Many people who are planning their retirement are hesitant to consider California because they believe it is too expensive to retire there. However, there are a number of affordable over-55 retirement communities that are attractive and have a wide variety of amenities, especially in the desert towns around Palm Springs in the Coachella Valley. One of these is
Sun City Shadow Hills in Indio, California.
Sun City Shadow Hills was listed in
Where to Retire magazine, in their July/August 2013 issue, as one of the 50 best master-planned communities in the U.S. This list was culled from ALL master planned communities in the United States, not just those designed for people over the age of 55.
Shadow Hills Amenities
This beautiful desert retirement community was developed by Del Webb and has a wide variety of the amenities that many retirees are requesting.
Golfers will love:
18 hole putting course
18 hole Par-3 course that is about 3,000 yards long
18 hole Championship golf course that is 6,773 yard long
Golfers and non-golfers alike will enjoy:
A 35,000 square foot main clubhouse
A second clubhouse, called the Santa Rosa
The amphitheatre
The Performing Arts and Ballroom facilities
Billiards and table games
Fitness centers at the clubhouses
Hobby, card and game rooms
Tennis and Bocce Courts
Both Indoor and outdoors pools and jacuzzies
In addition, the staff and volunteers in the community organize special events and trips to other locations in Southern California, including the San Diego zoo, area casinos and the wine country.
The nearby Coachella Valley communities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, La Quinta, Indian Wells and Indio all offer a wide variety of special events, activities and attractions of their own, including art galleries, art museums, world class tennis facilities, restaurants, shops, movie theaters and a variety of festivals, including a spectacular hot air balloon festival. The towns have wide, palm lined boulevards that take you past the entrances to beautiful resorts and planned communities. Street sculptures, like the one pictured in the above photo, are sprinkled throughout the various desert communities. There is no reason to be bored while you live in Sun City Shadow Hills!
Cost of Living
There are a wide variety of home prices in this wonderful community, ranging from about $200,000 for a 1,321 square foot home to approximately $455,000 for a larger 2,955 square foot single family home. With 10 different home designs, buyers have plenty of choices in both design and price.
The monthly homeowner's fee in 2013 was $237.
Property taxes run approximately 1.4 percent of the value of your property. This means that if you purchase a $300,000 home, your property taxes will run approximately $4,200 a year, or perhaps slightly more if there are special assessments or parcel taxes that have been added on.
Conveniently Located
Residents of this area not only enjoy the amenities of their own community and the rest of the Coachella Valley, but they are also less than a two hour drive to the coastal communities of Los Angeles and Orange County. In addition, a roughly two hour drive in another direction can take residents up into the mountain communities of Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead. There are an enormous variety of climates and activities available to active seniors who want to have a convenient location to call home.
Disadvantages
The only complaints I have ever heard about this community is the summer desert heat and the periodic wind and dust storms that erupt from time to time. In both cases, the residents have two choices. They can either confine their outdoor activities to early morning and late evening, or they can rent a place to stay near the coast during a portion of the summer.
I have had friends who have chosen both options, and they have managed to get through those hot, dry, windy summer days with little difficulty. However, for people who really hate the idea of a dry desert climate, this community may be less appealing.
More Information
If you would like to read more about the Coachella Valley, you may want to read a few books about the area. You can use this direct link to
Amazon.com books about Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley to see the choices that are currently available.
Contact Information for Sun City Shadow Hills
If you would like to get more information specifically about Shadow Hills or plan a visit, here is their website and contact information:
http://www.delwebb.com/communities/ca/indio/sun-city-shadow-hills
On the website you can also make arrangements to schedule a two-night visit for only $99, including a tour of the community and participation in an activity.
Sun City Shadow Hills
81-346 Corte Compras
Indio, CA 92203
Toll Free number: (800) 420-5059
For those of you who are looking for more retirement planning ideas, or want to get information about other places to retire, click on the index articles listed below. Each one as a short introduction as well as links to a wide variety of other articles on that topic.
Gifts, Travel and Family Relationships
Great Places for Boomers to Retire Overseas
Great Places to Retire in the United States
Health and Medical Topics for Baby Boomers
Money and Financial Planning for Retirement
You are reading from the article: http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com
Photo of modern sculpture in Palm Desert, California is courtesy of www.en.wikipedia.org/commons
