I think that I would look long and hard at what would have available access should I reach a point where driving was a problem. That could come sooner than you expect.

We have such a community near us which would seem ideal, except to get to the nearest grocery store, drug store, etc. They have to cross a VERY busy interstate highway. Not an easy thing to do because of the speeding on such highways. To walk there, would be feasible because of the short distance, but crossing the highway on foot would be impossible.

Then in another brand new one, houses were sold in the developmental stage with the outlook of building all these wonderful amenities. Well, guess what! The developers didn't make all the money they wanted to, they sold out to another company and the new developers make it plain that they have no intentions of completing the project as originally planned.

Don't give up on "The Villages." All the activities and plus's are here! We moved to Florida over 55 years ago. We know Florida, and the reirement communities here. We have lived in several. We were in Real Estate for over 27 years in Orlando, Florida.
We wish that we would of moved to "The Villages" over 10 years ago. We found that it is the best retirement community to retire to. If we ever get that we cannot drive our car; we can use our golf cart (we don't golf) to do all our shopping, medical needs, or go to the doctors.... even the hospital, we just had a new hospital built. We have the option to use our golf cart or walk, ride our bike, take the "The Villages" bus or use "The Villages" cab. To us this is VERY important. Besides all this, we live safe and can sleep with our doors open and never worry about crime. If we go away we have several men that do neighborhood watch of our homes, the lawn care and much more. Living here in "The Villages" is like the next thing to heaven when you get to be our ages! I will be glad to write you about any questions you have about"The Villages." Living here is affordable and rewarding.
So don't give up on "The Villages"!!!
betty@thevillages.net

So far I haven't found a downside. I like the quiet of the community--no pre July 4 fireworks, no kids or teen running around, no car alarms, no loud radios. Actually, I did think of a downside--if for some reason you needed to have your kids or grandkids come live with you, you would need to move. No one under 45 allowed to live with the person who is over 55. I moved here to get rid of my 26 yr old son who kept moving back home.

Did anyone ever find out where Mergie wound up for a retirement home? Please advise to zooman@inreach.com or to polymath@clearwire.net The latter e-mail address is preferred. Mergie it's me, Neal, your old bird buddy from the National Zoo days! I would get a big kick out of hearing from you. Did you ever go into chemistry? I too am thinking of leaving California for a new place in the Carolinas or more likely to Florida. Must sell and vacate my ranch! Your opinion please.

I don't know about the communities that you speak of, but we recently moved to a new Patio Home in our home state/city and we love the carefree life style it gives us. The bonus is the friends I have made in our development. The home owners are 98% seniors and mostly widows. Four of us went to the same high school within a year of each other, a couple of us worked at the same theater as usherettes. We walk and lunch together, visit and check on each other if one doesn't come out for their daily walk. I have a bus trip planned with a neighbor to go to the Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico. One of my neighbor's moved to Fla to be near her son and she hated it there, so she returned to Kansas and bought in our develpment. If I moved to the south I would have missed the beautiful snowy walk I took last winter in the trees behind our house. I lived in Cali. years and years ago and I missed the fall and winter seasons. I spent an hour today sharing memories of our city with a lady two doors down. I would hate to leave everything familiar behind.

We own a home in Cape Coral, Florida and in North Carolina. It really works out well because we can spend the winters in the warm sun, and the summers in the cool mountains. Real estate prices are really falling right now in FL, and lots of great homes are being sold left and right. There is a website for communities in the Carolinas and other mountain areas. See the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mountain Commuinities

I would love the mountains, not sure what the weather is in the Carolinas. I prefer colder climates.

jonsey~~~ I am also a Kansas resident....so where do you live that you enjoy so much? We are looking for a retirement home but since all of the kids/grandkids live here, we really hate to leave the state.

I live in Sun City West in Arizona and like it a lot. There is also Sun City Grand in same area. You can go on their web sites and check them out.

My husband and I have just returned from three days at Sun City Hilton Head. I have never seen so many happy, upbeat people. Everyone talked about how they loved their lifestyle and how easy it is to make new friends. The number of activities was amazing. I retire in June of 2011 and that's where we are heading. We have picked out our floorplan and are in love with the house we chose. Now, just to get through this last year!

Florida and South/North Carolina are very nice choices. I would recommend through research so you get the right type of Over 55 Community that meets your needs. You should be able to find something great.

I don't know if anyone reading this is still comparing options, but PrivateCommunities.com is a good place to research 55+ retirement communities.

Here is a link that might be useful: 55+ retirement communities