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Choosing a 55-Plus Active Adult Community

photo of seniors at an adult living community, swimming and having fun in a pool

By JIM MILLER

If you’re contemplating moving into an age-restricted community, finding one that’s right for you takes some legwork. While active adult communities generally offer the opportunity for a lower-maintenance lifestyle around similar aged people, they vary enormously. Here’s what you should know.

Today’s active adult communities come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges, ranging from small city-based apartment complexes to single-family homes to sprawling resort-style locations situated on a gated golf course. Most are owned by their occupants, but a growing number are rentals. Typically, at least one occupant of each property must be at least 55.

It’s also important to understand that 55-plus active adult communities are not the same as retirement or independent living communities, which are primarily designed for older seniors in their 70s and 80s. Active adult communities do not typically include meals or have a central dining area, but many of them do offer a range of recreational amenities and activities.

To help you locate and research active adult communities in the areas you’re interested in, the best resource is 55places.com. This is a comprehensive website that provides ratings, reviews, and information on activities and amenities for thousands of communities across the country.

Once you find a few you like, here are some questions to ask yourself that can help you choose.

What’s our budget?

To help you choose the right active adult community, you’ll first need to determine what you can afford. Consider the home’s purchase price, whether you’ll need a mortgage, how much the property taxes and insurance are, and how much the homeowners’ association or community fees are.

These fees, which typically run a few hundred dollars per month, go toward lawn care and possibly snow removal, as well as community areas like a clubhouse or pool. However, some communities may require additional memberships or fees for golf, tennis, classes, or other activities.

You also need to consider the area’s cost of living for other things like food, utilities, transportation, health care, and taxes. Numbeo.com and BestPlaces.net offer tools to compare the cost from your current location to where you would like to move. And Kiplinger’s has a tax guide for retirees at Kiplinger.com/links/retireetaxmap that lets you find and compare taxes state-by-state.

How active is the community?

Some communities provide fitness facilities, swimming pools, tennis courts, and more, along with dozens of organized activities, classes, and social events. Other communities are much simpler and more laid back with very limited amenities and structured activities. You’ll want to choose a community that has the types of people, facilities, activities, and vibe that appeal to you.

Will we like the surrounding area?

Will the area around your prospective community serve your needs now and in the future? Ideally, this means having easy access to good doctors and hospitals and a local airport if you plan to travel much. You’ll also want to research how far you’ll be from essential services like grocery stores, banks, and pharmacies, as well as dining, shopping, and recreational attractions.

Schedule a Visit

Once you’ve narrowed your choices, call to make an appointment and visit them. Be sure to allow plenty of time at each community and, if possible, go back to your favorites more than once. Also be sure to ask questions while you are visiting, particularly about the community rules.

Some developments will let you stay overnight in a model home for a few nights, to get a feel of what it would be like to live there. While you are there, try the amenities and activities, and speak with as many residents as you can. ISI


Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the “NBC Today” show and author of  the book, “The Savvy Senior.”

 

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