39 Roads

Well, readers, recent travels took me to Southern Virginia and into West Virginia, with the first stop being Homestead Preserve in Hot Springs, Va.  There’s much to speak to with how special this place is and will become.  First it has a close relationship with the Homestead resort which traces its history to 1766.  This grand hotel not only serves as the “clubhouse” for the Homestead Preserve but was the original owner of the nearly 12,000 acres purchased for the development of this community.  The developers are tremendous stewards of this beautiful land and immediately sold 9,250 acres to The Nature Conservancy and placed another 935 acres into a conservation easement with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation.  They have created only 450 home sites on 3% of the original property which even then could have supported over 2,700 homes according to existing county zoning regulations.  Homestead Preserve offers home sites with views of mountains and beautiful meadows.  Touring the tranquil property called to mind what life must have been like in a simpler time.  Homestead Preserve taps into the rich history of the area and wants it to be a community where families gather for generations to come.  Lastly, in 2006 the Homestead Preserve was selected as the site for the 2007 Southern Accents Showhouse, and the 7,000 square foot Virginia Highlands Classical style home will be featured in the November/December 2007 issue of the magazine.

Lewisburg, West Virginia, about an hour’s drive southwest of Hot Springs, is the next destination on our tour.  Lewisburg is known for its Civil War history and antique shops and has a thriving downtown area.  In addition to its quaint shops and restaurants the town features live theatre and also has one of four Carnegie Halls still in use.  An article in a June 2006 edition of The New York Times highlighted the town as a vacation haven and referred to Lewisburg as “a country town with a cosmopolitan edge” and said that “it’s a place where you can start the day kayaking down the Greenbrier River and end it listening to a jazz concert.”  National Geographic called it one of its “Best Small Town Escapes” and Lewisburg has also received distinction as “One of the 100 Best Small Art Towns in America”.  An easy ten minute drive from downtown is The Retreat on White Rock Mountain, a gated community on 900 acres.  One is immediately greeted by a waterfall and trout pond at the entrance.  The Retreat has spectacular long range views of peaks and ridgelines, and most home sites are on the edge of the forest.  The Lodge which will soon be completed will have a steam room, sauna, and spa.  This gathering place for the community also will feature a heated infinity-edge pool where the water seems to go right into the mountains.  The grotto-style Jacuzzi also provides the same breath-taking views of the Allegheny Mountains.

I also visited the Four Seasons Charlottesville which is an active adult community from K. Hovnanian.  Located in Ruckersville, about 15 miles north of the city, Four Seasons Charlottesville launched in 2006 and currently has a number of model homes up for touring.  The community will have a 21,000 square foot clubhouse that will have a full-time lifestyle director and both indoor and outdoor pools and lighted tennis courts; it is slated to be completed in December 2007.  This gated, resort-style community features homes with base prices in the $300,000s and will have approximately 540 homesites.  As you know, this area is one of my favorites with the history, culture, and entertainment of Charlottesville, the University of Virginia and Monticello nearby.  Four Seasons Charlottesville will be having a Grand Opening on April 21st and 22nd.  All model homes will be open, and food will be catered.  They will also be having drawings for giveaways.

If you are interested in getting more information on these communities or registering for the Grand Opening of Four Seasons Charlottesville, please contact the Retirement Relocation office at 703-430-6411 or 877-55-RETIRE (877-557-3847) or by e-mail at info@RetireRelocateRelax.com.

Recently, Retirement Relocation hosted events in Northern Virginia with developers from North and South Carolina.  We secured special offers for our clients and friends who were in attendance.  We also have a limited number of these offers from the developers to extend to those who could not be at the receptions or who live outside the immediate area.  The first is from Grand Harbor and its six communities on Lake Greenwood in South Carolina.  They are offering a complimentary two night “Stay and Play” Package, including a round of golf for two people for those who visit before May 31, 2007. 

Vista also gave a presentation on two of its communities in the North Carolina mountains.  On its Bill’s Mountain properties, Vista will give purchasers 15% cash back at closing (this would cover approximately 18-24 months of payments) or 15% off the purchase price.  They are also offering $1500 travel reimbursement at closing.  For its Blacksmith Run properties, they have the same travel expenditures reimbursement at closing and are giving $10,000 off the purchase price and $10,000 toward upgrades.  They also have attractive leaseback options on two of their model homes.  Vista’s offers are good until April 30, 2007.

