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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
Elms of Charleston, North Charleston, South Carolina
Outside of charming Charleston on the mid-South Carolina coast, the Elms of Charleston is a gated 55+ community with single family homes and town homes in a wooded setting. Amenities include a clubhouse, a swimming pool, tennis courts, walking paths, an activities director and more.
Previous Community Reviews
Royal Highlands, Leesburg, Florida
Leesburg is in north central Florida and is the site of Royal Highlands, an attractive, established 55+ single family community nestled amid lakes, wetlands and open spaces. Amenities include a golf course, clubhouses, swimming pools, a good menu of activities and an activities director.
In beautiful southwestern Oregon, Roseburg is the site of Littlebrook, a pretty 55+ manufactured home community at the end an old riverside country road. Homes look site-built and come in a variety of colors. Residents enjoy a clubhouse, and RV parking is available.
Trilogy at Lake Frederick, Lake Frederick, Virginia
Lake Frederick is tucked in northern Virgina's beautiful Shenandoah Valley and is the site of Trilogy at Lake Frederick, a lakeside 55+ community with handsome single family homes and attached homes. Residents enjoy a large lodge, swimming pools, walking paths and plenty of planned activities and events.
Carriage Park, Hendersonville, North Carolina
Hendersonville is a touristy small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and is the site of Carriage Park, a lush, secluded mountaintop community with town homes, single family homes, a lake and incredible views.
In central Florida, Kissimmee is the site of Solivita, a large Mediterranean-themed 55+ community with single family homes, duplexes, two giant clubhouses, 36 holes of golf, an art center, a dog park, a lifestyle team and more.
Lakeside at Tessera on Travis Lake, Lago Vista, Texas
Lago Vista sits along 19,000-acre Lake Travis about 20 minutes outside of Austin in the Texas Hill Country and is a waterfront master planned community with brick single family homes, a beach, a waterfall edge pool, a boat launch and more.
On Hawaii's beautiful island of Oahu, Mililani is the site of Olaloa, a mellow, gated 55+ condominium community with 21 acres of green spaces, a swimming pool, a neighborhood garden, planned activities and more.
Providence, Davenport, Florida
Davenport is in central Florida and is the setting for Providence, an inviting gated community with attractive single family homes, attached homes, nicely manicured grounds, a golf course, a grand clubhouse, tennis courts, swimming pools and plenty of green spaces.
Anderson Creek Club, Spring Lake, North Carolina
Spring Lake is in south central North Carolina and is the site of Anderson Creek Club, a large, lush master-planned development with a 55+ neighborhood. Single family homes are for sale and amenities include an elegant clubhouse, a golf course, tennis courts, a croquet field and more.
Sunrise Bluffs, Belen, New Mexico
Belen is outside of Albuquerque in central New Mexico and is the setting for Sunrise Bluffs, a low key 55+ community with single family homes. Residents enjoy a Southwestern-themed clubhouse, an indoor swimming pool, a busy social calendar, dry air and plenty of sunshine.
Oaks at Wildwood, Georgetown, Texas
An inviting city outside of Austin in the pretty Texas Hill Country, Georgetown is the setting for Oaks at Wildwood, an intimate 55+ community with low maintenance homes, a well-appointed clubhouse, a heated swimming pool, a book club, a wine club, a sense of privacy and more.
Aberdeen Golf and Country Club, Boynton Beach, Florida
Along the southeastern Florida coast, Boynton Beach is the setting for Aberdeen Golf and Country Club, an all ages country club with a handful of 55+ neighborhoods. Amenities include a championship golf course, a 40,000 square foot clubhouse, an aquatics center and more. Homes sit along canals and come in a wide range of styles and prices.
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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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