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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
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.
Previous Community Reviews
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.
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.
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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