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.

2011 Ended with a flurry of activity and the opening of our own Brokerage – Active Adults Realty. After years of planning, education, finding just the right location, renovating that building, hiring the right team – an experienced Office Manager and a couple of great agents, we are ready to start 2012 with enthusiasm and lots of positive energy. This Tuesday, the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and representatives of the local business community will be here with the “Ribbon”, the big scissors and the local press to officially open our doors for business. I’ll be sure to post the photos to share this experience with all of you.

If you have opened your own business or been a part of a new venture, you know that it is exciting and scary all at the same time. As the Broker-Owner, the buck now stops with me!

So, here are my personal resolutions

• Stay Focused and continue to work with the people we know and understand – Boomers and Beyond or what the real estate world calls “Active Adults”. I firmly believe it is not possible to be all things to all people. (more…)

Where do our buyers come from? In Coastal Delaware, so many of the new Buyers now come from outside Delaware and have limited local knowledge about our communities, builders or lifestyle. On top of that, quite a few Baby Boomers have been in their current home for 20 years or more, so it’s been a long time since they bought a home. Now that I have been a REALTOR™ for 10 years, I am taking the courses necessary to become a Broker. Taking these classes at this time in the housing market is a real reminder to me of just how critical our knowledge and experience can be to a Buyer.

The Laws are different

The laws governing real estate are so different in each state. For example, Delaware is an Attorney State which means that real estate settlements are handled by an Attorney. States like Maryland and Virginia are Title States and settlements are handled by a Title Company. (more…)

What did our Buyers buy so far this year? Most of our clients are Baby Boomers over 55 that are relocating to Delaware as they near retirement. We did this same analysis last year and the statistics are similar but 6% more have chosen an age restricted community this year. We also worked with 3 times more buyers in 2011 than in either of the previous two year!

In 2011:

• 31% of our Buyers bought a home in a 55+ Active Adult Community
• 69% of our Buyers bought homes in a community with no age restriction

In both 2009 and 2010:

• 25% bought in a 55+ community
• 75% bought in all ages communities or in town

It’s not that we don’t know what we want, but there are so many more options. We make sure that our clients get the chance to consider all their options before making that big decision:

• Active Adult Community or All Ages Planned Community
• New Construction or Resale Home
• Build now or Buy a Lot and Build Later
• Live in town or at the beach
• Be among the first in a new community or find one that is nearly complete

There is something for everyone and everyone is different. That’s what makes working with our Buyer clients such FUN!

Is it true what you read about the low taxes in Delaware? Yes, it is absolutely correct. If you now live in New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Pennsylvania, DC and almost anywhere else, your property taxes will be much lower here. Even in Coastal Delaware resort towns like Lewes, Rehoboth Beach and Bethany, taxes on a $400,000 new home will average less than $1,500 a year.

I get many calls from people looking at retiring to Coastal Delaware because our taxes are so much lower but they really don’t know that much about this area. They may tell me what they are looking for in a home and their target price range for a new active adult community with all the amenities. I often have to tell them that “Lower taxes doesn’t necessarily mean cheaper homes than where you now live”. What is a realistic price range for a new or resale home in a community that has it all – a clubhouse, a pool and some of the other amenities like a Fitness Center and group activities? That depends on location and the total list of amenities and size of facilities.

So how do you calculate what you might be able to afford as you prepare for retirement and living here in Delaware? Print this post and fill in the information below so that we can compare your expenses now to what they might be if you moved here:

• Property taxes:
• School taxes:
• Community fees (HOA, Condo or Club):
• Membership in a Fitness Club or Gym:
• Sales Tax:
• Insurance costs for both your home and your vehicles:
• Social Security and projected income taxes on retirement income:

More difficult to calculate but perhaps most important, what is your lifestyle cost? Can you put a price tag on less stress, less traffic and a more relaxed lifestyle? What I have noticed is less wear and tear in general. My car looks better and lasts longer than it did when I lived in New York or Boston or the DC area. Even my clothing wears longer and goes more places and there are no more suits taking up closet space. I’m just saying, the way to make decisions about where and how to live can be fun and lead to new adventures. Lower taxes just might make it possible.

Not sure where you want to live yet?  Need time to get familiar with the area and take your time finding the right home? Why not lease a place for the first year and see how you like it?

Pictured here is a great condo on the water in Millsboro, Delaware. A large 2 bedroom, 2 bath home with an oversized 2-car garage, it is available for rent immediately for only $1,100/month. Over 65? The rent is only $1,000/month. It is partially furnished and that can stay or go – it’s up to you.

You can have a boat right outside the back door or just relax on the large deck watch the boats float by. You can also walk into the town of Millsboro. No maintenance to worry about and the condo fee is included in the rent.

Interested? You can learn more by looking at the listing information – CLICK 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.

“Many baby boomers who once vowed they would never trust anyone older than 30 are now in their mid-60s — and don’t consider themselves old.” begins the article written by Adam Taylor in the Wilmington News Journal

As one of those Baby Boomers who is now in her 60s, I do not consider myself old! Look for my quote based on my experience working every day with retiring Baby Boomers who are extremely active adults

Read More!

What I’m trying to say is – get to know Delaware and then you can decide what kind of community is right for you. I finally understand why so many people from New Jersey are sure they want to live in a 55+ community. They don’t want to be outnumbered by families with lots of young children and they think the only way to accomplish that is to live in an age-restricted  community. What they don’t know yet is that here in Coastal Delaware at least, those of us 55+ are becoming the majority. This is a resort area and now it is also a desirable place to retire. It is not a place where an aspiring corporate executive moves the family to begin a career climbing the ladder. When they become successful enough, it certainly is a place they may purchase a second home at the beach, but that still isn’t the majority of our new home buyers. (more…)