Spruce Creek by Del Webb is a gated, 55-plus Central Florida retirement community located just 10 miles north of The Villages Florida in the town of Summerfield. The community that eventually has become Spruce Creek actually started in the late ’70′s/early 80′s and changed hands many times before Del Webb purchased the community in 1998 and made several upgrades and revisions to the community.

With all development complete, today the community stands at 3,250 homes with both full and part-time residents from all over the country (and the world for that matter), resulting in a vibrant and diverse community. Though most recent retirees will be looking for new homes in new communities, you might want to consider a community like Spruce Creek that is well established and probably won’t change drastically over the next 30+ years.

Like most Florida retirement communities, Spruce Creek’s main draw are the amenities as well as the golf courses. Eagle Ridge is Spruce Creek’s 36 hole golf course, which features practice facilities, pro shop and a bar and grill.

The 14,000 square foot amenity/fitness center features an indoor swimming pool, exercise equipment, as well as an aerobics dance studio. The community also has a softball field, basketball court, pickleball courts, tennis courts and a sand volleyball court. Like most communities of this type the residents have formed many formal and informal groups and clubs so you’ll surely find something that fits your interests and if not, start your own club!

If you are interested in learning more about Spruce Creek or buying a home there, a great place to start is at the community website. As I mentioned, all thats left in the way of homes are re-sales, so you’ll want to speak with a local Realtor or at least begin searching online for homes that might be available using sites like Realtor.com, Trulia, and Zillow.