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Guide to Best Places to Retire in North Carolina



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Best Places to Live & Retire in North Carolina

Beaches, Mountains, History and Great Weather

Ideal-Living offers a free comprehensive service that begins with helping you find your Ideal Lifestyle. Until you know how you want to live, you can’t know where you want to live. We offer a wide array of tools to helpyou get answers to the questions that are keeping you from moving to your ideal destination. That includes finding the best place to retire in North Carolina.

Our resources can help you find best retirement communities in North Carolina in the best retirement locations. We can help you gain all this information as well as talk with representatives from the top retirement and resort communities in North Carolina, this includes communities in Wilmington, Southport, Raleigh, even the North Carolina high country areas like Boone and Asheville.

In addition to its natural beauty, great climate, and combination of mountain, lake and coastal communities, North Carolina also offers numerous tax benefits for residents and retirees.

No tax on social security benefits

Property tax deferment program for qualifying seniors

Prescription drugs are exempt from state sales tax

No inheritance tax

Those over 65 may qualify for Homeowners Exemption

Our free Digital Retirement Guide and Ideal-Living Magazine offer an abundance of information on which states, towns and cities are the best for retirees, vacationers and second-home buyers.

 

Because we can give you first-hand information on so many communities, virtually any type of community or neighborhood is available for you to consider, such as:

Coastal Communities
Golf Communities
Active Adult Communities
Mountain Communities
Lake Communities
Gated Communities
Inland Communities
Green Communities
Vacation Homes
Luxury Homes
University Towns
Small Towns
Affordable Homes for Retirement

Ideal-Living provides you the resources to not only compare North Carolina against other states, but also compare communities within North Carolina. And not just a few communities, but over 20 of the most popular communities in North Carolina. From the beaches to the mountains, all that North Carolina has to offer is at your fingertips.

Sample Communities to Discover

Resort Community on the Albemarle Sound | Occano | Coastal NC

Occano

Merry Hill, NC
Lots will range from $50K - $250K and homes from $300K - $1.2M

Life is better on the Sound.

Paradise awaits on the Inner Banks of North Carolina within the gates of Occano. This fully amenitized resort-style community on the Albemarle Sound boasts over 800 acres of residential waterfront and vast opportunities to connect with water, nature, and those you love most.

See the beauty in every swing.
Occano is home to an award-winning Arnold Palmer Signature golf course that covers 7,262 yards with 5 sets of tees-perfect for any skill level. Although Occano is a private community, it offers public play. Come experience a round and take in the impressive water views throughout the course.

Play on the Sound.
As Occano grows, so will the amenities designed specifically for an easy-flowing life near the water. Highlights include a clubhouse and pool, bar and restaurant, tennis courts, boat launch, day dock, and more. With luxury amenities set against the stunning Albemarle Sound, Occano has something for everyone.

Plan a visit today and discover why life is better on the Sound.

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55+ Community Charlotte NC | Cresswind Wesley Chapel | Active

Cresswind Wesley Chapel

Monroe, NC
Homes from the $400s

Cresswind Wesley Chapel is a next-generation, 55+ community with new homes designed specifically for active adults. Roughly 40 minutes from Charlotte City Center, this 55+ gated community offers an ideal location, new homes and an award-winning lifestyle in one of the top-rated suburbs in the Greater Charlotte area.

Homebuyers can choose from a collection of 9 floorplans, ranging from 2- up to 5-Bedrooms and designed for optimal flexibility to create a home Built Around You. Kolter Homes offers a minimum of 25 structural options per plan so you can have the ability to add bedrooms, expand garages, second floor bonus rooms and more. Plus, choose from hundreds of design personalization opportunities.

Club Cresswind, the resident-exclusive clubhouse, features a state-of-the-art Cresswind SmartFIT Training Center powered by EGYM, art studio, event area, and several indoor and outdoor gathering spots. Additional amenities include a resort-style pool, tennis and pickleball courts, walking trails and more. A full-time Lifestyle Director organizes a full event calendar including fitness programs and clubs for every hobby.

From Cresswind, residents have easy access to the Village of Wesley Chapel, Weddington, Waxhaw, SouthPark, Charlotte International Airport, Uptown, and the many attractions that consistently rank the Queen City region among the nation’s top retirement destinations.

KOLTERHOMES created the Go Guide to Active Adult Living and Homebuying to help put buyers in control of the homebuying experience. After gathering suggestions from homebuyers, and with guidance from industry experts, KOLTERHOMES developed this comprehensive online guide with the best active adult locations, insider tips, insights, and driving tours. View the FREE guide at www.cresswind.com

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Legacy Homes by Bill Clark

Wilmington, NC
Homes from the high $400s

Legacy Homes by Bill Clark is the crown jewel in a long line of North Carolina home building history. As one of the Nation’s “Top 100 Builders” for over a decade, the Legacy Homes division is a trusted partner in the Wilmington, NC region that spans four counties, and is a featured builder in many of the South’s premier planned communities, such as Brunswick Forest, Bluffs on the Cape Fear, Compass Pointe, River Bluffs, Riverlights, St. James, Summerhouse, with more to come. The Legacy Homes’ mission is to walk alongside each client as the dream of their new home becomes a reality… Best known for thoughtful floor plans, maximized living spaces, attention to detail, and custom trim work, any Legacy Home is destined to be a showstopper.

The goal at Legacy Homes is to make the homebuilding process as seamless for each client as possible. Whether choosing from one of the professionally designed available model homes or building from the ground up, a Legacy team member will be with you each step of the way. As a semi-custom builder, you will have the opportunity to create the dream home that fits perfectly with your lifestyle.

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Get Started

Finding and choosing the right active adult community can be a daunting task. This is where ideal-LIVING can help. Sign up below to receive our complimentary relocation package, which offers tips on how to find a community that suits your needs. In this guide, you’ll discover the top communities in North Carolina, as well as what you can do to get started. Sign up for this free package to take the first step in your exciting journey.

Free Package includes:

 

  • ideal-LIVING Relocation Guide
    The ultimate guide to find your ideal destination, life and home. This annual guide contains more than 15 state maps, a location-based cost of living and climate comparison chart and discovery travel packages.
  • ideal-LIVING Magazine
    Quarterly print magazine features the best places to retire and/or purchase your ideal second home.
  • ideal-LIVING E-Newsletter
    Receive our digital newsletter, two to three times a month, highlighting communities around the country and abroad.
  • Tickets to ideal-LIVING Live Events
    The ideal-LIVING Resort & Retirement Show has helped retirees and second-home buyers find their ideal community and home for more than 30 years.

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