John Leeke and his wife, Theresa, sold their five-bedroom house and moved to an age-restricted community for people 55 and older; the demand for health programs and amenities in these communities is growing as baby boomers enter retirement. MUST CREDIT: Photo by Justin T. Gellerson for The Washington Post.
After living in Prince George’s County, Maryland for 36 years, John and Theresa Leeke sold their five-bedroom house and moved in 2016 to a three-bedroom home, part of an age-restricted community for people 55 and older in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
“We had been looking for several years for a one-level home. We wanted to downsize but not go very far,” says John Leeke, 78, a retired management and human resources consultant.
The Leekes found their single-floor dwelling in Two Rivers, a community in Odenton, Maryland, where about 830 of the 2,090 houses being constructed are designated for residents age 55 and older. John Leeke says living there offers numerous advantages. “I no longer have to cut the grass and shovel snow. There is a wonderful clubhouse for fitness and social activities.”