Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

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Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

November 04, 2013, 11:07:28 am

An outstanding example is The Gardens in Crossville TN. The Gardens - An RV Community

Are there other nice similar areas more central in the country, a bit warmer in the winter, closer to big city amenities, and educational/medical opportunities? (Approx 80% of the folks bail out to places like Florida for the winter.) We very much like some of the areas in Texas like the Tyler/Nac area and the Austin/Georgetown area. The Hideaway north of Tyler looks nice and is RV friendly in the older sections if the lot size permits.

We very much like Sun City Texas for it's amenities such as: activities, location, exercise facilities with pools and spas. But, as was noted in a thread last winter, no on-site RV storage. That is a biggee for us but life is full of trade-offs.

We presently live in Ridgecrest California (China Lake, remote high desert, great place to live and work) and would like to escape to a more central USA area. We like the Oro Valley (Tucson) area but again it is far west and far from most Motorcade activities and Audrey's Virginia family.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #1 – November 04, 2013, 11:35:55 am

I think about this topic frequently with little success. We're stuck on deciding if to travel in the winter by going South and staying in the North Central area for the Summer in the sticks & Bricks or the opposite approach. It's a difficult decision as we may decide to sell the motorhome at some point and just travel another style like cruises, air travel to far away destinations overseas, etc. Or both?

See what I mean?

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #2 – November 04, 2013, 03:50:05 pm

There's the Lake Whitney RV community near Hillsboro - not quite The Gardens but I believe Fofums Coleen and Jerry live there.

Would love to hear more of your impressions of Hideaway - it looks like an interesting community if you could find an RV-friendly property there.

There are occasional properties that crop up with RV barns, but not as a community as a whole (I wish Tom and Bill would consider going into the property development biz and build an RV barndominium community using their barn as a concept). The Club at Buckhorn in Kerrville is a long term land lease that you buy.

We live in a community similar to Sun City Texas, but gated (Sun City is not) and in the Metroplex. We're allowed to have RVs in front of the house for 48 hours max and store not terribly far away. It's worked out for us (until T&B build that perfect homebase community

)

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #3 – November 04, 2013, 04:50:28 pm

We are now in a community on the west side of Tucson that is mainly snowbirds. We decided that it made more sense for us to travel a wide area in the summer and stay localized in the winter months. The community has some homes with RV garages, but most do not. Parking is allowed for 72 hrs to load and unload and there is a fenced storage area (gravel, no elec) with assigned spots, water & a dump station at the back edge of the community. Pat & George Hatfield are here and we ran into another Foretravel couple who live about 10 miles away!

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #4 – November 04, 2013, 05:07:00 pm

Sun City TX for us. We always wanted to have our coach at home, but it was just not to be. Sun city is a great place and we have an excellent place to park not too far away that provides electricity, water,air and a dump station.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #5 – November 04, 2013, 06:26:55 pm

Well. On the other coast is The Landings in Savannah, GA. Can't park your coach at home more than 24 hrs. but there is outside secured storage with 50/30 amp service.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #6 – November 04, 2013, 07:12:14 pm

We do own a home in Lake Whitney RV Community. We just listed it for sale as my work has taken us to San Antonio. We have it listed with a realtor and are living in our motorhome.

I am in the process of building a website with photos etc. we are sad to leave it as it is a quality built home with a big rig port and full hook ups.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #7 – November 04, 2013, 08:26:50 pm

Michelle, thanks I think! Yes a community with barns would be great! Rolling hills with barns and horses and cattle roaming so we won't have to mow!

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #8 – November 04, 2013, 08:50:52 pm

That sounds nice, just don't let any old goats in

. I mean the 4 legged kind!
Richard B

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #9 – November 04, 2013, 09:06:12 pm

No to the old goat!

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #10 – November 04, 2013, 09:08:17 pm

Everywhere we go we ask,"What would it be like to live here?" On those perfect Fall days we wonder where is there a place that would be just like this? Santa Fe, NM. Asheville, NC. Santa Maria, CA. Honokowai, Maui, all great places we love to visit.

Actually, pretty nice right here in rural Hastings. Minimum lot size 2 1/2 acres. A 1500 sf detached barn is possible. Warm is only a couple days drive away. The beauty of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall is just outside the door in our woods. Besides, all of our friends and most of our family are here as well as meaningful volunteer work. And we still travel about 100 days a year. Good health care nearby.

Pretty nice place to retire. Life is good!

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #11 – November 04, 2013, 11:43:29 pm

Quote from: Falconguy – November 04, 2013, 05:07:00 pm

Sun City TX for us. We always wanted to have our coach at home, but it was just not to be. Sun city is a great place and we have an excellent place to park not too far away that provides electricity, water,air and a dump station.

If you don't mind indulging, where is this elusive place "that provides electricity, water, air, and a dump station" that is not too far away from Sun City?

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #12 – November 04, 2013, 11:50:43 pm

Quote from: txforetravel – November 04, 2013, 08:26:50 pm

Michelle, thanks I think! Yes a community with barns would be great! Rolling hills with barns and horses and cattle roaming so we won't have to mow!

Brad Metzger has a goat!!!

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #13 – November 05, 2013, 07:20:36 am

Quote from: Siren – November 04, 2013, 11:43:29 pm

If you don't mind indulging, where is this elusive place "that provides electricity, water, air, and a dump station" that is not too far away from Sun City?

