Choosing an Active Adult Community

Steve Thornton was driving along Interstate 75 in South Florida on a "scouting trip" for a place to live in retirement when he saw a billboard for Trilogy at Ocala Preserve, 1½ miles off the highway. Stopping there, he was taken with the beauty of the place--and knew his wife would agree. "Lyndia would like it," Steve, 69, recalls thinking.

While their children were growing up, the Thorntons had vacationed in Orlando, an hour and 15 minutes' drive southeast of Ocala. "We knew we wanted to be in Florida," he says. "We had a few places on our list." The couple had gone online to do research at . Ultimately, they