One of my favorite websites, 55places, has come out with their 2015 top 100 age restricted communities. We've moved up about 10 spots from last year which prompted my comments at the bottom of their page. I'll post the link along with their top 10 listed below: ======================================================================================= 55 Places is excited to announce our annual list of the most popular active adult communities in America. Each community earned its spot on this prestigious list based on the number of visitors on each community’s page over the past year. 1. The Villages – The Villages, FL The Villages has remained in the number one spot since 2013. It’s one of the largest active adult communities in the world that encompasses three zip codes and three counties. It includes over 56,000 homes within its own town. Residents have access to retail shops, banks, restaurants, and thousands of acres of amenities. The Villages has more amenities per capita than any city in the country with 48 recreation centers, 35 golf courses, and over 50 swimming pools. The Villages is truly a magnificent 55+ community that attracts retirees from across the world. 2. On Top of the World – Ocala, FL Located in Central Florida, On Top of the World has held the number two spot for two years in a row. The community plans for 10,000 homes upon completion. Located in Ocala, it hosts an active lifestyle for everyone with over 200 organized clubs and interest groups as well as planned daily events. On Top of the World’s first-class amenities include three 18-hole golf courses, numerous clubhouses, fitness centers, pools, sports courts, and more. Residents can pamper themselves at the spa or attend events and classes hosted in one of the many recreation centers. It’s easy to see why On Top of the World is one of the most popular 55+ communities in the nation. 3. Sun City Hilton Head – Bluffton, SC Holding the third-place spot since 2013, Sun City Hilton Head is an award-winning active adult community that combines Southern charm and resort-style living. Started by Del Webb in 1996, Sun City Hilton Head is one of the largest age-restricted communities in South Carolina. It has over 8,000 homes and a 45-acre town center and amenity complex. Active adults enjoy four swimming pools, two fitness centers, ten tennis courts, two restaurants, and 54 holes of golf. Its location in Bluffton is just 13 miles west of the world-famous Hilton Head Island, making it an ideal neighborhood for 55 and better homebuyers in South Carolina. 4. Sun City Center – Sun City Center, FL For the second year in a row, Sun City Center in Florida has remained as the fourth most popular active adult community in the nation. Located on Florida’s Central Gulf Coast, this established age-restricted community opened in 1961 and there are over 11,000 residents who call Sun City Center home. It offers an exciting lifestyle with a myriad of amenities that include multiple clubhouses and hundreds of clubs. Sun City Center offers a variety of new and resale homes that will meet almost anyone’s personal taste and budget. 5. Sun City Summerlin – Las Vegas, NV Breaking in to this year’s top five is Sun City Summerlin in Las Vegas, moving up from last year’s eighth spot. Developed between 1989 and 1999, this is Del Webb’s first community in Las Vegas. It boasts three golf courses, three restaurants, and four clubhouses. It encompasses about 20 separate villages including attached villas and single-family homes. Homebuyers will enjoy a lavish lifestyle within close proximity to the famous Las Vegas Strip combined with a tranquil setting next to the Spring Mountain Range. 6. Sun City Carolina Lakes – Fort Mill, SC Up one from last year’s seventh spot, Sun City Carolina Lakes is a Del Webb community in Fort Mill. It offers new and resale low-maintenance homes within a gated neighborhood setting. World-class amenities are spread throughout 1,512 acres of lush landscaping, rolling hills, and shimmering lakes. Whether you want to spend your days golfing, crafting, or dining with friends, there’s something for everyone at this community near Charlotte. Sun City Carolina Lakes has plans for 3,400 attached and single-family homes upon completion. 7. Sun City – Sun City, AZ Sun City will always be one of the most popular active adult communities in America. It is the very first 55+ community in the United States. And today, over 50 years since its grand opening, Sun City Arizona is still a thriving active adult community. Age-restricted neighborhoods across the nation have modeled themselves after Sun City Arizona. It offers a diverse collection of affordable low-maintenance homes, numerous resort-style amenities, and hundreds of clubs that promote a vibrant active lifestyle. Also, this community boasts more holes of golf per capita of any active adult community in the country. Sun City Arizona is a renowned age-restricted neighborhood that provides a welcoming sense of community to its 40,000 residents. 