Special feature: Leisure time is active time for today's boomer

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By Michele Lerner SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Active-adult communities, restricted to households with residents age 55 and older, are typically different from traditional retirement communities. Now that the baby-boomer generation believes "50 is the new 40," residents of active-adult communities often work part time or full time.

Even those who are retired stay active with volunteer work and plenty of recreational and social interests, which are easy to find in an active-adult community. Buyers in these communities often are looking to downsize their home-maintenance chores while increasing their leisure time.

Anne Arundel County has multiple new active-adult communities under development, often with an array of recreational amenities available to residents. Condominiums, town homes and single-family homes are being built, each with a first-floor master suite or a one-level floor plan, another important feature for active-adult buyers.

Centex Homes is building 162 condominiums at Carroll's Creek in Gambrills, where residents can enjoy a swimming pool, a club with a fitness room and game rooms, walking and biking paths. The Village of Waugh Chapel shopping center, which includes restaurants, is directly across the street from the development.

The elevator buildings have brick-and-siding exteriors, balconies and attached garages. The homes have 42-inch kitchen cabinets, crown moldings, high ceilings and a luxury master bath.

The Davenport model features a laundry room off the foyer, a dining room adjacent to the kitchen, a separate living room with a door to the deck, three bedrooms and two full baths. The master bedroom has a walk-in closet and a luxury bath. Homes are priced from $219,990 to $299,990 with homeowner/condominium association fees of $250 per month. Call 866/686-7611 or visit www.centexhomes.com.

K. Hovnanian Homes is building condominiums in midrise buildings at Four Seasons at Saint Margarets, an active-adult community near Annapolis.

The gated community includes a two-story club and a swimming pool, and it offers a location near shopping and dining and the attractions of downtown Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay. The two- or three-bedroom, two-bath homes are base-priced from $262,515 to $479,990 and have from 1,129 to 1,847 finished square feet. Each model is available with or without a loft. Some of the homes include a garage.

The largest home, the St. Michael loft, has 1,847 finished square feet, three bedrooms, two baths and a one-car garage. This home is base-priced at $479,990.

This model has a living room, which opens onto the balcony. The kitchen has an adjacent dining area with a bay window. The master bedroom has a luxury bath and a walk-in closet. Two additional bedrooms and a second full bath are on the opposite side of the living room. Stairs lead from the living room to the loft overlooking the main level.