Pro/Con of over 55 communities

[Anonymous]

If you live in one or are considering what makes your checklist?

Pro list I see
- My kids must move out! No permanent kids allowed as residents!
- No more marginal, aka poor neighbors that are loud or park their busted down jalopies near my house
- I see a fun community of friendly people, accomplished, active, take pride in their homes
- Low or no crime, no school buses, overall peaceful setting

Con
- Costs- amenities aren't cheap but this is not a big deal,
-diversity? I am not sure if this is the case but it may be lacking.
- too old? I don't want to hear about Hank's hip at the 4th of July BBQ but have nothing to base this on. I see mostly active people in the times I have seen who is out and about.


For the record I am on the younger side of these places in fact right on the cut line. Spouse thinks "we are too young for this" We haven't gotten far into a search but will continue to look.

[Anonymous]

I have a (61 yo) friend who just moved into one and really likes it. My inlaws did, too, and also really liked it. My parents and grandparents aged in place - it worked for them.

We're a few years away but thinking about it. I do like the sounds and energy of a mixed age neighborhood, though.

[Anonymous]

You sound like a real peach

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You sound like a real peach

+1.

We have zero interest in these places, OP, but I think you definitely should move to one. Just to eliminate the possibility that you'll someday be my neighbor.

[Anonymous]

My boss, who is in her late 50s, moved into one a few years ago. Sounds like she is one of the very youngest in the community and there are frequent visits from paramedics due to the age of her neighbors. Upside for her was the cost, she sold a townhouse and the unit she bought was much cheaper (she is a single empty nester) and she no longer needs to worry about property maintenance. Downside is that that property value probably won't appreciate much, since there is such a limited pool of potential buyers if she does decide to sell.

[Anonymous]

My (former) coworker and her husband retired and moved into one. They love it. Their community seems very active with book clubs, wine nights, etc.

[Anonymous]

I would be worried that I couldn't help my children if either of them had a hardship.

[Anonymous]

All fun & games that your adult children or grandchildren cannot live with you even temporarily. until there is a death, medical situation, or other emergency.

Had a 10- year old client that couldn't move in with her only remaining family, grandparent, after her parents were killed by drunk driver. Girl had to stay in foster care until grandmother could sell the 55+ house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:All fun & games that your adult children or grandchildren cannot live with you even temporarily. until there is a death, medical situation, or other emergency.

Had a 10- year old client that couldn't move in with her only remaining family, grandparent, after her parents were killed by drunk driver. Girl had to stay in foster care until grandmother could sell the 55+ house.

I was just about to post something similar, though not as tragic. If you have grandchildren or friends with kids, no matter the reason or emergency, they won’t be able to stay with you, for even one night. The type of people who live in these communities will aggressively enforce all the rules and will make sure any little guest you have GTFOs by curfew.

So if a friend or your kid is in the hospital or sick and their child needs a place to stay? Nope. They better get out.

Maybe that’s fine with you. But I’ve seen it in action and think it’s quite bizarre.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All fun & games that your adult children or grandchildren cannot live with you even temporarily. until there is a death, medical situation, or other emergency.

Had a 10- year old client that couldn't move in with her only remaining family, grandparent, after her parents were killed by drunk driver. Girl had to stay in foster care until grandmother could sell the 55+ house.

I was just about to post something similar, though not as tragic. If you have grandchildren or friends with kids, no matter the reason or emergency, they won’t be able to stay with you, for even one night. The type of people who live in these communities will aggressively enforce all the rules and will make sure any little guest you have GTFOs by curfew.

So if a friend or your kid is in the hospital or sick and their child needs a place to stay? Nope. They better get out.

Maybe that’s fine with you. But I’ve seen it in action and think it’s quite bizarre.

OP here, this is not a daily thing in the community I am considering. A sub 55 member of the family or visitor can stay 30 days. I'm the early retiree age I won't be having grandkids likely anytime in the next 10 years. I'd be long gone from this property by the time I needed help with my day to day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All fun & games that your adult children or grandchildren cannot live with you even temporarily. until there is a death, medical situation, or other emergency.

Had a 10- year old client that couldn't move in with her only remaining family, grandparent, after her parents were killed by drunk driver. Girl had to stay in foster care until grandmother could sell the 55+ house.

I was just about to post something similar, though not as tragic. If you have grandchildren or friends with kids, no matter the reason or emergency, they won’t be able to stay with you, for even one night. The type of people who live in these communities will aggressively enforce all the rules and will make sure any little guest you have GTFOs by curfew.

