Are you in the market for a new home? Studies show that more Americans are moving now than ever before: recent census data indicated that more than 10% of us move to a new home each year. We’re relocating for our jobs and looking for planned communities that offer great school districts and a sense of community. If you’re on the move, you may want to visit your new city before committing to living there. Take a look at the parks, the schools, and the nightlife and then make the decision to relocate. There are planned communities available in every state, and many offer their residents access to nature and national parks.
If you’re wondering what to look for in a new home, take a walk around your current neighborhood. Are the schools within walking distance? Are there stores within walking or biking distance? Master planned community developers want you to be comfortable, safe, and happy: millions of Americans get treated for anxiety and depression, but doctors recommend exercise and fun in addition to medication regimes. You should look for homes that have modern home design plans and certain amenities: most of us report that we want homes that have a two-car garage, a basement, new kitchens, and excellent school districts.
Once you select your new home, take a moment and meet your neighbors. Master planned community developers often include a clubhouse so that neighbors have somewhere to meet. Are you a fan of gardening, sewing, or crafts? Look for single family homes that boast a connected social network. You could find yourself meeting new friends in your new home. If you like to hike and to spend time outdoors, check on the internet for outdoor events. If you enjoy the water, there are planned communities that allow their residents to make use of local lakes and to fish on their own schedule.
What differentiates planned communities from regular neighborhoods is often the sense of community. There are welcome committees, and master planned community developers want their residents to feel comfortable living in a peaceful environment that is surrounded by nature. You may want to invest in a planned community that features resident swimming pools, for example, or you may feel most at home in a community that has frequent community outings. Before you rent or buy in a planned community, ask the other residents what they enjoy most about their homes: the answer could be their proximity to nature, or they could enjoy getting to know their neighbors.
In general, master planned community developers are working from a model that was developed in the 1940s: after World War II, some returning GIs were given the opportunity to live in planned communities in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The “three Levittowns” were designed to be beautiful and cozy, a welcome escape from city life. Streets were named after flowers, trees, and birds, and electrical lines were hidden behind the houses so as not to disrupt residents’ enjoyment of nature. There were — and still are — public swimming pools for children to play in, and an ample supply of playgrounds and local parks. The Levittown model has been successfully repeated for more than 70 years.
Take your time and consider your housing and community goals. Do you want to live near places that you can go bird watching? Is fishing more your style? There is a wide range of self-sustaining community options available around the country, and as the number of Americans who are on the move continues to increase, so will the number of new communities. You could find that you make lasting friendships and that your children can play safely outside. People want to give their children safety and security, and when you start to investigate planned communities, find one that makes you feel comfortable and safe. You’ll know it when you see it.
