AARP Sez: Market to Boomers With Kids, Teens

What you probably do NOT know about baby boomers:

Boomers with kids under 18 living at home make up "one of the most lucrative segments" of the 50+ market for travel, real estate and other services and goods. So says latest AARP quarterly research report issued earlier this month.

Other findings on boomer families: 72% like to return to familiar places for their vacations;More than one-third look forward to vacation as a time to just eat, drink and relax;More than half are going on road trips rather than long distance vacations;Overall, they steer clear of organized trips.

Conclusion: don't zero in only on empty nesters in your second-home marketing efforts.

Study was done by Focalyst, a joint venture of AARP Services, Inc. and The Kantar Group.

Canyon Ranch Condos -- Healthy Trend

Dr. Kenneth "Aerobics" Cooper is not the only wellness/spa housing entrepreneur. Canyon Ranch, the pricey spa based in Tucson and elsewhere, beckons with condos in Miami Beach, Bethesda, Maryland and Chicago. Thinking of a pied-a-terre ? As I indicated in my previous post, I think this wholesome trend could possibly be profitable too. The Miami Beach facility is scheduled to open this fall. Prices in this overheated market for a 1-BR are already below the original floor of $695,000.

Spa + Celeb Fitness MD= "Wellness Homes"

How's this for a hot idea catering to boomers: own a vacation home not on a golf course but at a "wellness" center. Who's doing it? Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the man who made "aerobics" a watchword. His Texas outfit has put its name on a a $2 billion residential wellness community called Cooper Life at Craig Ranch, north of Dallas, the NY Times reports. "The first 800 private homes, town houses, brownstones and midrise condominiums are priced from $400,000 to $2 million..." more are planned. Amenities: "athletic training center named for the Olympic sprinter Michael Johnson. The community will also include a hospital and research institute, parks, gardens, three schools, shops, offices, restaurants and a hotel."

Better Value For Destination Club Members

The 5,000 rich people who hold "destination club" memberships will be thrilled to hear they will soon have a bigger choice of destination vacation homes to visit. Two of the largest clubs -- Private Escapes, based in Colorado, and Ultimate Resorts, based in Florida, are merging. Together, they will create a company that becomes No. 2 in this field. The biggest is Esclusive Resorts, based in Denver, with 3,000 members. The combined new entity will have with $200 million in assets, 1,200 members and about 120 employees.