So if a friend or your kid is in the hospital or sick and their child needs a place to stay? Nope. They better get out.

Maybe that’s fine with you. But I’ve seen it in action and think it’s quite bizarre.

OP here, this is not a daily thing in the community I am considering. A sub 55 member of the family or visitor can stay 30 days. I'm the early retiree age I won't be having grandkids likely anytime in the next 10 years. I'd be long gone from this property by the time I needed help with my day to day.

Hi OP, that is interesting, i guess they’re all different! I have visited family in one once, and on that visit, a neighbor literally knocked on the door close to whenever the curfew was to “remind” everyone of the rules (I guess he noticed an 8 year old visitor had arrived earlier in the day)….It was truly weird and felt super invasive. It’s good that your considered community has flexibility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:All fun & games that your adult children or grandchildren cannot live with you even temporarily. until there is a death, medical situation, or other emergency.

Had a 10- year old client that couldn't move in with her only remaining family, grandparent, after her parents were killed by drunk driver. Girl had to stay in foster care until grandmother could sell the 55+ house.

I was just about to post something similar, though not as tragic. If you have grandchildren or friends with kids, no matter the reason or emergency, they won’t be able to stay with you, for even one night. The type of people who live in these communities will aggressively enforce all the rules and will make sure any little guest you have GTFOs by curfew.

So if a friend or your kid is in the hospital or sick and their child needs a place to stay? Nope. They better get out.

Maybe that’s fine with you. But I’ve seen it in action and think it’s quite bizarre.

"Even one night?" That's definitely not true in most 55+ communities. My FIL and his wife live in one and they are allowed to have guests under 18 up to 3 months per year (basically that could cover grandkids visiting for an entire summer!)
I have never heard of a 55+ community that did not allow guest children for a single night.

[Anonymous]

My grandparents moved to Laguna Woods (formerly Leisure World) right next to Laguna Beach, CA. This is a 55+ community.

They loved it. My grandfather was a former contractor and they flipped at least 12 houses within the 55+ development before they died. If you're into real estate, you can live in very nice areas for much cheaper than going rate in the surrounding neighborhoods outside the community (try buying a house in Laguna Beach...). If you are a RE investor, tons of opportunities to buy an older home, update it, and sell for big money without any competition from families or institutional investor money.

Other pluses: no maintenance, no yardwork, active security, easy access to golf/tennis/club houses, lots of activity-based (my grandmother led the Computer Club for 20+ years and taught thousands of retirees how to use computers and smart phones), discounted travel tours, etc.

Laguna Woods actually seceded from the adjacent city in the early 2000s because of escalating property taxes. So that's another benefit to a 55+ community that incorporates as its own jurisdiction - it can control property taxes to a degree.

[Anonymous]

The primary attraction of such communities is the community of like-minded, similarly situated people. Retirees who want to socialize with others in an environment conducive to doing so. Neighbors will not be preoccupied with work or raising children, with interests which align mostly with those stages in life.

A frequent downside is the relatively small size of the homes, and sometimes their location because of the land area needed for the development. They seem usually to be aimed at people who want to downsize, and to that extent can be unsuitable for people who feel no such imperative. Surprisingly, the homes in these communities often appear to pay scant attention to aging-in-place requirements. Multi-level houses with no elevators, showers which are not roll-in roll-out, and so on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My grandparents moved to Laguna Woods (formerly Leisure World) right next to Laguna Beach, CA. This is a 55+ community.

They loved it. My grandfather was a former contractor and they flipped at least 12 houses within the 55+ development before they died. If you're into real estate, you can live in very nice areas for much cheaper than going rate in the surrounding neighborhoods outside the community (try buying a house in Laguna Beach...). If you are a RE investor, tons of opportunities to buy an older home, update it, and sell for big money without any competition from families or institutional investor money.

Other pluses: no maintenance, no yardwork, active security, easy access to golf/tennis/club houses, lots of activity-based (my grandmother led the Computer Club for 20+ years and taught thousands of retirees how to use computers and smart phones), discounted travel tours, etc.

Laguna Woods actually seceded from the adjacent city in the early 2000s because of escalating property taxes. So that's another benefit to a 55+ community that incorporates as its own jurisdiction - it can control property taxes to a degree.

OP again thanks for this post. These items you mention are huge.