General Discussion

KentuckyWoman

(7,247 posts)

11. Senior living in the Midwest

Tue Jul 1, 2025, 01:29 AM

Jul 1

Independent living cottages are now $200K to $600K buy in depending on the village and square footage plus $1500 to $3000 monthly for maintenance fees. Most do not include anything else. No food, medical care, cleaning, laundry etc. Water and trash included. Not power. In some places you can put up half the buy in up front and pay the other half over 10 years in addition to the maint fees.

There is a new place in town in a former high rise hotel that looks out over a freeway in a not the greatest part of town. No buy in. $4-6000 a month includes a 600-750 sq ft studio with a hotel size fridge / microwave. Laundry on site. 2 meals a day. All utilities except phone. They do have a small indoor pool and aquatic therapy at cost.

Where I live was a $140K buy in in 2010 and my fees are up to $1100 a month. The buy in vanishes at 5% a year over 20 years. I have 2 nice bedrooms, my own W/D. a full kitchen and pretty good maintenance. Water, trash and basic cable included. I can use the fitness room at the assisted living center on campus with a reservation and $120 a year fee. Local apartments of comparable size are running $2300.

Just a few factoids to put the cruise ship lady's cost in perspective.

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Highlight:

Woman now lives on cruise ship, says it's a deal compared to living in California [View all] Historic NY Jun 30 OP

Clean link, no beacons/trackers LearnedHand Jun 30 #1

So the rent is 36,000 a year + 8,600 equals $44,600 chouchou Jun 30 #2

this has actually happened. drray23 Jun 30 #3

Whoa!... Didn't know that. chouchou Jun 30 #6

Cooties everywhere. eewwwww. nt Hotler Jul 1 #30

This is one of the reasons a person should NEVER pay rent in advance, no matter where it is. GladysKravitz Jun 30 #5

But does the motel stop in Fiji? Blues Heron Jul 1 #28

yeah.....but you have to live on a CRUISE SHIP Skittles Jun 30 #4

I agree totally. No way. LoisB Jun 30 #7

What are you going to gamble everyday and sit in the pool? n/t Jacson6 Jul 1 #34

Exactly. Can you imagine? yardwork Jul 1 #38

NO Skittles Jul 1 #44

It's actually not a bad deal pricewise, but.... patphil Jul 1 #8

have you ever been on a cruise? Or know somebody who has? CTyankee Jul 1 #18

Yes, I've been on a cruise. They're fun, and exciting but it's not something I want to spend my life on. patphil Jul 1 #26

When we were looking for an assisted living electricmonk Jul 1 #31

I agree, but more expensive, especially with the imminent demise of Medicaid. patphil Jul 1 #32

I think part electricmonk Jul 1 #33

Travel agent and Hospitality student here... Akoto Jul 1 #9

And when virus hits? snowybirdie Jul 1 #29

I don't think it's just about money for people like her JI7 Jul 1 #10

How do you define "much more"? They may be writers, fiction or nonfiction, and their laptop computres have all the CTyankee Jul 1 #15

I didn't say anything was wrong with it JI7 Jul 1 #23

It could be stimulating, also, depending on what your visits might bring. I had my first glimpse of the continent of CTyankee Jul 1 #24

Senior living in the Midwest KentuckyWoman Jul 1 #11

I have never been on a cruise, and have no interest in changing that. 3catwoman3 Jul 1 #12

My wife and I have done it exactly once DFW Jul 1 #13

I'm a serious introvert and the idea of being... 3catwoman3 Jul 1 #27

Got it. That is indeed mitigating DFW Jul 1 #36

That's considered one of the better cruise trips. yardwork Jul 1 #39

That hasn't been on our radar yet DFW Jul 1 #41

We've never been there and at our age, don't want to travel solo. yardwork Jul 1 #42

There is no shortage of museums in our neck of the woods, for sure. DFW Jul 1 #45

Before I took a cruise, I thought it was for superficial, nonthinking, stupid people who didn't know any better. I was CTyankee Jul 1 #14

It all depends on which cruise line you choose mainer Jul 1 #19

Atlas is the cruise line we took. It is European owned and definitely fit the bill for me! I recommend it highly! CTyankee Jul 1 #20

Atlas is very, very different than most cruises obamanut2012 Jul 1 #21

I didn't know that. Have you been on an Atlas Cruise? CTyankee Jul 1 #35

I think I'm one of the few DU-ers who enjoys cruises as much as you do. Aristus Jul 1 #22

We were apprehensive, too DFW Jul 1 #43

Why not just join the Navy and they pay you to live on a ship? Emile Jul 1 #16

You need an update to your knowledge about cruising. I get it that it's not something most people, CTyankee Jul 1 #17

Not for me.... Happy Hoosier Jul 1 #25

If you are going to live on a cruise ship, odds are you have a remote job. W_HAMILTON Jul 1 #37

A doctor friend said after the hurricane that trashed Ilsa Jul 1 #40