Richmond Times Dispatch
Angela Woodford
Sunday, May 27, 2007

Some of the Richmond area's 55-plus communities are attracting seniors who barely meet the age requirement. Most residents at the Atlee Station community in Hanover County are in their late 50s. At Settler's Ridge, located in Henrico County's Varina area, most residents are 60 to 62.

Lisa Kirk, exclusive listing agent for Settler's Ridge, said the concept of a low-maintenance home appeals to people of all ages. She frequently turns down families with young children who get excited about the community, not knowing that it's age-restricted. No one under 19 can live at Settler's Ridge, and 80 percent of residents must be over 55.

"We're finding people my age right at 40 and even younger that want to be somewhere like this because they don't want to have to take time for grass cutting and all that," Kirk said. "Everybody works so hard and they're so busy. They want to spend their free time having fun after working all week."

Brick Smith, an agent with Metropolitan Real Estate who handles sales at Atlee Station Village, said maintenance is the first thing on prospective buyers' minds. "Everybody's looking to escape ground care," he said.

Both Atlee Station Village and Settler's Ridge are new communities. Atlee Station has filled 15 percent of its 60 homes. At Settler's Ridge, 20 of the current 48 homes are sold; the community eventually will have a total of 165 homes.

Atlee Station's duplex-style homes which Smith calls "paired homes" run about $400,000, a price point that Smith said attracts affluent seniors in their late 50s and early 60s. The two-story homes offer 2,600 square feet of finished space.

"That's another reason we're attracting affluent residents," Smith said, noting the home sizes. "A lot of people are actually moving up when they move here. They're moving from smaller homes; nobody's giving anything up."

Kirk said many of Settler's Ridge residents, however, want to downsize because they're using only one floor in their current two-story houses. But, while they may want to stop heating and cooling areas they don't use, residents aren't looking for a drastic change, she added.

"Probably the biggest obstacle for people who are selling their homes is they don't want to get rid of everything they have acquired over the years," Kirk explained. "They want to downsize, but they really don't want to downsize that much."

Another obstacle both Smith and Kirk said they encounter is sticker shock from seniors who haven't priced a new home in decades. Kirk explained that although the one-story, patio-style homes in Settler's Ridge start in the $240,000s, residents typically visit the community nine or 10 times before deciding to buy.

"They've been in their houses for 25, 30, 40 years, and they're not familiar with what their homes are possibly worth and what it costs to buy a new home," Kirk explained. "They're paying for the lifestyle [at Settler's Ridge]. They can sit on the front porch in a rocking chair and watch the work being done for them."

Time spent on yard work and home repair is particularly precious to residents who still work full time, Kirk added. "They still want to work, they want to keep busy, but they don't want to fool with anything outside especially women who are divorced and live alone," Kirk said.

Plus, residents who spend half the year vacationing in far-away places don't want to worry about their homes while they're away, Kirk said. Settler's Ridge is hunting for adjacent land so it can offer a storage facility for the "snow birds" who own RVs and boats, she added.

Seniors also are attracted to 55-plus communities by amenities such as a clubhouse, pool and walking trails. Smith explained that because these features are in high demand, Atlee Station ensured its clubhouse, pool, walking trails and two ponds were ready for the community's first residents to enjoy.

The clubhouse at Atlee Station is 3,500 square feet and contains a 1,400-square-foot activity room with dance floor, a kitchen that accommodates catering, a full-service bar, an exercise room, a covered patio and a pool with a hydro-massage spa.

Settler's Ridge's soon will begin construction on its clubhouse, pool and trails. Kirk said the community also employs an activities director who coordinates events such as bridge nights, group trips and potluck dinners.

"There's always something going on, and I think that's a big attraction, especially for people who may be widows or widowers," Kirk added.

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