Finally, an “Active Senior Neighborhood” that Is

On our way to my daughter’s commencement at George Fox University, we stopped in Reno to explore the Del Webb Sierra Canyon.  It has long been one of my two top neighborhoods (along with SunRiver in St. George, Utah).  I liked Nevada’s tax-friendly status, its slight red-state leaning, and the location of the community on the edge of the Sierras.  We drove the path less traveled up the 395 highway on the eastern edge of California to plop down in Reno for the night – as well as see some friends for a delicious dinner at Toucan Charlie’s Buffet at the Atlantis Casino.

The Sierra Canyon sales office closed at 6:00 pm and we were going to get there around 5:00 pm.  After visiting Del Webb Shadow Hills in Indio at 5:30 pm and noticing that they were awkwardly waiting for us to leave so they could lock up the models, I wanted to make sure they really were open until 6:00 pm so I called ahead.  They were very accommodating and would be happy to wait for us.  We arrived about 5:20 pm.

After leaving the freeway, the drive to the sales office was beautiful, surrounded by snow covered peaks on the south (towards Tahoe) and foothills to the north.  The whole development is called Sommersett and Del Webb Sierra Canyon is the neighborhood on its southern edge, closest to the freeway.  The roads wind around with lots of hills, landscaped roundabouts (the Nevada term for traffic circles), parks, greenbelts, and bike lanes instead of golf cart lanes.  There are two golf courses in one of the other tracts, but Sierra Canyon had parks instead – something that makes me, a non-golfer, very happy.

We also saw a dozen individual and couples in their fifties or sixties out walking their large dogs:  retrievers, Labradors, and one German shepherd.  Not one frou-frou dog in sight.  The sales office confirmed that there is no size limit on pets, and the city limit of four dogs per household applies.  My large dog and two cats much prefer this arrangement to the Leisure World Seal Beach rule:  “One quadruped pet is allowed; the maximum weight at maturity is 25 pounds.”

First two observations about Reno:   I wasn’t expecting a themed casino, but the Atlantis was nice and kitschy – sort of ocean-themed-ancient-civilization-meets-a-tropical-luau.  Second, Reno rolls up the sidewalks about 9:00 pm.  I was expecting the 24 hour atmosphere of Las Vegas, but they politely asked us to leave the restaurant a little after 9:00, since they had already closed.  I also realized it was Kentucky Derby Eve and wanted to place a bet – problem was the Sports Book closed at 8:00 pm and didn’t reopen until 9:00 am the next morning.

Just a Golf Cart Drive Away

There’s a famous line about you know you’re a Californian when you describe distance as driving time.  I heard a new definition of distance last weekend during an open house in Sun City Palm Desert.  The showing agent, Mary Jane Murray of Murray Realtors, Inc., was telling us all about the three beautiful clubhouses located throughout the village.  I asked her if the club houses were within walking distance.  (I want to live in a community where I can walk to the myriad of activities.)  She told me they were a bit far for walking, but they were a “golf cart drive.”  She proceeded to explain about all the amenities that were a golf cart drive from the house.  There was a back gate put in by the builder so that the nearby doctor’s offices and grocery store were all accessible from a golf cart.

Driveway for 2-car and golf cart garage doors.

Um… not a driveway for 2-car and golf cart garages

In retirement, we are planning on having one car and one golf cart, so that sounds like a way to go.  That brings us to the garages.  The larger homes, usually over 1,800 square feet, have a two-car garage plus golf cart space either as a basic plan or as an option.  Once again, we saw one house with this layout with a beautiful driveway right next to another house, similar layout with plants covering the front where the driveway should have been.  Really?  I guess some people really do fall for that – but I think it’s insulting – just saying.

In my blog about our visit to Del Webb’s Sun City Apple Valley, I mentioned golf cart lanes.  When we moved on to Del Webb’s Sun City Shadow Hills later in the afternoon, we saw golf cart parking spots. And on a Saturday evening at 4:00 pm, there were lots of golf carts zipping along – some with golf clubs, some with residents ready to enjoy the potluck at the club house.

Golf Cart spots – right out front.

Golf carts seem to be a staple of retirement community life.  At SunRiver in St. George, the HOA holds golf cart drive-in movie nights .  At the current price of gasoline, an electric golf cart sounds like a great idea.  I guess I’ll have to spend some time and blog space reviewing golf carts, too.

Itty Bitty Laundry Room Door Option

We visited Del Webb’s Shadow Hills community near Palm Springs over the weekend.  The models were some of the most tastefully decorated I’ve seen; however.  I do have issues with the builder when they add to many options to the basic model.  I have a knack for reading floorplans, but I was disoriented in some as I was trying to envision the basic versus the upgrade.  My husband kept saying, “Oh, I like this.”  And I’d answer, “Yeah, that’s extra.”

