This is going to sound strange coming from someone who sells a lot of houses at Cresswind at Twin Lakes, but the truth is this community is definitely not for everybody.

Choosing a 55+ community is a lot like choosing a spouse. You're not necessarily going for the most beautiful or the most popular. You're looking for the best fit for you, and that's the same when it comes to choosing your active adult community. 

In this article, I'm going to walk you through five reasons why you should think twice before moving to Cresswind at Twin Lakes in the Hoschton and Braselton area north of Atlanta. In the long run, understanding these trade-offs might save you a whole bunch of money and help you find the retirement community that truly matches your lifestyle.

Table of Contents

• 1. If You Don't Want Extensive Amenities
• 2. If You Hate Paying HOA Fees
• 3. If You Want a Lot of Land and Privacy
• 4. If You Have Zero Desire to Be Active
• 5. If You Need to Be Close to Atlanta
• Who Should Move to Cresswind at Twin Lakes
• Conclusion

1. If You Don't Want Extensive Amenities

If you are not the type of person who likes any amenities, then Cresswind may not be the community for you.

Now, it is true that you can be as busy or as uninvolved as you want to be. If you're a person who just likes to keep to themselves, you don't have to participate in anything. So it's not like you're forced to use these amenities. However, you are forced to pay for them. You are paying for them as part of your HOA dues.

So if you know yourself and you know that you are definitely not going to take advantage of any of the amenities, then this community may not be a good fit for you because you're going to be paying for something that you have no intention of using.

There are other 55+ communities in Georgia that don't have quite as extensive amenities as Cresswind does, and therefore their HOA fees are lower. But they still have the same sorts of ranch homes and all of the landscaping taken care of for you. So you're still getting that piece of it, but not necessarily amenities that you have no intention of using.

Now, if you love amenities, then great, this is the place for you. The clubhouse here is gorgeous. They have an indoor-outdoor pool, a craft studio, and a beautiful gym. I mean, you name it, the amenities are fabulous here. They also have Georgia's largest pickleball facility with 40 pickleball courts and even a championship lookout point. Walking trails are being built around the entire community, winding through beautiful meadows and wooded areas where you'll see deer and other wildlife.

If you love amenities, it sounds really fun to live here. But if you do not like amenities and know you won't use them, this may not be the place for you.

2. If You Hate Paying HOA Fees

If you are the type of person that does not like to pay HOA dues and that drives you crazy, then you probably don't want to live at Cresswind because here they are mandatory and there's no getting around it.

Whether you use the amenities or not, it doesn't matter. You still have to pay the HOA.

In my opinion, it's actually a really good deal considering everything that it includes. The dues here are around $300 per month and they include everything from your lawn maintenance to your security, your internet, some cable, the gate maintenance, all of the common grounds, and all of those amazing amenities. So it's actually a really good deal.

But if you're the type of person that just doesn't want that added monthly expense, well, then Cresswind just may not be the community for you. Think about that before making the move.

For relocators wanting a true lock-and-leave lifestyle that HOA fee covers a lot of peace of mind. You can travel for a month, lock up the house, and know that the exterior is going to be maintained by the neighborhood. Your landscaping is handled. The guard gate adds security. And you can rely on your neighbors to grab your mail.

3. If You Want a Lot of Land and Privacy

Another type of person who should not live at Cresswind would be the person who wants a lot of land and a lot of privacy.

If your dream is to have acreage and horses, or just even an acre of land, you're not going to find it here. The land lots here are very small and the houses are close together.

Now that doesn't mean that all the land lots are created equal. They aren't. And when I'm working with my clients and they're interested in this community, we do a lot of due diligence to go over every single lot that interests us and go over the pros and cons of each lot, because there are some really great lots here that will give you a certain amount of privacy.

Cul-de-Sac Lots and Tree-Lined Privacy

It may not be an extensive amount of acreage, but it is private. Cul-de-sac lots are a good example. You're not going to have a large amount of drive-by traffic, so that's going to give you some privacy. And a lot of the cul-de-sacs back up to beautiful tree lines, and you have a lot of privacy in your backyard, which is wonderful.

When we're looking for lots, that's one of the things we are looking for, which lots are going to reasonably give you a certain amount of privacy, with the understanding that these aren't going to be large lots. But when you have that tree line behind your house, it feels like an extension of your property even though you don't own it, and it can satisfy that need for privacy.

I discovered one area a couple of months ago with gorgeous lots backing to meadows and woods, and I actually ended up selling one of those houses. When I saw that lot, I was like, oh my God, this is so beautiful. The grasses were tall, and there was this beautiful meadow visible from the backyard. There's deer, lots of animals, and the walking trail that's going to go all the way around the community will wind through that area.

Berms Between Interior Lots

Another thing that Cresswind does that's really nice is that even when you're on an interior lot, as opposed to one of those lots on the perimeter where you have the tree line, the interior lots are not backing up to each other. What they've done is they have changed the elevation, so you'll have one lower house and then one higher house and there will be a berm.

So if you're at the lower house, you have that berm giving you a certain amount of privacy, and then you also have some privacy if you are the upper house. So I think that helps.

It's important to have realistic expectations when considering a 55+ community. Many buyers envision a large lot with plenty of land and outdoor space, but that's not typically what you'll find in these communities. Understanding the lifestyle, property sizes, and available options ahead of time can help you find a home that truly fits your expectations.

