In 2005, the U.S. census estimated that there were 67 million people age 55 or older. The National Association of Home Builders projects that the 55-plus population will grow at more than 2 percent a year during the next decade and reach 85 million by 2014.

The generation of Baby Boomers, now starting to move to Florida and other warm weather destinations are very different than the Americans of the "G.I. Generation." Unlike their ancestors who grew up during the Great Depression, and were happy to achieve home ownership in the 1940s and '50s with one-car garages, Formica countertops and vinyl floors, today's retirees are much more sophisticated, much pickier, and can afford a whole lot more.

The Boomers are the most affluent segment of the American population, and their idea of a retirement home, consist of demands for 10-foot ceilings, high-end appliances, concierge services, live theater performances from well known artists and entertainers, card games, club meetings, regular movies, health fairs, financial lectures, and vast clubhouses with fine finishes and flexible space to accommodate all.