Walking Trails, Single Level Living, and Social Interaction Top Likes for 55+ Communities

Just wondering what the difference is between a 55+ and an Active Adult Community.
Thanks

Good question Staci. Actually there is generally not too much difference. The big one is that in 55+ communities usually at least 1 member of the household has to be at least 55, and while a younger spouse is almost always OK, not so much for children or grandchildren. An active community connotes there are activities/amenities - such as a pool, clubhouse, swimming pool, etc. On this page we try to explain the differences between all types of these communities http://www.topretirements.com/communities

This article was very interesting, especially since I go back & forth on whether to move to a 55+ community (but I'm running out of time since would like to put retirement plans into effect in a year or so). I live very close to a large Sun City, and shop in the same stores. I see the residents in our library and little shopping mall, and envy their cute little golf carts parked at the drugstore, grocery store etc. In the past year I've met residents with widely different opinions. I've met a few people who complain that the community is full of cliques, everything has an extra charge, and that the construction of the homes isn't great. I've met others who say that they've met lots of people in their community, and enjoy socializing every day!

I wonder about whether my home investment would be reasonably safe, or whether there will be a glut of 55+ homes when the baby boomers die off so that I might have to sell at a loss if I every have to give up the home (or if my kids would have to dump the property someday). I also wonder whether I'd really use those great amenities that I'd be paying for with the HOA fee, or whether I'd be better off having that money for discretionary spending. I wonder if I really want to live in an age restricted community. Yes, I do realize that my 35 yr old neighbors may be older at heart than retirees. And then there's the issue of how most of the 55+ communities that I've seen have houses so close together too. My hearing and sight isn't gone yet, so I really don't want to hear the neighbors flush their toilets and I'm sure they wouldn't want to hear me blasting 70's rock music. I've seen some 55+ community newsletters, and worry about the pressure on residents to donate money and time to particular charities, or to join everything. On the other hand, it looks like they sometimes get offered special discounts as a neighborhood, and a good social director can keep things interesting.

I would love to see a forum for the pros and cons of 55+ communities.

Kate - You make some really good points. As a single woman, I think a lot about moving to a 55+ community for the social aspect but I've heard a lot of the negatives you mention (though I hadn't heard about being pressured to donate time and money to particular charities - that would be a huge turnoff to me. I get enough of that at my current job).

I too would like to read more on this issue, especially from people who have wrestled with the decision.

Kate and Carol,

We do have a Blog article "Is an Active Adult Community Right for You" Which you will find very informative along with the comments which follow.

http://www.topretirements.com/blog/active-adult-communities/is-an-active-adult-community-right-for-you.html/#more-8594

You can also post any questions you might have.

One of my top two or three requirements would be a modern, well funded and -staffed library. Nobody else reads?

Basil, I am an avid reader and library user. My local library has a nice big budget for books, but a 55+ community may not. I've been an ebook (Kindle) reader for years. I love being able to load my reader with many, many books and take it with me anywhere. My library has ebooks that I can borrow by downloading them onto my reader. Amazon has a lot of free books available for permanent "purchase" as well. It also has a Kindle Owners Lending Library. That said, many 55+ communities have public libraries nearby, so it's another criterion you might add to your list while searching for a community.

Basil and Libran, I totallly agree. I loved my local library in LaGrange, NY; and am now enjoying the library in Jonesborough, TN. We all take for granted that libraries are free, but it didn't have to work out that way. They could have been like museums and concerts charging a fee for entrance. I, for one, am so glad our society developed in this fashion and that we have free use of our libraries and their resources. And if anyone states that our tax dollars pay for libraries (thus they are not free), i can state that tax dollars often also support museums, theater, and concerts; but most of these venues usually do not offer free admission. I am so thankful for our county's local library system.

I love surveys for general knowledge per subject. For 300+ to respond was pretty good for results. My newest interest is facebook as a means of neighborhood communication. Yeah, all is not well in lala-land but maybe positivity will help. From FB I am able to read other community postings. This is offered for those wanting to get the 'pulse' of a community.