Please pass the hamper.

My favorite floorplan was The Hospitality.  It had one of the most fun and convenient options, and I would definitely pay the extra.  I’d never seen it before, and I’ve seen a lot of houses.  It was a small door (optional, of course) from the laundry room to the master bedroom’s walk-in closet.  From the closet, you open the door and shove the hamper through.  The you walk unencumbered to the laundry room near the home entry, do the laundry, and poof – shove it back through the little magic door to the closet.  If only it came with a house-elf to do the folding and hanging up!

Optional Laundry Door

My husband, who hasn’t done laundry for thirty years, didn’t really see the practical benefit, but he did think it would be a great secret door for the grandkids to use for a hideout or to sneak up on grandpa.

Let’s Get Answers to Common Questions about Retirement Communities

What landscaping comes with the house?  Basic front yard landscaping, raw dirt in the backyard.  Special offers are sometimes available for the backyard.   Cement and block walls are expensive.  Get some quotes before you buy a new home with no landscaping in the backyard.

Apple Valley’s Backyard Fence for the View Lots

What about a backyard fence?  Varies by neighborhood.

1. In Del Webb’s Sun City Apple Valley, the houses backing the golf course have a very low wall.  The homeowners association allows metal decorative fencing to raise the height.
2. In Solera at Stallion Mountain in Las Vegas, none of the houses came with fencing except the houses edging the gated community.  Again, the homeowners’ association allowed you to have your own fence installed using their guidelines.
3. I was reading HOA newsletters of other neighborhoods online.  One required that homeowners refinish their own wooden fences every three years with a specific Behr paint from Home Depot.  That’s a little too DYI for me.

My Dog and My Cat

 

How many pets?  Pets are encouraged at all the neighborhoods I have visited or checked out online.  The number three has been mentioned a few times:  three of any type of pet, but no more than three.  My in-laws live in the Wynmoor Village neighborhood in Florida that does not allow dogs and only indoor cats.  We have one dog and two cats which equals three.  My slightly psycho dog was on The Dog Whisperer on Nat Geo Wild on March 3, 2012.  Visit her website at www.sahzidog.com.

My Mother with My Children

 

Can my grandchildren come to visit? The neighborhoods we visited allowed 60 days of little houseguests, though your adult children can live with you full-time (shhhhh…don’t tell them that fact).

How much is a round of golf?  Some neighborhoods surround expensive club country courses.  Others have nice public courses with discounts to homeowners.  Sierra Canyon in Reno has a special arrangement with the Somersett Country Club described on their website.  We haven’t visited yet, but the website for the Club at Prescott Lakes in Arizona is only available to members, even though Del Webb’s Cottages have some golf course view homes.

Please post your questions so we can continue the conversation.  And… remember to thoroughly read your homeowners’ association rules and regulations before you buy.

Sweltering Stop at Stallion’s Solera

We were almost to the Vegas Strip when we turned east and drove about eight miles to the gated community of Stallion Mountain.  When we passed the Del E. Webb Medical Center we knew we must be getting close.  My husband called the area “seedy” but not as “seedy as the areas behind the Vegas Strip.”  More of an industrial feel with lots of billboards advertising some of Vegas’ more adult entertainment.

Once you were in the community, it was very beautiful, but hot.  Our car’s exterior thermometer said it was 120, though the weather report was saying it was “only” 117.  We passed the private golf course and several neighborhoods while following the signs to Del Webb Solera.  We opened the windows to better experience the heat and heard cicadas buzzing everywhere.

Several handicapped parking spaces welcomed us to Solera’s marketing office.  The young sales representative rushed us out to the models and said she’d chat with us when we returned.  My husband and I thought that was odd and unprofessional, but whatever.

Outside, some cottontail rabbits were surprised by our presence and hopped away.  The cicadas had stopped and it was absolutely silent in the heat.  Living in Orange County, California, and behind a somewhat busy street, the silence was mesmerizing.

I already knew the model I wanted to visit – the one with the kitchen sink on the counter overlooking the great room, so we went right to the Clydesdale. (All the homes have horse names since it is Stallion Mountain.)  The house was very nice but didn’t quite seem to be of the same quality of the Del Webb Sun City Apple Valley houses we had recently visited.  Nothing we could put a finger on, just a feeling.

