New Jensen Website launched in November!

Over the years we have been complimented on the information and ease of using our website.  We spend a lot of time with the experts at the Worx Group in Prospect CT.   We rely on their expertise to maintain a site that will benefit our customers looking for an affordable place they can call home in a Jensen community.

In November, Jensencommunities.com 2.0 will be launched. We are very excited with the upcoming changes!  In creating the new site, we adhered to the following beliefs:

• Jensen’s Website should provide the information customers want to have and not just what we want to say.
• Ease of use is a top priority including simple navigation around and into the site.
• Customers should decide where they want to start and how far they want to drill down.
• A website should conveniently provide several ways to find information as well as the ability to easily contact Jensen people.
• Opportunities to share information with family and friends.
• Photos need to bring communities and homes to life.

On the new Jensen’s website you will therefore find:

• Quick and easy community or sales information.
• Help if you are unsure where to begin.
• On-going Open House dates and times.
• Directions to Open Houses, Homes for Sale and Community Offices.
• The highlights that make each Jensen Community a great place to live.
• Numbers to call and Information Request Forms whenever you want more information.
• More photos of Homes for Sale, Jensen lifestyle in well-manicured communities and surrounding areas.
• Phone numbers for communities and home information, as well as our Corporate Office.

Thank you for following our Blog and we look forward to hearing from you on our new Jensen Website.

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Good Bye Summer…Hello Fall!

The end of summer is here and I look back on the great time had with my fellow residents.  There were so many events that we never had “nothing to do”!   There were events that made us all feel like kids again such as ice cream socials, pool parties & parades.  It’s events like these that make me realize how much fun we have and reminds me why I chose to move to a Jensen community.

Heading into the fall I look forward to all the colorful foliage and great weather.  We start to plan for the holidays and all the get togethers.  I am looking forward to spending time with my family, but also all the end of summer picnic, Oktoberfest, Foliage Trip, and Thanksgiving at the Clubhouse with our friends that are planned for the upcoming months. 

We are thankful for another great summer and here is to a beautiful fall!

Until Next Time,

Get In On It

Enjoying the Good Life!

One of the things I love about my home at Jensen communities is the fact that I have all the benefits of homeownership with a reduced amount of responsibility which frees me up to do other things I enjoy.  I recently was reminded of this fact when I invited some of my friends over for a summer BBQ.

 

I’m finding it’s the simple things in life that brings me most fun and cooking on my grill, outdoors, with friends is one of them!  Before moving to my home at Jensen’s I lived for a while in a condominium.  I remember one of the things I did not like most was the fact I had no private backyard and as such, I could not own and use an outdoor grill.  As a result of no grill there were no backyard get-togethers and consequently, less fun.

 

But now I have it all!  My backyard is large enough and private enough to enjoy friends with a summer BBQ, yet small enough so that I can easily maintain it.  In fact, Jensen’s really does all the heavy lifting by maintaining all my shrubs and trees on the property.  I still enjoy my flower beds and a few vegetable plants (which I could not have at my condo).  In some Jensen communities, even the grass cutting is included, but I find that the small amount of cutting only takes minutes and is good exercise.  I couldn’t be happier with my investment because it is the perfect blend of homeownership and low maintenance—a blend that is at a level I can handle for years to come!

 

I hope to get in a few more BBQ’s and outdoor events prior to fall—at my home and in my yard!  Here’s to flyin free in the summertime!

 

--Flyin Free

Are You Looking for a Smaller Home?

While many are looking to downsize from a larger home, it is usually more about right sizing the number of rooms with appropriate square footage practical for you.  A well planned and efficient home will give you the realistic luxury that you need within your budget.  It will cost you less and have a positive impact on the environment.

Here are several questions to consider:

• What frustrates you about your current home?
• What has you thinking it might be time to make a move in the first place?
• What will you be happy to leave behind when you move to your new home?
• If you have $35,000 to spend on your current home, where would you spend it?
• Where would you want to relax in your new home?
• How will you entertain in your new home?
• Will it be a full time or part-time place to enjoy a new environment?
• Do you expect to have overnight guests or want to encourage them to stay in a nearby hotel?
• Will you need an office, hobby or spare room to suit your interests?
• What are some “must haves” in your new home list?

We appreciate customer input and would like your advice.  Please respond or comment with three things you would not want in a new home and three you would like in a smaller, more realistic and efficient home.

We look forward to your ideas!  Thank you for your help.

