Hi Julie from Denver, I just went running on the trail here as the health club is shut down because of the Corona Virus. So I go out there and this old man told me I had better stop the jogging and this women put her hand on her hip and told me I am just showing off. Thank you for your kind post. It's overwhelming to pay all this money for a house and realize early on I have to move, sell the house, pay the big realtor fees, pay movers. But, I made a mistake and no one knows these things until they live in these places. Yes, Devorah could not attack me fast enough. She can't do the math of how old my parents would be and goes on to say my mother must have been raped at 13 and then says I am an ageist, right after I said she would blame me for what she is doing. This is the thing too, like if they hit your car, you are the bad guy somehow. If you jog, you are the bad guy. If they attack you for no reason, no matter how vile and you can see they are lying, they blame you. I think these older people in the sheltered communities where everyone is old and everyone is white, they have no ability to take responsibility for their actions. I think it is because they have been here for 20 years, they know everyone so they can simply gossip about the newcomer and control the situation. The HOA becomes a weapon people can use to mess with you. I bet I will be hearing from the HOA that it is not okay to run on the "walking" trails soon enough. Yes, I am glad I figured this out early on and I am happy to be leaving. I'm moving to an apartment in Midtown Sacramento May 5th. I'm happy to get out of here but obviously not happy to have to put the home on the market and deal with realtors and movers and all. Are you moving out of the senior community you are living in?

WantToRetire, I appreciate your input, but the thought of renting an apartment (kids and other unruly types) is abhorrent at my age. But you are correct about retirement developments being expensive. Even "independent living" facilities apartments (1+1) start at over $2300/month rent only. Some 55+ developments in Southern Maine where one might buy a stand-alone condo charge low six figures as a buy-in fee, then there's the cost of the actual condo itself - from the high $200Ks to over a half million. HOAs and remaining utilities are extra of course. One 55+ development I investigated charges two monthly fees for those who buy stand-alone condos: the first is a "land rent" fee of $500/month, then there's the usual HOA fee of $300 to $400/month for utilities, outside maintenance, etc.

Papercrane & MClarke, what a small world--we're neighbors ;) My mother is still down the street from there in the home I grew up in but we're going to be selling it sometime in the next year or so since we're moving to NC. The home we're building will have an "in-law's suite" on the lower level so she'll have her privacy and independence. I'm still nearby in Villanova so only a stone's throw away from my childhood home. Fortunately, they can't split the land up due to township ordinances. If I remember correctly, existing properties in certain areas must remain intact so in this case, it can't be split into several single family homes. There are so many homes like this in the Main Line area, 70 to 80 years old or more, that are in need of repair and updating. Although there are many people in this country with accumulated wealth who could afford the initial costs, the upkeep on a property like this is tremendous, not to mention the utility costs. My mother's gas and electric bill in the winter is close to our mortgage payment. And I'll never be able to imagine writing a check for a $27k a month mortgage payment unless we hit the lottery. Glad so many people enjoyed the tour and thanks for sharing the other great links with us. I really enjoy looking at these grand old homes. To answer a few questions posed, no, it's not haunted though there are a couple in this neighborhood that are rumored to be. There are some nearby properties on which the Revolutionary War battles were waged and some are said to be frequented by spirits, LOL! As far as the AC goes, it may be cooler than some homes in the summer due to its construction but not enough that AC isn't needed. Central AC is a necessity as far as I'm concerned, not a luxury. Plus with the size of the rooms in that home, you'd need two window units for each room. The home was being lived in by a woman whose children all live out of state now. Much too big for one person, and all though she recently remarried, I imagine they were ready to move on to something that required a lot less upkeep and time. It would be wonderful to see a family with lots of children move in and renovate and enjoy the home.

Friends bought in an age-restricted, gated community in California about ten years ago. We've visited them. It's not for me, and I really doubt it's for them, but they couldn't get their money out if they sold now. As for being 'gated', there is a gate, but no fencing! This means that an ambulance has to wait to clear the gate; any burglar could walk through the property. The homes are single-family, single-level, all white. The landscaping is perfectly maintained. It's completely SILENT. There are no pedestrians. Eerie. As we approached our friends' home the first day I couldn't quite place the feeling I had. When we drove off two days later I recognized what I felt. It was like a gigantic mausoleum. My friend writes that this neighbor or that one is coping with a dying spouse or is now widowed, or that so-and-so has sickened and died. It's darn depressing! In an ordinary community there's a balance; none there. Why do builders continue to build these developments? Because Seniors are a large source of cash in this economy. We've never wanted a so-called 'no maintenence' community. We'd rather decide for ourselves what needs maintaining and who we want to do the work -- not pay dues to a committee that awards the work -- or doesn't think work we want done is necessary. We don't golf and don't want to pay to support a course. We have an excellent Senior Center in our town with minimal membership fees and activities we can participate in (and pay for) as we wish. Our library is excellent. We're minutes from town and medical care. Our friends are not exactly 'nowhere', but you can see it from there! LOL They have a long drive to hospitals, doctors and shops. (There are some nearby, but not top-notch.) We own a vacation rental condo on Maui in a development of over 300. Some owners are in default on their fees. Some have been foreclosed upon. The association is last in line to collect on a lein. It gets no money while a propety sits on the market, and little even when it sells. I don't want this situation for my main residence.