The town homes for sale in the "adult" section come in three floor plans and have two baths and two bedrooms, although square footage ranges from 1,686 sq. ft. to 1,989 sq. ft.  All homes are built on one level and have an attached 2-car garage.   Oversized closets, dual bathroom vanities and a formal dining room are standard.  Prices for these town homes start at $256,995 and top out at $283,995 (there are three residences in each building and the middle one is the least expensive).

Buyers find a bit more variety in Bowes Creek's active adult single family homes.  There are nine floor plans, with square footage starting at 1,690 sq. ft. and reaching 2,590 sq. ft.   Five models have two baths and two bedrooms, and four of them have three bedrooms and three baths.   A great room, formal dining room and a Roman soaking bathroom tub are standard features.  The three bedroom residences also boast a second story, and all homes have an attached 2-car garage.  Prices start at $285,995 and top out at $358,995.  Visit www.bowescreekcountryclub.com for more information.

The private clubhouse has an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, a fitness center, a library and bocce courts.   A creek babbles through the property grounds; a full time activities director ensures that everyone stays busy and walking trails throughout the development make getting outside for a stroll easy to do.  The true highlight of the community, though, is the Rick Jacobson-designed golf course, which just recently opened.   This patch of green rolls across rolling farmland, prairie, wetlands and flat flood areas and is designed to be in harmony with the surrounding land.   Distances stretch from 5,000 yards for the junior golfer to nearly 7,000 yards for the pro golfer, and there is a putting and chipping area and an elevated driving range as well.   This is a public course, and green fees range from $69 a day to $4,400 for a year.  Those age 62+ receive discounts on daily rates.

Elgin (population 105,000) is a bedroom community of Chicago and has a median household income that meets or slightly exceeds the U.S. average.  The cost of living just meets the national average, and the city has grown roughly 10% in the last 10 years.   It is a diverse place and has has seen a large influx of Latinos in recent years.  Crime meets the national average.  Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures reaching into the 90s.   Precipitation averages two to five inches per month, and during winter months, a foot of snow can fall each month.