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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
Stonecrest, Summerfield, Florida
In central Florida, Stonecrest is a gated 55+ community with lovely homes, 27 holes of golf, a clubhouse, a community center, all sorts of athletic courts and more.
Previous Community Reviews
Houston Springs, Perry, Georgia
Perry is in central Georgia and is the setting for Houston Springs, a 55+ community with single family homes, some town homes, an 18 hole golf course, a clubhouse, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.
Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch, Fulshear, Texas
Just outside of Houston in southern Texas, Fulshear is the site of Bonterra at Cross Creek Ranch, a handsome 55+ enclave inside of a larger development. Single family homes are for sale, and amenities include a clubhouse, a lagoon-style pool and walking/biking trails.
Trilogy at Power Ranch, Gilbert, Arizona
Close to Phoenix in southern Arizona, Gilbert is the location of Trilogy at Power Ranch, a stylish 55+ neighborhood within a larger development. Single family homes are for sale, and amenities include a large clubhouse, an 18 hole golf course, swimming pools, tennis courts, an activities director and more.
Lakes of Carriage Hills, Tamarac, Florida
Tamarac is in southeastern Florida and the setting for Lakes of Carriage Hills, a mellow, established 55+ condominium community with lakes, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, neighborhood get-togethers and more.
Southern Meadow, Magnolia, Delaware
Magnolia is about four miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean and is the location of Southern Meadow, a snug, well tended 55+ community with attractive manufactured homes, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, garden plots, an activities director and more.
Four Seasons at Los Banos, Los Banos, California
Los Banos is in central California and the setting for Four Seasons at Los Banos, a small, well-tended 55+ community with single family homes, a nice clubhouse, a swimming pool, tennis courts and more.
Alligator Park, Punta Gorda, Florida
On Florida's Gulf Coast, Punta Gorda is the site of Alligator Park, a laid back 55+ cooperative with low maintenance mobile/manufactured/park model homes, a fishing and boating lake, a heated swimming pool, a chapel, a bounty of resident activities and more.
Anthem Ranch, Broomfield, Colorado
Broomfield is a nice city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado and is the setting for Anthem Ranch, an elegant 55+ community with single family homes, a gorgeous lodge, indoor and outdoor pools, fishing lakes, more than 700 acres of open space and more.
Wild Wing, Conway, South Carolina
Conway is near Myrtle Beach on the northern South Carolina coast and is the setting for Wild Wing, a secluded single family home community with golf courses, an owners' club, lakes and more.
Centennial Station, Warminster, Pennsylvania
Warminster is in scenic Bucks County, Pennsylvania and is the setting for Centennial Station, an established 55+ community with condominiums, an indoor swimming pool, two amenity centers, a restaurant and more.
Savanna Club, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Port St. Lucie is on the southeastern Florida coast and is the setting for Savanna Club, a colorful, low key but tidy 55+ mobile home/manufactured home community with a golf course, three clubhouses/recreation centers, a heated outdoor swimming pool, a performing arts center, RV storage 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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