CAI-NJ July 2018 (w)(1)

W hile getting to where we are now was a challenge, my husband and I are very happy living in our adult commu- nity. The year was 2003. My husband and I were still gainfully employed. While we had planned for retirement, the thought of selling our home in the town where we raised our three children had not occurred to us. Friends of ours moved to an “adult community” in central Jersey. We were invited to visit and knew nothing about “adult communities.” We started to think that it might be a good time to downsize. After all, we were empty nesters. Why did we still need to live in such a big house with all of the associated maintenance responsibilities? We started to look at both homes and condos in small, mid-sized and large “adult communities” in New Jersey, weighing the pros and cons of ownership of each. Ultimately, we decided to purchase a condominium in cen- tral Jersey to be nearer to our older daughter who would soon be starting a family. We eagerly looked forward to making new friends and starting a new chapter in our lives. Our condo was located in a small mixed community with a little over 200 homes, 108 condominium units and a large clubhouse. It had all the amenities we were looking for: indoor and outdoor pools, an exercise room, game DOWNSIZING A CAUTIONARY TALE By Deana Luchs, Homeowner Leader

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rooms, bocce ball, tennis courts, a ballroom, a café and was advertised as grandparent friendly with a kiddie pool and a small playground. We bought a condo in one of 6 identical buildings. The condo model we chose was based on a virtual CD tour. It has 2 bedrooms, a den, a living room, dining room, 2½ bathrooms, and a balcony. It would be awhile before the community would be complete and we still had a house to sell. There were three separate associations. We would be members of the Condominium Association and the Master Association. After selling our home, we had to live for a few months in a long-term suite hotel because the condo was not going to be delivered on time, which is not uncommon with new

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