Welcome to Topretirements.com, where active adults 55+ can find their best place to retire

May 13 — A report from Arizona State University’s Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness brought some welcome good news to the Arizona market for active adult communities recently. The school found that price drops in the area of over 30% helped spur increased sales in retirement communities among snowbirds during March.

The areas experiencing the largest sales activity are in the West Valley - where the newer towns of Surprise, El Mirage and Goodyear are located. Apparently sellers’s willingness to drop prices has at last been met with some interest by buyers. The older, more established communities of Glendale, Peoria and Avondale have seen more price stability and lower sales volume.

April 15 — Imagine a town where a surprising number of residents have 2 golf carts - and only 1 car. Where the supermarket and high school have special golf cart parking lots. And where 72 of the 80 motor vehicles reported stolen last year were golf carts. That’s Peachtree City, Georgia, one of America’s largest planned communities -a perfect active adult community for many.

Peachtree City is located about 25 miles south of Atlanta. Along with its 90 miles of golf cart paths it has 3 golf courses, where at least some carts get driven on terra familia. It has four separate villages: Aberdeen, Braelinn, Glenloch and Kedron. Each of the villages has its own shopping areas, recreational facilities, and elementary schools. The community also boasts four swimming pools, a soccer complex, tennis center, fields for just about every sport imaginable, aquatic center, and even a BMX track. Neighbors from other towns come to enjoy cultural events at its 2,500-seat amphitheater. This is a master planned community available to people of all ages, so there is not only a senior center (The Gathering Place) but also a teen center, along with numerous parks and playgrounds. Current population is about 35,000. Peachtree City has won numerous community awards, including a feature in the Spring 2008 New York Times Real Estate Magazine.

April 9 — For Sequoya, moving into a 55+ community in Yuma was “… boy what a mistake!” Similarly, Kimojimo “tried (a community in FL), lasted 9 months, and couldn’t WAIT to get out!” Yet Bill55, who worked for years for Del Webb, “… met countless people who had no intention of living in an adult community. But for one reason or another they decided to give it a shot and I would see them around the community day after day taking part in all sorts of activities. At least 95% of those people said that moving there was the best decision of their life!”

Active adult communities are for many people, while others will be happier living in the traditional type of community. Topretirements has just written a “Tips and Picks” article, “Is an Active Adult Community Right for You”, that uses quotes from actual people to try to pinpoint the pluses and minuses of active adult communities, so as to help others figure out what their retirement living decision should be.

The people who say that they love living in their active adult communities are attracted for about 5 basic reasons:

Active lifestyle and activities

Easy social life

Low maintenance

Getting away from teenagers (or being with people their own age)

Finding a community that’s right for them

All inclusive lifestyle and conveniences

Meanwhile, the people who hate the thought of living in active adult communities have plenty to say about why they feel that way.

The biggest negative by far is Home Owners Associations (HOAs). For many, having some one else tell them how to live just isn’t acceptable

Incompatible neighbors and aspirations. Several people commented that older retirees aren’t willing to spend on necessary improvements, so communities don’t improve

Too many restrictions and rules (See HOA)

Boring lifestyle

Prefer to live where they always have

Location - most active communities are remote - that’s where the cheap land is

Finally, many people had good advice for others when it comes to deciding whether or not to live in an active adult community. We liked this quote a lot: “From my observations 55+ communities do indeed offer a great deal - but that is not to say they are for everyone - there are tradeoffs. It seems that more particular/meticulous persons do a bit better in these environs - and those that take advantage of the multitude of activities, not the armchair quarterbacks, are usually more pleased.”

To see the full Tips and Picks article go to Active Adult Communities

March 24 — The stereotype would have you think that the hordes of baby boomers moving into active adult communities can’t wait to move into a smaller house. According to a new study from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), however, the reality is somewhat different.

The study, “Profile of the 50+ Housing Market”, points out that more than 85 million people will be 55+ by 2014. Many will be buying in homes specifically built for 55+ buyers, and these won’t be all that small - the average home will still have more than 2 bedrooms and over 2,000 square feet for living. Yards and other maintenance-requiring items will be downsized, however.

The study found at least one difference between homes built in age restricted communities vs. those for 55+ buyers in general. Homes in restricted communities are less likely to have specialty rooms like dens, offices, or libraries.

