• I moved my family to Thailand for a better quality of life.
• I want to retire by 50, and Thailand offers a cheaper cost of living to make that happen.
• Here's a tour of our beautiful apartment in the heart of Bangkok that I could only dream of having in the U.S.

It took me too many years of my life to realize I don't want to work until a typical retirement age. My ex-father-in-law was a catalyst for this realization.

I met Steve when I was 17 (I'm now 44), and he was one of the hardest-working men I knew. There were times when he held two or even three jobs to support his family, and he worked hard at everything he did.

What's sad is that he worked until the day he found out he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer; he died three weeks later at 61.

His death was part of the reason I decided I didn't want to work into my 60s, and conversations with my children helped me see that my identity is more than my work.

Although I own a business, I'm working toward the goal of retiring by the age of 50, and moving to Thailand is the only way I could make that dream a reality.

We moved to Thailand for a better quality of life.

Retiring early in the US would be difficult due to the high cost of living and healthcare, even with insurance. My wife and I decided that moving out of the US permanently would be our best option to achieve our financial independence goals.

After researching, we decided to move to Thailand, a country with a relatively easy visa process, affordable healthcare, cheaper everyday living expenses, and a thriving economy.

My wife, our daughter, our niece, and I secured five-year Destination Thailand Visas (DTV) within a few weeks after deciding to move.

I found a beautiful apartment in the best location for a reasonable price.

It was easy to set up our life in Thailand, and I didn't have to go through the bureaucracy I've experienced my entire life in the US.

I landed in Bangkok and toured the apartments the next day. By the end of day two, we had signed a two-year lease for our dream apartment.

The rent is $1,200 a month, but our monthly living expenses for everything are less than $3,000 a month, which is about one-tenth of what we paid in the US.

Our apartment is close to Bangkok's public transportation.

The apartment is within walking distance to Terminal 21, a large mall, numerous coffee shops, restaurants, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities.

Bangkok is quite the city that never sleeps, and you can find many places that are open 24/7.

The apartment is just under 3,000 square feet with a comfortable living room and a balcony overlooking the pool.

The building and apartment are pet-friendly, so we brought our two cats with us. The building installed netting on the balconies so that the cats can spend time outside.

The apartment was furnished, but we also bought some of our things to make it more comfortable.

For example, I bought an 86-inch TV for the living room.

There is a nice-sized kitchen with a balcony — which houses our washer and dryer.

The kitchen is fully equipped with an oven, a gas stove, and plenty of counter space. Conveniently, a washer and dryer are on a small, netted balcony right outside the kitchen.

There is a formal dining room area, where we keep our filtered water.

We have a large dining room table, built-ins with storage space, and another balcony offers a dining area that's also netted.

Since the weather is good all year round, we're storing our larger suitcase on the balcony.

I turned the fourth bedroom and bathroom into my office.

I own a business and wanted a space to work outside our bedroom. The fourth room would typically be a maid's quarters or a small bedroom, but I converted it to my office.

I installed a mobile AC unit, bought a desk, and purchased a comfortable reading chair for breaks. The office is located on the same floor but is detached from the apartment, making it a quiet space.

Our primary bedroom is large with an ensuite and a balcony.

When we moved to Thailand, we thought we'd be moving to a smaller space than what we're used to in the US. But the apartment we got exceeded our expectations in terms of size.

The master bedroom came with a king-size bed, a large TV on top of built-ins, lots of closet space, a large bathroom, and an area for my wife to have a mini office.

We are quite comfortable.

Our daughter and niece have more space than they had in the US.

Our daughter and niece live with us, and occupy the second and third bedrooms, which are also spacious. Each room has a bathroom, a queen-size bed, and a good-sized TV.

Our daughter's room also features a separate vanity area.

We're very happy with our new family home, especially since it's saving us money.

I'm not sure if we'll stay in this apartment for all five years of our visa, but we're very happy with it right now.

The apartment has more space than anticipated, it's close to everything we need, and the building staff has been incredible.

We made the right move for our family, and we've accelerated our journey toward financial independence by increasing the amount we're saving.

• Home prices continue to climb, but some markets still might offer a good deal.
• For younger homebuyers, some areas of the Southeast and Midwest might be more affordable.
• These are the 10 most millennial-friendly housing markets.

Adulting could get a little easier, at least in these 10 cities.

As millennials move through their 30s and 40s and prepare to buy a house, they're faced with an increasingly expensive real estate market: the average home in the US sold for over half a million in the second quarter of 2025, at $512,800. The national median price of $435,300 in June was the highest on record.

But some areas of the country are more friendly to first-time, younger homebuyers than others, according to a recent study from SmartAsset.

Many of these areas are mid-sized metros in the Southeast and Midwest. The Midwest in particular has seen a boom in real estate activity in recent months, but remains one of the most affordable homebuying regions in the country, according to a Redfin report from earlier this year.

On the other hand, some of the most difficult places for millennials to buy homes feature the usual suspects — expensive housing markets on the coasts, such as San Francisco and New York City. Fewer than 1% of local millennials purchased a home in those areas in 2024. For those who purchased a house in the San Francisco area, the median millennial property value was a whopping $1,505,000.

Below are the top 10 metro areas where the local millennial population purchased the most homes in 2024, along with the median millennial property value and median income of millennial mortgagor.

For context, the median price of a home sold in the US was $410,800 and the average price is $513,800 in the second quarter of 2025, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Seven out of the 10 median millennial property values on this list are below the national median. All figures are based on metropolitan statistical areas, which may include surrounding suburbs and cross state lines.

