Senior Transition
What is the difference between age-restricted and age-targeted communities?
By Steve Lockhart
The short answer
An age-restricted community is one with a legal occupancy rule, allowed under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, that at least one resident of each home be 55 or older. The rule is written into the association's governing documents and enforced.
Full answer
An age-restricted community is one with a legal occupancy rule, allowed under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, that at least one resident of each home be 55 or older. The rule is written into the association's governing documents and enforced. Sun City Summerlin, Sun City Anthem, Siena, Solera at Anthem, Solera at Stallion Mountain, and Del Webb North Ranch are examples in the Las Vegas area. When you buy there, the age rule is part of the contract you are buying into.
An age-targeted community has no legal age restriction. It is simply designed, marketed, and often naturally populated by an older demographic: resort-style amenities, single-story floor plans, quiet streets, active clubs. Anyone of any age can buy and live there. The feel can be very similar to a 55+ community, but the guarantee is not there, because the association cannot control who moves in.
The tradeoff is worth understanding before you search. An age-restricted community protects the demographic you want, which is its main appeal. The same rule narrows the pool of future buyers to households with someone 55 or older. In the Las Vegas market these communities turn over steadily because the region is a magnet for retiring households, but you should know that resale is a narrower audience than all-age neighborhoods.
There is no right pick that applies to everyone. If you want the assured 55+ population, look at age-restricted. If you want the lifestyle without the rule, and a wider resale market, an age-targeted neighborhood gives you most of the feel with none of the restriction.
Go a little deeper
Frequently asked
Questions people often follow up on
If my children inherit the home in a 55+ community, can they live there?
Not automatically, if they are under 55. The Housing for Older Persons Act allows exceptions for a surviving spouse who is younger and for some younger adults with disabilities. Otherwise the home is typically sold to an age-qualified buyer, and the association's rules set the expectations. It is worth reading the community's governing documents and speaking with an attorney if this situation is likely.
Do age-restricted communities allow a younger caregiver to live in the home?
Some communities allow a younger resident who provides care under certain conditions, and the rules vary by association. If caregiving is part of your plan, raise it early with the community before you make an offer, and get the policy in writing.
The Lockhart Method
The Lockhart Method
Your Home | My Strategy | Proven Results
My strategy: match the rule to the goal. If the guaranteed 55+ population matters to you, we shop age-restricted communities where the rule protects exactly that. If you only want the low-maintenance feel, age-targeted neighborhoods give it to you without the restriction and with a larger resale market.
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