Once courted ardently by the housing industry, aging Baby Boomers sort of dropped off the housing map during the past few years as their retirement funds dwindled and they faced the prospect of working longer before they could head off to the retirement of their dreams.

But there are too many of them — perhaps 77 million — to think that Boomers are no longer a force in housing, and builders and developers are planning for their likely comeback. Now, however, they're expecting that when the Boomers return, they'll have a simpler agenda than in the go-go era of just a few years ago.

"We have an opportunity to rethink a lot of the things we've done" in designing communities and homes that are intended for that age group, said Douglas Van Lerberghe a land planner in Denver who spoke during a "Back to Basics" presentation on the older-adult market during the recent annual meeting of the National Association of Home Builders in Orlando.