Frequently Asked Questions
“Why should I consider a senior community?”
My parents don’t live in a senior community. My mom’s health is failing, and she struggles with finding a reason to get out of bed in the morning. Her world is contracting every day as she becomes more sedate, more tired, and doing anything becomes harder. It’s a downward spiral that’s hard to overcome.
In contrast to this, we recently talked with one of our clients who lives in a senior community and her life is an upward expanding spiral. Here’s some of the reasons she told us her life is full.
1. She moved there when she was younger so she had plenty of energy to do all the activities and make friends. Now her life is filled with so many things to do and explore. She can’t wait to get to the clubhouse in the morning and plan her day.
2. When she becomes ill or needs an operation, the recovery time is much faster because she wants to get back to all of her activities. In other words, she has a reason to get better.
3. She has relationships with many people of different interests, not just a couple friends who you try to like everything about. She has friends to play pickle ball with even though they may have no interest in hiking. She has other friends for that. This adds a great variety to her life and she doesn’t have all of her energy invested in one or two people. It’s tough to have just a couple of friends and watch them pass away as you age. But she never has to worry about being alone since she has dozens of friends and is always making new ones.
You can see how the social life in an active adult community is very different than growing old in the same neighborhood where you raised your family. Over time, all your neighbors move away and you have less and less of a social life. Your world is shrinking, not expanding. That can all change if you would be willing to consider a 55+ community. Suspend your pre-conceived notions of what it’s like and let’s go see one together. Who knows? Like many of my clients have discovered, it could open the door to an exciting chapter of your life where the best is yet to come!
“What is the average age in each community?”
Well, I don’t know anyone that keeps track of that kind of information, but here’s a general rule – to find younger seniors, look for a newer community. If you think about it, people who buy in a new senior community, are probably 55 or 60 years of age when they move in. So if the community is 25 years old, there’s likely to be many of the original owners still around, and you can figure out what the average age is. An example of this is Leisure World in Orange County which was built in the early 1970s; young seniors tell me all the time how they feel out of place there. So if you’re looking for a younger crowd, consider one of San Diego’s newer communities, like Ocean Hills County Club or Villa Trieste, or new construction in one of the Riverside County communities.
“Where can I find new construction?”
There is no new independent living construction in San Diego County, only resales. The newest community, Auberge, is just about sold out as of this writing (August 2016). For a brand new house, you will have to look in Riverside County.
“What are the prices and availability?”
Prices vary dramatically because of view and upgrades. Check the “Home Search” tab for each community and you’ll see exactly what today’s prices are.
A serious limitation we face is a low inventory. People who move into these communities usually stay a long time, because they don’t have growing or shrinking families or job changes like under 55 folks. And you notice some of these communities are quite small, so it’s not unusual for there to be nothing for sale. Villa Trieste, High Country Villas, and Emerald Lake are notorious for this. If that’s the case, there is nothing I can show you, since there are no model homes. In any event, you certainly will not be able to see every floorplan in a community in one visit, because they won’t all be for sale. I can only show you what there is, and I can’t promise what will be available when you come to visit.
“Is there a waiting list?”
No, in resale communities, there is no waiting list like in new construction. I can add you to my own list of clients who are looking for a certain kind of home, but it is not a priority list. When the house hits the market, it’s first come, first served. That means you must be prepared to make an offer quickly.
I offer a free “Market Watch” program that will notify you immediately when new properties hit the market. I can send you emails in real time so you don’t miss a thing. Just give me a call at 760-889-2272 and let me know which communities or price ranges interest you, and I can set that up at no charge.
“How do I get more information?”
Sorry, but there isn’t anything else available. I’ve personally been to all the resale communities, and they have no brochures or other handouts. In fact, that’s why I created this website, so I would have something to give out to people who asked me. I’m constantly trying to improve it, but for now, this website is the most complete source of information available.
“How can I see these areas?”
Some you can drive through, but some, like Ocean Hills, are gated and manned, and they will not let you in without a Realtor. I suggest you call me a few days before you expect to be here, and I’ll be happy to show you around.
“Can I rent first to see how I like it?”
Real estate agents like myself don’t normally handle rentals. The only way to find one, if there are any, is to look online, in the newspapers or look for a “For Rent” sign. Check my rentals page for links to websites that carry rentals.
In San Diego, there is no “try before you buy” program, where you can rent a place for a few days. This type of short rental is only available in communities under construction.
Fast Facts:
| Community | Phone | #Homes | Club- house |
Pool | Golf | Pets OK |
Tennis | Gated | Fees/month | RV Parking |
| Ocean Hills C.C. | (760) 758-7080 | 1633 | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | $423-463 | Y – free |
| Pacifica | (760) 918-8040 | 233 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | N | $327 | N |
| Costa Serena | (760) 721-3456 | 750 | N | N | N | Y | N | N | $3-12 | N |
| Peacock Hills | (760) 708-3036 | 920 | N | N | N | Y | N | N | $6 | N |
| Rancho Hermosa | (760) 438-5720 | 172 | N | N | N | Y | N | N | $10 | N |
| Villa Trieste | (800) 404-0141 | 150 | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | $276 | N |
| Oceana | (760) 757-3937 | 1600 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | $275-406 | N |
| Oaks North | (858) 487-0120 | 1963 | Y | Y | Y | 1 small | Y | N | $43-413 | N |
| Seven Oaks | (858) 487-4058 | 1758 | Y | Y | N | Y | N | N | $35-350 | N |
| High Country Villas | (760) 635-1405 | 548 | Y | Y | Y | Y | N | N | $295 | N |
| East Ridge | (951) 296-5640 | 80 | Y | Y | N | Y | Y | Y | $200 | N |
| Nob Hill | (760) 746-9127 | 67 | Y | Y | N | 1 20 lbs. | N | N | $225 | N |
| Manufactured Homes | Phone | #Homes | Club- house |
Pool | Golf | Pets OK |
Tennis | Gated | Fees/month | RV Parking |
| Emerald Lake | (760) 603-0501 | 161 | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | $170 | Y – $25/mo |
| Pilgrim Creek | (760) 967-6254 | 203 | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | $215 | Y – free |
| Vista del Mar | (760) 603-0501 | 256 | Y | Y | N | 1 | Y | Y | $60 | Y |
| Las Brisas | (949) 498-1129 | 169 | Y | Y | N | Y | N | Y | $126 | N |
| Rancho Carlsbad | (760) 438-0332 | 504 | Y | Y | Y | 1 | Y | Y | $262 | Y |
| Camino Hills | (760) 603-0501 | 145 | Y | Y | N | 1 | Y | Y | $230 | Y |
| Champagne Village | (760) 749-8008 | 459 | Y | Y | Y | 2 | Y | Y | $254 | Y |