Baby boomers are entering retirement and recent findings indicate that they are bucking the trend of what it means to be a retiree.

Triology by Shea Homes recently released its Trilogy's interactive retirement survey. It found that boomers are active and social retirees.

This could mean big changes in the housing industry in the years to come, including what new retirement communities will look like.

"Today's boomers are still very active, adventurous and connected, as our survey suggests. They want to travel and enjoy family and friends and are a vibrant part of the community,” said Hal Looney, area president of Shea Homes Active Lifestyle Communities. "Understanding and addressing the needs and desires of boomers has been integral to our offerings since Shea Active Lifestyle Communities began 11 years ago, with a vision of creating a new active lifestyle environment for a generation of people looking to redefine this stage in life. This survey confirms that boomers are still making a big impact today.”

The survey has found that social media isn't just for the younger set. Boomers say "they prefer collecting friends on social networks just as much as they do recipes – and even rank it slightly higher (37.28%) than collecting pictures of the grandkids (33.64%)."

But boomers rank being within driving distance of family and friends as the most important factor of retaining a balanced lifestyle.

Also part of that balanced lifestyle is making a difference in their communities. According to the survey, 23.93% say their church, synagogue or place of worship is their favorite cause, followed closely by environmental and animal causes with 23.59%.

Retirement is now focused on a new chapter of life, full of re-invention, instead of simply an "end phase." Traveling, new hobbies, and being active rank high on the list of what retirees look forward to.

Overall, boomers are interested in healthy relationships and strong mind-body balance.

Published: January 11, 2011

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Carla Hill, M.A., works on the Realty Times staff as Managing Editor for our online publication. She also is Producer for the real estate news channel, seen daily on RealtyTimes.com and on video newsletters nationwide.