In all the years I have been reading all your articles and trying to prepare to move to Florida when I retired, and finally did last year, I can't recall every seeing a topic covering what I really need. That is a gated stick built home community with just a few amenities, like a pool and a clubhouse . My actual concern is HOA fees. I can actually afford a lot of homes in the many advertised, large and beautiful communitys I see, but I don't want to subsidize large multi golf course places, with huge extravagant club houses. Most have hoa fees 300 to 500 a month pluss and usually always go up over time. Being retired I want to keep my costs low, without sacrificing a nice sized home and neighborhood.
So many places have affordable homes, 150's to 250's, but adding on a yearly hoa fee of $4000 and up a year make this undesireable to me. Not sure if I got my message across right, but an article of communities (not mobile homes or small manufactured homes) with less amenities and extra costs would be appreciated.
Thanks for your great website, as I have learned so much from it over the many years!
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(This Comment came in from Mike)

Mike, I too would be interested in less ammenities and very low HOA fees. I previously owned time shares and they were notorious for jacking up the yearly maintenance fees and the special assessments has put a sour taste in my mouth. The yearly maintenance fees WERE supposed to cover everything at the resort but somehow they always came up short and we had to fork over more money to fix the pool, to fix the roof, to refurbish parts of the resort. I don't want to get into that situation again. We also had bought into brand new timeshares that shouldn't have needed such repairs but we heard that they used the wrong amount of chemicals in the pool which ruined it. The roof had clay tiles, so no idea why it needed repaired, refurbishing is understandable, but should have been part of the yearly maintenance fees.

We are also looking for a similar community pet friendly and with lots of walking trails. We have no interest in a golf community or being near one for the green views. It looks like we will search for a smaller home with property for privacy.

Hello March 20, 2017 Admin and Mike. Thanks for posting this because I totally AGREE with Mike about the very expensive HOA's and how MANY of us do NOT want either the golf courses all together, nor the large elaborate ones. Basically, we are looking for a nice, one-level, small house with a nearby Club House (not a huge extravagant one) and a pool in a safe 55+ community neighborhood in FL ... and with the convenience of having a nearby shopping area as well is very appealing. In my experience it appears that there just are not enough of these types of communities in FL. Many of us are downsizing and want to lead a more financially stress-free life too without the very expensive monthly HOA's, such as Mike states, because that is the deal-breaking struggle that prevents us and scares us from moving. I have been researching many areas in FL but of course maybe I have missed the less expensive locations. So far, the closest I can come to finding such a community only happens in the mobile home areas ... and honestly, some of them are very appealing and may just be where we purchase and ultimately move into. I would welcome any suggestions as to "stick built communities" I may not be aware of ... so thank you. I love and appreciate this blog with so many helpful people commenting !!

One 55+ community without a golf course is "Sweetwater" near Jacksonville Florida. Has other amenities, but for those not wishing a golf course, it's a possibility.

Another one is in Naples florida HOA right now is around $830.00 a quarter. They only have a swimming pool. The places run about 120 to 160K. The building was built in 86. Most people are from Massachusetts. Walking distance to Walmart, and other shopping, and a few restaruants. 2 miles from 5th av or tin city. A bunch of snowbirds. The
name of the place is Sunrise III off Palm Drive in Naples.

Thank you for providing so much information for us. One of the things I consistently run across in my search of retirement communities is that the houses are too big. I don't need more than 1000 sq ft. Most houses are significantly bigger, with 2 floors. I am surprised they haven't downsized more or at least offered smaller options. And I liked what a couple of folks said - being allowed to have fences for dogs and gardens.

I would be interested in low HOA homes in southern states but not FL. Manufactured homes have always interested me but the parks put the homes too close to each other and the lot rent is not cheap! Some are over $600 a month (some less) but at $600 a month that is $7,200 a year. You can pay taxes on a home on an acre of land in some places and probably in some cases pay less tax. My friend lives in a Mobile Home park and has to pay extra for each pet and is limited to two animals. The pool is a nightmare and full of kids all summer (think Disneyland). It is not an age restricted Mobile Home park. She has never used the pool. She also has to pay for grass mowing, snow removal and water. I think sewer is included. My friend pays about $550 a month and each year it goes up.

