Active adults live like they are on vacation 365 days a year at Valencia

By Kevin Murphy Sun-Sentinel May 5, 2007

Forget the rocking chairs. The only way active adults at Valencia Pointe want to rock is being part of the nightlife in downtown Delray Beach or City Place in West Palm Beach. By the time G.L. Homes started building Valencia Pointe in Boynton Beach, they already knew the clubs that residents created would not include a sewing circle or a shuffleboard team. "Don't expect to see our residents sitting around having tea and crumpets," said Theresa Fowler, project manager at Valencia Pointe. "They don't want crumpets. They want to go to the casino. They rock." G.L. may not have invented the active adult community but they have helped to rewrite the book on how to do it. At any of the six Valencia communities -- Falls, Isles, Lakes, Shores, Palms and now Pointe -- the residents have a lifestyle director. That's lifestyle "director," not dictator. This builder and its employees avoid shoehorning clients into something that fails to fit. "We don't plan your life, we plan for people's lives and enjoyment," Fowler explained. If one of these communities prepares to bring in an entertainer, they ask the residents who it should be. Recently they saw talent like Robert Kline or Elayne Boosler.

Valencia Pointe told early buyers that they would have a clubhouse by June of this year. Hurricane Wilma tied up the permitting process as thousands of homeowners sought permits to get their roof fixed or repair other storm damage, so the start of work on the clubhouse was delayed. GL could have taken a so-sad, too-bad attitude but they didn't. The builder will buy memberships that start in June for residents at the nearby Jewish Community Center where they can swim and work out in the fitness center. Valencia Pointe residents are already playing mahjong or poker and having Friday night movies when the builder rents space at a Holiday Inn. "We have held Meet your Neighbor parties in various parts of the community," Fowler noted. Each household might bring a bottle of wine or some cheese to nibble on and GL supplies some more goodies plus everything else needed for fun. A majority of buyers here are from the Northeast -- New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and other states -- so there is a built-in camaraderie. "Our buyers come from all walks of life: from doctors to nurses," the project manager said. The list goes from CEOs to teachers. "People are excited about buying a house. They meet other buyers in the design center and become friends," as Fowler described it. "There is a real sense of family. They reach out to each other."

As in any family, there can be some good-natured rivalry. Tennis players from the various Valencia communities compete in a form of intra-league tournament. Perhaps the winners are crowned the Viceroys of Valencia. When it was time to refurbish the clubhouse at Valencia Isles, the community's decorating committee guided the decorator on what to do. Valencia Pointe holds community update meetings where residents can ask questions about everything from the clubhouse to the streetlights. "We want residents to understand what we are doing. One owner complained about 'weeds' around the lake. When we explained that these were lateral plantings to help restore the ecology, the homeowner was reassured," Fowler said. Active adults know how to have fun and they don't quit doing so early, unless you mean the wee hours. "I've been out with a group of our residents at a casino and they weren't ready to come home until 2 or 3 a.m.," Fowler recalled. "Most of our residents are in the 54 to 64 age range so they are young at heart," she added. Owners take pride in their homes that Fowler described as "meticulously decorated." One home she saw was so perfectly kept that she said she thought to herself, "Do people live here?" G.L. adds to that feeling of satisfaction with an outstanding entryway at each Valencia community.

"We know the entrance attracts buyers but it goes beyond that. Our residents take pride in showing it to their friends." At buildout Valencia Pointe will have 690 homes. Fowler pointed out that the community is 65 percent sold and the sales office closes on 35 to 40 homes per month. Three luxurious collections offer residences that range from about 1,300 square feet under air to more than 3,460 square feet under air. Homes are priced from the low $300's to more than $600,000. In the months ahead, the 35,000-square-foot clubhouse will be built on a peninsula in a central lake of the community. Residents will have views of the lake, a fountain and gardens near this social center. Classes and clubs will gather in small meeting rooms throughout the building. Highlights include an arts-and-crafts gallery with a kiln and an Internet café. Broadway-style performances will be staged in the grand ballroom. The fitness center will sport modern cardiovascular and conditioning machines while classes will be held in the nearby aerobics room.

The site plan shows six Har-Tru tennis courts, a half-size basketball court, a putting green and a resistance-walking pool. Also prominent are a resort-style swimming/lap pool, a whirlpool spa and a tot lot for visiting grandchildren. One man gave Fowler his description of Valencia Pointe: "This is the paradise that I thought and dreamed about." "Our residents are like kids on a field trip," the project manager concluded. "When we travel as a group somewhere, they sing on the bus." Take Florida's Turnpike to Boynton Beach Boulevard. Go east to Hagen Ranch Road, turn right and then make a left on Woolbright Road, heading east. Valencia Pointe is on the left, which is the north side of Woolbright Road. For more information or to take virtual tours, visit: www.glhomes.com or call: 561-738-5100. Brokers are welcome.