So many people approaching retirement are looking for ways to insulate themselves against the rising costs of goods and services due to the shrinking buying power of their retirement incomes.
One way to help with the housing costs would be for a retiree to purchase an upper scale duplex. In years past, an owner occupied duplex was not uncommon. I remember one of my schoolmates who lived in a duplex all the years going through school. It makes sense. With monthly income being received from the other half, the owner can use that to pay property taxes, insurance as well as help with their own utility bills.
When a prospective tenant views a side-by-side that is occupied on one side by the owner, it seems to reinforce the idea of the landlord’s commitment to the maintenance and overall care of the unit.
Many times people steer away from this idea because most of the duplex units are older conversions that were in the beginning single family homes. But, if one looks for a duplex that was built as a duplex, then you will find that everything is separate as far as utilities and ingress and egress.
I have a listing at 301 – 311 4th St. NW that would indeed fit the bill on cutting one’s retirement expenses. It has only one common wall between the units and that is one wall in the kitchen. Also, the garages are even separate with no access other than from the respective units. This duplex is certainly a great example of a way to cut housing costs in this age of shrinking retirement funds.
