55+ Amenities, Features & HOAs

Carrie Pallardy is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. She is a lifelong Chicagoan and avid traveler. Carrie has written extensively about real estate for Neighborhoods.com.

Madeline Crozier Sutton (she/her) is an experienced freelance writer and editor who has worked with 55places since 2018. Now a fifth-year PhD Candidate in English at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, she has a BA and MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse from DePaul University. She specializes in researching real estate trends across the country with a focus on the Midwest and Southeast regions, including the housing markets of Chicago, Indianapolis, and East Tennessee. Dedicated to helping homebuyers make evidence-based decisions, she brings six years of experience in real estate writing and research.

Mike Gerrard has been writing about Arizona property for 55places since 2019. Born in England, he and his American wife bought their home in Green Valley, south of Tucson, in 2004. As travel writers, they love exploring and writing about the USA, and Arizona in particular, which they write about on their website: Arizona-Travel-Guide.com. Mike also writes about drinks, and is the author of Cask Strength, a history of the barrel, and Behind Bars, about the connections between drink and crime.

Bill Ness is the founder of 55places and Neighborhoods. His real estate career began in sales for Del Webb before becoming a sales manager for Sun City Huntley. Bill then helped to organize the grand opening of the popular Edgewater community in 2005, gaining firsthand experience of the intricacies of active adult communities. After noticing that the industry lacked a central, reliable, and unbiased resource for active adult communities, Bill left Del Webb in 2007 to start 55places.com. Starting the company with a laptop held together by duct tape, Bill meticulously built 55places.com into the nation’s leading resource for active adult communities. Having traveled to countless 55+ communities and having interviewed residents, builders, and agents around the country, Bill is considered a leading expert on the active adult lifestyle. Bill resides in Chicago with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

Cari Oleskewicz is a writer based in Gainesville, Florida. She has been writing about real estate, property management, travel, and active adult lifestyles for 10 years. She has delivered lectures on the importance of high-value website copy for small businesses, and has ghostwritten books for real estate investors. Before settling in Gainesville, she lived in Tampa, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; Los Angeles, California; and Florence, Italy. Before launching her writing career, Cari was a communications and editorial strategist for a digital advertising agency in Tampa and managed the communications department of a nonprofit organization serving people with disabilities in Maryland. She has also taught middle school and writes poetry. Cari graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1994, with a BA in Communications/Journalism. She currently lives in Tampa, travels frequently, and recently helped her father find the perfect 55+ community to call home.

Bill Ness is the founder of 55places and Neighborhoods. His real estate career began in sales for Del Webb before becoming a sales manager for Sun City Huntley. Bill then helped to organize the grand opening of the popular Edgewater community in 2005, gaining firsthand experience of the intricacies of active adult communities. After noticing that the industry lacked a central, reliable, and unbiased resource for active adult communities, Bill left Del Webb in 2007 to start 55places.com. Starting the company with a laptop held together by duct tape, Bill meticulously built 55places.com into the nation’s leading resource for active adult communities. Having traveled to countless 55+ communities and having interviewed residents, builders, and agents around the country, Bill is considered a leading expert on the active adult lifestyle. Bill resides in Chicago with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

Madeline Crozier Sutton (she/her) is an experienced freelance writer and editor who has worked with 55places since 2018. Now a fifth-year PhD Candidate in English at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, she has a BA and MA in Writing, Rhetoric, and Discourse from DePaul University. She specializes in researching real estate trends across the country with a focus on the Midwest and Southeast regions, including the housing markets of Chicago, Indianapolis, and East Tennessee. Dedicated to helping homebuyers make evidence-based decisions, she brings six years of experience in real estate writing and research.

Ellen Kershner is our creative content writer from New Jersey. She has 20+ years of experience writing for local publications, websites, and real estate marketing companies. She has a knack for crafting reader-friendly, original content that educates our readers with clear information. Ellen has lived in Central NJ, Southern NJ, Washington, DC, and Owings Mills, Maryland.

Amy is a freelance writer who has done it all when it comes to journalism and communications — from working in public relations for professional sports teams and creating engaging daily content as a digital producer and editor to doing contract writing for a marketing company on a project for Google. Amy has lived in Charlotte more almost a decade and her favorite neighborhood is Dilworth.

Amy is a freelance writer who has done it all when it comes to journalism and communications — from working in public relations for professional sports teams and creating engaging daily content as a digital producer and editor to doing contract writing for a marketing company on a project for Google. Amy has lived in Charlotte more almost a decade and her favorite neighborhood is Dilworth.

