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"It will be our faces you see, not our backs." ~Volodymyr Zelensky
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Today's Community Review
Eagle's Pointe, Bluffton, South Carolina
On the South Carolina coast, Bluffton is the site of Eagle's Pointe, a pretty community surrounded by golf course fairways and woods. Single family homes are for sale, and residents enjoy a clubhouse, tennis courts, a small lake and more.
Previous Community Reviews
Clearwater Point, Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is on Florida's mid-Gulf Coast and is the site of Clearwater Point, a partly 55+ condominium community nearly surrounded by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico. Amenities include swimming pools, tennis courts, a hot tub and a private beach.
Cecil Pines, Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is on the northeastern Florida coast and is the location of Cecil Pines, a quiet, gated 55+ community on the site of an old air base. Single family homes and duplexes are for lease, and tall, moss-draped trees pepper the grounds.
Sunflower, Fort Collins, Colorado
At the base of the Rocky Mountains in north central Colorado, thriving Fort Collins is the setting for Sunflower, an attractive 55+ modular home community with a clubhouse, a putting green, pickleball courts, RV storage, event gatherings and more.
Westwind RV and Golf Resort, Yuma, Arizona
Yuma is in southern Arizona and is the setting for Westwind RV and Golf Resort, an award-winning 55+ community with a nine hole golf course, a large swimming pool, a long list of events/activities, park models for lease and more.
Sugarmill Woods, Homosassa, Florida
In northwestern Florida, Homosassa is the site of Sugarmill Woods, a lush community surrounded by wildlife. Popular with empty nesters and baby boomers, it has attached and single family homes. Amentities include three golf courses, clubhouses, restaurants, tennis courts and more.
Wild Wing, Conway, South Carolina
Conway is near Myrtle Beach on the northern South Carolina coast and is the setting for Wild Wing, an all ages community that markets to baby boomers. Single family homes are for sale, and amenities include golf courses, an owners' club and more.
Huntington Landmark, Huntington Beach, California
On the Southern California coast, Huntington Beach is a classic beach town and the site of Huntington Landmark, a large, gated 55+ community with town homes, condominiums, two resort-style swimming pools, tennis courts, a putting green and a park-like setting. It is also just a mile from the beach.
Village of Brambles, Southhaven, Mississippi
In northern Mississippi, Southaven is the site of the Village of Brambles, a small 55+ community with stylish town homes. Amenities include a clubhouse and walking paths.
Cascades at St. Lucie West, Port St. Lucie, Florida
On the southeastern Florida coast, Port St. Lucie is the site of Cascades, a settled 55+ neighborhood within the larger, all ages community of St. Lucie West. Mediterranean-style single family homes are for sale, and amenities include a nine hole golf course, a large clubhouse, an outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts and more.
Ocean Ridge Plantation, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina
In the little coastal town of Ocean Isle Beach, Ocean Ridge Plantation is a wooded, gated community with a variety of home styles, five golf courses, a lovely clubhouse, a private beach club and more.
Valencia Cay, Port St. Lucie, Florida
On the southeastern Florida coast, Port St. Lucie is the setting for Valencia Cay, a new 55+ community with pastel-colored single family homes, a spacious clubhouse, a swimming pool, an event lawn, an activities director and much more
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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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