Do you live in an over 55 community? (relatives, milk, restaurant)

[engineman]

We are in a community in Clearwater FL that is 55+, 2 and 3 story condo apartments, our building has 74 units, there are 94 buildings. Rentals are allowed for a minimum of 6 months. There are 2 rec. centers with pools and one 9 hole golf course and one 18 hole. There are an assortment of clubs and activities.

We lived in this area when our kids were growing up and returned 7 years ago. Tampa airport is convenient when family comes to visit. Tampa also has a cruise port. Gulf beaches are easy to get to.

I gave away the lawn mower in 1987 and have not missed it yet.

[Variable]

Originally Posted by josie13

Five years ago, I downsized from my massive family home with ridiculously expansive park-like grounds to a simpler, much smaller home in a 55+ community. I waited until both my children were 18 so they could move there with me.

I’m so happy to be relieved of yard work, exterior structural maintenance, high heating costs, and rooms full of costly furniture that I never spent time in, except to dust.

I have a small yard front and back. The back yard is fully fenced. Both yards are mowed, edged, raked, and maintained in every way by the regular garden maintenance team, who I don’t have to hire, pay, instruct, or monitor.

Of course, I have to pay HOA fees monthly, but I think they’re a bargain. I’ll never have to worry about clearing snow, replacing roof or gutters or downspouts, painting or window cleaning. That’s just a partial list of what the HOA dues cover. We’ve built up healthy reserves to cover repairs that might come in 10 or 15 or 20 years.

We don’t have a clubhouse or pool. We have a lovely private park and lovely landscaped common areas, as well as planters for growing flowers and produce. We also have walking trails through the forested lands and meadows all around us.

One of the best parts of living here is that you can hear a pin drop at night. During the day, it’s very quiet as well. There are black bears, bobcats, foxes, coyote, eagles, owls, deer, rabbits, raptors, and even the rare mountain lion in the area (Eastside of Seattle). There are equestrian trails. It’s great!

Sounds awesome, especially the last 2 paragraphs. You must have shopped around awhile to find such a nice place.

[Jkgourmet]

Originally Posted by engineman

We are in a community in Clearwater FL that is 55+, 2 and 3 story condo apartments, our building has 74 units, there are 94 buildings. Rentals are allowed for a minimum of 6 months. There are 2 rec. centers with pools and one 9 hole golf course and one 18 hole. There are an assortment of clubs and activities.

We lived in this area when our kids were growing up and returned 7 years ago. Tampa airport is convenient when family comes to visit. Tampa also has a cruise port. Gulf beaches are easy to get to.

I gave away the lawn mower in 1987 and have not missed it yet.

Please. - will you share the name?

[Bette]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

Thanks , we have family and friends here as well

Enjoy the time while you are here!

[mathjak107]

Originally Posted by Bette

Enjoy the time while you are here!

Thanks

[cb2008]

Originally Posted by engineman

We are in a community in Clearwater FL that is 55+, 2 and 3 story condo apartments, our building has 74 units, there are 94 buildings. Rentals are allowed for a minimum of 6 months. There are 2 rec. centers with pools and one 9 hole golf course and one 18 hole. There are an assortment of clubs and activities.

We lived in this area when our kids were growing up and returned 7 years ago. Tampa airport is convenient when family comes to visit. Tampa also has a cruise port. Gulf beaches are easy to get to.

I gave away the lawn mower in 1987 and have not missed it yet.

Can you share how your HOA works? What does it cover how much is it? I find the HOA fees are fine if you are into golfing.

[TheShadow]

Originally Posted by Chas863

Here is a listing of the 55+ communities in Florida. They are ranked by size (number of homes) with the largest communities listed first. You can click on each of the listed communities and read what they have to offer and the price range of homes or condos.

https://www.55places.com/florida

Most of these lists online, including the one I posted, are marketing websites and the listed communities may have paid a fee to be on the site. I'm just mentioning this to say that the lists on these marketing websites shouldn't be considered an exhaustive list. There could be additional communities not shown on the various websites, but it's a good place to start the search.

[VTsnowbird]

Just a word of advice, most retirement communities in FL won't even let you in the gate without a RE agent with you. There is little to no "going in to have a look around."

[impalatom]

Originally Posted by gentlearts

Sometimes, we contemplate moving to a senior community. Although we can still maintain a house and yard, we know that could change in the blink of an eye. I am open to the idea of a condo with amenities and activities geared to our age group (70s) but I wonder if that is even affordable anymore. I think we might rather rent than buy at this point. We’d like to stay in the southeast.

Do you live in such a community, and if so, are you happy there? Any pitfalls to watch out for?

We have lived in The Villages (TV) for 3 years after snowbirding here 3 winters b/4 that. There are mostly SFHs here but more amenities and activities for seniors than anywhere else you could find. It is very easy to make new friends if you make an effort.

If you, or anyone has any specific questions about TV I will try to help.

[tijlover]

When I think of FL I immediately think of insects/mosquito's. I worked as a Waiter, in 1969, on Captiva Island and that cured me of Florida.

What do they do to control the insects in these communities?