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Will definitely keep Brandon Woods and the others in mind once we seriously start looking.
LOL I know what you mean about looking, but not yet at the point of seriously looking. I was the same way. I toyed with the idea of where we might retire for several years. We also checked out a few other places (Hilton Head, Rehoboth Beach, Emerald Isle, all the usual suspects, LOL). Even after we decided to stay in Virginia we still spent time considering Blacksburg, Staunton, Gordonsville, and a few coastal areas. We even made a few trips that were semi-serious.
We finally decided to commit to moving to Williamsburg, but even then it still took us around a year to find the right place.
I think I drove some people on the Real Estate forum a little batty by moving so slow, but when you're moving for retirement, there's no rush. Might as well take your time and find the place you love.
There are a lot of people who LOVE living in Colonial Heritage, so I guess it come down to personal taste. We've gone there a few times to have dinner and enjoy the spectacular view of the sunset from their deck. I can see some advantages to living there. And the workshop there is very nice, if you're interested in woodworking.
We didn't like the style of the houses or how close they were together, but again, that's just a matter of personal taste. The trees aren't quite grown in yet, which accentuates the feeling of being a little too close to your neighbor. CH is in Toano, which has a slightly different feel from the rest of Williamsburg. A little more "good old boy" would be one way of putting it. CH itself isn't like that (although it's pretty conservative compared to other communities here), but the people who live nearby were living out in the country until just recently (when WBurg started expanding like crazy). So sometimes things happen, for example a few months back people were woken up by a neighbor in another part of Toano who who got a little drunk and started celebrating by shooting in his backyard. Things like this bother some people more than others.
Re: progressive values. If this is important to you, Colonial Heritage is probably not the right choice. Having said that, other communities in Williamsburg would be a good fit for you. WBurg has William and Mary, as well as a huge percentage of residents from NY, NJ, DC metro area, New England, California, and the Midwest. A very high percentage of the population have degrees, and a significant number have graduate degrees. As a result, you will find a wide variety of residents with a wide variety of political POVs and lifestyle, probably moreso than in any of the other communities in Hampton Roads. There are plenty of conservative people there, too (especially in older communities, with the exception of First Colony, which I will mention below).
My experience has been most people are "live and let live". Which means you'll need to be comfortable living with neighbors who might be much more conservative than you. But if you are genuinely ok with a wide diversity of political leanings you'll be happy here.
Re: First Colony. You might enjoy First Colony, which is an interesting community built in the 1970s with a distinctly liberal/artsy personality. I would recommend googling the First Colony homeowners association and reading their newsletter, you might be very pleased with this neighborhood. Be sure to check out the regatta they hold every year if you like whimsical artsy events. They have a private beach and residents gather at sunset every night to watch the sunset. Very 1970s, and a cool place in a lot of ways. Some people don't like it because the homes are 70s style and dated. And they encourage a lot of volunteer activities if you live there. But it's worth checking out.
EarthFare, Whole Foods, Harris Teeters thrive in WBurg, as well as the Salt Cave and a few new age stores. Which is not to say the area feels like northern California, but you can find stores and groups servicing the progressive lifestyle. There are a lot of people interested in green living and plant-based diets. The unitarian church is vibrant here. There are lots of people who are into kayaking, running, craft breweries, etc. But there are also plenty of people who like BBQ and pancakes.
Will look at First Colony. Wanted to thank you so much for your kind and detailed answer. Much appreciated.
LOL I know what you mean about looking, but not yet at the point of seriously looking. I was the same way. I toyed with the idea of where we might retire for several years. We also checked out a few other places (Hilton Head, Rehoboth Beach, Emerald Isle, all the usual suspects, LOL). Even after we decided to stay in Virginia we still spent time considering Blacksburg, Staunton, Gordonsville, and a few coastal areas. We even made a few trips that were semi-serious.
We finally decided to commit to moving to Williamsburg, but even then it still took us around a year to find the right place.
I think I drove some people on the Real Estate forum a little batty by moving so slow, but when you're moving for retirement, there's no rush. Might as well take your time and find the place you love.
We've mostly settled on Williamsburg as our retirement destination but the timing is the question. I'm hoping to make it to 2026 so that I can retire at age 62 with a small federal pension and my wife can retire at her MRA (Minimum Retirement Age) +20 but delay receiving her small federal pension until 60 or 62. At this point, health issues will be the ultimate deciding factor. Both of us have a few physical issues, but hers have been complicated greatly by an auto accident almost two years ago that she is still recovering from. I'm guessing that she has at least a 50/50 chance of getting medically retired before she makes to her MRA.
We've also considered the Gulf Coast of Florida and Richmond, VA. As much as we like to vacation in the Gulf Coast we decided it would be too far from friends and family, even the humidity here in NOVA is starting to get to me, and the thought of trying to find all the specialty doctors she needs down there just overwhelms us. Richmond is still a strong second choice. We figure we can always come back to NOVA from Richmond or Williamsburg if she needs to see one of her current doctors.
Yesterday I came across a new development in an area that we hadn't been previously looking - Trilogy at Lake Frederick (near Winchester). Its a new 55+ community. I think we might check them out in the spring on their discovery tour.
It is definitely a process. We started out thinking Sarasota. Spent 4 winter/springs there and decided it wasn't for us. Love to visit but not to live.
Delaware was another choice but very limited with things like good medical care, airports and shopping. We quickly learned low taxes are not always the answer.
