Greenie,
Having been to the Greenguy estates I understand completely. You could always rent a room to a local college girl
If Kim would let me I would gladly rent the pool house
With that being said, Bill has a very good point. Downsizing could release a whole lot of worries. Someone around here told me they love to rent because they can pick up and go at any time. Plus not having to pay for roofs, plumbing, etc... would be a relief (spent 15k last year on that crap).
There is no one right answer for everyone so figure out which one is best for you and run with it.