When it comes to housing in their golden years, for some people, less means more. Downsizing to a less expensive and perhaps smaller home puts more money in their pockets. Less home maintenance and yard work means more time to enjoy their retirement.

That's what Glacier Homes wants to provide in two subdivisions targeted to the 55 and up crowd. At the 325-home Golden Spike Estates development in Rathdrum and the 12-home Lake View Pines development on Emma Street off Northwest Boulevard in Coeur d'Alene, seniors can find 1,000- to 2,200-squarefoot homes ranging from about $69,000 to $119,000. "(The houses) are designed, structured and priced so the average worker can live here," said Dave Spiker, co-owner of Glacier Homes with his father John. "Here, they have special features, yet can continue to live affordably," he said of the Golden Spike Estates development.

One such "special feature" is an 11,500-square-foot, $1 million "exercise and social" facility currently under construction at Golden Spike Estates. When completed sometime in the fall, it will house a large ballroom, a music system, two craft rooms, pool tables, a card room, a computer lab, an indoor lap pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, and his and her locker rooms and showers. Outside, there will be a sundeck, shuffleboard, horseshoe pit, barbecue picnic area, tennis court, practice putting green and pet park. The homes come with landscaping, sprinklers and garages. Free RV storage is available, and in winter, roads are plowed and snow is removed from driveways by the developer. Spiker said the development is especially attractive to "snowbirds" who want to go away for the winter and know that their home is secure.

Glacier Homes keeps the price down by importing manufactured homes built by Moduline, a Canadian company. The homes are energy efficient and the exterior is maintenance free, Spiker said.

"You get a consistent home. What we show is what you get," Spiker said, adding that the homes come with a seven-year factory warranty.

The price also is reduced because homeowners purchase only the house; the land is leased for $225 a month, which then includes all the amenities Golden Spike Estates provides. Spiker emphasized that people can design their homes to fit their needs. There are several floor plans to start with, but people can "stretch" and modify the plans to add space where needed or make the home handicapped accessible. One, two and three-car garage options are available. The Lake View Pines subdivision offers the same options, only there's no clubhouse.

According to the Idaho Department of Labor, in 2000 10.5 percent of Kootenai County's population was age 55-64. Another 12 percent was 65 and older.

Tom Torgerson, president of the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors, said that a development like Golden Spike Estates does provide seniors with additional options besides Leisure Park in Hayden Lake. "I do believe there is a need for choice."

Kaye Wilson, program secretary and information and assistance technician for Aging and Adult Services, said that more options beyond single family homes are needed for the senior population. She said there is a lack of affordable apartment rentals for seniors living on Social Security. Golden Spikes Estates is currently in phase II of a five-phase project. Thirty-two homes are constructed, with about 27 of them occupied.