Buyers will find two types of homes here.  The Leelanau and the Petosky are condominiums (here they call them "villas") that have three units per building with garages facing the street.  All living is on one level, and prices range from $160,990 for 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, 1,285 sq. ft. and a 2-car, attached garage to $173,900 for a similar unit with 300 extra square feet.  Exteriors are brick and vinyl siding; kitchens come with tile or hardwood flooring, maple cabinetry and Corian countertops.  Homeowners will also appreciate doors with levers (instead of knobs), 9-foot ceilings, ADA-approved rollover thresholds, first-floor laundry rooms, full-size bathroom mirrors, an emergency-assistance flash button in the foyer and a tray ceiling in the master bedroom.  All condos come completely landscaped, and monthly HOA fees are $249. Call 734-783-0535 for more information.

Detached, single-family residences come in five floor plans and have prices starting at $200,990 for the Charlevois which has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, a den, a large great room (because what is the point of a small great room), a breakfast nook, a first-floor laundry/mud room, 1,539 square feet and a 2-car garage.   The most expensive of these homes is the Grand Haven ($267,990), a 3 bedroom, 2 bath dwelling with 2,450 square feet, a 2-car garage, a covered patio, a breakfast nook and butler's pantry, a den and a master bath with dual vanities.  This is the only model with 3 bedrooms.  All floor plans are open and airy, designed to let in lots of natural light.   These homes also have fully landscaped yards.  Available lots for new homes are dwindling, but the development has a small inventory of resale homes, most of which are selling at or near the same price as their model home counterparts.   The monthly HOA fees for the single family homes are $183 per month.

The showpiece of Bridgewater is the Landmark Lodge, a 15,000 square foot recreation center and clubhouse where residents enjoy an Olympic-size indoor pool and an outdoor pool, and for those with many friends, a 12 person indoor hot tub.  There is also a double-sided fireplace, a sunroom, a lounge with a plasma screen TV, a large kitchen, a lending library, a craft center, a business center with Internet access and a state-of-the-art exercise room.  

This community has a "lifestyle director" who oversees all classes, clubs and social activities to ensure that residents stay active and involved.  Some retirees may feel, however, that they do not need their lifestyle directed and will find their own fun on the community's tennis courts, putting green or by strolling along 10 miles of walking trails.    Bridgewater also has its own park with bocce ball courts and a pavilion that hosts concerts, as well as a 4-acre stocked lake and acres of surrounding wooded terrain and greenbelts.

Nearby Detroit offers an array of cultural and recreational opportunities, from visiting the Motown Historic Museum to attending a Detroit Lions' football game.   There are eleven area golf courses and two large shopping malls within 20 minutes of Bridgewater.   Lovely Ann Arbor, 20 minutes west, is home to even more restaurants and shopping and provides access to the University of Michigan's extensive theater and athletic offerings.    As for medical facilities, the Henry Ford Downriver Medical Center is just 4 miles from Bridgewater, and the New Henry Ford Brownstown Medical Center with its new cardiac unit is just 2 miles away.

Residents of Michigan either live in a city or in a township, of which Brownstown is one (more than half of Michigan's citizens live in townships).  The Township has a crime rate that meets the national average and has a strong seniors program with a number of services, including a transportation program, a travel program, a program that helps seniors with chores around the house and a program that stays in daily touch with homebound seniors, etc.

The climate  here is what some would call chilly, maybe even cold.  Summer high temperatures average in the 70s and winters are characterized by temperatures in the teens and 20s with 8 to 10 inches of snow per month.   The sun shines 40% (winter) to 60% (summer) of the time, and the area experiences an average humidity of 70%.