Prue Miller

The term ‘retirement community’ somehow smacks of gelato coloured demountables lined up, cheek by jowl, in a gated reserve, in ‘gator ridden, Florida. However, a little education goes a long way – and visions of pastel semi-wides could not be further from the truth. The epitome of opulence, of good taste and refined design now dominate the retirement sector, and it’s making ageing a very sexy option.

Architects, designers, home renovators - all fell in love with the inexpensive opulence of engineered stone. It was top of the wish list for every homemaker; we just couldn’t get enough of faux marble.

Being scooped out of bed by Mum in the predawn exodus known as ‘going on holidays’ was always a sickening sign of things to come. For school holidays in those days (let’s say the 60s) meant being deposited in the back seat of Dad’s car (including, during one particularly bad holiday, in the almost windowless Chrysler Charger. Jesus) and driving like a bat out of hell for one or two days, straight, toward our much-loved Victorian based family.

The real estate market in Australia is estimated to be worth $30bn, in 2022 the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated the value of the private dwelling sector at around $10bn, and last year, the top thirty sales in the private market cost a pretty $1.05bn.

If you didn’t know better, you would think someone is trying to hide the embarrassing detail of Australia’s escalating housing crisis.

People joke about the Boston accent, made famous by the Wahlberg brothers, reruns of Cheers on TV and the MIT genius janitor in Good Will Hunting. There’s Boston chowder, and Boston Red Sox and their pretty extreme weather (Massachusetts has two season: Winter and construction). What is never mocked is Harvard; the epitome of elite education.