ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITIES IN ARIZONA
What comes to mind when you think of active adult communities in Arizona? For some it is a vacation home – some place to enjoy mild winter climates. For others it is a permanent home – one where work can continue or perhaps it is pre-retirement or post-retirement living. Whatever the reason, active adult living is a popular community for living a resort lifestyle.
Arizona is full of active adult communities!
Arizona is a diverse state with distinct regions and climates. Northern Arizona is home to the Prescott, the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff. Eastern Arizona is home to Show Low, Payson, Pinetop and is mountainous with skiing available during the winter months. Many that live in the Valley of the Sun (also known as Phoenix and surrounding cities) will winter in the east to enjoy the cooler summer climate. Western Arizona is home to Parker, Yuma and Havasu with the beautiful Colorado River. And to the south is Tucson and Green Valley with foothills and slightly cooler temperatures than the Valley. Most popular active adult communities are found in the Phoenix area and Tucson because of the mild winter climates and absence of snow and lasting freezing temperatures. Phoenix is divided into the West Valley and East Valley with everything west of the I-17 (Peoria, Glendale, Sun City, Buckeye, Goodyear and others) known as the West Valley and everything to the east of I-17 (Chandler, Casa Grande, Gilbert, Maricopa, Mesa, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Scottsdale, Sun Lakes and Tempe) known as the East Valley. Robson and Dell Webb are two of the largest active adult community developers in Arizona with communities in Chandler, Casa Grande, Goodyear and Tucson. Dell Webb is the developer for Anthem, San Tan Valley, Sun City, Sun City west, Sun City Grand and other affiliated communities. The Arizona Directory of Active Adult Communities will provide a detailed list of communities by city.
What can you expect in an active adult community?
Active adult communities are typically 55+ meaning at least one of the owners must be 55 years of age. However, most have a percentage (normally 20%) of the ownership that can be 40 and above and no children under the age of 19 living permanently in the home. Active adult communities are made up of people from all over the world who are enjoying a resort lifestyle – some while still working and others are fully retired. One of the popular features that people love is the ability to quickly make new friends. With the lifestyle being part of home ownership it is easy to find people who have similar interests and hobbies. Whether it is golf, tennis, pickleball, fitness, hiking, biking, quilting, card games, billiards, swimming or just enjoying great food at some of the restaurants it is easy to make new friends. Some people enjoy volunteering in their retirement and there are plenty of opportunities for that as well. Community and civic organizations are always looking for willing and cheerful people to help out. You will find communities in all price ranges from manufactured homes and resort RV parks to villas, town homes and single family residences. Some are gated and others are not. Location is a key consideration when selecting a community. Some questions to consider are:
- How important is it to live near shopping, restaurants, airports and medical facilities?
- What are the HOA (homeowner association) fees?
- Is there a capital improvement fee assessed when buying a home and how much is it?
- Does the HOA have a reserve fund and how well is it funded?
- What are the CC&R (covenants, conditions and restrictions) and how are they enforced?
- Are the restrictions in the CC&R’s a deal breaker? (for example some do not allow RV parking or allow only limited parking – how important is that to you?
- Does the community have a patrol or on-site security?
These are just a few of the questions that come into play when selecting a specific community. One should also ask for an Arizona Buyer Advisory that will give you resources to check for things such as sex offenders in the area, noise, home warranty info, lead based paint, insects and termite information, foreign investment property tax (FIRPTA), and many other websites to help you make buying decisions.
For more information on active adult communities visit our website. Active adult communities in Arizona is a great lifestyle and we would love to tell you more about why we love it and think you may too!
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See our community video on active adult living in Sun Lakes Arizona.
