Idea of adults-only community moving out of Sun Belt

OMAHA, Neb. -- No swing sets. No noisy kids. Someone to mow the lawn and shovel the snow.

That's the good life as far as some people are concerned, and they're willing to pay for it in exclusive adults-only communities that have been branched out north of the Sun Belt.

"When the kids are out of the nest, it's the perfect concept," said Larry Rosso, a businessman who moved into Logan Mill at the Ridges last May, the first adults-only community in Nebraska.

Logan Mill, which opened in the spring of 2000 on the western fringe of Omaha, isn't a retirement community. It's a housing development designed for "active adults," who are usually 50-somethings with no children left at home and enough savings to afford an upscale house.

Plenty of baby boomers match the description.

"The average age of the buyer used to be early 60s, but that age is starting to decrease," said Phil Petersen, president of Phoenix-based Logan Mill Communities.

Often near golf courses

The so-called "no-kids communities" are often built on or near golf clubs where residents can have easy access to the course. At Logan Mill, the Shadow Ridge Country Club is just across the street.

The communities, which generally prohibit residents under age 19, have been popular for decades in Florida, Arizona and California, where retirees flock to warmer climates.

Some who aren't necessarily ready for retirement are now opting for a more quiet lifestyle. Children -- usually grandchildren -- are always welcome visitors, they just can't be permanent residents.

It's not that anybody dislikes children, they just want a more peaceful atmosphere than a neighborhood full of families.

"It's nice and quiet -- no basketball hoops," said Jeanne Schinstock, a 50-year-old nurse who moved to Logan Mill in October.

A homeowners association oversees any conflicts and considers extenuating circumstances if children stay too long, but residents know the no-kids rule when they apply, so the issue hasn't been a problem, Petersen said.

"It's made clear to everybody who comes in to visit us," he said. "Everyone's aware of it."

Two possible standards

The no-kids clause raises a few questions about housing discrimination, but can be legal.

"You can exclude children under certain circumstances," said Gary Fischer, director of the Fair Housing Center of Nebraska, a non-profit organization that investigates housing discrimination.

According to federal law, a housing facility or community can set an age requirement if each household has a resident who is 62 or older. A community also meets the standard if 80 percent of the homes have a resident 55 or older. Logan Mill qualifies under the latter provision.

Del Webb Corp. of Phoenix tapped into the active adult market in the Midwest in 1998 with the addition of one of its popular Sun City communities in Huntley, Ill., about 45 miles northwest of Chicago.