Colonial Heritage near Historic Williamsburg, Virginia

Do you love history, yet you want to live in a modern retirement community with lots of popular amenities such as golf, swimming pools, a clubhouse and exercise facilities?  If so, you should consider moving to the charming Colonial Heritage over-55 retirement community by Lennar Homes near historic Williamsburg, Virginia.  It's the perfect spot for people who enjoy both early American history as well as the comforts of modern America.

Whether you are interested in volunteering as a docent in Colonial Williamsburg, or you want to spend your days playing golf, working with wood or enjoying other community activities, this is a wonderful place to retire.

Facts about Retiring in Virginia

Before you decide on a retirement community, of course, you need to decide if retiring in Virginia is the right choice for you.  One of the appeals of Virginia is that home prices and the overall cost of living is reasonable as soon as you get away from the Washington, DC area.  One of our daughters went to college in Virginia and, when we visited her, we fell in love with the charming small towns, quaint farms, and the drive along the Blue Ridge mountains.  The entire state only had a population of about 8 million people in 2012.

If Social Security is going to be your primary source of income after retirement, there is another reason why you might love living in Virginia.  Your Social Security benefits are exempt from income taxes.  In addition, the real estate websites tout the fact that there are no state inheritance taxes.

Williamsburg, Virginia

 According to Money Magazine, Williamsburg is Number Five on their list of the "Best Places to Live". 

In additional to the interesting attractions in the township of Colonial Williamsburg, the city has two hospitals ... important for residents who are planning to age in the area.  Both the Norfolk and Richmond airports are less than an hour drive away.

The weather in the mid-Atlantic states is more temperate than you'll find in the Northeast.  The average high temperature in July is 89 degrees, and the average January low is 28 degrees.  Thunderstorms are common, with July being the wettest month of the year.  We have experienced a few Virginia thunderstorms, and they are quite dramatic, so be prepared!

Residents of Williamsburg are also a short drive away from the Virginia coast.

Amenities at the Colonial Heritage Retirement Community

Once you have decided that living in the Williamsburg, Virginia area is the right choice for you, you need to decide whether you would prefer to live in the town or in a nearby master planned community.  While the town has a lot to offer, here is a list of the amenities available in the lovely Colonial Heritage retirement community.

Over-55 gated community
Elegant clubhouse
18 hole championship golf course
Tennis courts
Indoor pool with floor to ceiling windows
Outdoor resort style pool
Ballroom
Two community restaurants
Meeting rooms, card rooms and a billiards room
Fitness room / Athletics center
Arts and crafts room
Woodworking shop
A variety of community organizations including the history and culinary clubs.

Homes and Home Prices

Lennar Homes, a respected national home builder, is the developer of Colonial Heritage.  They are actively in the process of building a neighorhood of charming low-maintenance homes on 1500 acres.

In 2013, home prices in the community ranged from about $260,000 to $460,000 for a single family home.

Homeowner's dues in 2013: $258 a month.

Contact Information

Colonial Heritage
7015 Statesman
Williamsburg, Virginia 23188
(877) 785-3662

ColonialHeritageVA.com

More Information:

If you are interested in learning more about historic Colonial Williamsburg, you may be interested in reading one of these books from Amazon:

Insider's Guide to Williamsburg 16th: and Virginia's Historic Triangle

Official Guide to Colonial Williamsburg

Resources:

"50 Best Master-Planned Communities in the U.S." Where to Retire Magazine, July/August 2013.

http://www.colonialheritageclub.org/home.asp

 http://www.topretirements.com/state/virginia.html

If you are currently planning your retirement, you may also want to look through the index articles below.  Each one contains links to a variety of additional resources.

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 blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of Colonial Williamsburg courtesy of www.en.wikipendia.org/commons

Heritage Todd Creek in Thornton, Colorado

Not everyone wishes to retire to Florida, Arizona or one of the other Sun Belt states.  Some people long for the opportunity to get away to the mountains, instead.  One popular age-restricted community that offers retirees an opportunity for peace and quiet in the mountains is Heritage Todd Creek by Lennar in lovely Thornton, Colorado, just 12 miles north of Denver.

This retirement community is so appealing that it has been listed by Where to Retire magazine as one of the 50 best master-planned communities in the United States.  It is the only community on their list from the state of Colorado.  If you are considering a move to the mountains after you stop working, this community should be near the top of your list.

Of course, if you are considering relocating to Colorado from another state, you may want to visit the area in the winter to get a better idea of what it is like to live in a cold snowy climate.  For those of you who are used to dealing with cold weather and don't mind it, Heritage Todd Creek is a beautiful place to enjoy your later years.

Amenities at Heritage Todd Creek

Like other over-55 age restricted communities, there are a number of wonderful amenities that are designed to help you have a fun, healthy and active retirement. 

Facilities:

Stunning 33,000 sq.ft. clubhouse with dramatic views
Full-service restaurant and bar at the golf club

Arthur Hills 18-hole championship golf course
Indoor and outdoor saltwater pools
Tennis Courts
Miles of walking and biking trails
Fitness Center

Billiards room
Crafts room
library
Ballroom

Special Programs:

Yoga, jazzercise and water aerobics classes
Line dancing
Horseshoes
Bridge and poker
Karaoke
Bingo
Book clubs
and many additional fun planned activities


With Denver only a short drive away, residents have full access to all the advantages of living near a big city, including restaurants, theaters, shopping malls, museums and entertainment.  The community is also near several Colorado state parks.  It only takes a few hours to drive up the mountains to the fabulous ski resorts of Breckenridge, Keystone and Vail.

