A life-course perspective on housing expectations and shifts in late midlife

This study applies a life-course approach and retirement migration theory t o develop a model of future housing expectations and actual moves for a ran dom sample of men and women in late midlife. Results suggest that late-midl ife workers and retirees expect to age in place; expectations to live in hi ghly supportive environments are uniformly low. Older, nonmetropolitan resp ondents with less education and more years in their homes express the stron gest expectations that they will age in place. Those people who rent their homes, have weaker ties to their communities, and have more symptoms of dep ression tend to foresee a move in the future. However, physical health of r espondents and their spouses do not predict future housing expectations. Pr ior expectations about aging in place, residential history, and life-course changes in marriage and retirement predict actual moves within the next tw o years, with differing patterns for men and women.