Stay and Play Vacations: Experience 55+ Living Before You Buy

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.

Chad Walker joined 55places in 2022. He comes with 14+ years of experience in the Real Estate industry, ten of which have been dedicated to leading operational excellence. Chad started off in the industry as a top-producing Real Estate Agent in Seattle, WA before taking on positions to lead high-performing teams of real estate professionals to advocate for customers along their journey of home ownership. Chad specializes in the real estate tech sector and focuses on the strategy of growing sales, revenue, and teams by collaborating with other leaders on the company’s goals and initiatives. Chad has a customer-first mentality and builds his organization around that passion. Chad currently resides in Seattle with his family and enjoys traveling when not thinking about real estate.

Ted is the CEO of 55places and Neighborhoods. His background includes Technology, Product and Operational leadership roles in Private Equity & numerous companies including Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, Knock Rentals and A Place for Mom.  Ted has built a successful career of building Enterprise Value through his focus on solving business problems through technology and operational excellence. 

Kelly Reilly is the Senior Manager, Growth Marketing and Content at 55places.com. She has 15 years of experience writing, editing, and leading editorial teams for real estate and home improvement websites, including Rocket Mortgage, Forbes, Angi, HomeAdvisor, and Better Homes & Gardens. She focuses on connecting readers with clear, useful content that helps them make confident decisions about their next home.

Kelly Reilly is the Senior Manager, Growth Marketing and Content at 55places.com. She has 15 years of experience writing, editing, and leading editorial teams for real estate and home improvement websites, including Rocket Mortgage, Forbes, Angi, HomeAdvisor, and Better Homes & Gardens. She focuses on connecting readers with clear, useful content that helps them make confident decisions about their next home.

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).

Chad Walker joined 55places in 2022. He comes with 14+ years of experience in the Real Estate industry, ten of which have been dedicated to leading operational excellence. Chad started off in the industry as a top-producing Real Estate Agent in Seattle, WA before taking on positions to lead high-performing teams of real estate professionals to advocate for customers along their journey of home ownership. Chad specializes in the real estate tech sector and focuses on the strategy of growing sales, revenue, and teams by collaborating with other leaders on the company’s goals and initiatives. Chad has a customer-first mentality and builds his organization around that passion. Chad currently resides in Seattle with his family and enjoys traveling when not thinking about real estate.

Kelly Reilly is the Senior Manager, Growth Marketing and Content at 55places.com. She has 15 years of experience writing, editing, and leading editorial teams for real estate and home improvement websites, including Rocket Mortgage, Forbes, Angi, HomeAdvisor, and Better Homes & Gardens. She focuses on connecting readers with clear, useful content that helps them make confident decisions about their next home.

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.

Chad Walker joined 55places in 2022. He comes with 14+ years of experience in the Real Estate industry, ten of which have been dedicated to leading operational excellence. Chad started off in the industry as a top-producing Real Estate Agent in Seattle, WA before taking on positions to lead high-performing teams of real estate professionals to advocate for customers along their journey of home ownership. Chad specializes in the real estate tech sector and focuses on the strategy of growing sales, revenue, and teams by collaborating with other leaders on the company’s goals and initiatives. Chad has a customer-first mentality and builds his organization around that passion. Chad currently resides in Seattle with his family and enjoys traveling when not thinking about real estate.

Charles Moss is a freelance writer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with a diverse portfolio spanning pop culture, history, and social issues. His work has appeared in prominent publications such as The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, VICE, and MOJO Magazine. Currently serving as an Assistant Editor at SPIN magazine, Moss continues to contribute insightful articles on various topics. His Chattanooga roots provide a unique perspective that enriches his writing across multiple genres.

Ted is the CEO of 55places and Neighborhoods. His background includes Technology, Product and Operational leadership roles in Private Equity & numerous companies including Amazon.com, Drugstore.com, Knock Rentals and A Place for Mom.  Ted has built a successful career of building Enterprise Value through his focus on solving business problems through technology and operational excellence. 

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.

Kelly Reilly is the Senior Manager, Growth Marketing and Content at 55places.com. She has 15 years of experience writing, editing, and leading editorial teams for real estate and home improvement websites, including Rocket Mortgage, Forbes, Angi, HomeAdvisor, and Better Homes & Gardens. She focuses on connecting readers with clear, useful content that helps them make confident decisions about their next home.