Gen X homebuyers, aged 45-60, are increasingly interested in amenities traditionally favored by older generations, prompting national homebuilders like Pulte and Taylor Morrison to create all-ages communities. Pulte’s new Del Webb Explore brand will offer resort-style living without age restrictions, with plans for communities in Southern California and Tampa Bay, catering to buyers desiring vibrant lifestyles. Taylor Morrison’s Esplanade brand has also shifted to all-ages developments, featuring numerous amenities. Market research indicates a strong demand from Gen X for active lifestyles, leading to innovative community designs that accommodate families and varied age groups, enhancing resort-style living for a broader audience.
Why should the grandparents have all the enjoyment?
It appears that many Gen X homebuyers are equally enthusiastic about pickleball, spa services, and wine clubs as their Boomer peers, prompting national homebuilders to take action.
Pulte has partnered with Taylor Morrison to broaden its active adult brand, aiming to build all-ages communities featuring the same appealing mix of amenities and activities. The nation’s third-largest homebuilder introduced its not-just-for-retirees Del Webb Explore offshoot on March 3, with plans for the first two resort-style communities in Southern California and Tampa Bay.
This trend is also heading to the Orlando area.
“We’re observing a convergence of Gen X entering their peak earning years, with refined tastes influenced by years of travel and lifestyle experiences,” PulteGroup President and CEO Ryan Marshall mentioned in the announcement. “The expansion of the timeless Del Webb brand allows us to provide a product for those desiring a vibrant, active lifestyle, irrespective of age.”
Pulte highlighted research indicating that several factors are contributing to the overlap in interests between Del Webb’s traditional Boomer clientele and the current Gen X consumers, who range from ages 45 to 60.
According to Pulte’s research, 40% of potential Del Webb buyers were interested in the brand’s acclaimed active lifestyle but without the restriction of being 55 or older. Reasons cited included having older children living with them, caring for grandchildren, being younger than typical active adult buyers, and simply wanting to reside near individuals of varying ages.
At North River Ranch, situated between Tampa and Sarasota, Pulte’s new all-ages community plans to feature 900 homes alongside a range of amenities, including a lazy river, covered pickleball courts, and a private clubhouse equipped with a poolside bar and grill.
Pulte currently has four Del Webb 55+ communities in various stages of development across Central Florida in Sunbridge, Minneola, Horizon West, and Twin Lakes. An additional two are planned in Wellness Way and at EverBe. The Orlando division has yet to disclose if either of the latter two will be a Del Webb Explore.
The new Explore brand should not be confused with Pulte’s resort division, which focuses solely on vacation home communities like Windsor Cay that allow for short-term rentals. This new brand is tailored for permanent residents seeking a resort lifestyle supplemented with concierge services.
Ken Pozek of Orlando Real described the initiative as a wise decision. “There are many Gen Xers who don’t want to be linked to active adult or 55+ labels,” he stated. “They desire everything that The Villages provides, but don’t want to conform to that age category. Therefore, having no age restrictions appeals to a wider demographic, and I believe it will perform quite well.”
Taylor Morrison launched its Esplanade brand 12 years ago, initially constructing age-restricted communities such as the fully sold-out Esplanade at Clermont. However, the company has recently shifted its approach to reposition the Esplanade brand. Currently, Taylor Morrison has four Esplanade communities in the development pipeline for Central Florida, totaling over 2,300 homes, and none of them are age-restricted.
“Esplanade is not an active adult brand but rather a resort lifestyle brand,” stated Division President Brian Brunhofer to GrowthSpotter. “The designs of homes and amenities are tailored to create a vacation-like experience every day.”
Every Esplanade community provides residents with concierge services, including a wine club, dry cleaning, dog walking, private concerts, and exclusive travel and resort experiences.
Taylor Morrison is establishing Esplanade communities at McKinnon Groves in Wellness Way, Center Lake Ranch in St. Cloud, and Westview in Poinciana.
This month, the Arizona-based homebuilder declared plans to add an Esplanade neighborhood to Waterstone, a mixed-use Planned Unit Development in Mascotte, approved for 2,500 homes and 250,000 square feet of non-residential spaces. Taylor Morrison is the exclusive homebuilder in this community. Slated to open in 2027, Esplanade at Waterstone will offer 900 lots, marking it as the most extensive of the four branded communities.
The offerings in these new resort communities will blend traditional active adult floor plans with larger homes suitable for multiple generations or families with children.
Esplanade at Center Lake Ranch was initially designed as an active adult community; it features attached villas and one-story homes with primarily two- and three-bedroom layouts. However, since it is no longer age-restricted, the builder must now pay Osceola County’s $12,000-per-home school impact fees. Taylor Morrison will also incur higher mobility fees in St. Cloud, which will be approximately $10,000 more per home compared to what it would have been as an “active adult” community.
At Westview, the mobility fees will amount to $21,710 per home under the new rates—nearly $15,000 higher than if the community were age-restricted.
Pulte’s product range seems to merge its most favored Del Webb and standard home designs. At EverBe, Pulte presents modified versions of certain Del Webb floorplans with an optional second floor to host guests or larger families. This same approach is being applied at its Del Webb Explore community in California.
Manish Shrivastava, Chief Marketing Officer at PulteGroup, stated that the new brand also adopts some elements from the company’s DiVosta brand, which focuses on upscale resort-lifestyle communities in premium coastal locations across South Florida, including Naples and Palm Beach.
“As trailblazers in resort-style living, we’ve devoted significant resources to understanding the desires and needs of the next generation of Del Webb buyers,” he remarked. “By blending the best features of our Del Webb and DiVosta brands with contemporary consumer insights, we’ve developed a unique offering that delivers resort-style living to Gen X buyers and others who desire luxury without restrictions.”
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