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Twelve Reasons to Move Sooner

Once new home buyers get settled in their Jensen community^® we very often hear them say, “I wish we did this sooner”.  Making a move can seem like it will take more time and effort than what it’s worth.  But what is motivating you to think about making a move in the first place is usually exactly why the benefits of making a move (and spending the time and effort) is worth it.

The inertia that sets in with our current housing can be very limiting and counterproductive.  Here are ten reasons to move sooner rather than later:

1. It is a great time to buy.
2. You’re tired of cleaning rooms that you never use.
3. You’re tired of spending nights or weekends cutting grass, weed whacking and pulling weeds.
4. Reducing monthly housing costs would give you more money to do what you want.
5. A home in a private community will make traveling easier.
6. A master bedroom and bath is just what you need.
7. With time to entertain family and friends, an open floor plan would be a lot more fun.
8. You still like to garden just not in a large yard.
9. Your current neighborhood just isn’t what it used to be.
10. A more accommodating home now will help you stay independent longer.
11. A change would reduce your current stress level and make you feel younger.
12. It is the time to sell and take advantage of good home prices.

Reflect deeply on why you are thinking about making a move.  Be honest with yourself (and your significant other) on what you want to do with the rest of your life.  Then go out and find the best home that will help you fulfill your goals.

We hope we can help.

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Happy 4th of July!!

Summer has officially arrived!!! All of us in the community look forward to the start of summer because the pool is open, fun outdoor events such as the ice cream social and Fourth of July parties are coming up, and so many beautiful colors are out in full bloom.  We mark the start of summer with our annual pool party and picnic.   Everybody gathers in the community building or out by the pool and we relax and enjoy the camaraderie along with some traditional summer fare. 

Not only do we get to enjoy chatting with old neighbors, but we also get to meet the new people that moved in over the winter.  We bring our favorite summer dishes to share and try new creations as well. I was reading my favorite magazine called “Taste of Home” and they had a whole section of Patriotic Desserts that are perfect for July 4^th. Here is a link that will take you to all sorts of great ideas for your celebration, just click on Taste of Home: Flag Recipes.  My contribution will be to make the “Patriotic Pizza”.

I almost forgot my other favorite part of the July 4^th celebrations is watching the great fireworks display in town.  It really makes me feel like a kid again!

Have a Happy & Safe July 4^th!

 Get In On It

 

Happy Fourth of July and Welcome to Summer!

The summer really seems to fly by once the Fourth of July has come and gone.  May’s Memorial Day Weekend can be considered the unofficial start of summer even though the Summer Solstice on June 21^st is the official start of the season.  The pace of summer with its outside activities, vacations, picnics, parties, family gatherings for graduations and weddings happily crowd our schedules.

Time, one of the most valuable commodities of all, is at a premium in the summer.  Finding or making more time give us an advantage to enjoy the expanded list of past times available to us.  If we have less to do in and around the house, it can be to our advantage.

Give consideration to where your time is going especially for those routine and required chores that must get done.  If you are enjoying the free time you have you’re doing it right!  If you are feeling increasingly burdened by your current home and yard, it may be time to start thinking about moving to a more accommodating and more leisurely lifestyle.  A smaller, more modestly sized and one-floor home will give you more opportunity to pursue your dreams.  Why stay weighed down with the drudgery of excessive house maintenance when there are more satisfying ways to live?

We hope you can get more out of life and really enjoy the good times this summer with family and friends.  Happy Summer to you all!

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

All Age JENSEN communities®

Most people know that Jensen’s owns and manages manufactured housing communities for people 55 and over.  This market niche evolved from the desire of customers to live in communities without young children and around more people their own age.  Smaller one floor homes, and yards that provide privacy and independence are perfect for those ready to shed the too big house and laborious yard while still enjoying the American Dream.

It may be a best kept secret that Jensen’s also has several communities for people of all ages.  These communities still have the same quiet and low maintenance lifestyle that our 55 and over locations enjoy but allow people of any age group to take advantage of the benefits.  Small homes and yards are also great for small families of all kinds with neighbors of all ages to get to know and help each other.

Those of any age can check out our five New Hampshire communities in Nashua (River Pines), Concord (Crestwood), Tilton (Hemlocks), Lebanon (Hannah Village) and Dover (Farmwood Village) as well as our all age communities in Cambridge MD (Southside Landing) and Aiken SC (Crossroads).

In this day and age, it pays to have a house that complements your family size and lifestyle.  A home in a Jensen all age community may be just right for you and your family.

