money Retirees opt into cruise ship living
Yahoo Finance Live looks at the trend of retired people seeking out experiences and services on cruise ships over settling down.
Video Transcript
DAVE BRIGGS: The housing crisis across the country is real, several markets seeing a 30% increase in prices in one year, 20% in others, and in Seattle, it's gone up 18% in just the last 12 months. That's forcing a lot of people to get very creative. Some are taking on roommates, and some, well, selling their house altogether. And how about living on a cruise ship? But not just one cruise ship-- hopping from different cruise to different cruise.
That's what Angeline and Richard Burke from Seattle decided to do when they took a look at what they were spending on their mortgage, seeing rising mortgage rates, and they're making it work. About 90 bucks a day is what they're spending between room, food, and entertainment. And Rachelle, as someone who's never been on a massive cruise ship, this sounds lovely for about three, four, five days, maybe even two weeks. It sounds downright miserable as a way to live several years. Yourself?
RACHELLE AKUFFO: But you know what, though? People who love cruises, they are really about that cruise life. And I mean, look, if they're spending $89 a day, it works out to about $32,000 a year. The average monthly cost of a 30-year fixed mortgage in the town that they live in with a 20% down payment, that works out to $60,000 a year. Maybe they have it figured out. Maybe they're like, look, we get to travel and enjoy things. They say they don't even plan to permanently live on land in the future.
EMILY MCCORMICK: Well--
RACHELLE AKUFFO: I mean, if they're smart, maybe they're renting out their home and living this good life. You're traveling. Why not? I say, you know, I wouldn't be opposed to it.
EMILY MCCORMICK: But at the same time, the big detail here is that this is a retired couple. If you are someone who does have to go into the office, who does have to work in person, this might not be the most feasible living situation. But all told, as we continue to see mortgage rates climbing, the prices of rent of primary residences climbing, it really does go to show here with this story, it illustrates that people are having to get creative to figure out affordable living situations. So certainly something to keep an eye on going forward as well.
