WalkFriendly's Most Walkable Cities Awards list!

Some cities are designed to be walking communities. I have discovered that I will get out and walk more if there are interesting sights along the way and walking is encouraged. Now cities seem to be catching on and realizing that people will walk their streets (patronize their stores, too) if they can be more walk friendly. There is even an organization that is awarding certain communities that meet their stringent requirements.

The awards are Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Honorable Mention. My last two posts were from a walk friendly city which was given the Gold award. One of Arlington's innovative programs is "Walk Arlington," which may have been one thing that helped them receive the award. I have been doing the walks designed by them and find it is great exercise and also enjoyable.

As seniors, we know we need to walk more so check out these cities that were given awards (some cities have not applied yet so that does not mean it is not walkable.) A city needs to have a focus on being more walkable to win these awards.

Platinum Award (the highest):
Seattle, WA
Chapel Hill, NC Gold Award: Ann Arbor, MI
Arlington, VA
Chicago, Ill.
Hoboken, NJ
Minneapolis, MN
San Francisco, CA
Santa Barbara

Silver Award: Alexandria, VA
Charlottesville, VA
Decatur, GA
Philadelphia, PA
Santa Monica, CA

Bronze Award: Austin, TX
Cary, NC
Charlotte, NC
Corvallis, OR
Davidson, NC
Flagstaff, AZ
Lee's Summit, MO
Wilsonville, OR

There is also an Honorable Mention category: Cedarburg WI; Coeur d'Alene; Concord NH; Dayton; Franklin, TN; Juneau, AK; Louisville; Omaha; Rancho Cordova; Sparks and Temple Terrace, Fl.

To read more about Walk Friendly: Complete Communities list at Walk Friendly Because one of my criteria for a best place to retire is that there are opportunities to exercise, and walking being one of the best and easiest exercises, these cities would probably make list.

Is This Home Builder Going Bankrupt?

Recently I drove into a new community that had no models open, no amenities built, and no open house hours. There was a lawn sign half leaning over that said "model homes" with an arrow pointing but I could find no model.

This is a reminder that there are home builders that are still seeing bankruptcy. I then came across a homeowner who said the builder may be going into Chapter 11 and that the homeowners were "keeping an eye on it." Some of the signs to watch for:

• no agent on the property,
• no security guard, no models, no amenities,
• maintenance not kept up
• more obvious things like construction stopped, employees laid off, no workers showing up
• home warranties not honored.

This community seemed had those signs. I don't think the builder is bad or scamming. They may be caught in today's poor economy. A builder can do their best to keep promises but if their homes aren't selling and they can't get loans, they can go broke. Be very observant.

Reminder: if there are amenities promised that you really want and they aren't built yet, you may wish to wait until they are. Some people have opted to wait until amenities are completely finished. Look for positive signs also. Today's builders advertise heavily when the amenities are built.

They aren't bragging; they just know it will be a good sign to buyers that the project is moving along as promised. (This is not a 100% guarantee either.) So "snoop" around. Sometimes the current homeowners are the best ones to ask. While a bankruptcy can have disastrous consequences, keep in mind that some communities have gone through this and survived.

The National Association of Home Builders market index hit 40 in September, a high this year and the most since 2006, but still has not gone to 50 which signals a good rating. This ranking shows the confidence of home builders in the market. We do not make recommendations of communities. Always do your own research.

Pro's and Con's of Landscaped Retirement Communities

Landscaped retirement communities are beautiful but can require upkeep.  Just like your home needs grass cutting, tree pruning, flower beds watered and much more, so does the property of a retirement community. 

It's a nice rainy morning on the East Coast; one of those mornings perfect for napping, sleeping in and half dozing.  Unfortunately, the landscapers chose this morning to do a complete renovation of the lawns.   Not really, but it feels like it.  All morning I have been listening to trimmers, lawnmowers and edgers and not the soft sprinkling of the rain.     But when it's finished, it will be beautiful.  They sure do keep up the landscaping here.  But there are pros and cons.

