vacation home is very appealing.

According to this survey and many others, a lot of boomers are interested in going back to school just for fun or to learn the skills they need for a new career. A boomer-friendly community of the future will look for a link with a nearby college or university to offer as a special amenity. I live in a community with a university and two colleges, and I have tried for some years to get just such a link going. Perhaps the time has come at last.

One interesting aspect of these survey results is that the home and amenities that have the greatest appeal to the up-and-coming generation closely resemble those chosen by their parents when they look at retirement homes for themselves. Smaller houses, more free time and help with maintenance. These are things we all would enjoy.