Adult communities have common perk: maintenance-free living

Buyers looking for adult housing will find one thing for sure -- there's quite a variety available.

There are communities designed specifically for active adults. No youngsters are allowed to live here, and the buyer or at least one member of a couple usually should be at least 55 years old, although some communities can take people a little younger.

Other developments can be home to anyone, but the floor plans and housing styles appeal to families without children.

Neighborhoods where the housing is restricted to adults but is very close to a community where the residents' grandchildren might live are also popular.

The market has switched, and now empty nesters under the age of 55 can't wait till they can buy in adult communities, said Suzanne Hamilton, marketing director for Hartz Homes.

These buyers are looking for maintenance-free living where an association takes care of shoveling the snow and mowing the grass, she said.

They also like the clubhouse lifestyle, which offers partying and many other activities.

Hartz communities include Bella Vista in Bolingbrook where homes are priced from $283,900 to $295,900, and Lago Vista Homes in Lockport where they start at $200,000.

Cambridge Homes, which has built several adult communities called Carillon, is adding one to its huge Cambridge Lakes in Pingree Grove.

Dave Smith, vice president of marketing and product development for Cambridge, agrees that lifestyle is important. This community will have a three-hole golf course and a clubhouse, not to mention walking trails.

But for some buyers the draw of a multi-generational community like Cambridge Lakes is being close to their children and grandchildren who have already purchased in the community, said Smith.

On the other hand, some families purchase in a Cambridge community because their parents have already bought in a nearby adult neighborhood, he said.

"Our active adult buyers want to be separate but close to their grandkids," said Smith. "Last I checked they're not living in Chicago for the weather."

The energy efficiency also appeals to buyers who are concerned about paying future bills on fixed incomes, he said.

Homes range from the $170,000s to the $280,000s at Carillon at Cambridge Lakes.

The Regency Collection at Woods of South Barrington offers upscale living for those ready to downsize.

The size of the community, which has only 156 homes, is part of its charm because there are fewer people to share the clubhouse and other amenities, said Kim Traylor, project manager.

"Everyone has something in their current homes that they don't want to let go of. It might be a sun room or a big walk-in closet or a large master suite," she said.

"We have all these, so they don't have to leave their current luxuries behind when they downsize."

The location with walking trails to a nature conservancy and The Arboretum, a shopping center expected to open in the fall, are attractions, she said.

Prices at the Toll Brothers single-family community range from $494,975 to $588,975.