Frequently Asked Questions regarding San Diego 55+ Communities

Got direct HOA questions? Please go to list of HOA contact numbers for 55 plus communities in San Diego here so you can get direct answers from each individual community.

Can my under 55 years old children or grandchildren live with me in a 55 and over community?

In most cases children and, or grandchildren under 55 years old cannot live in the home full-time. Although each 55+ community has its own restrictions and bylaws, all of them have a defined length of time that anyone under the age of 55 years old can visit in the home. This time period varies from 30 to 90 days per calendar year.

I am under 55 years of age, could I live in a 55 and older community?

Each community has their own unique rules and enforcement for their 55+ age restrictions for residents. Across the board, the rule of being older than 55 years of age to reside in the 55 plus communities is adhered to. If a community was found to be in violation of not upholding the 55+ rule, they would be in danger of losing their status as a senior community. Some communities may allow you to buy a home if you are under 55+, however in order to live in the community you will need to be 55 and over. Some 55 and over communities may also allow you to purchase a home if you are younger than 55 and rent or lease the home to a 55+ renter until you are age-qualified to move in to the home. Please verify this information for each community that you are interested in.

Can I transfer my property taxes from from the home I am selling to a new home I am buying in San Diego?

Yes. For eligible homeowners in California including those who are 55 and over, it is possible to transfer your low property taxes through Prop 19.

What can I expect for property taxes in a CA 55+ community?

California property taxes are initially based solely on the purchase price of the home, and the rate is 1% of the purchase price. There are some small local taxes added in too, which are typically less than .2%. Please note that if you are over 55 years of age and a California resident, you can likely transfer your existing property tax base to your new home here in San Diego. Call us or check with the County Assessor’s office for more details. 

What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a 55+ Adult Communities?

We wrote an article on the pros and cons of living in age-restricted communities – please read here.

Are pets allowed in a 55+ Home?

Yes, pets are typically allowed in these 55 and over communities. However, each community has its own unique rules as they pertain to pets. All 55+ communities restrict the number of pets that residents may keep. There are also restrictions by the weight of the animal and certain dog breeds may be prohibited as well. A handful even prohibit the walking of dogs within the community’s boundaries.
Unfortunately, it is not easy to determine what a particular community’s pet acceptance policies are, and they may be modified frequently.
We always recommend that buyers call the respective HOA offices directly to learn of what their pet policies are. This is also a good opportunity to inquire about other restrictions, such as underage visitation lengths, parking regulations, home modifications, etc . . .During these conversations with the HOA, one question often leads into another. Most times, all of these questions can be answered on one quick telephone call and you get the answers directly from the source. Pet policies in San Diego 55 plus communities may change at any given time. At this writing, here are examples of some of the 55+ communities in San Diego that are either pet-friendly or may allow pets in their communities: Auberge Del Sur 55+ neighborhoods at The Cottages, The Villas, Summer House (Auberge 55+ community has a dog park), Oceana 55+ community in Oceansde (Oceana has dog park), Seven Oaks, and Oaks North are just some of the many San Diego 55+ communities that allow pets.
Please verify pet policies in each community.
We will soon add a list of HOA contact numbers here.

Which San Diego 55+ communities are nearest to hospitals? 

Costa Serena, Villa Trieste, Pacifica and Ocean Hills Country Club are near Tri-City hospital in Vista. High Country Villas is near Scripps Memorial hospital in Encinitas. Chateau Lake San Marcos, Hunter Valley and Sun Park are near the new Kaiser Permanente in San Marcos scheduled to open on August 2023. Oaks North, Seven Oaks and The Junipers are near Palomar Medical Center in Poway. North County areas also have the Palomar Medical Center which opened in Escondido in 2012.

Will I find it easy to make friends in a 55+ community?

This depends on an individual’s efforts towards gaining friends. Over the years we have found that this is easiest to do in communities that offer amenities and social opportunities. It could be more challenging to make friends in communities that do not have clubhouses social clubs. 

Which 55+ communities in San Diego have restaurant services?

Unfortunately we do not have any 55+ communities in San Diego that offer restaurant services. Chateau at Lake San Marcos does provide one meal per day to its residents. Pacific Regent 62+ community in La Jolla also has meal services. If having meals provided to you is a critical service that you need, perhaps a more full-service, or an assisted living facility might be a better option.

Do homes in 55+ communities appreciate like regular homes do?

Homes in 55+ communities move up and down in value, following the general real estate market of non-age-restricted homes.

Can my guests use the community’s amenities?

In most cases, yes, although there are likely restrictions on age of guest and time of day usage. Each community has it own unique rules. 

Is there any healthcare assistance provided at these communities?

No. These are independent living communities. If you need or are concerned about needing help, research assisted living communities. 

What is an SRES® agent, and why would I want one?

SRES® stands for Senior Real Estate Specialist. An agent with this designation has gone through extra training and, more importantly, real life experience in helping seniors in achieving their unique real estate goals, and is expert in the types of homes and communities best suited to this stage of life and planning for the later stages as well. 

Do all San Diego 55+ communities provide RV parking to it’s residents?

Not all 55+ communities offer RV parking. We have compiled a list of those that we know do offer RV parking, which you can view here.

