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Baby Boomers Finding the Fountain of Youth at Home

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(NewsUSA) - Sue Davis is as active as any teenager. In fact, you would never know she is actually a baby boomer.

"Yesterday I took the Palm Springs tram up to the top of Mount San Jacinto and hiked ten miles to Idyllwild," Davis said. "Today I got up and played three sets of tennis, and now I'm preparing for a dinner party."

Davis lives in Trilogy at La Quinta, a Shea Homes active adult community near Palm Springs, Calif. Homebuilders like Shea Homes, which recently earned a J.D. Power and Associates award for the highest customer satisfaction among large, active adult communities, are betting that creating more active adult communities is one way to thrive in a soft real estate market.

There are roughly 78 million baby boomers in the United States, with an average of 11,000 baby boomers turning 50 daily. Together they generate nearly $2 trillion in annual income. Compared to their parents, boomers are healthier, better educated and living well into their 80s and beyond, according to an ABCNews.com report. The increasing lifespan has given boomers the chance to reinvent themselves and pursue new passions.

Home builders are paying attention to these changing needs. Shuffleboard and bingo have been replaced by hiking and yoga. At Trilogy at Central Coast, an active community near San Luis Obispo, Calif., activities include pilates, yoga, biking, wine tasting, tennis and gourmet cooking.

At Victoria Gardens, an active adult community in DeLand, Fla. between Orlando and Daytona Beach, residents can choose from courses and classes at the DeLand Main Street Association and nearby Stetson University. Residents also avidly support the local minor league baseball team.

"Our residents definitely do not fit the old trend of a retirement community," said Carol Duchscher, Art of Living director at Victoria Gardens. "They are active and happy to be integrated into the neighborhood."

Fred McIntyre, Victoria Gardens' resident, agreed. "There's a real sense of community created by the activities," he said. "It has certainly exceeded our expectations."

For more information about Victoria Gardens, call (800) 685-6496 or visit http://www.SheaFlorida.com. For more information about Trilogy at La Quinta and Trilogy at Central Coast, call (800) 685-6494 or visit http://www.trilogylife.com.