55+ Communities - Are you happy there? (payments, deceased, trailer, mobile)

[elston]

I moved into a 55+ aptmt complex in southern california when I was really "high and dry" without any supports or friends.....it was wonderful for me......I made friends....enjoyed the feeling of community....activities at the club house etc. Sometimes the community was a bit too much....with some of the personalities and chronic complainers....but all in all I love it. the aptmts were very reasonable.....the pool and grounds were beautiful.....it was a nice place to be. I had a sense that people cared for me....and that I wasnt alone. After awhile I met someone and we decided to make a life together.....at that point we bought a house and moved on....but I still look back with fondness on that community and stay in touch with some of the folks I met there.

[Colorado Belle]

Hoping we can 'renew' this thread as I am finally getting serious about active lifestyle communities and new information is always helpful!

Like FiftyFifty, I can't imagine myself in any one place forever, although Colorado's been my homebase for a longggggg time. Before that, I 'moved' to wherever I wanted to travel, but couldn't afford. Summers while in college took me from PA to CA. Then Hawaii. For about 8 years ,I spent my time 50-50 Aspen and Maui. Then I got married and more or less settled down and raised my kids. Now divorced and tired of long winters in the high country, even tho I still ski. Spend off season traveling (Puerto Vallarta in November) but love summers here. Looks like I'm about to lose my home, tho, due to the divorce and a notsonice X who unfortunately still owns a part of my home (and who refuses to let me buy out his share at any price). SO...I do need a home base, with an airport close by that has cheap travel. My daughter lives in Santa Barbara, but I've 'done' California and don't really want to live there (and most certainly couldn't afford SB).

With home prices so darn low in Florida, I've finally decided I need to buy something there...just in case I lose my home here...and because I can't pass up a good RE deal! I've been thinking near to Disney World for the potential of renting it out in summer. Houses with pools and views of ponds or golf courses or trees running at @ $100k-$125k. Although I love the activiites in The Villages and would probably enjoy it there, your buying dollar gets little bang for the buck and the cheaper homes are too old style. Solivita has some bank owned props that might work, although some people have posted that residents are on the older side rather than younger. But I think I'll have to visit. There are a few newer places near Sun City and Tampa (VAlencia Lakes).

I live in a 6800 sq ft home that I built on 7 acrea bordering Wilderness.
Home's been 'attacked' by a bear, a couple raccoons, several foxes and a sweet young moose who likes to peak in the door. My golden keeps the coyotes away, the fox plays with my cat, there is a mountain lion but I try not to think about it so much......well, all that is to say that I'm pretty independant, don't tend to worry much about 'security' and 'crime' areas (tend to think that if its gonna happen, it'll happen regardless of where you are) but want to have a large pool of like minded people to have fun with...and it suddenly seems as if one of these over 55 communities might be the ticket.

[ConeyIsBabe]

Did you ever actually visit The Villages ? I'm also considering it as a possible option if I ever am able to sell my s/Oregon property.

I live in a similar situation to yours..... small town, on 4 beautiful parklike acres with Bambi, wild turkeys, a cougar up yonder, scenic trees & mountains in every direction; but I might like the activities available in an adult community

[deckdoc]

I for one think 55+ comunities are great~ live in two~winter and summer.

Would stay in either yearround if I had too! But if you feel that residents of these communities is older~ you are probably correct! Most retirees spend their first years of retirement gadding about trying to figure out what they are doing before they find and settle into a community and then they will spend the rest of their lives there~ means the average age in these communities tends to hover in the 70's~ with some people younger and some older! Just the nature of the beast! If we were all at 60 or less it would be a community to avoid~ something wrong driving out the older people!

[htlong]

I moved to a 55+ 2 years ago Im a snowbird,I enjoy everything about living there! I kind of hate to pack up in April to travel back north.
I have great friends in both places,in the future I think I will be to old to make the drive,or be able to maintain my summer home up north and I will have to become a year long resident and that wont be a bad thing....... but the summer heat!

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by ConeyIsBabe

Did you ever actually visit The Villages ? I'm also considering it as a possible option if I ever am able to sell my s/Oregon property.

I live in a similar situation to yours..... small town, on 4 beautiful parklike acres with Bambi, wild turkeys, a cougar up yonder, scenic trees & mountains in every direction; but I might like the activities available in an adult community

Here's some stats on the available activities in the Villages for you:

THE VILLAGES


JAN. 2010
Harold Schwartz purchased the Orange Blossom Garden manufactured home
park in the early 70's and in the early 80's convinced his son H. Gary
Morse to join him and help run his enterprise. The Villages concept
was born!!

