These types of "continuing care" communities are quite a bit different than active 55+ communities, and tend to attract a much older and frail demographic. |
Riderwood. |
Carnegie makes no mention of cost on their website. Under "Services", it's all pretty vague. |
I have read that about the Villages before, and there is even a documentary about the community (I think on HBO or Vice), but the people we bought our house from were selling so they could move down there and retire from Maryland and they absolutely love it. These are very hippy, liberal and super nice people. When they told us that was where they were moving and how they couldn't wait to relocate, I was surprised given how liberal they are. I couldn't have asked for nicer sellers, they were absolutely lovely in every way. They left their grown kids in Maryland and just picked up and left. We've kept in touch with them and they're super happy about the move. |
Del Webb in Ponte Vedra is a gem. It is also called Riverwood. |
We have friends who had a beautiful home in Florida (regular neighborhood not 55+) and decided to sell and move to West Coast be closer to adult daughter and family. A few years later, they moved back to Florida. They learned (the hard way) that adult children have their own lives, as do grandkids. Sadly, they could not afford to purchase a similar home due to price increases so they wound up in a condo. But they are much happier and glad they moved back. |
For the folks here who’ve made this move, do you live in FL year round? What is it like in the summer? |
Hot hot hot |
I'm 56 and am starting to see the appeal of 55+ communities. My partner has always had the mantra that living amongst young people keeps you young at heart, but I don't buy it anymore. Most of our neighborhood is 35 and younger, and they look right through us. |
Yea, I think you can find 50s people who are also young at heart. DH and I are 54/60, and we still feel young at heart, if not in body. |
My relatives kept a smaller place in their home town 55+ community and got a place in The Villages, so they do the snowbird South for the winter thing. |
Yes, especially considering we still have kids in middle school and aren't even eligible to move into 55+ communities. I guess we'll be eligible when we are sure the kids have places of their own sometime after college. So we'll be about 65 by then. |
I definitely see the appeal of 55+ mostly for the social aspect. When you move to a new area and don’t have young children it is very difficult to make friends. |
So true. Our DCs were in 5th/6th grade when we moved and TBH we are still struggling and they are now in college. Most of the parent friendships had been formed going back to PK/K. People friendly, but not open. |
What do you do? That and the state politics are two reasons why I am resisting exploring this as an option. |