Crazy Condo Neighbors

[shootingstar]

Maybe having children, encourages interactions with neighbours who may also have children. I must be living under a rock for the last few decades because I don't get involved neighbour shenanigans. Nor have I experienced the nosey/gossipy, asset-comparing type of folks. I think most of the residents in my building want to be like us, friendly but private. Several people seem to have some jobs overseas or they are ex-pats from somewhere but working in Canada. I live in Canada's city with oil and gas company headquarter offices here.

Weird as this may seem, but living 2 blocks away from major park with jogging, walking and cycling path helps keeps us all saner. That's what I think.

[Trek420]

We seriously have to face reality of our future: we will no longer be able to drive nor should we in our 80's and onward. It's just dangerous to others. It's easier to change our transportation habits now....even a life without bikes, one day.

This. When we were house hunting I put Knot in charge of location because she knows the area. I got veto powers. I just had a few requirements, just a few;

Walkable to at least a few of the errands we run.
Near public transit options.
Bike able at least for as long as we're able to ride.
And if possible not a lot of stairs or single floor.
Dirt. At least some patch of dirt I can plant on, even small.

While walking the mutt we found a tiny condo that met all my non-negotiable demands. It's a short walk to stores, right on major bus lines and soon light rail will be close. There goes the anonymity of the Internet but we're right off the Burke Gillman so we can't be more walkable/bike able than that! Ground floor end unit gives me dirt on all 3 sides.

I believe it's best when choosing a place to live to factor aging options because we never know. Having worked in services for the disabled for a decade. Many do not plan to become disabled. Particularly I remember one conversation with a client saying "I was once like you. A high paying job, nice apartment and car, lots of activities and then this car crash happened." And there were so many who became disabled at work.

So I felt it worth considering as we looked that whether it's 6 weeks in a cast because I broke my leg skiing or a sudden permanent disability could I get to the bathroom if something happened? Could I get around when I decide not to drive?

So we're not leaving no matter how nuts my neighbor is. We found out that there was another owner she pushed out. Deeply religious she objected to the fact that this couple was living together unmarried. I don't know what happened but she harassed them to the point they sold and left.

We're married! What's her problem?

[Pax]

The criteria for our condo in FL was similar, zero stairs was a non negotiable for me and with this TKA I'm so glad we didn't waver on that. Our place is first floor, no stairs, walkable/bikeable to almost everything, and on the water. The water part was negotiable because of money but we lucked out.

[Helene2013]

Now we have this big nice house. Good neighbours all around...but for this wacko on one side but we try to ignore him. Wife is ok but him...ish...weird things in his mind! oh well, can't have it all.

But funny this discussion taking a turn as we too are retiring in about 5 years and our criterias are changing for housing. No more stairs, or very minimal. With my knee issues, it will not get better. Also, tired of always being up/down 3 levels (including basement) when you want to get something.

We are thinking selling our home and being full-timers in our motorhome. Summer somewhere in Canada and 7 months somewhere in the States where it is warm. Hubby is more insecure and would like to keep a foot inside somewhere. I'm not sure I want to pay to maintain a home when 7 months you are not using it (on top of paying for someone to remove the snow, visit to make sure all is ok - insurance obliged!), etc. But we'll need to make sure that wherever we live, there are on one-floor, near hospital services (we can't ignore that we will be using more those services as we age), bus service or taxis available for days we no longer will be able to drive, no more rural home area, etc. It is a lot to ask but at the same time Canada is so big I am sure we will find a new place to live in that will meet all of standards. Right now it is harder because of our 3 dogs and 3 cats. But dealing with a geriatric home (4 pets out of 6 are over 10 years old), we are sure that by retirement, 3 of them will be gone, if not 4 of them. We'll be only 57 then, so still young. But you never know what the future holds for you and I want to be ready.

But right now, I enjoy what I have have and only wished I started road cycling many years ago. But then again, we've always did sports, just different ones. Now we're hook to cycling but who knows what we will like in 5 years. We change with time and adapt to new realities too.

[shootingstar]

. But we'll need to make sure that wherever we live, there are on one-floor, near hospital services (we can't ignore that we will be using more those services as we age), bus service or taxis available for days we no longer will be able to drive, no more rural home area, etc. It is a lot to ask but at the same time Canada is so big I am sure we will find a new place to live in that will meet all of standards. Right now it is harder because of our 3 dogs and 3 cats. But dealing with a geriatric home (4 pets out of 6 are over 10 years old), we are sure that by retirement, 3 of them will be gone, if not 4 of them. We'll be only 57 then, so still young. But you never know what the future holds for you and I want to be ready.