My comment is regarding finding 55+ communities that are not built around golf courses and fancy clubhouses in Florida. There are actually quite a few but since they don't charge the big bucks they also don't have the advertising budget the fancy ones have. I can think of a couple here in Delray Beach that I have friends living in and I know there are more. What you really need to do is decide on where in Florida you want to live. Then focus on the cities in that area and work with a local realtor. They know what communities are 55+ and if they don't, move on to find one that does. No, I'm not a realtor. I just know that unless you find someone local to work with you'll never find the smaller communities. Most are a little older so you won't find them on this type website. Also, if you aren't familiar with Florida lingo, ask about a "villa". Usually it will be something like a duplex or quadplex but the key here is that it usually means one story rather than a townhouse which most often is two levels. I didn't have a clue when I first moved here. I figured only rich Italians lived in Villas!!

I've noticed a lot of conversations about high HOA fees in various communities. Many have talked about living in the Wilmington NC area but I found the housing prices to exceed $300k in the communities that were of interest to myself and my wife. I would vacation in Myrtle Beach SC every year and decided to investigate living there permanently when I retired. We researched a number of communities and fell in love with The Tuscany resort in Myrtle Beach just off Hwy 501. It is close enough to downtown to get to the beaches (about 10 minutes) and far enough away to avoid the beach crowds in the summer. We purchased a home in June and moved in in November. The delay was due to hurricane Matthew, not because of damage, but due to workers evacuating and the electric company paying more attention to restoring power in the downtown area. The development had very little damage. The development has both 55+ and all age sections. We happened to pick the all age area due to the location close to the club house. It has a large pool and lazy river and they are supposed to build an additional pool. The property used to be the Belle Terre golf course that DR Horton purchased and leveled to build homes. It has natural gas for heat and cooking and our HOA fees are $117/mo. The 55+ HOA is $100 more but you get free lawn care and lawn watering for the extra $100. Monthly utilities are about $65 each for gas and electric and I am told this doesn't change during the summer. If you don't like the beach traffic and are over 65 you can get an annual state park pass for $67 which gives you free parking and beach access at Myrtle Beach and Huntington State Parks that are about a 20 minutes drive away. People complain about the traffic in the summer but we came from a town in NJ that has traffic year round and would take us 15 minutes just to get out of town. We are also pleased that the real estate taxes are less that 1/10 of what we were paying in NJ. Come down and see for yourself

Has anyone experience with places like Fairfield Glade in Tennessee? Or Telico Village in Tennessee? I have mostly been looking at homes and communities in the Greenville, S. Carolina area, but Tennessee looks good too. Those HOA fees are pretty high, and the thoughts of them increasing every year puts the breaks on for me. Do they have caps? Who governs how high they go? I am on a very tight, fixed income, and do not want to move to a place that I will be unable to afford in 5 years, and have to move all over again!

I would like to join the vast number of people who have commented on the "Adult" communities and the over abundance of overpriced Golf courses, swimming pools, clubhouse etc that really serve a very few people but allow the developer to make huge profits after the home sale.

Are there nice communities in South Carolina that have homes in the 200K -330K range with decent size lots, a lake access or river, walking trails and other forms of free recreational amenities? I really don't care to pay some developer a big bonus every month on top of my house payment.

Not sure if any of you posters, above, are interested in NC; but there is a beautiful mountain community in Collettsville (near Lenoir) called The Coves Mountain River Club. HOA fees are very low; last i heard high 700's. Homes are high, though, mid-300's and up; although their site advertises them at a lower price. Lenoir is a lovely town, as well.

