Questions 55+ Home Shoppers Ask When Shopping for Retirement Communities

What do active adults want to know about living in a retirement community?

The NewHomeSource Insights Panel was surveyed to understand what questions they had about living in a retirement community. Turns out that home shoppers wanted to know about:

• Fees and amenities
• Optional services in the community
• How close the community was to medical services
• Safe communities
• What kind of lifestyle they could have during retirement.

Active adults are in a unique stage in their lives where they have more disposable income and free time than ever and they want to enjoy it. The questions 55+ buyers have before they buy a new home in a retirement community reflect their desire to have an exciting lifestyle as they start their next adventure.

Here’s more on the questions that 55+ buyers have about living in a retirement community:

How Much are HOA or Community Fees and Which Amenities are Covered in Those Fees?

A fantastic amenity list in a retirement community is the main draw for 55+ home shoppers. Before making the commitment to buy a new home in a retirement community, though, 55+ home shoppers expect to know what amenities are associated with their monthly fees. Because retirees live on a fixed income, they do not want any surprise fees, or increases in their bills.

What Optional Community Services are Available?

One of the most interesting thing found in this survey of the Insight Panel was that 55+ home shoppers are less interested in the overall design of the home than they are in optional features in the community and in the home. Many 55+ home shoppers would rather have a smaller house with better storage and trash pickup than a larger or fancier house and still have to take out the garbage.

How Close is the Community to Affordable Medical Services?

Because we all need more medical care as we get older, 55+ home shoppers asked many questions about community proximity to medical services. These home shoppers want to know that they will not be too inconvenienced when dealing with routine medical checkups and appointments and can stay safe in the event of an emergency.

How Safe is This Community

While active adult home shoppers increasingly want an exciting retirement, they also want to come home to a peaceful and safe community. They ask questions about crime rates in surrounding neighborhoods and about features like community gates to prevent just anyone from entering the community.

What Types of People Will be My Neighbors?

In addition to knowing how the fees and amenities relate, and the overall safety of the community, 55+ home shoppers want to know about what their neighbors are like to ensure they can enjoy their retirement with fun, like-minded people.

Before deciding where to spend their retirement, active adults do a lot of research. Almost all their questions and desires center around having an active and fun lifestyle while living within a set budget that will carry them on for years to come.