Rental communities feature the same homes and amenities as other communities, but offer short-term, seasonal, and annual rentals as well. Many opportunities abound not only retirement living but investment rental opportunities for retirement living year round.

Minnesota is the twelfth-largest state by area in the U.S., it is the 21st most populous, with just over five million residents as of 2006. The state is known as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," and those lakes and the other waters for which the state is named, together with state and national forests and parks, offer residents, tourists and retirees a vigorous outdoor lifestyle.

While Minnesota doesn't have the ocean vistas that many retirees crave, it is known for having some of the kindest and most approachable residents around. It has numerous rivers and streams where many canoe and kayak. Birdwatchers enjoy the Lac qui Parle ("the lake that speaks") and Salt Lake for sightings of rare species. Fishermen have a variety of lakes to choose from for large-mouth bass fishing, and outdoor enthusiasts take part in the ample skiing, snowmobile and hiking trails.