Austin Woman Shares Her Right-sizing Story in Hopes of Helping Others

By Rachel M. Anderson, Contributing Writer

(Austin, TX) – Seven years ago, Joan Owen, 84, of Austin, Texas, reached the point where she decided she couldn’t take care of the home she had been in for 42 years anymore. “It was a cute little English Tudor with four bedrooms and four-and-a-half baths, big oak trees in the front and a pool in the back. I cherish my memories there, but it got to be a whole lot of upkeep between the plumbing, the yard and the pool,” Owen said.

Not only that, she had become a caregiver for her husband, Tripp, who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. After three years of taking care of everything she told her kids, “I don’t know how to do this anymore.”

Fortunately, they had a solution for her. Owen’s children informed her about Overture Domain, a 55 plus active adult community they had found that was just a 15-minute drive from their parents’ home.

At first, she was hesitant to check it out, but eventually gave in. “When I walked in, I didn’t look back. It had an attractive lobby, beautiful apartments and kind people, fun people,” she said.

Shortly after touring the community, Owen put her home on the market. With the help of her children, who both live within less than an hour away, she began the task of right-sizing.

According to a recent Merrill Lynch study, Owen is in good company. Roughly 51 percent of people aged 50 and over move into smaller homes after retirement. Right-sizing brings with it many benefits, including reduced costs, life simplification, and if they move into a place like Overture Domain, the added benefit of gaining a sense of comradery with their neighbors.

“It’s an ideal situation when you don’t want the responsibility of your home or townhouse or condo anymore. What I like about it is I feel safe here. When you live alone as a female, you think about that sometimes,” she said.

When Owen first made the move, she was accompanied by her husband and the couple lived in a two-bedroom, two-bath apartment. After he passed away in 2022, she moved to a one bedroom, one bath space. “I thought I was going to be lonely, but that wasn’t the case,” she said.

“The activities here are amazing. If you want to be busy and have a little social life you can. I love to play Rummikub with my neighbors; but when I want to be alone, I can just go back to my apartment. It’s the best of both worlds I think,” she said.

While there are plenty of activities to engage in onsite, including fitness classes, a swimming pool, a theater and daily events, world class shopping is just around the corner. The Domain shopping center features 100 upscale and mainstream retail stores, including Neiman Marcus, Macy’s Dillards and Dick’s Sporting Goods. Plus, there are plenty of restaurants, including Sixty Vines, True Food Kitchen, Gloria's Latin Cuisine, Plank Provisions and North Italia.

“If you had told me 10 or 15 years ago that I’d be living in a place like this, I would have said, ‘Nah,’ but you have to experience it to understand how perfectly you fit here,” she said. “I love it here.”

For more information about the Overture Domain, go to OvertureDomain.com