Which is Right for You – A 55+ or an All Ages Active Adult Community?

I'm so glad that you did this article as we are researching locations for our next, and maybe final, move. Personally, I favor a 55+ community because I want to meet people in my age group with common interests. My wife doesn't want to be around just "old people". We are age 71 and 65 respectively.

In researching on the 55Places website, I find all of the types of communities you list in the article which was confusing. One of the largest in the DFW area is Robson Ranch Texas. There, only one person has to be age 40 to qualify. I doubt if there are many families with children there as it is pretty remote and the homes are fairly expensive. Another community listed, which has very nice floor plans and is upscale, doesn't have any age restriction. It appears to be targeted to retirees as all the plans are single story and on small lots. It is part of a larger community with access to their amenities but also has its own activity center and pool.

I am anxious for this virus situation to be under control so that we can actively start touring these communities and begin to narrow down our options. However, so far we have only eliminated moving out of the DFW area so we can be near our children, doctors and because of favorable tax benefits.

Note: These comments by Steve were made in response to those made by Jean & Alice, referenced in the article above:

Jean & Alice: Agree with you. We moved into a “55” plus community 13 years ago when I turned “55.” Our last home was on a street with mixed ages. The children, preteens and teens ran wild. They would ride their bikes across our lawn; drop their bikes wherever they please on our lawn and driveway and leave their soccer balls in the garden beds. The teens would have loud, crowded parties and beer bottles were left all over the place by the following morning. And – the parents absolutely didn’t care – “they’re just kids.” And – this was an “upscale” neighborhood. Now – 13 years later – when I tour the old neighborhood – it doesn’t look so “upscale.”

Now, we have an active HOA that ensures all the homes and properties are maintained; generally neighbors are respectful of others (not all); no crime; clubhouse and facilities (which will reopen after the virus is under control); and we have a sense of security. For us, for now – it works however, I know it may not be for everyone.

Larry: Hubby and I are happy with our choice. If an active adult community isn’t for you, don’t live in one. Baskin Robbins didn’t make 32 flavors of icecream without reason. Enough said.
Alice

We live in a community in Arizona that is a master plan with no age restriction, but includes a 55 community. There are amenties for both comminties, gym and pools. Our 55 community HOA pays for both the 55 community and the all age community. The 55 residents are allowed to use the amenties in both communities, but the none age resticted community cannot use the 55 community amenities. Reason is we pay for both community amenities and they only pay for their amenties.
We are so glad as at least 4 to 5 times a year their two pools are shut down mainly for glass being brought or broke near the pool or a small child doesn't wear a swim diaper and poos in the pool. The pools then need to be drained cleaned and sanitizes. The 55 community pools have never been closed.
Also keep in mind some parents let their teenager run wild both at the pools and gym. I have used the none age resticted gym as they have a few machines the 55 community gym does not have. A teen sat texting on the machine not using it as I waited. When he did leave I had to wipe it down before use.

We currently live in a 55+ community and can't wait to leave. We moved here for some quiet (which we usually have) but I'm not sure that the trade off is worth it. It's great to be "active" but only if you're interested in the activities offered. And yes, many activities are held in the evening, not just during the day. One does not always know if a situation is right for them until it has been tried out, and we are too independent for this type of lifestyle. I am so tired of not having any privacy and being on top of my neighbors -- I think we had a couple of senior moments when we made the decision to buy here. Sub par lawn care, shoddy workmanship, residents sniping at each other and forming cliques. We would rather pocket the HOA fee and pay for our own lawn care. Just my 2 cents - I know a lot of people are content here, but it definitely is not for us!

It is so simple: Different strokes for different folks!!!

And the option doesn't have to be between a planned 55+ community or a mixed age neighborhood - there are other options! I retired north to Ohio to be near family. I purchased a cluster home in a neighborhood with 80 or so houses, ranging in size from 1,400 to 3,000+ sq. feet. We can't fence yards, since the HOA owns all the property outside our own patios & sidewalks -- including two ponds with fountains and wooded areas. We're within 5 miles of an upscale shopping area with restaurants and a small theatre, a library, a hospital and medical offices, banks, a public golf course, senior & community centers including a massive luxury pool & gym that rivals LA Fitness (although there's one of them too), a park with walking trails, three grocery stores and more. Despite having so many nearby amenities, this winter I saw deer and a coyote from my windows. For $200/mo, our HOA does the yard and tree maintenance, snowplowing, shovels sidewalks, cleans gutters and washes exterior windows 1X a year, maintains a wall and an unmanned gatehouse separating the neighborhood from the road, and maintains gas lanterns outside each home. We have a healthy reserve even with the low HOA fee, but do have to comply with exterior restrictions to keep the neighborhood looking the same. The cluster homes have 1st floor master bedrooms, gas fireplaces, two car garages, basements, and more. They were originally sold about 20 years ago starting in mid-200s. Lately resales have been from $250K to 400K for the larger units. Resales occur in a day to 3 weeks. Mine was very 80s, so I did have to do a lot of updating. When I went to my 1st HOA meeting, I discovered that all of my neighbors were retired. Apparently young families want yards for dogs & kids, or a playground - and singles want high rises overlooking Lake Erie or downtown restaurants near the concert venues and other fun stuff. Even though I didn't intentionally choose a 55+ community, I ended up in one. Well, you know what they say...tell God your plans & listen to her laugh at you.

