Anyone looking into or live in an active seniors community?

Parent Cafe
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We live in a very active adult community that has one 55+ pocket but is otherwise not age-restricted. We have families, some young children, a playscape area, but the community is fairly self-selecting to 50s+ mostly due to cost. Our HOA is high, but we have a championship 18-hole golf course, pro shop, golf/tennis/pickleball lessons, full-service spa/salon/fitness facilities, several restaurants and pools, a 60,000 sq.ft. indoor/outdoor resort clubhouse with a locally-known chef, wine tastings, walking trails, and over 70 clubs, including specialty spaces like a dedicated arts facility for painting, ceramics (with kiln), cooking classes, etc. There are club-sponsored trips to theaters, museums, restaurants, and even travel groups. And, we have a very active community service league. Though healthcare is not part of the package, our west entrance faces the emergency entrance to a major regional hospital/medical complex which is next door to the fire department; calls to 911 result in almost immediate response. I can also walk to the grocery store, Target, Sprouts, coffee chain, and several small restaurants (if I wanted to).

There are 2,500 homes in our community ranging from 1,100 sq.ft to 3,500 sq.ft, mostly single-story as the developer stopped building two-story homes when demand petered out and they became hard to sell. 90% are single, detached homes, but we have a pocket of two-unit condos and townhomes that share a wall. We were very much attracted to this community for its commitment to energy efficiency. The first two phases of the development came with whole-house solar (the development was initially designed as a solar farm in partnership with our electric provider), but successive phases offered solar as an option. It’s a dark-sky community, and the golf course uses recycled gray water with a solar-powered irrigation system. Other than the golf course, all landscaping is drip/xeriscape.

This place is lovely but waaay more active than I will ever be though it suits DH well. We moved here as a rightsize from the home we raised our son in just as he was graduating from HS. We have already done the Swedish Death Cleaning and figured this would be our retirement stop, but purchasing a cabin in Maine in 2021 and now splitting our year between two places (I’m happier in ME) has shown us that the home in the active adult community is still too big, and we’re considering another downsize. However, we haven’t decided just where yet, and we are considering how a CCRC will fit in to the next move, so I’m watching this thread. Based on the costs some of you are throwing out, though, it seems likely we’ll stick to the AZ bargains.

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A lot of the things mentioned here - excursions, exercise and other activities (movies, crafts, book clubs, line dancing, yoga, etc.), transportation (to doctors or other places) - are provided to everybody in my town by the local senior center. I think this is a common situation in many towns. The senior center here has a very full calendar and is funded by the town budget, membership dues (which are low), and by charging for some more expensive activities. It doesn’t matter what kind of home you live in in town (apartment, assisted living, condo, home, etc.), their programs are open to everybody (and they are not particular about age -you don’t have to be over 65 - I was told I could join at 60).

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Well, our city/state doesn’t provide any of this. We do have a HandiVan service that people can apply for that is subsidized but pretty poor according to the people who ride it. Your MD has to certify that you have some qualifying disability. You have to make reservations ahead of time and they may pick you up an hour early or late.
The Parks & Recreation of our City & County have some clubs and meetings, but I am unaware of people who participate regularly with them. We don’t have particular local senior center than folks we know or my folks know who participated in much. There is a Catholic Charity Center which does has a lot of activities and people do participate in that (no matter what their religion).

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This is why you need to research any place you move to. What services are offered by whom in that area? I looked into Denver for a neighbor who is considering a move there. The senior centers there have even more than mine does here in MA.

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I am wondering how much of an issue having space for kids, partners, grandkids is for people.

One independent living community I looked at has a suite for visitors.

I have been living in small one bedroom spaces for the last 8 years and for this fall/winter/spring rented a house with 3 bedrooms, two baths, way larger than my usual rentals, just for the experience of having my kids and partners stay with me. I like getting up with them and hanging out in pj’s before bed. I have missed that.

Next year I will go back to renting a smaller place, probably in the city, and maybe buy a pullout couch.

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If my kids didn’t live in such small places (urban apartments) I’d be more comfortable giving up the family home. But it’s really the only way we can be together on holidays, family occasions. And I like being able to include cousins, in-law families, etc.