Deana Becker is the Senior Content Strategist at 55places.com. With an extensive editorial background, she has been writing, editing, and researching real estate topics since 2018. Her work has brought her in contact with many subject matter experts in the real estate industry, and she enjoys continually improving her SEO and content marketing skills. As a Chicago native, she's also well-versed in the Midwestern housing market (as well as the best places for deep-dish pizza).

Amy is a freelance writer who has done it all when it comes to journalism and communications — from working in public relations for professional sports teams and creating engaging daily content as a digital producer and editor to doing contract writing for a marketing company on a project for Google. Amy has lived in Charlotte more almost a decade and her favorite neighborhood is Dilworth.

Deana Becker is the Senior Content Strategist at 55places.com. With an extensive editorial background, she has been writing, editing, and researching real estate topics since 2018. Her work has brought her in contact with many subject matter experts in the real estate industry, and she enjoys continually improving her SEO and content marketing skills. As a Chicago native, she's also well-versed in the Midwestern housing market (as well as the best places for deep-dish pizza).

Deana Becker is the Senior Content Strategist at 55places.com. With an extensive editorial background, she has been writing, editing, and researching real estate topics since 2018. Her work has brought her in contact with many subject matter experts in the real estate industry, and she enjoys continually improving her SEO and content marketing skills. As a Chicago native, she's also well-versed in the Midwestern housing market (as well as the best places for deep-dish pizza).

Deana Becker is the Senior Content Strategist at 55places.com. With an extensive editorial background, she has been writing, editing, and researching real estate topics since 2018. Her work has brought her in contact with many subject matter experts in the real estate industry, and she enjoys continually improving her SEO and content marketing skills. As a Chicago native, she's also well-versed in the Midwestern housing market (as well as the best places for deep-dish pizza).

Deana Becker is the Senior Content Strategist at 55places.com. With an extensive editorial background, she has been writing, editing, and researching real estate topics since 2018. Her work has brought her in contact with many subject matter experts in the real estate industry, and she enjoys continually improving her SEO and content marketing skills. As a Chicago native, she's also well-versed in the Midwestern housing market (as well as the best places for deep-dish pizza).

Amy is a freelance writer who has done it all when it comes to journalism and communications — from working in public relations for professional sports teams and creating engaging daily content as a digital producer and editor to doing contract writing for a marketing company on a project for Google. Amy has lived in Charlotte more almost a decade and her favorite neighborhood is Dilworth.

Deana Becker is the Senior Content Strategist at 55places.com. With an extensive editorial background, she has been writing, editing, and researching real estate topics since 2018. Her work has brought her in contact with many subject matter experts in the real estate industry, and she enjoys continually improving her SEO and content marketing skills. As a Chicago native, she's also well-versed in the Midwestern housing market (as well as the best places for deep-dish pizza).

Cari Oleskewicz is a writer based in Gainesville, Florida. She has been writing about real estate, property management, travel, and active adult lifestyles for 10 years. She has delivered lectures on the importance of high-value website copy for small businesses, and has ghostwritten books for real estate investors. Before settling in Gainesville, she lived in Tampa, Florida; Baltimore, Maryland; Los Angeles, California; and Florence, Italy. Before launching her writing career, Cari was a communications and editorial strategist for a digital advertising agency in Tampa and managed the communications department of a nonprofit organization serving people with disabilities in Maryland. She has also taught middle school and writes poetry. Cari graduated from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 1994, with a BA in Communications/Journalism. She currently lives in Tampa, travels frequently, and recently helped her father find the perfect 55+ community to call home.

Bill Ness is the founder of 55places and Neighborhoods. His real estate career began in sales for Del Webb before becoming a sales manager for Sun City Huntley. Bill then helped to organize the grand opening of the popular Edgewater community in 2005, gaining firsthand experience of the intricacies of active adult communities. After noticing that the industry lacked a central, reliable, and unbiased resource for active adult communities, Bill left Del Webb in 2007 to start 55places.com. Starting the company with a laptop held together by duct tape, Bill meticulously built 55places.com into the nation’s leading resource for active adult communities. Having traveled to countless 55+ communities and having interviewed residents, builders, and agents around the country, Bill is considered a leading expert on the active adult lifestyle. Bill resides in Chicago with his wife, Gina, and their three children.

Carrie Pallardy is a freelance writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. She is a lifelong Chicagoan and avid traveler. Carrie has written extensively about real estate for Neighborhoods.com.