We were interested in Lewes and Rehoboth for awhile, and then we tried spending 3 weeks there in January. Boy am I glad we did that. The beach cities are ghost towns October-April and it's really creepy to live in a place with so many vacant residences. Also, stores and restaurants are often closed. And, as you point out, things like hospitals and airports become a major issue.
Winchester has a lot of good points, although it's another place that can get a little "good old boy." That town has a lot going for it, though. I'd definitely check it out.
The one problem with Williamsburg can be a relatively high cost of living. I'm not sure how it compares with Winchester, since Winchester is becoming an exburb of expensive Nova. But even so, it can cost $$ to live in some of the neighborhoods here. It's nowhere near as expensive as Nova, of course, but it's more than places like Virginia Beach.
Delaware was another choice but very limited with things like good medical care, airports and shopping. We quickly learned low taxes are not always the answer.
Very true. Plus, when you crunch the various expenses you have the low taxes don't turn out to help you all that much. They just find other ways to get money from you, LOL.
There are a lot of people who LOVE living in Colonial Heritage, so I guess it come down to personal taste. We've gone there a few times to have dinner and enjoy the spectacular view of the sunset from their deck. I can see some advantages to living there. And the workshop there is very nice, if you're interested in woodworking.
We didn't like the style of the houses or how close they were together, but again, that's just a matter of personal taste. The trees aren't quite grown in yet, which accentuates the feeling of being a little too close to your neighbor. CH is in Toano, which has a slightly different feel from the rest of Williamsburg. A little more "good old boy" would be one way of putting it. CH itself isn't like that (although it's pretty conservative compared to other communities here), but the people who live nearby were living out in the country until just recently (when WBurg started expanding like crazy). So sometimes things happen, for example a few months back people were woken up by a neighbor in another part of Toano who who got a little drunk and started celebrating by shooting in his backyard. Things like this bother some people more than others.
Re: progressive values. If this is important to you, Colonial Heritage is probably not the right choice. Having said that, other communities in Williamsburg would be a good fit for you. WBurg has William and Mary, as well as a huge percentage of residents from NY, NJ, DC metro area, New England, California, and the Midwest. A very high percentage of the population have degrees, and a significant number have graduate degrees. As a result, you will find a wide variety of residents with a wide variety of political POVs and lifestyle, probably moreso than in any of the other communities in Hampton Roads. There are plenty of conservative people there, too (especially in older communities, with the exception of First Colony, which I will mention below).
My experience has been most people are "live and let live". Which means you'll need to be comfortable living with neighbors who might be much more conservative than you. But if you are genuinely ok with a wide diversity of political leanings you'll be happy here.
Re: First Colony. You might enjoy First Colony, which is an interesting community built in the 1970s with a distinctly liberal/artsy personality. I would recommend googling the First Colony homeowners association and reading their newsletter, you might be very pleased with this neighborhood. Be sure to check out the regatta they hold every year if you like whimsical artsy events. They have a private beach and residents gather at sunset every night to watch the sunset. Very 1970s, and a cool place in a lot of ways. Some people don't like it because the homes are 70s style and dated. And they encourage a lot of volunteer activities if you live there. But it's worth checking out.
EarthFare, Whole Foods, Harris Teeters thrive in WBurg, as well as the Salt Cave and a few new age stores. Which is not to say the area feels like northern California, but you can find stores and groups servicing the progressive lifestyle. There are a lot of people interested in green living and plant-based diets. The unitarian church is vibrant here. There are lots of people who are into kayaking, running, craft breweries, etc. But there are also plenty of people who like BBQ and pancakes.
Piney Creek: No good deed goes unpunished. So here are some more questions for you.
I did look at their site. It looks like all private homes. Yes there are some organized activities and it looks nice. I guess I am thinking of communities geared to seniors. My ideal would be an indoor pool, the HOA taking care of outside maintenance, more in the way of organized activities and a welcoming community for those with progressive values. Would there be any places like that in the Williamsburg area? I do like the idea of a good hospital (Sentara) being nearby. Hubby and I are in our 60s. BTW mixed marriage--he would be quite at home in a conservative community.
We'll probably do a weekend tour of Trilogy someone in the Spring. However, looking at average annual snowfall amounts (Winchester 24.3, Williamsburg 5.0) I don't think Winchester bumps Williamsburg for my number 1 spot.
Piney Creek: No good deed goes unpunished. So here are some more questions for you.
I did look at their site. It looks like all private homes. Yes there are some organized activities and it looks nice. I guess I am thinking of communities geared to seniors. My ideal would be an indoor pool, the HOA taking care of outside maintenance, more in the way of organized activities and a welcoming community for those with progressive values. Would there be any places like that in the Williamsburg area? I do like the idea of a good hospital (Sentara) being nearby. Hubby and I are in our 60s. BTW mixed marriage--he would be quite at home in a conservative community.
Lots of 55+ communities here. I don't know much about them, since that wasn't what we were looking for. I don't know which might be more welcoming towards progressive values, but it might be a good question to ask your realtor. I would guess communities closer to William and Mary would be your best bet. Yes, First Colony is simply an HOA with single family homes. So maybe not quite what you're seeking.
FWIW, I live in Ford's Colony, which is not a 55+ community. However, a very high percentage of the people here are 55+. We are very similar to a 55+ community in that we have lots of activities, and there are neighborhoods that have outdoor maintenance included as part of your fees (Ford's Colony is very big and has several neighborhoods.) There are townhouse communities, as well as neighborhoods that are all single family homes. I have a feeling this isn;t quite what you have in mind, but here are some links in case you're interested.
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First Colony