Just because a community has a golf course doesn't mean that you would be paying for it in your HOA fees. I live on a golf course lot but the club is private and entirely separate from the HOA. There are also communities like the nearby Robson Ranch active adult community where they have a golf course but it is a public course. Again, not supported by HOA fees. Check to see if the amenities in the community are part of the HOA fees before you rule out that development.

Swimming pools, Clubhouse ( a place to meet new friends) , Gym ( To keep fit ) most People want ! I would pay for these amenities. I do not Golf but most communitys you do not pay if you don't join plus you get a beautiful view.

Here's an alternative view on communities. I too looked at some of these mega things. Mostly I didn't care for the locations out in the countryside. I don't golf, although usually that's separate. I had no need to pay someone to sit at a gate all day. If the bad guys want to get in, they will just enter some other way.

Here's what I finally bought after a lot of looking. A condo in a small association (16 units) on a major canal with direct access to the river and the gulf. Reasonably priced. Came with a community pool. The larger community (the city) offers pools, golf courses, all sorts of classes, many gyms, activities, opportunities to volunteer, a library, a beach, lots of restaurants, etc., etc. I visited several times before I made an offer (I was in a 6-month rental, so had the luxury of time). Every time I came over, the residents were outside visiting with one another and they made me feel welcome before I was even a resident. I don't regret for a minute giving up the larger gated, exclusive community concept.

Linda: Would you mind giving the name and location of the condo you bought? Thanks.

Patte and others looking in Florida. We have been searching for a couple of years for a smaller place. At first I thought we wanted the large communities with all the glitz. Recently we came to the reality that we don't golf, don't use a ball room, didn't want a high hoa, etc., and started re-looking at smaller communities with low hoa's. In the Lake Wales to Sebring area we found several nice communities that fit that description. If all goes well we will be closing on a home in late April.

Judy, I am reluctant to furnish that much information on a public message board. My condo is located on a canal in Cape Coral, Florida. There are over 400 miles of canals in Cape Coral and hundreds if not thousands of such condo complexes. If you're interested in Cape Coral, I can refer you to a good realtor. Chuck and Randi Lombardo. Their e-mail is FLHouses4Sale@gmail.com. I would recommending renting here first while you look around to see if you like the community. I can also refer you to a nice rental at a very reasonable price for 6 months if you provide your contact information.

Linda: Thank you for realtor and rental info; not sure about plans in the near future but will leave contact info if interested later..

Linda, I am a divorced, now single, woman and I am looking for a smaller community, but I want it to be updated. I agree that paying for amenities that one does not or may not use makes no sense. I want it to be somewhat upscale but not loaded with golf courses and not too far from a grocery store and other activities so that I can walk it if possible. Many thanks for your description of your community. I think a lot of us would like such a situation. Welcoming, friendly, neighbors make a nice community no doubt about it.

Jennifer, Cape Coral is not particularly walkable. With all the canals, it's sometimes tough to get from point A to point B by car! The park where I play bocce is almost directly across the canal from me so I could walk, but that lovely canal is in the way. :-) There are some condos that are within walking distance to a grocery store, but I would not describe them as upscale. Or necessarily updated. You can get upscale and updated by the river, but it will be very expensive and you will have to pay flood insurance. I prefer my nice ordinary condo. It has been updated, but there are things I will be changing over time.

Linda,

I, too, am divorced and looking to become a snowbird this winter, spending summers at my lil place in Wells, Maine, and winters on the Gulf Coast.

Your community sounds ideal, and I would be most appreciative if you would share with me the info on the affordable 6 month rental you mentioned in your recent posting. My email is: Dmsd200@aol.com.

Thanking you in advance for your assistance,
Diane

Diane, you've got mail.

To all thinking of moving near the beach or anywhere in a flood plane. Hurricane insurance is a requirement, Flood insurance is a requirement not covered by Hurricane insurance, then there is your regular home owners insurance.

I live in Boca Raton FL about 1 mile from the ocean. This insurance easily cost me 400 per month on top of my usual expenses. My home is valued at around 450K

If you buy a home purchased prior to 1987 your rates can be increased as much as 25% per year
Just something to think about if you are retiring on a fixed income.

