B
arbara White, 72, recently traded her four‑bedroom Amelia Island estate for a modest two‑bedroom home in a 55+ community in Brevard County, Florida. After selling the Florida property for nearly $500,000 in July 2024, she rented a place for six months while searching for a smaller, family‑nearby residence. The new home, built just 200 miles south, covers 1,300 square feet and cost her a little under $250,000—well below its listing price—thanks to the cash she received from the sale.

    White’s move reflects a broader shift among older Americans toward active‑adult living. Over the past decade, demand for age‑restricted communities has surged, especially in the Sunbelt. “People in their 60s, 70s, and 80s are looking for a lifestyle alternative,” says Bob Kramer, founder of the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing and Care. The Villages, Florida’s most famous retirement enclave, has become one of the state’s fastest‑growing metro areas.

    In her new community, White has found it easier to make friends and enjoys amenities such as water aerobics. She’s also relieved to live in a smaller space, having donated much of her former furniture to a family in need. The home she sold had doubled in value—from $243,000 when she bought it seven years ago to $481,000 after the pandemic‑driven Florida boom, which saw Northeastern buyers outbidding locals.

    Now semi‑retired from a long real‑estate career, White no longer actively seeks work, instead taking referrals. With Social Security and savings, she feels financially secure and uses her real‑estate income to travel. Recent trips include Norway, Prague, Budapest, Vienna for Christmas markets, and island hopping in Greece. She sometimes muses about selling everything to travel full‑time, but for now she enjoys the slower pace of her new home, joking that “I keep busy doing nothing” as days and weeks blur together.