At first glance or thought it may seem like something you would never want to do if you are under 80 years old. I Never thought about moving to such a community until 2021 when real estate prices started to rise and I could not find a house I wanted to buy. In the past I always search for home with no HOA, but due to the market conditions I did not have a lot of choice. I had to expand my criteria to those home with an HOA. On my search I found a home I liked which seemed perfect even though the prices were more than I wanted to pay. It had an HOA and was in a 55+ community. I bought it. from Illinois without actually seeing it in person. I drove with the family to Arizona from Chicago and saw the community and my new home for the first time in March. I really like it here and the 55+ has a lot to offer. Swimming pools, activities like trivia and concerts, crafts and card games groups.
I wish I had considered one of these communities when I was 55. You can still to things outside the community and have friends just like living anywhere, but it is nice to have the amenities available if and when you want them.