Ron is right about the cost of flood insurance being high in Florida (or anywhere else) if you're in a flood plain. As I've mentioned before, if you're in a condo on the 2nd floor or above, you usually don't need flood insurance. So that helps quite a few retirees who aren't wealthy.

Hello Clyde
That may be so, but often the cost of flood insurance is reflected in the regime fee which covers the entire structure. It pays to investigate and do due diligence.

Linda, can you send me your email address? I would love to speak with you about your community.

Thanks,
Jennifer

The cost of flood insurance for my beachfront condo building is included in my condo fees. My mortgage company requires that I submit verification of flood insurance coverage to them every year. If I did not submit this proof, they would take out their own flood policy on my unit at a very inflated cost and bill me for it.

Flo, you are right that many condos, especially high rises, have the building flood insurance built into the overall HOA fee. I expect my comment about no flood insurance needed on second floor or above applies mainly to contents (personal property) insurance coverage. If you're in a ground level unit - and maybe even the second floor of you're very close to water - you need to check to see if your contents insurance, which is similar to renters' insurance, would cover flood damage. I expect it usually doesn't. But I also expect quite a few condo owners do not carry contents insurance. It depends on how much your personal property is worth. And condo owners should also seriously consider personal liability insurance because the main HOA policy probably doesn't cover all liability exposure for individual owners.

Jennifer, there is no private message capability on this board. Where should I send my e-mail address? You will need to furnish yours.

Re flood insurance: Yes, it would be included in your condo fees which would be appropriately higher. And rising every year. So, another reason to check the flood zone maps before purchasing a condo.

Hi Linda:

My email address is: Jenniferegy2000@yahoo.com. I would love to hear from you about your area in Florida.

Jennifer

We just moved to Gulf Breeze, Fl. from another state. Wow, prepare yourself for sticker shock when you get Fla. drivers licenses and license plates. We are both in our 60's. We just got our (2) drivers licenses and 2 vehicle license plates...one car is 2005 and the other 2015...are you ready? $975.40!! We were really shocked! Anyhow, we love it here!

Editors note: Here are FL fees: It is $225 per car registration fee, plus some other fees such as lien fees, if applicable. For vehicles, if you do not currently have a Florida license plate to transfer to this vehicle, you will pay a one-time $225.00 “new wheels on the road” fee, $2 per lien, plus registration fees depending on the weight of your vehicle—range is from $46.15 to $72.40. Once registered the renewal is $43.10. http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/dhsmv/newflres.html

Don't forget Flood insurance is separate from Hurricane insurance. If you live near the beach both are required

Sharon sent this in looking for suggestions:

I would like to retire to a community with a therapy pool (warm water as in Glenwood Springs, Co). My arthritic bones
Can't tolerate cold water any longer but I would love a public lap pool! Suggestions?

Hi, Linda!
I would also love to hear about your community and the 6 month rental you spoke of in your past message. I am also single, and currently checking out places in Arizona and Florida (Gulf side) as potential retirement destinations.

If you would be willing to add one more to your list, my email address is farmer905@gmail.com

Thank you for your consideration,
Linda F

Thank you

Jennifer and Linda, you've got mail.

Hello,
Most of the above info and comments contained very useful information! We have been trying to locate a viable community in northern California, which has some of the basic social ammenities, small homes OR living units which are near to shopping, food and medical/hospital services, which don't break the bank. And it has proven to be much harder than we thought! Our father (86 years young) is from the "Silent Generation", those born between the early 1920's to 1940s, which is PRE-Baby Boomer. We have toured several supposedly "active" retirement communities which essentially looked like assisted living facilities, with minimal 'activities.' Are there any other viable options for people his age, who are still independent and active which do NOT look and feel like nursing homes? Surely there are other parents like my father, who are very active and still mostly independent, who also continue to enjoy life, but may need support services down the road....??

