What Is a Villa?

Most people can identify an attached home or a single-family home, but what is a villa? The term can be confusing. Originally, villas were sumptuous palaces that wealthy Romans built at the time of the Roman Empire. They would often sprawl over several floors and have dozens of bedrooms and a private swimming pool. In today’s real estate world, villas are usually much more modest affairs.

Small and Low-Maintenance

Villas can be defined differently in different 55+ communities, so it’s vital to know what a particular community’s definition of a villa is. Some use the word villa to indicate a large detached home, with a nod to those original luxury residences. For the most part, though, villas are at the other end of the price range, and the word indicates smaller, low-maintenance homes with just one or maybe two bedrooms.

There’s no fixed definition of a villa, but usually, they’re similar to a townhouse or a condo. They’ll usually be attached on at least one side, and instead of a yard, a villa will normally have a small veranda or patio. This is part of the low-maintenance appeal as owners have little yard work, and the surrounding area is usually maintained by the homeowners’ association.

A Community Feel

Villas differ from condos and townhomes in small but significant ways. Condos usually have communal entrance areas, whereas villas are individual homes. Villas are usually single story, compared to a townhome which could be several stories. Despite the fact that they are individual homes, villas often have more of a community feel. In a condo, you might pass your neighbor in the entrance hall and not see them again. With a villa, though, you may find yourself sitting on your veranda chatting to the neighbors on either side.

You can also find some detached villas, though, and in some communities villas will be grouped together and owners may have their own pool or community center for the exclusive use of villa owners, again creating a sense of togetherness.

You can find villas in active adult communities all over the country. Here are some 55+ communities (divided by state) where you can find villas for sale.

Arizona Communities With Villas:

• Sun City

  Below $100k – High $800s

• Sun City West

  Mid $200s – High $600s

• Sun City Oro Valley

  Low $200s – High $500s

• Province

  High $200s – High $500s

• Sun Lakes

  Mid $200s – Low $1Ms

• The Grand

  High $100s – Low $1Ms

Texas Communities With Villas:

• Kissing Tree

  Low $400s – Mid $800s

• Heritage Ranch

  Mid $200s – High $600s

• Miro Lagos Villas

  Mid $200s – Low $300s

• Tuscan Village

  High $200s – High $700s

• Tuscan Village at Horseshoe Bay

  Mid $300s – Low $1Ms

New Jersey Communities With Villas:

• Madison Crossing at Birch Hill

  Mid $200s – Low $500s

• Princeton Windrows

  Low $200s – Mid $800s

• Montebello

  High $300s – Mid $500s

• Four Seasons at Great Notch Spa and Club

  Low $400s – Low $700s

• Cranbury Brook

  Low $200s – Mid $400s

• Four Seasons at Lakewood

  Low $300s – High $400s

• Hearthstone at Hillsborough

• Low $200s – High $400s

North Carolina Communities With Villas:

• Cornelius Woods

  Low $200s – High $400s

• The Highlands at Meadowlands

• High $200s – Mid $300s

• Olde Towne Village

  High $200s – Low $300s

• Crow Creek

  Mid $100s – Mid $1Ms

• Bella Sera Villas

  Low $200s – Mid $300s

• The Villas at Creek Walk

  Mid $200s – Mid $300s

• The Polo Club at Mountain Island Lake

  Mid $200s – High $300s

• Heritage Pines

  Low $300s – Low $500s

South Carolina Communities With Villas:

• Hilton Head Plantation

  Low $400s – High $1Ms

• Kalmia Landing

  Low $200s – High $200s

• The Village at India Hook

  High $200s – Low $300s

• Sun City Carolina Lakes

  Mid $200s – Mid $600s

• Indigo Run

• High $100s – Mid $1Ms

California Communities With Villas:

• The Colony

  High $500s – Mid $1Ms

• Lake San Marcos

• Mid $400s – High $1Ms

• Sunny Glen

• Low $200s – Low $700s

• High Country Villas

• High $400s – Mid $500s

• Villa Portofino

• Low $300s – Low $600s

Pennsylvania Communities With Villas:

• The Preserve at Marsh Creek

  High $400s – Mid $500s

• The Villages at Hillview

  Low $200s – Mid $500s

• The Villas at Linfield

  High $200s – Mid $300s

• Villas at Cattail

  Low $200s – Low $300s

• The Villas at Five Ponds

  Mid $400s – High $500s

• The Villas of Newtown

• Low $600s – Low $800s

• Amblebrook

• Mid $300s – Low $700s

• Jennersville Farm

• Low $200s – Low $300s

• Spring Valley Estate

• Mid $200s – High $400s

• Big Elk

• High $200s – High $400s

• Alden Place

• Mid $200s – High $500s

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Mike Gerrard

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. View all authors