Raleigh, NC

Local millennials who bought a home: 4.50%

Median millennial property value: $455,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $138,000

Indianapolis, IN

Local millennials who bought a home: 4.32%

Median millennial property value: $325,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $103,000

Charlotte, NC

Local millennials who bought a home: 4.28%

Median millennial property value: $425,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $125,000

Nashville, TN

Local millennials who bought a home: 4.08%

Median millennial property value: $455,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $123,000

Cincinnati, OH

Local millennials who bought a home: 4.06%

Median millennial property value: $315,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $107,000

Louisville, KY

Local millennials who bought a home: 4.04%

Median millennial property value: $285,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $91,000

Virginia Beach, VA

Local millennials who bought a home: 4.02%

Median millennial property value: $365,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $105,000

Milwaukee, WI

Local millennials who bought a home: 3.82%

Median millennial property value: $355,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $119,000

Jacksonville, FL

Local millennials who bought a home: 3.81%

Median millennial property value: $375,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $110,000

St. Louis, MO

Local millennials who bought a home: 3.81%

Median millennial property value: $305,000

Median income of millennial mortgagors: $106,000

• I was two months pregnant when my sister asked to move in with my partner and me.
• At first, our dynamic was great, and we loved living together. Then, it got a little tense.
• We were in different places, and she eventually moved out, but we're now as close as ever.

When I was two months pregnant with my first child, my older sister called and asked if she could move in temporarily with my partner and me. She needed a fresh start and had decided to move interstate from the Gold Coast, Australia, where we grew up, to Melbourne, where I had been living for about a year.

At the time, my partner Sam and I were living in an old 1950s two-bedroom flat. I'd lived with my sister before in my 20s, so I knew she was easy to live with. After chatting with Sam about it, he said he didn't mind her crashing for a while until she got on her feet.

And so, a few weeks later, my sister arrived on our doorstep.

At first, living together was great

Luckily, my partner and sister have always got on well. Years ago, the three of us traveled through Laos and Thailand together, then later we backpacked around Cuba with my sister, so there was a lot of shared history between us.

Those first couple of months living together were really fun. My sister landed a corporate job in the city and quickly settled into Melbourne life. Melbourne is a cosmopolitan city that's known for its vibrant festival scene, which we embraced wholeheartedly. Every weekend, we would head to an international festival or cultural celebration together.

The household dynamic worked really well to start with. My sister paid rent, which helped us financially. We took turns cooking, and everyone got along. I remember coming home to find my partner squeezing my sister's blackheads on the couch one night and thinking, "Wow, this has taken their bond to a whole new level."

It was a time of transition, and things became a little tense

But it was also a really hectic time for Sam and me. I was battling the trials and tribulations of the first trimester of pregnancy and working full-time as a journalist, while Sam was trying to build his remedial massage business.

Within a few weeks of my sister living with us, Sam proposed to me. We'd been together for about eight years by that point, and with a baby on the way, marriage seemed like the logical next step. Suddenly, there was a wedding to arrange, which added to the stress levels.

After the wedding and honeymoon, I started to feel like the living arrangement wasn't really working out. My pregnancy was getting further along, and my hormones were raging. My sister was in a different phase of life. She was in party mode, while I wanted to nest, decorate the baby's nursery, and relish that so-called newlywed bliss that everyone talks about.

After a while, things became a little tense in the household. I began to feel like we needed our own space. I'm not very good at being direct with people, so I'd discreetly ask my sister how the house hunt was coming along. She eventually got the message and found a flat for herself after five months of living with us.

My sister moved out, and our relationship returned to normal

As soon as she had her own place, our relationship went back to the way it had been before. Sam and I were able to spend some quality time together alone before our son was born and our lives changed forever, while my sister could party guilt-free at her own digs.

Our son is 10 now, and my sister and I live in different states. She has a beautiful little girl of her own and has left the partying days behind. We're still as close as ever despite the eight-year age difference between us, and we often reflect on the happy memories we made in Melbourne together all those moons ago.

• Michael Shvo and partners purchased three Miami Beach hotels in 2019.
• Plans to turn them into a luxury destination were never finished, and the site remains empty.
• A new buyer is lined up, but Shvo could still match the roughly $275 million offer.

The Raleigh, a prominent condo and hotel project along the glitzy Miami Beach waterfront, could soon change hands after six years of stalled development.

Two people with direct knowledge of sales discussions said Nahla Capital, a New York City-based residential builder, has won a bidding process to purchase the property. One of those people said Nahla agreed to pay around $275 million for the project.

They requested anonymity because the sales discussions are confidential.

Real estate developer Michael Shvo, who acquired in the Art Deco district of Miami Beach in 2019 for roughly $243 million, is attempting to match Nahla's offer and retain control of the project, the two people said. They cited a provision that gives Shvo a first right of refusal on bids. To proceed, he would have to raise fresh capital to pay off his partners in the project and also potentially arrange new debt or extend his current loan.

The Raleigh development consists of three adjacent hotels in the Art Deco district of Miami Beach: the Richmond, the South Seas, and the 80-year-old namesake property, the Raleigh.

Among Shvo's chief financial backers was Bayerische Versorgungskammer, a large German pension system known as BVK that has invested in several US real estate deals with Shvo.

"BVK generally does not comment on market rumors and speculation about transactions," a BVK spokesman wrote in an emailed statement.

A deal could herald a new chapter for the project, which for years has consisted of little more than the derelict remains of the three hotels and a vacant dirt lot.

Shvo has said he would restore and redevelop the hotel properties, build an exclusive beach club and restaurant abutting a famous historic pool at the site, and raise a new ultra-high-end condo tower designed by the star architect Peter Marino.

But aside from preliminary site work, including demolition of existing structures, the development never got off the ground. In January, a team from the commercial real estate brokerage and services firm Newmark was hired by an undisclosed partner in the project to shop it to interested takers, as Business Insider has previously reported.