Multiple reports in the press agree that buyers in the 55+ market are stronger prospects and thus less affected by the current real estate slump than other home buyers. Boomers tend to have more equity in their homes as well as other substantial assets. Even if they have to sell their existing home for less than it was worth 2 years ago, they can still be comfortable buying a new home. Few need to take out a mortgage or qualify for financing. Most plan on buying a better quality home than they have now.

A recent article in the Arizona Star backs up the conclusion that the market for active adult communities is in much better shape than the overall housing market. Insiders quoted there agree that retiring baby boomers are ready to move and they have the resources to make that happen. There is pent up demand for these homes, with the activities and amenities found in these new communities often more important than the homes themselves. More than half of those planning to buy in 55+ communities plan to purchase a home in the same county as where they currently live.

March 18 - Maybe it is the softer market for real estate and active adult communities. It could be a bold move to capture market share when many real estate developers are down. Or perhaps it is just an awakening to the possibilities. Whatever the reasons, a number of leading active adult communities have been on an advertising tear lately, placing their ads in venues where they haven’t been seen before.

Leading the charge has been The Villages, the active adult behemoth south of Ocala, FL. Anybody who has been watching golf on network television lately has been exposed to their messages many times by now. In Topretirements’ experience, this is the first time that a retirement community has gone to national television to look for prospects. They also seem to have a big presence at some of the baby boomer websites such as eons.com. (we are waiting for them to see the light and advertise at Topretirements!)

Many other active adult communities are relying on the most successful new media, paid search. Go to any web page having to do with retirement communities or active adult communities, and you will see those nice little ads on the side from Google, Yahoo, and MSN. Lake Ashton, Robson, and Bellavita are some of the leading advertisers we have seen using this media.

The most prolific advertiser of them all is Erickson Communities. Not only do they seem to have an endless stream of press releases and ubiquitous newspapers, but they also have their own retirement TV channel - Retirement Living TV.

Other advertisers are relying on old standbys like newspaper ads, billboards, and direct mail.

What does this all mean for you, the baby boomer who is looking for the right active adult or over 55 community? Other than being an interesting phenomenon, we think that all this new advertising says that active adult communities have arrived as a big business. It is also a statement that the big players are open for business, eager to court and attract you as a potential buyer. So it’s a good way for you to find out about the best places to retire, right from your armchair.

Here’s how to get information about how to advertise at Topretirements

February 28 - If you are a person that likes to be active, have we got the place for you! It’s The Villages in north central Florida. Spread over a 5 X 12 mile site, there is plenty of room for just about everything. In fact it has so many facilities it is exhausting just to try to list them all.

Topretirements toured this hyper-active retirement community in early February, 2008. We were very impressed with everything we saw as well as its impressive statistics - 60,000 residents, 33 golf courses, 9 churches, 8 country clubs, polo pavilion, plus every sport and activity known to mankind. Here is a link to our complete report on The Villages

One of the primary drivers of where people choose to retire is the ability to be near loved ones. Often the perfect choice is a home that is close, but not too close, to those loved ones.

Now the over 55 community industry is joining in on that trend. One of their answers is to be seen in Victoria Park in central Florida near DeLand. This huge development is truly multi-generational, with traditional single family homes. Victoria Gardens also includes a special section, Victoria Gardens, which is a gated and age-restriction community within the overall development. A recent USA Today article described how extended families are enjoying this new mixed generation approach to living. Several families are profiled in the article, and all seemed pleased with the ability for families to see each other frequently. Grandparents were happy to be able to interact with their grandchildren, and adult children were reassured to be near their aging parents. Best of all, this contact is possible without being so close that privacy and the ability to live separate lives were not precluded.

September 22 — When talking about retirement communities we can’t tell you how many times we’ve heard baby boomers comment about how much they admire the traditional kind of town. You know, one with a central downtown; the kind of place where you can walk or bike to just about everything. A place with sidewalks and front porches. A community for retirement that does NOT: require a car to drive everywhere for everything, or is filled with people of only one age or interest.

Traditional Town of Charleston SC

This type of town is being recreated by many developers. It even has a name - the “New Urbanism” - and an acronym - TND (Traditional Neighborhood Development). Jan Cullinane has just written a Featured Article in our Tips and Picks Section on this very topic. If this is your dream, her article has some great links and wonderful ideas how to pursue it. Check out: Yearning for a Traditional Town in Retirement - Check Out the New Urbanism

Madison CT — August 15 — Topretirements has been curious to see which towns and cities its visitors are most interested in learning more about. The results offer significant insight into what active adults think are the best towns to retire to. The top profile is generally: small town or city, Sunbelt location, vital downtown, usually with a college or university in town.

