Retirement communities (Charlotte, Durham, Cary: fit in, insurance, condos)

[BarbJ]

Can anyone give me any insights into the best retirement comunities in th triangle area - especially in Durham and Chapel Hill? I've heard good things about Carroll Woods , the Forest at Duke and the Cedars at Meadowmont. Any comments?

[PennyH]

I've heard that Del Webb is the best retirement community in the area, but it is in Chapel Hill. It seems there is a significant waiting list, however - up to a year or more.

[Chicky]

Barb, what kind of retirement community are you looking for? The triangle offers everything from 'Active Senior' communities with single family homes for 55+ housing with no healthcare; condo communities with some basic healthcare; assisted living; and of course full service nursing homes. And there are several that offer all of those things in one community. Let us know what you've got in mind!

[BarbJ]

Thank you so much for responding. This is such an important decision for us that we'd like all the input we can get. We are still quite active although we do have some health problems. We are looking mainly at continuous care facilities and are most interested in what is called a cottage in the retirement community vocabulary. Penny remarks that Del Webb has a waiting list of a year; this is really quite moderate. At Carroll Woods, for instance, one is looking at a wait of close to ten years.

These are lovely places with sophisticated websites, but we are eager to know if there is any information that one can only get by word of mouth from living in the Triangle area: the reputation of the various places, the kind of folks who retire in the different facilties. Anyone with any information can DM me if they wish. Thanks in advance.

[Chicky]

Del Webb is a builder that built Carolina Preserve, which is an 'active senior' community in western Cary. It's gorgeous, but it's not a continuing care facility.

I don't know of another Del Webb community in the Triangle - I thought the only other one in NC is one just outside of Charlotte, and I'm not even sure that one is open yet.

As for continuing care retirement communities, here is a document that might help you. It is put together by the North Carolina Department of Insurance and it contains a listing of all the CCRCs and profiles of each, as well as some good general info and tips on choosing.

http://www.ncdoi.com/consumer/consum...ce%20guide.pdf

This is the 2007 version, I'm not sure that a 2008 version has been released yet.

I hope this helps!

[Chicky]

Meant to say also.... There was a new CCRC being planned for the SearStone development at the corner of Davis and HighHouse in Cary. The developer/owner has changed plans several times due to regulatory restrictions and community opposition. From the website, it doesn't look like they're still headed that way, but it might be worth calling and asking. Untitled Document

[BarbJ]

Thanks, again, Chicky, you've been a great help. The North Carolina Department of Insurance document is quite valuable.

[frogandtoad]

it really does depend what you are looking for. I personally would like The Cedars b/c of what if offers. From the Cedars you can walk to the downtown part of Meadowmont, which means you don't have to be surrounded by other retirees all the time. I see this as a HUGE plus and it's so difficult to find! Most places you have to drive or be bused into town which holds no appeal at all for me. Now if you're into golfing, Cedars isn't for you. But if you like the idea of being part of the larger community, it might be. Also you would have The Wellness Center right there, which is also part of Meadowmont. They have many things available to everyone, as well as some designed specifically for seniors. Training for a triathlon? Want to try Tai Chi? Whatever you want, there it is!

The Cedars is expensive, so that is a consideration for some. It has a lot of retired doctors, professors, high level executives, so again--if that's who like to mingle with, there you go. Another benefit in the Cedars is that you own your property and it is sold at market value when you move out or die. This is not how most places work.

I'd suggest giving them a call and asking for a tour if it sounds appealing at all. I looked all over the Triangle for my parents and then they looked all over the Triangle. The only place either of us liked was the Cedars. They have not bought there yet, but they are building additional condos right now, and if you are healthy and do not need the medical care yet, they are accepting people. Once you're in, you're in for as long as you want, and it goes through full care. I think to get in you're looking at $600K-$1,000,000 for a nice condo and then there are monthly fees.

There are so many nice places out there, so figure out what exactly is most important to you. Again, they really wanted somewhere they could walk to a restaurant or a grocery store which was part of a larger community--not set off on its own like Carol Woods and most other retirement communities. But if you want golf, or tennis, or to be set off on your own, that's all in this area too!

[BarbJ]

Thanks for the good advice. Honestly, I would love to move to the Cedars, but we just can't afford it. I would love to live inan area where I can get around on foot. Besides the houses are lovely.

You say that there are a lot of professors there - I wonder how they afford it. We're both retired professors and a $1,000,000 house is way beyond our means. They must have been profs in the medical school.

So we will have to look elsewhere. Luckily the other choices are not bad ones.

You all have been very helpful and I thank you again.