Whether you’re a seller downsizing or you’re moving to retire, 55+ communities are among the most popular residential lifestyles in South Florida.
Rebranded as ‘active adult’ developments, you’ll find a wide choice of condos and homes in brand new and existing private neighborhoods that offer extensive amenities and enough activities to keep residents busy from morning to night.
The difference between these and other private communities is 55+ are age-restricted by federal law. They require at least 80 percent of the units to be occupied by at least one person 55 years of age or older. Each has its own rules about the age of the other occupants, and how long guests can stay. Visiting grandchildren are accommodated by playgrounds, playrooms and special activities during holidays.
The other major incentive is financial. 55+ communities are exempt from school taxes.
What house-hunters are looking for in 55+ communities are homes or condos in existing and new developments in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and increasingly further north to Palm Beach Gardens and Port St. Lucie. More than 50 are in the western suburbs of Boynton Beach and Lake Worth. They’re all within a short distance of shopping and restaurants, even movies.
If you’re online searching before you start house-hunting with your Lang Realty agent, know that ‘retirement villages’ are not the same. These ‘independent living and assisted living’ communities provide housing for individuals who anticipate or require assistance in their daily life. They’re staffed 24/7 by trained employees, and provide everything from meals to housekeeping, help with medication and often transportation to medical appointments.
