Why 55+ Manufactured Home Communities are So Popular With Retirees

Driving through Water Oak Country Club Estates on a golf cart, the preferred mode of travel here, the community’s amenities resemble those of a high-end resort.

Set on 300 acres of rolling hills in Lady Lake, Florida, just outside The Villages, Water Oak features an 18-hole golf course, a three-level clubhouse, heated swimming pools, a restaurant, and a long list of activities ranging from fitness to crafts. 

The Crepe Myrtle model home at Water Oak Country Club.

While Water Oak offers a resort lifestyle, it is a 55+ manufactured home community. If you visit popular retirement and snowbird states like Florida, you will discover that 55+ manufactured home communities are one of the most popular choices for retirees. According to data from the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, there are more than 1,500 55+ manufactured home communities in Florida, with the majority of them concentrated in the Central, Southeast, and Southwest portions of the state. 

55-plus manufactured home communities offer an affordable lifestyle that many retirees find appealing.

“It’s all about the lifestyle,” said Sheri Woodworth, division vice president for Sun Communities, owner of Water Oak. “When it’s time to retire, a lot of snowbirds from up North look for a lifestyle and a community that fits their interests. We have folks who love to play softball, so they will want to buy in a community that has a nice softball field. They want that lifestyle. They want to slow down their lives a bit and have fun.”

“They want that lifestyle. They want to slow down their lives a bit and have fun.”

With 1,200 homes, Water Oak is the largest of the 56 manufactured home communities for seniors that Sun Communities owns in Florida. The company also operates another 30 RV resorts for seniors in Florida that appeal especially to snowbirds who come down for the winter months. Nationwide, Sun Communities owns more than 400 manufactured home and RV communities, including all-age and 55+. 

Modern manufactured homes offer quality and amenities

“Manufactured homes” is the proper term for what some still mistakenly call “mobile homes.” These homes are built in factories to exacting standards and then delivered to the site. Today’s manufactured homes bear little resemblance to factory-built homes made more than a generation ago, especially those built prior to 1976, when the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) first set national building standards for manufactured homes. 

Modern and spacious kitchen in Water Oak’s Haven Bay model home.

In communities like Water Oak, you will find the same quality standards and finishes in new homes that you’d expect in a site-built house. This includes energy-efficient insulation, double-pane windows, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, spacious master bathrooms, and even two-car garages.

“The evolution over the past 10 years is that people want the larger homes and are willing to pay for it,” Woodworth said. “Average sales prices (on new homes) at Water Oak have nearly doubled during the past five years. People want the upgrades.” 

New homes at Water Oak currently range from $109,995 to $199,995, which is considerably cheaper than you’d pay for new homes in comparable nearby 55+ communities with stick-built homes.

Advantages of land-lease communities

Modern 55+ manufactured home communities offer amenities like clubhouses and swimming pools.

Besides the greater manufacturing efficiency that allows manufactured homes to sell for less per square foot than comparable site-built houses, another reason for their affordability is that most 55+ manufactured home communities, including Water Oak, are land-lease communities. With a land-lease, you own the home but not the land. Owners pay a monthly lot rent that covers not just the lot but all of the amenities, which at Water Oak includes a 24/7 manned front gate and discounts for golf. 

A land-lease community means a smaller upfront investment.

“You’re putting the majority of your money in the home,” said Mel Ferioli, sales manager at Water Oak. “You’re not paying $50,000 to $100,000 for the land as well. That’s extra money you can keep in your pocket, which is helpful when people get older and are on tight budgets.”

Another benefit of land-lease communities is that homeowners do not pay as much property tax as they would on either a site-built house or a manufactured home on its own lot.

Tight-knit communities

Ferioli said affordability is just one of many reasons people choose to buy in 55+ manufactured home communities like Water Oak.

“In these communities there’s a lot more comraderie and helping each other out. These communities are very tight knit. People look out for one another.”

“These communities are very tight knit. People look out for one another.”

Larger 55+ communities like Water Oak offer a long list of activities, clubs, and entertainment. Water Oak’s literature lists more than 40 such opportunities for residents, ranging from dances to card games. 

“It’s really active around here, although you can be as active or not active as you want,” Ferioli said.

In warm-weather retirement meccas like Florida, 55+ manufactured home communities appeal both to those seeking a permanent, year-round residence and snowbirds who just want to escape the winters up North and own a second home in Florida for seasonal use. Ferioli said about 60 percent of Water Oak’s residents live there year-round and 40 percent are seasonal. 

“For many people who keep a home up North, this is going to be their second home, so the affordability advantage is huge,” Woodworth said. 

Today’s nicer 55+ manufactured home communities have come a long way toward building first-class communities where homeowners enjoy their lifestyle and take pride in living there.

“We no longer have the stigma of being a trailer park. We’re not that anymore,” Woodworth said. “We’re communities where people who maybe used to shy away from now migrate to. We’ve grown up to be really nice, plush communities.”

“We no longer have the stigma of being a trailer park.”

Popularity leads to expansion

With the Baby Boomer wave of new retirees hitting the market, demand for 55+ manufactured home communities is growing. That is also the case at Water Oak, which benefits from its close proximity to The Villages, the nation’s largest retirement community. Residents at Water Oak can enjoy the nearby hospitals and healthcare facilities, shopping, dining, and entertainment. Residents who are avid golfers can get discount rates for both daily play and memberships at Water Oak’s own 18-hole golf course. 

Sales have been up sharply at Water Oak in recent years, according to Ferioli. To meet this growing demand, the community is planning to open a new section soon called The Hilltop at Legends Pond. It will add 300 homes to the community plus a new pool amenity center featuring a large heated pool, private cabanas, grilling stations, and an outdoor movie theater. 

“We’re in a location that offers the best of both worlds,” Ferioli said. “You’re able to take advantage of much of what The Villages has to offer without having to pay resident fees at The Villages. That’s very attractive to a lot of people who come down.”

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RELATED STORY: See our previous story titled “11 Reasons to Consider Retiring to Florida.”

Our 55+ Story

Kathy and I are seasonal residents (yes, snowbirds) at a 55+ manufactured home community in Florida. We do not live at Water Oak but at a similar community owned by Sun Communities. It’s a great lifestyle at affordable prices. We have beautiful amenities and a long list of sports and activities for those who wish to participate. It’s true that neighbors are friendly and look out for one another in these communities to a degree you don’t typically experience other places.

This story is a sponsored story, written in cooperation with Sun Communities. Nevertheless, Kathy and I can confirm from our own experience the benefits described in this article of living in a 55+ manufactured home community owned and managed by Sun Communities.