No doubt this thread, probably sounds positively geriatric to some readers (who haven't spoken up at all yet.)
However I have been living in a 1-level condo unit, ever since I was 32 yrs. old. I'm not a great housekeeper, am not into gardening, so it just suits me. Yes, of course, there has to be storage space for bikes.

No doubt Helene, you and hubby will land on place. Maybe a medium size city with amenities. Will it be outside or within Quebec? Your rv home..will depreciate over time. Not appreciate. It's a home vehicle. However maybe other TE members, have more info., on assessed value of a rv.

Trek, what I have now is a short-term disability. A few days after my injury, I had to ask for go-cart transport assistance at the airport in Jan. because I could not walk a significant distance through crowds of people. It was an effort to get my request met because....I don't look elderly nor frail.

More likely, some of us later may accidentally fall and break /sprain a limb. So we have to find ways to deal with daily living. I couldn't shower for the first 3 days after my injury. I was afraid of falling in the shower. Going up and down stairs at that time: not for me.

[Helene2013]

Nah...not a geriatric thread. Just one deviating once in a while from point A to B. hihi

Oh we know a VR is not an investment. Thus the need to not go out once our home is sold to buy the biggest RV on the market. It would be ridiculous as one day, we may need to go back to a "real" home/condo/whatever and that would be money lost. So we need to be "frugal" in the way we'll be using that type of living. We currently have a motorhome (a class A 34 feet). It is ok to travel a few months a year. We don't need bigger. But if we are going to live in this box year-around, it needs to have wider space, which means slide-outs. Not only one like we have now. For vacationing it is great. For living 24/7/365...not sure.

We are thinking getting out of QC. We were looking for either Ontario or Alberta. But no big towns, nor suburbs. Like you said, mid-size towns, even smaller ones (but not small that they don't even have a store or gas station, or require a car to get anywhere hihi). Like where we live now. About 8,000 people, but the city is so wide-spread that we are 8km from a grocery store, etc. We have only 1 bus in the morning and one back from Montreal downtown in the evening - week days only. So we need better services when we're retired.

Only thing that scares me is that if we decide to move into a condo. You truly need to love your neighbours are they are very close. In a motorhome, if you don't like them, you can ask to move to another spot, or just leave and go to another campground. haha Not so easily done if you bought the condo.

[Crankin]

Frankly, I am not looking to make all of the changes you all are talking about for my next move. We are going to put our house up for sale in about a year. I doubt we would ever find a one story home here, as there are very few ranches, and they tend to be old and ready for tear down status. Of course, there are condos on one floor, but I think we have really decided to just buy a smaller home, locally, where we can pay cash for the house. Our biggest goal is to have no mortgage, and this will be possible when we sell. We are willing to spend a good bit to remodel, too. However, being able to walk to a few types of places is a definite requirement. There is a commuter rail here, but it's not something I would depend on, so just having it is fine, I don't need to be able to walk to it, although the area I am targeting, it would be possible to walk there from some locations. I don't plan on quitting work for at least 5 years, and it is important for me to stay within the same short commute I have now, or at least not more than 7-8 miles. And, I may continue working at least one day a week until whenever I can't talk and write! Basically, we are looking for a 3 bedroom, 2 bath home, with a flat yard. We will pay for gardening and snow removal, although, in a smaller home, DH may enjoy doing some of that, at least for awhile.
I do not want to move into a more urban area, or even some of the suburbs east of here, that have more services. I just can't take being too close to people. Where I live is not super rural, or anything, but sort of suburban-rural, with some towns having village centers, sometimes, more than one, with services. Most of all, I don't want to leave the area I am in. I've moved a lot, and I want stability. We also still have the idea of buying a small condo/second home out in western MA, so that is a consideration, too.

[ny biker]

My parents are in their late 70s, and are up and down stairs all day in their house. I actually think it has helped them stay fit. They could live on one floor of the house, but won't do that unless they really have to.

[Trek420]

My parents are in their late 70s, and are up and down stairs all day in their house. I actually think it has helped them stay fit. They could live on one floor of the house, but won't do that unless they really have to.

Somewhere I read that someone asked Betty White how she stays in such good shape. She said she has a 2 story house and a bad memory.