They had used the den as an energy exhibit, showing all their different layers of energy efficiency.  None of the automated displays were working, so that may have lent itself to the feeling of low quality.  At the front door, each home showed the expected monthly energy bill which was nice.  I’m going to look for this rating on all future houses.   The house was nice, the closets were HUGE, and the air conditioning was working, so we left with a positive feeling.

We visited the other larger model, the Clydesdale.  This model had an interesting pony wall (more horse talk) that separated the dining room and kitchen from the living room.  The oversize décor on the dining room table made the large floorplan seem cluttered.  They should have consulted with my daughter, an interior design soon-to-be graduate of George Fox University.  The pony wall was a nice idea, but I think I like an open floorplan better – it gives you more layout choices.

We returned to the showroom, and asked our typical questions.  Unfortunately, the sales representative didn’t seem to have any answers as I discussed in an earlier blog.  The oddest feature was the lack of any fencing unless you chose a house which was on the edge of the development.  You were allowed to build your own yard fence, but none of the houses came with fencing.

Our other big negative was that the Solera neighborhood had no parks except for a few common areas in the larger Stallion Mountain development.  I guess when the summer weather is 120, why would anyone go outside?

Sun City on the Way to Sin City!

On our way to Las Vegas, we got off the freeway in Hesperia on our way to Apple Valley.  Very dry.  Very hot.  Tattoo parlors, check cashing, and bars.  Suddenly we were in Apple Valley and you could smell the property values rising.  Shopping centers replaced strip malls.  Then we turned down Apple Valley Road and suddenly we were in the suburbs:  gated communities, tiled roofs, golf courses and a nice community church.

We pulled up to the gate of Sun City Apple Valley, and the guard pointed us in the right direction.  The builder was just getting ready to open a new selection of five floorplans, so parking was in the construction zone.  The very large community center was on the other side of the Ashwood 27-hole golf course.  Canada geese lined the water hazard.  Fore!

At 10:00 am, the temperature was already triple digit, so we ran into the air conditioned showroom.  Empty, completely empty.  There were offices and hallways and a reception desk, all empty.  Finally, we walked past the fountain down a few hallways calling, “Hello,” and a sales representative appeared and apologized for no receptionist.

He showed us the two lot plan models and where the new floorplans would be.  We asked him the “What is the difference between a Del Webb Sun City and a non-Sun City neighborhood?” question. See my previous blog for the noncommittal response.

He did notice I was carrying a floorplan I had printed out at home and asked me what I liked about it.  It was the Magnolia model with an entry courtyard and circular entrance.  I had seen these features only -twice, once in a no-longer-available Animations model at SunRiver St. George, Utah, on the 55places.com website.  The other was here in Apple Valley.  I couldn’t wait to see it.  Of course, the floorplan was discontinued here, too, but I could still view the sold out model.

Both my husband and I loved the entry courtyard.  I saw just were we would put the fountain.  The door opens to the cute, but small circular entry with a niche.  I’m guessing the plan is discontinued because the entry takes up too much of the limited 1,500 square feet, but it’s so adorable and makes a huge statement in a small home.  The rest of the house was lovely with ten-foot ceilings which my husband loves.  Almost all communities have a plan with a kitchen sink on a diagonal counter looking into the great room.  That’s what I want.  We have a great room now, and I enjoy the large family room/dining room combination.  We hardly ever use our formal living room, so why get one?

The garage was huge with a golf cart or workbench area between one of the parking spots and the in-house laundry room.  The oddest thing to me was the master bedroom was directly off the kitchen; I think I’d rather have it off the great room.  Both the kitchen and the front hallway looked into the courtyard which was a great feature and felt like an atrium.

The Celebration floorplan with the “snore” room was under construction and it was too hot to go in to find our guide and a hardhat.   Instead we said thank you and goodbye and went for a short drive around the neighborhood.  Lots of for sale signs, though the sales rep had said they had a very low vacancy, foreclosure, and short sale rate.

One thing we noticed driving around was the lack of parks.  You aren’t allowed to go for walks on the golf course, so most people just walk their dog on the dry river bed behind the neighborhood.  Right now we live in a neighborhood surrounded by a 300+ acre park.  A dry river bed a half mile from the house just doesn’t fit the bill, but that’s why we’re starting the search early.

My favorite photo opportunity, which appealed to my sense of humor, was the golf cart lane on the street, not next to the bike lane, but instead of it.

Sun City or Not Sun City? That is the Question.

On our way to Las Vegas, my husband and I visited Del Webb Sun City Apple Valley in California and Del Webb Solera at Stallion Mountain in Las Vegas, Nevada.  We asked both sales representatives what the difference was between a Sun City and a non-Sun City.  We did not mention that we were visiting both nor asking the same question in both locations.  Neither rep could give us a definitive answer, something they have in common with the Del Webb website.

