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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
Four Seasons at Hemet, Hemet, California
Hemet is in the San Jacinto Valley, about an hour and a half from Los Angeles, and is the setting for Four Seasons, a guard gated 55+ community with handsome single family homes, a beautiful clubhouse, a swimming pool, a golf course, a bistro, a movie theater, an activities director and more.
Previous Community Reviews
Cypress Falls at the Woodlands, North Port, Florida
North Port is on the Florida Gulf Coast and is the location of Cypress Falls at the Woodlands, a lush, gated 55+ community with Mediterranean style town homes, single family homes, a dog park, a putting green, a large clubhouse, gardening plots and more.
Greenbriar II, Brick, New Jersey
About five miles from the Jersey Shore, Greenbriar II is a leafy, comfortable 55+ community with single family homes, a clubhouse, a swimming pool, planned activities and more.
Village at Tuscan Lakes, League City, Texas
Outside of Houston in southern Texas, League City is the site of the Village at Tuscan Lakes, a stylish 55+ single family home neighborhood with brick/stone homes, a sumptuous clubhouse, a swimming pool, an extensive activities menu, a European flair and more.
Cascades at St. Lucie West, Port St. Lucie, Florida
On the southeastern Florida coast, Port St. Lucie is the site of Cascades at St. Lucie West, a settled 55+ neighborhood within the larger all ages community of St. Lucie West. Single family homes are for sale, and amenities include a golf course, a large clubhouse, an outdoor swimming pool, a manned entry gate, tennis courts and more.
Turtle Rock Resort, Gold Beach, Oregon
Gold Beach is on Oregon's rugged southern coast and is the site of Turtle Rock Resort, a cozy community with direct beach access, a restaurant, a store and colorful cottages.
National Village, Opelika, Alabama Opelika is in eastern Alabama and is the site of National Village, a wooded community with seven villages, lovely single family homes in a variety of architectural styles and 54 holes of golf built around a lake.
Alegria, Bernalillo, New Mexico Bernalillo is in rugged northern New Mexico and is the setting for Alegria, a handsome, gated 55+ community with single family homes, a putting green, a clubhouse, two swimming pools, neighborhood activities, pretty views and more.
Turkey Creek Forest, Gainesville, Florida Gainesville is in northern Florida and is the site of Turkey Creek Forest, a low key, wooded 55+ single family home community with a solar heated swimming pool, shaded tennis courts, a secluded sense of privacy and a reasonable HOA fee.
Seasons at Prince Creek, Murrells Inlet, South Carolina On South Carolina's northern shore, charming Murrells Inlet is home to Seasons, a 55+ neighborhood within the popular all ages development of Prince Creek. Amenities include a large clubhouse, a PGA - TPC golf course, a lifestyle director and more. Single family homes, most with a view of a fairway, water or woods, are for sale.
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.
Outside of Phoenix in southern Arizona, Mesa is the setting for Verde Groves, cozy nicely manicured 55+ community with patio homes, a clubhouse, two heated swimming pools, a greenbelt, quiet streets and more.
Riverwood Golf and Country Club, Port Charlotte, Florida On the southwestern Florida coast, Port Charlotte is home to Rivewood Golf and Country Club, an amenity-rich waterfront community with tennis courts, an 18-hole golf course, a dog park, a private offsite beach club, a junior Olympic-size pool, nature preserves and more.
Preserves at Cumberland Village, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania In bucolic southcentral Pennsylvania, historic Gettysburg is the location of Preserves at Cumberland Village, an intimate 55+ community with single family homes, town homes, a clubhouse, tennis courts, walking trails and plenty of social events.
The Oasis, Menifee, California Menifee is in Southern California and the site of The Oasis, a large, gated 55+ community with single family homes, a clubhouse, an adjacent golf course and grounds dotted with crape myrtles, palm trees and pine trees.
Century Village, Deerfield Beach, Florida Deerfield Beach is on the southeastern Florida coast and is the setting for Century Village, a large, established 55+ condominium community with a wide range of prices. Amenities include two clubhouses, 16 swimming pools, a golf course and more.
Gatherings at Wellington, Manassas, Virginia About an hour outside of Washington, D.C. in northern Virginia, Manassas is the site of Gatherings at Wellington, a stately 55+ condominium community with a clubhouse, tennis courts, walking paths and neighborhood events.
Four Seasons at Gold Hill, Fort Mill, South Carolina Outside of 13,000-acre Lake Wylie in northern South Carolina, Fort Mill is the site of Four Seasons at Gold Hill, an inviting 55+ community with single family homes, town homes, a nice clubhouse, a swimming pool, a garden, tennis courts, a putting green, a bounty of activities and 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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