Imagine never cutting the grass, never worrying about repainting the siding, never asking friends to keep an eye on the house during vacation. Add to that worry-free scenario living in a community with a range of social activities and fitness opportunities within a few feet of the front door.
Irene Hall, the marketing director of Sun City Peachtree in Griffin, likens this vision to going away to college without having to take those pesky exams. That’s what life in an active-adult community is designed to be.
“That’s the appeal that makes it so wonderful: There is never a dull moment,” Hall said. “You can live a resort lifestyle with clubs and activities for whatever you’re interested in.”
Whether the sales brochure calls it active-adult, easy-living, age-restricted or lock-and-leave, the concept is the same: A community of adults who want to be social and physically active and live in their own homes while letting someone else handle the nettlesome details of yardwork, exterior maintenance and, in many cases, neighborhood security. Dotted around the metro area, these grown-up enclaves appeal to empty-nesters, retirees and singles — which means many don’t carry a 55-years-or-older age restriction.
“That’s who we target — not only retirees, but single adults of all ages who don’t want to have to take care of their house or lawns,” said Mark Stevenson, the developer of the Retreat at NatureWalk at Seven Hills, a community in Paulding County with 130 lots for adults only. “There is definitely a niche in the market for buyers who don’t have kids at home.”
But many Retreat buyers want to live near their adult children and grandchildren, who are usually in the vicinity. Others are empty-nesters who have relocated to escape a cold climate; others are singles who work in the area and are drawn to the adult lifestyle. They have their pick of ranch-style homes within the master-planned Seven Hills development that gives them access to the community’s clubhouse, pool and hot tub.
“But we also have a facility that’s just for adults, with a swim-up bar, outdoor TVs and fireplaces,” Stevenson said. “It’s a place where the adults can have a good time, and it’s not crowded with kids.”
Another adult community tucked inside a larger development is the Springs at Sterling on the Lake, part of the 1,700-home Sterling on the Lake project in Hall County. In the Springs, about 200 single-family, two- to five-bedroom plans have at least two bedrooms on the main level, no yardwork and, in many cases, proximity to other family members.
“Our buyers have families nearby and want to be closer to their grandkids,” agent Suzanne Spivey said. “So the houses are geared toward empty-nesters who like being part of the bigger community, with 75 acres of lake, walking trails, a clubhouse with a fitness center, a theater, two pools and eight lit tennis courts.”
The Springs floor plans are designed for those empty-nesters to live there comfortably as they age, with features such as wider doorways, stepless entries, higher vanities and levered doors.
“When you first walk in, you really don’t see any of that,” Spivey said. “But it means you don’t have to move to another place as you get older. We can even do zero-entry showers and grab bars if someone wants that.”
Aging-in-place features are a plus, but most residents of the adult housing market are more focused on a lifestyle that allows them to be as busy as they want. Two of the communities catering to the “active” slice of the market are Soleil Laurel Canyon in Canton and Sun City Peachtree in Griffin. The southside development, restricted to those 55 years or older, is planned to have 3,500 maintenance-free lots with single-family ranch homes in 15 styles.
“What makes this community so wonderful is the resort lifestyle,” Hall said. “We’re adjacent to a private golf course and have our own amenities center with an indoor walking track, indoor and outdoor pools, and a tennis complex. A full-time director organizes clubs and activities, so whatever you’re interested in, we have it or can start it.”
The master-planned Soleil in Cherokee County features 728 homes with two and three bedrooms designed with the wider doorways and stepless entries that accommodate aging in place. The neighborhood boasts a clubhouse with a ballroom, indoor and outdoor pools, billiards and game rooms, an athletic center, and a greenhouse with plots where residents can exercise their green thumbs.
“The concept is living the resort lifestyle,” spokeswoman Michelle Parks said. “Some residents have moved to be closer to their children and grandchildren or to be in a warmer climate, but they love that there are so many activities. There are more than 50 clubs that get into things like pottery, quilting, billiards, cooking, yoga, water aerobics. We have a lifestyles director to keep track of it all.”
There are other options for those who want the perks of adult living but on a smaller scale. That’s become a niche for Windsong Properties, builders of Bel-Aire in west Cobb County and Heron Pond in Roswell.
“Our communities are smaller, usually with 50 to 90 homes,” Windsong’s Steve Romeyn said. “Most of our buyers come from within a 5-mile radius of our locations. Why would someone move a few miles? Because they have a bedroom upstairs, their knees are bad and they almost ran over two Big Wheels. They want to stay in the area but are looking for a new environment — a one-level, step-free home that requires less maintenance than they’re used to.
“But our buyers are also people from out of town who are motivated to move here principally because their grandchildren are here,” Romeyn added. “Grandchildren are a force to be dealt with. Nothing can stop a grandmother in Ohio from getting closer to her grandchildren — not even her husband.”
Romeyn also points to the community spirit created by adults of similar age ranges living together.
“They like the idea of being in a community with people who are at a similar stage in life,” he said. “They can hang out with people in the same college class as they were and who can talk about the Beatles.”
Windsong buyers also want specific features; they’re not about scrimping even though they’re getting a smaller space.
“They want a great room plan, not something cut up into different rooms,” Romeyn said. “At the same time, they want a few places where they can retreat, like a study. They want plenty of closets and storage and a very nice master bath. The kitchen is also key because it’s the hub. Natural light is also important; people like the front porches and private courtyards in our plans that let that light in.”
Another company catering to the local adult market with moderately sized projects is Jim Chapman Communities, the developer of the Brookhaven properties in Cumming, Sugarloaf, Johns Creek and Kennesaw, as well as the Haven at Slater Mill in Douglasville. Most of the gated communities feature fewer than 100 homes built around swimming pools, clubhouses and activities.
“All of our communities are very convenient to the interstates, within a mile or two, so each location has a travel corridor that can take you wherever you want to go,” said Kelly Dempsey, Chapman’s vice president of sales and marketing. “We call it a ‘lock-and-leave lifestyle’ because of the ability to be freed from the burdens that come with having a traditional home. Living here means you can take off without worrying about your house for as long as you want.”
Dempsey said the company likes the “lock-and-leave” description, even though it represents just one of the adult communities’ advantages.
“We struggle with the name,” he said. “We build age-restricted communities, and we have to call them something. But we’re constantly searching for a new catchphrase that really captures it.”
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