April 9 — For Sequoya, moving into a 55+ community in Yuma was “… boy what a mistake!” Similarly, Kimojimo “tried (a community in FL), lasted 9 months, and couldn’t WAIT to get out!” Yet Bill55, who worked for years for Del Webb, “… met countless people who had no intention of living in an adult community. But for one reason or another they decided to give it a shot and I would see them around the community day after day taking part in all sorts of activities. At least 95% of those people said that moving there was the best decision of their lives!”
Active adult communities are for many people, while others will be happier living in the traditional type of community. Topretirements has just written a “Tips and Picks” article, “ Is an Active Adult Community Right for You” , that uses quotes from actual people to try to pinpoint the pluses and minuses of active adult communities, so as to help others figure out what their retirement living decision should be.
The people who say that they love living in their active adult communities are attracted for about 5 basic reasons:
Active living and activitiesEasy social sceneLow maintenance Getting away from teenagers (or being with people their own age)Finding a community that’s right for themAll inclusive style and conveniencesMeanwhile, the people who hate the thought of living in active adult communities have plenty to say about why they feel that way.
The biggest negative by far is Home Owners Associations (HOAs). For many, having some one else tell them how to live just isn’t acceptableIncompatible neighbors and aspirations. Several people commented that older retirees aren’t willing to spend on necessary improvements, so communities don’t improveToo many restrictions and rules (See HOA)Boring Prefer to live where they always haveLocation - most active communities are remote - that’s where the cheap land isFinally, many people had good advice for others when it comes to deciding whether or not to live in an active adult community. We liked this quote a lot: “From my observations 55+ communities do indeed offer a great deal - but that is not to say they are for everyone - there are tradeoffs. It seems that more particular/meticulous persons do a bit better in these environs - and those that take advantage of the multitude of activities, not the armchair quarterbacks, are usually more pleased.”
To see the full Tips and Picks article go to Active Adult Communities
Posted by Boomer1 on April 9th, 2008
Click here to read the rest of the article from TopRetirements.com
