If you have been reading The SeniorCare Investor in the past couple of years, you know that we have not bought into all of the talk of demographics so popular in the industry today. The oldest Baby Boomer is 69 now, and we do not believe they will be moving en masse into the communities being constructed today for another 15 or 20 years. And as they live longer, though unhealthier, technology and health innovations may be able to keep them in their homes for even longer. Plus, there’s the issue that the Baby Boomers may not even want to move into the product being built today, much less the communities constructed 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
However, the tragic irony is that today may be the best time to move into seniors housing. Home values are increasing at a pace not seen since before the Great Recession. As a result, those entrance fees at CCRCs are more attainable today. And when is there a better time for seniors to sell their nest eggs and afford the monthly rent at independent living communities? For those seniors who held on to their stock portfolios through the hectic times, they should be in good financial shape to make the move into seniors housing. Alas, if the desire to move is not there, even the best of financial times most likely couldn’t sway many into seniors housing.
