What buyers actually pay every month — beyond the purchase price and beyond what the HOA fee number in the listing tells you.
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Talk to a Specialist →The HOA fee listed in MLS is one number. The actual monthly cost of living in a 55+ community is a different, higher number — and it varies significantly by community. Before you compare communities by HOA fee, you need to know what each fee actually covers. A $400/month fee that includes cable, internet, water, lawn care, and trash is a very different value than a $300/month fee that covers nothing but amenity access.
Heritage Hunt (~$400/mo): cable TV, internet, trash. Birchwood ($289-$400+/mo): FiOS TV and internet, water, snow removal, trash. Potomac Green (~$300-$450/mo): shuttle, amenities — cable, internet, water extra. Regency DV ($300-$500/mo): Comcast included. Dunbarton: cable, lawn, internet included. These inclusions change the true cost comparison significantly. Always add back the cost of any services not included before comparing communities on HOA fee alone.
Property taxes in Northern Virginia for a $600K 55+ home run approximately $5,500–$7,000 per year depending on the county (Loudoun vs. Prince William), the assessed value, and whether you qualify for senior tax relief. Both Loudoun and PWC offer senior real property tax exemption or deferral programs for residents 65+ who meet income and net worth thresholds. Qualifying for these programs can reduce annual tax burden by $1,000–$3,000+. Ask Dan to connect you with the county commissioner of revenue for current eligibility requirements.
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Every 55+ community charges a one-time capital contribution at closing — paid by the buyer, credited to the HOA reserve fund. Heritage Hunt: ~$4,800. Regency DV: ~$3,500. Birchwood: confirm with HOA. Potomac Green: confirm with HOA. This is not a small amount and should be budgeted into your closing cost estimates. It is separate from your down payment and cannot be rolled into your mortgage.
A $550,000 villa at Heritage Hunt with a $300K conventional mortgage at 6.5% runs approximately: mortgage P&I $1,896, property taxes ~$500/mo, homeowners insurance ~$125/mo, HOA $400/mo (cable and internet included). Total: approximately $2,921/month. The same home at Birchwood with an HOA that includes water would have a lower net utility cost — but the purchase price would likely be higher. Running the full number — not just the HOA fee — is how you make an accurate comparison.
Nova55Living builds full monthly cost comparisons for every community his buyers are seriously considering. Call — know the real number before you fall in love with a community.
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