I’ve also gotten a number of attractive offers in the mail recently to go look at properties.  One came from Alabama Shoreline for their Goose Pond Island properties near Huntsville, Alabama.  They are hosting Discovery Weekends in March where for $99 two people receive round-trip airfare, ground transportation, two nights lodging, meals, and either golf, fishing, or boating.  Their promotional materials boast amenities including a spacious clubhouse, 84-slip covered marina, community dock, and gated entrance.  Alabama Shoreline is offering lake access lots from $59,900, lake view homesites from $124,900, and dockable waterfront from $199,900.  I have requested more information on this community and other developments from Alabama Shoreline.

I also received a mailer with a similar promotion from Florida Waterway Sales for their Water Ridge location which touts “Lakefront Luxury near a Thriving City”.  The community, positioning itself as a “short drive” from Orlando, is planning amenities to include a spa and fitness center, swimming pools, tennis courts, and walking trails and features three freshwater lakes.  They are having a preview event March 9th-11th where you would get round-trip airfare and two nights hotel accommodations for $99 per couple.  This Grand Opening Weekend will also have boat and helicopter tours, meals, entertainment and an offer on developer owned homesites of no payments for 12 months with 90% financing.  Homesites start around $150,000.

If you’re interested in any of these offers, please call Retirement Relocation at 703-430-6411 or 877-55-RETIRE (877-557-3847) or via e-mail at info@RetireRelocateRelax.com.  Also, if you know of similar offers that you think our readers and clients would be interested in, please let us know.

In July 2006 Tennessee launched “Retire Tennessee”, its program to promote ten communities in the state as retirement destinations.  The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matthew Kisber said, “Tennessee has become increasingly attractive to today’s migrating retirees. We fully recognize this as a viable industry and we are now working to implement programs that would establish retirement migration as an economic development strategy.” 

Tennessee has chosen to focus on this form of economic development for a number of reasons: retiree recruitment is an established approach and will be growing with the number of baby boomers reaching retirement age.  Tennessee is ranked 11th as a tourism destination in the country, better positioning themselves for those who may be looking to relocate.  Retirees generally bring increased wealth to their area, creating new jobs and businesses, while tax revenues from this new base of residents exceeds the cost of providing governmental services for them.  For more information please visit http://info.tnanytime.org/tngov/?p=68.

A big player in East Tennessee is Rarity Communities which currently has seven or eight communities, most of which are located on or near lakes, rivers, or mountains.  The company seeks to integrate its developments with their natural surroundings through solid land stewardship.  Rarity Bay has been chosen as one of “America’s Top 100 Golf Communities” by Travel + Leisure Golf Magazine; it was the only community in Tennessee to receive this distinction.  Rarity Bay is located on Lake Tellico about 30 minutes west of Knoxville and also offers water sports, an equestrian center, and views of the Great Smoky Mountains.  The company also has plans for rapid expansion and will be introducing several new communities within the year.

North American Land also has a significant presence in the state, most notably with Rocky River Vista two hours east of Nashville.  The community sits on a bluff overlooking the Rocky River and is located near Center Hill Lake and a scenic state park.  The company also offers Eagles Ridge in Northwest Tennessee on the Kentucky border.  Eagles Ridge is located on 45,000 acre Lake Barkley and features spectacular views.

Many more choices are available and will be available in the state, and Tennessee will become a much talked about destination in the years to come. 

I’ve been asked recently a few times about college towns.  Auditing courses or earning a degree, cultural arts, sporting events, and other campus activities are a big draw- especially it seems for those who currently have positions in school systems or libraries or for those who grew up in a similar environment.  Before making a decision along these lines you may want to make an inquiry into how senior-friendly the students are as well as how inviting or inclusive the institution’s policies are.  One thing to be aware of is that part-time jobs may not be as readily available in a college town as many of these are snagged up by undergraduate students.

Some colleges have created special programs or classes for seniors while others include them in undergraduate classes.  You may want to ask about costs of taking or auditing classes or about discounts for seniors.  Because developers have used nearby colleges as amenities for their communities, many campuses have seen an increase in senior students and have had to limit the numbers who can audit a given course.  Colleges benefit from this relationship both directly from increased revenue and donations to indirectly with positive public relations with alumni or community members as they become ambassadors for the college, particularly in promoting the school’s offerings to grandchildren. 