Homes and Price Ranges

Compared to the senior communities in some other locales, Heritage Todd Creek is quite affordable, with home prices ranging from the low $300,000 range up to about $380,000 for single family homes.  Home sizes range from 1470 to 2574 square feet with two and three car garages.  The square footage does not include the full size unfinished basements, which give residents the opportunity for even more living space. The housing is quite new, as well, since less than 400 of the 1,300 homes that have been planned have been built so far.  This is your opportunity to own an affordable, brand new retirement home in a spectacular location.

The monthly homeowner's dues in 2013 are $145.

Contact Information

Heritage Todd Creek
8585 E. 152nd Lane
Thornton, CO  80602

(720) 685-0873
(877) 201-2795

HeritageToddCreekLifestyle.com

If you are new to Colorado and would like to read more about tourist destinations, hotels, restaurants and more, you may want to use this link to Colorado guidebooks from Amazon.com. It will make it much easier to become familiar with the many interesting places to visit in this fabulous state.


If you are currently planning your retirement, you may also wish to check out the index articles listed below.  Each one contains some general information plus links to a number of 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 blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of Thornton welcome sign courtesy of www.en.wikipedia.org/commons

Lennar, Pulte and Centerline Multigenerational Homes

When I sold real estate in Texas in the 1990's, I occasionally had buyers who were looking for homes with mother-in-law suites or separate living quarters for their retired parents.  In those days, multi-generational homes were more difficult to find.  Often they were simple houses with traditional floorplans that with a small addition added on or a section of the home that had been partitioned off.  Frequently, these additions felt like an afterthought. Sometimes they were poorly adapted to the needs of aging seniors. However, in the years since that time, the demand for these homes has increased significantly and home builders are taking the lead in satisfying the need.

When people looked for mother-in-law suites in the past, their reason was obvious.  They needed a place where their elderly parents could live with them comfortably, while everyone maintained their own privacy.  Today, in addition to needing separate living accommodations for an older generation, a small apartment off the main house may be a blessing if you have adult children who return home frequently to visit. In addition, some people may want separate living quarters if they get a lot of out-of-town visitors.  No matter why you want a multigenerational home, several builders are now offering new designs to meet the demand.

New Home Designs by the PulteGroup

PulteGroup builds a variety of new home communities, not only under the name of Pulte but also as Centex and Del Webb.  They have come up with several designs that will comfortably accommodate an older relative, young adult or visiting guest.  According to an article entitled "New Models for Retirement Living: Sharing a Home With Friends or Family" in the May/June 2013 edition of Where to Retire Magazine, the author indicates that Pulte has even done their own research on this topic.  As a result, this company has learned that about 15 percent of potential buyers who have living parents already have that parent living with them.  About 30 percent of buyers with a living parent eventually expect to share their house with that parent.

Because of this research, Pulte has created a variety of floorplan choices that range from homes with dual master bedrooms to houses with two entirely separate entrances and kitchens.  In other cases, they simply took one of their traditional floorplans, and made the homes a bit larger, especially in the main living areas such as the kitchen and family room, so these houses can comfortably accommodate extra people.

My husband and I have visited one of the Del Webb Sun City models and we were particularly impressed by the Socialite floor plan which contains a small, separate apartment.  The plan is simple. At the front of the house a small wing juts forward toward the street.  It is just large enough for a large room with a private bath and walk-in closet.  This space has both a private entrance from the outside as well as an optional door that leads directly into the bedroom wing of the main house.  The space is large enough that one of our adult daughters, who was single at the time, immediately told us we should move there because she would love to stay in this private apartment off the main house.  (Honestly, I wasn't sure whether or not it would be an advantage to have a place that was so attractive to our adult children!)  However, if one of my elderly parents moved in with us, the place would be ideal. 

Next Gen Models by Lennar Homes

Lennar also has a special line of multigenerational homes that they call their Next Gen models.  These homes have two separate living areas, including a small kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom and living room in the secondary space.  Lennar has built models in Arizona, California and Florida.  This small "home within a home," as they refer to it, provides ideal living space for a family member who will be living with you permanently, as well as guest space for occasional visitors.

Depending on the location, some of these Lennar homes can be surprisingly affordable.  For example, some of their Next Gen homes in Bakersfield, California can be purchased for under $300,000, a reasonable price, especially if two or more generations are sharing the cost.

Generation Y and B Models by Centerline 

Centerline Homes has also developed their own designs for multigenerational homes.  Their Generation Y homes have a separate casita or cottage for adult children who move back home.  The Generation B model is for aging Baby Boomers.  This design contains a private apartment with a kitchenette. This private apartment is connected to the main house in order to make it comfortable and convenient for elderly relatives.  Of course, some aging parents might prefer the separate cottage rather than the apartment in the main house.  Either plan gives you some workable options for multigenerational living.

If you are interested in looking at more options for retirement planning, you may want to read the articles mentioned in the index articles below.  Click on any of these titles and you will find a short introduction to that topic as well as the links to a number of related articles:

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 blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of Del Webb's Sun City Texas entry is courtesy of www.morguefile.com/commons