BBM: I had to google this. Can you retire at the age of 55 in the US?
You can retire at any age, but you won't get Social Security $ from the gov't until you reach at least 65 years old.
The retirement communities only allow people 55 years old or over. They are very nice to live in, IMO. They have a lot of conveniences for Seniors
and no maintenance that owning a house comes with - like snow removal, grass cutting, and things like roof fixing (at least where I am thinking of buying).
There's a very small fee every month that takes care of things like taxes, garbage removal, and community fees ( the units I'm looking at have a fee as low as $160 per month- pretty low, IMO).
They have clubhouses with various activities if you are inclined to join, buses that take you shopping (will be great when someone no longer can drive).
Of course you buy the house, but I've seen some that are just rented. I'm looking at a model that has 4 houses attached (so like an apartment) with either 2 bedrooms/1 bath or a 1 bedroom/1 bath with a heated sleeping porch, but there are single standing houses and semi-attached models also with garages. All of houses come with washers/dryers and all other appliances. All with no maintenance- which is what I'm looking for at this time in my life- especially when my younger son graduates from grad school and may decide to leave the nest.
Some of the units I am looking at even have a little strip where you can plant some flowers, but I don't do too much gardening anymore (bad knees

).
I probably won't be moving until my sons decide what they want to do in about a year or so, but I'm doing my planning right now or I might just tell both of them to "go choke themselves" (as my mother would say :facepalm

and move anyway no matter what they decide. We'll see.
