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The primary reason that this fast growing destination is popular
with retirees is because it is home to Sun City Georgetown,
a Del Webb retirement community for those 55 years and
older. Here residents enjoy a 16,000 square foot
recreation center with pools and a fitness center, an 18
hole championship golf course, a marina, a computer lab and
a lot more. Single family homes are for sale, as
are custom homes. Current existing homes on the market
range in price from $135,800 for a 1,300 square foot home
with two bedrooms, two baths and a two car garage to
$385,250 for a 2,700 square foot home with three bedrooms
and two baths. Custom homes (you supervise the
building) range from $125,900 for 1,400 square feet, two
bedrooms and two baths to $260,900 for three bedrooms, two
baths and 2,700 square feet.
Another option is Berry Creek, a master-planned
golf and tennis community featuring expensive single family homes
ranging in price from $350,000 to $420,000 for 2,920 to 4,080
square feet. Georgetown Village is a more affordable
new community that attracts all ages and is designed to resemble
an old-fashioned village, with parks, quiet streets, a town center
and lovely homes with front porches. Prices for a three
bedroom home with two baths start at $125,000 and go up to
$146,000 for four bedrooms and 2.5 baths.
Georgetown also has several very reasonably-priced
manufactured home communities, although none are specifically
geared toward seniors. Homes begin at around $13,000 for a one bedroom, one bath home and go as high as $55,000 for
two bedrooms and two baths. Communities include Pecan
Branch, Meadow Rest and Vista Ridge.
Property is taxed at $2.40 per $100 market value, and
homes are assessed at 100%. There is a $18,000 homestead
exemption, plus another $10,000 for residents over age 65.
Taxes on a $150,000 home for someone 65 or older are $2,928 per
year.
Georgetown is surrounded by
rolling hills, but this is Texas so it does get
hot in the summers. Average July temperatures
reach the mid-90s during the day and dip into the
mid-70s during the evening. Winters are mild with
highs in the 50s and lows in the 30s.
Average humidity is 56% so the summers are not
unbearable. The area receives an average of 35
inches of rain a year. Tornados can occur, but
they are usually not the violent type found further
north.
This community has more than adequate health care with nearly 140 doctors and 20
dentists. The Georgetown Medical Center Clinic
is a private medical group that provides care to patients
through all stages of life. The Georgetown Hospital is
an acute care facility with surgical and emergency services,
and Sun City Georgetown has its own medical center.
Austin is 20 miles down the road and provides even more
medical care choices. Military retirees will be glad
to know that Fort Hood is located in Killeen, roughly 40
miles north.
More than forty churches and synagogues make their
home here, and Southwestern University, a small liberal arts
college and the oldest educational institution in Texas, offers the opportunity for ongoing education and adds a
youthful flavor to the town. Residents can also take
advantage of Sun City's Senior University where classes and
lectures by visiting professors are offered to those 55 and
older. The University of Texas is located in nearby Austin
and provides another opportunity for
learning.
There are also numerous chances to
volunteer. Georgetown Hospital has a dedicated program for
this and recruits senior volunteers (as well as others) for
everything from its gift shop to offering support services to
acting as a greeter. Volunteer opportunities are also
available at Sun City, the library, the schools, the chamber of
commerce and the Parks and Recreation Department. Five city
golf courses, fourteen parks, many tennis courts and walking
trails all add to the quality of life, and Lake Georgetown just
outside of town provides even more recreation opportunities,
including hiking, camping and boating.
The
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Residences
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