55+ Communities (Middletown, Smyrna: hire, training, agents)

[jeanniebeanie]

We will be moving to Spring Meadow as soon as our house sells. The staff there are great and met the builder twice and he lives in PA. We have a house on hold for us for at least two months more. We can't wait to move to DE and meet some of you also.

[drnorman]

Time for an update after three years of living in Spring Arbor, a plus 55 community in Middletown, DE. Approximately 150 homes are occupied with several more under construction. Two of the people who read these notes here have or are about to sign contracts for purchase. My wife and I are very happy here. I'll try to update what is happening in Middletown.

A new 24/7 emergency room is being built by Christiana Hospital in the east end of town, at the intersection of routes 1 and 299 (299 is the main street for Middletown and bisects the entire town from east to west and connects Middletown to Odessa on the east and crosses into MD on the west).

A new Amazon distribution center is about to open near us, across the street from the Walmart. It is about one million two hundred thousand square feet and will eventually employ over 800 people. it should be a major economic stimulus for this area and improve the price of homes and encourage more home-building.

Route 301 borders the new Amazon site and is our primary north-south road going north to route 95 and south to Annapolis, MD and Washington, DC. There has long been a plan to build a route 301 bypass which would come near to Spring Arbor and take many of the trucks now on 301 out of town via the bypass. Domr people think it will be constructed in the near future. I don't agree. DE does things very slowly and very frugally.

For those interested in driving distances: we are 25 minutes from the main Christiana Hospital which is by far the best hospital in DE; 25-30 minutes from the bridge on 95 into NJ; approximately two hours or less to Washington, DD; about one hour or less to Philadelphia; 45 minutes on a weekday to the beaches at Rehobeth - don't ask about travel there on summer weekends because you will learn to avoid it; and three hours to NY City or less by train from Wilmington (often the least troublesome, least time-consuming choice).

For further details, please email me at drnorman123@gmail.com.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by Goin'2DE

To those of you who are considering a retirement in Delaware...don't hesitate to post your questions here on the forum.

I was recently looking at the web site of KHov 4 Seasons, about the Longacre Village near Dover. I was surprised to see basements advertised. Are there many homes near Dover which have basements? If it's an option, how much do you think an unfinished basement would be? I am assuming the lot allows a walk-out basement.

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by drnorman

we are 25 minutes from the main Christiana Hospital which is by far the best hospital in DE

This would be a good topic for the Delaware forum, and drnorman (Doctor?) could explain that statement from either a physician's prospective, or his negative experiences while a patient at Nanticoke, Bebee, Milford, Kent-Dover (Bayhealth), St. Francis, and Wilmington hospitals, while living in Delaware the past 3 years.

[Goin'2DE]

Originally Posted by goldenage1

I was recently looking at the web site of KHov 4 Seasons, about the Longacre Village near Dover. I was surprised to see basements advertised. Are there many homes near Dover which have basements? If it's an option, how much do you think an unfinished basement would be? I am assuming the lot allows a walk-out basement.

Depending upon the size of the home, I can estimate that the cost of an unfinished basement ranges between $25-$35K and most communities offer the basement option. We have several homes here at Roesville with basements and the homeowners seem very pleased. I have not seen a "walk-out" basement in any of the 55+ communities I have visited. Most have an escape/climb out window. More research is recommended.

[rdlr]

Different builders have various upgrade lists and fee quotes. Mostly, those upgrades depend on how much the builder had to pay for the land. In a high growth zone area, expect to pay more for an upgrade, such as a basement. However, Cost does NOT equal value. For instance, there was an August 2012 sale in a Kent County 55+ community for $285,000, a 2,675 sq.ft. 1 yr. old, barely occupied home with a full-finished basement, 2 car garage, hardwood floors and all the bells/whistles. It pays to shop around.

[goldenage1]

Originally Posted by rdlr

However, Cost does NOT equal value. For instance, there was an August 2012 sale in a Kent County 55+ community for $285,000, a 2,675 sq.ft. 1 yr. old, barely occupied home with a full-finished basement, 2 car garage, hardwood floors and all the bells/whistles. It pays to shop around.

Thanks for the information. I could see buying a house like that, as I have a lot of books, collections and craft materials.

I was interested in the Longacre Village community because it is next to the main Kent County library, and I read a lot. But the community may be too new to have real bargains available.

[jeanniebeanie]

I am happy to say that our home is finally under contract pending an appraisal and an inspection although the buyers agreed to take house as is but still have an option to back out if there is any serious problem with the home repair is too costly. We are looking forward to being neighbors of all of you in Delaware. We are in the process of finding a reputable moving company who isn't too expensive. If all goes well here, we should be in Delaware by the end of November. We are concerned about our 12 year old cat and I guess we'll have to put him at a vetineran for a couple of days in Delaware. I realize what you all what through that are now settled. It is quite stressful.


Take care.

Jean

[little eggplant]

Jean - CONGRATULATIONS on the sale of your home! What a relief, right?

We moved from Maine with 2 elderly cats, aged 15 and 10 at the time, and had the vet give us a script for kitty tranquilizers for the long drive. It was a 2 day drive in ice storms and a stop at a motel so of course the kitties would be nervous. Tranquilizers worked like a charm (wish I had gotten some for Mommy )

Good luck on all your future steps now that the BIG hurdle has been accomplished. Way to go!!

[retiree2011]

Originally Posted by jeanniebeanie

I am happy to say that our home is finally under contract pending an appraisal and an inspection although the buyers agreed to take house as is but still have an option to back out if there is any serious problem with the home repair is too costly. We are looking forward to being neighbors of all of you in Delaware. We are in the process of finding a reputable moving company who isn't too expensive. If all goes well here, we should be in Delaware by the end of November. We are concerned about our 12 year old cat and I guess we'll have to put him at a vetineran for a couple of days in Delaware. I realize what you all what through that are now settled. It is quite stressful.


Take care.

Jean

You made a great choice. I found Spring Meadow just by driving by and seeing their sign. The houses are great, great location, nice amenities and the sales staff were great. I believe they are close to being built out. I have a cat of unknown age who I hope will be able to adjust to moving. In fact, right now, I stay in a condo I don't even like, just because he is used to the neighborhood, has woods across the street to go off to, can get in and out by himself (when my second floor sliding door is open in warmer weather; he jumps down to the ground and climbs up the side of the building to get back in). I figure when I have a single family home, he will find it easy to get in and out, will have a small yard to hang out in and so on. I keep telling him: stick with me, I'll get you to a nice place eventually. Hope all goes well with your move.