Written by Kelly Sweigart
People in their 50s and 60s choose to move to Garden Spot Village because of the abundant opportunities they have to live with purpose in community!
Choosing a retirement community can be overwhelming. I like to spend time with people, learning what is important to them and serving as a counselor rather than a salesperson as they ask questions and determine the best solution for themselves.
The journey to Garden Spot Village can take several years. Here are the steps most people take:
1. Learn more about the abundant opportunities you have to live with purpose. Researching retirement communities can take significant time. Many people visit a retirement community up to 12 times before they are ready to take the next step. Here are some ways you can learn more:
- Research our community. Garden Spot Village offers a lot of great information online (including this blog!) to help people determine what their next story will look like! Virtual Tours, monthly video updates, Destination Magazine and our Facebook page all give an accurate glimpse into life and opportunities at Garden Spot Village.
- Join us for a Look & Learn. These daytime events include an hour-long informational session, a delicious lunch and a campus tour with a resident.
- Schedule a private campus tour. Look & Learn includes a group campus tour. Many people follow up with a personal tour where they can explore the homes that appeal to them. Campus tours offer a great opportunity to interact with resident tour guides and ask questions about what the community is “really like.” While you are taking your tour, feel free to engage with people who are simply walking past to get unscripted feedback.
2. Determine if you are qualified based on age and finances to live at Garden Spot Village. This no-obligation step simply provides you the opportunity to see if “someday” is a possibility at Garden Spot Village.
- Call 717.355.6000 to request an application.
- Submit the application and processing fee ($100/individual or $150/couple).
- Wait for your acceptance letter! Please note—receiving an acceptance letter does NOT put you on our waiting list. You must join the Radar Screen in order to receive a call about available homes.
- Enjoy your future resident perks! In addition to knowing your finances will carry you through retirement at Garden Spot Village, you will receive weekly event emails, dining discounts, invitations to special events, select resident-only trips and invitations to join Travel with Purpose trips in the U.S. and abroad.
3. Join the Radar Screen. Many retirement communities offer a waitlist for prospective residents. At Garden Spot Village, we call our waitlist a Radar Screen. We invite you to join the Radar Screen when you are a few years away from being ready to move to Garden Spot Village. Many people make this an immediate next step after receiving their acceptance letter while others choose to wait. Because the wait for a home after you have joined the Radar Screen may be a few years, we always recommend people take this step before they are truly “ready” to move.
- Choose as many home types as you like (we encourage you to choose a broad selection- being flexible means you may move sooner!)
- Make a 10% down payment on your first choice of home.
- Receive a time estimate for when your new home might be available.
- Enjoy extra perks, like invitations to special Radar Screen-only events.
4. Your time on the Radar Screen offers an opportunity to lay the groundwork for your upcoming move. Many people choose to use this time to complete some important tasks.
- Choose a real estate agent. If you are planning to sell a property before moving, this is a great time to find a realtor and prepare your home for sale. We do not recommend listing your home until you sign an agreement on your new home at Garden Spot Village.
- Downsize. Start going through your belongings to determine what you want to sell, donate and keep. The Share & Care Thrift Store at Garden Spot Village as well as New Holland Re-Uzit Shop accept donations of housewares and furniture.
- Connect with your financial advisor. If you choose to use funds from sources other than the sale of your home to pay your entrance fee, this is a good time to connect with your financial advisor and make sure you are able to liquidate assets to minimize penalties and taxes.
- Update your Power of Attorney and Living Will. These legal documents are due when you sign the agreement for your new home, so take some time to review them and make sure they reflect your wishes.
5. When we call you with an opportunity and you agree to take an available home, your move to Garden Spot Village happens quickly! Here are the final steps in your journey to Garden Spot Village:
- We schedule your agreement signing.
- You sign the agreement, make selections for paint, flooring, appliances, etc., and the 60-day countdown to settlement begins!
- Using your selections, we renovate your home while you begin to pack and prepare your home for sale.
- On settlement day, you pay the remaining balance on your entrance fee and move to Garden Spot Village!
Many Garden Spot Village residents say, “I wish we had decided to move to Garden Spot Village sooner!” Beginning the process sooner rather than later makes the journey easier and allows you to take each step at your own pace. To learn more about the abundant opportunities to live with purpose in community, request pricing or contact us.
