Should You Buy a Home in a 55+ Gated Community
Gated communities have become more mainstream these days than they were years ago. Should you buy a home in a 55+ gated community? There are pluses and minuses, but for many women over 60 it may be a good option.
Different Types of Gated Communities
There are different types of gated communities.
Manned-gated communities or guard-gated communities are just what they sound like. When you pull up to the community, there is a guardhouse. You must be called in by a resident and show ID in order to enter. Manned-gated communities provide a sense of security for many people.
There are virtual gated communities. When you pull up, you press a button and you will be speaking with someone on the other end. You will have to show your ID in order to enter.
Other communities have gates which may be actual gates or an arm with a call box. You will scroll through a directory until you find the resident’s name. There is usually a code to dial which will connect you with the resident, who will then open the gate for you.
Rules and Regulations
Gated communities have rules and regulations, as well as governing documents and bylaws. Same goes for condos, villas, townhomes, and single-family homes if they’re gated.
Are you okay with that?
Many people are; others are not. It’s a personal choice.
There will be a homeowner’s association or condo association. They have monthly meetings to keep the community in good physical and financial shape.
Active Adult Communities
Are you a woman over 55? Or 60? You may enjoy an active adult community or as they are often called, a 55+ community.
Many 55+ communities are geared to today’s baby boomers.
Depending on the community – and it can and often does vary by community – there are a lot of social activities to keep you as busy as you want to be. Everything from tennis to pickle ball to cards, swimming, yoga, clubs of all kinds, fitness, dogs – you name it. And, if they don’t have it and you want it, well – just start one! There are others sure to join!
Pet Friendly 55+ Communities
For my pet-loving senior friends, there are pet-friendly 55+ communities!
Again, these include all types of housing including condos, townhomes, villas and houses.
Now, please hear me out. Many of these pet-friendly 55+ communities have pet restrictions. These could be the number of pets allowed in each home, types of pets and even breed restrictions.
Some people are fine with this while others are not. For example, one community may allow two dogs under 20 pounds, or one dog allowed up to 60 pounds but no aggressive breeds, no reptiles, etc.
If you have a pet or two or even three, it’s important to find out the pet restrictions before you fall in love with a house or villa or condo, whatever! Please trust me on this!
Some of the pet restrictions in certain communities make no sense. I agree! But you can’t fight everyone.
And I know what you’re going to say next. “I can get a letter.”
Sure, you can.
But I ask you: Do you really want to live in a community that doesn’t allow pets? You may be able to get your dog in, but you cannot stop the neighbors from giving you dirty looks when you walk your beloved dog.
And it happens. I know, because I get the phone calls afterwards.
Should You Buy in a Gated Community
Many people do fine in a gated community. In fact, they love it. They love the friends they make. They have people to hang out with, play cards, go to dinner, walk their dogs, go to the pool and so on.
Others do not want to follow rules. They need to look for a single-family home on a street where only the city, town or county governs. We have choices and what works for one person may or may not work for another.
Should you buy a home in a gated community?
Only you know what you are comfortable with.
Don’t go into it blindly. If you’re interested in a gated community, find out the rules and regulations before you buy.
Make sure it’s a good fit for you. Will you be happy there?
If you are viewing homes in the community, your best source of information is always the people who live there. Stop them and talk to them. People are often friendly and will talk to you.
You know your comfort zone. Go with your gut and happy house hunting!
Let’s Have a Conversation:
Are you a baby boomer looking to buy a home in an active adult or 55+ community with or without pets? Are you planning a move in the near future? Do you have any questions that might help make your home purchase easier? Let’s talk about it!
We were so lucky to find a gated community with the weird mix that we wanted: NO dogs, very strict noise rules, but almost no other rules at all, and they handle all the landscaping. If we were in the opposite—dogs, lots of rules, lots of noise—we would hate that. So really, it’s all about reading the fine print to find what will suit your preferences best, and also about going there in the evenings and on weekends to see what after-hours life is like for residents.
Liz, I’m glad to hear you found the type of gated community you wanted. You were smart to read the fine print before moving forward and to go back in the evenings and on weekends, too.
I looked into gated community (here in Australia) & the fees were horrendous. Buy your own home, but then pay a nasty fee to the body corporation WEEKLY. And the exit fees are alarming.
And dogs are wonderful pets to some people, but bark loudly, sometimes constantly, poo anywhere & need to have sniff if you get close.
Leave me alone!!
They’re not for everyone, Jen. It’s a good thing you looked into it and realized it before buying.
Agree with the comments below. My 55+ community is like a communal retirement home. They are very pushy, gossipy and live for bingo and card games. This is fine for some, but their expectation is everyone should follow. Needless to say I prefer a more independent lifestyle.
My hope is to move back to a single family home.
Btw I’m a 71 y/o fit ” young” woman with a life.
Some 55+ communities may seem older than others. Where I am in south Florida, the older communities have turned over or are starting to turn over with many younger people moving in, and the newer ones are attracting younger boomers.
I bought a house on a small gated development in the UK 11 years ago and grew to hate it. It is mixed ages but the retirees who bought properties have tried to turn it into a retirement village and want all their own way. Someone has also been renting a property out via Airbnb which has caused problems and bad feeling with residents. The authorities have ordered them to stop short term letting immediately but are being ignored. Another property has a family as tenants, but there are no private gardens and problems with the teenage boy having large groups of friends hanging around the communal areas.
I’m overseas with my husband’s job and we return 4 times a year. We retire in a year and will return home, but we plan to sell up after a year.
We never want to live on a gated development again, the management fees and maintenance costs are horrendous for a start. What seemed a good idea at the time really wasn’t for us, we don’t get involved with neighbours when we’re there as people gossip – being behind gates seems to encourage it.
I’d rather just buy another house I can manage for myself.
It sounds like you know what works and what doesn’t for you and your husband, Linda. Here many of the communities have minimum number os days for rent (some like 210) and once you buy a home, you must hold it for a year before being able to rent at all.
Do they give you anything in return for the high maintenance fees they charge?
From what I see, you need to be comfortable with death. People die in these communities often. And lot’s of infirmity. But they do provide companionship and activities and have people looking out for you. The social world feels a lot like high school with cliques, etc.
I think people die everywhere, ELouise. There was a beautiful 14 year old who jumped out a window and died here last week. It was heartbreaking. You remind me of my mother who would never move to Florida because everyone died here. I used to tell her we don’t have an exclusive on it. People die in New York, too!
But what you also say is true. They do provide companionship and activities. And they run the gamut here from low to luxury.