Arizona Active Adult Communities
By Local Realtor Cody Sperber
"Active-Adult," the phrase for seniors-only communities:
If you are interested in viewing homes located within any active adult communities, please contact me at
480-861-8732, fill out my featured property search, or send me an email and I will be happy to assist you!
Northwest Valley
Sun City
The first active adult community in the Valley was created by Del Webb and was completed building in 1960, creating a northwest Sun City community. In order to purchase a home in Sun City, at least one member of the family must be 55 or older. No one younger than 18 is allowed, except for visits. Sun City is the largest retirement community in U.S.A. Del Webb Corp. built two more communities in the northwest Valley: Sun City West in the late 1970s and Sun City Grand in 1996.A couple of statistics: Population is just over 38,000, and median age is 75. The Sun City Ambassadors, a volunteer group, runs the Sun City Visitors Center, 9903 W. Bell Road. "There are more than 350 civic, service, church, charitable, cultural, recreational and travel groups. There are 11 golf courses with over 30 miles of fairway probably the largest golf complex anywhere. There are also swimming pools, bowling alleys, exercise tracks, weight rooms, lawn bowling, racquetball, tennis, square dancing, ballroom dancing, fishing on a private lake."
Sun City West
The first homes were completed in 1978. Like its neighbor, Sun City West is self-contained, with dozens of shops, banks, restaurants, several golf courses, four recreation centers and a hospital. At least one member of a household be 55 or older. Because it's a relatively newer community, though, its median age tends to be about five years younger than in Sun City. Many of the more expensive homes are built facing a golf course. The community lists almost 100 organizations, from the Agriculture Club to the Yoga Club and jazz dancing, water therapy, bicycling and other sports for recreation. Also, the community has nine golf courses, seven of which are owned by the residents. One is a public course, and another is part of a private country club.Amenities include an Olympic-size swimming pool at each of the centers as well as tennis, bowling, billiards, racquetball, miniature golf, fitness rooms, slow-pitch softball and horseshoes. Social halls host various kinds of dancing, bingo and other weekly activities. In the arts and crafts rooms one can work at ceramics, stained glass, painting, woodworking, etc.
Sun City Grand
Del Webb Corp. started Sun City Grand in the city of Surprise in 1996. Just west of Sun City West it will have 9,800 homes. The overall look is a '90s one, with upgrades on amenities and lots of Southwestern architectural style: red-tiled roofs and neutral tones of stucco. The community buildings are a terra cotta with copper and turquoise accents.
Ventana Lakes
The community by Lennar Homes located near 99th Avenue and Beardsley Road, near the city of Peoria. These are all single-family homes. The community has manmade lakes and 26 acres of links. The clubhouse has many activities for the 55-and-older residents.
Westbrook Village
Westbrook Village by UDC Homes includes about 3,800 single-family homes. It's an active-adult community open to those 40 and older. No children are allowed as permanent residents. Amenities include two championship golf courses, a golf club and two recreation centers with swimming, tennis, and arts and crafts classes
Southeast Valley
Sun Lakes Resort Community
In the southeast Valley, Robson Communities built Sun Lakes in the 1970s. Sun Lakes is on the opposite end of the Valley from the Sun Cities, and is 10 minutes away from the new Chandler Fashion Center with over a 150 stores, including Nordstrom's, Dillards, Robinson-May, Sears, PF Chang's Bistro, the Cheesecake Factory at the corner of Chandler Blvd and the 101. Other stores in this intersection are The Great Indoors, Razmataz, and about 50 other stores and restaurants.There is the 55-plus concept as in the Sun Cities but with a feeling that seniors are "getting away from it all" even more so. Sun Lakes is about 20 miles from downtown Phoenix, due to its proximity to Interstate 10. For recreation, there is: Bingo, bocce ball, bell choirs, rock hounding, fishing, travel groups, support groups, pinochle, ballroom dancing, rug weaving, and huge amount of activities. Sun Lakes developer Ed Robson planned an active-adult community with a "youthful spirit." Its 3,500 acres are organized around the five country clubs, called Sun Lakes, Cottonwood, Palo Verde, Ironwood and the new homes and models at Oakwood. Some streets are circular, with the golf courses and lakes as the focal points. Although Chandler and regional shopping malls are close to Sun Lakes, the residents can shop within the community. Supermarkets, banks, professional offices, a health center and specialty shops are at the major intersections.
SunBird Resort Community
Robson Communities' smaller version of Sun Lakes, a few miles to the east. SunBird is a 1,600-home community existing on 320 acres with golf, tennis, swimming and other recreation outlets. Community gatherings and hobby groups all fall into the formula of active adult living in Sun Lakes, but on a smaller scale.
Arizona Traditions
Continental Homes, one of the Valley's builders, is completing an 1,800-home, active-adult community in Surprise, on Bell Road about 5 miles west of Grand Avenue. It's a gated community with an 18-hole golf course and a community center. There is swimming and tennis, and also a computer room, woodworking shop, crafts classes and a fitness center.
Solera
An active adult community for folks 55+ in Chandler, AZ, McQueen and Riggs roads in Chandler. 740 single-family homes, with easy access to a 14,000-square-foot recreation center that offers two swimming pools, a spa and tennis courts. The golf course is semiprivate, with Solera residents getting preferred tee times.
Farnsworth Development Co.
Farnsworth has built four 55-plus communities in Mesa. Dreamland is near University Drive and Recker Road. Dreamland Villa covers 800 acres with over 3,000 homes. Sunland Village is near Broadway and Greenfield roads; Sunland Village East is near Baseline and Sossaman roads; and the newest, Sunland Springs Village, is near Baseline and Signal Butte roads.
Leisure World
One of the more established active-adult communities, Leisure World in Mesa consists of 2,600 homes and 4,500 residents. Two large recreation centers, two 18-hole golf courses, security gates, a 24-hour mobile patrol and minibuses that shuttle to nearby shopping centers. Leisure World Activities:
Top Rate Performers • Special Events • Inter-Generational Events • Bus Trips • Educational & Hobby Clubs • Fraternal Organizations • Investment Groups • Diverse Religious Organizations • Service Clubs • State Clubs • Social Clubs • Performing Arts Field Trips • Sporting Events Trips • Numerous Classes • Crafts • Dance Classes & Clubs • Exercise Programs • Golf • Sports Clubs • Cards & Games • Complete Woodshop • Music Clubs • Computer Lab and Classroom
Southwest Valley
Pebble Creek Resort Community
The West Valley's 55-plus community about 20 miles west of downtown Phoenix via I-10. It's 2 miles north of I-10 from the Pebble Creek Parkway exit. Phase I, has about 2,000 single-family homes, and Phase II is expected include more than 4,000 single-family homes. An 18-hole golf course winds through the development, and two more courses for Phase II. There is a country club, a restaurant, swimming, tennis, and an arts and crafts building.
***According to the National Association of Home Builders, the fastest growing segment of the housing market is age 50-plus. People 55 and older bought nearly a fifth of the 1.1 million new homes sold in the nation in the year 2003. ***