Helping to push a sale is the project's $190 million of debt, which was due to expire on July 16. BH3, the Miami-based commercial lender and developer that provided the loan, recently agreed to a three-month extension to allow the Nahla, or Shvo, to arrange an acquisition, one of the people with knowledge of the deal said.

Holding the property has saddled the current owners with considerable costs. As Business Insider previously reported, the group paid nearly $20 million in interest on the project's loan in 2023 alone and millions of dollars more in taxes, insurance, and other charges.

Have a tip? Contact Daniel Geiger at [email protected], via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1-646-352-2884, or Twitter DM at @dangeiger79.

• About five years ago, my now-fiancé and I moved from Washington, DC, to a small town in Arkansas.
• The most surprising part of moving was seeing how many people in our new town were self-employed.
• The culture shift inspired us to open up a restaurant, and I love the way my workweek looks now.

I never expected to leave my city life for a small Arkansas town of about 16,000 people — but I'm so glad I did.

I first moved to Washington, DC, for school, but ended up staying for nearly two decades thanks to the incredible job opportunities, cultural experiences, and lifelong friendships I made there.

Then, COVID-19 hit. I was fortunate to keep my job in the nonprofit industry, working remotely throughout the pandemic — but my boyfriend, a chef, had a hard time finding work as one restaurant after another closed its doors or cut staff.

Suddenly, we wondered whether it made sense to continue paying rent for a pricey basement apartment in the nation's capital.

My partner had some job leads in his Arkansas hometown, which was also much closer to my family in Memphis. So, in August 2020, we packed a U-Haul and hit the road.

I was surprised to learn that so many people in my new neck of the woods were self-employed

Coming from Washington, DC, I was used to people working for large firms or the government in some capacity. During my first few months in town, as I worked long remote hours for my DC-based job, I was struck by the percentage of locals who were self-employed.

It felt like half the people I met were entrepreneurs — from a band manager and a lawyer with his own firm to personal trainers and dog groomers. Even many of the kids at the local high school were starting boat-detailing businesses or mobile car-wash services.

My now-fiancé and I would stroll downtown, checking out empty storefronts and dreaming about opening a small gift shop or burger bar of our own.

Although I hadn't seriously considered it before, the idea of being brick-and-mortar business owners suddenly didn't seem quite so far-fetched.

So, when a small café and marina became available, we took the plunge

We invested our savings and became proud owners of a lakeside burger and po'boy shop.

We knew my fiancé would be the head chef and manage day-to-day operations. I expected to keep my office job and help serve customers on the weekends. Fate had other plans, though, and I was laid off right as the deal went through.

Now working on the business full time, I still help take orders and serve food, but I also handle a wide range of administrative tasks, from running payroll to paying county liquor taxes.

I also handle marketing efforts, like designing promotional fliers and managing our social media. Plus, I fill in wherever and whenever I'm needed — whether that means stocking food deliveries, mopping floors, coordinating events, or making fries.

The road forward hasn't always been easy, but I love my new career

We knew the restaurant business was notoriously challenging, and we saw that firsthand our first summer in operation.

Fully staffed, we opened for both lunch and dinner, but because our space mainly consists of outdoor seating, lunch service was largely empty during weeks of 90-degree heat.

The next season, we pivoted, limiting operations to late afternoon and evening hours and leaning into showcasing local musicians on weekend nights to make the most of prime patio hours.

Through the whole experience, I've learned how much I enjoy variety in my workweek. It's also been incredible to become a more active member of my community — I've gotten to know neighbors, donated meals to local sports teams, and exhibited artists' paintings on the walls.

Being new entrepreneurs has been a process of constant learning and frequent adjustments, but five years later, we have no regrets — just a lifestyle and business we love.

• Circus magnate John Ringling built a 36,000-square-foot Venetian palazzo in Sarasota in 1926.
• Ca' d'Zan cost $27 million in today's money to build.
• The home features 400 pieces from Vanderbilt estates and a full room from the Astor House.

The Ringling Brothers circus once brought elephants, gilded wagons, and flying trapeze artists to towns across America aboard a mile-long train. Lauded as the "World's Greatest Show," the circus enterprise made the Ringlings one of America's wealthiest families by the early 20th century.

So what did John Ringling, the second-youngest and most famous of his seven brothers, do with all that wealth?

He brought Venice to Florida.

Completed in 1926 by John Ringling and wife Mable, Ca' d'Zan, a 36,000-square-foot mansion on the coast of Sarasota, Florida, showcases the extravagance of wealth during the turn of the century.

Inspired by the Mediterranean, the 56-room mansion, which is furnished with antiques and artifacts purchased at Gilded Age estate sales, features a ballroom, reception room, great hall, dining room, and breakfast room, which the circus magnate used to entertain his high-profile guests.

The estate, which Ringling donated to the state of Florida on his death in 1936, also includes a museum of art, a circus museum, and bayfront gardens.

Look inside Ca' d'Zan, one of Florida's most interesting and extravagant historic mansions.

John Ringling and his wife, Mable, began spending their winters in Sarasota, Florida, in 1909.

One of the seven Ringling brothers — five of whom founded the Ringling Bros. circus in 1884 — John Ringling became one of the most famous and successful Ringlings, partly because he lived long enough to enjoy the financial success of the family circus enterprise.

In 1907, the brothers purchased Barnum & Bailey's Greatest Show on Earth, which they would merge with the Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows, creating a monopoly in the circus industry that led to John and his brother Charles becoming some of the richest people in America at the time.

John Ringling grew his wealth by investing in booming industries like oil, railroads, and ranching. Despite amassing a considerable fortune, with his estate valued at $23.5 million by his death in 1936 — or $547 million in today's money, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics — John Ringling died with only $311 ($7,244 today) in his bank account, according to his nephew, Henry Ringling North.

Ringling began constructing Ca' d'Zan in 1924.