At Sun City Apple Valley, the sales representative, who had over seven years’ experience, said that Sun City neighborhoods are usually much bigger and are built around golf, i.e., have a golf course in the community.  In Las Vegas the inexperienced sales representative (at least she seemed inexperienced by her continual “I don’t know” answers) said that Sun City communities were usually about twice the size of the other communities and may or may not have golf.  As “twice the size” is hardly an accurate descriptive term, I’m guessing she didn’t really know that answer.

Some of her other “I don’t know” answers:  How much is the local golf course?  Do they have a driving range?  Which models are available?  How hard is it to get the HOA to approve alterations to the house like adding a bathroom window?  Are there walking paths in the neighborhood?

The reason she didn’t really know which models were available was that the builder was in the midst of changing the master plan.  They had designed the community with more of the smaller homes which weren’t selling.  They were considering switching to more of the larger models of which there were currently only two left.  It sounded like they didn’t really know their demographic very well.  We had the same taste as the demographic; we were only interested in the ones that were almost sold out:  two bedrooms, two baths, plus a den.

I didn’t ask her the most obvious question from my picture above.  Exactly what type of vehicle fits on the driveway of your model home?  She would have said, “I don’t know.”  I figured it was made for either a golf cart or an electric wheelchair.  I couldn’t be that they were trying to hide how small the front yard was right?

First Tour to Answer My Retirement Community Frequently Asked Questions?

We’re taking our first official neighborhood tours this week, and what happens in Vegas won’t  stay n Vegas.  I’ll tell all… well, all about the communities.

Del Webb is the top retirement community developer, but what is the difference between a Sun City neighborhood and a non-Sun City neighborhood?  We’re going to visit both, ask both, and share both replies.  And, no, we are not going to tell the sales reps our dual visit plans.

I’ve searched and searched for the answers online, but I haven’t really found them.  On the Del Webb website (Del Webbsite?), it says:  “Since 1960, when we built the first-ever retirement community, active adults have found a place to belong with Del Webb. From our grand Sun City communities, to our smaller more intimate settings, the Del Webb family now numbers more than 50 communities in 20 states.”  I think I need a better definition than “grand.”  That seems like a fairly subjective term.

We’ll also find out the answer to our new biggest question, “What is a snore room?”  There is a floor plan we’ll see with an optional Snore Room off the garage.  There is a door from the master bedroom closet to a small room.  Is that where I can put my husband when he snores?  I am laughing so hard right now.

Okay, Del Webb, what is a Snore Room?

So what are some other questions we want answered?

Money… what are income taxes, property taxes, Homeowners’ Association fees, expected utilities?

Neighbors… what are the community center, the neighborhood, and the Homeowners’ Association like?

Amenities… what is nearby for shopping, medical care, culture?

I’ll research as much as I can ahead of time, so I’ll know several answers, but the sales reps won’t know that I know.

Let the Games Begin! (The Finding-the-Perfect-Retirement-Community-and-House Games)

On our way to Disneyland’s Club 33 for my 53rd birthday.

My husband is retiring in two to three years from one of the large Southern Californian aerospace companies where he has worked for over thirty years.  I am ten years younger, so we have plenty of time to research where we want to spend our retirement years.

I’ve been very surprised to find the lack of information on the internet about restricted age communities.  Sure, there are a few websites, but I want more than the names of some communities; I want tax rates, utility costs, homeowners’ association fees, average temperatures and rainfall, even the credit ratings of the states I may soon call home.

In this blog, I will take you through the process with me.  I’ll share the good websites, tell you about the bad websites, and share our impressions as we start to contact and visit some of the communities.

My husband and I recently traveled with Trafalgar Tours to Italy for our 25th anniversary.  After returning and devouring every Italy episode of House Hunters International on HGTV, we considered retiring abroad.  After reading this part of the AARP article, “Best Places to Retire Abroad,” we decided it is probably not for us.  I have some health issues which makes health insurance one of our top requirements for an easy retirement.

So we moved the search to the American Southwest.  I have never lived in the snow and have no desire to start now.  I have lived in California my entire life and love the weather and environment; I do not like the current political climate and taxes.

My favorite website so far has been 55places.com.  It lists many of the communities and shows available floor-plans.  It has tabs for reviews, but I haven’t found any yet.  There is also no tax rate information.

If you google for “Age Restricted Communities” you will find TopRetirements.com.  They list communities by city, but it takes some digging to get the details.  Plus, some of the communities I have found there don’t seem to exist anywhere else.

We found some interesting communities in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. Details soon.