Minto Communities and Margaritaville Holdings held a groundbreaking ceremony on March 28 to kick off the first phase of construction of the first Latitude Margaritaville in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Think that your community is a cut above the rest? Are your community’s amenities simply too good to ignore? Has moving to your community changed your life?

Throughout the years, some of the country’s largest active adult communities have impacted the area they are located in. Some of these age-restricted communities have grown and expanded over the years that they are spread across thousands of acres of land and encompass multiple zip codes and counties or have been incorporated as self-sustaining towns. Builders like Del Webb developed these large communities with the idea of providing retirees with a resort-style living, world-class amenities, and a vibrant social atmosphere within remote locations away from the hustle and bustle of major cities or urban areas. These communities have also been developed to be within walking or golf-cart driving distance from the community’s amenities and facilities, allowing residents to never have to leave their familiar surroundings. If you’re curious to see which active adult communities have transformed their cities, check out the list below.

A new active adult community, named Ocala Ranch, may be coming to Marion County’s southern border. Arizona-based developer Ocala Ranch, LLC plans to build 5,400 single-family homes in addition to commercial properties, recreational amenities, and two 18-hole golf courses across 2,082 acres of open land while leaving the other 1,388 acres of land as nature preserves. The proposed Ocala Ranch active adult community would be located east of State Road 200, north of Drake Ranch, south of the Florida Highlands, and west of Marion Oaks.

Developer Meritage Homes of Carolinas, Inc. has requested the rezoning of 58.5 acres of land from transitional residential to planned development residential for a proposed age-targeted community named Canopy Creek. The subdivision will be located on the west side of Saint James Church Road and on the north side of Verdict Ridge Drive and across from Saint James Elementary School.

Active adult communities are popular among the 55+ crowd because they offer a vibrant and active lifestyle. These communities tend to provide resort-style amenities, an exciting social atmosphere, and a welcoming setting that allows residents to mingle and build lifelong friendships. Some of these active adult communities also offer a great lineup of social clubs, activities, and events that cater to those who love to travel and explore outside of their community’s gates.

Active adult buyers looking for new construction homes that offer innovative designs as well as resort-style amenities should visit the model home and amenity tour at Del Webb Lakewood Ranch on March 25-26 and April 1-2 from 12pm to 5pm.

While many retirees flock to Arizona to settle during their Golden Years, they still have to decide on which city to retire: Phoenix or Tucson. Although both cities are popular among the 55+ crowd and just two hours from each other, they do offer their own set of unique characteristics that set them apart.

On Top of the World has just unveiled ten brand new decorated models for prospective buyers. This 55+ community, which is located in Ocala, the Horse Capital of the World, provides a great lineup of innovative and distinct new home designs that are priced from the mid $100s to high $300s. Active adults can visit On Top of the World and tour the new energy-efficient floor plans that have been added in three beautiful collections: Classic Series, Premier Series, and Estate Series.

If you thought The Villages in Central Florida couldn’t possible get any bigger, think again. The country’s largest 55-plus community plans to add more land and homes to the development. The Villages, which spans across three counties and three zip codes, is planning on expanding its community boundaries by possibly building an additional 20,000 homes on land it has purchased in the Wildwood area. The new development will consist of just over 4,500 acres on both sides of the Florida Turnpike.