There are lots of choices in NorCal. Unfortunately, some are expensive. If you include the Gold Country and go up as far as Redding there are even more choices. I lived in Sun City Lincoln, a Del Webb active adult community. It had lots of activities and clubs. These ranged from concerts on the lawn in the summer to excursions and day trips to clubs. Someone told me that over time lots of "active" communities do turn more like independent living as the residents age. If Sun City Lincoln was a good example, many of the residents were definetly aging! Since there were no care services offered by the community, individuals pay for whatever care they require on their own.

I'm still not sure I've got it all figured out, but it seems to me that the order of care offered goes from activie adult type communities which offer none, to "independent living" which usually offer meals and light housekeeping, to "assisted living" which offer more care and assistance but are definitely like "nursing homes" because that's what they are. The creme de la creme are continuous care communities which offer all levels of care under one roof. That means no moving, or at least only a move to a different part of the communities as needs increase.
Eskaton.org has facilities from the central valley to sacramento and the gold country. It would be a good place to start looking. Hope this helps!

After two years of research and visiting multiple 55+ communities (and at times falling in love with a community and then finding myself changing my mind on the 2nd visit), I finally decided that a 55+ community was not for me. The final trigger was a long weekend with a lovely, helpful realtor in one of the larger communities that I was sure was going to be right for me. In fact, I brought my checkbook and thought the visit was to decide between resale homes (planning on retirement within 6 months). My reasons are obviously not going to apply to everyone -- and are not in order. (1) everyone seemed really old. I am not old, and don't plan on being old. I'm 25-30 inside, even though I'm lumpy, dumpy & grumpy on the outside. (2) the community centers were not really being used (except that the pools appeared to be being used by residents' families). (3) my realtor was a widow too, and went on & on about how great it was for all of the women to get together for social activities every day, how many single women were on her street, and how many women's activities there were. She said they go on vacations together and walk in and out of each others homes all the time. I'm an introvert, and worked long hours for 40+ years in a male dominated industry. All this "girl stuff" that she described so happily made me want to hide, but I also don't want to be the outsider in my new community. (4) we passed a few very neglected homes. She said that the residents had died. While the homes were being sold, the HOA fees were being paid by the community (although the community would file a lien for reimbursemet). We also saw 1-2 ambulances. Again, a community composed primarily of elder residents has different issues... the book Leisureville said the local police and fire departments call the elderly residents "croakers". With love, of course. (5) all of the houses looked alike. Same palette of siding, door colors, roof colors, etc. offered by the builders. While this may ensure property values are maintained, I found that I really missed individualization. (6) This was at the end of the summer in one of the Southeast coastal communities. The realtor told me that a large number of residents were seasonal. This explained the light use of the facilities and the ghost town atmosphere (yes, it was hot outside). However, I'd prefer full-time residents committed to the community. (7) I subscribed to the local papers, and picked up several months of community newsletters. The activities that were offered were actually very limited, and weighted towards presentations by financial planners, paid exercise classes and others selling things. (8) I decided that I didn't want to subsidize clubhouses, tennis courts, pickle ball courts, golf courses and other community resources that I wouldn't use (again, introvert). (9) I couldn't imagine a kid (or one of my kid's friends) ever wanting to stay with me if they needed a safe haven in the event of divorce, job loss, etc. I know this is ridiculous, but it did pass through my mind. (9) I overheard some wrangling in a restaurant between residents fighting over a proposed increase in the HOA fee to cover more landscaping of common areas. I can keep going, but you get the idea. I went from thinking 55+ living would be perfect, to realizing it wasn't a match for me. I grasp that every community is different, but ultimately I want the diversity and privacy offered by my own home somewhere else. Now I just have to finalize my choice of city...and I'm surprising myself by considering moving to a more northern state. I never would have imagined returning to the cold when I started planning retirement. Retirement planning is really a voyage of self-discovery, isn't it!