Costing a reported $1.5 million in 1926, according to the museum, ($27 million today), Ca' d'Zan expands over 36,000 square feet with 56 rooms, including five guest suites and a service wing dedicated to staff.

The extravagant mansion served as John and Mable Ringling's winter home whenever they weren't residing in New York City or traveling. However, the Ringlings only enjoyed their residence at Ca' d'Zan for a limited time, as Mable Ringling died in 1929, and John Ringling followed in 1936.

At one point, John and his brother Charles Ringling — who later built a marble mansion north of Ca' d'Zan —owned a fourth of Sarasota, as reported by The Ringling.

Downstairs, the mansion's reception room, lounging room, breakfast room, dining room, great hall, and ballroom, as well as the kitchen and pantry, are open to the public. The mansion and the museum are open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Entrance to the mansion costs $45 for adults, $20 for children between 6 and 17 years old, and $15 for children under 6.

The mansion's design pulls inspiration from Venetian and Mediterranean styles.

The colorful and intricate design of Ca' d'Zan draws inspiration from Venetian Gothic palazzos like the Ca' d'Oro. Its exterior and interior walls are lined with custom-made terracotta, and the windows replicate Gothic arches.

The mansion's name, Ca' d'Zan, translates to "House of John" in Venetian.

The entrance foyer welcomed the Ringlings' guests.

The entrance foyer, like much of Ca' d'Zan, is filled with furnishings John and Mable Ringling bought from estate sales.

The mansion and adjacent museum showcase 400 pieces bought from a Newport, Rhode Island, mansion following Alva Vanderbilt and William Vanderbilt's divorce, as reported by The New York Times.

The central court, which houses a grand piano and custom ceiling panels, was the heart of the mansion.

The central court was meant to be the center of entertaining at the mansion. It features a 1892 Steinway grand piano and an Aeolian organ to soundtrack the Ringlings' gatherings.

Colored glass windows bring Sarasota's Gulf Coast into the mansion.

Throughout the mansion, including in the central court, windows feature colored glass panels, which create a warm atmosphere inside the home and add layers of dimension to the interior design.

The ballroom and its ornate ceiling are standout features of the property.

The grand ballroom's gilded ceiling features custom artwork by illustrator Willy Pogany.

The ballroom ceiling is comprised of 22 custom canvases.

In "Dancers of Nations," 22 canvas paintings depicting dancers of different times and cultures are arranged in octagonal frames.

A place for informal dining, the breakfast room sits on the other side of the mansion.

The room gave diners views of the Sarasota Bay through colored-glass windows similar to ones in the central court.

The kitchen features cutting-edge technology of the time, like refrigerators and electric stoves.

Other cutting-edge technology in the mansion included an annunciator system that allowed guests to ring the butler's pantry for service.

Despite being constructed during the Prohibition years, the mansion houses a full-size bar.

The tap room where the Ringlings served their guests with wine and spirits features a terrazzo floor, colorful glass windows, and a bar and decorative glass panels purchased from the Cicardi Winter Palace Restaurant in St. Louis, Sarasota Magazine reported.

The formal dining room features design inspirations from all over the Mediterranean.

The painted plaster ceiling is inspired by Islamic design, per the mansion's audio tour. The room decorations draw inspiration from the Italianate aesthetic of the 19th century.

The wooden table had 20 leaves that could extend to host a large number of guests.

In another display of early 20th-century technology, the mansion has a private elevator.

The elevator was one of the first ever installed in a private residence in Florida.

Currently closed to the public, the second floor of the mansion holds the Ringlings' bedrooms.

Separated bathrooms and closets, as well as an entertaining game room, are also upstairs.

The upper levels of the mansion are currently closed to the public as museum staff undergo repairs from damages sustained during Hurricanes Milton and Helene.

The mansion's rear terrace opens to the Gulf coast.

The mansion's water-facing terrace and dock are paved with imported marble tiles in a chevron pattern.

Standing on the terrace, visitors overlook the Gulf coast and can feel its cooling breeze, which once made the city of Sarasota famous as an "air-conditioned city," the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported.

Often, guests arrived by sea.

While the main entrance to the property was located on land, guests were often welcomed on the bayfront terrace and its waterside dock.

The historic mansion has been hit by many hurricanes, most recently by Milton and Helene.

As of July 2025, the upper floors of the historic mansion remain closed to the public as restoration efforts continue on the property.

The mansion was heavily affected by last year's hurricane season, with its basement flooding and disrupting electrical functions, and it was closed to the public between September and December 2024.

The Ringling estate in Sarasota is also home to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

As well as Ca' d'Zan, the Ringling estate, which expands over 66 acres, also includes the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

The museum, which houses over 10,000 pieces, opened to the public for select exhibitions in 1930. It opened permanently in 1932.

The museum also features a full room from the Astor house in New York City.

Two of the museum's 21 original galleries feature intact decorations from Caroline Schermerhorn Astor and her son John Jacob Astor IV's former residence on New York City's Fifth Avenue.

When the home was demolished in 1926, John Ringling purchased its interiors, including a grand salon and a library, which are both now on display at the museum.

Visitors to Ca' d'Zan can also enjoy the Ringlings' circus museum.

The museum documents the evolution of the circus empire that built the Ringling family's wealth and legacy.

The Ringlings' legacy continues to dazzle visitors.

Whether it's the Venetian architecture, Gilded Age artifacts, or circus history that attracts visitors, the 66-acre Ringling estate and its extensive collections offer a unique and immersive experience, allowing visitors to travel through the extravagant displays of wealth of the turn of the century and the diverse worldly landscapes that inspired the design of Ca' d'Zan.

• After a break-up, I needed a new place to live but was having trouble finding an apartment I loved.
• My aunt suggested moving to her retirement village, and they accepted my application despite my age.
• I love living here. My neighbors have changed my perspective on aging.

