By Adam Zoll | 03-21-2015 09:00 AM
Source: http://morningstar.com
Note: Not a live video as the host states. It is a recorded version.
retirement
My first major retirement/remodeling project…
Retirement/Remodeling Project–You Can Do This!
When I purchased my home in 2013 I did so knowing I would have some remodeling projects to do. My first major retirement/remodeling project was changing the 1977 fireplace surround and popcorn ceiling in my family room. Below is the before picture taken by the seller’s realtor…
My son-in-law who lives about 25 miles away and I removed the painted tile fireplace surround and the painted cedar wood slats above it right after I moved in. We, or should I say he, removed the side box for wood storage and the drywall above it (with my permission). Then it stayed that way, open studs and all, for about two years.
I began the project by stripping the paint off the wooden beams on the ceiling. This took a bit of time and elbow grease. A lot of the white paint was embedded in the grain of the wood. After several coats of Citristrip stripping gel, a scraper and a nail, it was ready to be stained the original dark walnut color. I filled the beam joints next to the walls with sealant (I used brown DAP window, door and trim sealant).
Next, my son-in-law hung drywall and cement board for me. We had to add a bit of framing as we kept the original fireplace framing. Then I taped, mudded and textured the new drywall with all-purpose joint compound and a spray can of knockdown. I used knockdown in the past when I helped a friend patch some walls. Easy enough. Painting was next…I have a lot of experience with painting and I enjoy it. It makes such a difference right away.
Are you a happy baby boomer?
What exactly is a happy baby boomer?
Scott Hanson, author of Personal Decision Points: 7 Steps to Your Ideal Retirement Transition and “A Baby Boomer’s Four Keys to Happiness”
August 14, 2016
“If you’re a member of the Baby Boomer Generation, study after study reveals that your expectations for well-being in retirement are different from those of any generation that’s come before.
While this may be a deeply personal inquiry, according to the most in-depth study of its kind, (Triumphs of Experience: The Men of the Harvard Grant Study), when you consider what it means to be happy, there are a few common threads by which Baby Boomers are bound. Which raises the question, how can Boomers live well and retire happily?
Kiplinger’s Social Security Strategies
Social Security Strategies if You’re Divorced
Social Security Strategies if You’re Single
Social Security Strategies for Married Couples
All four of these articles are by Sandra Block, from Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, January 2015.
Places to retire for good health
From the Editors of Kiplinger’s Personal Finance…12 Great Places to Retire for Good Health
July 2016
“The most important component of a happy retirement? It’s not financial security (although that’s nice to have) or proximity to family and friends. It’s good health.
With that in mind, we chose retirement destinations that are havens for healthy living, with lots of opportunities to pursue an active lifestyle and great medical facilities. Using data provided by Trulia, the online real estate marketplace, we identified neighborhoods that have quiet streets, trails, parks, golf courses and other amenities, and easy access to hospitals and pharmacies.
Our destinations span the country and range from walkable neighborhoods in big cities to small towns with top-ranked hospitals. Most of our neighborhoods are in cities with good air quality (which is why you don’t see any Southern California cities on the list) and low crime rates. And with the exception of Omaha and Billings, all are in states that are tax-friendly or tax-neutral for retirees. We’ve listed them from smallest to largest population.”