Retiring as a Green Boomer

In 2005, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated there were approximately 78.2 million baby boomers in America. A 2007 AARP survey found that about half of all boomers see themselves as environmental stewards, or "green boomers." This makes some sense when you consider that the baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964. They grew up with the environmental movement of the 1960s and '70s.

They were at Woodstock, they lived the Summer of Love, they’re a big chunk of the population, and most of them are affluent homeowners. While “affluent homeowner” and “environmentalist” might seem at odds to some – consider how many Lexus Hybrids you see next time you’re out in traffic.

Face it; being green doesn't have to mean living out in the sticks and off the grid. It is possible to enjoy high-end living and use less energy in the process. It’s just a matter of paying attention to what you buy and what you do. Boomers have it down to a science.

But, what about retiring? You’re a responsible Green Boomer looking for an idyllic “Life’s next big adventure” retirement lifestyle – where do you go and what do you do?

Well, in California, lawmakers approved a new home tax credit of up to $10,000 effective May 1, 2010.

And if you like the San Francisco Bay Area, up the river delta and along Highway 4 around Brentwood, Trilogy at the Vineyards, an active adult 55+ community, is offering an unprecedented “Double Your Savings” offer.

In addition to the tax credit, buyers get an additional $10,000 in seller incentives. Yes, you read that correctly - this could mean $20,000 to state qualifiers who buy a new Shea Home in a Trilogy Community and buyers who don’t qualify for the state credit still get the $10,000 incentives from Trilogy while they last.

Given that any self-respecting Green Boomer would want to retire in an area still known throughout the San Francisco Bay Area for agricultural products like cherries, corn and peaches, it’s like getting an almost $20K kickback for doing something you would do anyway.

And it gets even better – Trilogy’s homes can achieve a 50% reduction in the therms associated with heating water, 75% reduction in energy used from lighting, 40% reduction in energy used from clothes washers, and a 41% reduction energy used by dishwashers.

They’re Shea Green Certified homes and they are built with a combination of the most important and cost-effective standards for green residential building set by LEED.

Options include solar power systems, solar attic fans, wood from sustainable forests, framing techniques that use up to 10 percent less wood (saving 5.5 trees per home), leak minimizing construction techniques (sealed ducts and penetrations), Energy Star-rated efficient appliances, 14 SEER air conditioning units, dual pane low-e windows, and motion and occupancy sensor lighting.

Of course, the icing on the cake is the recent announcement of several new designs offered at Trilogy at the Vineyards. Now you get the dream retirement in the beautiful wine country with easy access to San Francisco, and not only do you get to live it in an environmentally friendly home that costs less to heat & cool on top of the tax / builder incentives – but you get exactly the retirement home you want. One estimate put the number of different design combinations of floor plans and elevations within each of the three collections at nearly sixty.

So if you’re really interested in getting the retirement home you want, where you want it, and how you want it – but in an environmentally responsible manner at an attractive price, then check out Trilogy at the Vineyards.