I get mixed reactions every time I tell people I live in a retirement village. Some people just laugh it off because they don't understand how I came to that decision. Some ask, "Isn't that depressing?" while some family members initially thought I was way too young to live around seniors.

I get it — it's not typical to find a 30-something in a retirement village. But every Wednesday morning when I join my silver-haired neighbors for a game of bingo, I realize it's the best decision I've ever made.

After a break-up, I needed somewhere new to live

I'm a 38-year-old woman who's independent by all means. My ex and I previously shared a home, but after our long-term relationship ended, it made sense to move out and start fresh.

While looking for an apartment that had everything I was looking for that I could afford, I had been living in an Airbnb for two months, which was becoming costly.

Then one weekend, I visited one of my favorite aunts in her retirement village and casually explained that I was househunting. She told me that a unit a few minutes from her place had opened up and was actively seeking a tenant.

I didn't see how I could get into the retirement village when there was an age stipulation, but she assured me they had made exceptions before. She was confident, and told me the village's homeowners' association reviewed applications on a case-by-case basis.

And while I desperately needed an apartment, I thought I would feel out of place in the village. I wasn't sure how I would relate to older neighbors or rules like time limits on guest visitations and quiet hours, as I've never really been a stickler for rules. Still, after a lot of convincing, I submitted the application, which included a short letter explaining my situation, rental history, proof of income, credit report, photo ID, and my aunt's recommendation. Then, we waited to hear back.

I was approved, and moved into the retirement village

Six weeks later, I got a call saying I had been approved for the unit. I'm not sure what tipped the scales in my favor; maybe it was my aunt's glowing recommendation, or the fact that I expressed how I desperately needed community after a heartache. Either way, I signed the lease and was a resident.

The actual move was surreal, especially because rent for my two-bedroom apartment is 500 Australian dollars, inclusive of service fee. That's a fraction of the going rate for most apartments of the same size in Melbourne, where a two-bedroom typically goes for AU$2800 to AU$3200. As I moved in, the neighbors introduced themselves, and I particularly remember a retired school principal and an Army vet who were kind enough to set up my bed and TV frame and make sure my cabinets could lock.

My days often start the same way. I'm woken up by the faint sound of my neighbor's golden oldies. I drink coffee while reading the newspaper, enjoy a walk, and watch the occasional cat sunbathing. As members of the village strive to stay fit and have fun, I've joined chair yoga classes, cycled now and then, attended bingo at the clubhouse every Wednesday, and spent my afternoons freelancing.

Evenings are also simple. I walk to the nearby grocery store or diner, bake, or sit on the porch and go down memory lane in unending conversations. These are things I always look forward to, and they are surprisingly peaceful.

I've learned a lot from living here

I've been living in the retirement village for a little over a year. I've stopped considering it a stepping stone to a better place, and I now see it as my home. I've never felt out of place, and living around people who are not in a rush to live life or consumed by tech has been great for my mental health. It's a kind of haven.

My neighbors talk about their life experiences, the books they've read, the jobs they miss, and offer unsolicited yet meaningful advice. I meet their friends and family, making new friends along the way. Last week, my neighbor Anna taught me to make lemon bars, and I can't get enough of her chicken noodle soup.

My new home has reshaped my life ambitions and the way I view aging. I've found immense peace here, and it's my definition of a wonderful life. It's comforting to know that the 70s and 80s aren't so bad after all. As I've learned from those around me, you can still have agency, volunteer, make friends, and start new hobbies, no matter your age.

My experience has taught me how to be a better friend and neighbor. There's always a bowl of soup, apple pie, or a bottle of ginger ale on my front porch because everyone cares. In turn, I help run errands for others when I can, and even better, live only 10 minutes from my aunt.

So, the next time you pass by your local retirement village, don't be shy to ask for an opening; you never know where it will take you.

• NYC's mayoral frontrunner has a plan to overhaul the city's property tax system.
• It involves an analysis of billionaire Ken Griffin's 220 Central Park South apartment.
• Here's what it could mean for NYC homeowners from Staten Island to the Bronx.

When Ken Griffin purchased the most expensive home in America in 2019, it came with a hidden discount.

The palatial four-floor apartment at 220 Central Park South, which cost the billionaire founder of the hedge fund Citadel nearly $240 million, is taxed at about half the rate of the average condo in the city, data shows.

Now, Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old self-described socialist who won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, wants Griffin — and scores of other wealthy homeowners in the city — to pay more. His plan, if instituted, could upend tax bills from Staten Island to Billionaire's Row in Manhattan.

In a policy memo published by his campaign, Mamdani pointed to Griffin's Central Park South apartment as an example of why he thinks an overhaul of the city's byzantine system is necessary.

Without mentioning Griffin by name, the memo called out the taxes charged for an apartment at 220 Central Park South that cost $228 million, what the memo described as "the most expensive home ever sold in the United States." (News reports at the time of the sale said Griffin bought the apartment for $238 million.)

The memo proposed taxing the apartment, and others like it across the city, closer to their actual sales values versus the complex formulas currently used by the city's Department of Finance, which valued Griffin's apartment at just $15 million on his most recent tax bill. Mamdani's memo said this change would lead to an annual property tax bill on Griffin's Central Park pad of $3 million — more than three times what it currently pays. Other New Yorkers could also see their costs rise — or fall — depending on where they live and the sales value of their homes.

A spokesperson for Griffin declined to comment. Records from the city's Department of Finance show Griffin's Central Park property was charged $841,000 in property taxes for 2025/26.

The $841,000 bill means that Griffin pays 35 cents of taxes per hundred dollars of the apartment's sales value. That's less than half the tax burden paid by condo owners across the city on average, according to a 2021 report by a tax reform commission tapped by the previous NYC mayor, Bill de Blasio. The average condo in the city pays 74 cents of taxes per $100 of sales value, according to the report.

