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retirement communities retire

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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

Fripp Island Resort, Fripp Island, South Carolina

Of the southern South Carolina coast, beautiful Fripp Island is a barrier island and home to Fripp Island Resort, a soothing seaside community with lovely homes, two championship golf courses, a deep water marina, tennis courts and three and a half miles of oceanfront beach.

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Previous Community Reviews

Bay Island, South Pasadena, Florida

On Florida's Gulf Coast, South Pasadena is the site of Bay Island, a casual, settled 55+ waterfront community with condominiums, a marina, swimming pools, a fishing dock, tennis courts and pretty views.

Brunswick Plantation, Calabash, North Carolina

Calabash sits near the mouth of the Calabash River in southeastern North Carolina and is the setting for Brunswick Plantation, a resort community with a variety of housing. Residents enjoy 27 holes of golf, seven swimming pools, five clubhouses and more.

The Landings, Savannah, Georgia

On Georgia's northern coast, Savannah's Skidaway Island is the site of The Landings, an elegant all ages, single family home community with clubhouses, golf courses, restaurants, marinas and more.

Sun Lakes, Sun Lakes, Arizona

Outside of Chandler in southern Arizona, Sun Lakes is a large, established 55+ community with a variety of housing and a rich menu of amenities including five clubhouses, seven golf courses, swimming pools, planned activities and more.

Alamanda Key, Melbourne, Florida

On the eastern Florida coast, Melbourne is the site of Alamanda Key, a Key West-inspired 55+ community with single level, single family homes and duplexes. Amenities include two lakes and an "island-style" clubhouse.

Virginia Heritage at Lee's Parke, Fredericksburg, Virginia

Fredericksburg is outside of Washington, D.C. and is the location of Virginia Heritage, a 55+ enclave within the larger development of Lee's Parke. Single family homes are for sale and amenities include a large clubhouse, two swimming pools, walking trails, tennis courts and more.

Dataw Island, Beaufort, South Carolina

On the southern South Carolina coast, beautiful Dataw Island is popular with baby boomers and empty nesters. Town homes and single family homes are for sale, and amenities include golf courses, tennis courts, an elegant clubhouse, restaurants, spa services, a marina and more.

Leisure World, Seal Beach, California

Seal Beach is on the Southern California coast and is the site of Leisure World, a large, established 55+ community with attached homes, a 2,500-seat amphitheater, a health care center, six clubhouses, a golf course, a ceramics studio, a woodworking studio, dozens of clubs and activities, shuttle services and more.

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Communities by State

Alabama   Arizona   California   Colorado   Delaware   Florida   Georgia   Nevada   North Carolina   Oregon   South Carolina   Tennessee   Texas   Virginia   Washington  

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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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