Warm and calm waters great for fishing and snorkeling, pristine golf courses, and exceptional opportunities for outdoor recreation draw active adults to Southwest Florida. It’s a desirable location along the state’s lower Gulf coast, and it’s home to cities full of shopping, art, and fine dining. Florida snowbirds from the north and midwest spend entire seasons in Southwest Florida, and it’s also a desirable region for a full-time Florida retirement.
There are some great deals to be found, even in cities known for having high-dollar Florida real estate. We’re taking a closer look at this collection of the best lowest-priced 55+ communities in Southwest Florida.
Riviera Golf Estates – Naples
Low $100s – Low $300s
Naples is often associated with luxury living, but buyers can find reasonably priced Naples homes for sale, even on a golf course. Consider Riviera Golf Estates, where there’s an 18-hole, pay-as-you-play golf course. Other attractive amenities include a clubhouse with a fitness center, a card room, and an arts and crafts studio.
There are also shuffleboard, pickleball, and tennis courts as well as several pools. Art classes and a computer club meet in the multi-purpose rooms, and there’s usually line dancing or bingo taking place.
Buyers interested in this 55+ community will find single-family homes and condos available in several floor plans. The condos are the most cost-effective properties, offering 1,025 to 1,700 square feet with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an assigned parking space. Condo units are in well-maintained two-story buildings.
The single-family homes have two or three bedrooms, one to three bathrooms, and either a carport or an attached two-car garage. Lots of closet space, laundry rooms, and upgrades such as granite counters can be found in the resale properties at Riviera Golf Estates.
Learn more information about Riviera Golf Estates here.
Village Green – Sarasota
High $100s – Low $300s
Several small neighborhoods make up the 55+ community of Village Green in Sarasota. Each of the 12 areas of attached resale villa homes has its own pool, patio, and shuffleboard courts. The single-family homes are organized into two neighborhoods within an area called Village Green Club Estates.
Buyers can find affordably priced Sarasota real estate with two or three bedrooms, one or two bathrooms, and attached garages with space for one or two cars. Many of the single-family homes have their own private pools.
Properties start at around 1,045 square feet and get as large as 2,360 square feet. Upgrades in these homes include new fixtures and appliances, dens, and either porches or patios.
In addition to the pools and shuffleboard courts, there’s also golf. Residents have access to the Village Green Golf Club, where they can buy an annual membership or a daily pass for when they want to play. There are 18 holes, a chipping green, and a pro shop. There’s also a clubhouse with a snack bar.
Sarasota is known for its pleasant beaches, particularly Siesta Key, as well as a thriving art scene that includes several art schools and museums with the major point of interest being The Ringling Museum.
Find out more about Village Green here.
Seven Lakes – Fort Myers
Below $100k – Low $200s
Seven Lakes is a 55+ community constructed with active adults on a budget in mind. The condos and attached villas are affordably priced, and the 18-hole golf course at this community is completely free for residents to play. There are no memberships required and no greens fees collected. It’s a great deal, especially when buyers consider all the amenities and comforts that come with their new home.
There’s a clubhouse with an exercise room, a meeting room, an auditorium, and a library. There are three card rooms, a place for billiards, and a hobby room as well as an arts and crafts space. There’s also a woodworking shop and a ceramics studio.
Outside, there are six heated pools, nine shuffleboard courts, and six tennis courts. There’s also bocce ball and a tiki bar. Community transit is available for residents to get in and out of Downtown Fort Myers or to the beach.
Condo models have 31 floor plans, all of them with one or two bedrooms and one or two bathrooms. The attached villas are available in 10 models. They have two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an attached one-car garage.
Learn more about Seven Lakes here.
Park Place Estates – Port Charlotte
Mid $100s – Low $200s
Park Place Estates is a gated 55+ community that’s intimate, neighborly, and affordable. With only 73 attached homes, residents have a good chance of getting to know their neighbors. Floor plans for these modern properties range from 1,458 to 1,667 square feet. They have two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and attached two-car garages. They were constructed in the last 10 or 15 years, and all homes have features like granite counters and walk-in closets. Buyers looking for low-maintenance living will appreciate this community; mowing and landscaping is covered by the HOA as are water bills.
Amenities include a clubhouse with an exercise room, a lounge, a game room, a media room, and a library. There’s a catering kitchen for special events such as potlucks, holiday parties, and group cooking classes. There’s also a pool with a spa and a patio as well as bocce ball courts. Port Charlotte is full of nature preserves and close to beaches. It’s also the home of spring training baseball; the Tampa Bay Rays have their practice facility in Port Charlotte.
Find out more about Park Place Estates here.
Cascades at River Hall – Alva, FL
Low $200s – Mid $300s
Buyers who want to stay within their budget can find new construction single-family homes if they know where to look. For example, Cascades at River Hall has some great Southwest Florida real estate at an affordable price point, and the 55+ community offers both resale and new homes constructed by a variety of builders in more than a dozen models and floor plans.
Homes can be found with two to four bedrooms and 1,528 to 2,638 square feet. The community is in Alva, which is close to Fort Myers, shopping, nature trails, and the Boston Red Sox spring training stadium.
The Cascades at River Hall clubhouse has a fitness center, multi-purpose room, and catering kitchen. There’s also a snack bar near the pool and patio. For some exclusivity, residents can become members of the Verandah Clubhouse, where there are tennis courts and an additional fitness center as well as biking and walking trails. The 18-hole Davis Love III Golf Course is also available, and it includes a pro shop, a restaurant, and locker rooms.
More information about Cascades at River Hall can be found here.
