Home › Buying in a 55+ community

Buyer's Guide

Buying in a 55+ community

What the age rules really mean, how HOA and recreation-center fees work, and the checklist to use before you make an offer.

Search 55+ homes and sign up with Greg Talk With Greg

1. How age rules work

Most West Valley active adult communities qualify as "housing for older persons" under the federal Fair Housing Act (the Housing for Older Persons Act of 1995). Under that law, at least 80% of occupied homes must have at least one resident aged 55 or older, and the community must publish and follow its age policies and verify ages.

Each community sets its own details within that federal framework. Some allow a limited number of households where the youngest qualifying resident is 40 or 45. Others, like Sun City West and Sun City, don't allow permanent residents under 19.
Owning vs. living there: In several communities anyone can own a home, but someone 55+ must occupy it. Buying for a parent or as a future retirement home? Ask how the rules apply.
Visiting grandkids: Short visits are normally fine, but there are limits on length of stay and on pool and fitness-center use. Check the community's guest rules.
Surviving spouses and caregivers: Most communities have provisions for them. Read the CC&Rs or ask the association.

Age rules are set by each community's recorded documents and can change. Always confirm current occupancy rules with the association before you buy.

2. Understanding the fees

Fees in 55+ communities come in a few layers. Ask about each one for the specific home you're considering:

Recurring dues

A monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual HOA assessment, or in Sun City and Sun City West, a recreation-center assessment. In Sun City West, dues are charged per person on the deed.

One-time "capital" fees

Usually paid by the buyer at closing. Names include Asset Preservation Fee, Preservation & Improvement Fee, CARE Fee, Community Enhancement Fee and Reserve Fund Fee. They often run several thousand dollars.

Transfer & document fees

Resale disclosure, transfer, recording and architectural-review fees, typically a few hundred dollars. Some are customarily paid by the seller.

Sub-association fees

Many neighborhoods, condos and villas have their own association (often for landscaping or exterior care) on top of the master dues.

Golf & extras

Golf is separate from dues in every community we cover. Passes can cost more per year than the HOA itself. Dining, spa and some classes are pay-as-you-go.

Special taxing districts

Some newer areas, such as Sun City Festival's Festival Ranch CFD, add an assessment to the property tax bill. Check the tax bill, not just the HOA statement.

See the comparison table for published figures in each community.

3. Your pre-offer checklist

Get the current HOA / rec-center fee schedule and the total one-time fees due at closing.
Ask whether the home is in a sub-association and what it covers (landscaping, roofs, exterior paint?).
Read the CC&Rs and rules for pets, parking, RVs, golf carts, rentals and exterior changes.
Confirm the age-occupancy rules work for everyone who will live in the home.
Review the association's budget and reserve study, and ask about planned special assessments or dues increases.
For older homes: inspect roof, HVAC age, plumbing (including supply lines), electrical panel and windows.
Think about the future: single-level layout, step-free entry, wide doorways, a walk-in shower, and grab-bar-friendly bathrooms.
Drive to your doctors, hospital, pharmacy, church and the airport at the times you'd normally go.
Visit the recreation centers on a weekday morning to see the clubs and activities in action.
If you'll golf, price passes against how often you'll realistically play.
Near Luke Air Force Base or a freeway? Stand in the backyard and listen. Arizona has specific military-airport disclosures.

Inspecting older homes in 55+ communities

Background: aluminum wiring

During a copper shortage in the mid-1960s, builders began using aluminum wire for general household circuits. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) says homes wired between 1965 and the mid-1970s may contain aluminum branch-circuit wiring. It also says connections with aluminum wire (at outlets, switches, junction boxes and appliances) can deteriorate and overheat, creating a fire hazard. CPSC recommends hiring a qualified electrician for a permanent repair: either rewiring with copper or using the connectors CPSC recognizes (COPALUM or AlumiConn). (Source: CPSC Publication 516)

Background: Orangeburg sewer pipe

Orangeburg pipe is bituminized fiber pipe: layers of wood fiber impregnated with coal-tar pitch. It was used for residential sewer lines from roughly the 1940s into the 1970s, until PVC replaced it. Over time it can soften and flatten under soil pressure, separate at the joints, and let tree roots in. The City of Ann Arbor notes it can even fail from the inside out while the outside still looks round. A sewer scope runs a small camera through the line to show the pipe material and its condition. (Source: APWA-MN) (Source: City of Ann Arbor)

Not every older home has aluminum wiring or Orangeburg pipe, and many have already been updated. Your licensed home inspector, electrician or plumber can tell you what a specific home has.

Why 55+ homes hold their value

Part of what you buy in a West Valley 55+ community is access to its amenities: recreation centers, pools, fitness centers, clubs and social calendars that are reserved for residents and their guests.

This reflects Greg's personal experience, not a forecast or guarantee. Home values depend on the specific home, its condition and the overall market, and they can go down as well as up. For a current, data-based estimate on a specific home, ask Greg for a home value.

Frequently asked questions

Do older homes in West Valley 55+ communities have aluminum wiring?

Some do. Greg Slaughter, a local agent, says many homes built in the 1960s and 70s in these communities have aluminum wiring. According to the CPSC, homes wired between 1965 and the mid-1970s may contain aluminum branch-circuit wiring, and aluminum connections can overheat and create a fire hazard. A home inspector can check, and CPSC recommends a qualified electrician for permanent repairs.

What is Orangeburg pipe, and should I get a sewer scope?

Orangeburg is a bituminized fiber (wood fiber and coal-tar pitch) sewer pipe used from roughly the 1940s into the 1970s. It can flatten, separate at the joints and let roots in as it ages. Greg Slaughter says the sewer lines in many older homes here were originally Orangeburg pipe, and he highly recommends a sewer scope (a camera inspection of the sewer line) during your inspection period.

What should I ask about the roof and HVAC in an older 55+ home?

Greg Slaughter, a local agent, says he always asks the age of the HVAC system and, most importantly, the age of the roof, because in these older communities many homes are right at the point of needing a new one. Ask the seller for installation dates, receipts and any warranties, and have your inspector evaluate both during the inspection period.

What is a one-time cap fee, and who pays it?

Most West Valley 55+ communities charge a one-time capital (cap), preservation or enhancement fee when a home changes hands, usually paid by the buyer at closing. It often runs several thousand dollars, or a percentage of the price in some communities. Greg Slaughter says this fee surprises a lot of buyers, so build it into your cash-to-close budget from the start. Each community page lists its published fee.

Ask Greg a question

Type your question and press Email my question. It opens your own email app with the question filled in, addressed to Greg. Nothing is stored on this site and no third-party form is used.

Office: 17505 N 79th Ave #214, Glendale, AZ 85308. Or call/text Greg at 623-523-1557, email greg@lovingphoenix.com, or search homes and contact Greg.

Want help comparing communities?

Greg can line up the real numbers for the homes you're considering, side by side, and set up alerts so you see new listings first.

Search homes and sign up with Greg Get a Free Home Value Contact Greg Free Buyer's Guide (PDF)

Prefer the phone? Call or text 623-523-1557