Active-adult communities, restricted to residents age 55 or older, are designed to meet the high standards of today’s retirees and pre-retirees. Empty nesters ready to be relieved of household maintenance chores are often attracted to these communities, which usually have a staff to shovel snow, rake leaves and maintain lawns and common areas.
Amenities for active-adult communities usually include a club where residents can meet their neighbors, entertain friends and family, exercise, and pursue interests such as arts and crafts or billiards. Most of these communities provide plenty of opportunities for socializing with neighbors and staying fit with walking trails, swimming pools, exercise equipment and tennis courts.
The home types vary from single-family homes to villas, town homes and condominiums in active-adult communities, but all include either a one-level floor plan, a first-floor master suite or an elevator to meet the needs of residents as they age.
In the Washington area, some of the larger active-adult communities have sold out (or nearly sold out) with only resale homes available. The following developments are among the newer active-adult communities in Maryland.
Pulte Homes Inc. and Del Webb Corp. are developing Carroll Vista in Taneytown in Carroll County, a community located 10 miles from Gettysburg, Pa., and 60 miles from both the District and Baltimore. The community is close to Frederick and Westminster for shopping and dining, as well as several golf courses.
Community amenities include a lifestyle director, who plans community activities and outings; a club with an indoor swimming pool; an indoor driving range; a fitness center; an exercise room; a sauna; game rooms; craft rooms; a multipurpose ballroom; a great room with a fireplace and television; and a library.
Carroll Vista’s grounds include walking trails, shuffleboard and bocce courts, a gazebo, butterfly and meditation gardens, putting greens, four chip-and-putt golf holes, tennis courts and an outdoor swimming pool.
Three styles of homes are currently available at Carroll Vista, ranging from 1,417 to 1,550 finished square feet. The homes are base-priced from $249,990 to $279,990. The homes have two bedrooms, two baths and a two-car garage. Inside, they have hardwood floors in the kitchen and foyer; upgraded ceramic tile floors in the baths and laundry room; a gas fireplace; crown and chair-rail moldings; and maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counters in the kitchen. Buyers can add a loft or a finished lower level. Call 410/840-3126 or visit www.delwebb.com/carrollvista.
At Central Parke at Colonial Charles, Slenker Land Corp. is developing a community with resortlike amenities in a wooded 126-acre enclave in Waldorf in Charles County. Single-family homes and villas are available now from the Airston Group Inc. and Woodside Communities, with condominiums planned for the future.
Plans for the club at Colonial Charles include casual dining options, a lakeside terrace, a grand hall, a great room, an auditorium and rooms for playing games and enjoying hobbies. The resort club will have a fitness room, an outdoor swimming pool, a sauna and a whirlpool. The community will include tennis courts and walking trails, plus a lifestyle director to coordinate activities and outings.
A maintenance program provides lawn and garden maintenance and snow shoveling for residents. Residents are near the Potomac River, golf courses and shopping at St. Charles Towne Center.
The Airston Group has several styles of single-family homes available with one or two levels, priced from $249,900 to $279,900. These homes have 9-foot ceilings, a two-car garage, a first-floor master suite, gas heat, a gas fireplace and a luxury master bath.
The Woodside single-family homes, which have Craftsman-style architecture, are priced from $279,900 to $329,900. The Woodside villas are priced from $229,900 to $249,900.
Call 301/437-5106 for Airston, 301/885-2205 for Woodside or visit www.centralparke.com/cc.
At Legacy at Greenview in New Market in Frederick County, Ryan Homes is developing an active-adult community with maintenance-free living and plenty of recreational amenities. Within the community, residents can enjoy a swimming pool, tennis courts and a club where neighbors gather for social and recreational activities.
Residents can enjoy antique shops, specialty stores and restaurants in Historic New Market and nearby Frederick.
Single-family homes, villas and town homes are available, each with a first-floor master suite and a first-floor laundry room.
The single-family homes, base-priced from the $290,000s to the $310,000s, have up to four bedrooms and up to 3 1/2 baths. Each has a two-car garage. Buyers can add sunrooms, morning rooms, finished basements, lofts and additional bedrooms and baths to the standard floor plans.
The villas, priced from the upper $260,000s, have a one- or two-car garage, a separate dining room and a living room on the main level, along with an eat-in kitchen and a first-floor master suite. Upstairs are a loft, a storage room, two more bedrooms and a full bath. Buyers can add a finished lower level to this home.
The town homes, priced from the upper $210,000s, have a great room on the main level, a kitchen with a breakfast bar and a formal dining room, along with a first-floor master suite and a one-car garage. Upstairs are a loft, two bedrooms, a bath and a storage room. Call 301/865-8934 or visit www.ryanhomes.com.
At the Enclave at Ellicott Station in Howard County’s Ellicott City, Williamsburg Group LLC is building four models of homes, each with either a first-floor master suite or an elevator. Priced from the $400,000s, these homes have three or four bedrooms, two or three full baths, a two-car garage and up to 2,661 finished square feet.
The homes include covered front porches, gourmet kitchens, lofts, walk-in closets, luxurious baths and extensive storage. Each has a family room, a center-island kitchen and a formal dining room on the main level. Some include a home office, and each has the option of finishing the lower level.
Ellicott Station offers a location near shopping centers, antique stores, parks, restaurants, cafes and golf courses. The development includes a community center with a fitness room, a meeting room, a card room and a gathering room with a fireplace and a coffered ceiling. Call 443/878-4201 or visit www.EllicottStation.com.
At Heritage at St. Charles in White Plains in Charles County, Lennar Corp. is building 352 single-family homes in a development directly across the street from the Charles County Public Golf Course. St. Charles Towne Center’s shops and restaurants are nearby, along with additional local shopping centers with restaurants and entertainment.
Community amenities include tennis courts, parks, hiking and bike trials, plus a heated indoor swimming pool, a club with a game room and ballroom, and a fitness center with steam showers and saunas.
The homes range in size from 2,099 to 2,552 finished square feet, with base prices from $269,990 to $298,990. These two- or three-bedroom homes have two baths and a two-car garage. Each has a first-floor master suite.
The smallest model includes one-level living with a family room, an open kitchen, a separate dining room, a family room, a home office with French doors, a mudroom/ laundry room and a master suite with a walk-in closet and a luxury bath. This home also has a second bedroom and a second full bath, plus a patio off the family room. Call 888/214-1805 or visit www.lennar.com.
At Tollgate Village in Bel Air, Toll Bros. Inc. offers town homes with first-floor master suites. Homes include external maintenance, lawn care and snow removal. An abundance of activities are available in the area, including walking trails, golf courses, boating on the Susquehanna River, parks and shopping at a variety of nearby shopping centers , along with Harford Mall and White Marsh Mall.
Three home styles are available at Tollgate Village ranging from 2,085 to 2,230 square feet. Base prices range from $403,975 to $444,975. All homes include a front-entry two-car garage with carriage-style garage doors, a brick veneer exterior with beaded vinyl siding and professional landscaping. Some homes include a covered patio or deck.
Inside, the homes have one or two bedrooms and one or two full baths, some with a half bath. Standard features include hardwood floors in the foyer and kitchen; ceramic tile floors in all baths; a gas fireplace in the family room and/or master bedroom; a luxury master bath with a soaking tub and a separate shower; and 42-inch cabinets, granite counters and upgraded appliances in the kitchen. Buyers can add sunrooms, whirlpool tubs, room extensions, walk-out basements, fireplaces and skylights to the homes. Call 410/420-1984 or visit www.tollbrothers.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.