Age-Restricted Communities: Are They Right for Me?

Parts of retirement are great—more time to spend with your family and pursuing your hobbies, an opportunity to learn a new skill, or even just the chance to relax from all the years of work put in. Not only that, but retirement age (or close to it) gains you access to partake in an age-restricted community. While these communities may seem very lucrative at first, they are certainly not for everyone, as there are several pros and cons to being part of such a community. This week, we would like to share some of those pros can cons with you, and maybe you can tell if an age-restricted community is right for you.

The first and foremost pro to an age-restricted community is in the name itself: age-restricted. You will be with people of the same age, without the exposure to people too far under your age. So, this means that there will be no teenagers and their sometimes-annoying music, no loud parties going on across the street late at night, and no kids playing in the streets. If you are the type of person who does not want to experience the childhood years for a third time, you may be right for a community.

Also, an age-restricted community provides several recreational perks to it that may be hard to find somewhere else. Most age-restricted communities have tennis courts, bocce ball courts, and even golf courses that you can take advantage of. Not only that, but almost all communities have a clubhouse that are filled with various activities and clubs, such as a book club, sewing club, softball team, hiking club, and many other groups. If you were the social butterfly in your earlier years, than this is another advantage to an age-restricted community.

However, there are a few downsides to an age-restricted community. For example, the no-kid rule can be very strict in some communities, to the point where you cannot have the grandkids over for an extended period of time. In addition, many communities impose strict restrictions on what can and cannot be displayed on houses and lawns.

There have been many cases of these Home Owner Associations (HOAs) forcing homeowners to take down flags displayed on their property, or to remove any type of lawn furniture. For those who like to add some flair to their life, or want to be a little different, an age-restricted community may not be the best.

As with everything in life, there are definite pros and cons to age-restricted community. Just because you reach the age threshold does not mean that you should run and jump into one—do your homework and see if it is really right for you. If you are still hesitant or unsure about your verdict, come on in and have a chat with us; we’d love to have a talk and help you see what is truly best for you.