An article on Back Roads, Charming Towns (http://www.backroadscharmingtowns.com/admin/trackback/13509) talks about alumni buying into condominium and townhouse communities near their alma mater as a weekend retreat for sporting events or other activities.  Many of these individuals use them as rental units as the number of students needing off-campus housing remains relatively steady.  Many of these graduates may make it back as full-time residents to enjoy the college town lifestyle year-round.  

In America’s 100 Best Places to Retire, 9 of the 10 “Best College Towns” are in the Southeast, with Virginia (Charlottesville and Williamsburg), North Carolina (Asheville and Chapel Hill) and Florida (Gainesville and Tallahassee) leading the way.  In fact the University of North Carolina at Asheville has the distinction of being the home of the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement (http://www.unca.edu/ncccr/) which “has the threefold purpose of promoting lifelong learning, leadership, and community service opportunities for retirement-aged individuals” and offers a number of programs for retirees.  At Clemson University in Clemson, SC, seniors can audit classes at no charge. 

One of my favorites is Charlottesville, Va. which is consistently rated as one of the best places to live on the planet.  The University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, is easily one of the top five public universities in the country.  Again, those over 60 who have resided in the state for a year or more can audit courses for free when space is available.  The city boasts a downtown walking mall, good climate, a lower cost of living than many areas, and an abundance of historical areas nearby.  One of my favorite restaurants anywhere is The Shebeen (http://www.shebeenpub.com/) which offers delicious South African fare.  I highly recommend it if you’re visiting the area.

Well, readers, my recent travels took me to the beautiful mountains of western North Carolina where I was able to go through a number of developments.
 
Carriage Park is a community in Hendersonville, N.C.  It is as their literature says, a “community of quiet neighborhoods, beautiful hiking trails and spectacular panoramic views, that span sixty miles… just five minutes from all the conveniences and charm of downtown Hendersonville. And only 20 minutes from Asheville.”  The views were truly stunning, and the convenience of this development is difficult to match.  They are also planning for a mountaintop clubhouse which will also capitalize on the amazing scenery of the region.
 
I was also able to visit three of Vista’s communities in the Hendersonville and Lake Lure area.  They have a number of options for various mountain-living budgets including townhomes, lot and home packages, and lots for custom-built homes.  Blacksmith Mountain and Blacksmith Run have the easy access to Hendersonville.  Blacksmith Run will be particularly retiree-friendly with flatter terrain and craftsman-style homes on 1/4 to 1/3 acres.  Bill’s Mountain is closer to Lake Lure and has the higher elevation and incredible views.
 
Grey Rock of the 2006 HGTV Dream Home fame is also located near Lake Lure.  In fact Land Resource is the only developer to have twice been selected for this honor.  Grey Rock has approximately 900 homesites and covers nearly 4000 acres, much of which will be left in its natural state.  Its sister property, Wild Ridges, launched in the spring and provides another option for the region.
 
The last stop on the tour through the area was The Settings of Black Mountain.  Black Mountain is small town with quaint shops and more than its share of good restaurants.  For example, Veranda Cafe was packed for lunch on a Thursday, and I was told that this is typical.  Black Mountain is 15 minutes by interstate to Asheville and the resources of a larger city.  Much of this area east of Asheville will remain undeveloped as there are several retreat and conference centers who own large tracts of land.  The Settings has done a noteworthy job of creating a development around what feels almost like a national park with small touches that add to the community.
 
So, if the North Carolina mountains appeal to you, there is certainly a community to match your interests, lifestyle, and budget.
 
On a different note, I receive several magazine subscriptions, most of which seemingly have little to nothing to do with retirement or relocation.  I was intrigued recently to find two publications whose issues had some relevance.  One of these is the November edition of Business 2.0 which had an article, “The Best Places to (Still) Invest”, focused on real estate.  Ten locales were highlighted, including five in the Southeast.  Suprisingly, with its seemingly escalated real estate prices, three of these are in Florida: Panama City, Vero Beach, and Lakeland.  My hometown of Wilmington, N.C., which is quickly becoming a popular choice for those who are retiring or may otherwise be relocating for a better quality of life, was also cited.  A recent edition of Tennis magazine featured an article on the best places to retire- for a life filled with tennis, of course.  The southern region garnered three of the six communities highlighted with Charlottesville, Va.; Charleston, S.C.; and Hilton Head Island, S.C. receiving the distinction.