Do you have a list of Adult 55+ Land-Owned Mobile Home Parks in San Diego County?

Yes, please visit our web-page for resident owned 55 and over communities in San Diego County – click here. Owning a home in a resident owned communities may be in the following forms of ownership: fee simple, condominium, co-operative (co-op), and HOA membership. VA may not allow you to finance and purchase a land-owned home with co-op ownership (please verify this with your lender).

Why is There No HOA Fee Listed?

In general, there are two types of 55+ parks: resident-owned and land lease parks.
In resident-owned parks, as the name implies, you own home as well as the land underlying it (i.e. through fee simple, condominium, co-operative ownership or HOA membership). These type of communities
generally have Homeowners Associations and their monthly HOA fees are most clearly marked on the listings that you will see.
In land-leased parks, you own only the physical structure and not the underlying land. These communities will have a monthly lease, but usually no additional HOA fees. Because the lease is not technically an HOA fee, it is often not recorded on homes for sale listings under the HOA fee field, causing it to display $0. Other times, listing agents may insert the monthly land lease in the HOA field in an attempt to disclose the fee amount. When this occurs, you will typically see a fee that is higher than expected. At the time of this writing, HOA fees in San Diego typically run anywhere from $100 to $400 per month. Land leases are currently anywhere from $500-$2000 per month. Therefore, if you see an HOA fee advertised as either $0 or greater than $500, it is probable that you are looking at a land-leased 55+ park. Additionally, since you are not purchasing the land under the home, the asking price will be lower than what you would find in a resident-owned community. It is not enough to have the cash nor financing to buy a home in a land leased senior park. You also have to qualify for approval to purchase based on income and terms from the specific community.

The exceptions to this rule, in some 55+ communities, is if the underage person is a qualified caregiver for the over 55 year old occupant – OR – if the underage person is a spouse/partner age 45 years old or more.

Please verify this with each community that you are interested in.

What is the Difference Between Resident-Owned 55+ Communities and Land-Lease 55+ Communities?

A: In resident-owned parks, as the name implies, you own home as well as the land underlying it (i.e. through fee simple, condominium, co-operative ownership or HOA membership). These type of communities have Homeowners Associations and monthly HOA fees. Homeowners Association fees may be reviewed or changed annually.

Examples of resident owned traditional built homes and condos in San Diego 55+ communities include: Ocean Hills Country Club, Seven Oaks, Oaks North, Auberge Del Sur, High Country Villas, Oceana, Hunter Valley in Lake San Marcos, and much more.

Examples of resident owned senior mobile and manufactured homes park in San Diego 55+ communities include: Champagne Village in Escondido, Emerald Lake Village and Pilgrim Creek Estates in Oceanside, Rancho Carlsbad and Camino Hills in Carlsbad, Las Brisas Pacificas, Casitas del Sol and Casitas Del Amigos in San Marcos and so much more.

In land-leased parks, you own only the physical structure and not the underlying land. These communities will have a monthly lease, but usually no additional HOA fees. Leases are typically renewed annually.

Examples of land-leased senior parks in San Diego 55+ communities include: Lakeshore Gardens in Carlsbad, Palomar Estates West in San Marcos CA, Mira Mar in Oceanside CA (near the OCeanside Harbor)

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Homes in resident-owned communities are typically higher priced than those located in land-leased parks, simply because of the additional purchase of the real property (land).

While many buyers prefer a resident-owned community, land-lease parks can be ideal for some buyers depending on their financial situation. The purchase price is normally much less. There is usually no additional monthly HOA fee to pay, and since there is no land ownership, there are no annual property taxes to pay.

Financing home purchases in land-leased parks can carry a higher cost due to the lack of real property collateralizing the loan.

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Realtors® Jean and Ken Tritle at DreamWell Homes Realty

Ready to Find Your Forever Home in San Diego?
Contact Jean and Ken Tritle, the husband-and-wife real estate team behind DreamWell Homes Realty— your trusted guide to traditional construction (stick-built) premier San Diego 55+ communities real estate.

Whether you’re downsizing, relocating, or searching for the perfect active adult community, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.

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Email: jeanken@dreamwellhomes.com

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There are are variations to the most popular questions regarding living or buying in 55 plus communities.

Here are a few more questions to ask a property manager or homeowner association regarding each individual community that you may want to buy in:

  • What are the community’s pet restrictions?
    Questions on Retiring in San Diego 55+ Communities
  • What are the garage sizes and parking restrictions, if any?
  • Can I own a 55+ property is my spouse is under the age of 55 years old?
  • What does the Homeowner Association (HOA) fee include?
  • How much is the monthly HOA fee?
  • Does the HOA take care of all of the landscaping needs?
  • Can I build a fence, build an addition onto the home, or make other changes to the exterior?
  • What type of amenities are provided for the residents?
  • Is this an active community?
  • Is this a safe community?
  • What is the average age of the residents?
  • How close is the community to healthcare facilities?

We are currently working on gathering a list of phone numbers for the 55+ Homeowner Associations (click here) for many of these 55 plus communities, so you or the real estate agent that we connect you with may ask questions and get answers straight from the source.

Sign up for our 55+ Newsletter Guide to Relocating and Retiring to San Diego.

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