[zoom-zoom]

Somewhere I read that someone asked Betty White how she stays in such good shape. She said she has a 2 story house and a bad memory.

Ha! I remember how worn out I was when we moved into our house (almost exactly 2 years ago). I was up and down the stairs all day long for a week or two (2 story home...3, with basement). I didn't feel so bad about being too busy to get legitimate workouts in for a while.

[Crankin]

That's exactly how I feel, NY. I am not planning my life to be stair free. It keeps me fit. In fact, when I am too lazy to go outside or I don't want to get on the trainer, I run up 3 flights of stairs/walk down for 20 minutes. That is a workout! Sure, I could get hurt or incapacitated in some way, but I just can't base my life on what might happen. Right now I have a 4 story home, so 2 floors will seem like nothing. I feel like i am just starting to live the second half of my life, with lots of travel and less work; most people in my family live until their early 90s, with a good quality of life, so I suspect my next move may not be my last.

[TrekDianna]

I can't even deal with the thought of neighbors. We live in 6 acres on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and our vacation house has 3 acres.

[Eden]

I can't even deal with the thought of neighbors. We live in 6 acres on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere and our vacation house has 3 acres.

Different stokes and all… I live in the middle of the city and crazy neighbors or no (fortunately at this time no, but there have been), I couldn't deal with that type of isolation. I could never handle needing to get into a car to have access to anything and everything, not to mention no possibility of doing anything spontaneous.

[Trek420]

My parents are in their late 70s, and are up and down stairs all day in their house. I actually think it has helped them stay fit. They could live on one floor of the house, but won't do that unless they really have to.

My Dad lived to his early 80's. If you'd met him up to his last year you might not have guessed his age. You'd have thought maybe 70's. And you'd never have guessed he was seriously ill. He'd take you on a tour striding around the 3 acre garden or out chopping wood or turning a mountain of compost. After his death mom moved from the single story home she'd designed for them to a place of her own. Also one story.

We worried how she would do alone although my brother and I lived nearby. She started gardening almost immediately and we knew she'd be ok. Mom went on living actively and independently, raising heck, fruit and veggies. She passed away almost a year ago at 92. I remember her saying when someone asked how she kept so alert and active "just keep moving."

There's genetic luck of the draw, nutrition, but perhaps activity was key. For them that was gardening, close community and friends, that and cross word puzzles.

[shootingstar]

We are thinking getting out of QC. We were looking for either Ontario or Alberta. But no big towns, nor suburbs. Like you said, mid-size towns, even smaller ones (but not small that they don't even have a store or gas station, or require a car to get anywhere hihi). Like where we live now. About 8,000 people, but the city is so wide-spread that we are 8km from a grocery store, etc. We have only 1 bus in the morning and one back from Montreal downtown in the evening - week days only. So we need better services when we're retired.

Only thing that scares me is that if we decide to move into a condo. You truly need to love your neighbours are they are very close. In a motorhome, if you don't like them, you can ask to move to another spot, or just leave and go to another campground. haha Not so easily done if you bought the condo.

So what is the appeal of Alberta? Keep in mind in Canmore foothill town outside of Banff, was partially flooded in 2013 by the massive river disaster that also impacted Calgary. I wouldn't buy real estate there if you don't know the floodplain area. There is Red Deer, Airdrie....which well, are just prairie small cities. Except for Calgary and Edmonton, there are no other big urban centres. The towns are far apart and very car dependent in the prairies.... Cycling infrastructure does exist in Calgary and Edmonton, but it's a huge ongoing battle.

I'm here in Calgary because I was offered a good job. Not because I like the lifestyle, milieu here.... That's all.

Prairies, the politics, etc. is quite different in Alberta compared to Ontario. It's not as pleasant in my opinion as Ontario cities of Kingston, or a place just outside of Ottawa, Niagara on the Lake, Stratford, Guelph, London.... I grew up in Kitchener-Waterloo. I lived first 40 yrs. in Ontario and also biked within Toronto and outside in some other (no transit) areas, Perth, Merrickville, etc. Going north towards Goderich there are some pleasant towns but very little to do in cold seasons. So feel free to PM me, Helene, since I still visit Ontario with friends and family.

I've named Ontario cities/towns with some older, historic cores with cultural, outdoor activities, universities/colleges (good for interest courses) and services where they aren't dying off.