The location of my home looks over a park--another thing to consider--location of your home.  Golf courses, for instance, while providing beautiful views, require a lot of upkeep so you may have to put up with sprinkling and fertilizing more often.  Along walk pathways also require more upkeep.  Generally anywhere that shows off to the public appearance may get more attention from gardeners and a chance of showering you with dust and noise on a regular basis.

The trees on the property can tell you a lot about the community.  Are the trees tended to.  If not, maybe they don't have much money.    Are they cutting down too many mature trees or just enough to keep the property safe.   What is the philosophy of the landscaping department.  Are they considerate of the property owner who has a gorgeous cherry tree blooming outside their window and would be upset if it were suddenly cut down. 

There may be people who would like to see that happen so you can't depend on that tree being there forever.  If it's important to you when you are choosing your retirement home, ask the head landscaper about it.

It's interesting about landscaping, there are so many varied opinions.  Some people love when the grass is kept low for that nice clean look.  Some people want a more natural look.  So this is something to consider when you are looking at retirement communities--the kind of appearance and how much upkeep you can tolerate. 

I think overall, since my community chose wisely, the landscapers here don't overdo it.  They don't spray with toxins that might hurt wildlife or people, they don't stay so busy that they are in your way, they stop their work if you walk by and they are courteous about it.  This is the way it should be at a retirement community.  The result is harmony.

But please investigate this aspect of the community to make sure there aren't more cons than pros.

Interested in seeing some great retirement communities? Check out my list of the Top Retirement Communities!

Why a Full Community Brochure is Helpful to You!

A Full Community Brochure is Filled with Information You Need. Be sure to ask for a full community brochure if not offered.

There is a sheet in the full brochure listing items included in your home purchase. This list is titled something like: "Outstanding Features of your new home." It is a list of included features and benefits. This is the list you want to see.

Go through the list and check off things you want that are on the list. The list will also remind you of things that are missing.
After checking off the things you want in what we'll call Community A, do the same for another community you have seen, Community B. Only compare items that are desirable for you to have as top priority. Here is an example of what I did:

Community A:

• Cathedral ceilings … check
• Eat in kitchen with Island and sunny in the morning … check (reminder: check lighting at location I choose)
• Gas range … check
• Wood floors…check
• Walkin shower .. check
• Fireplace …check
• Gated entry … check
• Outdoor Pool .. check
• Energy Star .. check
• Walk trail
• Low Taxes
• medical and fire 10 minutes

Missing from Community A:

• Granite counters was an option
• No indoor pool which meant I could only swim during the warm season
• No whirlpool tub offered
• No night patrol
• No restaurant
• Some traffic noise
• No nearby shopping to walk to if it was necessary (was there a shuttle)
• Ocean beaches 20 minutes

Community B: (I did not receive a full brochure at community B which made my information limited.)

• 2 heated pools .. indoor and out.. check
• Indoor spa .. check
• Elegant clubhouse .. check
• Ceramic floors standard .. check
• Upgraded kitchen cabinets standard .. check
• Granite countertops were included .. check
• Fireplace .. check
• 24 hour manned gated entry with night patrol .. check .. check
• extra large water heater .. check
• whirlpool tub offered as option . .. check
• Gas range..check
• Energy Star..check
• Low taxes..check
• miles of Walking path .. check
• ocean beaches 5 minutes .. check..check
• Quaint town
• Location isolated but away from traffic noise
• Shopping 10 minutes

Missing:

• Wood floors optional
• No restaurant
• Shopping 30 minutes
• medical and fire 20 minutes

Both communities were in the same price and square footage range. The Community B offered more of what I was looking for and had more of the options I wanted included in the price. The definite plus was the 24 hour manned patrol at Community B and being near beaches.
So by comparing the items on the Feature list, I had a pretty good idea of which community I would prefer.
Instead of listing what I wanted, I checked off what the communities offered. This way I kept an open mind.
Doing these comparisons will help you define what is important to you.