Raising taxes on Brooklyn brownstones

Mamdani said the city's current method, which calculates values for condos and coops by comparing them with rentals, "heavily favors luxury and super-luxury apartments."

He said he would embrace reforms recommended by the 2021 tax commission, which suggested NYC use a "sales-based methodology to value all properties." That methodology, he said, would lower tax payments for homeowners in neighborhoods like Jamaica in Queens and Brownsville in Brooklyn "while raising the amount paid in the most expensive Brooklyn brownstones."

Tax experts agreed that the current tax system tends to favor tony neighborhoods like the Upper East Side, Greenwich Village, and Park Slope. Poorer and working-class communities in the Bronx and Staten Island have historically paid more as a percentage of the sales value of their real estate, they said.

Sebastian Hallum Clarke, a product manager at Google Maps who has studied the city's property tax system in his free time, highlighted that dichotomy in a blog post. Clarke detailed how a 96-unit rental apartment building in the Queens neighborhood of Jackson Heights paid nearly six times as much in annual property taxes as a single-family Upper East Side mansion, even though the city's Department of Finance estimates similar values — $6.6 million versus $5.5 million — for the two.

"Every dollar in cost for a rental gets passed on ultimately to the renters themselves," Clarke said. It's "a broken system that is just completely unfair in terms of how much tax different classes of property are paying."

Part of the disparity is attributable to state-mandated caps that prevent the city from raising the assessed value on one- to three-family homes by more than 6% per year and 20% over five years.

It remains to be seen whether Mamdani, if he wins the mayoralty, prioritizes property tax reform in an agenda packed with bold promises, including free bus service, a rent freeze, and affordable housing development. Other mayors have pledged to fix the system only to punt on the complex and politically fraught issue.

"The Dinkins administration did a property tax reform commission," said Martha Stark, a former commissioner of the Department of Finance during Michael Bloomberg's mayoralty, noting how long the system has been under scrutiny.

"I just can't imagine that Mamdani would elevate that to the top of his priority list in the first term," said James Parrott, an economist who was on the 2021 tax advisory commission.

• A Fifth Avenue mansion built during the Gilded Age just sold for $46 million.
• The 11-bedroom, 10-bathroom home features ornate details and original features.
• The mansion was designed by architect Stanford White and spans over 16,000 square feet.

One of the last remaining Gilded Age mansions in New York City was just snapped up for $46 million.

The 16,000-square-foot home — the only fully restored Stanford White-designed mansion on Fifth Avenue — has seven levels and looks out over Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The home was reportedly initially listed for $80 million in 2021. After multiple price reductions, it was relisted for $49.9 million by the Corcoran Group in February, and the property sold earlier this month for $46 million, city records show.

A representative for Corcoran told Business Insider earlier this year that $300,000 in new upgrades was spent in preparation to list the property "to enhance the current owners' $15 million renovation after their purchase of the mansion in 2012."

Not much is known about the new owner, but sources told The New York Post that it's a finance-industry family from outside New York.

Take a look inside this historic Gilded Age mansion.

The Fifth Avenue mansion "embodies the height of Beaux-Arts design and old-world European craftsmanship," according to its listing.

The home is located near the corner of Fifth Avenue and 79th Street in Manhattan. It occupies 25 feet of prestigious Fifth Avenue real estate.

Henry H. Cook, the original commissioner of the building, hired the architectural firm of McKim, Mead, and White to lead the project.

Construction on the building began in 1902 and was completed in 1907, two years after Cook's death in 1905.

There are only a few Beaux-Arts-style mansions still remaining in New York City.

Key characteristics of Beaux-Arts architecture, which was popular in the US in the late 19th century and early 20th century, include "a focus on symmetry," classical features like columns or pediments, and "highly decorative surfaces," such as carved doorways and crown molding, according to the Chicago Architecture Center.

The historic home was designed by Gilded Age architect Stanford White.

White is one of the most famous architects in history. He is known for his style inspired by the Italian Renaissance and is one of the most famous architects to emerge from the Gilded Age in Manhattan.

He is also famous for his death, which was shrouded in scandal.

On the night of June 25, 1906, Pittsburgh millionaire Henry Shaw shot and killed White at Madison Square Garden because of a prior relationship between White and Thaw's wife, chorus girl Evelyn Nesbit, the National Park Service reported. Nesbit was just 16 when she met White.

White was 52 when he died, and much of his architectural legacy was tainted by the scandal in the years after his death.

However, he is now recognized as one of the most influential architects of the early 20th century.

The home is the only fully restored Stanford White-designed mansion on Fifth Avenue.

In the decades following the Gilded Age — and amid financial challenges and changing tastes and values — many of the largest mansions in New York City were torn down or repurposed.

Corcoran's Andres Perea-Garzon — who listed the property with Carrie Chiang and Lesley Schulhof, also of the Corcoran Group — told Mansion Global that the home is one of only five mansions designed by Stanford White still in existence in New York City.

Of those, only two — including this one — are single-family townhouses in Manhattan.

The floorplan has been updated from White's original design but retains many of his choices.

After its previous owners purchased it in 2012, the home underwent a multi-year restoration project.

The renovated morning kitchen, pictured above, has a Carrara marble waterfall island that reflects more modern trends.

The home has also been updated to reflect 21st-century living, with upgrades like a "modernized" elevator and nine restored wood-burning fireplaces, per the listing.

It was transformed into an entertainer's paradise.

The home has five separate kitchens, including a family kitchen, a chef's kitchen, a butler's pantry, a staff kitchen, and a serving kitchen.

The scullery and butler's pantry also each have a dumbwaiter to accommodate service across the entertaining levels.

