The 3 Biggest Mistakes 55+ Homebuyers Make When Choosing a Community

Choosing to sell your home and move into a 55+ community can be a difficult and emotional decision. Many times you are choosing to move from a home where you raised your family and made a lifetime of wonderful memories.

Once you have made that decision, however, it is important to consider these 3 mistakes that homebuyers have made when choosing to move into a 55+ community:

1. Not considering all the implications in the type of home you choose.
   A majority of the 55+ communities only offer attached, slab on grade homes. If you are used to living in a detached, single-family home, you may not like the reality of living in a home with shared walls. Consideration needs to be taken about noise and privacy.
2. Most of the attached homes do not come with a basement.
   If you are accustomed to having extra space for storage, this may be a source of stress in trying to determine which personal items to keep and which to get rid of. Also, if you like having extended visits from family and friends, you will not have the option of allowing them to stay with you as space will be an issue.
3. Assessing the homes-to-amenities ratio.
   Many 55+ communities offer a variety of amenities. These all look so appealing and can improve your quality of life. What a lot of people fail to take into consideration is the homes-to-amenities ratio. For example, say a community advertises amenities such as a hot tub, a pickleball court, and a clubhouse with an exercise room. These amenities are incredibly attractive, but what are the chances you’ll actual be able to use them on a regular basis? If there is one clubhouse, one pickleball court, one hot tub, etc, but there are 100-200 homes, the availability for use will become extremely rare.
4. Insufficient research into the HOA.
   It is rare that you find a 55+ community without a homeowners’ association. It is vital to do your homework on the HOA before you have chosen a particular community. It is important to review the CC&Rs before making your decision. Some of the things to look for are: Will the HOA be managed by a company or self-managed? Are homeowners actually on the board and will they be allowed to make changes and exceptions, if needed? What is the enforcement protocol? These and other questions are important to ask and have answered.

At Starhaven Villas Luxury 55+ Community you will have a private, well-designed home with ample space for storage and the ability to host family or friends for an extended stay. This community, once fully built, will be a small, intimate community with only 51 homes. That’s a great homes-to-amenities ratio. The HOA at Starhaven Villas will run by a board of actual homeowners that are invested and care greatly about this community. It is worth your time and energy to research why Starhaven Villas should be your next community.