The Priority List: A Fun and Risk-Free Way to Explore Retirement Living at Linden Ponds

People tend to equate retirement planning with financial planning. While having the financial resources to maintain a good lifestyle is critically important, there is much more to successful retirement planning than just having money in the bank.

A good retirement plan should also include an assessment of your goals and interests. How do you envision your retirement lifestyle? Where will you live?

Studies show that a retirement lifestyle that includes community engagement, strong social ties, and physical activity contributes to greater happiness and better overall health and resilience.

The right community can enhance your lifestyle, so it’s important to explore your options.

Erickson Senior Living, a nationally recognized leader in continuing care retirement communities, gives prospective residents a unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the active, worry-free lifestyle through each community’s priority list program.

Priority list members experience the community’s lifestyle at their own pace and on their own schedule.

“Joining the priority list is an opportunity to enjoy and engage with the community, which regular visitors don’t get to do,” says Sharon Baksa, a director at Erickson Senior Living. “This is not just a waiting list. This is like a club that entitles you to privileges. Members enjoy dining in our restaurants, attending special events, and getting to know the staff and residents. We celebrate the fact that you are a priority list member, and you are entitled to the privileges afforded to members of the club.”

Priority list privileges

Priority list members can reserve a specific apartment home design before members of the public. For anyone who has a strong preference for a particular model, an early spot on the list can make all the difference.

“Whether you plan to move right away or a few years down the road, joining the Linden Ponds priority list ensures you’ll get to pick your favorite floor plan, location, and view,” says Sales Counselor Teresa Caseau. “The earlier you join, the greater the chance your perfect apartment home will be available when you are ready to move. Members also receive special pricing offers and first notice of new construction.”

Priority list members also receive invitations to special events, seminars, and parties, and they are the first to receive community news and updates.

Developing friendships

Barry and Judie Hass moved to Linden Ponds in June 2020. They spent a little over a year on the priority list, and they both currently serve as resident ambassadors.

“Our time on the priority list gave us the opportunity to integrate into the community in a much greater way than we ever could with just a visit and a tour,” says Judie. “We made it a point to come to the social hours, held specifically for priority list members, on Friday and Sunday nights. It gave us a sense of the type of people who lived here. We developed friendships that we continued once we moved into our new home.”

Barry adds, “The priority list positioned us to receive many members-only invitations. We came to many events, always with questions, and enjoyed hearing questions from other priority list members as well. We also sampled the food, checked out the numerous amenities, and discovered the variety of social activities.”

Another exclusive benefit of joining the priority list is access to the Erickson Realty and Moving Services program.

From recommending a trusted real estate agent to sell your current home to advice on decorating your new apartment, Erickson Realty and Moving Services staff help priority list members have a stress-free move every step of the way.          

An easier move

“People sometimes think the Erickson Realty and Moving Services program is only for people who are about to move, but priority list members are not necessarily ready to move immediately. They may be waiting for a specific apartment home design that we don’t have available yet or they may be just waiting for when the time is right for them to move,” says Baksa.

“People who join the priority list should know that we can help them with whatever challenges they’re faced with as they start to think about transitioning from a house to an apartment home. Whether they are moving now or next year, we can help.”

Live the Life

Priority list members also have a unique opportunity to “test-drive” retirement living through Linden Ponds’ Live the Life program.

“Live the Life is a complimentary overnight experience customized for each priority list member,” says Brian Hance, a senior director at Erickson Senior Living. “We tailor each itinerary to the interests of the priority list member. Those who are interested in the cuisine will want to experience a few of the restaurants, others want to try a fitness center class. It’s a chance to get to know the layout, talk with residents, and spend time in an apartment home.”

Your journey begins with a $1,000 priority list deposit, which is applied to the apartment home you choose or fully refundable should you decide to change your priority status, and a nonrefundable $150 application fee per person.

Joining the priority list is a commitment-free and financially sound way for prospective residents to see for themselves the benefits and amenities that come with living at Linden Ponds.

The first step to enjoying maintenance-free retirement living at Linden Ponds is to request a brochure.