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"It will be our faces you see, not our backs." ~Volodymyr Zelensky
"Israel was not created in order to disappear - it will endure and flourish." ~John F. Kennedy
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Today's Community Review
Colonial Heritage, Williamsburg, Virginia
Popular Williamsburg is in southeastern Virginia and is the site of Colonial Heritage, a handsome 55+ community with single family homes, a large clubhouse, a golf course, an athletic center, swimming pools, tennis courts and more.
Previous Community Reviews
Evans sits in eastern Georgia, not far from Augusta and about two hours from the coast. It is the site of beautiful River Island, a soothing riverfront community with single family homes, town homes, a boardwalk, a communal boat dock, walking trails and a waterfront lodge and pool house.
Sunflower - Continental Ranch, Marana, Arizona
Outside of Tucson in southern Arizona, Marana is the site of Sunflower, an established 55+ community within the gates of Continental Ranch. Mediterranean-style single family homes are for sale, and amenities include a village center, tennis courts, a putting green, walking trails and a packed social events calendar.
Whisper Walk, Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton is on the southeastern Florida coast and is the site of Whisper Walk, a large, low key 55+ community with patio homes, villas, clubhouses, swimming pools, planned activities and more.
The Parke at Ocean Pines, Ocean Pines, Maryland
Just 10 miles west of the Intracoastal Waterway in eastern Maryland, Ocean Pines is a large community, and The Parke is a 55+ neighborhood within it. Single family homes and town homes are for sale, and amenities include two marinas, a yacht club, a golf course, a crabbing pier, a community garden and more.
Holiday Island, Holiday Island, Arkansas
On the shores of 53,000-acre Table Rock Lake in northwestern Arkansas, Holiday Island is a large resort community popular with baby boomers. Homes come in a wide range, and amenities include two golf courses, a marina, a recreation center, an amphitheater and more.
Edgewater, Lancaster, South Carolina
Lancaster is in north central South Carolina and is the setting for Edgewater, a lakefront community with a championship 18 hole golf course, a marina, planned activities, RV storage and single family homes.
Vitalia at Tradition, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Port St. Lucie is on the southeastern Florida coast and is the location of Vitalia at Tradition, a 55+ single family home enclave within a larger development. Amenities include lakes, a putting green, tennis courts, walking trails, a swimming pool with cabanas and more.
Country Place, Pearland, Texas
Outside of Houston, near the Texas Gulf Coast, Pearland is the location of Country Place, a soothing, settled 55+ community with an 18 hole golf course, a carriage house clubhouse, single family homes and town homes.
Friendly Valley, Santa Clarita, California
Outside of Los Angeles in Southern California, Friendly Valley is a settled, gated 55+ community with condos, town homes, single family homes, two golf courses, RV parking, nicely manicured grounds, a plethora of activities and more.
Vista del Mar, Vero Beach, Florida
On Florida's Atlantic coast, Vero Beach is the setting for Vista del Mar, an established, oceanfront 55+ condominium community with a clubhouse, a swimming pool, private beach access and sweeping water views.
Bridgewater, Little River, South Carolina Along the northern South Carolina coast, Little River and Myrtle Beach are the setting for Bridgewater, a community with single family homes, attached homes, a nice clubhouse and nearby white sand beaches.
Communities by State
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Age Restricted Communities 101
The kids have moved out. They have launched themselves into a career, parenthood, home ownership. You decide it's time to downsize. But how? Into where? You're still healthy, active. You're not ready for a continuing care community. The decision can be daunting.
A 55-plus or active-adult community is one option. The only legal exception to non-discriminatory fair housing laws, an age restricted community is run by a homeowners association that offers some exterior maintenance and amenities to its members. Amenities could include a private golf course, sizable clubhouse, 24/7 security, or transportation to and from local hospitals or shopping malls. Housing in such a community can range from modest condominiums to attached homes to luxury estates.
How will you decide? Are you ready for the time it might take? Demand for homes in active-adult communities is on the rise. You'll be competing against other baby boomers, maybe even some Gen-Xers. Start your research a few years before your retirement date. Find a real estate agent that specializes in master-planned communities or senior home purchases. The National Association of Realtors does offer training and certification for senior specialists.
Look at the location. Does it have the right weather? Is it close enough to family? Is downtown too far away or not far away enough? Will you have acclimate? What are local taxes like? Check out the neighbors. Are these the people you want to age with? Make sure you know what services might be available for you as you age. Is your 55-plus community near a hospital, a grocery store, a bank, a pharmacy? Can they get you to the hospital and grocery store once you decide you no longer want to drive? Maybe the community offers grocery delivery? Are there senior fitness classes, personal trainers?
Be sure you understand what amenities you are paying for. Some communities require that you buy an equity membership or hide the cost of that lap pool and golf course in high HOA fees. Inspect your prospective community's activity calendar. Does it have the right mix of leisure and lecture? Are there too many card tournaments and not enough day trips? Do you hate golf, need 39 shuffleboard courts? Is there an activities director?
Understand your prospective HOA. How long is the list of restrictions? Do the board politics give you pause? Will they force you through a long approval process? Will they ask you for bank records and references?
Investigate the community's financials. Are they solvent? How well did they weather the crisis when the housing bubble burst in 2008? And what about the builder? How long have they worked for seniors? Do they understand aging in place? Do they understand the need for zero step entries, wider hallways? Or have they just gotten into the game? Del Webb is credited with inventing the age-restricted community. Keep your eye on what they're building. Other companies to watch are Lennar, Shea, and Taylor Morrison.
Remember, you're not just buying a new house. You're buying a new way of life.
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