Good Housekeeping: The Latest Real Estate Trend Is Designed to Improve Your Health
By Alyssa Gautieri
Imagine an idyllic community that allows you to stroll miles of wooded trails, practice yoga in nature and enjoy free cultural offerings like art galleries and outdoor concerts just steps from your front door. Plus, you can drop by small boutiques, coffee shops and restaurants and then spend your evening with neighbors.
Welcome to Serenbe, a planned community in Chattahoochee Hills, GA, that’s home to more than 1,000 residents, from individuals and young families looking for a respite from city life to relatives from multiple generations who want to live near them as well as retirees and empty nesters seeking a sense of community.
Serenbe was founded in 2004 by Steve Nygren and his wife, Marie, a couple who retired to the Georgia countryside in the early 1990s. Nygren, who previously worked in the restaurant business, dreamed of building a community that encouraged interaction with nature. After he initially purchased 2,000 acres for Serenbe, Nygren kept 70% of the 40,000 acres of Chattahoochee Hills wild while building on the remaining land. He left room for green space, parks and farms for all to enjoy.
A laid-back lifestyle and a genuine sense of community make Serenbe feel secluded,
though it’s just 40 minutes from Atlanta. Homeowners and renters in Serenbe can enjoy a full slate of health and wellness amenities, like a trip to the spa, a physical therapy session or an afternoon by the lake. Serenbe is also equipped with a 25-acre organic farm, so fresh food is plentiful — visit the weekly farmer's market or snack on the edible landscaping, like blueberry bushes lining sidewalks.
"Serenbe combines access to undisturbed nature with the qualities of a small town, like truly knowing your neighbors," Nygren says. "It’s where my three daughters grew up, and now they’re raising their families, including my six grandchildren, here."
At Serenbe, you can rent a modern one-bedroom condo for a little over $2,000 per month or a peaceful cottage for around $6,000. Or, you can work with a builder to create your dream home (land starts at $375,000) or find a move-in ready properties (starting at around $450,000) that suits your family. Serenbe's hamlets, or small neighborhoods, are connected by preserved nature trails, making it faster to walk most places than it would be to drive. And with access to four on-site restaurants, an independent STEAM school with programs for children of all ages and rotating community events, residents have little need to leave. But Serenbe isn't the only community that has found success by prioritizing wellness-related amenities and a small-town vibe.
The global wellness real estate market (including wellness hotels) is estimated to reach $863.9 billion by 2028, a substantial increase from the $279.4 billion value in 2021, according to Facts and Factors. Lake Nona in Orlando, FL, and Rancho Mission Viejo in Mission Viejo, CA, are also part of the surge in "wellness developments." With more than 24,000 diverse residents, Lake Nona is outfitted with impressive schools, fitness centers, healthy eateries and community gardens. Move Nona, a free autonomous shuttle, helps residents navigate the 17-square-mile neighborhood. "It's not just about owning a home in Lake Nona, it's about belonging to a vibrant community that feels like home," says Jessi Blakley, vice president or Tavistock Development Group. "We're able to achieve this with over 1,000 free events every year, set against a backdrop of trails, lush parks and a flourishing public art scene."
Situated on a historic cattle ranch, Rancho Mission Viejo has 4,700 homes — with plans to
expand to 14,000 by 2030. Residents can enjoy wildflower walks and breathtaking hikes, plus harvest their own fruits and vegetables at one of many community farms. And on top of community pools, playgrounds and sports courts, the community offers classes and more than 60 resident-led clubs.
There's also Agrihood in Santa Clara, CA, an affordable housing community for seniors and veterans that currently houses 225 residents. Its working urban farm provides continuous fresh produce, while planter boxes allow residents to cultivate their own vegetables. "This project is specifically catered toward some of the most vulnerable populations in the country and provides them with more than just housing — but opportunities that promote physical and mental well-being," says Vince Cantore, vice president of Agrihood.
According to a recent America At Home study, 58% of homebuyers and renters value access to nature and open-space activities, 48% want large parks and 43% desire walkability to a coffee shop or a casual eatery. Sustainability features like energy-saving home devices and whole-home water-filtration systems are among other considerations that are increasingly important to buyers, and these developments provide such amenities. "As well as fostering social engagement, wellness developments respect the natural environment and work with the land instead of against it," says Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki, the study's founder and cochair of the Global Wellness Institute’s Wellness Communities and Real Estate Initiative. "Wellness is the new 'why,' meaning people today are making home and community purchase decisions related to wellness."
Amaya Genaro, vice president of community services at Rancho Mission Viejo — which offers a full calendar of events, hiking trails, community farms and volunteer opportunities for its 12,000 residents — thinks more people have been looking to feel settled and unstressed in the years since 2020. "The pandemic made people more aware of how important well-being is," she says. "Residents have come to expect community amenities and programs to help maintain their health in the place where they are spending the most time — at home."
