Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 8, 1990                   TAG: 9004090425
SECTION: HOMES                    PAGE: D1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY HOMES EDITOR
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE ELDERLY?

A study by the American Association of Retired Persons also found that one in 10 people expect to move against their wishes.

The study pointed out, too, that there will be opportunity for growth in businesses that provide services in home maintenance, repair, remodeling and home chores.

The study involved telephone interviews with 1,514 people age 55 and older. It found that more than 85 percent of those 60 and older don't want to change their housing situation. Sixty-five percent of all participants, however, anticipate needing help with outdoor work and 55 percent believe they will need help with heavy housework.

The study looked at a variety of housing issues affecting older persons. Those issues included age-segregated housing, shared housing, retirement communities, housing expenses and concerns about crime and safety.

Findings included:

Forty percent of persons age 75 and older and those with health problems are receptive to age-segregated housing, but 76 percent of those in the overall study prefer to live in a neighborhood with people of all ages.

Nearly one-third of older people (28 percent) live alone and women who are 75 and older and those with incomes below $12,000 are the most likely group to be alone.

Utilities and property taxes are the expenses of most concern to older Americans.

Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed say they are "very concerned" about crime and 14 percent worry about safety from fire and falls.

Fifty-three percent have done little or no planning for housing needs in later years and 88 percent have consulted no one about future housing needs. The groups most likely to not have planned are those over 75, those with incomes of less than $12,000, widowed persons and those divorced, separated or never married.

\ The Roanoke Valley has an abundance of higher-price homes on the market, according to a 17-year veteran of the real estate business, but sales in the under-$100,000 category have been brisk.

Marti Haynes of Owens & Co., said that as of last week, there were 28 houses for sale in just one of the valley's most expensive communities, Hunting Hills. The houses are priced from $169,950 to $590,000.

"That is as many as I've seen (for sale in Hunting Hills) in my experience," Haynes said, "and that's not counting the town houses."

Haynes said there appear to be many people trading up in homes, however, but they're trading their $50,000 homes for houses under $100,000. She said there are more buyers in the under-$100,000 range than there are good properties for sale.

Haynes said recent sales in the more expensive range have been at prices that average 97 percent of the list price.

As of early April the average price of houses listed was $91,214 and the average price of houses sold was $66,632, Haynes said.

\ After a poor sales showing in February, the New River Valley Board of Realtors reports that March home sales contracts totaled 100 houses, up from 92 for the same month last year and a giant leap from February's 46 contracts.

The area still is slightly behind 1989 for year-to-day. This year's contracts total 206 for the first three months against 1989's 218.

Elaine Head, executive officer for the group that covers the Blacksburgs-Radford-Christiansburg area, said there are 628 active listings in the board's territory.