Kate, you bring up some good points! I also worked in a male dominated industry. I always enjoyed eating lunch or socializing with the guys. We always talked about current events, buying electronics and every day events. Not babysitting issues, cranky babies, daycare, and girly issues. Since I had no kids all that stuff was just alien territory for me. I also, see the pros and cons of living in a 55+ community. Less isolation, some places have a ton of activities if you are inclined. But what turns me off is the HOA fees. Even that wouldn't bother me if they were reasonable and didn't go up and up. Had a timeshare for years and seems the owners supported the whole place. Then you get hit with special assessments. When on a fixed income this can be devastating. They had quite a rental business too but not sure where those monies went to. In a way, I do like that there are certain rules to keep people in line. It is amazing how some people will junk up their yards. However, then sometimes the people on the boards get carried away with the rules. If you are looking for activities and are not in a 55+ community maybe you could check out the YMCA, Senior Centers and find places that offer things like pottery making, stained glass, jewelry making, library, church and check out Meetups which are groups of like minded people trying to organize fun things to do such as hiking, biking, crafts, etc.

Kate, thank you for the excellent explanation! It took some time to get your thoughts down on paper and I, for one, really appreciate your effort. I am 64 and retired for two years. My wife (53) and I are looking to get away from the cold NE Indiana winters and in two weeks will spend a week in FL doing discovery for future winter retreats. I thought an active community was just what we wanted but your insight had me imagining what it would be like. You pointed out many things that I would not like and so I will have a different perspective as we travel about FL. FYI, the Carolinas are also on our list of states to visit. I really doubt that we will settle in FL which is why we are going their first, to get it out of the way. Cheers!

Kate, you described perfectly why I'm no longer living in a 55+ community. As a single with no nearby family, it is nice to know that neighbors will help out, but, even tho' they weren't as "neighborly" as the ones you describe, I still didn't enjoy socializing with them very much. The good and the bad, I guess.
I have interests and activities I'm passionate about so I decided to focus on them rather than look to my neighborhood to provide them. I guess a new 55+ development which attracts younger retirees would be ideal. Then everyone would age together (that's what happened at Sun City Lincoln).
I'm now living near family but in a regular apartment complex. Not even close to perfect either. You're sure right that retirement planning is a voyage of self discovery. We have to be flexible and open minded to new ideas and opportunities.

Kate since you mentioned the book Leisureville I thought you were talking about The Villages but then you mentioned it was coastal. Can you say what 55+ you visited?

Carol: I probably visited every 55+ community in Northern FL to upper North Carolina over the last few years - or at least it feels like it. I fell in temporary-lust with a few, but was ready to marry Sun City in Bluffton near Hilton Head. There were many pluses for that community, like its location to the amenities of Savannah while still being able to get to a beach, low taxes, and my belief that a huge community would be more likely to have more options..I still think it's a great community -- just not for me.

We were very hesitant to move into a 55+ community. It sure isn't for everybody, but it has been a wonderful experience for us. I learned to golf and love it. I needed more opportunities for social activities because I had spent so much effort on career development that I had no hobbies. I have dabbled in things at our arts & crafts room. Have taken courses onsite from lifelong learning program. Also, moving from the Midwest to Arizona meant we needed to establish a new network of friends. We don't take advantage of tons of things, but enough to build that new lifestyle, and our community is very friendly and smaller so it works for us. We socialize just enough but haven't gone overboard, just say "NO" when it doesn't interest you. Love the onsite fitness center, pool and restaurant. We are also 20 minutes from city center so we like getting outside of the gates and participate in theater and other events. I always recommend that folks do a 3 month rental when they think they have found the right place. Then you can experience a full season as just a 3 day visit is not long enough to catch the vibe of the community.

I have long thought that isolating retirees and elderly in a 55 plus community is a big mistake. I will only live in a mixed age community. Having too many people of the same age---as they age just limits and stagnates as far as I am concerned. Many people I know look forward to having no young children and teenagers around but I think that life can get boring if one goes that route, although there might be an initial appeal.

