Traditionally, seniors have had few options when it comes to where they want to live during their golden years. In most cases, folks are keen to find retirement communities, assisted living facilities, and 55+ apartments/condos in areas that provide an affordable cost of living, good weather, and plenty of accessibility. Whether you are looking to relocate to a new area, find somewhere with a likeminded community, or find a home that is already built with accessibility in mind, active adult communities are becoming highly desirable.
What is An Active Adult Community?
Active adult communities are designed with maintenance-free and independent living in mind, and are aimed at individuals who are over the age of 55 who enjoy an active lifestyle. According to the Fair Housing Act, active adult communities require that the community must be composed of at least 80% of the residences being occupied by at least one person over the age of 55.
What are the Benefits of An Active Adult Community?
As a major perk of ownership, most active adult communities offer free maintenance services including lawn care, snow removal, repairs, painting, and many other benefits. This allows residents to enjoy the benefits of homeownership with the conveniences of a rental property.
Additionally, another big selling point for these types of communities include robust amenities. Because these neighborhoods are geared toward attracting active adults, many include things like tennis / pickle ball courts, putting greens, swimming pools, bocce ball, walking / biking trails, and all other manners of exercise. Finally, active adult communities are geared at attracting likeminded residents who are in similar phases of life, making it easy to build community with your neighbors.
Other Considerations
Because these types of communities are geared toward active independent residents, active adult communities do not supply any type of care services for those who reside in the community unlike a traditional retirement or assisted living community. Additionally, residents are fully responsible for things like groceries, transportation, and every other aspect of independent living.
Choosing the Right Active Adult Community for You
If you have decided this type of community is right for you, it’s time to make a few quick assessments:
What amenities are important? In some cases you may be paying premiums for amenities like golf course privileges or other actives that you may have no interest in utilizing.
Understand the rules of residency: Some communities have strict housing requirements and bylaws that do not allow children or others to take up residency in homes, or may have restrictions on guests using the amenities.
Investigate the surrounding areas: are their grocery stores, gas stations, and other businesses of interest nearby to make sure the community works for your outside interests
Understand your budget: In most cases, homes within active adult communities are usually priced fairly with local real estate, and in some cases are new home builds. If you are interested in building your forever home, consider an active adult community in Utah where the cost of living is relatively low.
Follow these rules of thumbs and before you know it, you’ll find yourself in a great community where you can spend your retirement years.