Despite the upgrades, the home has retained its Gilded Age grandeur.

Many of the home's most impressive features, including its limestone flooring and staircase with a wrought-iron railing, have been restored to their original condition.

The primary bedrooms have dressing areas and en-suite bathrooms.

The mansion, which spans over 16,000 square feet and has 11 bedrooms, seven full bathrooms, and three half-baths, was cut from its original price of $80 million in 2021, The New York Post reported.

The home's details include French stained-glass windows and marble fireplaces.

Inside the home's double grand parlors, there are 16-foot-high ceilings fitted with wooden beams as well as hand-carved marble fireplaces, according to the listing.

One living space features crown molding and floor-to-ceiling windows.

The home embodies upper-crust living with a climate-controlled wine cellar, a steam room, a linen room, and a silver and jewelry vault.

The mansion has also undergone more practical upgrades.

Every room across its seven floors has a separate HVAC zone, per the listing. Humidifiers and a water purification system were also added.

The home was marketed as a single-family home but the listing noted it could also be repurposed into an art gallery.

The listing states that the home can be used as a private residence, an embassy or mission, a nonprofit foundation office with a limit of 50 employees, or a non-commercial art gallery.

One of the home's most jaw-dropping features is its views of Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The home is located on Cook Block, a zoning district that restricts buildings to six stories or fewer for a full city block. This prevents new construction from restricting the home's sweeping views.

The mansion also has a private courtyard for indoor-outdoor living.

"As one of the last private mansions of its kind, 973 Fifth Avenue is an irreplaceable masterpiece, fully restored to its original grandeur while discreetly integrating modern luxury at the highest standard," the listing read.

• The owners of Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Illinois are trying to sell it via private auction.
• The home was listed for $199,900 before the pope's appointment. Now, bids start at $250,000.
• The auction winner may not get to enjoy it because the local government wants to acquire the home.

People bidding to buy Pope Leo XIV's modest childhood home in Illinois could face some stiff competition — from the local government.

The innocuous three-bedroom, three-bathroom home in the Village of Dolton was thrust into the spotlight when Pope Leo XIV became the leader of the Catholic Church.

The current homeowner purchased the property in May 2024 for $66,000, listed it for $219,000 in January, and dropped the price to $199,900 in February.

After the pope's appointment on May 8, the owner, inundated with offers and new options, delisted the home until last week when it was put up for auction through Paramount Realty USA. The reserve price is $250,000, and potential buyers have until June 18 to bid.

"It's like a collectible car they only made one of," Steve Budzik, the homeowner's real estate agent, told BI earlier this month.

Potential buyers, however, will be going up against the Village of Dolton, which has said through its attorney that it plans to acquire the home either through direct purchase or eminent domain laws. Eminent domain laws allow governments to make private property available for public use.

"If a direct purchase from the seller cannot be negotiated, the Village will cause Eminent Domain proceedings to be filed in Court and take the property through the legal process," Burton S. Odelson wrote in an email to BI. "The Village hopes a direct purchase is completed without court action."

Odelson, who's been in contact with the listing broker, said the Village of Dolton is working with the Chicago Archdiocese to determine the best use of the space.

Although relying on local eminent domain laws is an option, Odelson said it's a last resort. That process involves litigation, which means attorney fees, court costs, appraisal costs, and time.

Under eminent domain laws, the Village of Dolton would have to compensate the owners for the home. Negotiations between the Village of Dolton and the current owner are ongoing.

The hype around Pope Leo XIV's childhood home spurred immediate fanfare, prompting news trucks and curious locals to visit. One woman even told a local news outlet that she made the four-hour drive from Louisville, Kentucky, just to visit the impromptu holy site.

Representatives for Paramount Realty USA and the homeowner did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• Running out of money in retirement is a big concern for many Americans.
• Economic uncertainty is making it even harder to afford retirement.
• These are the top states where your retirement nest egg will go the furthest.

As people live longer and spend more time in retirement, it's more important now than ever to plan for life after your job.

To make matters even more complicated, the ongoing trade war has created a tricky economic backdrop for older Americans to retire in, causing people to delay their retirements, wait to collect Social Security, or "unretire" and go back to work.

That's why being smart about where you live in your golden years can have far-reaching consequences, as housing costs — whether it be a mortgage, property taxes, or rent expenses — are typically the largest part of your monthly expenses.

Financial technology company Remitly compiled data on Americans' retirement savings across the country. How much you need in retirement varies, but the rule of thumb is that by the time you retire, you should aim to have around 10 times your salary saved. Remitly found that Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 have typically saved an average of $537,650 and a median of $185,000 — meaning there's high variability in the amounts that people have saved.

When calculating how much money you need for a comfortable retirement, take into consideration annual expenditures such as housing, utilities, transportation, and healthcare — and also factor in an additional 20% buffer for unexpected costs.

Depending on the state you retire in, the cost of living could fluctuate wildly. Remitly looked at the average retirement savings and expected annual expenditures for a comfortable retirement for each state to calculate how long a retirement nest egg lasts in different parts of the country.

While the annual expenditure to retire comfortably in many states hovered in the $60,000 to $80,000 range, a few states took the cake for sky-high costs of living. In Hawaii, Remitly found the average annual expenditure to be $129,296. California was the second-most expensive state, with annual retirement expenditures coming out to $100,687. In those states, retirement savings will only last 2.8 and 4.5 years, respectively.

On the other hand, Kansas takes first place for sustainable living costs in retirement — retirement savings last 7.5 years on average there.

Listed below are the top ten states where retirees can get the most bang for their buck. The average amount of savings at the time of retirement, the annual retirement expenditures, and number of years the retirement savings will last are also included.