Average High Temp for Jan. 70 Average low 48

Number of Homes in 2009 was 40,000. Sales of 400 homes a month was a
high 2009 averaged 200 a month.

Pop. 77,000 in Jan. 2010

Population In Lake Co 2010 293,500 2015 328,400
Marion Co. in 2010 330,600 2015 360,700y
Sumter Co. In 2010 99,400 2015 119,100

Planned Homes. 55,805
Av. Home Price for 2008 $234,000.00
Planned Pop. 105,000 by 2017

There are 34 roundabouts



12,000 folks work directly for Villages

62 Villages as of May 2009 at build out 72 are planned
2,417,193 sq feet of retail. The plan is for 2.7 million sq feet
Five Fire-Rescue Stations with response time of 3:56 (Three min. 56
sec.)
2% of Fire/EMS calls are for fire
78% of calls are medical emergency
20% of calls are miscellaneous
Five house fires in 2009


80% of resident trips are inside The Villages by golf carts

A 99,000 sq foot Veterans Clinic completed in 2010
A Hospice Center/The Vlliage Hospital with198 beds 107,000 sq feet/
Promise Hospital with 40 beds for acute care/A new assisted living
fac. /Freedom Point which is a Senior Center 400,000 sq feet


The Village Lifelong Learning College 98% of courses taught by
residents/ Three Charter Schools for elementary/ middle / and high
school with 2000 students

40 Recreation Centers, A polo field/ 4 fitness centers / 74 tennis
courts/100 pickelball courts/50swimming pools/
schuffle boards/lawn bowling/two bowling centers with 40 lanes in 2009
298,299,300 were bowled in Vill.
Woodworking shop/archery range/two libraries/

80 Resturants/40,000 golf carts operating on 87 miles of trails
300 million in carts @$8,000.00 as of 2009

486 golf holes
29 -nine hole executive courses--261 holes
7 -27 Hole Champioship Courses--225 holes
2- 18 Hole Champioship Courses--36 holes
Champioship Rounds in 2009 = 67,000
Executive Rounds in 2009 = 58,000
9000 tee times a day
2.25 million rounds on 9 championsip courses
8000 PGA Members

12 fishing lakes, 85 horseshoe pits
115 bocce courts
1500 clubs

9 softball fields
10,000 softball games per year
502 teams. Adding 11 per year

Villages covers 26,000 acreas / 40 square miles
15 miles North to South
8 miles East to West
Hwy 42 to 466A is 12.5
Hwy 42 to CR44 is 15 miles

Assessed vaule increased 300 million for 2009

Sixteen Movie Screens/4700seats
Resident survey of overall satifaction was 97% in 2009!!!!!

Village FYI Stats - Talk of The Villages

[MadManofBethesda]

Originally Posted by Colorado Belle

Although I love the activiites in The Villages and would probably enjoy it there, your buying dollar gets little bang for the buck and the cheaper homes are too old style. Solivita has some bank owned props that might work, although some people have posted that residents are on the older side rather than younger. But I think I'll have to visit.

My SIL and her husband have lived in Solivita for about 9 years and absolutely love it. They visited several 55+ communities in Central Florida before buying, including The Villages and Disney's Celebration, but liked Solivita best of all. We've visited with them a few times over the years and have always thought that Solivita was very nice. The downside for me living there would be that it is in the middle of nowhere. I'm used to having restaurants, shopping, entertainment, etc. either within walking distance or a short 1-2 miles drive away. If you want to go anywhere from Solivita, you have to drive about 10-15 miles just to get to the main road (192?) that had restaurants, etc. (other than one small shopping area just outside the main gate).

[cheapsk8]

This thread has been an absolute light bulb moment for me!

I'm 15+ years away from retirement but I have to say, one of the things I was worried about with my spose and I and retiring is getting board. What will we do, will we find similar people, etc. The thought of living in a community like this literally changed my thought process on what I need to do in retirement.

Question, how old do you have to be to buy into these communities such as the village? I'm not close to retirement age but am an over planner

[old_cold]

Most communities are 55 and over.

[Gandalara]

Originally Posted by old_cold

Most communities are 55 and over.

According to the US Census Bureau:
The median age of the US was 32.9 years in 1990
The median age of the US was 35.3 years in 2000

I don't think it'll jump up over 55 for the 2010 census.