Are you thinking about moving to Arizona and are considering a 55+ community? In this episode of The Great Escape, I’m going to share four things that you need to know before you pack your bags. Because life in Arizona is probably a bit different than where you’re from, these are essential tips you’ll really want to know.
#1: Choices For 55+ Communities In Arizona
Many people often ask me if there are a lot of 55+ communities in Arizona. The answer is yes—and in fact, there are 147 such communities. This means you’ll have plenty of choices when it comes to choosing the community that’s right for you.
#2: Cost Of Living
The second thing people often ask me before moving to Arizona is what the cost of living is like. Did you know that Arizona ranks 27th in the nation for affordable cost of living? That answers your question right there.
#3: Senior Living and Retirement VS 55+ Community
Another thing you’ll want to consider is the difference between senior living or retirement communities and a 55+ community. In a senior living or retirement community, people have the freedom from homeownership and housekeeping, with cooking and assistance just a call away. In a 55+ community, it’s just a regular neighborhood where you own your home, townhouse, or condominium. They include common facilities for all of your activities, and the people in the subdivision are all 55 years old or older.
#4: People Your Age
Did you know that 17% of Arizona’s population is 60 or older? In fact, we’re only second to Florida, which has a 20% population of 60 or older. With over 30,000 net immigration of people moving into Arizona that are 60 or older each year, there are plenty of people here that are your age.
Deciding Whether A 55+ Community Is Right For You
If you’re still wondering whether you want to move to a traditional Arizona neighborhood or a 55+ community, remember that “55+” is different for every person. Some people are already retired or are considering retirement at this age. Other people are at the height of their career with retirement nowhere in sight. Some people are changing careers or even going back to school, and some even have teenagers still at home. So no one size fits all.
Take the example of a few couples I recently helped decide on whether a 55+ community was right for them. In one instance, the wife liked to play golf every day, and the husband liked to play a lot of tennis. This meant a 55+ community was absolutely perfect for them. Another couple has adult children here in Arizona. During the week, they still wanted to have time to do fun activities with people their own age while spending time with their adult children and grandchildren on the weekend. This made a 55+ community perfect for them.
I know another couple that also had adult children here, and they like to help out with the grandchildren a lot. In fact, they liked the grandchildren to spend a couple of weeks in the summer and maybe even a week during fall break or spring break with them. In that case, a 55+ community is probably not the best for them, as most adult communities do have some restrictions on how many days or weeks you can have an overnight guest—especially those that are 18 or younger.
Do Your Research
Taking all these factors into account, it’s important to do your research first. Once you decide whether you want to go to an adult community or a traditional neighborhood, the next step is for us to sit down and find out what’s important to you. What style of home do you like? What type of lifestyle are you looking for? What’s your budget? What do you want to be close to? Then we can narrow that neighborhood down and find a neighborhood that fits.
I hope this answers some questions for you on whether an adult community is right for you. If you have any other questions, please feel free to give me a call, text me, direct message me, or email me and I’d be happy to connect. Make sure you stay tuned to the next episode of The Great Escape, where we’re passionate about helping people escape to their next chapter.
