What does "Active Adult Community" mean?
Q: I hear the terms “active adult” and “over 55” used for communities. Please explain the differences.
A: These are terms that are used to describe a community that has age restrictions on the residents. In Florida, builders are allowed to sell up to 20% of the homes to people 45 and up if they don’t have kids under 19.
Because this does change from time to time, we recommend if you’re under 55, you should contact us and we would be happy to give you a list of communities that allow this.
Q: I see most homes have an HOA fee. What does that cover?
A: An HOA fee is a fee that covers things like front yard maintenance, roof repairs in some cases, water, sewer, cable and even maintenance of the outside of your home. Think about these as a condo and remember they can be multi-units or detached homes.
When you’re looking at the listings I send you may see different types of fees. Please feel free to ask for explanations regarding these fees, as every community is different.
Q: How fast do the HOA fees go up? Is there a limit?
A: This one is difficult to say because it depends on a lot of things like inflation, age of the community, gated vs. non-gated, golf etc. For the most part the communities in Southwest Florida are sensitive to keeping lower fees.
Q: I heard about a transfer fee, who pays that?
A: A transfer fee is a cost to the buyer at the time of closing to transfer the name, etc. on the property to the new buyer. The fee goes directly to the HOA, for processing & reserves.
Q: What’s the difference between the Master HOA fee, the HOA fee and a Recreation fee?
A: The Master HOA fee is meant to cover maintenance of the common areas and gated security (if applicable). The HOA fee is meant to cover maintenance of the house and yard in your particular section of the community. The Community Recreation fee pays for the costs of operating the amenity centers. Sometimes communities can combine these into one fee.
Q: I’ve heard the Community/HOA’s can be restrictive?
A: That depends if you live in a community with an HOA right now. Most people that are used to HOA’s find ours to be very fair and really looking out for the betterment of the community. Some of the things that might surprise you in the more restrictive are yard art to your front yard; you may need to get permission to do this. The good news is your neighbor will not be putting pink flamingos in his front yard for you to look at.
Now, can you find some rules you don’t agree with? Of course, but that can be taken to the HOA and if the people of the community agree with you it can be changed.
Q: What if I have a problem with a neighbor? Does the HOA get involved?
A: You’ll find the Communities very responsive to complaints and feedback from residents. Their goal is to ensure the integrity of the community and enforce people to follow the rules.
Q: Are some communities bigger than others?
A: Our active adult communities range in size from 300 homes to 2,500 homes and growing! New communities, of many sizes, are being built each year. Please let me know if you’re looking for something specific.
Q: I’ve heard some active adult communities are older than others? How do I find out?
A: Some communities started back in the early 70’s and are still beautifully maintained. You can always find new construction active adult communities today.
Q: How do I know what each community’s price ranges are?
A: Of course this one changes all the time so I can’t give you the numbers in this guide but you can find this out by visiting our website or simply give me a call and I can help.
Q: How many people are “Snow Birds” in these communities?
A: This is another one that tough to track. Some HOA’s occasionally know a rough estimate. In our experience, most communities have about 25-30% that leaves for the summer with another 10-20% that only come down for a few months out of the year.
This is actually one the best parts of living in Southwest Florida, because it allows you to have the fantastic weather during 8-9 months of the year and visit family or friends during the warmer, more humid, months.
Q: I see a lot of golf carts driving in the communities, is that normal?
A: Yes you’ll see a lot of golf carts in the active adult communities. Many offer special golf cart parking.
Q: How much do golf carts cost?
A: Well that depends on what you buy. You can find a used golf cart for about $1500, a well equipped golf cart for $2,000-4000 and the “mack-daddy” starts about $6,000. Bear in mind that some HOA’s have restrictions on colors & sizes.
Contact one of our agents for more information!