At 47, I Retired Early and Moved to a Neighborhood Full of Seniors—and Love Being Among Its Youngest Residents
Rebuilding after divorce
Simmons said she had tried to manage money carefully while also enjoying life. After her marriage ended in 2017, she inherited the marital home but found herself paying its bills on one income while raising two children.
She sold the house and moved into a two-bedroom apartment. Although she had been a professor and had paid off her student loans, she said the costs left her living paycheck to paycheck.
She began reading about the FIRE movement and cut back on spending, including restaurant meals and her phone plan. Simmons tracked her budget and investments, keeping a FIRE target of $1.25 million in mind.
Choosing a senior-focused community
When her rent was set to rise to nearly $1,800 in 2020, Simmons felt ready to buy a home. The properties her real estate agent showed her, including single-family homes in trendier areas, felt too expensive; she wanted a more rural setting with trees.
Her chosen Tennessee community is designed with seniors in mind, but it does not require residents to be 55 or older. It has mostly single-story ranch houses, clubhouses, activities and wide sidewalks and roads that make it possible to get around on foot.
The community also handles some upkeep, including patio pressure-washing and fence repairs. Simmons has used the clubhouse for birthday parties.
Finding support next door
Simmons says she rarely sees younger people in the neighborhood. Some residents are her age, but most are retirees, and she stands out at homeowners association meetings. She also noted there are few minorities and households with young children.
Neighbors know one another and step in to help. During ice storms earlier in the year, residents supported each other, and when Simmons had a water problem, neighbors arrived with tools to help shut it off.
The neighborhood has little turnover and few short-term rentals, she said. Residents decorate for Halloween, and Simmons can ask neighbors where her 12-year-old is when he is out playing.
A different measure of joy
The suburban setting, greenways and lack of bars have helped Simmons focus on her goals and raising her children. She says she walks regularly and spends time with neighbors, experiences that she did not find more often when she owned larger homes.
Seeing neighbors care for one another has shaped her view of what matters. Simmons recalled a neighbor whose wife was undergoing cancer treatment and who valued being there for her.
She says her older neighbors have taught her that happiness is possible even when life is difficult. For Simmons, the community’s care and companionship make life feel richer than the big houses she once owned.
Key points
- Lakisha Simmons, 47, retired early after following the FIRE movement.
- She sold her home after divorce and moved to an apartment before buying in Tennessee in 2020.
- Her community is designed for seniors but does not require residents to be 55 or older.
- Simmons says neighbors support one another, and she values connection more than a large home.