Monthly Guide to Active Adult Community Living

March 2007

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Welcome Message

Welcome to another great issue of the Monthly Guide to Active Adult Community Living! March is usually a cold and windy month but that doesn't mean you should put your house hunting on the back burner. There are many great deals to be found. Don't forget that daylight savings time has been pushed up a month this year to March 11 just so you can have more daylight to look at homes! :-)

This month's issue features the very popular active adult community called Greenbriar Woodlands located in Toms River, NJ. We also receive many questions about community association dues & fees. Our second article explains a little more about them and how they affect you.

Don't forget to visit our 55Plus-Housing.com website regularly as new communities and listings are updated daily. Also, be sure to signup for our email newsletter (if you haven't already) so you never miss an issue.

Please feel free to contact us to see how we can help you with your real estate needs. Not local to NJ? No worries...the Mary Holder Agency is a member of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World referral network. We can assist you in finding a local real estate professional to help you buy or sell your home.

We hope you enjoy this issue and welcome all comments to help improve it. 

Featured Community

Greenbriar Woodlands - Toms River, NJ

Greenbriar Woodlands is a gated active adult community located in Toms River, NJ (Ocean County). This great community is conveniently located only a couple of miles from the Parkway entrance and  shopping centers. 

Greenbriar Woodlands features 1250 single family homes surrounding an 18 hole golf course. This community was established during the later 1980's and completed in the early 1990's. Greenbriar Woodlands sits on 404 acres with a the large clubhouse centrally located in the community. The low maintenance fees, reasonable property taxes and large list of amenities makes this community a real deal!

Community Map:

Home Choices:
Greenbriar Woodlands features over 12 different single family model homes. These models vary in size from smaller two bedroom units to larger three bedroom/2 car garage units. Many homes may include optional features like enclosed sunrooms, fireplaces, 2nd floor lofts with a 3rd bedroom and bathroom. Several of the homes are backed up to wooded areas and/or have views of the golf course fairways. Click Here to find available homes for sale.

Community Amenities:
Greenbriar Woodlands features many amenities besides its 18 hole executive golf course (golf club membership required to play). At the center of the community is the 18,000 sq.ft. clubhouse that includes a huge ballroom w/stage, billiards, ping-pong & poker tables, fitness center, crafts room, library, golf pro shop & more. Outside is a large heated pool & spa, three tennis courts, shuffleboard & bocce courts, horse shoe pits and a one mile walking path. Greenbriar also has a community bus and manned guardhouse at entrance.

About the Builder:
Greenbriar Woodlands is just one of many signature "Greenbriar" adult communities built by the Lennar Corporation. This large builder was founded back in 1954 and is currently building in 17 states throughout the Country. Click here to find out more about Lennar Corp.

Municipal Information:
Toms River Township (formally known as Dover Twp.) is the official name of this town as voted by it's residents last year. This community in located in Ocean County covering approximately 53 sq. miles with a population close to 95,000 (according to 2005 U.S. Census Data). Toms River is home to the Little League World Champions, Ocean County College and the County Court House. [top]

Adult Community Homeowner Association Dues/Fees

We get many questions from potential buyers of adult communities about community homeowner association fees & dues. The main questions are how much are they and what do these fees cover.

To begin with, lets define what a homeowner association is and its purpose...

Each and every homeowner automatically becomes a member of their community's association upon the closing of their new home. The homeowners association also elects a small group of homeowners for a period of time to serve as a governing board to make decisions for the community. The main purpose of the homeowners association is to manage & maintain the community's shared (common) interests.

The builder of newer adult communities usually manages the association until enough residents have moved into it. At that time the association is handed over to the homeowners to manage. Many times builders will try and hold down the cost of association fees while in their control to help entice more buyers to move in.

Homeowner association dues can vary greatly depending on the community's size, location and list of amenities. Some communities charge a flat rate for all homeowners while others can vary depending on the size or type of home. Larger adult communities (500+ homes) generally have lower association dues because the burden of maintaining the community is spread out over more homeowners.

Association fees are used to cover the many expenses incurred by running a community. These fees typically cover such things as maintenance of common structures & clubhouses, legal & accounting fees, insurance, trash & snow removal, landscaping & lawn maintenance, clubhouse supplies and utility costs, street lighting, employee salaries (management company), pool contract for cleaning and lifeguards, etc. As you can see these fees are needed to keep a community running efficiently.

Also remember, most adult communities charge new homeowners a one time fee (sometimes called a contribution) at closing which goes towards their capital fund. This fee is non-refundable. [top]