What you're going to get here is the lifestyle. And what we are going to do is we're going to look at all the available lots and we're going to pick the best one that fits your needs. And it's totally doable. They're opening new phases all the time. So once I know what you're looking for, then I can be on the lookout for it. One of the benefits of working with a local real estate agent like me is having access to updates as new phases become available. Builders reach out to me when another phase opens, giving buyers another opportunity to explore homes that may be a better fit for their needs.

If you're a person who wants a ton of land, don't look into Cresswind. But if you could be happy with just having a beautiful private backyard with some woods or even a berm for privacy, and you don't mind being close maybe on your sides, then I could definitely recommend Cresswind for you.

4. If You Have Zero Desire to Be Active

If you have absolutely zero desire to be active, well, Cresswind may not be the best fit for you.

I would say that Cresswind is probably the most active 55+ community that I have come across. They  specialize in having so many activities and so many avenues to maintain that healthy lifestyle.

There's a ton of people playing pickleball. They have Georgia's largest pickleball courts here. I mean, I think there's like 40, and there's even a championship lookout point. On top of that, their gym is phenomenal. The walking trails, I mean, you name it, there's so many things you can do, so many clubs, so many ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle, a very active lifestyle. Walking trails all around the entire neighborhood. There's so many opportunities here.

But if it's not your thing and maybe you can't walk, maybe you're not in a position to be active at all, maybe this isn't the place for you. It doesn't mean that you can't live here and just not take advantage of it, but you are paying for it as part of your HOA. So that may be something you're not interested in doing, funding something you're not gonna use.

But if you are active or want to be active, this is the place for you. I mean, hands down the most active 55+ community that I've come across here in Georgia.

5. If You Need to Be Close to Atlanta

Definitely do not move to Cresswind at Twin Lakes if you're interested in being close to the city, because guess what? Cresswind is nowhere close to the city.

Now it's easily accessible in that you can jump on I-85 and it's a straight shot into the city, but it is going to take you about an hour. And if you are working or having to commute into the city, then it's not going to be enjoyable. It's going to actually add stress to your life dealing with Atlanta traffic.

But if you are fully retired and you're only looking to go to the city when you have to, you know, catch a plane or for a special occasion, and you're going on off hours, then it's fine because it is easily accessible. It's just not very close.

What Is Close: Everyday Necessities

Now you do have all your everyday necessities very close by. Within 10 minutes there's a ton of doctors and hospitals. You do have all of your grocery stores right outside the neighborhood. You could even drive your golf cart to them. You have a Publix and a Kroger right outside the neighborhood.

And then about two or three exits down, you have Mall of Georgia, which is a huge mall with lots of stores. You also have your big box stores there as well, like your Costco and your Target.

Everything is accessible if you're willing to stay north of Atlanta here in your own little nice bubble. And it's very beautiful out here. The land is beautiful. So there's a lot to be said about having just kind of a slower, more laid-back life.

Downtown Hoschton and Braselton

Now you still do also have lots of restaurants here. There is a downtown Hoschton. Downtown Hoschton is really just one street. It's very small, but they have a cute cafe, a couple of cute restaurants.

And then if you follow the road a little bit further down, about two or three miles, you have downtown Braselton. And downtown Braselton is so cute. They have some great restaurants there. They have a brewery and they have a big converted warehouse that has some shops and some more restaurants.

So there is plenty to do here just outside of the neighborhood. So it's not like you're going to be bored or anything like that. But that is the reality: if you have to be in the city a lot, then this may not be the place for you.

Who Should Move to Cresswind at Twin Lakes

You're probably thinking, well, Tanya, you've spent this entire article telling me who is not the ideal candidate for Cresswind. Why don't you tell me who is the ideal candidate?

I'm going to tell you right now. The ideal candidate for Cresswind would be somebody who potentially is relocating here to Georgia, doesn't have that many friends here locally, and wants the opportunity to build friendships and have a social life like right off the bat. That person is set if they live at Cresswind.

A person who is active or wants to be active, this is a great spot for them knowing that they have so many activities and walking trails and the gym and the pickleball. That is the ideal person as well.

Maybe a person that travels a lot and likes that lock-and-leave lifestyle where they can just be gone for a month, lock up the house, and know that the exterior is going to be maintained by the neighborhood and that they could just rely on their neighbors here to jump in and grab their mail. That's a great candidate as well.

And then a person who doesn't mind paying for those luxuries, because there is a price tag that goes along with it.

And then also a person that doesn't necessarily need a whole bunch of land. They are more interested in the lifestyle.

And also,  a person who is interested in designing their own home, because this builder is one of the best when it comes to offering so many customizations that you really feel like you're getting a custom product at the end of it. And it's just something that you will love for a long time. They have so many beautiful ranch floor plans to choose from. They have like 15 models here, all different beautiful floor plans, and there's something for everybody.

Conclusion

If you're one of the types of people I described in this article, you might want to think twice about moving to Cresswind at Twin Lakes.

Now, does that mean that Cresswind isn't a great community? Absolutely not. It's one of my favorite 55+ communities in all of Georgia. But not every community is perfect for every different type of person.

That's exactly what I help my clients do every day. I've helped many buyers determine that Cresswind was the perfect fit for them, and I've also helped other buyers realize that they'd be happier in a different community. And that's okay too.

If you're thinking about relocating here to Georgia and exploring 55+ communities, I'd love to help you find your perfect match. The good news is that builders like Cresswind cover my compensation, so it doesn't actually cost you anything extra to have me and my experience guide you through this entire process. And I would love to help.

So, if you'd like to see these homes or explore the community for yourself, give me a call, shoot me a text, or send me an email. I'm here to help you find the right fit.