There's a way to have your cake and eat it -- at least near where I live. In our neighborhood, we have numerous over 55 communities. Some have very small condos but others are expansive. The condo I just bought has about 2500 sq ft plus an integrated 2 car garage, nice porch out back (that allows BBQ's) and a clubhouse with 2 pools. I have my master bedroom, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, living room, dining room and laundry room all on the ground floor. Because of this, I only have to routinely clean just the ground floor. The non-over 55 condo complexes don't often have all the main services and bedroom on the ground floor. I have an upstairs loft with 2 nice sized bedrooms and my office. I also have a fully finished basement that could easily accommodate more guests. There's room for an army here. The cost of my unit is about the same as a house of similar size but the overall cost for living is lower because my taxes & utilities are lower and the HOA fee covers all the expenses outside the walls of the home. Not having to think about exterior maintenance and having to only maintain the ground floor living area means this is a place I can easily live with now and also for the inevitable point when my health declines in the, hopefully distant, future.