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Central Florida’s Active Adult Housing Market Expands With Nature Coast Communities
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07 Nov 2025
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The active adult housing market in Central Florida is expanding beyond traditional retirement hubs, as developers respond to demand for boutique communities that offer accessibility and natural surroundings. The Villages of Citrus Hills exemplifies this trend with the launch of Davis Reserve at Citrus Hills, a 400-home community targeting buyers aged 55 and older who want modern amenities in a more intimate setting.
A Three-Generation Development Legacy
The Villages of Citrus Hills traces its beginnings to the 1960s, when the current president’s grandfather discovered the property while flying over Central Florida in search of retirement land. The distinctive rolling hills and oak trees with Spanish moss, features not typical in Florida, caught his attention and inspired a multi-generational vision for development.
“They were very much inspired by the rolling hills that are not often found in Florida, as well as the oak trees with the Spanish moss,” says Jessica Quillen, Chief Marketing Officer for The Villages of Citrus Hills. “When they came, there wasn’t much here.”
Today, Jake Tamposi represents the third generation of family leadership, overseeing the community’s ongoing expansion. This family ownership structure has enabled consistent long-term planning and maintenance standards throughout the development’s 40-plus year history.
Strategic Location Advantages
Davis Reserve is located in Hernando, Florida, within Citrus County, positioned between major attractions and urban centers. The community is about 12 miles from the Gulf Coast and 70 miles north of Tampa, with convenient highway access via the recently opened Suncoast Parkway.
The location offers residents access to Florida’s Nature Coast attractions, including Crystal River’s manatee encounters, extensive kayaking waterways, and fishing in both the Gulf and the Inverness lake chain. A long bike trail system connects the area’s natural attractions, while waterfront restaurants provide dining options within a short drive of the community.
“We’re right on the Nature Coast of Florida, so we’re right next to Crystal River,” Quillen notes. “It’s a beautiful place to be. There’s a very long bike trail throughout. There’s also great fishing, both in the Gulf, but we’ve also got a lake chain in Inverness.”
Boutique Community Model
Davis Reserve represents a shift from the large-scale community model common in Florida’s active adult market. The 400-home development will be built in phases, starting with 42 homes, and features modern two- and three-bedroom designs starting in the $400,000 range.
The community operates under an integrated builder-developer model, with Citrus Hills Construction handling home building and the parent company managing community operations. This approach allows for consistent quality control and responsive resident services.
“The way that Villages of Citrus Hills works is we are both the builder and the community manager,” Quillen explains. “When someone purchases within Davis Reserve at Citrus Hills, they’re getting the same builder, same quality across all areas.”
Comprehensive Amenity Access
Davis Reserve will feature its own clubhouse with a resort pool, pickleball courts, fitness lawn, and dog park. Residents also have access to amenities throughout the broader Villages of Citrus Hills community, including three championship golf courses, tennis courts, a 55,000-square-foot spa and fitness center, and a 300-seat auditorium for entertainment.
The community maintains three restaurants and is adding an outdoor dining venue at the Davis Reserve clubhouse. All amenities are private to residents, with no public access or short-term visitor programs typical of some competing developments.
“The great thing about our communities is they’re fully private,” Quillen emphasizes. “We don’t have just open access to the public to come to the events. It is really only for those who live here within the community.”
Market Positioning and Buyer Demographics
The Villages of Citrus Hills attracts buyers from two main sources: about half from within Florida and half from out-of-state markets. In-state buyers often relocate from other active adult communities, seeking better maintenance standards or improved lifestyle offerings.
“One of the biggest things I hear from people in that situation is that their previous community wasn’t originally from Florida, but they’re moving here because maybe theirs is not kept up as well as when they first moved in,” Quillen observes.
Out-of-state buyers mainly come from northeastern markets such as Boston, New York, and Chicago, reflecting the founding family’s roots and established referral networks.
The community’s positioning emphasizes safety from both crime and weather. Citrus County’s small-town character provides low traffic and crime rates, while the area’s elevation offers protection from storm surge and flooding.
“We do have the highest point within our community in all of Florida,” Quillen notes. “When it comes to safety from storms, we’re just at the right area where we aren’t as affected by storms coming in as well.”
Industry Trends and Market Dynamics
The launch of Davis Reserve aligns with broader trends in Florida’s active adult market, as buyers increasingly look for alternatives to large retirement communities. Boutique developments with personalized service and modern amenities are appealing to retirees who want community engagement without the scale of sprawling developments.
The maintenance-free lifestyle model, including landscaping, Wi-Fi, and cable services, attracts buyers moving away from homeownership responsibilities. The integrated builder-developer approach also addresses concerns about declining service quality in communities where original developers have sold to management companies.
Future Development Plans
Beyond the first phase of Davis Reserve, The Villages of Citrus Hills is developing the Rockwood Sportsplex, which will add additional recreational facilities to the community’s amenity offerings. The success of Davis Reserve’s initial phase will influence the timeline for future development phases.
The community’s approach emphasizes building lifestyle amenities alongside housing inventory, recognizing that today’s active adult buyers evaluate communities based on overall lifestyle offerings rather than just home features and pricing.
For developers and investors in the active adult market, Davis Reserve demonstrates the viability of boutique communities that compete through service quality, natural amenities, and integrated management rather than scale. As Florida’s retirement market continues to grow, this model offers an alternative to the large-scale community approach that has dominated the sector.
The Villages of Citrus Hills’ multi-generational ownership and consistent reinvestment in community standards provide a model for sustainable active adult development that maintains resident satisfaction over the long term.
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