Sandestin is not a “retirement community” like The Villages or Del Webb.  Rather it is a resort with over 5000 residential dwelling units which range from studio apartments to multi-million-dollar mansions. Owners range from vacationers, to groups who own a unit together, to business people who own to rent, to those of us who live here full time.

Many full time residents are retired, like my wife and I are. I was curious as to how retirees afforded to buy and live here, so I started asking around, without attribution, and I was not surprised at the answers. Some inherited or had family money, some sold a business or property. However, it seems that most retirees accumulated savings or investments over their working life which gave them access to purchase in Sandestin.  To sustain their lifestyle, pensions, 401k’s, IRA’s, dividends, sale of accumulated stocks, Social Security, and other government pensions are used.

After saving and accumulating for a lifetime, it takes a major behavior change to start spending. Old habits of thrift are hard to break, but most people figure it out.  They want to make certain there is enough money to maintain their lifestyle without running out of funds, so they create a budget, manage their expenses, and seek advice from financial advisors.

I find that retirees here like to travel, either abroad to see the world that they missed while working or to visit family. Many people have become cruise addicts and swear by the comfort and adventures provided on the ships. Others like to play golf and travel to different courses around the world. Some have found the time to start or restart hobbies that may have been put on hold during their working years.

Mostly we are amazed at how busy we are if we just put a little effort into it. There are church activities, charity needs, and group events, not to mention social functions, dinners with friends, and other distractions. I have yet to meet any of my retired friends who wished they had waited to retire here.  Most wonder why they didn’t do it sooner.