Gary O`Brien - From Orangeville to Mississauga - On The Road Again: Emerging Trends For Baby Boomers and Zoomers

I received a general tweet the other day from the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) asking if anyone had clients requesting dual master bedrooms.  Apparently this is starting to develop into an emerging trend as the last of the Baby Boomers and Zoomers (Boomers with "zip") get dragged fighting & kicking into the 50+ demographic.  And, it's not just because we're now over 50 and crotchety all of a sudden that we need our own rooms.  The reality of today's Zoomer is so much different than that of our parents or grandparents.  Today, many in the 50+ category are having to accomodate non-traditional families, aging parents, alternative lifestyles, conflicting schedules, etc.  You'll find a good article dealing with this topic at Helium.com

Looking at some other emerging trends; the housing industry has started to notice Zoomers (ages 52-62) and is gearing up to cater to the more affluent segment of this particular group by developing new models of active adult housing and neighbourhoods, similar I suppose to areas such as Briar Hill near Alliston, or Rosedale Village in Brampton.  HGTVPro.com has a good article dealing with this trend which you can read by clicking here.  These neighbourhoods can be fairly pricey though, and one development I would like to see is more affordable housing for retirees/empty-nesters.  The way it stands now, often times many retirees are left with few downsizing options other than a condo or apartment, especially if they wish to remain in their communities.  The most common request I receive from people considering their downsizing options is for a reasonably priced small bungalow with a bit of yard.  Unfortunately, those are far and few between, especially in the areas such as Orangeville, Shelburne, Caledon, et al.  

Speaking of downsizing, another emerging trend for Baby Boomers and Zoomers is to smaller homes and yards as the post-50 empty nester looks for "comfort and ease of maintenance."  You can read more on this topic by visiting www.homeinsight.com or clicking here. 

I'll try to follow up on this theme from time to time, so if you have any suggestions re: topics, links, articles, etc., feel free to let me know.  Cheers.  G.