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

A Road Trip North

I love road trips!  It must be that sense of adventure the open road and auto travel brings.  It really gets my wheels “spinning!”  Now that spring has sprung, two of my friends that live in nearby Jensen Communities will join me as we travel back to our hometowns up north.  It is a perfect time to travel as everything will be coming into bloom as we head up through the Mid-Atlantic States and on into the greater part of the northeast.  This year we all decided to take our time and visit some of the Jensen Communities along the way.  We have been researching online at www.jensencommunities.com for the destination points and I am excited that the plan is near complete.

I will be picking up my two friends in Myrtle Beach, SC at the two Jensen Communities located on the Grand Strand and then we will head north.  Our first visit will be Coastal Plantation in Hampstead, NC.  Wilmington has some great restaurants and NC is strategic and for folks who want to remain a little closer to their northern friends and may find this community perfectly situated.

From NC we will travel up I-95 on into MD; cutting across the Chesapeake Bay which leads into eastern MD.  We plan on spending some time at both Southside Landing in Cambridge and Hyde Park in Easton, MD.  Both communities are situated in very historical towns, are minutes from the Chop Tank River and local eateries that offers some of the best MD crab cakes in the country!

After a couple of days in MD our party plans on heading into NJ and then New England.  My travel friends will be visiting family near Trenton, NJ which is only about 20 minutes from Deep Run—another Jensen Community that offers spacious homes, many of which have carports and sunrooms as well as densely wooded home sites.  I will proceed into CT and plan on stopping in Southington where I will visit the Jensen Corporate Office.  I am looking forward to meeting some of the original Jensen family who are still part of the management of the organization.  It is nice to know that they appreciate and care enough about the folks that invest and live in a Jensen Community to welcome them for a visit to the Corporate Office. 

Someday I plan on taking a trip into NH and NY where even more Jensen Communities are located.  Although I enjoy my home in the south, I have often wondered about how life is up north in a Jensen Community.  Until then, our current trip is planned and we are excited.  Looking forward to a nice three week adventure!

n  Flyin’ Free

People Buy from People

Overwhelmingly customers begin shopping for a home online.  We hope you find our current website useful and that it has the information you need to help you make the big decision to improve your life.  A new site is in the works and we look forward to launching it over the summer.  With new technology, software and architecture, the new site should be even easier to navigate and more helpful as well as more accommodating on your tablet or mobile devises.

While websites can provide helpful information to educate you on what a home builder has to offer, it cannot help you in the same way a person does through the home buying process.  People are still the key in helping people buy homes.  Computers and websites can layout the facts and numbers, but a professional sales representative and housing consultant should always be there for you as a customer guiding you along the way.

Jensen Sales Representatives are trained to listen and learn what is important to someone buying first and foremost.  Until we are Customer Mission Focused we cannot help you the way only a live person can and should.  Phone calls, emails and text messages are very much a part of communicating with home buyers in the digital world.  We understand that it is the people on the business end of electronic devices that can make a difference for you.

If you are in the hunt for a new home, Jensen’s sales people are here for you.

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Spring has Sprung!!

I don’t know about you, but I am happy that Spring is FINALLY here!  It’s nice to get outside to see all the trees starting to bloom, not to mention the smell of the beautiful flowers.  I am also looking forward to taking some walks in the community and having my windows open to let it the fresh air.

April was a month filled with lots of fun events at the Clubhouse.  In April there was the Ice Cream Social, several game nights, and a pancake breakfast.  May is shaping up to be another month filled with exciting activities.  I am looking forward to the pool opening for Memorial Day Weekend. We usually have a party to kick off the summer in style!  It also means that most of our “Snow Birds” will be back from their Winter homes.

We are planning Memorial Day picnic in the afternoon after going to the town parade.

Enjoy the nice weather!

Get In On It

Spring Forward!

The cold weather and amount of snow still piled up has delayed the spring selling season but please don’t let it stop you from putting your home on the market or looking for your new dream home.  Those buyers seriously looking for a new home are out in earnest.  You can take advantage of the spring market by having your home and yard ready to list as soon as possible.  If you are a buyer, take advantage of the current pricing before real estate heats up in 2014!

Jensen’s is looking forward to helping you “Get in on the Good Life!” in one of our 31 communities from New Hampshire to Georgia!

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Spring is almost here!!

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I know that I am ready for Spring!  This has been a crazy cold winter.  But even thru all the dismal weather we have had some great events at the community building.  There was a Super Bowl Party, lots of pot lucks, a soup luncheon and a Valentine’s Day party.  It was nice to see so many friends and neighbors at all of these events and other activities that took place in February.

