Search for your lost shaker of salt in Margaritaville's green retirement communities

Inspired by "Margaritaville," Jimmy Buffett's 1977 hit song, developer Minto Communities launched a chain of active adult communities tied to the Margaritaville name.

So far two neighborhoods are planned, one in Daytona Beach, Florida, and one in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Construction on the $1 billion Latitude mixed-use project in Daytona Beach has begun. The nearly 7,000 homes are age restricted to buyers 55 and older. The community will feature a spa, lap pools, fitness facilities, 200,000 square feet of retail space, a band shell for live entertainment, and a free shuttle to a private beachfront club.

Margaritaville-brand food and beverage concepts will be on tap as part of indoor and outdoor dining options to include the Cheeseburger in Paradise restaurant and the Five O’Clock Somewhere bar.

Minto officials said the community’s two- and three-bedroom homes — all with dens and garages — will be priced from the very low $200,000s to the mid-$300,000s.

The themed communities reflect the boom in the senior housing marketing, as the population of Americans over 80 will double from 6 million to 12 million, and one-third of U.S. households will be headed by a person over 65.

Easy green living

Each home in the Latitude project was designed to provide a low-maintenance, energy-efficient lifestyle. High performance and green features include:

• Fresh air intake and insulated sealed duct air conditioning system for improved indoor air quality
• Low volatile organic compound (VOC) Sherwin-Williams® paints and Mohawk carpet to improve well-being
• Exterior ventilation of microwave hood
• In-wall Taexx pest defense system eliminates personal contact with active ingredients
• Energy efficient double-paned low-emissivity (Low-E) windows, sliders and glass doors
• High efficiency 15-SEER Carrier central air conditioning and heating
• Insulated fiberglass front entry door
• Energy-saving light bulbs
• Energy Star bathroom exhaust fans
• R-38 insulated ceiling and R-4.1 on block walls
• Energy efficient Rinnai tankless gas water heater
• Moen water-saving plumbing fixtures
• Water-saving, comfort height elongated commodes