Sun City West: How Will It Change as Younger People Move There? (rent, buy)

[Colt AZ]

Originally Posted by 43north87west

Exactly. We really need more Illinois voters to transplant their expertise in voting their area right down the drain.

I don't get why people come from places that are so obviously different. It's almost as if a lot of people end up here because they did a coin toss or something, without having a clue. Maybe that's why so many people move "back home" after 3 years, wherever that is.

But what really gets me isn't the US transplants. It's the Canadians who pack up their cars and their anti-US sentiment (which they can't resist voicing at every possible opportunity), then come down for half a year.

[goodfellas17]

Wow. It's nice to be discriminated against because I lived in Illinois. Always thought the Wisconsinites called us FIBs as a joke but now I'm thinking I was wrong about that too. I am proud to say though that I never voted for any of our governors who ended up in prison.

[William Gordon]

OP asked a good question, too bad it turned into a political discourse. Both Sun City and Sun City West have totally unique infrastructures from virtually every other age restricted community out there. Our two communities were built on a platform of self-governance and incorporates multiple organizations within the walls to maintain a life-style unlike developments opening after them.

The newer models have single entity governance and people tend to be willing to pay for services that often in SC and SCW are done by volunteers. That keeps the costs lower, and instills in buyers a sense of ownership and belonging at a higher level.

The "greatest generation" were joiners while boomers aren't necessarily organization minded. Boomers tend to volunteer in different ways, which may put a strain on an infrastructure where volunteerism is critical. Throw in the fact people are working longer and later in life, and the challenges for SC and SCW are pretty apparent.

The good news is with 10,000 boomers reaching retirement age every day, the pool of potential buyers is substantial. Better yet, the dramatic politics of the right and the left become less significant in age restricted communities as virtually all politics is local and with a self-governance structure it's as simple as willing to get involved to effect change.

I always argue our two communities are tailor made for folks who want to retire and do more than golf, lift weights or laze by the pool. In Sun City we give back millions of hours every year to maintain the quality of life we enjoy. That off unto itself is an attractive feature for potential buyers looking for more than just retiring and playing their life away.

[azriverfan.]

I think what needs to be re-examined is what constitutes "old" What I mean is today's retireees are not like yesterday's retirees. Each generation comes from a different culture with different expectations. Today's retirees tend to be younger, more affluent and they like to be active. They enjoy eating out and they are not all buffets and cafeterias. They like to go to the movies. They even enjoy going to bars. They more in common with younger people than the previous generation. So a lot of those snowbird havens will attract younger people because the cultural divide between young and old is disappearing. I think you will see that trend grow. As a result, a lot of these snow bird havens will be more attractive to young people. I saw that in Florida. Fort Lauderdale feels very young and a lot of that has to do with changing demographics of the retirement population. They don't want to just nestle up in a blanket and stare at a wall. These are active people who enjoy actually going out at night, having cocktails and enjoying themselves.

[jjpike]

Originally Posted by Jkgourmet

So what SPECIFICALLY will your generation require of retirement communities? (I'm not being snarky - genuinely curious and a bit mystified.)

I think what Victory is creating is appealing. Sun City West's new Johnson rec center refurbishing and resort pool complex is smart. Turn a golf course into an outdoor hiking biking trail with ponds, exercise stations and peaceful resting areas. Turn an already underutilized building into a Makerspace, where like minded people can be creative and develop not only with saws, but with cameras, technology, software, etc. You've created these amazing lifestyle communities, they just need a tweak to move forward.

[Burkmere]

Originally Posted by GeneR

On the other hand you may find sufficient numbers of left-wing, cliche-spewing zealots to satisfy the need for a more “diverse” community.

Love your quote.

[Burkmere]

Originally Posted by AZJoeD

I guess first of all I will say that younger people won't be moving to SCW. You still have to be 55+, it will just be the next group of old people. Most retirement communities experience a large turnover of people that retire, live in the retirement community for 5-10 years, then find other living arrangements.

Secondly, people have a tendency to become more conservative with age, they just don't like change.

Third a lot of people move to SCW because it is economical and has activities that they enjoy. It fits their lifestyle. So you may not see them invest heavily in home improvements.

If Arizona does transition to a more liberal state it will be because of people moving here from the east AND a large (and growing) Hispanic population.

And if it weren't for the productive retired people moving to AZ and contributing to the economy as well as the productive types who already live there, the less productive types t(hat are mostly worried about how much they can spend on expensive coffee drinks while contemplating their navel) would be living in a much less desirable place.

[wit-nit]

Younger people moving in, had to laugh, everyone who moved in was younger at the time they moved in. It's always a constant younger people moving in, it will never change.

[ShariP]

For me and my husband, this is a very valid post and I'm glad to have everyone's input. We have our house on the market and really want to move to Sun City West because #1--it's more affordable than where we live now so we will be able to retire, and #2--we want to join the golf club, cycling club, tennis club, volunteering, etc. We like SCW mainly because of all the activities compared to the newer communities. We are younger than the average resident (we are 56 & 58) and are active Democrats & liberal. We are a bit worried we will not "fit in." We visited SCW last November and liked the few people we met, but with one visit you are not really getting to know the place and people very well. We plan to rent for a year before we purchase to see how things go.

[wase4711]

why do you feel the need to announce your political leanings?

just be good neighbors and good people, dont parade your political views around every where you go, and you wont have any issues, just like any where else in the USA..