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We historically have a full house a couple of times a year, just with siblings, parents and our kids. We are quite a ways away from being grandparents. We definitely love having everybody under the same roof, and I never thought that I would be one to say that!

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My dad’s facility has two “hotel room” setups. Each one costs $100/night, so not too bad. It’s nice being right down the hall from Dad. I have it reserved for my husband and me in a couple of weeks when we’re in Austin. My son will sleep on a cot in Dad’s unit and my daughter will stay with her cousin. It’s so weird not to have my sister’s house to stay in! I’m happy for her that she moved but I do miss her being in Austin.

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Ditto, kids in small apartments, no way to get together, so we have been seeing each other individually and anyone with a partner stays in a hotel. We do holidays in a restaurant. I mainly miss those mornings and evenings! This year is a test case. If it is really importantto have the space I will try moving out of this expensive area!

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As someone who must live frugally, I don’t see the point of having enough room for kids, partners, grandkids, etc. 52 weeks a year when the extra rooms are empty 40+++ weeks/year. For the huge savings of living in a smaller place, many hotel rooms/suites/airbnbs/sublets could be rented for a week here or there.

IMHO of course. I have a second bedroom that I rarely use. Perhaps I will ask my landlord (whose family own a bunch of large apartment buildings near me) to let me know when he has a vacancy in a smaller/cheaper apartment. Not quite ready to make a move but something for me to think about.

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Having comfortable, private space for DS/DIL and guests is a must-have for us, but that doesn’t mean the house has to be large. Even smaller homes (1,200-2,000 sq.ft) in AZ may have casitas, ours even has a kitchenette. We’ve built out the lower level of our 1,200 sq.ft cabin as a private apartment to accommodate a king-size bedroom and a room with built-in bunks, just in case
 :baby:

Until we’re in assisted living, there will always be adequate space for guests. It helps that we only had one kid.

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The condo we bought has 2 bedrooms so in theory, it could be 1 room for us and 2nd for guest(s).

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All I would want is a one bedroom with den, or a one bedroom with living room that could accommodate sleeping for one or two. My son has stayed in a hotel for years now. The addition of a partner is what changes things. Now my daughter has a partner too. She used to sleep in my bed so I had a studio :slight_smile:

This seasonal rental with 3 bedrooms is unusual in that the rent is lower than any of the studios I have seen. I am frugal with heat. I think the assumption was that the heat would cost a lot. We’ll see.

I like small cozy places so I almost cancelled this. But my daughter is working in the extra bedroom so she can stay longer!

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Of course one could rent a VRBO to hold everyone in some places, for the number of times you might have that situation in a year. I struggle with this myself. We still have the fairly large house, but if we move I see us still having at least 2 “extra” bedrooms.

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It’s nice to have an extra bedroom to use for office, exercise etc. Ha, or in our case three extras.

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We have a 1200 sq ft ranch. 3 bed 1.5 bath. I would love just a little more space in the living area (even 100 more sq ft) and another shower. I like that we each have our “own” room in addition to our shared bedroom, but it would be nice to have more room for guests. His room has a wall bed, and mine has a futon but it can feel pretty cramped when all the girls+partners+grandkids are here. We have a large deck but that’s only good for half the year. Anyway this is what we could afford and it’s very practical. We hope to age in place.

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Haha, i had kids visit and we rented an Airbnb on a lake.

It was nice.

My kids have too much trouble getting time off during the holidays. They haven’t been here in quite a while. They also think we live at the end of the earth.

We like our nice house, it’s not too big yet. We don’t use the bedrooms upstairs but I do use the closets :wink:

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Our house is 3 bedrooms and 2 baths (showers only, but you CAN sit and soak in the kids’ shower if you’re inclined). It’s one level and 1250 sq ft but we can go outdoors nearly year round so it feels big enough for us. No idea where H would put all of his “stuff” we ever downsized. He just keeps buying more hand woodworking stuff, but it keeps him happy so I just smile.

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I have been living happily in 550 square feet. Renting a place is certainly a potential approach. I know families who rent a house and include the grandma who is in assisted living. Lots of different paths!

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Ha! We had a garage built behind the cabin in ME, and DH moved his entire shop from AZ to the new space. That a car fits in there is just incidental. What he does in there is his business; I don’t ask. (He mostly makes sawdust, but it keeps him happy.)

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