Are we too young at 57 years old for Pebble Creek Resort? (Phoenix: houses, safe area)

[MotleyCrew]

I think Ponderosa had some great advice and you may want to check out the Trilogy/Vistancia development in north Peoria. There are options for working older residents. We moved to the family side 9 years ago when our son was 16. Across the road the 55 + development was available for those wanting to get away from the youth. It really is a beautiful development. Estrella is very nice as is Pebble Creek so you may want to visit them all before making the leap. Best of luck.

[azdr0710]

with the asthma and back pain, I'd try to get down here sooner than later.....the warm, dry air may be a near-miracle for you two.....

funny stories you tell, anj.....your Florida story reminds me of the Seinfeld episodes:


Kramer moves to Florida - YouTube

[anjcohen]

Yes, I was just looking on line at Trilogy on line and does look of interest. Do both communities share a pool and gym though? I personally do not like working out with teenagers as they make a mess of the gym. I like based on what I read the HOA fees do not pay for a golf course as I believe it is apublic one. Is that correct? Tahnk you

[anjcohen]

Great Clip above, thank you. I just can not see my wife playing Ma-Jong with the ladies on Wednesday afternoons like my mother did for so many years. I would walk in to the house and hear, "Dot 1, Crack 2" and "Pass the fruit Bunny". Bunny was so large she would drive her Cadilac from her house just down the block to our house!
Then my mother in front of her Ma-Jong group would force me to eat as they did not want to "waste it."
Oy, will a metamorphosis happen to me if I move into a 55 plus community?

[MN-Born-n-Raised]

We bought a spot in 2005 on the beach in Mazatlan. It was pretty fancy. That purchase was the reason the Seinfeld "Del Boca Vista" episodes rang so incredibly true. While any age was welcome to buy, we were the young bucks (we were 40 then) and I felt like Kramer.

Many of the retired folks were curmudgeons. They didn't want kids to splash in the pools, they hated people talking loud, they were extremely territorial, etc. Just like I will be in about in 20-30 years.

There were a lot of politics on who was on the board and various political agenda's were being argued about non stop. In summary, they had too much time on their hands.

This time we bought in a master planned community (Marley Park). All age groups are around us that that is ideal for our situation. It sounds like you are sensitive to the territorial "Del Boca Vista" like Seinfeld feel. It might be less of that feel in a 55 year old spot versus Sun City. But do your homework before you buy into a senior area.

[mjd2k]

We're 57 in Trilogy, bought at 54. Part timers. Love it....so far. I qualify everything with "so far" so take that with a grain of salt.

In family communities, at 5:00, people come home and get on with their family life. Never see them. In 55+, people are generally looking for a bit of a social life with neighbors.

Our thought is that in a family neighborhood, you have the option of socializing with your neighbors, but if you don't want to, you don't. Same with a 55+, but generally, the odds of having a good neighbor are better?

We really enjoy our neighbors and we have friends our own age we hang with too. Actually, I don't notice any difference between 55 and 75 in terms of socializing. Most of our neighbors are more active and in better shape than us.

OTH, if you get the wrong neighbor, life could be rough. And yes, there are people that love to spend their day complaining about a "rule" being broken. Even if the infraction has zero impact. It is a rule you know . Some complain..... just because. I haven't had any personal experience with that sort of problem but I see it exists.

The clubhouse can be an experience the first few times you go there. Not used to see so many older people in one spot! I'm over that now, maybe because I'm older myself. Personally, I usually go to public gym to work out. More energy which is motivating for me. Hah.. too bad for the young kids having to watch an old fogey like me working out

I think a big consideration is to buy in a 55+ that is still selling new homes. That keeps the age down. Some of our neighbors are in their forties or early 50s. You wont get that in a sold out community. Trilogy and Pebble Creek are still developing.

Funny, I had a friend I played golf with and he was driving me back to my place. I ragged him the whole time to slow down. "People will get PO'd at us".

In general, I consider most stuff, "not for life" so if we don't like it in a few years, we can make a change. Odds of losing your shirt on real estate are hopefully less than they were before the bust.

[ILikeEveryone]

We visited Pebble Creek in 2012 and it is a beautiful community.

However, I am surprised no one mentioned Sun City or Sun City West. I think the best bang for your buck is the original Sun City. There are seven rec centers in the original Sun City, the properties are well kept and the community is constantly changing and upgrading the facilities. I personally won't mind being a "youngster" in the over 55 communities for the first few years.

[military spouse]

Also, Verrado (which I personally love) will be building an age-restricted community in the next year or so. My parents are anxiously awaiting that and my husband I were just out there looking at the main community for ourselves. Love Verrado!

[thinkalot]

Originally Posted by ILikeEveryone

We visited Pebble Creek in 2012 and it is a beautiful community.

However, I am surprised no one mentioned Sun City or Sun City West. I think the best bang for your buck is the original Sun City. There are seven rec centers in the original Sun City, the properties are well kept and the community is constantly changing and upgrading the facilities. I personally won't mind being a "youngster" in the over 55 communities for the first few years.

Your right about the best bang for the buck being Sun City. No other place is even close. Sun City is now younger in median age, by a year, than SC West. We sell about 7 a day. I see more and more people in their 50's and early 60's. Constant upgrading is going on. More activities always being added. We are finally getting basketball.

However, you cannot buy a new house in Sun City. The newest is 38 years old. Some have been taken them down to the frame and redone but the one next door may still look like 1963.

I have said many times that your home in Sun City is a place to sleep and keep your stuff. Too much to do to sit home. If a house is important and you like to entertain you would probably be better off somewhere else.

I know several people in their 50's and early 60's in Pebble Creek. Looks great. Close to Goodyear Ballpark. I don't know how much there is to do there.

[Jukesgrrl]

I know a lot of people who live in active adult communities (55+) and most of them wish they had moved there when they were your age. Yes, at 57 you will be on the young side, but many of the communities are attracting younger people who want to spend their early retirement enjoying it and not doing home repairs and yard work.

There's great diversity in these communities in Metro Phoenix. I think it's like picking a college — you have to visit and when you find the "campus" that suits you, you'll know it. What's great for someone else might not be your ideal.

If there is any chance your physical problems will worsen, you'll be glad to be in a place geared toward people with some mobility issues. Also, remember, most of these places are not inside the city, so transportation will be an issue as you want to drive less. So consider what a community's options are for people who no longer want to, or maybe even cannot, drive. You'll also want to have access to good medical care, so make sure you will be close to a medical center you feel comfortable with. Even more so if there's a chance your wife would work in one.

Think of the things you'll be doing most often and make sure those amenities are up to your standards. Some people get very unhappy when they hate the supermarket they have to use all the time. That sounds like a minor problem, but getting groceries is something we do all the time. Other people like to eat out a lot and end up in an isolated community that's far from outside entertainment options. Some places have just what you need and you won't be motivated to leave. If you are not using the golf course, do consider what it is costing you and make sure that expenditure is still worth it.

Some communities allow explorers to visit at no charge for a weekend while they are shown around by a resident. I know most of the Robson communities are like that. I'm not familiar with the specific community you are looking at. But I'd take advantage of the visitation option just for comparison purposes.

Best of luck with your choice. The dry heat here really helped my mother who was immobilized with back issues. She couldn't walk to the mailbox when she moved to Arizona from Western Pennsylvania. And after she was here six months she was doing a one-mile daily walk around the development.