An escapist fantasy come true

If you’ve always wanted to retire in a Disneyland for tequila-drinking beach bums, now’s your chance to get in on the ground floor. Inspired by Van Halen’s 1988 song about pretty girls, white sand, and mescal, Casa del Cabo Wabo is a mixed-use senior development planned for the former Konocti Harbor resort in Kelseyville, California.

The $1 billion walkable community will have 5,150 homes, 200,000-square-feet of retail, a pool, fitness center, and beach shuttle. On its face, that might not sound much different from the average Florida retirement community, but Casa del Cabo Wabo will also be “an immersive brand experience” with an outdoor music venue and “signature Sammy’s Beach Bar and Grill food and beverage concepts.”

Over the years, Sammy Hagar has parlayed the popular, escapist tune into a network of branded bars and lifestyle products. With Hagar’s Baby-Boomer audience aging faster than a guave worm in the sun, a senior-oriented neighborhood like this is a shrewd business move.

In the next two decades, senior housing is poised to reshape the U.S. housing market. By 2035, the number of Americans over 80 will double from 6 million to 12 million, and a full third of U.S. households will be headed by someone over 65. It’s crucial to design homes and communities suited to an older population. The tequila is an added bonus.