Just to clarify, when I said "park" I mean store and "not too far" is 20 miles. The name is Mustang RV and Boat Storage in Round Rock TX

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #14 – November 05, 2013, 08:06:06 am

Harvey:
It was nice meeting you and Audrey at The Gardens this summer. We did not get a chance to talk about this topic. We concluded that the choices/places/states we looked at all had some compromise. (Like Rvs). Texas and Florida were to hot in the summer. California had too high a tax rate etc. Our intent was to find a place that we could continue to RV from and to as we transitioned from full timers to part time RVers. Once we stopped RVing, we needed to settle into a home that was safe, friendly, not too big, not too small, with good medical facilities around and a low tax rate etc. The weather should also not be extremely cold or hot. For us, The Gardens meet those criteria. Good luck in your search.
Bob
2000 U270

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #15 – November 05, 2013, 10:27:37 am

Thanks for all the great responses! Very very helpful.

The big bottom line for us is that we need to sell before we can take any serious action re buying. We don't have the resources (and financial knowledge) to buy then sell.

In the mean time I'll be consolidating the various information and tradeoffs to help us make that decision later on.

And we'll continue exploring areas. We're in Georgetown now and going to Ft Worth area for the weekend. Thus we'll be able to check out Lake Whitney. Later we plan to be in the Tucson area and can check out the options there.

Again, a big thanks to all who responded.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #16 – November 05, 2013, 10:42:00 am

Harvey, try to avoid IH35 North bound on your trip to FW. I live in Salado and we avoid it at all cost.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #17 – November 05, 2013, 11:32:37 am

Quote from: Harvey Nelson – November 05, 2013, 10:27:37 am

We're in Georgetown now and going to Ft Worth area for the weekend. Thus we'll be able to check out Lake Whitney. Later we plan to be in the Tucson area and can check out the options there.

Again, a big thanks to all who responded.

The RV community place at Whitney offers two free nights in case you did not know, if you want to stop and look around the area. Info on their website. I know that Coleen loves the close by Corp park for her morning bike rides from her RV portal home. Acousticart (Don and Tys) are staying up the road a couple of miles in the Thousand Trails this week.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #18 – November 05, 2013, 01:03:12 pm

We are currently on our way to Phoenix, AZ to check out that area for the same thing. I haven't been able to find a community with RV "barns", but that area does have just about everything else. AZ does have an income tax though, so not quite as full-timer friendly as TX. We haven't completely ruled out TX either. I am going to talk to some members of a couple of RV clubs there to get their take on the area.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #19 – November 05, 2013, 06:26:55 pm

Quote from: BamaFan – November 05, 2013, 01:03:12 pm

We are currently on our way to Phoenix, AZ to check out that area for the same thing. I haven't been able to find a community with RV "barns", but that area does have just about everything else. AZ does have an income tax though, so not quite as full-timer friendly as TX. We haven't completely ruled out TX either. I am going to talk to some members of a couple of RV clubs there to get their take on the area.

We are South Dakota residents ... legally ... driver's licenses and tag & Title our vehicles there. It is our primary residence, although we do not own property there. We bought a winter home in Arizona, but we do not stay here long enough that we need to declare ourselves residents of the state.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #20 – November 09, 2013, 12:42:34 pm

Interesting thread and a subject that we all ponder at one time or another. For me I didn't want anything to do with HOA's (Home Owners Ass) and minimum CC&R's. A couple of years ago I bought a lot in the Yuma, Az Foothills. For those not familiar with the Foothills its highly RV oriented. People buy and use the lots as winter RV sites and many build winter homes on the lots as I have along with the RV pad.

Lots to do in the area with Algodonas, Mexico nearby. However, I have no desire to be here during the summer although I have some friends that do stay. I travel back to Oregon during the summer.

Now I'm contemplating a subject that all of us approach at some point. Do I need a 40ft RV anymore. I'm thinking that moving down to a smaller gas powered RV is in my immediate future.

Just my thoughts.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #21 – November 09, 2013, 11:53:37 pm

We've been checking the Phoenix, AZ area. Robertsresorts.com has two communities here, one in El Mirage northwest of Phoenix, and one in Gold Canyon southeast of the city. Robertsresorts.com also shows developments in Bull Head City, NV and south Alabama. We really like the community in Gold Canyon and the fall and winter here is gorgeous.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #22 – November 10, 2013, 10:33:51 am

Some of the best advice we ever got, came from a very good friend (who lived to the age of 93) who told us,"Do things BEFORE you HAVE to. That way you can arrange your future without being at the mercy of urgent circumstances." We looked for a community that would COMPLEMENT the fact that we owned an RV without being completely centered around it. Our new digs in Tucson have everything we need to enjoy a great many years ... single floor living, easy maintenance, great community, great city, medical care, airports, great weather 9 months of the year AND a place to store the RV. We do not have an RV garage attached to the home, but the secure lot is just around the corner and has a dump station and good water. If we need to downsize to a smaller rig or even quit completely, the home is going to suit us just fine. If we need to sell at some point, the home is not limited to just one type of buyer! The Real Estate market here is seeing steady increases.

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #23 – November 10, 2013, 04:03:44 pm

Quote from: Peter & Beth – November 04, 2013, 11:35:55 am

I think about this topic frequently with little success. We're stuck on deciding if to travel in the winter by going South and staying in the North Central area for the Summer in the sticks & Bricks or the opposite approach. It's a difficult decision as we may decide to sell the motorhome at some point and just travel another style like cruises, air travel to far away destinations overseas, etc. Or both? See what I mean?

Re: Looking for RV Friendly Retirement Communities

Reply #24 – November 10, 2013, 10:26:59 pm

We might be the only Foretravel owners in The Villages, Fl but it is a great 55+ community - think Del Webb on steroids. Central Florida location with many, many amenities and two secure RV storage facilities with water and a dump station. The daily newspaper (yes they still print them and deliver daily) has a Thursday insert about 40 pages listing the coming weeks activities - if you are bored here there's no hope for you. Happy hour and live entertainment every night at each of the three town squares!!

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