8. Laguna Woods Village – Laguna, CA Formerly known as Leisure World, Laguna Woods Village is the largest active adult community on the West Coast. This popular California 55+ community, developed between 1963 and 1986, now boasts over 12,700 homes, seven clubhouses, five swimming pools, an equestrian center and 36 holes of golf. Laguna Woods Village also offers residents a prime Orange County location just 10 minutes from the beach. Diverse homes in Laguna Woods Village range from 675 square-foot condos to single-family homes with floor plans over 2,500 square feet. 9. Oak Run – Ocala, FL Up one spot from last year, Oak Run is an age-restricted active adult community in Florida, which was specifically designed to let homeowners enjoy the lifestyle they worked so hard to achieve. The community’s country club style living brings residents together with great amenities, scheduled activities and special social events. And even with such wonderful amenities and activities, this active adult community in Florida provides an active lifestyle and homes that are affordable for retirees with varying budgets. 10. Solivita – Kissimmee, FL Making the top ten for the first time is Solivita. Set in Central Florida, Solivita is an impressive golf course community that features unique Tuscan-themed architecture, 148,000 square feet of recreational amenities and a beautiful range of both single-family and attached homes. This sprawling development is spread over 4,300 acres of prime real estate that includes lovely scenic lakes and tranquil wooded preserves. Golf enthusiasts will enjoy Solivita’s two 18-hole championship courses, a pro shop and practice facilities. Additional amenities are offered through two village centers, including a variety of recreational attractions and restaurants. Here's my comments and a link to the remainder of the top 100: Good to see we have moved up to number 7 this year; way better than last. I wonder if it’s the new Marinette Rec Center with the 20 pickleball courts (8 under roof that are getting rave reviews), the new walking track and b-ball court or the 4000 sq ft fitness area that inspired the higher rating? Or perhaps it’s the 1.8 million we spent on the new 10 court tennis complex at the Bell Rec Center? And of course one can’t ignore the recently opened 6 million dollar remodel at the North golf course or the current 6 million dollar renovation of the Riverview course. Here’s the kicker: All of this was paid with cash in hand. We are taking in 6 to 7 million dollars a year from our point of sale buy-in and using it to upgrade the community. There’s probably no better financially positioned age restricted community than the original Sun City AZ. With 7 rec centers, 8 golf courses, 2 lakes and an amazing amphitheater for free concerts, it doesn’t get any better than this. And did I mention, all for only $462 per household per year? And just wait for the soon to be aired CBS Sunday Morning feature on this community and you’ll see up close and personal why after 55 years we are still one of the best. Keep up the good work gang. Feel free to share your thoughts about just how good Sun City is.
I'm working at the Visitor Center today. The information about SC will be mentioned to one and all. Seventh in the nation. WoW! I will also mention 55 Places.
55 places is the preeminent age restricted communities website in the world. For anyone even thinking about retirement Peg, they should be visiting that site first. The research they've done is extraordinary. Their blog sucks, but that's clearly not why they exist. They take no money from developers, but they do make money when potential buyers use Realtors they feature on the site. A couple of years back, one of the owners (Bill Ness) told me they were getting 50,000 hits per month. It wouldn't surprise me if it was twice that these days. It's also interesting to note they used the number of hits each community got from their own data in placing them in the list they created; first time for that to my knowledge. It shouldn't be any surprise Florida gets more action than out west (7 of the top 10 are on the east coast). And of course Sun City Summerlin gets the hits because it's in Las Vegas Nevada. All in all, for us being the oldest age restricted community in the country, we're more than holding our own.
