Award-winning Central Parke at Victoria Falls appeals to those seeking low-maintenance homes in a resort-like setting.  Just 30 minutes south of Baltimore and 25 minutes from downtown Washington, D.C., it is located in the middle of great shopping, outstanding cultural amenities and excellent health care options.  This is an active adult community for those 55+ and is still being built, although 80% of the community is occupied.  When it is complete, Central Parke will have 609 residences, including condominiums by Sturbridge Homes, villas (town homes) by Craftstar Homes and Drees Homes  and single-family homes by Michael Harris Homes.

The condominiums are in four-story buildings situated in the middle of the community and come in four floor plans.  Each unit has an attached garage, and home sizes range from 1,465 square feet to 1,703 square feet.  Standard features include 9-foort ceilings, a private patio or deck, open floor plans, marble vanities and 5-piece bathrooms.  Prices start in the low- to mid-$200,000s and top out in the $400,000s.  This developer has won more than 30 awards for since 1997 and has been recognized by The Homebuilders Association of Maryland as "Builder of the Year."

The villas are available in three floor plans, and all units have either a one-car or two-car garage, depending on unit location.   Exteriors vary and come in brick, vinyl siding, stone or cedar shake, which lessens any "cookie-cutter" appearance.  Villas built by Craftstar Homes are sold out, but deluxe villas built by Drees Homes start in the high-$300,000s for 2,700 square feet, two stories and three bedrooms with 2.5 baths.   Single family homes start in the mid-$300,000s.   Call (703) 462-9150 for information or visit the website.

Residents here enjoy a lovely setting.  The community stretches along a one-acre lake with fountains, and an attractive waterfall greets all who enter the front gate.  There are fitness trails, four Victorian gardens and two tennis court centers.  The 13,500 square foot Resort Club, also with a Victorian theme, is state-of-the-art and provides a large indoor pool and an outdoor pool, an expansive terrace, an auditorium, a fitness center, a sauna and a business center with a library.   There is a Lifestyle Director on staff, and plenty of clubs and excursions keep residents involved and busy.   An added perk is that Victoria Falls is the home of the University of Maryland’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI).   Central Parke at Victoria Falls has twice been named the Best Active Adult Community in the nation by the National Association of Homebuilders' 50+ Housing Council.

Laurel (population 22,000 with 87,000 in surrounding area) is a quiet, affluent bedroom community where the average home price is $265,000.    The local hospital is Laurel Regional Hospital and there are three other hospitals within nine miles, and two nationally known hospitals, Johns Hopkins and Georgetown University Hospital, are close at hand.   Parks, museums, water activities, fine dining, athletic events and shopping are all within a 30 minute drive;  Laurel itself has a small historic district, but it also has a crime rate above the national average.

The climate in this part of the country has summer temperatures in the 80s with an average of 70% humidity.  Winter temperatures range from the 20s to the 40s.   The area receives 4 inches of precipitation per month on average, some of which is snow.  The skies are cloudy or partly cloudy 60% of the time.

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