Hopefully March brings out some flowers that have been “resting” through the winter.  Soon enough the birds will begin to fly back and the leaves will start appearing on the trees.  There is also St. Patrick’s Day celebration with corn beef and cabbage as well as the monthly pot luck dinner to look forward too.  The change of seasons also means that we will lose an hour of sleep but the better weather is worth it! 

I almost forgot to mention that we are on Facebook, so make sure you “Like” us on Facebook to see pix from all these great events and other fun pictures.  You can also see photos from these events on our website which is www.jensencommunities.com.

Happy Spring!

Get In On It

Simply Affordable

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”  Leonardo da Vinci

The anticipation of life in retirement on a fixed income is a humbling experience.  But seeking out more simplicity in retirement is more than just living comfortably on what you have saved.  Thoreau went into the Walden Woods to try and live as simply and as richly as he could.  It seems that those contemplating retirement could also benefit from getting into this state of mind.  We each get to define a retirement lifestyle for ourselves.  If we can shed unwanted costs and some of the things we have gathered over the years our lives can become more meaningful in other ways.

As our lives progress, we create a family, gather friends and build relationships.  These are surely the richness of life.  Unfortunately, we also accumulate a lot of stuff like a home or two, vehicles, boats, RV’s, furniture, clothing, and keepsakes.  While these things help us to enjoy our family, friends, and relationships, they can also be a burden when we want to make a move into a new home or lifestyle.

It seems that more people in their middle years (if they haven’t already) start to seek out more purpose and/or find opportunities to give back.  A simpler life, home and finances provide the freedom of time and money to be more purposeful when you have more time to make the most out of life.

A more physically and financially manageable place to live is key to achieving that goal of finding more freedom in your life.

At Jensen communities, we can help with a Simply Affordable Home in an outstanding neighborhood.

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Enjoying the Good Life Affordably

Simply affordable living means having your monthly costs well within your means.  What you pay for your home and community needs to fit your lifestyle and pocket book.

Enjoying the benefits of private community amenities does not have to cost a lot.  A comfortable clubhouse, swimming pool and pleasant common areas to walk and enjoy make life richer.  They are also great places to meet and enjoy new friends as well as family.

The Labor Day to Memorial Day period tends to be the most active in a Jensen community.  While summers are quieter with residents taking vacation or spending time with family, winters is the time for events, activities and trips out to eat or visit a special location.

Here are a few links to some recent events you may be interested in:

Beechwood in Killingworth CT – New Year’s Brunch

Crestwood in Concord NH – Soup and Sandwich Lunch

Wymberly in Martinez GA – Coffee Time

Country Lakes in Little River SC – Polar Bear Plunge

Southern Palms in Ladson SC – Super Bowl Party

More Community News can be found at: http://www.jensencommunities.com/phpworx/index.php?cmd=community-news and choosing a State and Community.

Enjoy!

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Improve Your Life

Moving from your current home is all about improving your life.  If your home no longer meets your needs, it is time to make the decision to move and find a home that makes sense.

Too much yard work?  Do stairs feel more like a mountainside than the way to your bedroom?  Are those never used rooms’ just places to clean?  Does the old fashion room layout meet your needs today?  Do you relate to your changing neighborhood anymore?

An honest assessment of your home is a good place to start before you begin looking for a new home.  Consider what you like and don’t like.  There are aspects of your home that you can’t live without and also things you no longer want to live with.  If a written list helps you organize your thoughts, make one!  This is also a good way to share ideas with your spouse or partner.

Be proactive and realistic changes can significantly improve the quality of your life.  There are many housing options out there; you need to find one that will help you get more out of your time and money.  End your dissatisfaction with your home and start a search for a more practical home that will improve your life!

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com

Planning Your Get-a-Way!

I hope you all survived the Polar Vortex that engulfed the country!  While there wasn’t much escaping the frigid temperatures anywhere in the US during that weather episode, the winter months are typically the time that many get out of the cold and enjoy some warmth in the southern climates.

These trips aren’t just about getting away from the cold and snow.  They are also times to explore new cities and towns to try on a new lifestyle.  They are for falling in love with a different part of the country where you always wanted to live.

Whether it’s fishing, golfing, hiking or visiting historic sites that you are interested in, these trips give you just a taste of what could be your new home if you are committed to moving at some future date.

We encourage you to explore your interests.  Jensen’s has plenty of locations you may wish to visit near well-known vacation and retirement spots.  Starting with Maryland’s Eastern Shore and down through the Carolinas and Georgia, we have an affordable home for you.

We welcome your visit and look forward to helping you.  Safe travels!

Kris Jensen III

Get in on the Good Life!^®

800-458-6832

www.jensencommunities.com