Article Courtesy of
By Mike Finch II
Published June 13, 2018
ORMOND BEACH — The condominiums at the Ormond Renaissance would put any
retirement home to shame.
The clubhouse — the only building constructed to date — offers a glimpse
into what residents might expect: vaulted ceilings, stainless steel
appliances, arched multi-paned windows and ceramic floors inlaid with
hardwood.
The exterior of the 10-building complex under
construction on Sterthaus Drive will be Spanish Revival
style and the amenities promised are plenty.
But there’s a catch: No one under the age of 55 will live
there.
In an attempt to cater to a growing population that includes
an increasing number of retirees relocating to the Daytona
Beach area from other parts of the country, several local
builders are developing communities designed strictly for
those 55 and older.
Florida has always been a magnet for retirees, but the model
pioneered at The Villages, the massive 55-and-older megacity
in Sumter County, is taking hold locally in smaller forms.
|
|
|
The 280-unit Ormond Renaissance is one of three new 55-and-older communities
under construction in Volusia County. Each offers a different experience.
The 6,600-home Latitude Margaritaville Daytona Beach community now going up
in Daytona Beach drew national attention when its developers announced plans
early last year to create the first-ever Jimmy Buffett-themed active adult
community based on the singer-songwriter’s music touting the laidback
carefree lifestyle of living in the tropics. The first residents moved in to
the community’s first phase on the north side of LPGA Boulevard, just west
of Interstate 95, in March.
A few miles to the north, on the east side of I-95, across from Destination
Daytona, another large 55-and-older community is taking shape: the
1,577-home Plantation Oaks, which will include deluxe manufactured homes in
a gated golf cart-friendly environment.
Ormond Renaissance’s niche is luxury and convenience, located just one block
east of Ormond Beach’s The Trails Shopping Center, said Sheriff Guindi, an
agent with Realty Pros Assured and the sales manager for the so-called
active adult community.
Prices for condo units range from $265,000 to $382,000.
“I think the allure of our location is ease of living. Everything is just
right here. It’s so, so convenient,” Guindi said. “We want every community
to be successful but we truly are different.”
The project initially started out with no age restrictions. Guindi said so
many interested buyers wanted to know if the condos were exclusive to people
over 55 so the developers adjusted their plans. They have 21 reservations to
date and 13 have been converted to contracts, which require an initial 10
percent deposit and two 5 percent installments as the project progresses.
Developer Buddy LeCour last year told The News-Journal that he expected the
first 28-unit condo building would be completed by March of this year.
Today, only the clubhouse has been built.
Guindi said the delay in construction was because of architectural changes
as well as the decision to add an on-site fitness center.
Guindi said the first residential building now is expected to be completed
in August. Construction of the rest of the project will be driven by sales
demand.
The demand for 55-and-older communities is being driven by the area’s
growing population.
In the last decade and a half, Volusia and Flagler counties have seen the
number of residents ages 60 and older grow by 49 percent, according to data
from the American Community Survey. The number of Floridians — now at 20
million — is expected to somersault to 26 million by 2030. A sizable portion
of the new residents will be cash-rich seniors.
“I think the income of the 55-and-older is higher when they retire so
they’re buying houses here,” said Debbie Callahan, president of the Daytona
Beach Area Association of Realtors and an agent with Adams Cameron & Co.
Realtors.
Due to a mix of factors, including lower housing prices and abundant health
care availability, the Daytona Beach area was named last year as the 7th
best place to retire in the country by US News and World Report.
Not everyone will be able to afford the swank accommodations at the Ormond
Renaissance or Latitude Margaritaville, where homes start in the low
$200,000s.
That’s where the developers of Plantation Oaks believe their mark is, said
Doug Kamm, sales director for that project. The community is offering homes
that are a cut above garden variety manufactured dwellings. They can be as
large as 2,900 square feet and come with a porch and two-car garage.
Plantation Oaks, which built a similar community in Flagler County years
ago, is going after the budget-conscious consumer with prices starting
around $150,000.
“We think we’re filling a void that’s a little below everything that’s out
there because the homes are all manufactured and they’re built in a
factory,” Kamm said. “What we’re doing and the way the community is set up,
we’re at a price point that’s well below any gated community in the area.”
Kamm said they have about 50 people on the waitlist and will begin sales
after the model homes, now under construction with a 10,000-square-foot
clubhouse, are complete. The first 97 spaces will be done in the next three
months. Interest has been steady, he said.
“There’s a segment of people that are local that have been in a
manufacturing community and love it but want a newer home,” Kamm said. “The
majority of the people are young retirees that are looking for something
that’s affordable where they’re not spending all the money that they cashed
out on their house.”
|