----------------------
-------------------
"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
-------------------
Today's Community Review
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.
Previous Community Reviews
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.
Bellavita at Green Tee, Pearland, Texas
Outside of Houston in southeastern Texas, BellaVita at Green Tee is a 55+ community with brick single family homes and patio homes. Amenities include a lake, a putting green, a spa, a swimming pool and more.
Palm Desert Greens, Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is sheltered by mountains in south central California and is the site of Palm Desert Greens, a large, established 55+ single family manufactured home community with pastel-colored properties, golf course views, three swimming pools, a restaurant, tennis courts, more than 50 activity clubs and more.
Palm Island Resort, Placida, Florida
On the southwestern coast, Placida is home to Palm Island, an all ages condominium and single family home resort with "Old Florida" architecture, water views, beach access, a marina, a nature center, swimming pools and much more.
La Cholla Hills, Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is in southern Arizona and the site of La Cholla Hills, an attractive, well-established 55+ community with single story, single family homes and town homes, two swimming pools, a nearby golf course and a bounty of events and activities
Hilton Head Lakes, Hardeeville, South Carolina
Near the South Carolina southern coast, Hardeeville is the site of Hilton Head Lakes, a lakeside single family home community. Ameniites include an 18-hole golf course, a waterfront clubhouse, a new amenities center, an activities director and more.
Sunflower, Fort Collins, Colorado
At the base of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado, thriving Fort Collins is the setting for Sunflower, an attractive 55+ modular home community with a clubhouse, a putting green, pickleball courts, RV storage, event gatherings and more.
Four Seasons at Kent Island, Chester, Maryland
Chester sits on Kent Island in Maryland's Chesapeake Bay and is the site of this beautiful waterfront 55+ community with single family homes, condominiums, a 24,000 square foot clubhouse and direct water access.
Suffield Meadows, Warrenton, Virginia
In pretty northern Virginia, historic Warrenton is surrounded by farmland and horse farms and is the site of Suffield Meadows, a cozy gated 55+ community with a variety of housing, a clubhouse, gardens and more.
Hazelwood Villas, Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is on the eastern edge of Kansas and is the site of Hazelwood Villas, a pleasant 55+ community with single family homes, attached homes, a small clubhouse, neighborhood get-togethers, a pastoral quality and more.
Communities by State
Alabama Arizona California Colorado Delaware Florida Georgia Nevada North Carolina Oregon South Carolina Tennessee Texas Virginia Washington
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.
Webwerxx, Inc. Copyright (c) 2006-2024.
All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced in any way without the express written consent of Webwerxx, Inc. Reproducing any original part of this publication without written permission from Webwerxx, Inc. is plagiarism. Numerous attempts were made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this website, but some information may have changed since each article and/or report went online, and Webwerxx, Inc. is not liable for inaccurate information contained in its articles and/or reports.