Going Back To School
“Going back to school” used to mean that one was returning 
to earn a previously elusive undergraduate diploma, to expand knowledge and marketability with a graduate degree or to take courses for pleasure or a change in professional focus.
Today, it is just as likely to mean that you are buying a weekend retreat in the college town where you previously attended classes. And increasingly there are endless options geared specifically at allowing you to recapture that college spirit.
According to today's New York Times, builders developing condominium and townhouse communities near college campuses, stadiums and coliseums are enjoying success. Units are being snapped up by enthusiastic alumni returning to attend sporting events and assorted programs.
The benefits of such real estate investments are numerous. This secondary housing model eliminates the need for staying in an area hotel (often impossible to find on popular weekends) or driving long distances in a single day. By jointly marketing properties with developers, institutions of higher learning are benefiting financially from such partnerships. Individuals, too, are discovering that buying a college town condo can be a sound investment, even in a softening real estate environment, with the coveted housing offering a rapid rate of return when it comes time to sell.
In many cases, however, rabid alumni sports fans and university boosters are choosing to stay on and become full-time college-town residents, enjoying the full range of amenities offered by such communities.
Before you know it, "Go team!" may be the future battle cry of retirees and second home owners everywhere.
For more information on retiring to a college town, visit the following websites that offer information on this topic:
http://www.collegetownlife.com/college/ct_retire.htm
http://www.southeasternretirement.com/
http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/10/retirement/bpretire_introduction_0511/index.htm
