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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
Creek View, Carlisle, Pennsylvania
In pastoral south central Pennsylvania, Carlisle is the site location of Creek View, a quiet, family-owned, 55+ manufactured single family home community with properties that look site-built. Amenities include a cozy clubhouse, a pond, walking trails, RV parking and more.
Previous Community Reviews
Huntington Landmark, Huntington Beach, California
On the Southern California coast, Huntington Beach is a classic beach town and the site of Huntington Landmark, a large, gated 55+ community with town homes, condominiums, two resort-style swimming pools, tennis courts, a putting green and a park-like setting. It is also just a mile from the beach.
Lakeside Village, Blairsville, Georgia
In the mountains of northern Georgia, Blairsville is the setting for Lakeside Village, an age-targeted lakeside community with manufactured homes tucked in the woods. Amenities include RV storage, a marina, a clubhouse with a porch overlooking the lake and more.
Georgetown is tucked in central Texas and is the setting for Sun City Texas, a large, gated 55+ community with three golf courses, a village center, a recreation center, workshops, classes and a wide range of single family home and town home prices.
Creekside at Bethpage, Durham, North Carolina
Located in central North Carolina, not far from Duke University, lovely 55+ Creekside at Bethpage is part of a larger mixed use development and has colorful single family homes and town homes. Amenities include a swimming pool, tennis courts and a community garden.
Halifax Plantation, Ormond Beach, Florida
On the northeastern Florida coast, Ormond Beach is the setting for Halifax Plantation, a large, lush community with town homes, single family homes, a spacious clubhouse, a golf course and planned events. Oceanfront beaches are 10 minutes away.
Sundance at Buckeye, Buckeye, Arizona
Buckeye is outside of Phoenix in southern Arizona and is the site of Sundance at Buckeye, a sunlit 55+ community with attractive single family homes, a large clubhouse, a golf course, pretty views and more.
Ford's Colony, Williamsburg, Virginia
Charming Williamsburg is in southeastern Virginia and is the site of Ford's Colony, a wooded community with stately single family homes and attached homes in a variety of architectural styles. Amenities include swimming pools, tennis courts, nature trails, RV storage and much more.
Encore at Briar Chapel, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Lovely Chapel Hill is in central North Carolina and is the site of Briar Chapel, a "green," master planned community with the 55+ neighborhood of Encore and 900 acres of open space, miles of trails, a community garden, a dog park and more.
Villages of Royal Palm, Port Orange, Florida
Port Orange is on Florida's northeastern coast and is the setting for Villages of Royal Palm, a community that markets to retirees and baby boomers. Single family homes and town homes are for sale, and amenities include swimming pools, tennis courts, putting greens and more.
Greenfield Glen, Mesa, Arizona
Outside of Phoenix in southern Arizona, Mesa is the location of Greenfield Glen, an established 55+ community with single story, Southwestern-style town homes, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, a spa, quiet streets and an active activities calendar.
Tree Tops, Lancaster, South Carolina
Just outside of Charlotte, North Carolina, Lancaster is the site of Tree Tops, a wooded 55+ community with a charming village center, a rookery, nature paths, a putting green, an amphitheater, single family homes and more.
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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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