With the children grown and busy careers behind them, Audrey and Joe Vizzard of Scotts Valley, California, found themselves living in a house that, as Audrey says, "had outgrown us." But they weren't ready for an apartment or a retirement home. "We wanted to age in place," says Joe. A friend with similar concerns suggested a solution that struck them as just right: move to a beautifully maintained mobile-home park nearby that was gradually upgrading by bringing in manufactured homes. Joe and Audrey worked out a game plan that netted them not only a perfect-fit house, but also a strong sense of security and community.

Before they retired, both Joe and Audrey were medical professionals who worked with older patients. Joe was a rehabilitation physician, and Audrey was a clinical psychologist. Helping others deal with the problems and issues of aging spurred the couple to develop their own retirement plan. A primary strategy was selling their too-large home and adapting to a life with fewer possessions. "When we got ready to sell we started giving away all the furniture, except for a few sentimental pieces," says Joe. "We gave some things to our children, as long as they were willing to cart them away, and the rest went to various charities."

"We haven't missed any of it," adds Audrey, "and we feel so much freer without it."