Great news! Golf carts are now allowed for use around the community! You have no idea how many of our clients have asked if they could bring their golf carts with them when they retire to Heritage Shores, Delaware’s Best Master Planned Community. A lot of those people are calling from The Villages or thought about retiring to Florida at one time.

Heritage Shores is the only active adult community in Delaware with its own Championship 18-hole Golf Course and now you can have your own golf cart! I wonder how the residents will customize their golf carts? We’ll look forward to bringing you photos as the new carts are spotted.

New golf course home sites with pond views have also been released and we have the details. Perfect for several models of new single family home styles, the location is fantastic. If you want a pond view and an affordable new home, now is the time to contact us for more information.

Only one active adult community in Delaware made the Short List of “Best Master-Planned Communities in the United States” – Heritage Shores in Bridgeville. The Short List focuses on 50 communities that they describe as “amenity-rich, with clubhouses, recreation and activities to keep residents fully engaged.”

The author, Van Sheridan, gives the following advice – While researching communities to live out your retirement dream, consider following the example of Hank Morris, 80, who retired to Heritage Shores in Delaware not on “promises of things to come, but on amenities already in place at the community.” I heartily agree with that advice. Betting on the come gets more difficult the older we become. When making a decision about how and where you want to live for the rest of your life, there is no room for uncertainty.

Where to Retire Magazine published The Short List in the July/August 2011 Issue.

I’ve been getting more calls asking about rental homes in active adult communities. Is this a result of the challenging economic times we’ve been experiencing the past few years? Are some retirees coming to the decision that renting might be a better option than buying in an active adult community? Home ownership is not for everyone. When is renting a good option?

1. Try before you buy. If you’re not sure where you want to spend the next 10 – 20 years of your life, renting is a great way to try an area before you buy.
2. Ecocnomic uncertainty. If you’re not comfortable with the current economic climate and wonder if housing prices will recover, renting might be a better option.
3. You’ve never lived anywhere for more than a few years! Renting is definitely a better option for short term occupancy.

Rental homes are few and far between in the newer active adult communities, but we do have a few that come up and they always go quickly. If you own a home at Heritage Shores or one of our other active adult communities and would like to talk with us about renting it, please let us know. We handle complete Property Management as well.

Trying to decide where to move when you retire or whether to move at all is a daunting decision. I always recommend making several trips, working with a knowledgeable real estate agent that primarily works with people just like you and will help you do your research.

Let’s face it, most of us have spent our lives working, taking care of families and educating our children. When we get to a point in our lives that we can actually think about retirement and what we would like to do for the rest of our lives it’s a big deal. It’s not a decision you should make without professional assistance and even then you need to take your time.

Another great way to try on this new lifestyle is to rent for a few months or a year and see if it feels right for you.  Have you wondered if you would like living in an active adult community? Do you like the idea of a clubhouse with lots of activities, a fitness center, tennis, indoor and outdoor pools and a golf course all in one place? If you’ve never had the time before, do you wonder if you would really use all those amenities? Renting a home for a year is a perfect way to experience it first hand. You may not be ready to retire quite yet but you can get away on weekends and use it for family vacations. Then, if you do decide to buy in this community or another one in the general area, you can use the rental while you are selling your current home and looking for the right home to buy.

At Heritage Shores right now, we have two great homes that are available for rent. The home on Amanda’s Teal is available immediately for $1200/month and the one on White Pellican is available in April or May for $1500/month.

For an application and more information, please contact Kathy at 302-947-0860.

Last year the wood working shop opened at the Heritage Shores Club. I’m told it has every imaginable tool so we should expect to see some wonderful pieces on display at residents’ homes. To help hone their skills, Del Tech is offering a wood carving class at the clubhouse for Heritage Shore’s residents only.

There is a Geneaology group that meets monthly and an active walking group; both combine field trips with lunch at their destinations. And then there are the Ladies who lunch at a different restaurant each month, traveling to towns all around Delmarva.

For the holidays, a digital storybook class is helping residents create holiday gifts and in January, there will be a Fiber Arts Exhibit of the handwork made by members of that group. This exhibit is open to the public, so mark your calendar to visit the Clubhouse between January 6 and 8, 2009.

What’s your retirement plan? Do you like to stay busy and meet new people? If you are moving to a new area and you love golf, one of the best ideas is to get involved in the golf community. Become a Marshall or a Starter and see how fast your circle of friends will grow. What better way to get to know the course itself and meet people that may be looking for someone to play with on a regular basis. Your friendships will extend beyond the golf course and you’ll feel right at home in no time at all.