Asheville North Carolina Scenery

Here are the top 10 most popular retirement towns as tallied by Topretirements.com:

1. Asheville, NC
2. Paris, TN
3. Old Saybrook, CT
4. Oxford, OH
5. Sarasota, FL
6. Halifax, Nova Scotia
7. Prescott, AZ
8. Green Valley, AZ
9. Athens, GA
10. Winston-Salem, NC

North Carolina and Arizona each had 2 towns in the Top 10. The only 2 communities not in the Sunbelt were Old Saybrook, CT and Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada). Arizona is the only state west of the Mississippi to be represented on the current list. Visits were tallied between January 1 and August 1, 2007.

To a certain extent this survey is more about people’s pre-conceptions about where they would like to retire than where they actually might put down their roots. Certain towns and cities (like Paris, TN or Athens, GA) have good word of mouth about their retirement desirability. While other towns are probably just as attractive because of their amenities, cost of living, and climate (e.g.; Leesville, LA or Las Cruces, NM) – without a strong marketing buzz they have to fight harder to get a share of the lucrative retirement market.

Links:
Topretirements news about the best active adult retirement communities
100 Best Places to Retire
Certified Retirement Communities
CNN Money Magazine Best Places to Retire

August 11 (Updated Feb 20, 2008)– So far 5 U.S. states have embarked on programs to identify certified retirement communities as part of their economic development plans. This article will provide a list of the certified retirement communities in those states.These states are all in the south - Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky, and West Virginia. In total about 50 communities have been certified (in West Virginia they are “designated”) - although the exact number is hard to verify.

How successful are these programs?
The idea behind these programs seems sound. Set minimum standards that communities have to follow to make sure they are attractive to active adults in retirement, then generate publicity to steer retirees (and their fat wallets) to those towns. But it is difficult to tell how successful these programs have been so far. What is easy to say is that some states seem to be doing a better job of it than others. On some state retirement websites, for example, it is hard if not impossible to find a list of the certified communities for that state.

The Lists by State:
Kentucky Certified Retirement Communities:
Kentucky has identified 8 certified retirement communities. Their website works well and has links to each community.
- Glasgow
- Danville
- Campbellsville
- Madison
- Maysville
- Murray
- Morehead
- Richmond.

Louisiana Certified Retirement Communities
The name of the program is “Redefine Life. Retire in Louisiana. Certified Retirement Community”. It is a program that recognizes places in Louisiana that the state substantiates as premier locations for retirees aged 55 and older. Recently 7 communities were chosen as certified retirement communities.

Mississippi Certified Retirement Communities
This state has done the best job of certifying towns - there are 21 of them. Unfortunately Mississippi’s website is very slow - you can find out the list of towns if you are willing to wait several minutes for the page to load. The program is run by the Dept. for Aging and Independent Living Retirement Communities:
Hattiesburg
- Aberdeen
- Booneville
- Brandon
- Brookhaven
- Clinton
- Columbus
- Corinth
- Laurel
- Madison
- McComb
- Meridian
- Mississippi Gulf Coast
- Nathchez
- Oxford
- Picayune
- Southaven
- Starkville
- Tupelo
- Vicksburg
- West Point

Texas Certified Retirement Communities
The Lone Star State has either certified 6 or 7 retirement communities. In our opinion Texas has done the best job with this program. Like several other states, their website is easy to use. But what sets them apart is the job the certified communities have done with their certification - they have sent out press releases, promoted their sites in online communities like Topretirements.com, and advertised their certifications on their in-house media outlets. Here are the 8 towns/counties:
- Lufkin
- Athens
- Nacogdoches
- Winnsboro
- Duncansville
- Cuero
- San Augustine
- Lufkin

West Virginia Designated Retirement Communities:
Five West Virginia communities have undergone an application process that ensures the community provides the resources and amenities required to be considered as a Designated Retirement Community. They are:
- Morgantown
- Bluefield
- Beckley
- Summers County
- Nicholas County

More Links:
100 Best Retirement Communities
More articles about retirement