Active adult community offers lifestyle, floor plan for couple

By Lori Johnston

For the AJC

The Search

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Christopher Oquendo, AJC Bruce and Sally Nagel had been living in Cumming when they started their search for a 55-plus active-living community.

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Christopher Oquendo, AJC The Nagels had three layouts to choose from at Soleil Laurel Canyon in Canton. The Goldenrod model is the community’s most popular floor plan.

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Christopher Oquendo, AJC The couple chose the ranch-style layout, which offers an open floor plan, a bonus room and sunroom.

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Christopher Oquendo, AJC The Amber model offered the most space of the three floor plans, but the Nagels weren’t sure they needed the extra room.

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After a friend moved into a 55-plus community, Bruce and Sally Nagel decided that type of social, active neighborhood would be a good next move for them, too.

The couple, who had been living in Cumming, searched for about a year, visiting the many options around metro Atlanta before deciding they wanted to downsize into a community close to their family and friends in Cobb County. Soleil Laurel Canyon in Canton offered a mountain setting with a resort-like atmosphere, they said.

Bruce, 59, a software engineer for HP, and Sally, 58, who is retired, had to choose from among 14 floor plans offered in the community. They sold their home in nine weeks and found finished homes available so they could move into Soleil Laurel Canyon within 30 days.

No. 1

Popular floor plan

The Goldenrod model, with a base price from $297,900, offered two bedrooms and two baths and was a top-selling floor plan. The home had a two-car garage, great room, dining room and separate living room. Features included tray ceilings in the master bedroom and dining room.

No. 2

Ranch layout

The Alabaster model had three bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths, and the ranch-style home was available on a slab or with a basement. It offered an open floor plan with a dining room, living room and family room. The model, with base prices from the $350,000s, had an extra room that could be used as an office or media room. There was a sunroom, too.

No. 3

Plenty of space

The Amber model had three bedrooms and three baths, and the couple needed to consider if the floor plan’s larger size would be right for them. There also was a den, which could serve as an optional fourth bedroom. The floor plan, with a base price starting at $371,900, had a two-car garage and a covered porch. The floor plan, like the Alabaster's, had an open kitchen, family room, dining room and a separate living room.

The Choice

No. 2. “This one offered everything we wanted in a home,” Sally said. Since moving in, they’ve joined some of the community’s 50-plus clubs, such as a men’s cooking club, and have enjoyed the indoor pool and walking trails. The couple say they have been amazed at the number of activities, often held in the 28,000-square-foot clubhouse. “You almost hate to leave to go on vacation because you’re going to miss something,” Sally said.