I will be wrapping up my employment with an Episcopal Church in Washington, DC Nov 30.as my job was phased out. During the week we have a Wednesday morning service followed by breakfast and a bible study. We have an artist who teaches painting on Tuesday and Wednesdays. We have dinners several times a month with the International Mission group, Mission Group, Men's Ministry group and various others .All this complete with speakers and a lovely catered meal with wine all for a$ 10.00 donation. We have many activities for people who have the time such as the Flower Committee who arranges flowers, and the Altar guild. There are many other churches of other denominations that also have activities for those who have the time or are retired. We even have a group of volunteers that I found essential who stuffed and prepared our newsletter mailings. They called themselves the "Holy Folders", and I cherished their help and provided snacks with coffee and tea. One can find activities outside of home if one looks hard enough. If one is an introvert--I have those tendencies sometimes--then a Church or synagogue is a way to ease into activities at your own pace. You can take your time about joining certain groups that may be of interest...or not. For me walkability is BIG must/plus and I am blessed that I can walk to things from my home as well as have access to a bus and I use UBER a lot. One can get to the free museums and have lunch which is cheaper than dinner--or even better afternoon tea.

I guess is what I am trying to say is that one does not need to isolate themselves in a 55 plus community to enjoy activities and that people of mixed ages nearby can keep you current and younger in your thought process instead of focusing on aches and pains often associated with old age.

My wife and I have made visits to many 55 communities over the last several years. Many new 55 communities are now being build as part of a larger master plan community with single family homes. This helps retailers, restaurants, and medical facilities to want to be near as they are not just relying on a senior community. It is one way builders are trying to rid themselves of the isolation some feel in a 55 community, but still retain their own amenities.

Our experience is that living in a 55+ community does not isolate us. Our place in Delray Beach is in the middle of a great amount of activities nearby and within 30 minutes in Palm Beach and Broward counties. It's basically like living in any condo, but it is considerably quieter and more peaceful here than in non age-specific places. Not much in the way of noisy neighbors, loud cars and vehicles, etc. The average age here is probably 78-80, but because it is independent living and the units open to a covered sidewalk or walkway rather than an interior hallway, the older ages of most people here (I'm 68) never tend to make me feel older because we don't see them that much unless we want to. It is a gated community, and that does keep the place a bit more secure, but mostly it serves to keep the place quieter. I can see how a lot of 55+ places can be isolating, but if you don't want that, pick one that's in the middle of a lot of action. There are plenty of those, especially in southeast Florida, an area which is rarely mentioned in this forum.

I've just finished reading "Leisureville", and I HIGHLY recommend it if you might be even remotely attracted to the lifestyle a 55+ community offers. Clearly, there is no free lunch. At 65+, I keep forgetting that! Potential future financial obligations for people buying into these communities is scary.

Ron

Buying into a new or relatively new 55+ community does represent, as Ron indicates, a step into the unknown in terms of future costs, especially if the development company is not yet out of the picture and is subsidizing current costs. When the developer has transferred it over to the residents to run, then things can get a bit murkier. It might often be best to buy in a development that has run itself for a while - after the developer has handed it over completely. We did that (35-year old community) and have been pleased with the HOA costs. This is our fourth year paying monthly HOA dues and they are actually slightly less for 2018 than when we started. And there have been some nice improvements: New indoor pool and one outdoor pool replaced. New pickleball courts and new bar coded entry for residents, so you don't have to wait to go through the manned lanes. Brand new mini-buses for the transportation system to area shopping, etc. New elevator in our section and significant drainage improvements to drain streets quickly after rains. Buying in a new/newer development can be like buying a pig in a poke, in terms of future costs. My advice: stick with well-run communities that have at least a 10-20 year track record of operating on their own after the development company is gone. Due diligence can't be overemphasized.

Clyde - - Thanks for the info. My wife and I are moving down to Boynton Beach into a new apartment building in a couple months. We are renting to take our time to find a nice place to live. Your community sounds perfect to us. Thanks again for the helpful info on HOA dues, etc.
Bob.

Bob, if you want more info, please contact me at redwind500(at)aol.com. We're just south of Boynton in Delray.