As a postscript, for what it's worth, this is one of the homes (currently for sale - I don't know why it hasn't been snapped up). A realtor in your desired area will certainly be able to let you know if there's anything similar that seems to appeal to retirees, if you don't want a planned community but would like mature neighbors. https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/3687-Princeton-Pl_Westlake_OH_44145_M49181-90779?view=qv

Can your grandkids visit and use the amenities in a 55+ community? What if they want to stay a month?

Can you rent out your place If you only use it as a seasonal?

Kate, do they have anything smaller in your complex? It is a lovely home as shown but too large for me, just one person. It is well maintained by your HOA and I am sure that you love living there by your comments. Cleveland is not for everyone, but I have at least two patients that have relocated there from Bethesda. One is a lawyer that lives in Shaker Heights now. I went to college in Columbus, Ohio and my parents have a home in a little town north of Dayton, close to the Indiana state line and they like it a lot. The costs are certainly a lot less than many other places one could retire. They travel a lot since there is not a lot going on where they live.

Hi Jennifer. There are smaller homes in the neighborhood but they don't seem to come up for sale very often. I agree that the one listed currently for sale is too big for one person -- I have a similar home and wish I had been able to wait for a smaller one. This was just an example though. By the way, there is a completed Pulte 55+ Sun City development in North Ridgeville, OH), about 20 min. away, which has a wide range of options. I've noticed that the homes there also sell very fast. I considered the Columbus area briefly, and noticed they have some cluster homes too. I suspect this housing option is growing in popularity between retirees and busy professionals who want a single family home but don't want to deal with landscapers or other property upkeep.

One of the things that we frequently find interesting at Topretirements is the misunderstanding that a lot of developers have about their own markets. We will get a call from someone from a community that says - please take down the review you have of our community at Topretirements.com - we are not a 55+ community! As in, very outraged that someone would consider the property as 55+, even though our reviews state whether a community is 55+ or all ages. The point being, almost every development that has amenities that appeal to retirees or near-retirees - like clubhouses, fitness centers, tennis and pickleball courts, walking trails - is going to attract people who are in their 50s and older. In many cases if the developers did a census they would find that their communities already have a majority of owners who are not that young.
Our goal has been to list reviews of as many communities as possible that might appeal to the Topretirements audience, which is overwhelmingly 50+. We know you want choices, and are confident you will choose one that fits what you are looking for.

We had a great comment from Nancy about some issues she is experiencing in a new HOA. We moved it to this article as a better fit and where there is more information and help.
https://www.topretirements.com/blog/real-estate/what-you-need-to-know-when-the-hoa-takes-over-from-the-developer.html/#comment-312770

Always consider the age of a 55+ active adult community. For example, the first community of this type, Sun City Arizona, began in 1960, and the median age is now 73 (median, not average age). Once people move into an active adult community, they generally stay and age in place. I suggest that people thinking about moving into a 55+ community look at how long it's been around for two reasons - the median age, as well as the ease of meeting people and forming new friendships in a well-established community. Yes, you want to be sure it's viable and the infrastructure is there, but you also want to establish relationships.

Jan Cullinane, author, The Single Woman's Guide to Retirement (AARP/Wiley)

Have a look. Fawn Lake in Frederickbsurg is where I live. The place is a mixed-age community gem that your readers might enjoy reading more about. And now that we’ve been retired for a while we’ve developed a much better appreciation for what we have. So, why consider leaving, you ask? It comes down to; the need to downsize our living quarters; the quest for warmer winters (me); and the amazing growth in the area - including rush our traffic. Fredericksburg is ideally located between DC and Richmond on I-95 and there’s lots of history here too, including 3 major hospitals. Every time we venture out to look at another community we realize it would be like taking what we have and moving it elsewhere – including traffic. My quest to find what we have without Golf is headed nowhere. My only hope is that we’ll eventually find our way to Spruce Creek in Florida and find a Summer escape in a cooler northern state.

My wife and I are interested in exploring life in a master planned community, but we are stuck right now because of corona virus. We don't want to fly anywhere, and driving over a several day period isnt very appealing. Has anyone had any luck exploring communities virtually - talking with sales people, viewing the amenities, checking out houses online, etc. It seems like maybe it is possible, and better than not being able to do anything. If anyone can weigh in on this, it would be appreciated. Thanks

Dougl....check out 55 communities online....You can choose the state and then areas within that state. Homes that are for sale both by the builders and people selling. Will give a short overview of the community and amenities. Remember these are a bit of a sales site and may not be totally upto date.

However, we did find our realitor on that site and she assisted us in both community and home.