Kansas

Average retirement savings: $452,703
Annual expenditures: $60,620
Years of comfortable retirement: 7.5 years

Iowa

Average retirement savings: $465,127
Annual expenditures: $62,565
Years of comfortable retirement: 7.4 years

Minnesota

Average retirement savings: $470,549
Annual expenditures: $65,828
Years of comfortable retirement: 7.1 years

Virginia

Average retirement savings: $492,965
Annual expenditures: $70,342
Years of comfortable retirement: 7 years

Pennsylvania

Average retirement savings: $462,075
Annual expenditures: $66,384
Years of comfortable retirement: 7 years

Illinois

Average retirement savings: $449,983
Annual expenditures: $64,787
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

Connecticut

Average retirement savings: $545,754
Annual expenditures: $78,605
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

South Dakota

Average retirement savings: $449,628
Annual expenditures: $64,856
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

Michigan

Average retirement savings: $439,568
Annual expenditures: $63,745
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

Kentucky

Average retirement savings: $441,757
Annual expenditures: $64,301
Years of comfortable retirement: 6.9 years

• Shooting Star in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, has been ranked as one of the top golf courses in the US.
• The golf exclusive club requires an invitation and has a long waitlist for membership.
• From the golf course to the clubhouse, here's a look inside the private mountain oasis.

Nestled beneath the Grand Tetons in one of Jackson Hole, Wyoming's most expensive neighborhoods, PGA pros tee up at one of the most celebrated golf courses in the US, ranking no. 1 in Golf Digest's best in Wyoming and earning a spot on the top 100 US courses in 2023 and 2024.

I'm talking about Shooting Star, a members-only club in Teton Village. You have to be invited to join, and a representative of Shooting Star told Business Insider last year that the club had an extensive waitlist.

It's also not cheap. Shooting Star didn't share its current membership price with BI, but when the club opened in 2009, it had 189 members and a $100,000 membership fee.

During a trip to Jackson Hole in September 2024, I got an exclusive club tour, and it felt like a millionaire's playhouse. Take a look inside.

Welcome to the ultra-exclusive Shooting Star of Jackson Hole.

Shooting Star's history dates back to the 1930s when the Resor family created Snake River Ranch, now known as the largest working cattle ranch in Jackson Hole.

Shooting Star owner and operator John Resor transformed a section of the ranch into an exclusive golf course, club, and residential community. It was a $130 million project.

Shooting Star is in Jackson Hole's Teton Village neighborhood.

Roughly 22 miles from Jackson, Shooting Star is sandwiched between Snake River Ranch and Jackson Hole Resort.

The 1,300-acre space has a clubhouse, a golf course and shop, a pool deck, a barn, and residential lodges.

When I toured the property, I thought the clubhouse looked like a luxury ranch. The expansive building overlooked the golf course and a 25-meter lap pool.

The clubhouse opens to a grand foyer with a Western aesthetic.

I spotted nods to the American West when I stepped inside the clubhouse. An animal skull and realistic paintings of cattle at Snake River Ranch decorated the foyer walls.

I also noticed a range of natural textures, from the wood floors and ceiling moldings to the leather seats in front of the large stone fireplace.

Outside, the 18-hole golf course looked like a painting.

I'm no golfer, but it was instantly clear why Golf Digest ranked this a top 100 course in the US.

The 250-acre course looked dynamic, with aspen and evergreen trees dotting hills parted by 50 acres of water hazards, including ponds and streams. It was designed by Tom Fazio, who also designed Donald Trump's golf clubs in Westchester, New York, and Pine Hill, New Jersey.

Fazio also designed multiple courses at the exclusive Vintage Club in Indian Wells, California, where Bill Gates purchased a home for $12.5 million in 1999.

The golf course blended in so seamlessly with its surroundings that I thought it was a naturally occurring landscape, but the land was actually reformed with a design goal of making each hole unique.

According to a Shooting Star brochure, the process included moving 2 million cubic yards of dirt, planting more than 2,500 trees, and carving out 50 acres of lakes.

For a handful of PGA pros, including the golf club's director Ben Polland, Shooting Star is more than a home course — it's a day job.

From the course, I could see the resident cabins and lodges.

According to Jackson Hole Sotheby's International Realty, most homes didn't hit the market. However, the available listings include two-acre plots of land for $15.5 million and three-bedroom, four-bathroom cabins for $11.75 million.

Next to the clubhouse, the Alpine Barn is used in ski season.

In the winter, Shooting Star becomes a skier's haven, and the Alpine Barn is the hub.

Inside, there were nearly 200 lockers. During ski season, the barn shows movies and serves complimentary food. A shuttle takes skiers to the nearby Jackson Hole Mountain Resort to hit the slopes, but there's also a track around the course's perimeter for a short run.

Back inside, the second floor of the clubhouse houses a fitness center.

The 2,400-square-foot facility had smart cardio equipment with large screens overlooking the swimming pool and barn. A handful of workout studios offered classes like yoga and pilates.

Outside, there were also tennis and pickleball courts.

The spa was on the same floor.

I entered one of the six treatment rooms and thought it felt serene.

Limestone and wood moldings texturized the walls. There was a fireplace, cozy seating, and two treatment beds.

Natural light poured in from the window at the back of the room. There was a gigantic stainless steel tub in front of it.

Bathing in there with a view of the course and the surrounding Tetons would be a dream.

The spa bathroom had amenities akin to a luxury hotel.

I spotted glass jars containing toothbrushes, razors, hair ties, eye drops, and over-the-counter pain and allergy medication.

Back downstairs, there was a restaurant with indoor and outdoor dining.

The dining room had a wood-burning fire pit inside. Out on the patio, members could dine right next to the golf course.

Before I headed out, I got to check out a miniature version of the property inside the clubhouse.

The property feels vast, so seeing it all planned out on one table helped me better understand the course and development.

I left with a sense of what it might be like to be a member of such an exclusive club in an epic location.