Planning for Retirement? Sell Your Rancho Bernardo Home Quickly for an Active-Adult Community

Active-adult communities, especially for our baby boomers, have been growing like wildfire in San Diego and other areas like Florida and Arizona. These communities feature adapted homes with quality amenities, golf courses, fitness centers, and clubhouses, plus countless opportunities to gather and socialize with neighbors. These communities are equipped for fun, targeting adults and retirees over the age of 55. At a quick glance, these communities may appear to be another subdivision, until you take a closer look. Because of these communities’ growing popularity, we weren’t surprised when a recent seller from Rancho Bernardo told us he wanted to sell his home to move to Laguna Woods Village in Orange County. Like many developments in the category, Laguna Woods Village provided our seller access to every activity you can imagine as he transitioned into retirement. He is a single dad, his kids live in Orange County now, and he was ultimately looking to make a move that would benefit his soon-to-be lifestyle of leisure. Among the many benefits offered at Laguna Woods, horse riding trails, golf, and over 200 active clubs are just a few to be named. He was very anxious to sell his current home while the market was hot, unlock the equity built up over the years, and move into this active-adult community. We were eager to help make that dream a reality.

Why Homeowners Choose to Move into Active-Adult Communities

As it turns out, only 1 in 5 people over the age of 55 are currently choosing to move into adult communities. Many people choose to stay in their current home because they want to stay close to family, they have family living with them, or they just don’t want to part with the memories made in the home they raised their children in. But, the 1 in 5 who does choose to make the move into an active community, might do so because of any of the reasons listed below:

• “I’m tired of tending to this yard and I don’t want a big lawn to mow year after year!”
• “Can my home suit my needs as I grow older and need special accommodations?”
• “I don’t live in a neighborhood where I have a lot of friends and want to meet new people!”
• “My kids are grown up, and I don’t have patience for loud neighbors or screaming babies.”

Luckily, living in an active adult community alleviates all of the pains mentioned above. Here are some of the things people like most about these communities:

• One story: Adult communities are designed to be handicapped-friendly, which means most are just one level. One-story homes without stairs are ideal for those facing trouble walking or pain in the knees.
• The same page: The people you will be surrounded by are likely to be very similar to you. They aren’t rowdy teenagers, they are people who want to relax, have fun, travel, read, golf, etc.
• No maintenance: Most homes in these areas have no yards or very small yards. If there are yards, your HOA will usually include the mowing of your lawns, trimming of your trees, etc. Make life incredibly easy when it comes to maintaining your outdoor spaces.
• 24-7 vacation: Communities like the one our seller was moving to will make you feel like you are permanently on vacation.
• Work/play: Most people who move into adult communities aren’t necessarily ready to leave all of their work behind for the golf course. While leisure is still appreciated, they still want spaces to work and these communities often feature homes that have an office or den area.

There are many other practical benefits to these communities, for example, better security is provided (often gated or private security), and the location is usually closer to medical centers.

With no indication of this category of housing slowing down (quite the opposite, actually), we also wanted to provide some insight as to what you can do and prepare in order to make the move into an adult-only community. Some things that will help you get a better feel for the new community environment before you buy: get to know the neighborhood by speaking to some of the residents and asking questions, come back on the weekend and see how the dynamic changes, and be sure to ask about ALL associated costs for ownership. Because these active communities offer more amenities, activities, services, and clubs than your typical development, you want to know exactly what will be charged in addition to your HOA fees. Lastly, be sure that the cost of the home fits within your retirement plan. As you enter this next phase of life and want to enjoy retirement, financial planning may be one of the most important things to consider.

Sell Your Rancho Bernardo House to Buy into an Active-Adult Community

If you’re ready to sell your house in Rancho Bernardo like our recent client, or anywhere in San Diego County, we can help you. There are many benefits in selling direct to a cash buyer, but some that we think you’d like:

• You won’t have to clean or repair a thing – all of the stuff that you have accumulated over the years, don’t worry. You take what you want and leave what you don’t. You haven’t made upgrades in a while? No need. We buy homes exactly as they are.
• Cash offer means cash offer – We can offer you cash for your home, an offer that is 100% net to you. This means you won’t have to pay any commission fees, closing costs or escrow fees, etc. The offer we make to you is exactly what you receive, there are no deductions or expenses.
• Your timeline, not ours – don’t wait around to buy your new lifestyle in an active-adult community near you. You can sell your house in as little as a week or within your time frame. You choose!