Changes You Can Live With

>>As local builders scurry to include green-building components for environment-conscious home buyers, another factor is beginning to change the way they build and sell. 

The concept's catchwords are "aging in place" and "universal construction." The former label applies to features for older homeowners wanting to avoid nursing-home care-such as safety bars in tubs or wide doorways for wheelchairs. The latter refers to the same features meant for any homeowner who appreciates added safety.

Whatever the name, it also appeals to people rooted to their digs by the tax situation-protected by the Save Our Homes tax cap, they can't afford to move to another home, subject to much higher taxes.

"These are folks who, because of the property tax situation, are practically captives in their homes. They're staying there longer than they thought they would, and they're living longer, too," says Lee Building Association executive vice president Michael Reitmann. "Now they're looking to make those homes better equipped to serve their needs as they age."

Although Florida is known for its older population, an aging population is a national phenomenon. The U.S. Census reported that on July 1, 2004, the number of people in the country age 65 and older was 36.3 million-12 percent of the total population. By 2050, the Census projects, there will be 86.7 million people age 65 and older in this country, or 21 percent of the total population.

Building professionals are responding to the trend.

The National Association of Home Builders, through its Remodelers Council, has a program to teach remodeling specialists how to tailor homes for the aging-in-place market. Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS) learn how to assess a homeowner's needs and then deliver products that meet them, all the while preserving the home's ambiance. More than 800 professionals have completed the CAPS course since 2002.