Active Adult
Here you will find interesting and relevant information for those of you are enjoying life after age 55. Not to say that younger generations will not benefit from articles and postings we will be adding and periodically updating here, but this page is going to be directed at those of you who have were on this planet when hula hoops were invented and the Beatles were a new phenomenon. Many seniors have not purchased a new home in many, many years, and still reside in the "family home" where the kids were raised and have since moved out. Many of you may seek to eliminate stairs, or just downsize. As a professionally designated Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), and a son who has parents who were both born prior to 1939, I am familiar with many of the issues and interests of active adults in today's real estate market. If it is time for you to make a transition to a new home, let me help you in finding your next place.
Please feel free to check back with me here. This page will be updated regularly with new information, links, and insights that will hopefully benefit you, our readers. If you have any questions or comments for me, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Remember, I am here to help.
Whenever you need any real estate advice or questions answered, call me, Rick Kolb at (404) 518-3542. You can also email me at rkolb@remax.net .
The Atlanta Real Estate Guys are here for you!
The following is a recent article offered by Allen Kolb. After a 33 year-career as a real estate appraiser around the metro Atlanta area, Allen still enjoys writing on issues pertaining to real estate. This article is the first in a
series. Please feel free to read his upcoming blogs on the "Spotlight On" section of our website.
Senior's Housing Market In North Metro Atlanta Area
One strategy I believe might be productive would be one that identifies where seniors live. Since I want to reside in the North Atlanta Metro Area, I have decided to focus on an area included between Interstates 75 and 85, north of the Atlanta City Limits. I don’t want to go too far north, so I have included parts of only four counties – Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett. This area encompasses 106 census tracts. The area of focus is by no means small, but I figure that if I can isolate sectors of seniors’ concentrations, I will likely find the most desirable places to live. These concentrations of seniors likely would attract the largest array of services and amenities attractive to seniors as well as providing the best areas for making social contacts.
I began my search using census data. The "2000 Census" provides data that can be updated utilizing estimates by the Atlanta Regional Commission, an area-wide planning agency. What was striking to me was that an estimated 130,000 persons between the ages of 55 and 64 reside in my delineated area. Only 65,000 persons between the ages of 65 and 74 live there. What this means to me is that twice as many persons residing in the area will reach the retirement age of 65 years in the coming decade than attained that magic age in the past ten years. This information is important for the reasoning that follows.
So what do they mean when they say "Active Adult Community"?
We have been hearing it for years, the large Baby Boomer population is nearing retirement. Although this economy is effecting what, when and where they retire to, the need is apparently still there. Aging is an already given fact and it is one of those things in life that we cannot prevent, no matter how much we try to delay it. Retirement should not be something to avoid; in fact, many seniors are having a great time spending their retired years in perfect contentment just because they have prepared well and things have gone according to plan. But of course, included in this planning is the acknowledgement that there would be things they can no longer attend to such as home maintenance and lawn mowing These might seem to be trivial problems, but they problems just the same. Not a day goes by when my Mom and Dad do not make mention of how difficult it is for them to maintain the immense amount of shrubbery present in the yard of the home in which I was raised -- and they still reside in. Most of these tasks are physically tedious to an aging body or pose a health risk. Hence the need for assistance–an assisted living that won’t require seniors’ giving up independence entirely.
This is exactly what adult retirement communities offer to active seniors. Active adult communities are residential communities which offer homes for seniors and are specifically designed to encourage active lifestyle that is more suitable for older adults.
Active adult communities are designed to offer older adults the chance to enjoy independent, active lifestyles, while providing easy access to a range of social, recreational, and educational pursuits. Many active adult communities offer everything from crafts and movie screenings to tennis and golf. Often, such communities offer designated dining areas and clubhouses as well. Daily living and medical needs are generally not covered. Residents are responsible for seeing to their own dietary, medical, and laundry requirements.
There are two basic types of active adult communities. One type of is age-restricted, while the other is age-targeted. In the United States, rules created by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) govern age-restricted communities. These rules require at least 80% of the households in an age-restricted active adult ccommunity to include an individual who is 55 years of age or older. Individuals under the age of 55 may live in an age-restricted community, but permanent residents must be 19 or older.
An age-targeted community is very much like an age-restricted, with only a few differnces. Age-targeted communities simply aim their marketing materials at individuals who are 55 or older, but do not specifically require residents to be of a certain age. Age-targeted communities make use of carefully structured marketing campaigns to attract older individuals without minor children, rather than young singles or families. While it is true that children are typically not residents of active adult neighborhoods, they are not unwelcome. Many residents have grandchildren visit on a frequent basis.
As I mentioned earlier, these communities usually offer recreational facilities such as swimming pools and tennis courts. Neighborhood groups form based on residents’ interests. What a wonderful option for seniors who are concerned if they could still manage a household, but yet want to be part of a community once more. This type of housing option for seniors has become quite popular in recent years. In fact there are plenty of existing adult retirement communities throughout Atlanta. This is of course is partly due to the fact that this type of community is considered by most seniors to be a much more attractive alternative to nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or living alone on your own. The safety and comfort of the residents are the first and foremost concerns of the community manager. but you’ll have to pay for such considerations, of course. It is however, in the minds of many active older adults, a small price to pay considering the amount of convenience you’ll get from living in an adult retirement community.
Active adult communities usually adhere to strict covenants in an attempt to maintain the quality of life they provide for seniors, so it is important that you decide first if you’re interested in purchasing a home in a neighborhood with many restrictions. Since Active Adult communities target seniors, its facilities and amenities are specifically designed to cater to older adults. The same goes for the existing rules and regulations the community follows. It might be a good idea to even take some time to attend an open house or inquire personally to the community office to familiarize yourself with just how the community operates. I also highly recommend using a real estate professional to help you in locating a neighborhood which is right for you. As experts that you will have in your corner, my partner and I will ensure that you fully understand the covenants that each community would require adherence to, and protect your interests.
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