[jhiker1o]

Originally Posted by jjameson922

JHiker, I get the drift you are somehow part of the conceptulizing of these retirement communities because your above post reads like marketing material on "build it and they will come." Everything you write is well and good but the bottom line is, I live in one of them and the number of years between 55 and 85 is a generous spread. Thirty years to be exact and it is like I am the child and "they" are the parents. The other day I undertook a personal experiment. We have four fitness centers and I decided to visit each of them at 7 in the morning. I found the same to be true at all of them; a few elderly people working out at each gym. I pretended I was looking for someone and walked out. That is not my environment or friend base. If the intention of these retirement communities is for those who live there to flourish, there also has to be a great common denominator in age. I don't want to hang around with my parents. And now that I live here, it stands to reason that if a community is 15 - 20 years old and it began attracting residents then who were 55, the majority of them are now going to be 75-80 years old. That is the premise of what Mad Man and I are saying. Live in the newer retirement communities and you are going to get a younger demographic. Realizing that now, after the fact, I began to seriously check out Sienna. What I learned is that also has a downside for me with HOA fees double what I now pay, less social clubs offered and comparable floor plans having less square footage, less goodies and at a higher price point.

If you do not want to mingle with people that are 55+ and older then Sun City was the wrong choice for you.

[jhiker1o]

Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda

Wow, that went right over your head, didn't it? Try reading my post again - - -this time v-e-r-y...s-l-o-w-l-y. You might understand it this time.

Here, let me give you some help: no one is talking about 25+ demographics. We're talking about the difference between people in their 50s & 60s to people in their 70s & 80s. I repeat, no one is discussing people in their 20s, 30s, or even 40s. This isn't really a difficult concept. I'm sure if you concentrate a little more on the words that you are reading, you'll be able to figure it out.

Once again you seem not to know the demographics for Sun City and its marketing effort to attract people who are retirees and older generation. 55 and older meaning they could be in their 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond. It is the concept of Sun City to be able to offer retirement haven for older generations enjoying each others company.

[jhiker1o]

Originally Posted by eventusstultorummagister

Retirement is dangerous to your health. The loss of status, the change of pattern and lifestyle almost invariably produce disturbing internal reactions that may cause emotional or physical symptoms.

Hahahaha, the madman is surely showing signs of it.

[KiwiKate]

Originally Posted by jhiker1o

55 and older meaning they could be in their 60's, 70's, 80's and beyond. It is the concept of Sun City to be able to offer retirement haven for older generations enjoying each others company.

We all understand the concept jhiker. And I agree with jj and MMoB that a preponderance of 75+ is not what many younger retirees are looking for. I'm very happy in one of the newer communities -- Sun City Anthem -- because at least half of the residents seem to be between 55 and 65. Lots of clubs and activities and it's a good match for me.

[jhiker1o]

Originally Posted by KiwiKate

We all understand the concept jhiker. And I agree with jj and MMoB that a preponderance of 75+ is not what many younger retirees are looking for. I'm very happy in one of the newer communities -- Sun City Anthem -- because at least half of the residents seem to be between 55 and 65. Lots of clubs and activities and it's a good match for me.

Someone complaining about older people in an age restricted community like Sun City is quite laughable considering Sun City communities are well known retirement havens and primarily marketed for the older generation.

[jhiker1o]

@Kiwi

Del Webb and many other developers have communities that are not age restricted, meaning they are all ages community. You should look into it if you are not happy with Del Webb's Sun City Anthem.

[Spraynard Kruger]

Originally Posted by eventusstultorummagister

Retirement is dangerous to your health. The loss of status, the change of pattern and lifestyle almost invariably produce disturbing internal reactions that may cause emotional or physical symptoms.

Of course, you can take the edge off with a nice warm cup of....

[olecapt]

Actually the age in an age restricted community is much more complicated than is being represented.

First off in balance an age restricted community does not age. It remains the same. The aging of retained members is offset by the differential in age between those departing and those arriving. Sun City Summerlin for instance turns over about 4% per annum ( it is probably more like 6% if you include renters). If it is at balance it would need about a 25 year differential between those moving in and those moving out. Not irrational as a lot of the leaving are in their mid 80s.

Second those moving in cover a range...and they are generally not 55. More like 55 to 70.

Third the apparent age is much younger than the true age. Simply the more aged quit participating as they get older. So who you see in the gym tend to be from the bottom half of the demographic and thin out as you get older. You can even see it in the card games...which attract a much older demographic than the gyms do.

Note that the Sun City environment is not particularly friendly to the infirm. Only limited areas are suitable for those who are limited in mobility. And it is a hard place to live without an automobile.

I would already be skeptical that a perceivable difference exists between Siena and Sun City Summerlin. Both are old enough that they are approaching balance. And when balanced I would expect very similar age demographics. In fact Sun City may end up younger as its geography will chase the infirm more quickly than will the reasonably flat Siena.

I would also note that none of the age restricted communities are morning places. Aside from the walker/hikers I think you will see gyms filled at 10AM or in the middle of the afternoon rather than first thing in the morning. The retired do not appear to be morning people.

[KiwiKate]

Originally Posted by jhiker1o

@Kiwi

Del Webb and many other developers have communities that are not age restricted, meaning they are all ages community. You should look into it if you are not happy with Del Webb's Sun City Anthem.

As I stated in my post, I LOVE Sun City Anthem.

[jjameson922]

I know Kate, Hiker has a comprehending problem.

I disagee with your statement below Jim.
"First off in balance an age restricted community does not age. It remains the same. The aging of retained members is offset by the differential in age between those departing and those arriving. Sun City Summerlin for instance turns over about 4% per annum ( it is probably more like 6% if you include renters). If it is at balance it would need about a 25 year differential between those moving in and those moving out. Not irrational as a lot of the leaving are in their mid 80s." If 14,000 people currently live here and we concede 6% move in per year, that's approx. 840 new people aged 55 - 70? That year it is still top heavy with the older demographics. Same for the next year. And the next year. As you said, at year 25 itchanges but becomes a complete wash and the cycle begins again but for 24 years it is top heavy in older people.

This retirement community, and I strongly suspect many others, are heavy with early risers. As a person ages, it's harder to sleep late. I'm up at 5 a.m. and my street is already heavy with dog walkers and bikers. My neighbor is head of security and he told me there is a line at 6 a.m. for those waiting for the gyms to open. Because of that, they are beginning to close down earlier than 10 p.m. to consider opening even before 6 a.m.