Two years ago, the company built the first phase of this expanding club at Roesville, which was named Delaware’s Best Active Adult Community in 2011. The Roesville Club was complete with a media area, card section, fitness room and kitchenette. The homeowners were thrilled to have a space that fit all their needs at their current size, which came at no additional cost to them. They immediately created a weekly activity calendar that included everything from community dinners to yoga classes.

Responding to the growth at Roesville over the past two years, J.S. Hovnanian & Sons just completed a new and bigger temporary Roesville Club, again at no charge to the homeowners. The builder was thrilled to recently grand open the new temporary club which is double the size of its predecessor. Offering similar amenities, this expanded club gives residents more space to continue their numerous social activities and events.

You’ve heard of the “Last Chance Workout” if you’re a fan of The Biggest Loser. Amazing what they can accomplish given the opportunity! Well there are some “Last Chance Opportunities” at several of our Active Adult Communities.

Holiday Incentives

Independence is one of those with a Holiday Incentive from now through December 23rd. Today I found notes I had made in February 2008 when we saw some of the first ever incentives from Schell Brothers at Independence. They were offering $15,000 in options/upgrades and a hard hat tour of the Clubhouse.

That was then and this is now – (more…)

Delaware is a small state of less than a million people! We have only 3 counties in Delaware! If you are trying to decide where you might want to find that perfect retirement community in  Delaware, start here:

• New Castle County is the northernmost county and includes Wilmington, Newark and  Middletown to name a few of the largest cities and towns. This is the most developed part of the state and has the fewest new home communities to offer. The existing active adult communities tend to be smaller and a bit more expensive but they are convenient to Philadelphia, to the airport, the Amtrak station and more of a city lifestyle. There is one new active adult community that has yet to build a model home, but they have begun to sell from floor plans. Preconstruction pricing ranges from $219,990 to $309,990 for the BASE MODELS with a host of options. Typically, you should estimate an additional $40,000 or more in options and upgrades.
• Kent County takes up the central part of Delaware and Dover, the State Capital, is the major city in Kent County. Several new home communities, including several popular active adult communities are being built in and around Dover. Home prices tend to more moderate in Central Delaware and communities here are close to the Dover Mall, Dover Downs and the State House. Being centrally located makes it easy to get to the Wilmington area and the beach resorts. It is possible to find a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home in one or two popular active adult communities between $200,000 and $250,000.
• Sussex County is the lower part of Delaware or what we call Coastal Delaware. From the Atlantic Ocean to the western part of the county which borders the Eastern Shore of Maryland, this is the fastest growing county in Delaware. It is home to several of Delaware’s most luxurious and best known active adult communities. There is also a wide range of other housing choices, from elegant beach homes selling for Millions to affordable homes, townhouses and condos.

The lower taxes in Delaware do make it possible for many retirees to buy the home of their dreams. Can you find yours? It all depends on what you have pictured in your mind when you think about retiring to Delaware and living the good life. To start, you can preview some of the most popular active adult communities, starting here.

Take the tour of the fabulous clubhouse at Independence, one of Delaware’s most popular active adult communities. This is what you expect in a top-rated community, with an indoor pool and an outdoor pool, a state-of-the-art Fitness Center, entertaining space in the ballroom and cafe area, game rooms to rival the best resort. Why take a risk on a community that promises a clubhouse will be built some time in the future? Watch the tour and then go look at the to-be-built models – SEE MODELS HERE.

Have you noticed that the terminology is different everywhere you go? They don’t build duplexes here in Coastal Delaware, but they do build:

• Attached Single Family Homes
• Carriage Homes
• Villas

And some of them look an awful lot like a duplex! Where can you find the best duplex homes?

Heritage Shores

Both Lennar and Providence of Brookfield Homes built what they called attached single family homes for several years at Heritage Shores. Most of them are duplex type with only two end units but others have a middle unit as well. Right now the only duplexes for sale are resale units built between 2005 and 2007 unless Providence or another builder decides to build additional units; Lennar is no longer building at Heritage Shores. You can find current homes for sale listed here -Heritage Shores homes for sale. (more…)

How do you define active adult? Are you an avid golfer, a tennis fanatic, a runner or yogi? Do you get up every morning and take a brisk walk with or without your best friend? Are you more active if you live in an active adult community or not? Terminology doesn’t define us but it does attempt to lead us in certain directions. You’re an active adult so you should live in an active adult community, right? Hard to say. Why did I name this site ActiveAdultsDelaware.com? It’s a starting point because it is a term being promoted and advertised by the builders and developers with a vested interest in finding out what we Baby Boomers want. (more…)

Do you know the difference between “land lease” and “fee simple”? I never did until I got into real estate and moved to Delaware. In a land lease community, you buy the house but you do not own the land on which it sits. You pay a monthly or annual fee to rent the lot from the owner of the community. Even though this makes the home more affordable, saving the cost of the lot, many people just don’t feel comfortable with the idea. Real estate by definition requires that you own the land as well as the home and the land is where you realize appreciation over time.
So, I was extremely happy to learn that Nobles Pond in Dover, Delaware, made the change from Lot Lease to Fee Simple and announced it December 1st! (more…)

I’m a news junkie and CNBC, CNN or NPR is always my background.  I get really angry when I hear the talking heads spout the doom and gloom with such certainty. What real estate market are they talking about? Not the local market here in Coastal Delaware. All real estate is local! I am so busy I cannot keep up with all of the new people contacting me about relocating to Coastal Delaware. I am one of those people who believes that an immediate response is the only good response, but unless I can clone myself, I just can’t do it!

Here are some facts:

• Sussex County sales were up 20% in July/August compared to the same time last year
• Baby Boomers will be retiring for the next 10-20 years and they are moving to Coastal Delaware from New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, DC, and even Connecticut, Rhode Island and other Northeastern states.
• In August 2010, Schell Brothers, our most successful local builder, just tied their best sales month ever! As other builders have abandoned projects, they have taken over several communities. (more…)

Boomers planning to relocate have some big decisions to make. What kind of community do they want to live in and where? There’s lots written about active adult communities and you get the idea that everyone has worked their entire life to move to one of these communities designed for the perfect retirement. But ask yourself what it is you really want and what you’re willing to pay for -

• Age restricted (55+) or not
• Clubhouse
• Fitness Center
• Pools
• Golf
• Game rooms and more

If you don’t belong to a Fitness Center now, will you really use it when you move? How about the indoor pool? Is golf your passion? How about tennis? What does active really mean to you?

In an age-restricted or 55+ active adult community, you’ll meet people in your own age group with similar backgrounds. With a ready group of new friends you’ll always have people to get together with, travel with and throw parties.

I’ve often thought that these communities look to reward us for working hard, giving us that chance to finally live that country club lifestyle we never had time for while we were raising families and working 24/7.

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The final phase is now open at Bay Crossing with wooded and walkout lots available. This is my favorite section at Bay Crossing because I do love to back to woods with more privacy than you have in other locations. All homes now have full basements.

For right now, the builder is offering 50% off any options up to $75,000 AND 50% off select lot premiums. The Laser model is excluded from this promotion. Combine this with the $6500 tax credit for existing homeowners who buy before April 30, 2010 and you have quite an exciting opportunity to buy in Bay Crossing, Lewes’s only active adult community.

Base model prices range from @299,900 to $399,900.

There are a few Quick Delivery homes with lots of upgrades available now from $388,900 to $429,900.

If you would like to come down over the holidays, please give us a call at 302-645-4564. We will be in town and we would love to show you these homes and others that just might make your holidays bright!